Seeding and Nurturing Community Game Making Practices to Facilitate Learner Agency

Seeding and Nurturing Community Game Making Practices to Facilitate Learner Agency

Research Questions April 2025

Principle question: How can research on and pedagogies to support CGD&P be enriched using socio-cultural approaches?

What contradictions arose in this research’s evolving design process and how were they addressed in the resulting CGD&P pedagogy?
How can the use of a collection of game design patterns support CGD&P, in particular in relation to abstract and concrete dimensions of existing pedagogies?
How can varied dimensions of agency be identified and nurtured in an evolving community of game makers? (and thus what subsequent implications does this have on understandings of pedagogy design)

Introduction

PURPOSE & GAPS - ADD IN EACH SECTION.

This chapter deepens the analysis and discussion on RQ2 regarding the potential uses of gameplay design patterns (GDP) and concludes with an analysis and discussion on RQ3, addressing reflections on participant agency.

To begin, this chapter discusses the findings of Chapter 6 on the uses of gameplay design patterns (GDP) in relation to existing research on programming pedagogies. It specifically addresses the complexities of the abstract and concrete dimensions of computing education using a concept of gameplay design patterns as an gateway construct.

Part two examines the broader empowerment-related motivations driving this study. The goal here is to address gaps in the existing landscape of CGD&P research via an application of socio-cultural conceptions of agency. To begin this process, I undertake an interpretation of shifting forms of agency grounded in the data explored in the last chapter.

To achieve this, I begin with an exploration of the study’s findings in relation to instrumental and transformative agency and the concept of mediation in CHAT.

As a way to address cultural development in more depth, particularly the development of learner identities within the research activities, I develop an interpretation of relational agency drawing on Rogoff and Gutiérrez’s [@gutierrez_cultural_2003] concept of learner repertoires.

To do this the findings of this research are framed within three stages of a described process of relational agency by repertoire blending.

Following a final section addresses summarises findings for a broad audience. Firstly via a table listing the characteristics of the design within

This is followed by an exploration of metaphors that synthesise significant features of the learning design which influence dimensions of agency.

As framework is developed via a utopian and utilitarian approach to design-based research and formative interventions. As such, it communicates insights for equity and diversity via practical concerns to inform future recommendations for practice.

Part one - Exploring concepts of abstract and concrete knowledge frameworks in relation to Game Design Patterns

The tension between abstract and concrete dimension of the process of learning to program runs as a theme through the literature of the domain of computer game design and programming (CGD&P) (see Chapter 2). Yet, the field would still benefit from research on novel pedagogies which explicitly address the complexities of abstraction in computing education. Complexities which include areas of gradation of abstraction in understanding of computational thinking; the role of levels of abstraction for teachers and learners; and the value of epistemological pluralism as a way to value concrete approaches. This chapter explores these characteristics in relation to the data surfaced in Chapters 5 and 6 of this thesis. The section develops the proposal of GDPs as pedagogical germ cell between abstract and concrete poles of the learning experience and examines the utility of this positioning for facilitators for participants. Finally, a technical pedagogical structure is advanced and given an term of remix enabled elective pattern patching (REEPP)

Conceptions of abstraction in the research field

This section explores dimensions of abstraction and concreteness in the use of GDPs within context of computing education by revisiting relevant pedagogies outlined in Chapter 2. In activity theory, specifically in formative interventions, the research process and the evolving design involve a process of rising to the concrete. This analytical process involves identifying from concrete data an abstraction of interest and utility and leveraging the power of this concept to generate distinct concrete instantiations of it. Thus this research the utility of GDPs as both a form on intermediate learning design principle (explored in Chapter 5) or unit of analysis (see Chapter 3.) and as an analytical germ cell which is manifested in varied motivational and mediational forms (Chapter 6).

Comparing to pedagogies explicitly teaching abstraction, computational thinking and LOA

CT - gradations

Chapter 2 explores definitions of computational thinking varying in degrees of abstraction or application. Two notably interpretations include Wing’s [-@wing_computational_2006] focus on abstraction encompassing as overarching computing principles and high level structural design approaches, and Resnick and Brennan’s [-@brennan_new_2012] more applied approach including computational practices and perspectives. This applied approach draws on the legacy of Papert and Turkle’s [-@papert_epistemological_1990] research on diversity in coding approaches to counter potentially alienating abstract approaches. Framed as bricolage, concrete coding approaches included an iterative approach, proximity to the code and strong links between function and form, and maintaining closer contact with a concrete sense of the outcomes even at the expense of programming efficiency or neatness of code.

Exploring data using concepts of Levels of Abstraction (LOA) & PRIMM

The use of the concept of levels of abstraction (LOA) and semantic profiles within the PRIMM pedagogy was explained as pedagogies in Chapter 2, the common value being in alternating between abstract and concrete levels of project structure and semantic concepts. The pedagogies are advanced to help teachers design learning experiences which allow for participant shifts in perspectives and thus deepen knowledge by packing and unpacking abstracted concepts via concrete experiences. In this thesis, there are two principle dimensions of abstraction at play. The first has the abstraction and generalisation concepts present Wing’s definition of computational thinking at one pole and concrete code implementation at the other. The second dimension present in the LOA framework is a hierarchy of elements: namely goal-design-code-results. The goal being the most abstract element would place GDPs (see Table 7.x for more details).

However, to represent GDPs on a graded scale of semantic density, following Eriksson and Hook? [@eriksson_using_2019] they would be situated between abstract CT processes and concrete implementation. Thus, tor the purposes of this analysis, it is appropriate to place the LOA in the lower half of the profile (See Figure 7.x below) and at levels above GDP place more abstract concepts of systems thinking and computational thinkg.

Figure 7.x - Semantic density of the key concepts of this research {width=75%}

Addressing interpretations of LOA [@waite_abstraction_2018] in video data we can map the levels of abstraction to shifts between conceptions of goals, implementation in code structures, and observations of results in my findings. While the teaching of the theories levels of abstraction is not explicit, movement is clearly happening, as demonstrated by the table below.

Level	Focus	Example
Conceptual Level	Thinking about the GDPs to be added to the game	Goal formation, prioritisation
Design Level	GDP supporting documentation scaffolds this process	What it should do is to a large extent preset via documentation.
Code Level	Writing the actual code, is supported via code patching	is supported via code patching, and a structure which encourages modification. Debugging of code also happens at this level.
Execution Level	Understanding the outputs	A strong correlation between goal and outcome, as playing the game product is very immediate.

