Workshops and Presentations On Video Game-Based Learning [Updated 09/09/2019]

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I created my Intensive Italian for Gamers course as one of the fall 2016 recipients of the Saint Louis University (SLU) Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (https://www.slu.edu/cttl). Since fall 2016, I shared my research by delivering papers at national and international conferences in Italian Studies, Media Studies and Foreign Languages.

In fall 2017, as the recipient of the University James H. Korn Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award (https://www.slu.edu/cttl/scholarship-of-teaching-and-learning/james-h-korn-award), and with the assistance of the SLU Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, I created an effective hands-on workshop and presentation format on Video Game-Based Learning (VGBL).

In spring 2018, while on sabbatical, I was invited to deliver workshops and presentations at several institutions of higher education in Europe.

Invited VGBL Workshops and Presentations – Spring/Summer 2018

  1. “Video Games & Learning in Higher Education.” Invited presentation; &
    “Video Game-Based Learning in Higher Education”, &
    “Video Games in Second/Foreign Language & Culture Acquisition.” Invited workshops. June 6, 2018 at the “Lehre und Lerntage”/Teaching and Learning Days E-Learning Conference at the Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt, Austria. A video recording of the general audience VGBL workshop is available here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz4aM-pep9M
  2.  “I benefici dei videogame nell’acquisizione linguistica” (The Benefits of Video Games in Language Acquisition). Invited workshop. April 19, 2018. Collegio Universitario di Merito Villa Nazareth, Rome, Italy.
  3. “Game-Based Learning in Foreign/Second Language Acquisition” Invited three-hour seminar. March 16, 2018. Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy. Prof. Elisa Corino’s Didattica delle Lingue Moderne course.
  4. “Learning Italian through Cinematic Video Games” Invited game-based learning sessions (2). March 8 and 9, 2018. Spring Hill College in Bologna, Italy.
  5. “Assassin’s Creed Taught Me a Foreign Language: Video Games in Second/Foreign Language & Culture Acquisition” Invited presentation. February 15, 2018. Saint Louis University in Madrid, Spain.
  6. “Using Video Games in Foreign/Second Language Acquisition” Invited workshop. February 14, 2018. M.A. Program in Spanish & ESL. New York University in Madrid, Spain.

VGBL Presentations at National and International Conferences (2016-2018)

  1. “Developments in Video Game-Based Learning” in the Roundtable Session “Gamification and (Video) Game-Based Learning in the Second/Foreign Language Classroom” at the annual convention of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS), March 15, 2019 at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.
  2. “Video Game-Based Learning in the College Classroom” in the session “Can AAA Games Be Used to Improve Education?” at the SXSW EDU Conference, March 6, 2019 in Austin, TX. The session was organized by Maxime Durand, Ubisoft’s historian in charge of the Assassin’s Creed series.
  3. “Video Game-Based Learning in Higher Education.” A two-hour workshop co-delivered with Dr. Brandon Essary, Ph.D., Elon University, at the Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference (FTTC) on September 27, 2018, University of Missouri – St. Louis in St. Louis, MO.
  4. “Teaching Italian for Gamers – A Textbook Project” in the Roundtable Session “Teaching Italian with (Video) Games” at the convention of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS), June 14, 2018, in Sorrento, Italy. I was also session co-organizer.
  5. “Developing and Teaching Intensive Italian for Gamers” in the Roundtable Session “Innovative Approaches to Teaching Italian II” at the convention of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS), April 20, 2017, in Columbus, OH.
  6. “Using Video Games to Teach Italian: Useful, Effective, Feasible?” in the Roundtable Session “Innovative Approaches to Teaching Italian” at the convention of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS), April 2016, in Baton Rouge, LA.
  7. “Using Video Games to Teach Language and Culture” At the Media Ecology Association MEA 2016 Conference – Interfaces of Play and Game: Engaging Media Ecosystems June 23-26, 2016, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
  8. “Assassin’s Creed Taught Me Italian: Teaching Foreign/Second Languages through Video Games” At the Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference (FTTC) on November 3-4, 2016, University of Missouri – St. Louis.
  9. “Teaching Languages with Video Games? Intensive Italian for Gamers, Spring 2017 – A Work In Progress” At the MMLA 2016 Conference on November 10, 2016, Saint Louis.
  10. “Developing and Teaching Intensive Italian for Gamers” in the Roundtable Session “Innovative Approaches to Teaching Italian II” at the annual convention of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS), April 20, 2017, in Columbus, OH.
  11. “Teaching Intensive Italian for Gamers: Reflections, and a Textbook Project” in the Roundable Session “Teaching Italian with (Video) Games” at the annual convention of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS), June 14, 2018.

Other VGBL Presentations (2016-2018)

  • “Video Game-Based Learning in Second/Foreign Language Acquisition.” A distance-learning, one-hour seminar for Dr. Sara Alloatti’s “Mediendidaktik für den Fremdsprachenunterricht” (Foreign Language Media Pedagogy), a graduate course for foreign language teachers at the Institute of Education Science in the University of Zurich, Switzerland. The interactive, multimedia-based seminar was conducted in real time online and included a Q&A session. November 27, 2018.
  • “(E-)Life is (Not) Strange: Video Games in Second/Foreign Language Acquisition” October 2, 2017. SLU 1818 Annual Professional Development Talk. Delivered to approximately 60 high-school teachers connected to the 1818 SLU Advanced College Placement program.
  • “Gaming and Online Realia Sources for the Second Language Classroom” SLU LLC Pedagogy Workshop, October 31st, 2016.

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