Award-winning game makers confirmed for Games for Learning

Media release: Award-winning game makers confirmed for Games for Learning conference

Tuesday 20 June 2017

The key players in the development of BAFTA award winning game, Never Alone, will be speaking at Games for Learning, a conference hosted by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) in August.

Never Alone was crafted in partnership between game publisher, E-Line Media, and Alaska Native storytellers from the Iñupiat community. The atmospheric digital platform game draws on traditional stories and culture, and is narrated in by an Iñupiaq Elder and master storyteller in the spoken Iñupiaq language.

‘The conference is looking at the role of all sorts of games in learning, both traditional and digital,’ said senior researcher Rachel Bolstad. ‘We’re really excited to learn more about how Never Alone was developed because it brings together many of the themes we’ll be exploring at the conference,’ said Ms Bolstad.

Amy Fredeen from the Cook Tribal Inlet Council was a part of a team creating the path to get the project started, and is one of the cultural ambassadors for the game.

‘Cook Inlet Tribal Council believes in the power of video games to bring our traditional wisdom into the future and connect our youth to their potential,’ said Ms Fredeen.

Michael Angst, Chief Executive at E-Line Media, will present with Ms Fredeen. He’ll share his passion for games as part of formal and informal learning.

The international guests will see how New Zealand educators are using games for learning too.

‘The programme includes Harko Brown’s workshop on Māori traditional games, Whetu Paitai’s work with Minecraft as a way of connecting students to te reo Māori, and many other examples of game-based learning and teaching,’ said Ms Bolstad.

The conference is part of an NZCER research project investigating the actual and potential role of games to support learning in New Zealand schools.

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