Sayrs designs video game to help students learn French

Kat Sayrs ’17 enjoys playing video games, especially in French.

Recently, however, she hasn’t just been playing games, she has been designing one. It’s her project for the Cornell Summer Research Institute, and she’s using the skills she has developed during her time at Cornell as a double major in French and computer science to make it happen.

“A game that was designed for learning can be fun, if done correctly,” Sayrs said. “I hope to combine all of the knowledge of game design, being a gamer, and then also the pedagogical knowledge to make a really effective one.”

By the time her project is complete, it’ll have customized vocabulary lists, artistic creations of each character, and all kinds of interactive elements to promote language learning.

She’s working with Professor of French Devan Baty and Instructional Technology Librarian Brooke Bergantzel ’08.

Watch their video story here: