Networking in Exhibit Hall

Welcoming Remarks

Keynote: Enriching Esports Based on Four Years of Research

Constance Steinkuehler is a Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine where she researches culture, cognition, and learning in the context of multiplayer online videogames. She is an ADL Belfer Fellow, the chair of UCI’s Game Design and Interactive Media Program, Co-Director of the Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Center, and Chair of the Annual GLS Conference. She teaches courses on games and society, visual design, and research methods. 

In her keynote, Steinkuehler will discuss qualitative and quantitative findings across four years of investigation that highlight student gains across domains including STEM, communication, social-emotional learning, 21st century skills. She will illuminate the growing evidence for academically enriched esports programs and contextualize the apparent effectiveness of enriched esports in the broader frame of reference of game-based learning, interest-driven learning, and authentic practice in education.

Anatomy of an Esports Program: Planning, Infrastructure, Software, Hardware and Streaming

This expert panel will discuss defining program goals and matching the technology needed to equip a university or K-12 esports program. We’ll explore gaming stations, headsets, displays, and peripherals that enhance the level of play for the esports athlete, team, and spectators.

The World of University Esports

From a student-centered, academic endeavor with a modest gaming room to a highly competitive Division 1 university with a varsity-level spectator arena, esports directors from leading universities discuss goals and objectives, challenges, and successes of their respective programs.

Education Through Esports

A team from NASEF will discuss the important core values for a K-12 esports program. NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for all students to use esports as a platform to develop STEAM-based skills and social emotional attributes such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities needed to thrive in work and in life. Not just sharing theories, panelists are educators who are actively leveraging esports in their classes and afterschool programs.

Networking in Exhibit Hall

Afternoon Keynote: What is Cybercitizenship?

Nowadays we can't escape the online world. That means we need to adapt our society and education to that reality and teach ourselves how to become good cyber citizens. While citizenship irl is easy to teach and consequences feel real, the rules of digital citizenship are more vague. Unfortunately, the damage done is usually private, even if the harassment is out in the open. Unlike a broken window or a stolen car, the evidence of misbehavior is subtle. Microaggressions are shrugged off. Toxic behaviors are passed off for inside jokes. Cyberbullying is under-reported.

In her keynote, Miss Harvey will explore the definition of digital citizenship, cornerstone concepts that support it and the small changes that each of us can make today for a better digital tomorrow.

Esports Tech Talk

When nanosecond latency, the highest resolution displays, and fully immersive audio matter. This panel of experts discuss the technologies that make the difference between first and second place, and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators.

Networking in Exhibit Hall

Maximizing Your Esports Investment: Dual-role Computer Lab & Esports Arena

Not every institution has the budget to build a dedicated esports facility or even a room. This panel discusses how esports directors can tag-team with IT to deliver the absolute best dual purpose, computer lab and esports room. Learn about the optimal elements to more than satisfy students and the institution’s CIO.

The Making of The Digital Rube Goldberg Machine Minecraft Contest

The students shine in this panel when you see their projects in action! Jennifer George, granddaughter of the brilliant cartoonist, engineer and inventor Rube Goldberg will present how The Digital Rube Goldberg Machine Minecraft Contest transformed the physical to the digital world. The event is a STEAM competition where students from grades 3-12 compete with machines that they have imagined, designed in Minecraft Education Edition. The event encourages teamwork and out-of-the-box problem solving, challenging youth to build wacky chain reaction machines and inspiring communication, while honing skills like math, physics and chemistry.

Wrap-Up/Passport to Prizes

Join us as we wrap-up the day’s programming, along with prize giveaways, courtesy of our group of sponsors. All registered attendees are eligible, with winners selected randomly from a group that demonstrates the most active engagement with sponsors and programming.