Page 40 - WilmU Spring Summer 2013

Students studying game
design at Wilmington
University have developed
a complex virtual simula-
tion for a Child Advocacy
Studies Certificate that adds value to
educational function.
Under the direction of Assistant
Professor Sco Shaw, the students
of GMD 300 (Advanced Game
Engines: Using Unity 3D) and
work-study students Jason Moranno
and Christopher Wright created a
simulation of a “trash house,” which
is the key component to SOC 426:
Responding and Investigation: Child
Maltreatment.
The simulation depicts a typical home sce-
nario to which child welfare or law enforcement
personnel would be called to investigate an
allegation of child abuse or neglect. Currently,
students experience a physical “trash house”
scene staged by professors including environ-
mental risk factors and simulated “evidence” of
child maltreatment that students assess as part
of a case study assignment. This new simulation
allows distance learning students to participate
in a virtual “trash house” and provides change-
able new levels for the observation experience.
The virtual program includes camera capabili-
ties, note-taking capabilities and programmable
changes to the environment under observation.
“This partnership is beneficial to each
class because it creates opportunity to meet
core competencies for gaming students and
build so skills like team building and project
management,” said Sco Shaw, chair of Game
Design and development at the university. “This
virtual environment will
help to prepare our Social
and Behavioral Sciences
students for cases they
may encounter in their
career field.”
Lori Sitler, coordinator
of the Child Advocacy
Studies certificate in the
College of Social and
Behavioral Sciences, initi-
ated the interdepartmental
partnership to create
a viable way for online
students to have a hands-
on, interactive learning tool
for the class’ “trash house”
component.
While the “trash house” prototype is
complete, Wilmington University’s Game
Design students are continuing to fine-tune the
simulation program for full implementation this
summer. Further development and additional
versions of the original virtual environment
simulation possibly could be used in crime scene
investigation (CSI) training and other real world
applications. WU
GameDesign StudentsDevelop ‘TrashHouse’ Tool
BY BRITNEY GULLEDGE
col lege of technology
An article wri en by Wilmington
University student Yanni
Hajioannou has been accepted
for publication by Gamedevtuts+
(h p://gamedev.tutsplus.com), an
online magazine and forum for developers.
Hajioannou, a senior studying Game Design
and Development, is set to graduate with a
Bachelor of Science degree in May 2013. In his
article, Hajioannou explained the complexity of
normal mapping and why it is an important and
useful technique for any 3D game developer. He
shared examples and a few great tools for gen-
erating maps. A commenter on his article called
it “well wri en and easily understandable.”
This is not Hajioannou’s first opportunity to
show off his design skills. In 2011, the College of
Technology gave him a COTA Award in spring
2011 for “Best Animation” for a music video he
developed.
Administrators from Gamedevtuts+ have
asked Hajioannou to continue to write more for
their audience. He says, “I plan to do more with
them but right now I have to focus on school.”
Gamedevtuts+ is a site dedicated to game
developers from beginning to advanced stages.
It is popular for hosting tutorials, tips and
articles about level layout, game design, coding
and working in the industry. WU
Student’sWork Featured inPopularGamingMagazine
BY BRITNEY GULLEDGE
WILMINGTON UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE