FAQ for the Game Design, AI, Computational Thinking, and Web3 Camp
Published in
7 min readJul 11, 2022
- What is this camp about?
Game Design, AI, Computational Thinking, and Web3. Please see the Camp description here. - When does the Camp Start and End?
It starts on July 19, 2022, and ends on August 27, 2022. - What are the grades/age covered?
Let’sMOD camp is suitable for kids 8 to 16 years old. - Is Camp in person or remote/online?
Remote/online via Zoom. - How to apply for the camp?
Here is the application. - What does the camp cost?
$256 per camper. - Are there scholarships to cover the cost?
Yes. There are two costs 1) The camp ($256), and 2) Upgrading the Let’sMOD registration. A limited number of camp scholarships ($256 value) are available based on Let’sMOD supporters and partners’ contributions. The cost of the platform is also covered in some countries by Let’sMOD partner organizations. The best way to secure scholarships is to apply as soon as possible. - What are the acceptance criteria?
Camp space is limited, and selection is first-come-first-serve - Do campers need Internet access? How much? On what device?
Campers need a computer, laptop, or phone that has an internet browser and is connected to the Internet with a standard bandwidth for attending Zoom sessions or watching Youtube videos, or web browsing. - Is this Camp for my country or is it international?
It is international. Campers from more than 70 countries participated in similar activities in the last year. - Is Camp in real-time or flexible in timing?
The online Zoom sessions are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, starting at 8:30 AM PST (3:30 PM GMT). However, all sessions are recorded and can be accessed conveniently on Youtube following the live sessions. - Children are not available due to exams, holidays, trips, … . Can they participate and succeed?
Yes. They can watch the camp session videos on Youtube and do activities at the time that suits them. - What are the activities at the Camp each week?
1) Join or watch online Camp sessions.
2) Play with onboarding and Starter Kit.
3) Create new Machines using adapting Starter Kits with their own creativity
4) Share Machine. - Will campers end up with a completed project at the end of the Camp?
Yes. Campers will be able to submit their Camp project (aka “Machine”) by Midnight PST, August 23, 2022. - What do the campers learn?
It depends on their age/grade/skills before starting the camp. Participants’ skills in the following areas improve by the end of the camp:
1) Math from a computational thinking point of view (number sense, arithmetic, geometry, pre-algebra, and algebra).
2) Computer Science from a computational thinking point of view (iterations, conditionals, Boolean algebra, sequential and parallel algorithms).
3) Design thinking by creating what they imagine to engage collaborators, peers, and new users running and interacting with their Machines.
4) System design is practiced by connecting many interacting parts to achieve complex goals
5) Game design is the focus in half of the Camp to ensure the Camp Machines are highly engaging for players that are interacting with them to achieve various goals.
6) Collaboration, communication, and leadership are engaged among campers that join startup teams collaborating on their Camp project Machine submission. - Will campers with various levels of math and STEM skills be limited to the same activities and experiences?
No. Each camper can choose the Starter Kit that they feel comfortable with to start. They will have the opportunity to play with Starter Kits requiring more sophisticated skills. - Do campers communicate with each other? How?
Yes. Campers can have discussions or share and submit their Camp Machines on MODHub, a Discord Server. MODHub has channels for various activities. Here is the link to join MODHub Discord Channel. - Does this Camp include teamwork?
Yes. Campers can choose to join an existing startup team or create their own startup to collaborate with other campers in creating a Camp Machine. Startup team members can be from various countries, and they can communicate through Discord. - How can campers get support?
In two ways:
1) Ask questions from the MODHub community on Discord. This is the strongest support path.
2) Ask questions from Let’sMOD support using the support form under the Let’sMOD help button. - How does this Camp match the curriculum of various grades in our country?
Camp activities have onboarding and Starter Kits covering various skill levels in math, computer science, and design. Campers start from the basic skill levels and can progress at their own speed. The more they learn, the more skills they’ll have to create an engaging Camp Machine. In this way, each camper can pursue a personalized growth path relative to their age/grade/skills. - Does the Camp include SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)?
Campers select their own Camp Machine themes. In some countries, the local partner chooses a set of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) - How do campers know how to start and what to do every week?
Campers will receive an email each week explaining the week’s activities. Moreover, there are three Zoom sessions each week covering the week’s activities. - What is the role of the teachers?
