Course Syllabus:



Game & Simulation Design

2020-2021

Teacher:  Mr. Luis Santa-Cruz Room: LibB

Doral Academy Charter High School

E-mail:  Lscruz@

Course Description:

The Game & Simulation Design class builds on the learning from foundations and coding fundamentals to give students an introduction to game and simulation concepts using actual industry software. We will learn basic game/simulation design concepts such as gray boxing, play mechanics, and GUI integration. This course also covers methodologies needed in game design that can help with conceptualizing a game or simulation application; storyboarding techniques; and development tools. The end-all culmination of the class is the creation of a unique game or simulation that is fully student driven using the Unreal engine. Later courses may see the completion and publication of the game.

Grading Criteria

|LETTER |NUMERICAL |VERBAL INTERPRETATION |GRADE |

|GRADE |VALUE | |POINT VALUE |

|A |4 |Outstanding progress |4 |

|B  |3 |Above average progress |3 |

|C   |2 |Average progress |2 |

|D   |1 |Lowest acceptable progress |1 |

|F   |0 |Failure |0 |

|I |0 |Incomplete |0 |

Weekly Grade Sheet

Periodically (weekly when school schedule permits) I expect a parent-signed grade sheet submitted as homework. Students are to print out a copy of their current grades in my class and turn them in SIGNED by their parents. Failure to turn in the grade sheet, or have it signed will result in a grade of “Z,” or “F” respectively for that assignment. The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that students and parents are aware and diligently on top of student progress in my class. These grade sheets will be stored in student folders.

Class Work

o Students are expected to maintain a notebook daily, this will be critical to the design and implementation process.

o A single assignment can take days to complete, but a daily log of work done is mandatory and graded as a notebook check.

Homework

o Homework is assigned in class verbally, and written on the board.

o Homework completion is of the utmost importance to succeed in this course. Late assignments will be graded, but at a penalty. Homework and classwork are not the most weighted items in this course and should not be relied on to pass this course; however, it is crucial to do the assignments to be better prepared for the assessments that are heavily weighted. In this class, failing to complete homework can be costly to more than just YOU (this is a team effort).

o All work must be legible, and must be clearly marked with the student’s name, date, period, and assignment title. Papers, or programs lacking a name will not receive credit.

Tests and Quizzes

o Tests and Quizzes must be completed following all instructions to receive full credit. All work must be shown, including complete sentences/code when required.

o Any student absent on a test day must have an excused absence or will automatically receive a zero for that test’s grade.

o Make-up tests will be difficult for this course, as test grades are often the product of finished projects, or results in class.

Assessment:

Though this is not a traditional course, there are still many assessments throughout the year. Students are expected to perform individually when asked, and in a partnership. Please expect to work with dedicated partners and understand that you may be responsible for part of someone else’s grade (as they may be partly responsible for part of yours).

Extra Credit:

Extra credit is rare, and will not be assigned on an individual basis. If/when assigned must be fully completed to be eligible for grading. Incomplete assignments will not be graded.

Academic Dishonesty:

Students are expected to be honest and ethical in all their academic work.  Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in one of the following areas:

o Cheating – use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information or study aids

o Fabrication – falsification or invention of any information

o Assisting -  helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty

o Tampering – altering or interfering with evaluation instruments and documents

o Plagiarism – representing the words or ideas of another person as one’s own.

Complete or partial academic dishonesty will immediately result in a grade of zero.

Please read the “DORAL ACADEMY PREP ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY” (provided in this course’s description for your convenience) for further inquiry into Doral’s Academic Dishonesty policies.

Absences

o Due to our block schedule, an absence to a class is equivalent to two absences.

o An absent student is responsible to obtain the information/topic covered during their absence.

o An absent student will be held responsible for obtaining all make-up work. Being absent from class may hinder a student’s academic progress. If possible, don’t miss class at all.

o Students missing class for extracurricular activities are not exempt from assigned work deadlines. An absent student participating on an extracurricular activity is responsible for any assigned material, and must request make-up work/test upon returning to class.

o As stated in the Parent Handbook: “Teachers are required to provide students with make-up assignments once the absence has been excused; however, it is the responsibility of the student to request the assignments from the teacher(s).”

o It is the student’s responsibility to inform the teacher when the excuse for an absence has been turned in.

o If a student accrues too many absences and/or tardies in a class, the student may receive a grade of “No Credit” for the course, regardless of the letter grade earned.

o Parents, if the attendance policy is completely understood, please write “I understand” in the “Parent Response” section of the signature page. Failure to respond does not excuse the student from the school’s policies.

