| Title | Play Strategies in Liberal Education |
| Presenter(s) | Lindsay Grace, Brooke Spangler, Shira Chess and Peter Jamieson |
| Time | Saturday, October 20, 10:15a-11:15a |
| Location | Gold A |
| Format | Panel |
| Description | The panel provides practicable heuristics from game educators integrating play into college courses. Beyond the practice of offering game-like evaluation systems, the faculty demonstrate their success and failures in everything from the basics of substituting papers for game designs to converting game reluctance to game enthusiasm. The panel offers a multi-disciplinary set of perspectives on integrating game activities in non-game curriculum.
This panel distinctly addresses a few common challenges:
- Teaching the non-gamer through games:
A collection of observations and tips about working within a student body that may be reluctant to participate in ludic educational experiences.
- Adopting an experimental gameplay culture:
Practical experiences in encouraging students to understand their creative practice as play, including embracing failure as an important educational experience.
- Stepping into new magic circles:
Examples of engaging students in non-familiar game types and genres.
- "Inciting" the game designer in non-design students:
The pedagogic practice of helping students to understand the balance of designed structured with the freedom of play and inspiring creative sparks through exposure, argument and critical gaming.
- How to speak the same language:
The distinct lexicon of games can quickly create a rich environment for discussion, or leave those who don't know it feeling inarticulate and isolated. The panelists talk about how they have addressed this challenge.
- What its worth:
In an economic environment where many students are focused on their job games can seem irrelevant to "serious" endeavors. The panelist discuss helping profession focused students understand how game studies and design apply to their future endeavors.
The panel includes experienced faculty from Art, Psychology, Communications and Engineering. It includes examples of student work and the assignments that inspired them. Educators and students seeking to expand the role of games in their curriculum will find this panel very useful. It also highlights the challenges of incorporating game curriculum into non- game curriculum and offers proven methods for success.
The panel will conclude with audience discussion. |
