Students create new online games

Children in the Bellingen and Coffs Harbour region will have access to new educational and recreational online games thanks to a joint project between Southern Cross University and Bellingen Shire's Online Toy Library, BUD's Toys.

Southern Cross University students completing multimedia units in the Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Arts have created a variety of online games, suitable for web delivery and are providing them to the toy library for use by their members.

BUD’s Toy Library is a non-profit organisation, part of the Bellingen Shire Support Network.

Co-ordinator Kirsti Hudson said the addition of online games would provide an extra resource for those who use the website. The service has around 85 members who order a variety of toys via an online catalogue. The toys are then transported to distribution agencies in Bellingen, Urunga, Dorrigo and Boambee East.

“It’s quite unique because it is a web-based service. We have nearly 400 toys in the collection which are included in an online catalogue,” Ms Hudson said.

“The online games will be a fantastic addition to the service. It will mean that the kids will have a reason to go on to the web site as well as the parents.”

Ms Raina Mason, an associate lecturer in the School of Commerce and Management, said the students were required to create the games as part of their assessment.

“It’s great to be working with a community organisation as it gives the students real hands-on experience,” Ms Mason said.

“The students have told me they’ve really enjoyed these projects and have wanted to keep ‘tinkering’ with their games even after they have been completed for their assessment.”

Among the games that have been developed are: Miserere – a game that teaches children how to read music notes and identify them on a piano keyboard; Something’s Fishy - an arcade game that has children controlling a fish that needs to eat the food, avoid the jellyfish, and collect treasure; Hangman – a web version; Treasure Hunter – a platform game where kids have to collect treasure; and Explorer – a game that has children moving from ‘room to room’ collecting points.

The games are designed for children aged six to 12 years. They are available on the BUD’s Toy Library website www.bssn.org.au/budstoys.

Photo: Information technology student Matt Beach demonstrates his online version of 'Hangman' for Kirsti Hudson.