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Student Demand for BSc in Computer Game Development at Okanagan College

D. Warren

Okanagan College

dwarren@okanagan.bc.ca

Abstract

A survey of Grade 11 students was conducted in Kelowna (British Columbia) to determine the level of interest in a new proposed degree, an applied Bachelor of Science in Computer Game Development. The proposed degree will start with an enrolment target of 32 students per cohort, and this study indicated high to moderate demand for the program inside the Okanagan region.  A total of 175 students were surveyed; 13% indicated a strong interest in computer science, and the same percent indicated a strong interest in working as a computer programmer or software engineer. A total of 34 students (or 20%) expressed a strong interest in studying “computer science topics that are specific to creating computer games”.  These students came to the college campus to attend one-hour presentations on math, civil engineering, telecommunications and other topics. Participants in the survey came from a single high school district in the Okanagan region. This survey indicated projected student demand would be 83 students for the five school districts served in the Okanagan region, thus exceeding the enrolment target. Other sources of student demand would depend on recruiting efforts at the three large provincial universities, one neighbouring university and three other regional colleges. These figures are higher than would normally be expected for a computer science degree and may indicate the potential for game development topics to support enrolment management targets in the current environment of declining enrolments in computer science.

Keywords: student demand, enrolment management, computer science curriculum, software engineering curriculum, computer game development, experimental curricula, video game curriculum

1. Introduction

Okanagan College is proposing a new applied degree, a BSc in Computer Game Development (Warren, Boehm and Gee, 2005). The proposal must include an estimate of student demand. In 2006, 175 Grade 11 high school students were surveyed about their interest in pursuing a computer science degree with a specialization in computer game development – 13% were very interested in computer science, 13% were very interested in working as a computer programmer or software engineer, and 20% were very interested in computer game development. In British Columbia (B.C.), the Ministry of Advanced Education has acknowledged a need to measure student demand more effectively (Butler, 2004). Indicators of student demand currently rely on measures of applicant flows, participation rates, graduate totals and the usual demographic projections (population growth, age cohort proportions). The most recent studies indicate that student demand for this new applied degree will be in excess of the expected enrolment target of 32 students per cohort through to the year 2026.

2. Potential Sources of Students:

The proposed curriculum consists of 60 credits which include upper-level computer science courses, as well as courses in other disciplines (mathematics, game design, audio design fine arts and business administration). Ten new courses will be developed which are industry-specific. The intent is to recruit the following categories of students:

1) University Transfer students living within the Okanagan College region

2) Associate of Science students from other colleges in BC

3) University students who have completed their second year of a computer science program

4) Transfer students from other provinces in Canada

5) International students

The first two years of a conventional BSc in Computer Science are standardized across post secondary institutions in the province and include a first-year programming course, data structures, discrete structures, machine architecture and principles of computer science.

Students will complete the first two years of a computer science curriculum, then transfer into this new program for the final four semesters of study. The applied nature of the degree will appeal to students who wish to graduate with a portfolio of tool prototypes relevant to the computer game industry.

3. Recent Findings: Overview

Recent studies indicate that most of the students will come from the Okanagan region. While post-secondary participation rates in the Okanagan are below the average for B.C., Okanagan College has had a solid record of producing science students. Demographic profiles indicate a steady increase in the 18-29 age cohort through to 2014. Of the students graduating with Associate of Science degrees, most of them will come from the following colleges: Capilano, Camosun, and Douglas. Another focus of recruitment should be University College of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University), due to its proximity and its record of enrolling science students (Church and Holubeshen, 2005). The majority of students transfer from colleges (or University Colleges) to one of the five public universities in the province. Only about 10% transfer from universities to the colleges. Relatively few students (fewer than four per year) are likely to come from outside the province. These findings indicate that any marketing efforts should be highly targeted, and should include:

1) A presence at the SKILLS seminars offered annually at each of the Okanagan College campuses,

2) Visits to the four universities (including Thompson Rivers University), specifically to meet with second-year computer science students,

3) Visits to each of the three colleges (Capilano, Camosun and Douglas) to meet with their Associate of Science students,

4) Mailing campaigns in Alberta and Ontario, and

5) International recruitment, focusing on the Game Developer’s Conference and other industry trade shows.

4. Demographic Indicators for the Okanagan Region:

Colleges in British Columbia have a two-fold mandate: 1) to afford access to students who are less mobile and unable to relocate to the major urban centres (where the three largest universities are located), and 2) to meet the needs of local industry in their regions. The population in the Okanagan region is growing and therefore, student demand will increase. Two demographic studies project growth in the 18-29 age group through to 2011 for the region, then a levelling off after 2014 (Accountability Branch, Ministry of Advanced Education, 2003)

The government ministries responsible for education have tracked student transitions from high school to first-year of post-secondary. The high school completion rate was 85% among those aged 22 to 24 (Youth and Labour Market Services Branch, 2001). For 2003/04, a province-wide total of 52% of K-12 graduates transitioned to first year of post-secondary. Table 1 summarizes the total student transitions in the Okanagan region, where the percentage was lower at 37%.

Table 1: 2002/03 Graduates Transitioning to Post Secondary (Student Transitions Project, 2005)

|Okanagan Region: |# of 2002/03 |Went to |Went to |% |

|K-12 School Districts |K-12 Graduates |University |College |of graduates |

|83 |638 |33 |172 |32% |

|22 |724 |30 |216 |34% |

|23 |1516 |52 |559 |40 % |

|67 |574 |56 |140 |34% |

|53 |206 |17 |63 |39% |

|Total |3658 |188 |1150 |37% |

Consistent with projected growth patterns (Youth and Labour Market Services Branch, 2001), the total number of graduates in the Okanagan region decreased slightly, by 350 students, from 2003 to 2005 (Table 2 and 3). A slight decline in the 5 - 17 age cohort is projected from 2002 to 2014. After 2014, the 5 -17 cohort will increase by 10%. In the Okanagan, the average annual growth rate of age the 18 - 29 cohort will be 1.3%. Therefore, the ‘supply’ of students in the Okanagan region should remain relatively constant through to 2026 but the participation rate is 15% lower than for the province as a whole.

5. Student Demand Survey: SKILLS 2006

A total of 1200 students from School District 23 were invited to the Kelowna campus to attend three hour-long seminars on February 20 and 21. A variety of seminar topics were offered but this survey was targeted at those students attending seminars in mathematics, civil engineering, telecommunications and a general-interest web evaluation survey. Students were provided access to another website describing the proposed game development curriculum, and then given about 10 minutes to complete the survey. A total of 175 students from School District 23 completed the survey. The results indicated 13 % (or 22 students) were very interested in computer science, 13% were very interested in working as a computer programmer or as a software engineer, and 20% (or 34 students) were very interested in computer game development (see Appendix A for the summary). If we assume that all of these 175 students are likely to enter post-secondary institutions, and compare this to the total number of graduates for School District 23 in 2004/05 (Ministry of Education, 2005) then Table 2 lists student demand for computer science as 1.7% (23 out of 1365), while 2.5% (34 of 1365) are very interested in computer game development (Table 3). If we project these percentages on the entire Okanagan region, then 56 students would be very interested in computer science (Table 2), while 83 students would be very interested in computer game development (Table 3).

Table 2 : 2004/05 Graduates in the Okanagan Region - Projected Interest in Computer Science

|Okanagan Region: |# of 2004/05 |Total eligible |Very interested in |Percent of |

|K-12 School Districts |K-12 Graduates | |computer science |2005 |

| | | | |Graduates |

|83 |544 |575 |9 projected | |

|22 |681 |705 |12 projected | |

|23 |1365 |1438 |23 (2006 Grade 11 survey) |1.7 % |

|67 | 550 | 564 | 9 projected | |

|53 | 163 |172 |3 projected | |

|Total |3303 | 3454 |56 | |

Table 3: 2004/05 K-12 Graduates in the Okanagan Region – Projected Interest in Game Development

|Okanagan Region: |# of 2004/05 |Total eligible |Very interested in |Percent of |

|K-12 School Districts |K-12 Graduates | |Game Development |2005 Graduates |

|83 |544 |575 |14 projected | |

|22 |681 |705 |17 projected | |

|23 |1365 |1438 |34 (2006 Grade 11 survey) |2.5 % |

|67 | 550 | 564 | 14 projected | |

|53 | 163 |172 |4 projected | |

|Total |3303 | 3454 |83 | |

While some students will choose to attend university in one of the urban areas (most likely choices are UVIC, SFU or UBC-Vancouver), the majority of students transitioning to post-secondary will choose to attend a regional college (Table 1). These projections for a computer game development degree are much higher than current enrolment in a first-year computer science degree program, at both Okanagan College (5 BCIS students (Braem, 2006) and UBC-O (currently 26 students registered in computer science (Hatt, 2006)), thus indicating that computer game development may hold some attraction for students who would not consider a conventional program in computer science. Results of this survey indicate that student demand in the Okanagan region is in the high to moderate range. However, typical attrition patterns from first-year entry to third-year entry would decrease the number of students entering the new program. Priority admission will be awarded to students of Okanagan College; even so, it may be prudent to engage in targeted recruitment efforts outside the region.

6. A Destination Program: attracting students outside the Okanagan region

The mandate of the college is evolving to include programs that attract students from outside the region. As a ‘destination’ program, the game development baccalaureate degree is intended to appeal to the following students:

1) Associate of Science students from other colleges in B.C.

2) University students who have completed their second year of a computer science program

3) Transfer students from other provinces in Canada

4) International students

The highest number of Associate of Science students graduate from three colleges: Camosun, Capilano and Douglas (B.C.C.A.T., 2003), with each producing between 20 and 30 graduates per year. Not all of these students are specializing in computer science, and it is difficult to determine how many students might be eligible because they often do not declare a discipline major. An informal telephone poll yielded a range of 0 -10 students per year specializing in computer science at the three colleges.

In B.C. the majority of students transfer from college to university. Three universities received 64 % of all transfer students: Simon Fraser University (28%), University of British Columbia (23%) and University of Victoria (12%) (B.C.C.A.T., 2006), with students from the Okanagan region favouring UVic and UBC (Heslop, 2004). When students move to another institution, colleges and university colleges are the least likely destination (with 10% of total transfers) (B.C.C.A.T, 2005). Most university students would not expect to find a degree program at a college and therefore, any recruiting efforts at universities should involve on-site visits, with specific arrangements to meet second-year computer science students to ensure they are aware of this option. Due to the uniqueness of this applied degree, we cannot determine the potential for transfer students coming to the Okanagan without further research.

Transfer students from other provinces to Okanagan University College has been 8.5% of enrolment (i.e. Alberta at 6.4% and Ontario at 2.1%) and from international locales 5.7 % (Church and Holubeshen, 2005). Currently, International students are most likely attending English language programs, and there are few predictors of their potential interest in this specialized degree program. A more likely source of international students would be those students seeking education services at Digipen (2006) in Washington State and FullSail (2006) in Florida. These private institutions have robust enrolments, surprising considering their high tuitions ($70,000 US and $58,000 US respectively). Even with surcharges for international students, the college tuition rates compare favourably. Assuming a conservative estimate of 3 students per year, it may be worthwhile to engage in a mail campaign in Alberta and Ontario. International marketing should focus on advertising at the annual Game Developer’s Conference (2006) or other industry trade shows.

Demand for this program outside the Okanagan region may be expensive to research further. Focusing financial resources on targeted recruiting efforts may be a more strategic use of resources. One option is to set a target of 10 students from outside the region and then measure how well this target has been met.