Tardies:

In an effort to maintain to a minimum the disruptions to class time because of tardy students the administration has set the following rules:

o Students tardy to their first, second, or third periods, or caught on a Tardy Hall Sweep during the day, will not be allowed into the classroom, will receive an unexcused absence for that period, and will not be allowed to make up the day’s work.

o Students tardy to a class without a MDCPS official hall pass may receive a detention, at the teacher’s discretion.

o Students may be assigned to detention for every tardy after the second unexcused tardy. A student may be referred to Administration after the third tardy.

o In the event that a student is tardy to a class without a MDCPS official hall pass on a test day, the student will not be given extra time to complete the test.

o Lock out: In the event of a student being locked out on the day of an exam (quiz or test), the student will receive a “Z” for the exam and cannot make it up. Please do NOT be late to class.

Classroom Rules, Procedures and Expectations:

1. Come to class prepared with all necessary materials, and assigned homework to hand in upon entering the classroom.

2. Be seated and ready to work when the second bell rings.

3. Comply with instructions and/or orders the first time you are told.

4. Be respectful and courteous towards all your teachers, all your peers, and all school personnel. This includes respect towards the school’s and peers’ property.

5. Participate in class discussions and activities in a constructive and positive manner.

6. There will be no eating, drinking from cans, or gum chewing in class. There are a lot of expensive and sensitive equipment in this class.

7. Profanity, in any language, will not be tolerated.

8. Personal electronics will be confiscated on sight and sent to administration. No exceptions.

Behavioral Consequences (not necessarily in this order):

1. Verbal Warning

2. Confiscation of item(s)

3. Conference with teacher

4. Phone call/letter home

5. Detention/Saturday School

6. Parent, teacher, and student conference

7. Referral to Administration

Required Materials:

1. An open mind and willingness to share ideas.

2. A composition book to be periodically submitted for review.

3. There is a $20.00 materials fee associated with this class for licenses, parts, and misc.

Note to parents:

It is my goal that all my students are successful in their Game and Simulation course. I will assist all students in any way I can. However, I alone cannot ensure your child’s success. It is of utmost importance that your child attends school, completes homework daily, and turns in all assigned work on a timely manner.

I urge you to emphasize to them that, ultimately, the responsibility for their learning befalls upon them. The combination of all these aspects will determine your child’s success. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

If you need to contact me I can be reached at my e-mail, Lscruz@ (this is always the best way to reach me). You may also leave a message for at the school’s main number 305 595-9950.

Please complete and submit the next page to Mr. Santa-Cruz (it’s one of your first homework assignments).

STUDENT NAME: _____________________ STUDENT ID NUMBER: ______________ PERIOD: ____

Parental and Student Agreement

I have read the syllabus for Mr. Santa-Cruz’s Gaming Class and understand the extent, requirements, and expectations for this course. I understand that this syllabus will be available at Doral Academy Prep’s website throughout the school year for reference purposes.

|Student |Parent |

|name (print)________________________ |name (print) _________________________ |

| | |

|Student signature___________________________ |Parent |

| |signature ___________________________ |

| | |

| |Date: ____________________________ |

| | |

| |Parent |

| |Response __________________________ |

Note: failure to return this signature portion does not excuse the student from complying with any of the course requirements and expectations included on the syllabus. Mr. Santa-Cruz reserves the right to modify this syllabus at any time and will inform students of any and all changes.

Reading Comprehension Question

Mr. Santa-Cruz obeys all school rules as best as he can. Given the aforementioned sentence, what is the school policy for all unexcused absences?

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o Grading Categories:

|Tests |35% |

|Projects  |35% |

|Quizzes/Classwork |20% |

|Homework |10% |

| | |

| | |

This syllabus will be available in its entirety through the school’s website:

Permanent Parent/Student Information Form

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