Game Design and Social Media in a Middle School Classroom

Game design programs are becoming more common in middle and high schools. The Globaloria program, which combines game content research and media literacy with computer programming and game design in a social media setting, is used by thousands of students in several states. This paper presents qualitative and survey data from students at one charter middle school where all students participate in the program daily. Early results from a longitudinal study show some promising increases in student self-efficacy with regard to their ability to solve technological problems in the Globaloria classroom.