Play in education,
seriously?

GOLD WINNER QS Reimagine Education awards 2021

GOLD WINNER QS Reimagine Education awards 2021

for ‘Science of Learning’ catergory
for the GameChangers Initiative

BRONZE WINNER QS Reimagine Education awards 2023

BRONZE WINNER QS Reimagine Education awards 2023

for ‘Sustainability Education’ category
for the ACES Initiative

We believe that everybody can play and create games. We believe in games for learning, and learning through play.

The GameChangers programme focuses on the design and implementation of playful and gameful learning experiences, promoting the emergence of a more equitable, exploratory, creative culture in everyday academic contexts.

GameChangers is a community of researchers, developers, and practitioners interested in exploring the opportunities of creating playful and gameful experiences as mediums for both expression and learning.

Long Lamai, Malaysia. CreativeCulture 2018

Empathic Co-Creation: The creation and co-creation of playful and gameful systems.

Remix Play 2: Card game design workshop, 2018

The creation and co-creation of playful and gameful systems, as an activity on the edge of the diverse fields is a productive ground to cultivate creative and innovative mind-sets.

Creative and playful spaces enable the hybridity of different disciplines, interests, and backgrounds to come together to experiment and learn how to fruitfully cooperate. GameChangers emphasises a pragmatic approach for empathically designing, developing, and implementing playful and gameful intervention, reflected by its various initiatives involving educators and learners in marginalised communities.

Frugal Education. Designing creative, practical, and sustainable education by leveraging frugal innovation practices.

CreativeCulture Seminar, Sarawak, Malaysia. 2018

Creativity and resilience is at the core of what we do. Over the years our team has fostered a frugal approach to education innovation; merging playful learning with creative problem-solving to deliver innovative, practical, and sustainable pedagogic practice within our projects.

We embrace openness and believe everyone should be able to benefit from our efforts. To that end, we endeavour to make all our designs, resources, and research open access; complete with guides and examples of real-world implementations to help you re-use, re-share, or remix through the power of Creative Commons. Learn more about our frugal education work here!

We love what we do and we’re proud of the recognition we’ve received along the way.

Winner - Gold for 'Science of Learning'

QS Reimagine Education Awards 2021

Winner - Bronze for 'Sustainability Education'

QS Reimagine Education Awards 2023

Winner - Gamification in Education & Learning Award

The Gamification awards – Gamification Europe 2019

Winner - Merit for E-learning Excellence Award

European Conference in E-Learning 2018

Winner - Gamification Software Award!

The Gamification Awards – Gamification Europe 2019

Winner - Outstanding Contribution to Gamification Research

The Gamification Europe Awards – Gamification Europe 2018

Joint Winner - International Educational Games: Games in Development

European Conference in Game-Based Learning 2019

Meet the Team.

Sylvester Arnab

Sylvester Arnab

Co-founder | Professor of Game Science

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Researcher, designer, and practitioner of playful and gameful learning with a focus on the investigation into empathic design practices. Sylvester has published a book on ‘Game Science in Hybrid Learning Spaces’, which provides insights into the research and practice of purposeful game design with a focus on hybrid education.
Alex Masters

Alex Masters

Co-founder | Researcher of Frugal Education

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Innovation Technologist, designer, and practice-based researcher of frugal education. Alex’s research focuses on the intersection of innovation, education, and sustainability, with an emphasis on the benefits of frugal practice and the use of trailing-edge technologies to deliver creative, practical, and sustainable education.
Petros Lameras

Petros Lameras

Associate Professor of Digital Media

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Petros’ work focuses on AI in Education and games science to enhance STEM learning through serious games and playful learning. He has authored an AI in Education handbook, leads projects to integrate technology into education, and is a recognised Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Mark Lewis

Mark Lewis

Researcher of Game Science

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Researcher and designer of educational games and systems. Mark’s research focuses on the human experiences of play, learning, and education. He has interests in the history of video gaming, the effects of play upon hominid evolutionary processes, and non-traditional learning methodologies, such as wargames and escape rooms.

