In recent years, the video game industry has been embroiled in in various issues of gender bias and minority representation, both in the games that are published and among those who work in the industry. The GamerGate controversy, which exploded on social networks in August 2014, was ostensibly about nepotism and a lack of reporting integrity in videogame journalism but very quickly descended into unprecedented harassment and threats that primarily targeted women in the game industry. This is an extreme example of the issues faced by many women and minorities in the STEM professions, and the barriers that these situations create. How does game education plan to dig itself out of the current quagmire and support students in these programs?
The International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA) is the largest non-profit membership organization in the world serving all individuals who create games. In 2008 it published a curriculum framework for game-related educational programs (http://gameprogramreview.com/files/igda2008cf.pdf). The IGDA is beginning a redesign of its curriculum framework and this provides a perfect opportunity to re-examine curricula in light of how it supports and encourages diversity and inclusivity.
This presentation by two of the leaders of the IGDA Curriculum Framework Redesign, will examine how social cultures affect decisions people make about whether or not to pursue a career in STEM, and how the design of a curriculum can help or hinder the diversity of the student population.
