Session Information
| Title | Failure, Fun and Learning: Iterative Rapid Prototyping, Engagement and Educational Games |
| Presenter(s) |  Drew Davidson is the Director of the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University. He is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry and professional worlds and he is interested in stories across texts, comics, games and other media. He completed his Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that, he received a B.A. and M.A. in Communications Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He chaired Game Art & Design and Interactive Media Design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Art Institute Online. Drew has taught and researched at several universities. Drew also consults for a variety of companies, institutions and organizations. |
| Time | Thursday, October 21, 1:30p-2:30p |
| Location | Ballroom |
| Format | Speaker |
| Description | With this presentation, we will engage in a gameplay analysis of the educational game, Invasion!, that provides an introduction and overview of the Asian Carp, an invasive species making it's way up the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan. A group of graduate students at the Entertainment Technology Center created the game for the MacArthur Foundation and the Field Museum. We will explore how the gameplay relates to the educational goals, and also look at the iterative rapid prototyping design and development process of the game. Throughout, we will keep a focus on how a game can foster curiosity and encourage failure through experimentation within the system and dynamics of the game, and how this can be applied to learning in the classroom. |