Concept

The ISAGA Summerschool 2014’s scope is on Governance and Participation, two concepts that describe and are heavily relevant in today’s networked society. Within one week of learning and doing, participants will learn about game design from various viewpoints from different academic fields and practical approaches. They will explore in a very interactive and intensive week to recognize some background theory of game design, game development, game facilitation, and game evaluation. Participants of the ISAGA Summerschool will be involved in discussions about different game design approaches and apply them specifically to games for governance and participation. Within a group, they will design a game following a game design approach, and will learn how to facilitate game sessions.

The ISAGA Summerschool 2014 welcomes professionals, academics, and graduate students to participate in an energetic, highly interactive week of game design. The mornings will be used for inspiring lectures of professionals in the field of gaming for serious purposes (training, education, policy analysis, decision support…). The afternoons are reserved for practical game development. This development track will be done in teams, which are coached by an experienced game designer.

We invite you to an interactive, inspiring game design event in one of the nicest cities in the Netherlands!

Geertje Bekebrede, Rens Kortmann, Heide Lukosch
(ISAGA Summerschool Directors 2014)

Theme of aim

"OFFICINA" -concept of the ISAGA Summer School

When we thought to establish an ISAGA Summerschool suddenly the metaphor of the renaissance "officina" came to our mind. Officina was a place where masters and students could exchange experience, share knowledge and embark on their own voyage of discovery. It was a place where apprentices were the active element of the evolution of their knowledge; a place where it was possible to find co-teaching and co-learning at the same time. It was such a place like officinal, which brought about innovation and diffusion of knowledge. Our aim is to bring together "masters" from different areas of game design, as well as students and professionals who want to use simulation games in a place where each master could transmit visions of the theoretical founds of simulation games to the learners, and guide students through the learning experience. Thanks to the active participation of teachers and students from more of 25 nations, the ISAGA Summer Schools 2004 in Munich (Germany), 2005 in Krakow (Poland), 2006 in Dornbirn (Austria), 2007 in Venice (Italy), 2008 in New Delhi (India), 2009 in Cluj (Romania), 2010 in Paramaribo (Suriname), 2011 in Viljandi (Estonia), 2012 in Atlanta (USA), and 2013 in Kyoto (Japan) were a great success.

Paola Rizzi & Willy Kriz
(Founders and Past Directors of ISAGA Summerschool 2004-2013)

General program

The first day is about Introduction. The aim of today is to introduce the concept of simulation gaming and related concepts. A general overview is given about the history of gaming and the use of games nowadays. This is followed with a lecture about game design and the steps that have to be taken to develop a game.

On the second day, we focus on the conceptualization. The phase from problem to an interesting learning experience. Simulation games represents a real world situation. Designing a game needs a good conceptualization of the situation, and boundaries have to be defined. Also the objective of the game needs to become clear, and need to be taken into account in the conceptual design of the game.

Implementation is the theme on the second day. Dependent on the type of game, paper-based, computer supported or online, the game building process differs. This day, we focus on the development of computer based/computer-supported games. Several engines are introduced and in a short workshop, a computer game will be developed.

The fourth day it is time for Facilitation and Evaluation. An important element of game play is the facilitation in general and debriefing specifically. This is the moment where transfer between the real world and game world takes place. The magic circle will be opened. Another relevant topic is the evaluation of games. We discuss how to assess if your game has reached the objectives.

The last day is about Gamification. Games are not only an instrument, but gaming is used in many ways. At the end of the week, we look at a broader scope of gaming.

For the learning, we use different types of activities. Each morning, there will be interactive lectures held by different game design experts (See also Speakers). The afternoons are reserved for the design of a game by groups of participants, which will be presented and played together at the end of the week. Of course, during the whole week, smaller games, and in the evenings, one large policy game will be played. This way, participants can experience what it is to play a game about governance and participation. Social activities will strengthen the contacts to each other and will provide room for informal discussions. Within the open space, game design companies will engage the participants in discussions on how they approach games for governance and participation.

Presenters

Willy Christian Kriz is Full professor for HRM, OB, Leadership and Gaming Simulation at the FHV, Austria. Author of 14 books, 125 papers, 4 best paper awards. Founder and chair of Swiss Austrian German Simulation and Gaming Association, past executive board member and past president of ISAGA, organizer of two ISAGA conferences, founder and 10 years director of ISAGA Summer school, editorial board member of Journal Simulation & Gaming. He has designed several simulation games and completed about 130 assignments related with gaming training & consulting for companies worldwide.