7. Social demand for applied science degrees at colleges

Student demand refers to the market demand for education services. The decline in computer science enrolments may indicate a rising social demand. In 2005, Okanagan University College (OUC.) granted more degrees than ever before (Braem, 2006). Of 93 science graduates, 10 earned a Baccalaureate in Computer Information Systems (B.C.I.S.) —11 % of the science graduates (or 1.6 % of total graduates). This rate is comparable to the graduation rate for the province a decade ago (see Table 6). In 1996, 2% of all degrees in the province were obtaining a BSc in Computer Science. As an institution OUC had a consistent record of graduating science majors. Table 4 also summarizes the total degrees granted, by faculty, between 1998 and 2001. The total number of degrees granted was 1418, and 13.7% were science degrees which was slightly better that other university colleges but less than the 17.2 % for all universities in the province (Church and Holubeshen, 2005) and was explained as follows:

“University colleges as a whole award a much lower proportion of degrees in science and applied science, a reflection of what facilities the province was prepared to fund.” p18

As the OUC record indicates, a sustained commitment to funding computer science yields increasing numbers of graduates in the field.

Table 4: Percent of baccalaureate degrees by faculty with comparisons

|Faculty: Degrees only |OUC |All BC |All BC |OUC 2005 |OUC 2005 |

| |1998/ |University |Universities |Number of degrees |Percentage |

| |2001 |Colleges | | |(Braem, 2006) |

|Fine Arts and Applied Arts, Journalism |5.4 % |3.0 % |3.4 % |30 |5 % |

|Science |13.7 % |12.5 % |17.2 % |93 |15 % |

|Business and Administration |8.0 % |10.8 % |10.9 % |104 |17 % |

|Education |18.9 % |17.0 % |11.4 % |90 |15 % |

|Human Services |10.2 % |10.6 % |2.9 % |44 |7 % |

|Nursing |13.9 % |11.0 % |7.4 % |81 |13 % |

| | | | | | |

|Total |1418 |5,543 |25,342 |615 |100 % |

Table 5: Sept 2006 - first year enrolment at Okanagan College by Discipline (Braem, 2006)

|Discipline: Diploma and Degrees |OC 2006 |OC 2006 |

| |Headcount |Percentage |

| |First Year Students | |

|Humanities and Social Sciences |606 |39 % |

|Fine Arts and Applied Arts, Journalism |0 |0 % |

|Science |124 |8 % |

|Technology |171 |11 % |

|Business and Administration |433 |28 % |

|Education |0 |0 % |

|Human Services |239 |15 % |

|Nursing |0 |0 % |

| | | |

|Total |1573 |100 % |

On July 1st 2005 OUC was divided into Okanagan College and University of British Columbia-Okanagan (UBC-O). In September 2005, a decrease in science enrolments at the college was noted (8% for science in Table 5), due in part to the decision to offer only first-year university transfer courses. At this time, it cannot be determined if this decline in science enrolment is a transition-effect resulting from the splitting of the two institutions.

The ‘supply’ of computer science offerings at both newly-constituted institutions was high but the ‘demand’ was low, with both programs having unfilled seats. Furthermore, UBC-O has recently announced that it is lowering the college transfer admission requirement, guaranteeing admission to anyone receiving a GPA of 2.0 (UBC-O Welcome Page, 2006). The UBC admission requirement was previously a GPA of 2.5 (Soles, 2001). This revised admission requirement will have the effect of further increasing the ‘supply’. The college registrar has yet to observe a rush in admissions as a result of this announcement.

Reasons for declining enrolments in computer science are the subject of much speculation; these include the crash of the Internet boom, threats of outsourcing, a booming provincial economy (with 4.8% unemployment rate) and a 230% increase in tuition rates since 2001. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware that the total number of graduates in computer science has been increasing over the past decade. Table 6 is based on data gathered by the University Presidents’ Council of British Columbia (Student Outcomes, 2004; 2002; 2001; 2000):

