
Jordan Tynes
Lecturer in Computer Science
Immersive learning environments and playable media as a technology-based approach to communicating about the world around us. */
My work at Wellesley College and beyond focuses on the creation and study of immersive and interactive learning experiences. I am fascinated by the way technology-based immersion can be used to enhance pedagogical aims and communicate complex ideas. I have years of experience developing Virtual Reality applications that are currently being used in classrooms across the Liberal Arts curriculum. My latest research involves working with the iLRN CHEX consortium to identify standards that may be used to develop more effective methods for using immersive learning technologies.
I currently teach a three-course sequence in the Computer Science Department that asks students to develop their own digital games and other projects in Playable Media. These courses are situated at an interdisciplinary crossroads that is supported by the Media Arts & Sciences program, combining a wide range of academic perspectives found in digital playable media. My own research in Games Studies is exemplified by my latest project, SubjectMatter:TableTop, an academic podcast that explores “games and the subjects that animate them.” This podcast seeks to expose the many ways that games communicate from both technical and Cultural Studies perspectives.
I am also a major supporter of academic makerspaces. In my previous role in higher education, I oversaw the evolution of the Knapp Media Center by introducing “maker” technologies, as well as developing the Knapp Internship program for students to learn and support the newest academic technology available on campus. Using emergent technology and workflows, I continue to enable previously unexplored ways of teaching, learning, conducting research, and communicating scholarly efforts. I spend time in the campus makerspace, exploring new methods for 3D scanning and the production of aerial imagery in support of curricular experiments in VR/AR. I am also excited to be a part of a growing consortium of higher education professionals, Liberal Technology, interested in expanding the “maker mindset” on college campuses.
When I am not teaching or traveling for research, you can find me driving from one campsite to the next, playing with dogs, or “spoiling my walk” in nature by attempting to play a good round of golf. Please feel free to join my Twitch stream (jstored) during the semester on Tuesdays (8-8:30), or tune in to SubjectMatter:TableTop!
Education
- B.F.A., University of California-Santa Cruz
- M.F.A., Tufts University
Current and upcoming courses
Students with a deep personal interest in digital game design and other forms of playable media will work in collaborative units to explore all aspects of the game development process while contributing to a semester-length project of their own devising. This course will require students to explore an ethical approach to game development that will introduce new practices for ideation, pitching, designing, playtesting, and versioning through an iterative process that will result in a finished game. This course is specifically designed for students who have moderate experience with game development through either curricular activities or by working on projects of their own. Students will be expected to have moderate levels of experience with the Unity Game Engine.
(CS 365 and MAS 365 are cross-listed courses.)-
Extended Reality
CS321
Mixed and Augmented Reality technologies combine virtual content with the physical environment, allowing people to interact with computers and digital content in exciting new ways. These emerging human-computer interaction paradigms have been applied to a variety of fields including medicine, education, design, entertainment, and play. This course introduces fundamental methods, principles, and tools for designing, programming, and testing mixed and augmented reality applications. Topics include the history of virtual and augmented reality, application domains, hardware for 3D input and display, tracking and registration, 3D perception, and societal implications. Students will work individually and in teams to develop novel virtual and augmented reality experiences. -
Intro to Game Design
CS121
Video games are a popular form of interactive media that engage players in dynamic experiences through unprecedented combinations of storytelling, visualization, interactivity, and multi-sensory immersion. This course will introduce students to video game production and concepts. We will develop a framework for critically analyzing this medium, learn to identify effective strategies for creating games and describe what elements of design impact the final experience of a game. We’ll also identify the function of user agency in this medium to better understand how players are affected by representation in video games. Throughout the course, students will be asked to apply these concepts while building their own games and become familiar with the fundamentals of video game design. (CS 121 and MAS 121 are cross-listed courses.)