On HEVGA

HEVGA - Higher Education Video Game Alliance

About Page:
Our mission is to create a platform for higher education leaders which will underscore the cultural, scientific, and economic importance of video game programs in colleges and universities. The key is to create a robust network of resources--including unified advocacy, policymaker engagement, media coverage, and external funding--in order to incubate and harness the impact of this community in a 21st century learning environment.
https://archive.is/vKnl6

News Archive:
https://archive.is/1L9Df



CMU on HEVGA [https://archive.is/2pne3]
The goals include working to share and highlight best practices, publish research, initiate and strengthen industry connections, and educate and engage policymakers and the media.

"Video game research and design programs across top colleges and universities around the world are working on the cutting-edge of this field. I welcome other charter members to The Alliance — which currently represents a geographically diverse cross-section of the most prestigious programs — so that we can further develop this new organization and aim to present a cohesive voice spotlighting this very meaningful work," said Constance Steinkuehler, executive director of The Alliance and former senior policy analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.


USC on HEVGA [https://archive.is/qf6Hn]
The goal of the alliance is to open a dialogue between higher education professionals and policymakers about games education. In a press release, HigherEdGames’ stated mission is: “To create a platform for higher education leaders which will underscore the cultural, scientific, and economic importance of video game programs in colleges and universities. The key is to create a robust network of resources – including unified advocacy, policymaker engagement, media coverage and external funding – in order to incubate and harness the impact of this community in a 21st Century learning environment.”

HigherEdGames will provide a platform for leading academics to showcase the critical role video game programs are playing in educating and preparing students for the 21st century workforce. Their partnership with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will afford its members, including professors and students, an opportunity to share and highlight best practices, publish research, initiate and strengthen industry connections, and educate and engage policymakers and the media.


Games+Learning+Society on HVEGA [https://archive.is/iYHKR]
“Video games are a $21 billion industry, more than Hollywood and the music industry, and universities serve as a mainstay for talent development,” Steinkuehler says. “What are the best ways to cross-pollinate industry and higher education for great jobs in game design? Who gets which jobs and based on what criteria? How can we get research and development at universities to be more represented in industry and in the public conversation about games? These are some of the questions we hope to answer.”

As video game programs in higher education transition from being seen as fads on campus to more established fields akin to film studies, Steinkuehler says there’s a need to share insights across these groups, which are often studying similar areas but are unable to coordinate with each other across departments and disciplines. To help unite scholars, the alliance will focus on beginning a yearly conference, surveying game programs and placements across its membership, improving methods of measuring employment in video game sectors, connecting higher education programs to policy and public conversations, and coordinating workforce training in line with current industry trends.


NYU on HEVGA [http://archive.is/0lhl0]
The Alliance—initially supported by ESA—will aim to achieve multiple goals:

survey game programs, placements, and practices across membership;
improve Bureau of Labor Statistics information on the games industry;
host events  to connect higher education programs and policy makers;
provide recognition and awards for innovations from member labs;
encourage stronger connections between higher education and industry through things like student internship programs and trend/need discussions and reports; and
conduct meta-analyses of the state of play along various sector issues such as health, education, and technology challenges.


RIT on HEVGA [http://archive.is/nI2tf]
“As the leading association representing the video game industry—which is a booming industry—ESA is excited by this new collaboration among the country’s top game design departments and professors,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA.

The community will be led by and open to university faculty, directors, department heads and other campus leadership. The founding universities and executive committee members include Phelps; Constance Steinkuehler, associate professor and co-director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Games+Learning+Society Center; Tracy Fullerton, associate professor and director of USC Games at the University of Southern California; Drew Davidson, professor and director of the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University; and Katherine Isbister, associate professor and director of the Game Innovation Lab at New York University.





[[MEMBERS]]
Drew Davidson (CMU):
https://archive.is/B3wOB

Beta Tester for thatgamecompany in 2011 [http://archive.is/FHb4U]



Constance (Games for Impact, Games+Learning+Society):
https://archive.is/8ZuiO

Games in the Classroom: [https://archive.is/qoeW9]
This is probably the biggest problem—there isn’t much clever work being funded asking what kind of analytic is the right analytic when you’re dealing with games. MacArthur [Foundation] has done a better job than most. But there aren’t enough studies looking not only at what content the kid learned but also at what kind of genuine interest was generated. Does the student actually care about the topic, or feel autonomy or power to act based on what she’s learned? A lot of the problem is we’re still obsessed with the content of games. The best games are not necessarily wagging a finger at someone and telling them what they need to know. The best games are really Trojan Horses, but we don’t like to admit that. If you admit that, you don’t get funding.