Having a teacher or adult to help campers is not necessary (other than the mentors that run the weekly Zoom sessions). However, teachers can bring significant value to their students by passing the camp application to their students to apply before all the seats are filled. - Do we need to have teacher training?
There is no need for teacher training. Teachers can become familiar with the Camp program overview here to be able to recommend and share the application with their students. Last year tens of thousands of students from around the world participated in a similar program, and here is the result. - Can campers do the camp with no teachers’ or parents’ help?
Yes. Mentors provide the necessary guidance through the weekly Zoom sessions. The videos of the sessions will be available in case any of the live sessions is missed. - Children in our country are behind some other countries in their Math and STEM. Can they succeed in the Camp?
Yes. Over three years and thorough 14 seasonal programs and after hundreds of thousands of students have gone through this program, the content has been refined to be able to adjust to the level of students in various grades in various countries. - What is Computational Thinking, and why and how will campers learn about it?
See here for a description of Computational Thinking. Computational Thinking is essential for jobs’ future and is the foundation of Computer Science, AI, and technology. In the camp’s second week, a set of “Turtle Geometry ‘’ Starter Kits are shared with the campers that cover Computational Thinking skills, from order operations to iterations, variables, and 2D/3D geometries. Campers can copy parts of these Starter Kits into their Camp Machines. - What is Game Design, and why and how will campers learn about it?
See here for a Game Design description. Game Design is a multidisciplinary activity that needs and helps to learn both hard skills like analytical thinking, computer science, and computational thinking and soft skills like design thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. At the same time, it is engaging and empowers the Campers to tell their stories. Each submitted Camp Machine can include one or more games and three weeks of the Camp is especially focused on the game design. Every week from the second to the fifth, campers receive more Starter Kits, and they can copy parts of them into their Camp Machine. - What is AI, and why and how will campers learn about it?
See here for a description of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is the bedrock of the jobs of the future. Every technology and industry is either currently using some level of AI or will do so soon. Machine learning is an important part of AI, which is Machine learning (ML) that is devoted to understanding and building methods that ‘learn’, that is, methods that leverage data to improve performance on some set of tasks. In the last week’s first session, campers get to play with a simple machine learning Starter Kit. Campers will have the option to use parts of these Starter Kits in their Camp Machine. - What is Web3, and why and how will our campers learn about it?
See here for a Web3 description. In the last week’s second session, campers will go through a Web3 overview. Campers will get familiar with blockchain and NFT in a safe, practical, and hands-on exercise understanding how the top Camp Machines become NFTs. - What access will campers have to the Let’sMOD platform in this camp?
All those that get accepted into the camp will receive the email that provides the step-by-step guidance to register and upgrade on the Let’sMOD platform. - Is the Camp a Competition? If so, how do the winners identify?
No, and Yes! Camp is highly accessible and equitable. And any 8 to 16 years old can join the camp and be successful. At the same time, the top Camp Machines are judged at the global level, and the leaderboard will be announced in September 2022. The countries that have an active Let’sMOD partner will also publish a leaderboard at the country’s level. - Is this a Math camp? What is the difference?
No, and Yes! Camp is not a math-only camp to focus only on curriculum math. However, the camp has activities that cover essential math and computational thinking. Therefore, campers, depending on their skill level, will practice their math skills and get the chance to discover new concepts too. - Is this a Robotics camp? What is the difference?
No, and Yes! Camp is not a robotic camp. However, the camp has activities that cover essential robotics concepts and skills. Therefore campers will deepen their math skills. - Is this a Design Thinking camp? What is the difference?
No, and Yes! Camp is not a robotic-only camp. However, the camp has activities that cover essential robotics concepts and skills. Therefore campers will deepen their robotics skills. - How do we measure the impact of the Camp?
The camp onboarding activities result in acquiring MODBits. Campers can see their MODBits live on the platform. Moreover, badges track the campers. Finally, Let’sMOD provides a report on campers’ progress in September 2021. - Is the camp only in English or other languages available?
Let’sMOD platform and activities are available in five languages: English, Spanish, Azerbaijani, Arabic, and Urdu. - What are the rules for Camp Machine submission?
The Camp Machine Submission rules will be published by July 25th.
