Session Information
| Title | Teaching Meaning: The Challenge (or lack thereof) of Encouraging Student Designers/Developers to Make Meaningful Play |
| Presenter(s) | Shira Chess, Miami University
Lindsay Grace, Miami University Peter Jamieson, Miami University William Brinkman, Miami University |
| Time | Saturday, October 23, 10:15a-11:15a |
| Location | Parlor C |
| Format | Panel |
| Description | The panel provides practicable heuristics from game educators who endeavor to inspire students to generate meaningful play. The demand for meaningful play is strong, as evidenced by numerous domestic and international programs eagerly requesting the development of games that support education and encourage social action. There are more than 500 institutions of higher education peopled with game design and development students. Where many such student designers and developers are enticed or even lured into a game curriculum by the promise of making blockbuster AAA games, the challenge for educators is in inspiring students to move from pure entertainment to meaning. Students who generate meaning-focused games realize several benefits; lower barriers to entry than the traditional entertainment sector, potential for cross-disciplinary learning, and the opportunity for financial support.
This panel demonstrates approaches to motivating a new set of meaningful play makers - students. The following questions are answered from the perspective of successful faculty and industry professional:
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