Games and Gamification for Human Development & Well-being (GHDW) Working Group is a newly established assembly within the Institute for Human Development and Well-being (IHDW) at the Faculty of Education, McGill University. This interdisciplinary group aims to build a community of McGill researchers, whose research interests include games studies or gamification in order to come together and to collectively create settings to both research and use games and gamification to enhance Human Development and Well-being.
We are keen to see how the amazing work that already is going on at McGill in game studies and gamification can foster the idea of serious games for social change and well-being. Researchers from a range of perspectives in McGill are conducting research on different aspects of games studies and gamification (including theoretical, cognitive, sociological, psychological, and participatory), and in a variety of disciplinary areas (including gender studies, youth studies, medicine, education, business, economics, and music). At the same time Montreal is positioning itself to be one of Canada’s top tech cities and it is home to some of the world’s most successful game development studios. We see this as the right set opportunities to build a community where interested researchers can follow their ideas in this field not only collaboratively and sustainably but also potentially with stronger connections to the world outside (e.g. gaming industries).
“Think & Plan” meeting
We are delighted to mention that the first “Think & Plan” meeting of the Games and Gamification for Human Development & Well-being (GHDW) Working Group was organized on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at the Education Building. In this session, 16 researchers from different McGill departments, including the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, the Department of Integrated Studies in Education, the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education, the Department of Art History & Communication Studies, the Department of Family Medicine, the Schulich School of Music and the Desautels Faculty of Management, came together and discussed the potential programs and activates of this newly established community.
We are inviting researchers and graduate students, whose research interests are in the areas of games studies, gamification, digital media, computer-based learning environments and similar fields to join this working group and help this community to be stronger and work in broader context. The interests in these fields preferably should be relevant to the topics of socio-cultural development, educational enhancement and human development and well-being, as well.
Contact
For further information, please contact hani.sadati [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Hani Sadati) of the Participatory Cultures Lab, and Coordinator of the Games and Gamification for Human Development & Well-being (GHDW) initiative.
GHDW Working Group | Members | Mission Statement | Vision Statement | Relevant Events
