GLS 4.0 Program

COMING SOON!

We will post the complete GLS 4.0 program later this spring. Check back then for a detailed scheduled, complete list of presentations and speakers, and other GLS goodies.

Confirmed Speakers

• James Paul Gee, Arizona State University
• Sasha Barab, Indiana University
• Drew Davidson, Carnegie Mellon University
• Julian Dibbell, author of "Play Money"
• Lisa Nakamura, Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Cory Ondrejka, Annenberg School for Communication
• Katie Salen, Gamelab & Parsons The New School for Design
• Doug Thomas, University of Southern California

Session Formats

Interactive Workshop • A 45 or 90-minute session during which presenters engage the audience directly; they are highly participatory and include discussion and/or debriefing following the activity.

Symposium • A group of two 30-minute presentations or three 20-minute presentations that are thematically related. Each symposium concludes with a (30-minute) period of Q&A from the audience, but we especially welcome presentations that maintain a high level of engagement and interaction among participants throughout.

Individual Presentation • A group of two 30-minute presentations or three 20-minute presentations. Unlike symposia, however, each session is assigned a Respondent who will comment on the presentations and brainstorm issues they collectively raise.

Conversation • A 90-minute moderated conversation between two or more participants on a key issue related to conference themes. While such sessions occasionally include slides, their function is primarily to structure the conversation or illustrate specific points rather than providing the backbone of the talk per se. Audience participation plays a core role in such sessions; with the help of the moderator, speakers are asked to elaborate on topics that emerge from the interaction rather than only those defined in advance.

Fireside Chats • A special 90-minute session that is designed to foster informal discussion among smaller groups on specific topics. Each fireside chat will be organized by special guest (e.g., James Paul Gee) or by theme (e.g., the low-down on "game addiction" theory and research). Look like an official version of chatting up colleagues? Precisely.

Chat 'n' Frag • A 90-minute session that allows interested game researchers, designers, aficionados, and fans a chance to engage other conference participants in their selected game (off-the-shelf titles or grassroots designed), providing activities or walk-through's related to key questions and ideas chosen by the session host. The structure and content of these sessions is at the discretion of the host, although sessions that include thoughtful game analysis and hands-on play are encouraged.

Poster Session • This year's GLS conference will feature a new, highly-interactive poster session, ideal for those who wish to engage in informal, face-to-face discussions about their research, with colleagues and other conference attendees. Several roving discussants will be in attendance, who will chair brief discussions of themes across the posters in the session. We encourage the submission of ongoing and in-progress research for the poster session.