Elyssebeth Leigh has more than 30 years experience as professional educator. She has published four books and numerous articles and conference papers on its use in adult learning and workplace and tertiary teaching. She has worked in countries around the world and is experienced in conducting learning programs in multicultural contexts. Elyssebeth is a Board member of Simulation Australia - {{link_to('simulationaustralia.org.au')}}

Igor Mayer is a senior associate professor in the faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. He is also the director of the TU-Delft {{link_to('www.seriousgaming.tudelft.nl', 'Centre for Serious Gaming')}} and the associated serious game development lab ‘Signature Games’. His main research and professional interests are the development, use and evaluation of interactive and participatory methods for policy analysis and policy development in general, and gaming-simulation / serious games / virtual worlds in particular. He teaches serious gaming-simulation for policy making and infrastructure design and management. Over the years and in various partnerships he initiated, managed and participated in a large number of gaming-related research and development projects.

Elizabeth Tipton is Professor of Decision Sciences at Eastern Washington University and a member of the ISAGA executive board. She has two bachelors (mathematics and physics) and one doctorate (business statistics) from schools in Texas. When not talking about data visualization and analytics, she is talking about games and simulations for learning complex concepts (most recently emergent behavior and metagaming).

Wim Westera is a full professor of educational media at the Open University of the Netherlands. He holds a PhD in physics and mathematics, and has worked in educational media and educational technology since the 1980’s. He is specialised in e-learning, serious gaming, computational modelling and simulation. His latest book {{link_to('www.thedigitalturn.co.uk', 'The Digital Turn')}} explains how the internet transforms our existence.

Vincent Peters is the founder of Samenspraak Advies, a small Dutch consultancy firm that is specialized in designing and applying gaming simulations, workshops, scenario building sessions and other participative methods that can be uses in organizational change processes. He is also senior lecturer at the HAN University of Applied Sciences in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, where he teaches and coordinates research methodology in several master courses. He has designed several gaming simulations and published about aspects of gaming simulations, like the validity of gaming simulations and the debriefing process.

Alexander Verbraeck (MSc in applied mathematics 1987 (cum laude); PhD in logistics 1991), is a full professor at Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Systems Engineering and Simulation Department. His research focuses on modeling and simulation, especially in heavily distributed environments and using real-time data. Examples of research on these types of simulations are real-time decision making, interactive gaming using simulations, and the use of 3D virtual and augmented reality environments in simulations for training. The major application domains for research are logistics and transportation, and safety and security. He chairs the Freight Transport and Logistics domain in the interdisciplinary TU Delft Transport Institute, and is a Fellow in the Research School TRAIL for Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics. In addition Alexander has a position as adjunct professor at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, USA. Here, he applies the modeling and simulation research for studying real-time supply chains.

Coaches

Rutger Deenen is a Manager at Accenture Management Consulting in Amsterdam, focusing on the design and implementation of organization effectiveness, change management, workforce planning, business modeling & simulation and serious gaming solutions aimed at business transformation challenges of his clients in the Resources Industry (Energy, Chemicals, Natural Resources and Utilities). For Accenture Netherlands, Rutger co-leads the Serious Gaming & Simulation practice.

Joanna Srednicka, Sociologist, is one of the co-founders and R&D director in Pracownia Gier Szkoleniowych (PGS) - a company specialized in designing games and running trainings and educational programs based on them. Awarded designer of educational, business, both on-line and offline games ( Two NASAGA Game Design Competition awards). Experienced facilitator working for various environments: businesses, international organizations, local governments, NGO’s, schools. Lecturer and researcher. Author of the articles on the applications of games in training, educational and development processes.

Marleen van de Westelaken: Fun = designing activities for learning by doing | Also fun = helping others to do that | Focus = on the bigger picture: effects of actions and behavior to others and the whole system | Co-owner Samenspraak Advies (2005-), member Steering Committee Isaga (2002 – 2010), President Isaga (2007), organization Isaga Conference 2007, Advisory Council Isaga (2010-), Board member Saganet (2010-2013).

Eric Treske is founder of the consulting company intrestik, located in Munich and Berlin. He holds diploma in sociology from the University of Applied Science, Fulda and the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich. Nearly everything in the area of gaming finds his interest – like theatre, puppet theatre, play, board games, group games and simulation games. The main focus of his company is the behaviour of people in organizations. For his clients he develops possible new perspectives and support with the help of simulation and gaming. He believes that you can explain organizations and society out of a network of connected games. He likes to play Carcassone with his wife and perhaps once a time he also will win this game.

Angeline van Gils is a Management Consultant at Twynstra Gudde and a member of the TG Gaming Centre. She specializes in designing and facilitating paper based games, often as part of large organizational development programs. The challenge is to design games that fit the client organization, the desired change and the people who work in the organization. She is active in different industries: government, health, insurance, schools.