Jayne Beaufoy

Jayne Beaufoy

Programme Manager

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Jayne is a long time member of the GChangers team and has supported all of our large-scale international research projects, providing project management, coordination, and facilitation expertise. Jayne is programme manager for the Creative Cultures research theme, within which our Ludic Design team is situated.
Saif Alatrash

Saif Alatrash

PhD Alumnus

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Saif is a VR developer and researcher at Coventry University. Currently, he is working as a Senior Technician – Digital Modelling & Visualisation at the National Transport Design Centre. His PhD focuses on enhancing the user experience in VR environments through gamification and storytelling strategies.
Willie Knoetze

Willie Knoetze

PhD Student

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My PhD explores how collaborative storytelling and co-creative gameplay interweave in TTRPGs to create dynamic, personalised learning experiences.
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Emmylou Laird

Emmylou Laird

PhD Student

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Emmylou makes larps and games, her PhD research investigates how larp players experience engagement (or not) as individuals or as a community, and exploring the player journey through a larp.
View research profile
Jaimz Winter

Jaimz Winter

PhD Student

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My research is centred around how Privacy by Design principles could be used to improve current data protection practices in game development to promote trust between player and developer.
View research profile
Khurram Shaikh

Khurram Shaikh

PhD Student

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My research is about the investigation of relationships between the design aspects of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games and the development of 4Cs skills for establishing the educational perspective of COTS games for purposes other than entertainment.
View research profile
Supriya Roy

Supriya Roy

PhD Student

Tjaša Šavorič

Tjaša Šavorič

PhD Student

View bio
My PhD project focuses on developing a gamified VR art experience to promote motivation and wellbeing in isolated extreme environments.

Associates.

Luca Morini

Luca Morini

Assistant Professor

(Coventry University)
Katherine Wimpenny

Katherine Wimpenny

Professor of Global Education Research

(Coventry University)
Jacey-Lynn Minoi

Jacey-Lynn Minoi

Associate Professor

(UNIMAS)
Fitri Suraya Mohamad

Fitri Suraya Mohamad

Professor in Learning Sciences

(UNIMAS)
Aazani Mujahid

Aazani Mujahid

Marine Biologist and Researcher

(UNIMAS)
Tan Chong Eng

Tan Chong Eng

Professor | Computer Scientist

(UNIMAS)
Dominic Mahon

Dominic Mahon

Lecturer in Higher Education

(University of Surrey)
Samantha Clarke

Samantha Clarke

Assistant Professor of Design Futures

(Coventry University)
Muhibuddin Fadhli

Muhibuddin Fadhli

Assistant Professor| ACES Co-Investigator

Universitas Negeri Malang
Rohmat Aldy Purnomo

Rohmat Aldy Purnomo

Research Assistant

(UMPO)
Deka Dyah Utami

Deka Dyah Utami

Researcher

(UMPO)
Betaria N.A.E. Hastuti

Betaria N.A.E. Hastuti

Researcher

(UMPO)
Hoang Thi Bich Thuy

Hoang Thi Bich Thuy

ACES Co-Investigator

(HUST)
Nguyen Thi Thom Thom

Nguyen Thi Thom Thom

Researcher

(HUST)
Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen

Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen

Engineer

(HUST)
Trinh Viet Dung

Trinh Viet Dung

Research Fellow

(HUST)
Mike Duncan

Mike Duncan

Professor in Exercise Science

(Coventry University)
Wayne Gallear

Wayne Gallear

PhD Alumnus

(North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College)

Shoubna Naika-Taylor

Shoubna Naika-Taylor

Lecturer and Esports in Education Specialist

(NWSLC)
Andy Winter

Andy Winter

Assistant Professor of (Health) Simulation

(Coventry University)
Emma Eyre

Emma Eyre

Assistant Professor

(Coventry University)
John Henry

John Henry

Senior Lecturer

(Manchester Metropolitan University)
Connah Kendrick

Connah Kendrick

Senior Lecturer

(Manchester Metropolitan University)