Game Design and Symbolic Thinking

In this episode we explore how playing games is foundation for developing higher order thinking skills and Dr Holopainen shares insights into the many transferable skills that can come from studying game design.

Dr Jussi Holopainen holds a PhD in Digital Game Development from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden. He has been researching game design and gameplay experiences since 1998, having authored or co-authored scores of academic publications and patents. His PhD thesis, Foundations of Gameplay, focused on understanding how to construct conceptual frameworks to aid game design. One of these frameworks is the influential gameplay design patterns approach, which he has developed together with Prof. Staffan Björk. Jussi is a member of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) executive board and has served as a member of several program committees such as Games and Culture, Game Studies, CHI PLAY, and the DiGRA annual conference.

Before joining City University of Hong Kong in 2021, he was a senior lecturer of Games Computing at University of Lincoln, UK, in the School of Computer Science. Before Lincoln he worked at Centre for Game Design Research, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology as an associate researcher. He has also served in senior research management positions at the Nokia Research Center (NRC) and has been involved in coordinating several industry and academia collaboration projects.
His latest research has focused on principles of game design, playful design, and aesthetics of gameplay.

The Education Innovators Podcast is a set of conversations between Eric Byron and guests from all aspects of education around the world. We look for innovative ideas and practical examples of things happening in schools and learning environments that are of interest to teachers, corporate trainers, school administrators, EdTech providers, students, parents, and anyone else interested in education.

Links:

Jussi Holopainen:

https://www.scm.cityu.edu.hk/people/holopainen-jussi-pekka

Centre for Game Design Research:

https://gamedesignresearch.net/

The Education Innovators Podcast Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551034804742

The Education Innovators Podcast YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLru4kYugzLerU1S8mQu2Jo2-jX6H_3kd3

The Human Intelligence movement:

https://www.humanintelligencemovement.org/

This podcast is produced entirely by Eric Byron.

You can contact Eric at [email protected]