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Meaningful Play 2014 at Michigan State University

Session Information

TitleToo Many Masters? Balancing Entertainment and Education in Serious Games
Presenter(s)Denice Blair, Angus Carroll, Casey O'Donnell, Tom Robertson, Rabindra Ratan and Meghan Omeara
TimeSaturday, October 18, 10:15a-11:15a
LocationLake Superior
FormatPanel
DescriptionBalancing the needs of entertainment and educational goals is challenging enough. What happens when you add research goals into the mix? Hear perspectives from various influencers on the development of various educational games.

Angus Carroll, CEO of educational games publisher Digital Glass, Rabinda Ratan, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, and educational psychologist, Casey O'Donnell, Assistant Professor and Game Designer at Michigan State University, Tom Robertson, CEO of Cogent Education and museum educator Denice Blair, will discuss how to navigate the competing interests of game design and research, and how balancing the goals of serious games and research make the development process more challenging--and more fun. Some of the questions they will consider include:
  • Balancing fun and fantasy with the realism required for research.
  • Incorporating data gathering--invisibly.
  • The demands of the play environment and the demands of research.
  • The game design process with plenty of input.
  • Urgency in the commercial market vs. the academic research pace.

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