Table. 7.x Levels of abstraction located in the findings

The following diagram is an approximate representation of the scope of movement using typical behaviour seen in Vignette 2. In this vignette, as exploration of abstract CT concepts and explicit use of systems concepts are rarely present, the resulting of semantic profiles show movement in the lower areas of the gradation of semantic density. This shallow semantic wave above is typical in describing the data of other participants in analysed session recordings.

Figure 7.x - Semantic profile in Vignette 2 {width=95%}

Movement between layers of abstraction and concrete occurs in my data as participants shift between goal formation and the concrete implementation using design practices and specific code structures. In this example, Toby starts by imagine and choose a design pattern and navigates to the relevant documentation. He progresses to implement the pattern via patching in code from the code example. He tests it via previewing and playtesting the game. He then revises or debugs it iteratively. For example, the alternation between checking game level and debugging level in Vignette 2 (see exact spot) results from Toby wanting to get the positioning of the moving enemy correct and needing to several changes to achieve the desired behaviour. Examples pervade the data of Vignettes of such shifts between levels. The descriptions of fluency in Chapter 6 in part stem from the regular shifts in these levels via operationalisation CAN THIS BE PROVED?. GDPs are relevant in this process as they provide a tangible level of feedback in the most concrete level, and games provide high motivation to adjust code to get the result feeling just right (as seen in Chapter 6).

This relatively typical semantic profile shows rapid iterations of project changes and navigation between the upper and lower poles but little activity at the code design activity or utilising of more abstract computing concepts. This pattern is due in part to the closely coupled documentation supporting implementation as explored in Chapter 5. Additionally, as a learning designer I had pre-completed aspects of project implementation that required more generalisable computational thinking skills that would have been a potentially valuable learning experience. For example, abstraction was present in the structuring of key variables within the starting template and via the graphical design tool in the form of a grid matrix in an array data structure. Decomposition and generalisation (pattern recognition) were present in the structuring of the collection of GDPs. For advocates of the potential of abstract CT, this process could be perceived as over-scaffolding, depriving learners or the chance to learn and practice these valuable CT practices.

These black-boxing decisions were initially in response to barriers present to abstract approaches explored in Chapter 2 in order to prioritise accessibility and flow experience, inline with a bricolage approach and constructionist design heuristics [@resnick_reflections_2005] (see Appendix.tech for fuller details). The process of scaffolding this abstraction allowed greater focus on more relational and affective elements of the learning design, processes which are described in more depth in part two of this chapter. As such, the resulting semantic profile of Figure 7.x above can be aligned with the description of Papert and Turkle’s [@papert_epistemological_1990] bricoleur maker styles. The data of Chapter 5 details the development of a learning pedagogy which aligns primarily to the more concrete applied approach as a way of ameliorating barriers of conceptual complexity. Observations show most participants operating as bricoleurs, feeling their way through their game-making via smaller-scale iterations rather than extensive periods of planning followed by implementation.

Thus there are limits here to which this research can be said to support claims of LOA and semantic profiling. While the utility of blackboxing to increase accessibility for participants here supports the potential of LOA to review participant experience of learning programming [@waite_abstraction_2018-1, p.21], the value of participant being explicitly aware of LOA is less clear given the lack of explicit teaching of either LOA in my design. Additionally, while systems concepts and computational thinking are being explored concrete level, and are included in written instructions they are not explicitly taught in sessions.

These intentional limits in exploration of more abstract concepts in line with a bricolage approach appear to be at odds with advocacy for alternating between abstract and concrete dimensions in semantic waves [@curzon_using_2020]. It follows that the authors would cite this as problematic limitation in approach or at the least missed opportunities to unpack and repack concepts.

While the value of explicit teaching of more abstract dimension of computational thinking, is not challenged here, my findings expose associated tensions. In my use of just in time personal instruction of abstract concepts while code is being worked on, I balanced factors of how welcome would this underpinning knowledge be to students. Would it interrupt their flow? A tension involving competing demands on facilitator is also relevant as there was a high demand on my time and I prioritised getting people unstuck to keep them engaged. Given a different focus or motivation, say that of a need to explore concepts due to curricular or exam pressures, the process of supporting students to explore more abstract concepts could have been scaffolded further through more explicitly guided reflective processes. An alternative profile is represented in the illustration below.

Figure 7.x - Possible alternative semantic profile {width=95%}

This figure can be clarified with an imagined facilitator intervention in Vignette 1 after the series of changes made after patching in code to add a moving enemy. Facilitator could ask student to reflect on the implementation of the pattern and the revisions made. This would allow the facilitator to use technical language to explore some of the following conepts: the use of x and y co-ordinates as separate parameters of the tween function, the roles of the tween function as a abstracted element provided by the underlying phaser code library.

QUESTION HOW WOULD THE USE OF THIS CONCEPT WORK WITH PRIMM.

It is difficult to this process with the PRIMM given the different contexts involved with existing PRIMM research which are based in formal environments within the structures of a group lesson format.

While PRIMM alters UMC structure by adding more explicit conceptual scaffolding in early stages (Predict, Investigate) brings back a principles first approach, this approach to avoid the risk of associated student disengagement [SDG] takes a principles second approach.

As explored in Chapter 5, I explored modifications to the documentation to include candidate of the map of learning map dimensions in the initial descriptions of GDPS ( see Appendix.learningDimensions.) I experimented with a a process to encourage reflection of the implementation of each pattern by asking participants to plot their progress by moving self-created avatars on a a physical map (see Appendix.learningDimensions). This encouragement of the process of reflection via playful methods, could also be achieved in different ways perhaps by attributing badges or points to the a successful reflection of different elements of learning dimension. This is an area of future interest which could be explored by adapting the design for use in a more more formal setting as the extrinsic nature of the process of gamification would align with contextual factors of examination-driven education.

ANYTHING ELSE? ADD HERE AFTER REVIEWING LR AND DATA AGAIN

Reframing GDPs from intermediate-level concept or gateway concept

While this research has avoided of explicit teaching of concepts, it has conversely surfaced a mechanism, via the use of GDPs which allows this in an accessible way. I propose that the use of GDPs concepts as a primary object of activity allows them to open up exploration of both abstract and concrete concepts for examples those contained within the learning map (see appendix.learningmap for an example in P4), or more aligned to curricular concerns. Thus rather than the interpretation of Eriksson et al. [-@eriksson_using_2019] of game design patterns as intermediate constructs to instead gateway construct to communicate potential utility in opening up exploration of different dimensions of learning. This is represented conceptually in Figure 7.x below.

