Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.
ALT-CTRL: Bringing Embodied Physical Interactions into the Design of Games and Learning
July 26, 2018 at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
| Location: | 238 Azrieli Pavilion |
| Cost: | Free |
Presenter
Edward Melcer, Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
Abstract
Embodiment is the notion that cognition arises not just from the mind, but also through our bodies’ physical and social interactions with the world around us. This body-centric approach toward human understanding allows us to incorporate a variety of novel interfaces and physical interactions—such as tangible blocks, augmented board games, whole-body tracking, or augmented reality—into the design of educational games to improve learning outcomes. In this talk, I discuss how physical interaction has become an important area of exploration in games, highlight the benefits and drawbacks of a physically embodied approach to designing educational games, present a design framework outlining key methods for incorporating physicality into games for learning, and show results from studies of an educational programming game created to explore the efficacy of embodied interaction with tangible programming blocks.
Bio
Eddie Melcer ( http://edwardmelcer.net/ ) is an independent game developer and Assistant Professor in the Department of Computational Media and Games and Playable Media program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His primary teaching and research interests are at the intersection of games, human-computer interaction, and learning science where he explores the usage of novel interfaces and physical gameplay mechanics to enhance learning outcomes in educational games. He also does research in the area of game studies, conducting large-scale meta-analyses to better understand overall trends within game research and industry. Eddie’s serious games have won awards in venues such as the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge and Games for Learning Design Competition, and his independent games have been featured in a number of venues such as IndieCade, IndieCade East, and Come Out & Play.