Game Development - A Means to Learning Graphics and Physics
I have always been naturally curious in many different ways, technically and creatively. But I have often found in the past that a learning context or basis rapidly helps the learning process. You learn arithmetic before Trigonometry, you learn to use a mouse and keyboard before learning Computer Systems administration. This order of precedence is also important for information and concepts to be retained and understood. But informational order of precedence is already well applied in the educational process.
Life however often requires the opposite of us. To learn retroactively. I find in many technical fields especially, that this is required. If I look at students that get manufactured out of Java schools, they are especially under the whip in this regard. There are huge gaps of knowledge in terms of data structures, design patterns and API familiarity. I very often get the feeling this has come about as a result of the RAD software development trend that has come about over the last decade or two ( depending on your point of view ). This development style allowed for skills and paradigms to be learned on the fly as they were needed and with the Internet, this was easy and legal (for the most part). The depth of the knowledge that was acquired in a full degree( bachelor of computer sciences to stick with cliche ) was not a requirement from a business stand point for a myriad of rationalized reasons. A rant in this particular arena is due in a series of blog entries on its own but let me just state ( as a Java School “graduate” ), that I find this approach to the industry poor and short sighted. There is a place for this approach in software development in business, but it has been abused. The lack of educational context leads to an incomplete educational cycle... which leads largely to my next point...
I guess my understanding of the brain and its wiring s negligible but my I’ve found me ability to learn on any level requires a context and a clear goal in mind to be able to try remember, understand, and one day apply a concept. I’m not sure if there is a nature versus nurture argument here, but I get the feeling that this is dependent on an individuals mental wiring. I’ve seen a reasonable number of developers able to learn, memorize AND apply certain concepts ( whether it be raw idioms or complex APIs and their affiliated design structures ). This is just downright unfair, but at the end of you play the cards you’re given. I’m sure this could be found in any mathematical, logic based paradigm. So why the long winded introduction..
Two of my more core interests ( speaking strictly under the Logic heading, lets leave Creative Arts for another time shall we? ) is computer graphics ( not as in animation, but as in what makes animation possible, and look good ) as well as computational physics to some degree. Why? Its very hard for me to pinpoint but for the time being I can narrow it down to two possibilities. Firstly, I find problem solving in complex arenas very rewarding on many levels. Not to mention that seeing other people’s implemented solutions can be pieces of art in their own right, comparable to an impressive martial art, an elaborate display of colour, or a symphony of musicians in perfect unison. An addendum to this reason is that a given solution often gives an insight into a persons nature which I also find interesting. The second reason that stands out to me is that these two arenas once understood allow for creative thinking in a logical domain. A contradiction in terms perhaps, but that only provokes my curiosity further. Now perhaps from an extremism point of view these core interests are not the pinnacle of complexity, but there is definitely enough there to keep the mind busy. I’ve spent some time being a student and I’ve found myself a part of the group that requires context BEFORE complex concepts will make sense, never mind actually sticking in memory for any reasonable amount of time. When I speak about context here I am referring specifically to the basis of the concept ( the starting point ) up to and including the conclusion and summary ( the objective and goal ).
I can’t help but wonder though how the great minds of our time explored the depths of revelation and realization. Did it come simply for observation( passive ), or exploration( active )? I very rarely believe there is an absolute in life, and there is most likely a gray-scale of sorts. Which begs the question, where is the balance? I imagine differential psycho-analysis based on the individuals psyche would eventually give the answer, but I doubt whether we ( as a culture\society\civilization ) have the insight into the mind and character to evaluate this completely yet. If there are psychologists screaming blue murder out there after me saying that, please prove me wrong. To make a point from the babble here, I believe feeling your way through your own balances individually is very important before spending time in thought on external knowledge. The process of meta-exploration is important if not crucial for an individual that truly wishes to nurture the natural potential available. This is why I believe reflection is so important and why I started this blog. I find writing my thoughts allowed and even forces me to evaluate not only WHAT I think about, but HOW I think about it? And if I’m feeling particularly energetic, I’ll even think about the WHY of my thoughts. I digress though...
This might seem like an incredibly verbose means to something as simple as education. But society is engineered to be rushed and this nurtures a culture which does not evaluate and think choices and activities through. My opinion on why society has developed in this direction is topic for another philosophical ( and perhaps offensive ) blog post.
This is why game development ( personally speaking ) is such a good way to be introduced to complex concepts. The context is simple and the goal is clear, yet the implementation introduces the student to all the basic details used for fields of Physics, Computer Sciences, and even Engineering. Perhaps the education system is still adapting to the development of technology and all the sub-cultures and concepts affiliated with it, but I find it frustrating how games weren’t used as a method to education on a school level. Why should traditional school concepts be learned first BEFORE leading to more complex varsity concepts. When the applications introduced in varsity can actually aid the education process. Personally if game development had been used as a medium to education when being introduced to Trigonometry and Classical Mechanics, it would have been far easier not only to motivate myself, but to grasp the concepts in the long term simply because I had a frame of reference to latch on to.
To try summarise this long post, I feel it is important to emphasize the goal in education to aid the student’s path. Impossible to choose a road without knowing where you are headed. This has turned largely into a rant at the educational system, but I hope I got my point across. I also considered splitting this into two articles but that would’ve blown up an already bloated topic.