Figure 7.x - GDPs as a gateway construct opening up the exploration of wider related concepts {width=95%}

The utility of this positioning for varied stakeholders

The framing of the GDP as an intermediate construct in this way, drawing on Hook etc, was originally imagined as a useful tool for design researcher to surface useful concepts and practices. Indeed the process of deducting from participant input and responses that use of GDPs and design patterns more generally does appear to be useful here and a similar process could be useful in other contexts.

Beyond the utility for researcher, for participants the last chapter outlined the varied uses of GDPs in terms of mediational strategies and as a motivational element repeated in varied forms as different patterns are implements.

Additionally for facilitators the GDPs serve functions within the pedagogical approach of this research including: the ability to structure participant choice within practical limitations, a unifying construct to aid the packaging of documentation and support provided to aim project navigation.

Summary of structural components of applied pedagogy - REEPP

The previous section has shown how instead of explicit teaching of concepts, the structural support provided by the use of GDPs allows a flexible navigation of the abstract and concrete elements of learning experience driven by participant choice. This section summarises an approach to facilitate the use of GDPs via a technical structuring of resources. I propose that key elements of this pedagogy constitute a replicable approach which is a valuable contribution to coding education. To communicate the essence of this structural, technical model I propose an acronym remix enabled, elective, progressive, pattern patching (REEPPP).

The summary table has been written to be applicable to projects beyond the use of games.

REEPPP Term	Description
Remix Enabled	Project formation is accelerated, limited and scaffolded through the use of a structural starting template in a recognisable project genre with easily discoverable affordances strongly coupled with object output, providing immediate feedback.
Elective	Participants have choices over their learning pathways in dimensions of content and design patterns to be added.
Progressive	The processes involves progressive steps. In this case pattern recognition through exploration/play, quick start activities involving minimal changes with high impact on the project outcomes, using progressively more challenging documented patterns, finally implementing patterns without support
Pattern	The process has at its core the use of recognisable design patterns which are presented together with suggested design solutions and concrete code snippets.
Patching	The authentic technical process of code patching accelerates production and creates errors suitable for debugging at a novice level.

This technical structure synthesises use of a code playground, game library, a half-baked game template, UMC pedagogy, and the use of a collection of game design patterns. While similar approaches, exist this structural pedagogy is innovative in the way systemic tensions have been resolved and congruencies introduced.

SAY A LITTLE MORE HOW?

Link to next section - limits of this personal dimension approach

The first part of this chapter has through an analyis of the characteristics of the learning design to an explore abstract and concrete elements computing knowledge addresed a gap in research in finding appropriate level of scaffolding [@waite_teaching_2021; @quintana_scaffolding_2004] supporting CGD&P. The use of conceptual and practical frameworks to scaffold domain specific working practices can help ameliorate the dialectical tension between engagement via tinkering and requirements to promote “principled understanding” [@barron_doing_1998, p.63]. This research has surfaced a method which facilitates a principles second approach using GDPs as a gateway concept to dimensions of abstract practice based on reflection of completed activity. In addition finding of Chapter 5 are reframed to communicate the value of a structural approach I call REEPPP approach which hinges on the use of design patterns to access and facilitate varied dimensions of game making. While this chapter has so far focused on personal dimension of knowledge, the scaffolding provided by the REEPPP approach accelerates and supports the making process which in turn allows for greater possibilities of social and cultural making via playtesting outlined in the following section.

Part Two - Agency, and re-mediation of repertoires in third spaces

To address the foundational motivation of this study to better understand how potentially fruitful socio-cultural perspectives to facilitate an participant agency based approach to CGD&P via replicable pedagogical strategies. In this regard I follow Papert’s foundational focus on the community-oriented project work [@lodi_computational_2021] and the articulation of computational fluency as a challenge to research focusing too narrowly on technical approaches than expressive dimension [@resnick_seeds_2020; @resnick_coding_2020]. To do this this section is structured in the following way. Firstly, a exploration of evolving expressions of agency show in findings is undertaken using the concepts of instrumental, transformational and relational agency. Following this is an ecological analysis of the cultural plane of activity which draws on socio-cultural understandings of agency development as a utopian process [@gutierrez2020utopian; @rajala_utopian_2023]. To do this the concepts of third spaces, movement of participant repertoires, and the process of the evolving hybridity of repertoires are examined.

Agency

Why agency in particular revisit / gaps

Given that a guiding motivation of this study to explore the process of designing and facilitating for participant empowerment in learning to program, it is valuable to explore terms.

Chapter 2 examined varied concepts and characteristics of fluency in constructionist research, and concepts of flow. Chapter 6 explored these concepts in relation to the data of this study and found agency to be better aligned to a socio-cultural approach.

Instrumental and transformational agency

The exploration of tensions in Chapter 5 summary, design decisions of tool use can to increase agency in practical terms by providing affordances or by removing barriers to use. Conceptually these practical dimension can be framed as instrumental agency or removing aspects of negative liberty caused by technical barriers [@matusov_mapping_2016, p. 433].

Instrumental agency in education can be viewed as an uncomplicated view of mediation as a means to achieve pre-set goals. Thus designing for instrumental agency is often framed within an instruction or school setting.

EXAMPLES IN THIS SETTING NEEDED. REFERENCE CHAPTER 5.

A distinction can be made with and a transformative agency [@isaac_cultural_2022], in that expression of instrumental agency are unlikely to provoke environment changes in the activity system at hand.

Transformational agency may stem from transcending individual motivation but also involves a transformation to systemic constraints [@hopwood_agency_2022]. Participant acts of volition which aims overcome conflicts blocking activity progress may serve to surface previously unknown forms of mediation and use of tools.

Examples of this process in the research process were prevalent in P1 where participants had access to little in terms of supporting resources. Thus emergence, via interaction between participants and myself, of the P2 pedagogy is a result of transformational agency. For more details using TADS terminology see (Appendix.design.p1)

Tensions related to transformational agency

In early stages I propose one of the roles of the facilitator to make available a variety of affordances in terms of types of activities and materials available for facilitate the process of double stimulation. Then after noticing volitional attempts by participant to access affordance in novel ways via TADS, the facilitator should then incorporate learning design decisions to increase visibility and ease of use of such affordances with an aim to increase feelings of control over their creative process.

This raises a question, does adapting designs to increase affordances and instrumental agency reduces opportunities for transformational agency. And therefore, if it is advantageous to keep some key areas of the learning design should be kept incomplete to encourage the emergence of participant responses and novel practices thus retain the potential for transformational agency. In practice, there were still spaces for transformation once the core pedagogy is in place. For example, in Vig. Tody and Dan the break out of the template to create a different genre.

