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Photos: Schoolkids develop games to aid learning
All play and no work?

By Gemma Simpson

Published: Tuesday 23 January 2007

Scientists are developing software which allows school children to build their own computer games - in a bid to improve their creative and IT skills.

The 'Adventure Author' software, currently being developed at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, will see children aged 10 to 14 designing and building 3D, interactive fantasy-based computer games.

Via a simple, graphical user interface, pictured above, the schoolkids can determine what their games will look like by choosing from a list of pre-programmed sceneries and characters.

The child can then write text for conversations between characters and build up plots and personalities within the game.

Photo credit: Dr Judy Robertson