Essays and Publications
Getting over the slump: Innovation strategies to promote children’s learning
Given the deficiencies in American education, this paper offers six policy recommendations for consideration by business leaders, policymakers, scholars, educators, citizens, and parents. Read more
The Power of Pow! Wham!: Children, Digital Media & Our Children’s Future, Three Challenges for the Coming Decade
The paper poses three broad challenges that must be met if we are to unleash the educational and developmental power of digital media. Read more
From Content to Context: Videogames as Design Experiences
As research and development initiatives proliferate, educational researchers might benefit by developing more grounded theories about them. This article argues for framing game play as a designed experience. Read more
Designing Games to Effect Social Change
This paper addresses issues of design, theory, and activism pertaining to games about social causes. The author is an experienced designer and scholar who deals with all three of these issues in his work. Read more
Young People, Ethics, and the New Digital Media: A Synthesis from the Good Play Project
In this paper, we explore the ethical fault lines that are raised by such digital pursuits. We argue that five key issues are at stake in the new media. Read more
Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century
A central goal of this report is to shift the focus of the conversation about the digital divide from questions of technological access to those of opportunities to participate and to develop the… Read more
Playing 4 Keeps: Evaluation Report
This report focuses on activities that occurred during Year 2 of the Playing 4 Keeps program. The report reviews methods, program activities, which include Ayiti game user experiences, the use of Ayiti in educational settings, and Playing 4 Keeps participants’ experiences. Read more
Teens, Video Games, and Civics
This survey provides the first nationally representative study of teen video game play and of teen video gaming and civic engagement. Read more
For a Better World: Digital Games and the Social Change Sector
A new breed of digital games had the potential to improve our efficacy on issues ranging from environmental sustainability to racial justice and poverty alleviation. Read more
Research-Based Games: Transforming Accidental Publishers into Effective Publishers
This paper will outline a proposed publishing methodology for impact and research-based games. Read more