Instructional Methods and Curricula for “Values Conscious Design”

Abstract

Values at Play (VAP) is a project that aims to investigate the role of social, moral, and political values in digital games. A primary goal of the project has been to develop a systematic approach to considering values in the design process. Another goal, complementary to this one, has been to create and disseminate curricula and instructional materials for introducing students to our approach, and, more broadly, to “values conscious” design. This paper provides an overview of curricula and instructional materials created to date, as used in a number of graduate and undergraduate game design courses.