An additional challenge as a facilitator in this regard is how to balance the transformative potential of an incomplete learning environments with the potential for participant, confusing and stress. In this research this tension was ameliorated via the use of play and other processes to create an inclusive, low-stress environment. These were beneficial to participant feeling able to experiment with new forms of mediational strategies and thus enact transformational agency. Another relevant concern is how to best incorporate new affordances and processes that emerge from TADS processes back into the learning community. This questions is explored in the following section on relational agency.

Relational agency

The complex relations between participants outlined in the vignettes and data of the last chapter, in particular that in guided participation and cultural activity, demonstrate interdependence characteristic of relational agency. Edwards [@edwards2009systemic] explores relational agency within a CHAT framework as transcending individuals capacity to encompass collective problems solving via specialisation and diversity of approaches within activity systems. As a collective participants can overcome systemic contradictions via expansive learning, rearranging working relationships and thus forging new, mutual forms of helping and learning strategies.

Reframing findings using socio-cultural understandings of agency and repertoire blending

The discussion section of chapter 6 we examined the complexity of the expanded object in this research, noting both the diversity in terms of motivations and mediational strategies present and the limitations of 3GAT to clearly represent the important interactions between activity systems [@engestrom_development_1996]. To address these limitations, this section (re)frames these findings using concepts of repertoires and third space via attention to issues of participant identity and movement of practices between learning settings. Third spaces for Gutiérrez are collective zones of proximal development, which can be both an specific environment and/ or a process within existing contexts supporting a hybrid approach where diverse repertoires are re-mediated or blended in collaborative work on an expanded object [@gutierrez_developing_2008]. To augment this setting related concept, Rogoff and Gutiérrez [@gutierrez_cultural_2003; @gutierrez_youth_2019-1] use repertoires as a lens to contribute to discussion of expansive learning in CHAT as a positive enacted demonstration of diversity and equity. The overall goal is of this section is to explore the appropriation of diverse, exising participant repertoires [@gutierrez_rethinking_1999] into the third space of the game making community and to explore the development of new mediational tactics and other repertoires.

A - Repertoire importation into the the game making community

Following Gutiérrez’s [-@gutierrez_developing_2008; -@gutierrez_learning_2019-1] concept of learning as movement between spaces, we can locate participant repertoires in the data of this study that are imported into a new activity happening in an emerging third space from other activity systems. This section draws mostly on interview data which allows a greater precision in locating the repertoires as pre-existing in other settings rather than being rapidly developed in the new setting. Two key themes of repertoires emerged, those repertoires involving funds of knowledge and repertoires involving divisions of labour.

Addressing first repertoires involving divisions of labour, Barron’s helping roles [@barron_parents_2009] in technology use (teacher, project collaborator, learning broker, nontechnical consultant and learner) are present from initial stages. These these roles are illustrated in observed practice or in interview data.

Some imported practices are parent-led. In video data and interview data with Susanna and Tehillah, the parent details how she is able to support her child based on her home knowledge of working styles and the use of paper to help the child sketch (see Vignette 2). The paper prototyping as a home practice imported to this space is also cited by Mark(p) and Ed(c) in interview data (see Interview.2.a). Mark(p) describes a style of working slowly and methodically as plodding - “we are plodders”, a style supported by step-by-step documentation which the family access at home (see Interview.2.b). This game making program set an expectation parents to get involved with the game coding as well as young people. Maggie (Interview.3.a) shares her thoughts on the changing nature of Home Education communities, that parents are now more passive and think of their roles as arranging tutoring for their childrens, whereas she is more aligned with a DIY approach, and keen to get involved.

Other divisions of labour which highlight imported repertoires roles of young people are present the data. In Interview.1.c Madiha(p) describes Nasrin(c)’s strong preference for independent working which her mother Madiha respects and accommodates. Anastasia(p) (P1.debrief) also shared reflections on the issues of family and home education dynamics, suggesting that parents may get in the way of young people’s ability to move into other’s spaces to learn things, and that parental helping roles may therefore be a hindrance.

Turning to funds of knowledge and interest, present in the areas of game playing interests, art, environmental and other global concerns and professional knowledge. For example, some adults imported knowledge from professional communities or previous studies, for example Maggie had studied Pascal previously and Dan brought practices from work and from volunteering at Coder Dojo.

Movement of repertoires was also well illustrated in the mobilisation of game related knowledge. From P2 onward the use of a half-baked game as a starting point also allowed FoK to be mobilised in several ways. The knowledge of what was normal in such a platform game, the use of gravity as a known concept in variables. And motivation to change such a game and personalise it via the graphical matrix. In Interview.1.a Nasrin shares some of the links between Minecraft practices and graphical asset authoring in the Piskel software. This surfacing of home interests into a shared process had an additional benefit for some parents. In Inteview.1.b Madiha shared that via joint game making she had developed greater understanding of and had become more involved in Nasrin’s gaming activity.

Early in the P1 and P2 process participants were able to incorporate some of their concerns about wider ecological and global issues in the planning of their game narrative. In interview data Madiha (Interview.2.c) describes her own choice to address social media, Nasrin’s choice to make a game on sea pollution and Xavier’s topic of AI robots taking over the world. On a smaller scale some participant chose their hobbies or fan interests as game subjects: Ed choosing trains (Interview.1.) and Maggie, Pearl and Grandad choosing beekeeping. Interview data surfaced the identification with art as a hobby practice by Ed, Nasrin and Madiha. This was echoed in video data where both Madiha and Nasrin appeared to favour working with graphical elements and bringing characters to the game. Madiha created a collage which she brought in to use as the game’s background.

This section is not an attempt to exhaustively list initial imported uses of FoK and DoL, rather it details an important stage in a longer process. At times the practice of blending with either GDP concepts or technical tools is very rapid. For some participants the process of blending their interests with those of the game making program began immediately and intuitively as illustrated by Mark(p)’s comments on Ed(c)’s use of the Piskel graphical art editor (Interview.1). Other processes took longer to emerge, requiring more time or active effort to incorporate as described in the following section.

B - The process of blending of repertoires in the third space of this research (playtesting in particular)

The work of DiGiacomo and Gutiérrez [-@digiacomo_relational_2016-1, p.144] (see Chapter 3) explored social making in a similar context highlighted the importance of (a) feedback from making activities to nurture relational expertise in the form of emerging specialisms in activity and of (b) social feedback to increase relational agency between participants.

Self-playtesting by individuals and pairs allowed immediate feedback from the material affordances of the learning design, a process which developed specialisms related to growing participant proficiency. As explored in Chapters 6, the structuring of GDP collection around the MDA game framework drawing on aesthetics, dynamics and mechanics of the game, reflected initial participant interests. Some participants developing their imported home interests into areas of game making specialism. Some focused extensively on the creation and implementation of graphical assets and level design being motivated by narrative placement in the game via GDPs.

