Speaker
Description
One of the main goals of EDIT-STEM is to create interventional technology or games that can help address EDI-related issues in STEM. Digital games are a novel medium that present opportunities to engage with audiences differently because their interactive nature can encourage discovery and reflection. Games are also a well-established cultural form with their own unique design considerations and user expectations. Consequently, our EDI-related games research explores how to represent EDI issues, and how to deliver educational messages, while taking advantage of the unique aspects of the game medium.
I will recount the initial lessons from the journeys of three master students (second, third and fourth author of this abstract). I will present projects in various stages including early ideations and prototypes on the topics of anxiety and power dynamics, and two more developed games on micro-aggressions and bystander interventions.
I will discuss challenges arising when designing educational EDI games, such as how to balance usability, engagement and fun while conveying the intended EDI messages. I will also consider specific challenges involving differences with the research team’s background, their experiences with games and game design, as well as the game genre and the EDI topic of interest. The general lessons will include both specific design recommendations for games, as well as the type of mentoring and onboarding efforts needed to allow intelligent and faithful exploration of the synergy between games and EDI. The end of the talk will be dedicated to an open forum to elicit feedback and ideas for potential EDI educational games.
| Keyword-1 | equity, diversity, inclusion |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | games |
| Keyword-3 | design |