Games + Learning + Society Conference Overview

Click here to download the 2006 GLS Conference poster.

Recent research has begun to elucidate the key principles of learning that well-designed games can and do embody. At the same time, the broader social significance of gaming culture has become a topic for scholarship across a diversity of fields. Games and simulations do not only reveal new worlds in the virtual realm, they also inspire new world views in the physical one. A vast range of videogames and game-related literature has found its way into curriculum, business, entertainment, and government across the country. Millions of people play, both for work and for recreation - and they participate in ongoing economic and social change as a result. As interest in videogames intensifies and the number of events dedicated to their discussion increases, it is crucial that issues of learning and the social role of games do not get lost in the equally worthy cause of industry-building.

The second annual Games, Learning & Society (GLS) Conference to be held June 15-16, 2006 in Madison, Wisconsin will explore such issues. Sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education and the Academic ADL Co-Lab, the GLS Conference fosters substantive discussion and collaboration among academics, designers, and educators interested in how videogames - commercial games and others - can enhance learning, culture, and education. Speakers, discussion groups, interactive workshops, and exhibits will focus on game design, game culture, and games’ potential for learning and society more broadly.

This two-day conference will be held at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace overlooking downtown Madison’s beautiful Lake Monona. Conference highlights include pre-conference workshops designed specifically for educators, a special session of hands-on workshops designed by and for video game researchers and designers, and a two-day lounge featuring webcasts of selected conference sessions, a gameroom for collaborative (LAN/MMOG) and individual play, chat 'n' frag sessions with key scholars and designers, garden chats with special guests - and, of course, our signature outdoor dinner party at historic Quivey’s Grove.



OVERVIEW PROGRAM REGISTER SUBMISSIONS SPEAKERS LOCATION ORGANIZERS PHOTOS BLOG FAQ GLS 2005	Click here to download the 2006 GLS Conference poster. Recent research has begun to elucidate the key principles of learning that well-designed games can and do embody. At the same time, the broader social significance of gaming culture has become a topic for scholarship across a diversity of fields. Games and simulations do not only reveal new worlds in the virtual realm, they also inspire new world views in the physical one. A vast range of videogames and game-related literature has found its way into curriculum, business, entertainment, and government across the country. Millions of people play, both for work and for recreation - and they participate in ongoing economic and social change as a result. As interest in videogames intensifies and the number of events dedicated to their discussion increases, it is crucial that issues of learning and the social role of games do not get lost in the equally worthy cause of industry-building. The second annual Games, Learning & Society (GLS) Conference to be held June 15-16, 2006 in Madison, Wisconsin will explore such issues. Sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education and the Academic ADL Co-Lab, the GLS Conference fosters substantive discussion and collaboration among academics, designers, and educators interested in how videogames - commercial games and others - can enhance learning, culture, and education. Speakers, discussion groups, interactive workshops, and exhibits will focus on game design, game culture, and games’ potential for learning and society more broadly. This two-day conference will be held at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace overlooking downtown Madison’s beautiful Lake Monona. Conference highlights include pre-conference workshops designed specifically for educators, a special session of hands-on workshops designed by and for video game researchers and designers, and a two-day lounge featuring webcasts of selected conference sessions, a gameroom for collaborative (LAN/MMOG) and individual play, chat 'n' frag sessions with key scholars and designers, garden chats with special guests - and, of course, our signature outdoor dinner party at historic Quivey’s Grove.
UW -MADISON SCHOOL OF EDUCATION • ACADEMIC ADL CO-LAB