Day 1 | Day 2
Public Roundtables
Friday, October 26
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

Session 1
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Video Games and Civil Society

What is the impact of video games on the various aspects of civil society? What kinds of social relations do various game genres and game-playing formats promote? Some say that video games foster a healthy competitiveness, and, in their multi-player internet manifestations, contain vast new possibilities for community-building. Others see video games as isolating and damaging to both individuals and communities. What does the research show?
Moderator: Robert Pippin, Philosophy and Social Thought, University of Chicago

Confirmed Panelists
  • Sara Diamond, The Banff Centre for the Arts
  • Marjorie Heins, Free Expression Policy Project, National Coalition Against Censorship
  • J.C. Herz, Joystick Nation, Inc.
  • Seth Killian, Shoryuken.com
  • W.J.T. Mitchell, Art History & Editor of Critical Inquiry, University of Chicago
  • Celia Pearce, Claire Trevor School of Arts at The University of California, Irvine
  • Eugene Provenzo, Jr., Education, University of Miami
  • Cass Sunstein, University of Chicago, Law
  • Eric Zimmerman, gameLab, Inc.
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Session 2
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The Pedagogical Possibilities of Interactive Games

What ways of thinking and learning, intellectual skills and habits, does game playing encourage or discourage? How much influence do interactive games have on the cognitive development of players of different ages? Are the skills of game playing transferable to other educational endeavors, and if so, how? Answers to these questions should help policymakers identify and support best practices in the fusion of video game technology and education.
Moderator: Colm O'Muircheartaigh, Public Policy and NORC, University of Chicago

Confirmed Panelists
  • Hubert Dreyfus, Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley
  • Noah Falstein, The Inspiracy
  • Laura Groppe, girlGames Research Lab
  • Terry Hackett, eLearning Division, Deloitte Consulting
  • Yasmin Kafai, Kids Interactive Design Studios, UCLA
  • Alan Pope, Langley Research Center, NASA
  • Marc Prensky, games2train.com
  • Andrew Rosenfield, UNext
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Session 3
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Video Game Violence: Research Findings, Policy Options, and Constitutional Questions

Expert witnesses debate what the research tells us about the ultimate psychological effects, if any, of playing violent video games; policy analysts and policymakers discuss if and how they would formulate regulations or create incentives; industry representatives and anti-violence activists clarify the stakes involved; and legal experts assess the constitutionality of these proposals.
Moderator: Jack Doppelt, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism

Confirmed Panelists
  • Craig Anderson, Psychology, Iowa State University
  • Mary Engle, Federal Trade Commission
  • Jonathan Freedman, Psychology, University of Toronto
  • Henry Jenkins, Comparative Media Studies, MIT
  • Gerard Jones, author of Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy Games, Superheroes and Make-Believe Violence
  • Marsha Kinder, Cinema-Television, USC
  • Doug Lowenstein, Interactive Software Developers Association
  • Geoffrey Stone, Provost and Law, University of Chicago
  • David Walsh, National Institute on Media and the Family
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