The process of playtesting, beyond a evaluation phase [@fullerton_game_2018], became a community process. Group playtesting of the games of others surfaced existing practices and amplifed opportunities for new repertoires, specialism and associated identities to propagae. Playtesing can thus be seen a both a process and a (third) space suited to both the re-mediation of mediational strategies in response to the diverse practices, and thus organic and introduced development of hybrid practices which blend existing repertoires of young people, parents and facilitators [@gutierrez_lifting_2010]. In addition, group playtesting unlocks the relational aspects of both expertise and wider agency, a process are explored in this section using the data of this thesis.

The development of different styles of being in playtesting represented new forms of re-mediated strategies incorporating home practices and new introduced repertoires. Some adults who developed new technical processes by working through documentation in a methodical manner (see Vignette V3.c & Vignette 2) refrained from extensive testing of other games, waiting for others to test their games and carefully observing their responses. Some participants were very social in their playtesting approach and used playtesting as a way to gain idea of what to add to their game next and to ask for direct help in that process (see Vignette 1.b). Others build affective relationships in a different of ways. For example via kind and supportive feedback. Madiha voiced her personal identification with created characters often said how cute the characters created were (Vignette 5.b).

Others embraced a disruptive stance in playtesting which for some participants provided a chance to break conventions game design norms of the genre, as a way to cause frustration or confusion, illustrated by Tehillah’s behaviour in (Vignette 2.c). Some children added additional playful elements to playtesting (see Appendix.playtestingtypes). Some in particular brought a physicality to the process, clustering in a particular zone of the class, referencing the game play elements, acting them out, attempting to change the games of others and playful tussling as part of resistance to those changes.

The re-mediation of hybridisation of existing and new repertoires shows the development of particant interests into game making specialism. This identity formation alieviates barriers to participation in programming communities explored in the problems statement of this thesis. The role of specialism within playtesting creates helpful system congruencies helping the development of novel and effective repertoires through a postive affective relationship to the overall activity. The diversity in making and playtesting behaviours shows the development of a robust community with a variety of modes of participation echoing Rogoff’s characteristics of a community of learners [@rogoff_developing_1994], and the hybrid modes of participation made possible in third spaces [@gutierrez_rethinking_1999].

Importantly, social playtesting made the resulting specialisations on learning visible, thus contributing to possibilities of relational agency within the learning environment as a whole. New expertise exists as a form of identity within an individuals repertoire and can be mobilised by peers as an relational affordance of the learning system. In short, following the logic and terminology of DiGiacomo and Gutiérrez [-@digiacomo_relational_2016-1] the emerging relational expertise helped develop relational agency.

C - Supporting emerging identity formation and specialisation through interventions to support relational repertoire blending

While the previous examples have focused on relational agency between participants, the role of the designer and facilitators are also relevant. My recognising and valuing the emerging areas of specialisation and expertise, both technical and social in nature, helped the development of diverse practices. Specifically the responsive design revisions outlined in the first part of this chapter help keep the games in progress in a working state and more time devoted to open playtesting helped reinforce and support the diverse practices of social feedback in playtesting. I reflected on the possibility that the success of some participants in drawing on imported repertoire could be encouraged or accelerated in others if suitable affordances be added to the learning environment. This is explored in this section via reflection the roles of supporting helpers and the P3 interventions of side missions.

Helping styles and helpers

In P2 and P3 I asked students to circulate during making time as a way of replicating some of the features of playtesting with a smaller disruption to game programming time. While it is important to acknowledge the importance of the role of students helpers in the formation of relational agency, given the wealth of existing research on this subject in similar settings [@kafai_mentoring_2008; @roque_family_2016; @roque_im_2016; @barron_parents_2009; @stone_problem_2007-2], only a brief summary of activity is included here.

I asked helpers to identify bring to my attention coding blocks which were preventing participant from progresssing thus overcoming some parent’s unwillingness to make demands on faciliator tmie. Student helpers were asked to prompt descriptive reflection by asking participants what features they were working on and to notice and reflect any distinctive behaviors emerging in partipants product or practice (see Vignette 1). This parallels a similar study by Stone and Gutiérrez [-@stone_problem_2007-2, p.51] student helpers highlighted emerging “zones of competency” of learner’s identities and relational expertise. Students helpers also communicated to particpants innovations in practice made by peers, thus amplyfiying this relational expertise and the increasing overall possibility of relational agency.

The introduction of side missions & maker types to make visible emerging repertoires as cultural affordances of my pedagogy to increase and legitimise diversity / hybridity

Turning to address two more explicit interventions in P2 and P3 which aimed to accelerate the process of relational expertise and repertoire blending. This section is also limited in scope but for a different reason. While the are novel and promising elements here which synthesise the helping roles described above with elements of drama practice and mantle of the expert, a detailed exploration would take this thesis in a different direction.

From observation of the emerging specialism and identities explored above, I created working typology of participant approaches to playtesting and game making approaches. This grouping became a topic of reflection via a playful game exploring Bartle’s player types. Subsequently, to support these maker styles, I created a selection of side missions and presented these together with a wider mission within a drama frame (see Appendix .makertypes for fuller description and participant feedback on the process via interview data).

In interview data participants shared their positive feelings towards both the shared fictional frame of making a game for an audience of judgemental aliens, and the social and mischievousness of the social missions within that drama. The value of the drama narrative and side missions aligns with work on play theory as a technique giving participants permission to play [@walsh_giving_2019], legitimising the previously peripheral activities and bringing them into the shared conceptions of the idioculture. The recognition of the hybridity of possible modes of participation increases conceptions of enacted diversity of the community.

Reflections on explicit interventions

This strand of thought invites an theoretical examination of the particular value of identify formation via the blending of repertoires of play and design approaches. The role of play as leading activity is explored by Gutierrez [@gutierrez_learning_2019-1] to facilitate movement between sites of learning (Addressing issues of motivation and positive affect, ).

The invitation to play, can be seen as a familiar affordance leading to more unfamiliar territory. A helping process in blending through opening a door to a new collaborative zone of proximal development.

Part Three - Synthesising and reframing the findings of this research for a broad audience

Implications for design and summative design frameworks

Returning to the gaps in existing reseach driving the question of this study we can see the importance not only of research exploring and analysing the development of socio cultural approaches to CGD&P but also on means to disseminate these practices into an atropified but still exant grassroot community, and via remaining funded communication channels. The following section prioritises key messages arising from this research and with an aim to frame them in an accessible but theoretically consistent way.

