I reviewed the lesson plan for an online video game zine workshop for year 3 students in the illustration bachelor’s degree program. The workshop topic is really interesting, especially since videogame zines are not widely known.
Including an email with trigger warnings for sensitive topics is an excellent approach. At the same time, discussing sensitive topics is essential, and incorporating them into the context of a video game zine is effective. Zines represent a form of resistance and a revolutionary method of publishing, making them a suitable medium for these discussions.
In terms of the lesson plan, 30 minutes have been allocated for students to create their zine. Since these are Y3 students, they are expected to work independently, but it might be beneficial to break the time down into smaller, structured tasks. For example, it takes five minutes to open the software and create a new file, then two minutes to create the first passage, and so on. A more step-by-step approach could be useful, I’m only suggesting this because I assume it’s the first time students will use the software, and sometimes it’s hard to remember all the steps. This structure might also help students who experience connection issues during the demo or who need extra language support because they won’t get behind if they miss one of the steps.
Regarding the presentation, one issue that stands out is the readability of the title font. The first thing I noticed is that, at least for me, the title font is hard to read. I have dyslexia, and with this font, it can be a bit hard to distinguish the letters. For example, the ‘Z’ looks like a mirrored ‘S’. A similar font with slightly clearer letterforms might improve accessibility.
The last thing I considered regarding the introduction is whether it would be beneficial to do a brief demo of what a poster zine is during the presentation or give students time to experiment with an example. This might help them become familiar with and generate more ideas about what they can create. Just looking at the presentation on its own is not enough. Some examples later in the presentation clarify this, but an earlier demonstration could make the concept more immediately understandable. I didn’t grasp what a videogame zine was until I clicked on the later examples that were added.
The inclusion of historical context is a strong aspect of the session. The additional resources, such as books and other examples, will give students a broader understanding of the potential and significance of the medium. This is particularly useful for students who are still developing their ability to see the wider applications of the concepts they are learning.
In general, I think this was a very well-thought-out session. It felt very round in that it covered many aspects of a video game zine, starting with the contexts of zines, moving on to student exploration and creativity, and lastly, the social justice topic embedded in it.
Appendix 1:
In our meeting to discuss the feedback on our sessions, I mentioned to Fred that if he wanted, I had some resources on how to bring sensitive topics to the classroom. These are the references I shared with him.
- Harvard Graduate School of Education (2022) ‘You want to teach what? How preservice teachers learn to address controversy and prepare students for democracy’. Available at: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/22/02/you-want-teach-what
- UCL Arena Centre for Research-based Education (2024) ‘Teaching difficult and sensitive topics in higher education: some starting points’. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/case-studies/2024/apr/teaching-difficult-and-sensitive-topics-higher-education-some-starting-points
- Suffolk SACRE and Prevent Team (2016) ‘Teaching controversial issues toolkit’. Available at: https://suffolklearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/19-5-2016-154245_Teaching_Controversial_Issues_Toolkit_Intro_SACRE_PREVENT.pdf
- FutureLearn (2020) ‘How to teach controversial issues’. Available at: https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/promoting-democracy-a-guide-for-teachers/0/steps/271445
- London School of Economics and Political Science (2023) ‘Teaching sensitive topics’. Available at: https://info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/Eden-Centre/Resources-to-support-your-practice/Teaching-sensitive-topics
- Ellison, C. (2023) ‘Teaching sensitive topics and dealing with emotionally charged content’. University of Liverpool. Available at: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/media/livacuk/centre-for-innovation-in-education/diy-guides/teach-sensitive-topic-deal-emotion-charge-content/teach-sensitive-topic-deal-emotion-charge-content.pdf
- Pace, J. and Oberholzer, L. (2022) ‘Hard questions: learning to teach controversial issues’. British Educational Research Association. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/hard-questions-learning-to-teach-controversial-issues
Appendix 2: