Microsoft is teaming up with film studio Warner Bros. to promote coding and encourage children and adults to hone their skills within the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) career sector.
As part of this initiative, Microsoft will host free virtual workshops themed after the forthcoming movie Space Jam: A New Legacy starring LeBron James. Participating students will have the ability to create a fully-functional prototype of a video game of their making.
The video game will utilise block-based coding based on Microsoft’s MakeCode Arcade Platform. MakeCode Arcade is a visual programming language, utilising both text-based and block-based editing so that it can be more accessible to programming language students regardless of their current level of experience. Microsoft already had several initiatives to complement MakeCode Arcade, including Microsoft Stores trainer-led workshops, as well as Microsoft Learn on-demand lessons.
“We’re trying to stay very relevant to what people who care about basketball might care about, while also guiding learners through an introduction to the Python programming language, data science, machine learning and developing web applications,” said Sarah Guthals, a principal program manager in Microsoft’s developer relations organisation.
“What I know is that context and themes and narratives that tie into technical education yield better transfer of that knowledge, so if someone can be passionate and excited about what they’re learning because of that contextual narrative, they’re more likely to persist through challenges. They are more likely to fully understand what they’re learning and why, and therefore they are more likely to be able to transfer that knowledge to new problems,” Guthals added.
Some of the Space Jam-themed lessons in the programme include being taught how to predict efficiency ratings using machine learning and Visual studio code. These will scour through data generated by both human and Tune Squad basketball players. Another lesson involves the creation of a web-based application that deploys real-time machine learning to detect and identify which player needs a water break and which player should be playing at any given point to maximise a team’s possibility of getting a positive result.
“One of the things we liked about this partnership is that it aligns with our goals of introducing computer science to kids who would not normally be interested in coding. But we know that most kids love video games, right?” said Jacqueline Russell, a MakeCode program manager.
“So if we can tie learning to code to games and creating your own video game, I think that’s super empowering for a lot of kids who play video games every day, but maybe never thought they could create their own,” Russell added.
