The Running of Intro and Advanced TTRPG Courses at the Collegiate Level: A Retrospective
Summary:
Experience the history of 3 years of TTRPG courses at IUI Luddy MAS. We examine the strategies that have and have not worked in the classroom and explore student feedback and their own game creations.
Description:
Tabletop RPGs aren’t just games—they’re a powerful storytelling artform that has shaped movies, TV, and modern pop culture. Yet most game programs still focus on coding, engines, and 3D modeling. This seminar examines a multi-year experiment of how multiple TTRPG courses can and have been run in higher education.
Join Mathew Powers and Jason Peercy as they report on how they built and ran IUI’s first set of TTRPG course. They will present their academic findings and share the student experiences from these courses. You’ll learn how the courses ran, how students responded to them, and how they are being shaped for the future.
If you’re an educator dreaming of teaching TTRPG design, or just curious how to make it happen, this session gives you the tools, ideas, and inspiration to build your own, and learn how others have attempted to pioneer the process at their institution.
The Science of Fun: Applying Game Design Principles to Create Engaging Learning Experiences
Summary:
Join our Lesson Plan Laboratory to explore the science of making learning fun! Come hear what games can teach us about motivation and cognition, then practice applying the research to your curricula.
Description:
Hosted by two seasoned museum professionals from the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), this session will invite classroom educators (all subjects, grades, and levels welcome!) to consider how principles from game design and the body of scholarly literature on motivation can transform learning experiences. During this 90-minute workshop, we will first introduce research-based principles for communicating complex ideas and supporting learner engagement. The majority of the session will be interactive, during which time participants will practice leveraging playful techniques for fostering more motivation, joy, and meaning in their classrooms. Participants can expect opportunities to interact with their own classroom content during the session and to receive take-home planning resources for further use.
Making money but struggle with keeping cash in your pocket? Come let Aaron Witten, CFP, CKA,CRC, AIF demystify the world of taxation to help you keep more of your money!
Description:
Making money but struggle with keeping cash in your pocket? Come let Aaron Witten, CFP, CKA, CRC, AIF demystify the world of taxation to help you keep more of your money! The discussion will include legal structure(s) analysis to maximize tax efficiencies, how income taxation works for all entities and even self-employed individuals, and tips on how to defer Kickstarter revenues into years where you can offset them with expenses from your project production -- our most common question! NOTE: It is highly recommended you take Finance 101 and 201 prior to this course.
There is an epidemic of loneliness in the world today, and a question of how to solve it. There are games, tips, and tricks that will help your library or game store become a gathering place.
Description:
We will explore the causes of loneliness, especially in today's world, along with offering solutions such as parallel play, open nights, games with rotating players, and other ways to connect with your community.
This is By Design: Applying Key Insights from the Public Sphere to Games, Gamers, & Game Creators
Summary:
A guided session to help creators identify what they want, convey what they have to offer, & deliver on promises.
** GAME DESIGN ACADEMY ONLY EVENT / NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL TRADE DAY AUDIENCE **
Description:
Many people enter creative and entrepreneurial fields to build something meaningful or improve the world, but aligning those intentions with real outcomes can be difficult. Game design in particular is complex, and many designers struggle to fully realize their vision—for their projects and themselves. This session introduces reflective exercises that help designers clarify their goals, understand what their games truly offer players, and identify gaps between intention and experience. By resolving these misalignments, designers can create more authentic, engaging games, better connect with their audience, and define their own measures of success. Participants will apply these techniques to their own work, developing clearer direction as well as a stronger narrative foundation for pitching, marketing, and future development.
James Ernest explains the basics of traditional and abstract game design, using his game Tak as a case study.
Description:
James Ernest (Tak: A Beautiful Game) describes the process of inventing a classic-style abstract game, one that could have been around for centuries, using Tak as a case study. Classic games present unique design challenges, but these skills are useful for many other types of game.
This session will be a presentation on using games and simulations to increase learning in the classroom. We will cover strategies for designing lessons and creating learning objectives.
Description:
This session will be a presentation on how I use simulations and board games in my classroom to make social studies more tangible for my students. This will branch out to some general guidelines for creating simulations for any level of students and how to effectively fit these activities into your curriculum for instruction or assessment. We will end with some discussion time and a chance to work on your own projects.
Discover how board games and robotics collide! Learn basic coding and program a real VEX AIM robot as your game piece in a classic board game—STEM fun for all ages.
Description:
Step into a world where board games truly come alive! Join two passionate board gamers and experienced robotics educators for a hands-on, high-energy session that blends classic tabletop gaming with interactive robotics. Participants will learn beginner-friendly coding concepts, then immediately apply them by programming a real VEX AIM robot to serve as their game piece in a familiar “classic” board game.
This experience goes beyond observation—you’ll actively problem-solve, make strategic decisions, and see instant feedback as your code directly drives gameplay. Along the way, you’ll explore how core STEM ideas like logic, sequencing, and iteration naturally integrate into games players already know and love.
Designed for educators this session highlights how board games and robotics create an engaging, and memorable learning experience where play and STEM seamlessly come together.
In this panel we will discuss how ADHD and self esteem can be worked on through games in a therapeutic standpoint with therapist and life skills specialist.
In this panel we will discuss ways to use games from a therapeutic standpoint to help kids and teens with depression and anxiety. Hear from therapist and life skills specialist.