Games in the Classroom with The Twine Cookbook
|
Posted By: Hija Chang on November 21, 2017 by Anastasia Salter My favorite tool for teaching game-making, interactive storytelling, and hypertext is Twine. I’ve talked here at ProfHacker about both Twine 1.x and Twine 2, and it’s my go-to recommendation for most classroom needs when someone is trying to introduce technology. However, the existence of competing versions and story formats can make it difficult for students unfamiliar with the platform to find resources online. The Twine Cookbook, a new project hosted by the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation and currently led by Dan Cox and Twine creator Chris Klimas, is an open-source answer to that problem. Currently, the Twine Cookbook includes examples of some classic Twine tricks such as incorporating Google fonts, adding movement through a “dungeon,” and creating randomness with the roll of a die. One of the most valuable aspects of the Twine Cookbook for me so far has been seeing how certain techniques work across story formats and versions: for instance, you can check out timed passages in Harlowe, Snowman, and SugarCube. A student who has already committed to one version can thus more easily make use of a range of dynamic elements in whatever platform they’ve started with, which can reduce the frustration and learning curve. It’s also helpful for explaining the differences to someone trying to choose a format for their own work: you can use the examples to get a sense of which is most familiar based on your current knowledge. The annotated code and live examples also make it easy to grab a snippet and incorporate it into a project. The Twine Cookbook uses the Gitbook format, which runs from a Github repository to make an easy-to-navigate open source publication rather like a refined (and curated) wiki. Thanks to this underlying format, it is easy to contribute if you are already familiar with Github. This has potential for student projects, particularly as an extra credit option for advanced students, and hopefully will lead to increased variety and utility of examples as the Cookbook catches on. The philosophy of open source and an understanding of the practices and tools of open source communities can be a great value add for the semester, particularly given how many of us in academia benefit from the communities behind these types of projects. If you have a favorite Twine trick, consider submitting it and helping out other developers and instructors. Do you use Twine, either in the classroom or otherwise? Have you had a chance to explore the Twine Cookbook? Please share your thoughts in the comments. http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/... Cook flickr photo by pfly shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Graduate School Info
 |
Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunity!We, at www.stemuscenter.org, just completed our first two informational sessions on Research Fellowship opportunity for STEM and Social Science doctoral students.
The mission of our center is to te ...more
Manisha Maurya • 2,087 Views • October 23rd, 2024 |
 |
4 Habits for Success in Online SchoolOnline education has become an increasingly popular option for students over the years, especially due to the current global pandemic. However, succeeding in online school takes more than just a good ...more
Anica Oaks • 2,385 Views • February 1st, 2024 |
Popular Graduate School Info
 |
People Judge Your Intelligence Based on the Tone of Your Voice and How Fast You Speak
Do you want people to think you are intelligent? Has someone ever told you “You’re much smarter than you look.”?
No doubt it can sting to be perceived as less intelligent, particularly when you ...more
Hija Chang • 32,498 Views • June 12th, 2017 |
 |
How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension If youd like to improve your reading comprehension, try the SQ3R method. This is an acronym that means: Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.
Heres how it works:
Survey Your Text
Prior t ...more
Hija Chang • 25,193 Views • June 12th, 2017 |
 |
Magna, Summa, and the Honor RollWhat does it mean to graduate with honors? Academic honors involve these Latin terms...
What is Cum Laude: Graduating With Honor means graduating cum laude. What does cum laude mean? Translators de ...more
Hija Chang • 21,780 Views • March 16th, 2016 |
 |
Never procrastinate and always free time…..One blog I read regularly is by Leo Babauta, called zen habits. Essentially, he writes all about simplifying your life. A while ago, Scott Young was a guest blogger for Babuata’s website and wrote a p ...more
Hija Chang • 14,186 Views • April 19th, 2018 |
 |
MVSU to host Graduate Expo March 1Why should you consider an advanced degree? How will you finance your graduate education? What program of study is the best fit for you?
For the answer to these questions and many more, attend Mis ...more
Hija Chang • 13,266 Views • February 27th, 2018 |
