Past Conferences
VGTVG 2023
WHEN: Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 5:30 PM until 8:30 PM
WHERE: Online via Zoom (synchronous)
INFORMATION: The inaugural 2023 installment of VGTVG was supported, in part, by a Creativity and Research Grant from Monmouth University. This terrific learning experience allowed for thought-provoking information to be disseminated by the following three carefully curated speakers who all have an expertise in game-based learning, and a passion for play:
JAMES YORK
Senior Assistant Professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan
Let’s get ludic: Unleashing the power of games and play in educational contexts (60 mins.)
Games in education.” What comes to mind first? Math Blaster? Minecraft? How about charades? Or, Simon Says? Maybe even “Kahoots,” right? OK. Let’s start there! In this talk, James will introduce a framing concept for discussing games in education, focusing on the humans involved. We’ll start with oft-confused concepts of gamification and game-based learning, and wrap them both up in the term “ludic.” Thus, the bulk of the talk will be spent exploring what it means to be a ludic teacher: 1) using playful objects, or 2) being playful with objects at hand. James will share many examples from his own teaching contexts as a language teacher in Japan, and as a father. A plethora of games and playful activities will be introduced for you to use in your own contexts.
TANNER HIGGIN
Editorial Director, Learning Content at Common Sense Education in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
The future of game-based learning isn't more educational games (30 mins.)
As Johan Huizinga has written, "All play means something." Or, to put it another way, wherever there's play there's learning. And yet in schools, so few games count as "educational." This talk will explore how we break this pattern; not by developing better "educational games," but by giving teachers tools and training to connect all kinds of play to curriculum
CLAUDETTE BAÑARES GINDRAUX
Senior Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist in Hospital-based Outpatient Clinic in Los Angeles, California, USA
Getting on their level: Using video games in speech and language therapy (30 mins.)
Speech and language therapy supports a child’s ability to communicate their thoughts, ideas, emotions, and needs with their loved ones. Pediatric speech-language pathologist, Claudette Bañares Gindraux, discusses how video games can be used as an effective tool during speech and language therapy to improve functional communication and foster strong relationships between caregivers and children with complex communication needs. Educators, therapists, and caregivers can learn more about how to utilize video games in speech and language therapy with multimodal communicators.