Research Projects
A deconstruction of expertise through arcade games
The underlying mechanisms behind developing an expertise, wether in video games or across countless other domains, are still not fully understood. Using video games developed specifically for this project, we look to better understand how expertise is gained and transfered.
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Critical game literacy
This project explores using critical game design and critical media education to teach youth to use digital media in a framework of critical media literacy.
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Existential Transformative Design Framework
This research project investigates how games can contribute to a meaningful life both for players as well as designers. Drawing on existential philosophy and psychotherapy, as well as studies in mythology and ritual, it aims to build towards a framework of transformational game design.
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Games and learning in young children
The aim of this project is to understand how causal knowledge is represented and how it is learned in a virtual environment. How do players, especially young players, learn causality in a game or other virtual environment?
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SkillMill
SkillMill aims to combine the expertise and pedagogics of career counsellors, study abroad experts and game designers, to develop a game that helps students identify, understand & verbalize the soft skills trainings that transform experiences from studying abroad into personal development and international merits.
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Strengthening trans allyship through game design
This project explores game design as a way to promote dialogue and awareness around trans experiences. So far, this has taken the form of a live action role playing game as well as a board game called “Allied Forces, the Art of Defense”.
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Understanding prosocial and antisocial behavior in players
Integrating psychology tests with game design research, this project explores how different gamers (with different personalities, traits, and experiences) are affected by various game mechanisms.
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Transformative Play Initiative
The Transformative Play Initiative researches the ways in which games can become vehicles of change and ignite processes of transformation. We are specifically interested in games designed and implemented by people in helping professions who wish to facilitate change.
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Ludum Platform
The Ludum Platform is a game platform designed for researchers, designers, and educators to create game experiences that are comparable to commercially available products, while also allowing for easy and comprehensive data analyses of particular player behaviors.
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Games & Society Lab
Click here to see all research projects at the Games & Society Lab.
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Click here to learn more about the Transformative Play Initiative Seminar on Role-playing, Culture and Heritage.
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