14 DAY TRIAL // Undoubtedly some of you have already heard of a project in the works at Microsoft, designed to provide a visual programming language for game development. Kodu, formerly codenamed Boku, is currently available for download free of charge because it is still in Beta development stage, with the Redmond company inviting early adopters to jump aboard. As far as testers are concerned, the software giant has made no secret that it envisions Kodu as an excellent tool to help teach programming to kids, especially at school.
It should be of no surprise then, that Microsoft has started offering the Kodu Game Lab Classroom Kit via the Download Center. The Kit is designed as a collection of resources set up to deliver insight into Kodu and simplify usage.
“The Kodu Classroom Kit is a set of lesson plans and activities for teachers, after school program instructors and administrators to run a variety of types of classes using Kodu,” Microsoft stated. “A range of lesson plans and activities are available for Kodu. The lessons are designed to be flexible so the instructor should take what she or he feels best suits the class and his or her teaching style. Our goal is to help address the many ways that students respond to technology—some like to be directed in their advancement and others tend to forge ahead, experimenting through trial and error.”
Development milestones of Kodu are currently available for download from the Redmond company for both the PC and Xbox 360. Users around the world can grab the releases and start building their own games. “Kodu provides easy tools to create elaborate 3D landscapes, and control the lighting and camera. Kodu programming involves selecting visual tiles for a condition (WHEN) and an action (DO). Students can learn about cooperation, logic and creativity, not just about programming,” Microsoft added.
Kodu Game Lab - Technical Preview is available for download here.