Games+Learning+Society 12 Conference

Lacking a digital crystal ball, we cannot predict the future of education or the precise instructional role games will have going forward. Yet, we can safely say that games will play some role in the future of K-12 and higher education, and members of the games community will have to choose between being passive observers or active contributors to the complex and often political process of weaving together pedagogy, technology, and culture. Our Panel of experts will address collective thinking with respect to the value-added nature of games for learning, environmental-player interaction, scalability, goal adoption, relationships between play and transfer, and the value of games as part of an ecopsychological worldview. As long-time contributors in a field that has made a habit of playing it safe—pun intended—we seek to bring the dialogue in a more nuanced and meaningful direction that will reach teachers, researchers, designers, and players alike.