ADAM MCGUIRE
ADAM MCGUIRE is a MASTER RESEARCH STUDENT at I.T. Carlow’s gameCORE, researching the effects of GAMIFICATION and its effects on student motivation. @ADAM_MACGUIDHIR Could you tell us about your background and how you came to do the work you do now? I have always been creative and when I was younger, I saw myself pursuing animation. However, I learned that I do not have the patience for animation so I am glad I did not pursue that in the end. School was always tough for me from an academic standpoint. I always got on well with the teachers but I never found any meaning in what I was learning. I wanted to pursue something in the arts or design field but the subjects did not accommodate for it and honestly, I felt that there was some form of pressure to pursue a career that offered zero risk and predictable income. After school there was a lot of trial and error with college courses, I really struggled to find something that had meaning for me. I have my mother to thank for putting me onto the track of design. She has always been supportive of my creativity and discovered the Visual Communications and Design course at IT Carlow. That course really did
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increase my love for design and through the support of the lecturers in that course, I have been able to go on to a postgraduate position at IT Carlow. Do you remember when you fell in love with your field and why? It is hard to recall when exactly I fell in love with design. As I mentioned, finding the right course really did help but there has always been a passion for good design from a young age. I used to keep the boxes to all the toys my parents bought me, they thought I was a hoarder but in reality, the packaging was as much of a part of the experience as the toy itself. Not much has changed, I still keep the boxes of my toys, only now my toys are electronics. The packaging helps convey the experience of using the content inside. I guess I always had a fascination with that level of visual communication. You’re currently undertaking your Master’s degree with IT Carlow and their gamesCORE – can you tell us about what it entails and the kind of work you’re doing?
The Masters is in the area of Gamification and its effects on student motivation. Gamification is the use of game elements (points, badges, leaderboards) in non-game contexts. The research revolves around studies to determine the viability of using game elements to increase student engagement with tasks considered boring. The research involves a lot of writing which is not overly exciting but it does include the occasional UX/UI design. Outside of the Masters, I have had many opportunities to design and develop mobile apps, games and websites for gameCORE projects. These projects involve developing mockups, designing interfaces, utilising HTML, CSS and JavaScript. I also teach graphic and web design part-time for IT Carlow’s Lifelong Learning modules. Give me an example of one of your personal favourite projects you’ve worked on – professional or personal? I think my favourite project was one I did in my undergraduate. The project involved designing a book cover. The book I chose was ‘Lord of the Flies’ by
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