What is relational agency and why should it be facilitated

To address the under explored areas of agency development in existing research in CGD&P, it is of value to re-examine and synthesise the characteristics of the learning design described using the agency as a lens. Agency in this in game making community is seen as multi-dimensional and as a process located in community participation rather than an individualised property. In analysis the concept of relational agency represent an end point achieved through building on and incorporating processes of instrumental and transformative agency. Thus it is tactical to highlight relational agency as an end goal for participant to reach, for designer to design for and faciliators to faciliate. Additionally, this chapter has explored a process of developing relational agency in a way which .

Analysis of the finding were framed via a staged approach to re-mediating existing repertoires into new repertoires and an emerging game making idioculture. To help conceptualise this goal and process I propose the term relational agency by repertoire blending (RARB). This term based on the work of Gutiérrez and others [@gutierrez2020utopian; @stone_problem_2007] mirrors Sannino’s [@sannino_principle_2015] concept of TADS (transformative agency by double stimulation). It is advanced with a motive to provide an accessible framing and a metaphorical structuring to a complex process.

Narrative descriptive of a proposed procedure for facilitation relational agency by repertoire blending (RARB)

RARB is a process which in the context of this study can be best described via three stages. In stage one the motivation is to create an inclusive learning environment where participants are able to import existing repertoires from other spaces in the form of competencies and interest. For some participants this may involve the use of designed affordances in pre-planned (by the learning designer) ways via instrumental agency, or they may cast around to find novel uses of affordances present in a process of TADS. As participants load their existing repertoires in the use of new tools a process of blending is already in process.

Stage two involves a natural stewing of these repertoires in the melting pot of new third space (e.g. the game making sessions) into new repertoires. In this research the repertoires blending process leading was facilitated by the favourable conditions provided by regular playtesting and other playful elements of the programme. These emerging making behaviours and specialisms involving interests and helping behaviours resulting from manifestations of instrumental and transformative agency may start to propagate via playtesting and other social and cultural interactions in the space.

In stage three facilitators can recognise the use of novel and begin to help other participants to use that same processes by incorporating them into the learning design or in some way highlighting the possibilities they offer. The role of the facilitator here involves adding yeasts or other accelerants to allow the body of the emerging idioculture grow faster by making relational, socio-cultural affordances more visible to all participants. The culture should be kept warm by checking that such processes are not overwhelming, that they are optional, and maintaining a playful environment at this stage to allow this form relational agency to flourish.

Summative table illustrating stages of facilitating RARB in this study

The purpose of this table is geared more towards synthesis of approach in relation to creating relational agency through repertoire blending. As such characteristics and descriptions are more decontextualised.

Characteristics of design	Design example and description	Evidence & related research
Stage One - Facilitating participants to import existing repertoires of practice
Allow quick demonstrations of game knowledge	Quick start activities scaffold learners to alter game players allow learners to show competency	Example of quick start activities (Appendix )
Encourage early use of art and music abilities via scaffolded tool use	Learners interested in art can use an intuitive pixel art and music editors to quickly integrate their home interests in digital creations.	example 2
Facilitate flexible group sizes to allow importation of relational helping and working repertoires.	Use of a foundational game template helps novices get started without help and facilitates a larger number of groups	example 3
Use a project theme that is relevant to participants.	Use of a relevant theme in the project design brief.	example 4
Stage Two - Engendering blending of repertoires
Protection from complexity via technical limitations	Participants benefit from more relaxed making environment as key design complexities are baked into template design	example 5
Provide feedback mechanisms in the materials of making process	Uise of code playground and structuring template with key affordences with high impact on the game	Microworld research, rapid feedback via code playground
Try to create a level playing field between generations	The use of an unfamiliar text coding process for both YP and adults created a more horizontal power relationship	example 7
Provide regular social or community feedback on emerging designs as a way to recognise and engender participant specialisms	The use of playtesting allowed for regular feedback	see Gutiérrez, example 2
Stage Three - Recognising and encouraging emerging specialism and identity behaviours
Engedering a low stress and playful frame within overall activity with explicit fictional narrative	Use of a drama process,	example 2
Structuring reflection on relational expertise	Use of maker styles as a tool to faciliate emerging specialims, and to communicate a validity of a pluralism of approaches to design and programming	Papert & Turkle, Appendix.maker
Explicit interventions to support the development of new blended helping styles	Use descriptions of helping styles in digital environments to reinforce adaptation of existing home helping repertoires	example 2

Table 7.x - Summative table illustrating stages of facilitating RARB in this study

Representing the use of REEPP, RARB and the use of GDPs within a pedagogical framework

The social and cultural processes described in part two of this chapter, is a valid contribution to the field as a technical pedagogical structure. In line with the summary of gaps in existing research, the process of communicating a holistic understanding of the learning design that evolved in the course of this research is challenging.

The structural element of the procedural REEPP framework could be augmented with the socio-cultural elements explored in part two. To do this, I could propose logical acronym: collaborative, culturally responsive, remix enabled, elective, progressive pattern patching (CCRREEPPP). While logical, I have concerns that it may be perceived as a bit daft. Instead, I will concisely describe the relationship between REEPP, RARB and the use of GDPs as a gateway concepts. The structural scaffolding provided by the REEPP framework facilitates the initial stage of the RARB process where GDPs play a key role as a gateway to abstract / concrete concepts and practices which are available to be blended with imported participant repertoires resulting in new repertoires manifested as relational expertise and relational agency in a new community of learners. While this is difficult to represent in a figure, I have attempted to do so in Figure 7.x, focused on combining the role of GDPs as a gateway concept to facilitate wider remediation of diverse imported and emerging repertoires.

Figure 7.x - A graphical representation of the inter-related elements of the of RARB {width=100%}

There are some additions to the previous representation in Figure 7.x of GDPs as a gateway construct. The REEPP structural framework is added as a foundation of the pedagogy. The gateway role of GDPs to access more personal concepts and practices remains, but more social repertoires are represented within the initial stage of RARB (labelled importing of cultural repertoires). The process of relational agency by repertoire blending (RARB) is represented as a nexus of activity where re-mediation of other repertoires occurs and emerging, blended repertoires are represented as a product of that process. Finally in this version as a challenge the convention of placing abstract dimension at the top of the illustration, I reverse the polarity aligning with the CHAT concept of rising to the concrete.

Recommendations on how this representation may be helpful for different stakeholders are present in a section in the concluding Chapter 8.