Table 6: Number of BSc (Computer Science) Graduates in B.C. by Year

|Year of graduation |# of Baccalaureate Graduates in Computer Science |

|2002 |518 …. 4 % of total degree graduates (all disciplines) |

|2000 |459 …. 4 % of total degree graduates (all disciplines) |

|1998 |283 …. 3 % of total degree graduates (all disciplines) |

|1996 |229 …. 2 % of total degree graduates (all disciplines) |

Declining enrolments in computer science were observed early in 2003 at the Kalamalka Campus, and the existing Computer Information Systems Diploma sections there were cancelled. The desire for a signature program established the context for replacing the diploma with another technology-related program—a program uniquely identified with the Kalamalka campus and integrated with other unique programs (e.g. Kalamalka Writer’s Institute and the computer animation program). Several possibilities were considered, and game development was chosen because of the potential for high student demand. The potential for incubating small software development teams, establishing a liaison with industry representatives and lack of competitors were all seen as contributing to student demand. Relying solely on the research record, it is not possible to determine if these factors are in fact relevant to student demand. The survey of Grade 11 students does indicate that more students were interested in game-development computer science topics than were interested in computer science alone. This may represent an opportunity to drive demand for computer science rather than merely respond to market demand. The motivational aspects of playing computer games may inspire more students to study the science behind them.

Given the expense of setting up labs for a game development program, the goal of graduating 32 BSc students per year may seem too humble, but when compared with a total number of 518 graduates, it seems more respectable. Still, it may be necessary to identify a strategic need for computer science studies, a strategic need for liaison with a growing $35 billion a year game industry, a strategic need that will tolerate a few years of low enrolments, as the program gains more recognition and Okanagan College re-establishes its reputation for attracting science students and graduating them. Identifying these strategic needs would be consistent with models of social demand for post-secondary education.

8. Conclusion:

A decline in computer science enrolment across North America since 2000 has provoked a great deal of speculation. The results of this study indicate that curiosity about computer games has the potential to drive student demand for computer science in the coming decade. The computer game industry is growing and the labour market demand for qualified programmers and software engineers is also growing. Consumer-level game technology is becoming increasingly complex, with implementations of multi-core technologies, advanced cinematics and pushing the limits of networking technology, as well as threading and synchronization strategies for graphics processing units. To succeed in the industry, technicians currently need upper-level courses in operating systems, machine architecture, software engineering, databases, artificial intelligence and analysis of algorithms—the foundation of a conventional computer science program. The focus on an applied degree is appropriate for a college. Unconstrained by the need to engage in theory-oriented research, the college can teach industry-specific skills. This survey indicated that Grade 11 students are able to articulate a strong desire to pursue this field of study, and do so in sufficient numbers to meet or exceed enrolment targets. Furthermore, there may be a strategic need to fund upper level science to maintain graduation rates in computer science. A BSc in Computer Game Development represents a new opportunity to engage students in the study of computer science.

Appendix A:

Student Survey - Demand for proposed BSc in Computer Game Development Feb 2006

Please take a few minutes to look at the following website: login: gd password: artbryce

This website describes a possible new Bachelor of Science degree program for Okanagan College. We

would like to understand if high school students are interested in this program and be willing to take the

necessary science courses to complete the degree. Here are some details:

| |High school requirement: a minimum 60 % grade in Math 12: Principles of Math |

| | |

|Year |Science Topics at Okanagan College |

|1 |Computer Science, Physics, Math |

|2 |Computer Science, Math and one more science elective (Biology, Chemistry or Psychology) |

|3 |Computer Science, Math |

|4 |Computer Science |

| | |

| |Upon graduation you would seek employment at a game development company |

| |as a computer programmer or a software engineer. |

Do you have any questions?

Please complete the following: I am in Grade ______ at ____________________________________school.

NO YES Don’t Know

1) I am now enrolled in Math 11: Principles of Math. 48 % 51 % 1%

2) I will be enrolled in Math 12: Principles of Math. 37 % 53 % 9 %

3) I will be enrolled in Math 12: Applications of Math. 62 % 15 % 13 %

4) I expect to get a grade of 60% or better in Math 12. 10 % 75 % 13 %

5) I would be willing to receive individual tutoring to

improve my grade for Math 12. 39 % 43 % 13 %

Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Don’t

Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know

5) I am interested in college-level computer science courses. 13 % 41 % 13 % 19 % 14 %

