About the Workshop

August 22-23, 2019 | Minneapolis, MN, US

The broad goal of this workshop was to share and discuss research on how games can be used to algorithmically generate scores that meaningfully represent the characteristics of the people that play them. We hoped to connect those who are interested in researching GBAs to create a road map for future research, to integrate knowledge across and within disciplines, and to connect researchers and vendors directly to facilitate basic research using real-world GBAs.

Specific outcomes of this workshop are in progress but include journal special issues, a book, and a game jam. Please watch the PI’s Twitter feed for live updates or check back here.

To achieve its vision, the workshop brought together discussants, presenters, and interested parties to expand knowledge regarding what is possible in assessment beyond our currently limited, highly siloed methods. Our hope was to stimulate future research across many fields and encourage an interdisciplinary approach (versus a multidisciplinary one) early in this emerging field of research.

The workshop itself hosted 112 people across two days.  There were three keynote presentations and four symposia organized around disciplinary lines: Organizational Sciences Research, Education Research, Vendor Research, and Graduate Student Top Research.  Breakfast, breaks, and lunch were provided to all attendees. 

Of the 125 overall slots, 25 were reserved for graduate students receiving travel reimbursement up to $500. These awards were made competitively. Additionally, graduate students had the opportunity to submit titles and abstracts for consideration to present in the Graduate Student Top GBA Research Symposium, and five winning students presented on August 23.

We hope attendees walked away from this workshop with several new potential collaborators and also a better picture of what research is going on both in academia and within industry!