Metaphors as a way to communication dimensions of agency design concerns

The previous sections have explored a multi-faceted view of participant agency and the process of repertoire development in this learning design. This section reinterprets some of these aspects, in particular the principles in Table 7.x above using a metaphorical approach. The use of metaphor here has two functions. The first is to help deepen my analysis via a move to the abstract, searching for communicable generalisations. Secondly, to aid the accessibility of this research for an audience of practitioners as well as researchers. Given the complex nature of the pedagogy a metaphorical approach allows a simplified but evocative perspective which communicates the future possibilities of findings [@rajala_utopian_2023; @gutierrez2020utopian].

Harbours as both protective and authentic

Harbours are protective spaces, artificial or naturally occuring, used primarily for suitable for docking ships. If designed, protection is offered by artificially created harbour walls extending out into the sea, creating a sheltered space. Harbour walls prevent large waves from entering but also provide gaps allowing movement out into the open sea. Harbours provide opportunities for loading, refuelling or maintaining sea vessels. In addition, harbour transport infrastructures may be present to provide connections to inland rail or road links. The term harbour is also used metaphorically to indicate a space of safety, nurturing, or a gathering space for a community.

Harbour are a kind of third space between the land and the sea build to facilitate transport of goods and people between the two domains. Various structures exist gang planks, gantries and cranes to assist the importing of goods, vehicles and people into the ships. This research has outlined the importance of these mechanism for participants to onboard their existing home repertoires of practice into the new learning space so they can feel more accommodated.

In terms of agency and choice over learner pathway,Harbours are also safe places of play and learning. The safe nature of the harbour encourages free exploration within the protective walls. The boundaries of the harbour walls represent the restrictive decisions in terms of the genre of end product, and simplifications in code structures used. However these restrictions may be productive through the creative potential of limitations [@rosso_creativity_2014].

But harbours can be evocative and intriguing, inviting the possibility to travel beyond the walls to unexplored realms. In early stages, the process of clicking remix to expose the underlying code and try to fix and improve an incomplete game exposes a new frontier language of text code which for may will involves entering unfamiliar waters. The motivational impact of an authentic process and set of tools exists in tension with the accompanying complexity [@nachtigall_authenticity_2024]. Thus while this design uses an authentic, professional text-coding language with its inherent challenges, many design choices were made (see REEPPP approach) to shield new users from the complexity of the underlying configuration of interrelated web technologies and to instead highlight design affordances that facilitate creative agency. The use of authentic tools and alignment with professional practice makes it easier for learners to transition from a supported harbour of this learning design and venture out into the open seas of less supported and practice. An example of this being Toby and Dan in Vignette X. who, in their choice to change the game genre from platformer to maze game, leave the safety of a set of design patterns and paired support documentation.

MAKE SURE THE FOLLOWING IS CLEAR IN A VIGNETTE. THEN HIDE

An example of this being Toby and Dan in Vignette X. who, in their choice to change the game genre from platformer to maze game, leave the safety of a set of design patterns and paired support documentation. Instead, Toby must develop his code patching skills in choppier waters by accessing more authentic documentation and charting their own patterns in the open sea of internet-based resources. This is made possible by having an experienced navigator with him, in the form of a parent with relevant skills. I propose that the curated replication of authentic processes of finding and incorporating code snippets into the starting template supported the development of skills used in the authentic waters of professional coding communities.

Jamming on the Titanic

Once on board the passengers may entertain themselves through exchanging and celebrating diversity in cultural experiences. One of my favorite sceanes of the Titanic movie is the raccous folk music jam below deck. Jamming, a term common in music and theatre, describes responsive, improvised, rapid and fluid responses to collaborators’ ideas and audience reactions [@pinheiro2011creative; @sawyer_group_2003]. The concept of musical improvisation within jam a sessions is a productive way to explore a tension between freedom and structure within the domain of research. As with harbours, a jamming process has structure and designed limitations [@rosso_creativity_2014], but beyond that they provide affordances to encourage learners to evolve their own play processes as a form of transformational and relational agency.

In a jam session, as with a harbour metaphor, foundational infrastructure is provided in the form of drums, microphones and amps. And more established regulars act as facilitators of the process. A jam on a micro level can refer to a musical piece which follows conventions. It may be based on a familiar, popular genre, say a slow blues jam. Common jam genres are folk, blues, rock funk and jazz). Jam piece are often based on variations on a song familiar to the community of musicians (often referred to as standards). The structure, tempo of the piece and the key in which it is performed form a base guiding improvisation. Within a jam process, bringing your own style to build on that structure is welcomed. The process is augmented by the group interaction present in the musical jam, where music makers pick up techniques from others in the process. Visual and verbal encouragement is often present in successful jam nights to encourage newcomers. If a jam session is regular, local popular standard songs emerge. This provides opportunities to hear them played regularly, allows potential future participants to hear different versions and even sing along in the audience, a useful form of peripheral participation.

The process of improvisation based on a prototype of a familiar created genre is present in the the half-baked platformer game template.

The value of a process that incorporates an authentic audience made up partly of peer makers is important for the development of repertoires of practice in both contexts.

The value of the possibility to blend established repertoires with those brought by new players is a shared contextual motivation.

Addressing both metaphors

Parallels between the guiding frameworks advanced in this chapter and the metaphorical descriptions above help conceptualise and communicate the diverse processes at play. The structural elements, particularly those of the harbour metaphor are represented in the REEPPP approach. The element of transport links facilitating loading on material align with importation of repertoires stage of RARB process outlined above. While the overall broad description of the musical jam communicates the essence of the RARB process at work.

There are other elements of the jam including the role of the facilitator to hold an inclusive and welcoming space which are less explored in this research. This and other broad limitations are addressed in the following conclusion to this chapter.

Conclusion

This conclusion begins with a narrative recap on how the RQs have been answered in each section and concludes with a summary of some of the limitations and questions arising that are addressed in the following chapter.

This section quickly returns to the RQs to rexamine to how they have been answered, dealing first with the sub questions before returning to the principle RQ.

RQ1 was addressed via a discussion in Chapter 2, developed in relation to the specifics of the research process in Chapter 5.

RQ2, was addressed by findings in Chapter 6 and has been discussed in more depth in this chapter culminating in the description of the hybrid pedagogical process outlined above.

MOVE THIS BIT OR SUMMARISE MORE GDPs are particularly helpful in participant goal formation, as explored in Chapter 6 in the sections on ideation and prioritisation. GDPs also help with the division of labour between collaborators, which is relevant here as when tackling more abstract processes, concepts, and terminology, these roles are often taken on by a more competent partner.

limitations/ further work

This work invites exploration of related issues of

inclusion as a lens

The final chapters aims to address this with recommendations for facilitators and researchers. The scope of the applicability is addressed as the findings of this thesis can inform the wider debate of how to best support project based learning in wider domains. Specifically the use of concrete design frameworks and step-based iterative project in scaffolding PBL.