6) I am interested in college-level science

(i.e. physics, math, biology or chemistry). 29 % 35 % 15 % 15 % 9 %

7) I am interested in learning about computer science topics

that are specific to creating computer games. 20 % 27 % 17 % 27 % 9 %

8) I would prefer to take an Arts, Business or Trades program

rather than a Science program. 30 % 21 % 18 % 22 % 10 %

9) I would like to work as a computer programmer

or as a software engineer. 13 % 20 % 17 % 38 % 10 %

Thank you for participating in this survey

References:

B.C.C.A.T. (2006, February) 2005 Admission and Transfer Experiences of Students Continuing their Studies in British Columbia: Findings from the BC College and Institute Student Outcome Survey. British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, 709 – 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC V5B 3H6 Canada. Telephone: (604) 412-7700

[Online Publication]

Accountability Branch, Ministry of Advanced Education (2003, November). B.C. Populations Projections. Reflection PEOPLE 28 Projections by BC Stats. Government of British Columbia, Victoria, BC, Canada. [Online Publication]



B.C.C.A.T., (2003, March). Associate Degrees Awarded in British Columbia 1993/94 to 2001/02. British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, 709 – 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC V5B 3H6 Canada. Telephone: (604) 412-7700

[Online Publication]

Braem, T. (2006) [Personal Communication] Registrar of Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Road Kelowna, B.C. Canada (250) 762-5445.

Church, R. & Holubeshen, M. (2005, May). Transfer Credits and Transfer Students at the University Colleges of British Columbia: A Study of the Baccalaureate Graduates of 1998-2001

Malaspina University-College, British Columbia, Canada.

[Online Publication]

Digipen (2006) DigiPen Institute of Technology, 5001 - 150th Ave, NE, Redmond, Washington, U.S.A., 98052, Telephone: (425) 558-0299

[Online Publication]

FullSail (2006) FullSail Real World Education, 3300 University Blvd., Winter Park, Florida 32792. Telephone: 407.679.6333 or 800.226.7625 [Online Publication]

Game Developers Conference (2006). CMP Media LLC, 600 Harrison Street, 6thFloor

San Francisco, CA 94107 Telephone: 415.947.6000

[Online Publication] Available:

Hatt, L. (2006) [Personal Communication] Associate Dean Curriculum and Student Affairs. University of British Columbia – Okanagan, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC

Canada V1V 1V7. Telephone 250.807.8000

[Online Publication]

Heslop, J. (2004) A Working Paper on the Analysis of Applications, Admissions and Registrations of Applicants to B.C. Universities and University Colleges from Secondary Schools, Colleges, and University Colleges in B.C., 2002/2003. British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, 709 – 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC V5B 3H6 Canada. Telephone: (604) 412-7700 [Online Publication]

Ministry of Education. (2005, October) Grade 12 Graduation Rates 2000/01 – 2004/05.

Province of British Columbia.

[Online Publications]

Student Outcomes: University Baccalaureate Graduates Survey (UBGS) (2004; 2002; 2001; 2000). The University President’s Council of British Columbia: Reports and Publications.

[Online Publication]

Student Transitions Project, (2005, December). Student Transitions: From Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education System to the Public post Secondary System: 2002/03 – 2003/04. The Student Transitions project – a collaborative project between the Ministries of Education and Advanced education, and British Columbia’s public post-secondary education institutions. The Government of British Columbia, Victoria, BC.

[Online Publication]

UBC-O Welcome Page (2006). Your Winning Numbers! University of British Columbia – Okanagan,. Kelowna, BC

[Online Publication]

Youth and Labour Market Services Branch. (May 3, 2001). A Macro Analysis of British Columbia Youth. Government of British Columbia

[Online Publication]



Warren, D., Boehm, A. & Gee, R (2005) BSc Curriculum in Computer Game Development at the Kalamalka Campus of Okanagan College. Presented at Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education, May 5-6, 2005. University of Northern British Columbia.

[Online Publication]

Submitted to:

Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education

May 4-5, 2006

Mount Royal College, Calgary Alberta

Submitted by:

Name: Deborah Warren

Dept: Computer Science

Institution: Okanagan College

Postal Address: 7000 College Way, Vernon, B.C., Canada V1B 2N5

Email address: dwarren@okanagan.bc.ca

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