DIS:E
- An Overview
the Virtual PolicyNetwork in conjunction with The
Edinburgh Interactive Festival and the University of Edinburgh presents the
second Digital Interactive Symposium: Edinburgh (DIS:E).
When: August 12, 2008: 14:00 - 17:30
Where: Edinburgh
Intenational Conference Center
This year's
symposium will be co-located with the Edinburgh Interactive Festival at the
prestigious Edinburgh International Conference Center.
The focus of this year’s Digital Interactive Symposium: Edinburgh (DIS:E) – August 12^th 2008 is education for the computer games industry.
The issue of educational support for the games industry is a hot topic at the
moment, especially in Scotland. In April 2008 the Scottish government
controversially announced that schoolchildren are to be taught the basics of
video game design as part of the country’s new national curriculum - dubbed the
'Curriculum of Excellence'.
In the face of the UK’s dwindling numbers of
maths, computing and engineering graduates the country’s two computer games
industry trade bodies TIGA (The Independent Games Developers Association) and
Elspa (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) have joined
forced to announce the /Games Up?/ campaign. Through /Games Up? /The industry
has highlighted the need to improve education for the sector; ease skills
shortages; and promote workforce diversity.
In response to the growing popularity of computer games both as a pastime and as career path a number of universities around the UK are now offering game development courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The methods and emphasises of these courses however vary widely. Skillset offers an accreditation for game development courses, but only four courses so far have this accreditation. Many academic institutions also question the value and meaning of such an accreditation.
The Digital Interactive Symposium: Edinburgh will bring industry and education together to debate best approaches to these challenging problems which face one of the UK’s most successful sectors. The symposium will address issues such as:
- What should the relationship between industry and academia be like?
- Are universities responsible for meeting the needs of the industry?
- Should the industry get more involved with sponsoring and nurturing university courses?
- How can education help foster innovation in game development?
This year's keynote speaker is: Professor Richard Bartle.
Schedule
14.00
Welcome: Hanna Sommerseth (University of Edinburgh)
14.10
Richard Bartle (University of Essex)
Games and Academia: A rant
15.00
Coffee break
15.15
Austin Tate & Ai Austin (University of Edinburgh)
Innovative Education using Virtual Worlds15.45
Eyjólfur Guðmundsson (CCP / EvE Online)
A Developer's perspective
16.15
Coffee break
16.30
Gianna Cassidy (Glasgow Caledonian University)
Music, games and industry
17.00
Roundtable discussion
- Ren Reynolds,Chair (the Virtual Policy Network)
- Richard Bartle
- Eyolfur Gudmundsson
- Austin Tate
- Gianna Cassidy
- John Sutherland (the University of the West of Scotland)
17.30
Wrap up
To get tickets, see our booking page.
