The European Conference on Games Based Learning was established 10 years ago. It has been held in Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Norway to mention only some of the countries who have hosted it. ECGBL is generally attended by participants from more than 40 countries and attracts an interesting combination of academic scholars, practitioners, game designers and individuals who are engaged in various aspects of games-based learning and serious games.
This year we are introducing some new initiatives to ECGBL to broaden the scope of the conference as well as to foster creativity, networking and a better exchange of knowledge.
As technological development makes AR and VR technology more affordable, there is a strong focus this year on innovative game-based technological solutions and case studies, as for example in the mini track Mixed Reality for Game-Based Learning. In addition, the mini track on Game-Based Learning in Health Care Education, focuses on using CAVE technology and other 3D immersive methods for health care education, and studies the medical effects games and VR have on people’s response to conditions such as motion sickness, presence, immersion, performance anxiety etc.
Besides conference key-notes on game development, another highlight of the conference is a round table initiated and organised by the Gaming Horizons team. Early research results highlight the nuances and contradictions of ethical game design in the mainstream industry, and point to the existence of new development conventions, professional subcultures and tensions that underpin a drive towards a more socially responsible design culture.