Clare Ang’s EAE journey into Game Design 👾
“I want to create educational games that make learning more fun and engaging,” says Clare Ang, a Year 2 Diploma in Design student majoring in Games & Gamification. “For students who struggle to understand certain concepts in class, turning learning into a game could help them learn better.” 🎮✨
The RP’s School of Technology for Arts, Media and Design student discovered this during her time at the School of Science and Technology, Singapore (SST), where she tutored classmates in Mathematics and Chemistry. Through the experience, she realised that everyone learns differently, and found ways to explain concepts that better connected with her peers. 🤝
Her love for art led her to take Design Studies at SST, where she explored visual communication, interior design, and architecture- and discovered a passion for coding. Her time in the Robotics Club deepened her interest in programming. She found joy in being able to “make things come to life through code”. 💡
Clare also represented her school at the World Robotics Olympiad Future Innovators competition alongside two teammates, where they won the championship. 🥇
Although she initially wanted to become a Mathematics tutor, Clare eventually realised she could combine her passions for art, coding and teaching to create educational games. This inspired her to apply for RP's Diploma in Design through the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE).
“The modules focus more on the ideas behind games, which is exactly what I was most keen to learn,” shares the articulate self-starter. “I'm also really happy to be studying alongside my best friend, Yoon, and we hope to start our own game studio in Singapore one day!” 🫶
📅 EAE Application Periods:
• 11 – 17 June: ITE students
• 25 June – 1 July: O-Level students
Learn how RP helps you match your passion with purpose: www.rp.edu.sg/eae
Embarking on a journey into educational game design is both exciting and challenging, as Clare Ang’s story beautifully illustrates. From personal experience, combining multiple interests like art, coding, and teaching can truly enrich the creative process of game development. During my own exploration of educational technology, I found that understanding the diverse ways people learn is fundamental to designing games that are not only fun but also effective learning tools. Clare’s background in tutoring Mathematics and Chemistry at the School of Science and Technology highlights an important aspect—tailoring explanations to fit various learning styles enhances comprehension. When creating educational games, integrating adaptive learning features or varied difficulty levels can accommodate these differences among users. Moreover, Clare’s success at the World Robotics Olympiad underscores how hands-on competitions cultivate problem-solving skills and teamwork—qualities essential for aspiring game designers. I’ve noticed that participating in collaborative projects or contests helps sharpen both technical skills and creative thinking, essential for the game ideation process emphasized in RP’s Diploma in Design. On the practical side, aspiring students considering the Early Admissions Exercise should heed Clare’s advice: plan early, maintain a schedule, and let your portfolio reflect your passion and potential. The emphasis on the conceptual underpinnings of games rather than just technical skills is refreshing and vital since creative game design requires a good balance of imagination and implementation. Thinking about starting your own game studio, like Clare and her friend Yoon, also implies developing entrepreneurial skills and networking within the gaming community. Leveraging such experiences during your studies can open doors to exciting career paths in Singapore’s growing game industry. Ultimately, Clare's journey demonstrates that blending diverse interests and experiences can lead to meaningful and innovative educational gaming solutions. For anyone passionate about gamification and learning, Republic Polytechnic’s program offers a compelling pathway to transform ideas into impactful games that make education engaging and accessible.
