UCI Computer Teachers Relaunch Center on Computer Games, Learning and Society | UCI News

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Irvine, California, September 22, 2021 – The intersection of computer games, education and social activism is to be the focal point of a common center recently revived this fall at the University of California, Irvine by experts in interactive media research and development Kurt Squire and Constance Steinkuehler.

The two professors of the computer science department of the UCI founded Games + Learning + Society in 2005 while at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Now, they’ve reimagined it to explore game development and research in a new context dominated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, upheaval and political changes in the United States and abroad, and rekindle the movements supporting racial justice and women’s rights.

In addition, GLS has been redesigned to allow students to take full advantage of the UCI’s unique position in the Southern California computer games ecosystem, according to Squire.

“UCI is at the heart of ‘Silicon Beach’, which means students here have easy access to a host of game developers based in Irvine and other neighboring cities,” he said. “Our employees have the opportunity to meet, collaborate and learn from developers at Blizzard, Activision and other companies, both on the UCI campus and in company facilities, which is not just not possible at this point outside of this region.

Squire said another benefit for the centre’s students is the UCI’s existing BS program in game design and interactive media. Launched in 2009, it is the first diploma of this type offered by a large public university.

“A lot of other programs have to outsource to freelancers to develop gaming technologies, websites, applications and other properties, but we have that talent in-house here at the UCI,” said Squire. “Having these capacities at our disposal is a plus compared to other institutions and means that we can focus on the possibility of letting the students use their creativity to build projects. “

He added that ranking agencies are looking at how well programs train students for the relevant job market, and the UCI excels because graduates get the experience of working on a game that has been made available to the audience by the time they’re done.

The main thrusts of GLS, according to Steinkuehler, will be to use digital communities and interactive media to help promote civic engagement, democratic principles, equity and inclusion. Researchers at the center will explore what fuels online extremism, misinformation, toxicity and harassment and work to combat it. Other projects will help to better understand the impact of games in business and education spheres and how to design titles that positively affect learning, health and wellness, and social change.

Steinkuehler said the centre’s relaunch stems in part from calls it has heard from others in the game research and development world.

“The feeling I get from our community is that people are leaving the pandemic after finding out what matters most to them and what might not matter as much,” she said. “People are really committed to working on national issues, using games as a goal and as a means to solve these issues.”

Steinkuehler said people can expect a very different GLS in the future.

“There’s going to be a lot more focus on students as game designers and on games as crafts,” she said. “In the past, the emphasis was really on the learning part, but now there is going to be as much, if not more, emphasis on the games and board parts.”

Steinkuehler noted that the game development industry received bad publicity over a decade ago around the issue of violence in video games. This problem has diminished over time, she said, in large part because academic researchers were able to place games in a wider range of reasons for societal contention, and not the sole cause.

“The main concern now is the incredible sexism in the video game development industry – how this affects their own employees and how this is reflected in the games they produce and release to the public,” she said. . “As a center, we are interested in solutions and thinking about what we can do as a community to build trust and crack down on hate speech and behavior. GLS will work on design solutions to address these issues.

Squire said that part of what inspired the relaunch of GLS is what has happened at the UCI over the past five years.

“UCI presents such a great opportunity because it is a campus that is truly committed to the games – from our groundbreaking esports program to our enthusiastic student body,” he said. “On top of that, the UCI is really good at issues of diversity and inclusiveness. If you put those two together, you get a great foundation for a research lab like ours.”

In addition to relaunching GLS, Steinkuehler and Squire announced that the next GLS conference will be held on the UCI campus from June 15-17, 2022. The event will bring together academic researchers, industry representatives, designers and game developers, government officials, and leaders of nonprofit organizations who work on national or social issues and who wish to understand games as a way to improve those issues or to solve them in some way another one. Steinkuehler said the event will be fully planned and executed by UCI graduate students and interns.

About University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, the UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the top 10 public universities in the country by American News and World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel Laureates and is known for its academic achievements, leading research, innovation, and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, the UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It is located in one of the safest and fastest growing communities in the world and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $ 7 billion annually to the local economy and $ 8 billion globally. of State. To find out more about the UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

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About the UCI Brilliant Future campaign: Publicly launched on October 4, 2019, the Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support the UCI. By engaging 75,000 alumni and raising $ 2 billion in philanthropic investments, the UCI seeks to reach new heights of excellence in the areas of student success, health and wellness, research and more. Learn more by visiting brilliantavenir.uci.edu.

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