| Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was the design and construction of a new capstone design project for electrical engineering students based on games. Games provide context and a common interest for our students. Many characteristics of good design projects can easily be found in the structure of games. In a fundamental way games represent design. A design for a wearable gaming platform, called MAGE, was created. Several prototypes of the system were designed, built, and used by students in a capstone design course.;Findings and Conclusions: During the course of development many lessons were learned. Students struggled with projects based on MAGE because the system was incomplete. Continuous development meant that creating and maintaining up to date documentation was nearly impossible. There is positive anecdotal feedback in the form of high project success rates, which suggest MAGE, supports the education of students. However, more research is needed to make any definitive determination.;Through the course of development, the need for several new distinct platforms emerged. One is a set of hardware peripherals for mobile devices (PDA, Smart Phones, etc.). These peripherals will need an accompanying software platform to support their function and enable rapid development. A Game Engine to support the unique requirements of MAGE type will also be needed. More development is needed to fully realize the potential of using games as projects design courses. |
