Advanced Computer Science: Game Design
All Genders Course; Prerequisite - Successful completion of AP Computer Science A or equivalent; successful completion of 9th grade; Fall Semester or Full Year Course
Course Overview
Computer scientists are creatives, problem-solvers, puzzlers... and tech junkies. The fundamental purpose of programming is to solve a real-world problem, and if done well, the design is elegant, useful, usable. Moreover, if done really well, then it can be addictively fun. So how does that happen? At the intersection of art and science sits game design, a field of computer science that draws on graphic design, programming, math, and psychology to create the experiences we enjoy so much in video games, virtual reality apps, and all kinds of digital media. This class introduces students to the tools of a game designer using the game engine Unity, the C# programming language, and resources from a variety of fields to explore what it takes to design a game. Students build on their prior computer science experiences to apply programming and design skills in this challenging and creative interdisciplinary course. This is the most advanced course in our CS strand and is specifically designed as an alternative to AP or as a post-APCSA course.
“My teacher was a wonderful and intelligent teacher who inspired me to be more creative and work efficiently. Unlike any other course, I have never been more efficient on time and creativity than in this one.”
Course Approval
This course is approved by the NCAA.
One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025. We are an approved online publisher for the University of California.
Academic Program Teachers
Academic Program teachers are passionate about helping students flourish and thrive.
-
With small sections (averaging 15 students), teachers inspire, encourage, and instill confidence in their students.
-
Teachers are drawn from top independent schools across the country and participate in our extensive training on current research and best practices in online instruction methods.
-
Teachers are experts in their subject field and also highly qualified, with over 80% having a master’s degree or a terminal degree.
What Happens In The Second Semester?
Students wishing to pursue a game design project may enroll in the course for the full year. For students continuing into Semester II, the course shifts into personalized, project-based work, where students engage in deep, sustained inquiry, authentic and iterative research, critical analysis, and rigorous reflection, revision, and assessment as they journey through a self-designed, long-term activism, design, or research project on the topic of their choosing. Guided by a One Schoolhouse teacher, students pursue individual study/self-assessment or collaborative seminar/peer-review. Pathway options from which students choose include:
Spring Activism Seminar
In this seminar, students identify a need and create a plan to effect economic, environmental, political, or social change in a target community. Utilizing a social science approach to research and evaluation, students are guided through the process of planning the deployment of a novel idea and identifying markers of success. Students may create a strategic plan for a club or non-profit or design an artistic product in this seminar.
Spring Design Seminar
In this seminar, students design a technological solution to a real-world problem. Through the engineering design process/scientific method, students gather and analyze data to determine the effectiveness of their model or the accuracy of their hypothesis. Students may prototype and produce a public product in this seminar.
Spring Research Seminar
In this seminar, students answer a theoretical or ethical question. Utilizing the social science/humanities tools for source evaluation, students collect, critique, and evaluate artifacts or primary source documents to explore their thesis. Students may create a written or multimedia product in this seminar.
Upon completion of their inquiry-driven project, students will have gained academic maturity and expanded their ability to engage in a diverse and changing world. They will be able to draw and defend conclusions from theoretical underpinnings, contextual background, and mathematical analysis or source evaluation. Finally, they will have created and tested something useful of their own design or will be able to defend a position based on their own research.
