Saint Martin’s Institute of Higher Education, Malta, June 29, 2025

Call for Papers:

Deadline: May 30, 2025

We invite educators, researchers, and practitioners involved in game studies and related disciplines to contribute to the Workshop – Global Games Education Now: Exploring Contemporary Approaches in Game Studies. This workshop is organized by the leadership of both the global communities in the Higher Educational Video Game Alliance (HEVGA) and the Association for Research in Digital Interactive Narratives (ARDIN).

HEVGA is the leading academic association advocating for the critical role video game programs play in higher education, industry, and government. Its mission is to create a platform for higher education leaders which will underscore the cultural, scientific, and economic importance of video game programs in colleges and universities.

ARDIN is the leading academic association concerned with the advancement and application of all forms of interactive narrative – including narrative video games, interactive documentaries & video, journalistic interactives, artistic installations, XR (VR, AR, MR) pieces and further emerging forms.

Building upon an earlier workshop with a similar topic at DIGRA 2019: Teaching Games: Pedagogical Approaches, this workshop aims to bring together educators, researchers, and practitioners to discuss and develop innovative strategies for teaching game studies in a global context. It will also facilitate a reflection on what has changed within the last six years in the field. The evolving landscape of game studies necessitates a critical examination of current educational practices and methodologies, especially considering the growth of artificial intelligence and other generative tools, the shifting geo-political landscape and educational priorities, and the growth of games educational programs in higher education. This workshop provides a platform for critical reflection and exchange on contemporary educational practices within game studies.

We encourage submissions related to, but not limited to, the following key topics:

  • Curriculum Development: Strategies for designing inclusive and comprehensive game studies programs that cater to a diverse student body.
  • Pedagogical Innovations: Exploration of teaching methods that effectively integrate theoretical and practical aspects of game studies.
  • Global Perspectives: Understanding the role of cultural context in game education and how to incorporate global viewpoints into the curriculum.
  • Industry Collaboration: Examining partnerships between academia and the gaming industry to enhance educational outcomes and employability.
  • Technological Integration: Utilizing emerging technologies to enrich the learning experience in game studies.

Submission Guidelines:

Workshop participants are invited to submit either of the following:

  • Opinion Pieces: 750–2000-word opinion pieces describing the author’s perspectives on games education in their region (which can range from hyperlocal to a country or regional cluster of countries).
  • Discussant Profiles: A 250-word profile to be considered as a discussant, allowing dialogue between those who have a well-formed and easily articulated perspective and those who are looking to engage in dialogue about games education more informally.

Publication Opportunities:

Work submitted or authored as part of the workshop will be considered for inclusion in the ongoing Global Games Education Now Series in the journal, ACM Games: Research and Practice. This series, curated by Lindsay Grace (a co-organizer of the workshop), is designed to foster community and reflection on the regional differences for games-focused education. The goal of these pieces is to examine from within the geographic community noteworthy elements of the education environment, candidly disclosing regional challenges and opportunities based on direct interaction with learning communities, administrators, and others shaping the educational environment. The structure of these reports will generally follow a three-part format: introductory context, observations and reflections, and conclusions.

The workshop authors will also use the workshop conversations to create a reflection on the state of global games education in 2025 to be published in the same journal. Several of the workshop organizers are on the editorial board for the journal, and one of the organizers, Lindsay Grace, started the series. The Global Games Education Now reports aim to provide direct observations about the state of games-focused education and training within a global context, collecting reflections on the ever-changing state of education across the globe. This new series, G-Gen, aims to provide a relevant contemporary perspective on the state and emerging trends in geographic communities’ games-focused education to help pedagogy, research, and practice globally by observing, reporting, and reflecting on the state of education from a regional lens.

Target Audience:

This workshop is designed for educators, curriculum developers, researchers, administrators, and practitioners involved in game studies and related disciplines. It is also beneficial for industry professionals interested in collaborating with academic institutions to shape the future of game education.

Outcomes:

By participating in this workshop, attendees will:

  • Gain an enhanced understanding of current trends and challenges in game studies education.
  • Acquire practical strategies for curriculum development and pedagogical innovation.
  • Develop insights into incorporating global perspectives and cultural contexts into teaching practices.
  • Generate ideas for fostering collaborations between academia and the gaming industry.
  • Become part of a network of professionals committed to advancing game studies education.
  • Contribute to the ongoing discourse on game studies education and help shape its future direction in a globally interconnected world.

We encourage you to contribute your expertise and perspectives to this important discussion on the future of global games education. This workshop provides a valuable opportunity to share experiences, discuss challenges, and collaboratively develop solutions to advance the field and its practice.

Participation

The workshop will be fully hybrid and will welcome participants online and on-site.

Submission

Submission will be through EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=gge25

Chairs

Lindsay Grace, Vice President of HEVGA, Professor and Knight Chair in Interactive Media, University of Miami

Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari, HEVGA & ARDIN Board Member, Associate Professor, Stockholm University

Jonathan Barbara, ARDIN Board Member, Saint Martin’s Institute of Higher Education, Malta (Local Chair)

Andy Phelps, President of HEVGA, Professor American University, Washington D. C.

Roger Altizer, Associate Professor, University of Utah

Hartmut Koenitz, President of ARDIN, Södertörn University, Stockholm