Program Overview

This 8-week, in-class program empowers students and teachers to bring the NSW Science & Technology curriculum to life through coding and game design. Students create a fully playable arcade-style game linked to their term theme (e.g. Sustainability, History, Civics), integrating Digital Technologies with literacy, mathematics, and creative arts.

Unlike traditional workshops, this program is delivered inside the classroom. Teachers learn alongside students, breaking down tech barriers and embedding new strategies in real time. The result is a hands-on, curriculum-aligned project that develops computational thinking, creativity, and student agency.

Structure

Teacher PD (1–1.5 hrs)

• • Curriculum mapping, assessment strategies, and customisation to the school’s term theme

  • Walkthrough of MakeCode Arcade platform

  • Planning for integration and differentiation

In-Class Workshops (5 x 1 hr or 1.5 hr sessions)

• • Project-based coding using MakeCode Arcade

  • Storyboarding, sprite design, gameplay logic

  • Linking coding to English (narrative design), Maths (algorithms, patterns), and Arts (visual design and sound)

Showcase & Wrap-Up (1 hr)

• • Peer review and student-led reflection

  • Final playable games shared with class, parents, and community

Custom Resources Provided:

• • Student workbook

  • Teacher guide and curriculum mapping

  • Rubrics for assessment and student self-reflection

Pedagogical Approach

Student Agency:

• • Students drive their game concept, narrative, and design choices.

  • Co-constructed rubrics encourage self-assessment and peer feedback.

  • Showcase includes reflection, empowering students to evaluate their own learning.

Metacognition:

• • Reflection prompts throughout: “What choices did I make? How did I solve problems? What will I change next time?”

  • Encourages students to think about their thinking and develop lifelong learning habits.

Teacher Capability-Building:

• • Teachers gain confidence with Digital Technologies by experiencing it live in their own classroom.

  • Strategies and resources are designed to be reusable, ensuring the program leaves a legacy of capability, not dependency.

Curriculum Mapping – NSW Stage 3

Science & Technology K–6 Outcomes (Primary Focus)

• ST3-8DT: Designs, modifies, and follows algorithms, and applies a range of digital solutions.

• ST3-2DP-T: Plans and implements digital solutions and applies safe and ethical practices.

• ST3-3DP-T: Selects and uses digital systems to create information and solve problems.

Cross-Curricular Links

• English:

  • EN3-2A: Composes, edits, and publishes texts (narrative and dialogue for game design).

  • EN3-7C: Thinks critically about ideas and uses imagination to create stories.

• Mathematics:

  • MA3-1WM: Uses logical reasoning to plan and implement algorithms.

  • MA3-3WM: Selects and applies problem-solving strategies.

• Creative Arts:

  • VA3.1: Uses a range of media to make artworks that communicate ideas.

  • MU3.1: Uses the concepts of music to organise sound in composition (game audio).

General Capabilities

• ICT Capability – creating digital solutions, evaluating user experience.

• Critical & Creative Thinking – problem-solving, iterative design.

• Personal & Social Capability – collaboration, peer feedback, reflection.

Outcomes

• Students develop computational thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

• Teachers build practical strategies for embedding Digital Technologies.

• A tangible, shareable outcome (student games) connects learning to the school community.