At the first in a series of regional public conversations on digital media and learning, three experts in education and gaming shared their views and experiences about the use of video games for learning. It was held at the Newberry Library in Chicago on February 8.
The public program was opened by Jonathan Fanton, President of the MacArthur Foundation, and moderated by Connie Yowell, MacArthur's director of education grantmaking. Panelists included:
Sasha Barab of Indiana University demo-ed his latest project, Quest Atlantis, an immersive online world designed to help teach science to junior high school students.
Nichole Pinkard, Director of Technology at the University of Chicago’s Center for Urban School Improvement, shared her experience creating an innovative digital media after school program.
David Williamson Shaffer, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of How Computer Games Help Children Learn, discussed his latest research on games and learning.
