ECGBL 2013

Seventh European Conference on Games-based Learning

PortoPorto (PT), April 2013 - Over the last ten years, the way in which education and training is delivered has changed considerably with the advent of new technologies. One such new technology that holds considerable promise for helping to engage learners is games-based learning (GBL). The Conference from 03 - 04 October 2013 in Porto, Portugal, offers an opportunity for scholars and practitioners interested in the issues related to GBL to share their thinking and research findings.

Papers can cover various issues and aspects of GBL in education and training: technology and implementation issues associated with the development of GBL; use of mobile and MMOGs for learning; pedagogical issues associated with GBL; social and ethical issues in GBL; GBL best cases and practices, and other related aspects. We are particularly interested in empirical research that addresses whether GBL enhances learning. The Conference provides a forum for discussion, collaboration, and intellectual exchange for all those interested in any of these fields of research or practice.  

The Conference committee welcomes contributions on a wide range of topics using a range of scholarly approaches, including theoretical and empirical papers employing qualitative, quantitative and critical methods. Action research, case studies, and work-in-progress/posters are welcomed approaches. PhD research, proposals for roundtable discussions, non-academic contributions, and product demonstrations based on the main themes are also invited.

A new initiative for ECGBL 2013 is a Call for Games. It will be run as a competition and has the following objectives: 

  • to provide an opportunity for educational-game designers and creators to participate in the Conference and demonstrate their game-design and development skills in an international competition
  • to provide an opportunity for GBL creators to peer-assess and peer-evaluate their games
  • to provide ECGBL 2013 attendees with engaging and best-practice games that showcase exemplary applications of GBL

Games submitted for the competition are expected to accomplish an educational goal. Authors should be prepared to explain their design and evaluation process, why it is innovative (the game itself or its educational setting), and how they achieved (will achieve) the impact they seek. The game should be in a development state that engages the player for at least ten minutes.

Submission deadline is 15 June 2013.