00 Facilitator Toolkit

Introduction

This toolkit, an output of PhD research by Mick Chesterman, has been created particularly to help practitioners to undertake Computer Game Design and Programming. These resources are still under development and you can contribute to them or report errors here.

Resources for the Phaser.js toolset

Online manual and pattern menu for Phaser

Downloadable manuals

Resources for the MakeCode Arcade toolset

Online manual and resources for MakeCode Arcade

Download the manual

Additional Teaching Content

The following links lead to different ways of working with the starter game content for the Phaser based resources.

The following links lead to additional teaching resources which are referred to in Chapter 5 of the full thesis.

• Game analysis activity - as Power Point document
• Print out of cards of initial sessions coding missions
• Drama scenario to be read aloud or recorded
• The social and secret missions set by the fictional aliens. Public Missions - Secret Missions

Software tools

While the process of game making with MakeCode Arcade is relatively self-contained, that of Phaser.js invites use of supporting tools to create assets. The following list links to online tools or websites to download the application and gives a short summary of how the tools were used in my research process.

• Piskel - a graphical editor used to create pixel art sprite characters;
• Audacity - a desktop based application to record and edit audio using audio effects and filters like delay and echo;
• freesound.org - an open repository of audio files which could be downloaded, used directly or altered using Audacity;
• Sonic Pi - an education music application allowing the creation of music using text coding;
• Bfxr & Chip tone - web based tools to create sound effects aimed at game production;

Key recommendations for educators and facilitators

The following suggestions are drawn from the findings chapters of my research process and compressed down for an audience of facilitators of informal learning spaces.

Allow learners to draw on their home interests by creating an inclusive creative environment where they are encouraged to explore their existing knowledge of game conventions and their attitudes towards video game play. Recognising these funds of knowledge supports engagement and enables learners to make meaningful connections between personal interests and technical practices.

Start coding with a half-baked game: Provide learners with a partially completed game template that they can adapt. This shared structure promotes peer learning and comparison, while also helping facilitators keep track of each participant’s evolving codebase and learning pathway.

Use emerging learner requests to shape a collection of code examples: Build a set of code snippets and supporting documentation based on familiar gameplay design patterns (GDPs). These can be co-curated with participants over time. Encourage learners to explore and remix these elements, supporting autonomy and technical growth.

Allow flexible working practices and incorporate regular play-testing: Create an environment where learners can draw on relationships with family members and experiment with different modes of collaboration. Scheduled play-testing and shared feedback moments foster a sense of co-creation, motivation, and cross-project dialogue.

Incorporate playful approaches to support emergent identity work: Use drama, narrative prompts, and side missions to invite diverse forms of participation. These elements can help learners experiment with new roles and self-representations within the learning space.

Support agency in multiple forms: Design learning environments that allow learners to take initiative (instrumental agency), express ideas (authorial agency), and reshape activity structures (transformative agency). Scaffolding should support rather than constrain these possibilities.

Design with scaffolding and choice in balance: Tools like GDP menus and narrative maps provide structure without closing down creativity. Offering a curated set of remixable components helps reduce overwhelm, especially for novice learners, while preserving space for exploration.

Adopt facilitation metaphors that support emergence: Think of the educator’s role as holding open a harbour or wayfinding space—somewhere learners can navigate their own routes with guidance. This helps avoid overly linear or predetermined models of progress.

Plan for transferability and reflection: Encourage learners to reflect on how their current game making strategies might apply in new domains or contexts. Make design decisions and code structures visible to support deeper understanding and future adaptation.