We need to be more flexible and nimble in the way we collaborate. Look, game companies like EA [Electronic Arts] may be sticking their toes in the water, but the truth is those big companies are interested in making money. You can talk to them until you’re blue in the face about the importance of games and learning, but it’s a hard sell for a company that has to show profit to its shareholders every quarter. The truth of the matter is our best bet is partnerships between academics and indie game designers.


Games For Grand Challenges [https://archive.is/7qevd]
President Obama issued his own call to action at a speech at TechBoston in March:  “I’m calling for investments in educational technology that will help create… educational software that’s as compelling as the best video game. I want you guys to be stuck on a video game that’s teaching you something other than just blowing something up.”


Games for Impact: [http://archive.is/qi90L]
Part of her gig is bureaucratic. She's charged with coordinating the federal dollars that are now being invested in what's known as "games for impact." These are targeted at increasing learning or civic engagement, or changing behavior on topics like health and resource management. She makes sure the money's spurring innovation, not duplication.

The bigger, more long-lasting piece of her job has to do with building new partnerships between the private sector and the public sector, both government and academic researchers. These collaborations are about creating and supporting games that have the potential to spur serious learning. Think of her as a grand connector, plugging in constituencies who aren't used to working together.

More on Games for Impact [http://archive.is/6rlHi]
The most important prize of all, "Games for Impact" or "Games for Change" are games that are designed to really bring important messages to change our world for the better, and the winner was announced without pomp or no importance, as only one side note spoken by Geoff.


Relation to thatgamecompany [http://archive.is/rsd9b#selection-4627.15-4627.676]
Oh, definitely. The game I'm playing right now is a game called "Journey," and that's out by a young, very small company called That Game Company. And, you know, if you haven't played games in a while, I think you will be amazed and delighted by the diversity of titles that are out there. And in this case, it's a game about moving through this beautiful sort of windswept sand landscape, and, you know, you play anonymously with other people. And you sing out this musical tone to signal that you're wanting to help other people on their quest. It's really an amazing title. And that, right now, is just part of this diverse landscape of where games are going.

On GG: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP6jotqQ1_U]



Andrew (RIT Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC)):
https://archive.is/Xdt6P



Tracy Fullerton (Game Innovation Lab at USC):
https://archive.is/s6MAl



Katherine (Game Innovation Lab at NYU):
https://archive.is/TML0o




Relations to the ESA:
ESA support for HEVGA [https://archive.is/fM9KD]
“Every year, thousands of college and university students across the country choose to pursue their passion by majoring in game design, opening the door to an exciting and fast-growing array of careers in the video game industry and beyond,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA, the trade association that represents U.S. video game publishers. “By bringing together our nation’s leading game design programs, the Alliance will help showcase the critical role our industry is playing in driving innovation across numerous sectors of the economy. We are proud to support its mission, and applaud the leadership of its impressive founding members.”

The Alliance – initially supported by ESA – will aim to achieve multiple goals:

Survey game programs, placements, and practices across membership;
Work to improve Bureau of Labor Statistics information on the games industry;
Host events such as an annual conference and convenings in the Nation’s Capital to enhance the connection of higher education programs and policy makers;
Provide recognition and awards for innovations from member labs;
Encourage stronger connections between higher education and industry through things like student internship programs and trend/need discussions and reports; and
Conduct meta-analyses of the state of play along various sector issues such as health, education, technology challenges, and other pertinent issues.


ESA head says games industry's gender diversity "not good enough" [https://archive.is/Lg0Pg]
ESA head and former United States chief technology advisor Michael Gallagher spoke about the industry's diversity issues when asked about GamerGate during a session at DICE.

"I'm so encouraged about the growth trajectory and the positive trajectory of this industry when it comes to diversity," said Gallagher, comparing the gaming industry's 22 percent female employment rate to the lower rates in the broader technology industry.
"Now that's not good enough," he continued, "and we know it's not good enough."

Looking to the future, however, Gallagher said that out of the Higher Education Video Game Alliance's 180 institutions teaching video game development, female students represent 31 percent of enrollees.

"This is a cultural medium," Gallagher concluded. "Those elements of entertainment and culture will pull us in that direction faster than other forms of technology or the tech sector."