Our Story so far: 
A Brief History

How it all Started

GameChangers was set up based on research, practice, and development focused on game design and how educational experiences can be supported and facilitated through playful approaches. To understand the background, we need to go back to 2014 when the Disruptive Media Learning Lab (DMLL) was first established.

The DMLL was designed to be a hub focused on innovative teaching and learning practice, the perfect new home for Sylvester Arnab’s Game-based learning and Gamification research and development that had been his focus at the Serious Games Institute.

Sylvester would continue his research and develop Transdisciplinary perspectives on game design for education, with a key article submitted to the British Journal for Education Technology. 

So began the simplification of the game design perspective to support educators, exploring and experimenting with holistic game-based and gamification approaches at Coventry University. Setting the foundations for a programme of playful and Gameful research and learning design.

Since the setup of the DMLL, we received huge interests from colleagues on game-based learning, with requests for games to be created to support their teaching and learning practice. This led to discussions around the value of game co-creation, based on the holistic game design approach that we had recently piloted).

Sylvester Arnab and Helen Keegan (who was then an innovation project lead at the DMLL) drafted an initial concept as co-founders for an open game design community for encouraging educators and learners to create and co-create games as part of their development. 

Sylvester Arnab came up with the GameChangers name, which was then used as a tentative brand. In the end, we couldn’t come up with a better name, so GameChangers it was!

Alex Masters and Kate Green – part of the programme development team and founding members of the programme – developed the first open course format, open education resources, website, and the beginnings of the GC online community. We were up and running!

The small-scale pilot in 2015-2016 demonstrated potential and impact in both the formal and informal settings at Coventry University, but to nurture “Gaming Literacy” and to widen the appeal, we needed to put more effort into on-boarding process to gain support from learners and educators.

These informed plans for co-designing the next iteration of the programme, and there were also interests beyond the boundaries of Coventry University to co-design and implement the programme nationally and internationally.

Not long after, the team hit the road in a modified American school bus, taking GameChangers on tour to Coventry University campuses across the country. And if that wasn’t enough, the international Newton CreativeCulture project launched, beginning and whole new chapter in the GameChangers story.

Following the success of the inaugural Remix Play summit, we returned in 2018 to start the year off strong with Remix Play 2, this time focusing on the topic of co-creativity.

Hot on the heels of Remix Play 2 we turned our focus back to the CreativeCulture initiative in preparation for our travel to Malaysia to deliver part of work with schools and communities in rural Borneo towards fostering creative thinking and development through game design and computational thinking.

We were immensely proud to be honoured twice (!!) at the 2019 Gamification Awards for GameChangers and Beaconing, and we will strive to continue that success in future years! These awards were particularly special as they demonstrate acknowledgements from existing practitioners in the Gamification community from the various sectors. Research can translate into practice and impact!

CreativeCulture and Beaconing ended successfully in 2019 in their official capacity, but both continue to engage, transform, and open up new opportunities for transforming education practice.

With the new year came new adventures as the team started work on the ACES international research project, expanding GameChangers across Asia with partners across Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

CreativeCulture also returned in 2020 after a successful bid to expand the initiative through Creative Culture 4.0, looking to transforming 21st century teaching and learning of STEM in Malaysia through creative play and gamification towards Education 4.0.

GameChangers was part of the impact case study on trans-disciplinary game design and practices submitted to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

Remix Play returns for its fourth event, this time in the form of a webinar featuring guests from 13 countries! Linking a number of existing educational projects around the world, with each experience designed to address specific contextual needs; rooted in local culture, sharing four common strands: Playfulness, Inclusive & Equitable Education, Social Change, and Community Orientation.

The webinar highlights how these four common strands support and reinforce each other to achieve long-term sustainable societal change and development in very different national and cultural settings.

Remix Play 4 is designed as a kick-ff point from which more talks will be added in the future, to create a wealth of resources to engage and inspire a global community of playful educators.

Hot on the heels of a hugely successful contribution to Coventry University’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) results, the GameChangers initiative moved home from the Disruptive Media Learning Lab and joined forces with other pioneering research teams at the Institute for Creative Cultures, establishing a new Ludic Design research theme within the Centre for Postdigital Cultures!

During the months of November and December 2022, the ACES Coventry group undertook a remarkable and enlightening journey across Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. This field trip provided a chance to interact with partners and communities whom the team had been unable to meet in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The humbling experience served as a reminder of the profound impact of human connections and the significance of in-person interactions in fostering enduring and sustainable partnerships.

Furthermore, Remix Play made a comeback as an in-person event for its fifth iteration under the theme of ‘Secret Agents of Change’. Exploring our roles as individuals, communities, and institutions in influencing, shaping, and mobilising change through playful and frugal practice, Remix Play 5 included inspiriting talks from Professor Margaret Low (MBE), Anthony Luvera, and panel sessions for the ACES international research project. This exciting gathering allowed participants to immerse themselves in a playful atmosphere while exploring the concept of change.

Additionally, Remix Play 5 was featured in a two-hour Pedagodzilla podcast special, which included a detailed conversation with Sylvester and Alex. They delved into the topics of playful learning and frugal education, providing valuable insights and perspectives.