didactic dialogue, didactic discussion, workshop activities, individual project

Over the past few years I have tried to approach the subject of recruitment in several ways
and I have come to the conclusion that objective selection of students is impossible for three reasons:

We are all biased toward something. Our dislikes may or may not be realized. We can work on the former, but it is difficult to counteract prejudices that we do not see or understand. Whether our feelings are the result of ignorance or hostility, they cannot affect individuals' access to education in their chosen field.

Judging an individual's abilities after reviewing a portfolio or even a brief interview is not possible because the skills presented may be based on access to resources, not on one's strengths. For example, a person whose parents provided art education in kindergarten will draw differently from a person who decided to draw on their own,
and a person who decided to take up drawing at the age of 20.

The current level of workshop skills does not matter much. The workshop is mechanical. Some master it faster, others slower, but it is an accessible tool for all. That is why evaluating a portfolio (especially
Therefore portfolio grading (especially for beginning students) does not give any insight into the potential of the candidates.

Instructors must strive to provide equal educational opportunities for all individuals. Since objective assessment is impossible then the only fair solution remains the lottery.

Because the studio combines two (or even three if you count board games and computer games separately) related but nevertheless independent disciplines, the skills acquired will differ depending on the learning path chosen by the student.

Games

Game design is primarily the development of game mechanics and theme. Only at the end is an appropriate form chosen that will build mood and enable gameplay by presenting a clear and functional interface. Whether in a computer game or a board game, this order is crucial. That's why we focus on four primary aspects for game assignments:

Learning about game types, genres, and mechanics - usually by playing
and discussing the variety of titles that I bring to each class.

Developing a clear system of icons, layout, and interface to make the rules easier to understand and the gameplay smoother.

Developing a layout that conveys the game's theme, story, and desired mood. This point also includes such issues as character design (including animation of movement and gestures), environment design, illustration of the worlds concept.

Preparing a functional board game prototype or a working demo in the case of computer games*.

* Learning programming in the studio is not mandatory, so in some cases a computer game can be presented as a simulation
in the form of a series of animations.

Comics

I treat comics individually and as part of supporting narrative design in games. The ability to tell a story with an image is useful in many disciplines, and comics, broadly defined, is its best example. Students gain while working on comics assignments:

The ability to build a narrative using a sequence of images with attention to the role of the panel and its composition for the rhythm of the story.

Workshop versatility allowing them to change their style depending on the requirements of the story being told and the overall mood of the comic.

The ability to design narratives for both screen and paper.
The technical knowledge needed to prepare files for printing paper comics.

As I wrote in the final requirements, I am not interested in the end result of the assignments performed only in the progress the person being graded will make. Therefore, I am grading the quality of work during the semester, not the quality of the final piece.

When giving a midterm grade, I don't care how well something is drawn/designed. If I can see even a very advanced technique in someone, but I don't see a clear attempt to work through one's limitations, then the project can only be graded as good.

Even if the end result isn't impressive, the accompanying skill development is more important. Such attempts will be more appreciated than impressive drawings or finished projects. The few people who also distinguish themselves with punctuality
and commitment can count on the distinction of an "A plus". It is important to be involved in the project and be willing to take risks, and therefore make mistakes.

1. Robert Bringhurst, Elementarz stylu w typografii, ISBN: 978-83-927308-0-4, https://d2d.pl/produkt/robert-bringhurst-elementarz-stylu-w-typografii/
2. Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics, ISBN: 006097625X
3. Tabletop: analog game design, ISBN: 978-1-257-87060-8, https://press.etc.cmu.edu/index.php/product/tabletop-analog-game-design/

This list is changed every semester and includes comic books and board games that
everyone should play in a given semester. Both games and comics are available in class. A sample set from the winter 2019 semester looked like this:

Games:

Twilight Imperium, 6th edition, 2017, Dane Beltrami, Corey Konieczka, Christian T. Petersen
Root, 2018, Cole Wehrle
Brass: Birmingham, 2018, Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman, Martin Wallace
A Feast for Odin, 2016, Uwe Rosenberg
Watergate, 2019, Matthias Cramer

Comics:

Guy delisle, Pyongyang, 2018, ISBN: 978-83-64858-84-0
Riad Sattouf, Arab przyszłości, Dzieciństwo na Bliskim Wschodzie (1978-1984), 2014, ISBN: 9788364858291
Box Brown, Tetris, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-62672-315-3
Shigeru Mizuki, Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan, 2013, ISBN: 978-1770461352
Malwil, Kinderland, 2017, ISBN: 978-83-64858-87-1