TO MOVE OR DROP FROM CHAPTER

On planned and emergent activity)

MOVE TO A DISCUSSION SECTION? COMPRESS FOR INTRO? THIS IS PART OF DBR - REFERENCE THAT IF IT IS STILL NEEDED FOR THE CHAPTER.

The previous chapters have described interventions in design that can be characterised on a spectrum between those planned and introduced by myself as a facilitator and those which were emergent, i.e. invented or adopted by participants as a response to the contradictions covered in chapter four.

The distinction between planned and emergent activities became blurred as practices merged. In Chapter 6 outlines that while I tool a lead to collate game design patterns into an organised collection with accompanying resources and a navigational menu, many of these patterns, were introduced initially by participants who recognised them and wanted to add them to their own games.

This aligns with a key characteristic of formative intervention and DBR. Namely that elements of the introduced design changed responsive to learner need as the design evolved through iterations. Some introduced processes outlined in this chapter were very minimal in embryonic form but extended significantly by participants.

AT theory emphasises that the process of activity does not start in a vacuum. This helps justify the formative intervention process which is active in intervention and in the initial shaping of activity. In an educational context, this can involve introduction of tasks as starting activities to shape. This is justified conceptually from a view of not restricting participant agency in that some form of activity should be suggested in order for them to make a rational choice as to weather to participate. It follows that this activity should encourage the communication that participant choice is significant in the design.

Notes - MOVED TO THE END FOR REVIEW

<!– #### Comparing the activity patterns of this family to others

NOTE - MOVE / REINTEGRATE? OR REWRITE AS A LINK TO THE NEXT SECTION? NOTE - This more general observation may be part of the previous chapter

We can compare this pairs pattern of activity with other pairs / families.

The parent here is much more commonly rooted to the computer than other parents.
This meant they engaged far less in play testing of other games and found it harder to gain attention for direct support.
This grouping sometimes left early having completed more in code development than others but completed less social activities.

Discussion

The parent had indicated that she considered herself a “planner” as a maker type which is confirmed by less social Interactions

The observations above show the importance of recording the whole room. Some participants will roam to observe the work of others, to socialise, to gain attention of others for support or for feedback. When analysing data using 360 recorded video side-by-side with the screen captured data, the participant can be followed around the room and their activity can be noted even when away from their activity. –>

On Fluency

For example, creating a new graphical element in a separate online pixel-art editor called Piskel, exporting and downloading it to the laptop, and uploading it to the glitch code playground and then making code changes in several parts of the code to initialise and implement new behaviour for this element.

NOTE As a facilitator of a community I aim to notice these transitions as I aim to use the proficiency of participants to help distribute the process of helping peers.

Removed in December - perhaps rehome

These tensions of allocated roles and dysfunctional group work are mirrored in similar research - FIND THIS ON PAIR PROGRAMMING

These tensions were were highlighted in the end of P1 feedback and in some practitioner interviews that I conducted. FIND THIS IF SO

In contrast in P2 and P3 there is flexibility of interaction which suits informal moments of playtesting.

Removed in Jan - find home

MoE

One area of research which was explored in this learning design but which has needed to be deprioritise is that of Mantle of the Expert and the permission to play and experiment which the drama process advocates.

While a fuller exploration of how this was put into practice in P3 via a narrative which wrapped around the making activity, it is relevant to the use of side missions, and the possibility for character exploration in terms of a maker type.

NOTE Link to other research on permisison structures, confidence, inclusion, permission to play

An example of mini TADS - use of secondary resources

An illustrative design tension emerged surrounding which kind of documentation to prioritise. After initially steering participants directly to code snippets, I subsequently directed them instead to step by step tutorials which also included a link to the code snippets. I shifted between prioritising instruction-based practices and more piecemeal, bricolage inspired (see LR) developer practices. Whilst the process of instruction is problematic in terms of learner agency this vies with the practicality to establish a common understanding and shared framework for production.

a theme explored in more detail in chapter five Traditional, printed, instruction-based software manuals are in decline partly due online documentation but also due to the increased intuitive nature of their design [@pogue_user_2017]. CH 5.

vThe careful alignment between navigational documentation and the participants driving objectives of the mid-level activity system of implementing a game element, also helped avoid mismatch between task and tools described above as mismatch between primary and secondary stimuli. The process aligns with the concept of just-in-time instruction.

Move to next chapter Conclusion

Questions and Conceptual challenges to dissemination - MOVE PERHAPS TO NEXT CHAPTER?

How broadly can the principles be applied?

The general use of design patterns to guide digital creation are widely replicable, that of coupling documentation. The UMC methodology applies more broadly to design based education via prototyping. which could take other formats. Thus it is potentially applicable to other domains. And example of such is in PBL work using a campaign template and characteristics ads design patters, and a Poster, and elevator pitch feedback before creating then a stall [blog post].

6. The impact of constraints in design on agency - NOT SURE -MOVE to concluson?

CONSTRAINTS IN DESIGN? While supporting a flexible learner pathway is vital to this approach, the value of restrictions to creativity are also important here. The restricted genre, pixel art format and templated approach act not only as technical scaffolds but also aligns with research on the value of constraints in facilitating rapid creative improvisation in the areas of music and drama.

The domains of programming, game jams and hackathons also use constraints in a similar way [@gabler2005prototype]. Thus, I now explore the tools, process and the community in this study mutually encourage an flexible approach often referred to as jamming. As explored in Chapter 2 existing research suggests that Game Jams can be profitably used in education contexts [@aurava_game_2021], although there is no agreement on the characteristics game jam pedagogy, and scant guidance on how to address potentially problematic issues (list these),

MOVE LATER / CONCLUSION The characteristics described above offer a contribution to the literature on Game Jam pedagogy and learning design of this study offers greater scaffolding to the process to facilitate the process of jamming as a way of encouraging co-development of practices and making styles as proposed by Gutiérrez and Rogoff [@gutierrez_cultural_2003]. This strand is developed in the following chapter.

MOVED FROM CHAPTER 6

Peripheral activities MOVE TO NEXT CHAPTER IF SPACE / PLACE FOR IT.

This chapter has demonstrated that these behaviours could be undertaken in many ways, including those requiring little commitment.

this form of activity can be seen as legitimate peripheral participation (EXPLAIN?) [@lave_situated_1991; @guzdial_imagineering_2006], and thus a helpfuls practice contributing to the emerging ecosystem of the learning community.

Observation on T’s part, still legitimate

For example, even if participants only noticed the use of GDPs and used approximate terminology to comment on them during playtesting,