Harvey Mudd College

IE179: Gender and Computer Games
Spring 2008

Lecture:

T&Th 2:45-4, LAC

Professor:

Z Sweedyk, Dept. of Computer Science

Course contact:

Mailing list

Course wiki

What This Course Is About

The course provides elementary instruction and practice in computer game design, paired with training and exercise in the methods of cultural analysis of gender. Throughout the course, we will explore what we know and what we think we know about gender and gaming. To improve our understanding, you will work in teams on three projects.

• Design and conduct a study to explore the gendered nature of computer gaming.
  
• Develop and test a computer game to explore how gender stereotypes in games affect players' experience.
  
• Design a game that works to disrupt gender stereotypes in games.

In addition, you will write a final paper that describes your conclusions, suggestions, and predictions about gender and gaming.

Grades

Class participation	10%
Project 1: Gaming Study	15%
Project 2: Game experiment	30%
Project 3: Game design	30%
Project 4: Conclusions	15%

Textbooks

Mismeasure of Women by Carol Tavris, Touchstone, 1993.

From Barbie to Mortal Kombat by Justine Cassell and Henry Jenkins (eds.), MIT Press, 2000.

Links

Schedule

Date	Topic	Assignment	Assignment Due	Links
Tues 1/22/08	Introduction (ppt)	Tavris Ch 1 Barbie Ch 1, 3		Chicks and Joysticks ESA Stats
Thur 1/24/08	Gender differences (ppt)	Project 1	Tavris Ch 1 Barbie Ch 1,3
Tues 1/29/08	Proj 1 Concept Presentations
Thurs 1/31/08 (lab)	Proj 1 Class test
Tues 2/5/08	Flash intro			Tutorial 1 Tutorial 2 Tutorial 3
Thurs 2/7/08	Flash intro cont.
Tues 2/12/08	Stereotypes	Tavris 3 & 6 Project 2
Thurs 2/14/08	Project 1 Presentation		Project 1