Ciao All :-)
I have always been naturally curious in many different ways, technically and creatively. But I have often found in the past that a learning context or basis rapidly helps the learning process. You learn arithmetic before Trigonometry, you learn to use a mouse and keyboard before learning Computer Systems administration. This order of precedence is also important for information and concepts to be retained and understood. But informational order of precedence is already well applied in the educational process.
Life however often requires the opposite of us. To learn retroactively. I find in many technical fields especially, that this is required. If I look at students that get manufactured out of Java schools, they are especially under the whip in this regard. There are huge gaps of knowledge in terms of data structures, design patterns and API familiarity. I very often get the feeling this has come about as a result of the RAD software development trend that has come about over the last decade or two ( depending on your point of view ). This development style allowed for skills and paradigms to be learned on the fly as they were needed and with the Internet, this was easy and legal (for the most part). The depth of the knowledge that was acquired in a full degree( bachelor of computer sciences to stick with cliche ) was not a requirement from a business stand point for a myriad of rationalized reasons. A rant in this particular arena is due in a series of blog entries on its own but let me just state ( as a Java School “graduate” ), that I find this approach to the industry poor and short sighted. There is a place for this approach in software development in business, but it has been abused. The lack of educational context leads to an incomplete educational cycle... which leads largely to my next point...
I guess my understanding of the brain and its wiring s negligible but my I’ve found me ability to learn on any level requires a context and a clear goal in mind to be able to try remember, understand, and one day apply a concept. I’m not sure if there is a nature versus nurture argument here, but I get the feeling that this is dependent on an individuals mental wiring. I’ve seen a reasonable number of developers able to learn, memorize AND apply certain concepts ( whether it be raw idioms or complex APIs and their affiliated design structures ). This is just downright unfair, but at the end of you play the cards you’re given. I’m sure this could be found in any mathematical, logic based paradigm. So why the long winded introduction..
Two of my more core interests ( speaking strictly under the Logic heading, lets leave Creative Arts for another time shall we? ) is computer graphics ( not as in animation, but as in what makes animation possible, and look good ) as well as computational physics to some degree. Why? Its very hard for me to pinpoint but for the time being I can narrow it down to two possibilities. Firstly, I find problem solving in complex arenas very rewarding on many levels. Not to mention that seeing other people’s implemented solutions can be pieces of art in their own right, comparable to an impressive martial art, an elaborate display of colour, or a symphony of musicians in perfect unison. An addendum to this reason is that a given solution often gives an insight into a persons nature which I also find interesting. The second reason that stands out to me is that these two arenas once understood allow for creative thinking in a logical domain. A contradiction in terms perhaps, but that only provokes my curiosity further. Now perhaps from an extremism point of view these core interests are not the pinnacle of complexity, but there is definitely enough there to keep the mind busy. I’ve spent some time being a student and I’ve found myself a part of the group that requires context BEFORE complex concepts will make sense, never mind actually sticking in memory for any reasonable amount of time. When I speak about context here I am referring specifically to the basis of the concept ( the starting point ) up to and including the conclusion and summary ( the objective and goal ).
I can’t help but wonder though how the great minds of our time explored the depths of revelation and realization. Did it come simply for observation( passive ), or exploration( active )? I very rarely believe there is an absolute in life, and there is most likely a gray-scale of sorts. Which begs the question, where is the balance? I imagine differential psycho-analysis based on the individuals psyche would eventually give the answer, but I doubt whether we ( as a culture\society\civilization ) have the insight into the mind and character to evaluate this completely yet. If there are psychologists screaming blue murder out there after me saying that, please prove me wrong. To make a point from the babble here, I believe feeling your way through your own balances individually is very important before spending time in thought on external knowledge. The process of meta-exploration is important if not crucial for an individual that truly wishes to nurture the natural potential available. This is why I believe reflection is so important and why I started this blog. I find writing my thoughts allowed and even forces me to evaluate not only WHAT I think about, but HOW I think about it? And if I’m feeling particularly energetic, I’ll even think about the WHY of my thoughts. I digress though...
This might seem like an incredibly verbose means to something as simple as education. But society is engineered to be rushed and this nurtures a culture which does not evaluate and think choices and activities through. My opinion on why society has developed in this direction is topic for another philosophical ( and perhaps offensive ) blog post.
This is why game development ( personally speaking ) is such a good way to be introduced to complex concepts. The context is simple and the goal is clear, yet the implementation introduces the student to all the basic details used for fields of Physics, Computer Sciences, and even Engineering. Perhaps the education system is still adapting to the development of technology and all the sub-cultures and concepts affiliated with it, but I find it frustrating how games weren’t used as a method to education on a school level. Why should traditional school concepts be learned first BEFORE leading to more complex varsity concepts. When the applications introduced in varsity can actually aid the education process. Personally if game development had been used as a medium to education when being introduced to Trigonometry and Classical Mechanics, it would have been far easier not only to motivate myself, but to grasp the concepts in the long term simply because I had a frame of reference to latch on to.
To try summarise this long post, I feel it is important to emphasize the goal in education to aid the student’s path. Impossible to choose a road without knowing where you are headed. This has turned largely into a rant at the educational system, but I hope I got my point across. I also considered splitting this into two articles but that would’ve blown up an already bloated topic.
Ciao All :-)
