Call for Papers, Posters, Round Table Proposals, Practitioner Contributions and Product Demonstrations

Over the last ten years, the way in which education and training is delivered has changed considerably with the advent of new technologies. One such new technology that holds considerable promise for helping to engage learners is Games-Based Learning (GBL). The Conference offers an opportunity for scholars and practitioners interested in the issues related to GBL to share their thinking and research findings. Papers can cover various issues and aspects of GBL in education and training: technology and implementation issues associated with the development of GBL; use of mobile and MMOGs for learning; pedagogical issues associated with GBL; social and ethical issues in GBL; GBL best cases and practices, and other related aspects. We are particularly interested in empirical research that addresses whether GBL enhances learning. This Conference provides a forum for discussion, collaboration and intellectual exchange for all those interested in any of these fields of research or practice.  

The conference committee welcomes contributions on a wide range of topics using a range of scholarly approaches including theoretical and empirical papers employing qualitative, quantitative and critical methods. Action research, case studies and work-in-progress/posters are welcomed approaches. PhD Research, proposals for roundtable discussions, non-academic contributions and product demonstrations based on the main themes are also invited.

Submission details are given below. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:-

In addition to the main topics, submissions are welcomed to six mini tracks on: Merging Digital and Urban Play Spaces, chaired by Dr. Wilfried Admiraal, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Adaptive Educational Video Games, chaired by Dr Patrick Felicia, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland; Multiplayer Serious Games, co-chaired by Dr Stefan Göbel and Viktor Wendel, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany; Empirical Evidence on the Effectiveness of Games-Based Learning, chaired by Dr Thomas Hainey, University of the West of Scotland, UK; Games on a Budget, co-chaired by Alex Moseley, University of Leicester, UK and Dr Nicola Whitton, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK; Adoption of Commercial ‘Serious’ Games in the Educational Arena, chaired by Paul Peachey, University of Glamorgan, Wales, UK and Games Research as a Means for Developing New Theories of Knowledge, Practice and Learning, co-chaired by Dr Constance Steinkuehler and Dr Kurt Squire, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Academic Paper submissions
Papers should address the conference topics listed above and can describe a wide range of research including empirical or theoretical studies. In addition, philosophical papers presenting an argument and papers presenting a process that has been developed and is now ready for wider use are welcome. In all cases concepts and underlying principles should be emphasised, with enough background information to orient any reader who is not a specialist in the particular subject area original. The work should not have been published elsewhere and should not be intended to be published elsewhere during the review period. See the submission details below.

Work in Progress/Posters
Researchers are invited to submit current projects which are either at the proposal stage or are work in progress. In the first instance you should submit an abstract describing the project. If your abstract is selected you will be given the choice of producing a short paper with poster or abstract only with poster. If you opt for a paper, this should be a maximum of 2000 words including abstract, keywords and references. The paper will be double-blind peer reviewed and if accepted will be published in the conference proceedings. Presentation of the work at the conference will take the form of a Poster. Posters will be on display for the duration of the conference and there will be a timetabled slot for contributors to stand by their posters so that participants can come and discuss the research. Participants will be asked to vote for the best poster and a prize will be given for the poster receiving the highest number of votes.

PhD Research Colloquium
Doctoral Candidates are invited to submit papers describing their research. To be eligible, it is necessary for the paper to be produced to a publishable academic standard and papers will be subject to the same criteria and processes as research papers. However the final results of the research may not have been fully completed and interpreted. PhD papers will be organised into a colloquium and there will be a chair person and a discussant to provide constructive feedback on the work. A prize will be awarded to the best PhD paper presented at the conference.

Case Study Submissions
Case study submissions should be written to publishable standards. Case studies will be subject to the same criteria and the processes as research papers.

Non-Academic Contributions
The conference committee welcomes contributions from individuals and organisations working in the field. These contributions can take the form of a presentation or a demonstration. In the first instance an abstract should be submitted describing the work to be presented. If the abstract is selected you will be asked whether you wish to produce a paper or just give a presentation. You will need to register for the conference to have a confirmed timetabled slot.

Round Table Proposals
The Programme Committee invites topical subjects to be proposed for discussion. In the first instance an abstract describing the proposed topic should be submitted. If selected the convener will be given a timetabled slot for the round table and will be expected to register to attend the conference.

Product Demonstrations and Exhibitor Opportunities
If you are contributing to the conference in any of the above categories you can also request the opportunity to give a product demonstration. If you would like to exhibit and/or demonstrate a product at the conference we suggest that you apply for one of our exhibitor packages.

Submission details

Publication opportunity

Papers accepted for the conference will be published in the conference proceedings, subject to author registration and payment. Selected papers will also be considered for publication in a special issue of the Electronic Journal of e-Learning and to the International Journal of Game-Based Learning. The latest issue of the Electronic Journal of e-Learning is available to read online. You can see details of the proceedings and journal accreditations by clicking on the star to the right.

Purchase previous conference proceedings.
Proceedings from previous ECGBL conference can be purchased from our bookshop by clicking on the link.

Read the author guidelines

Download the main call for papers in .pdf format

Important information

• The selection panel of the conference committee will consider all abstracts received by the submission deadline to ensure that the proposed paper is relevant to the Conference.
• The authors of abstracts that describe a relevant paper will receive a notification of abstract acceptance.
• All full papers will be double-blind reviewed by members of the conference committee to ensure an adequate standard, that the proposed subject of their abstract has been followed, that the paper is of a suitable length, the standard of English is adequate and the paper is appropriately referenced.
• For authors whose first language is not English we request that you have your work proof read prior to submission by a native English speaker (or at least a fluent English speaker). Papers can be rejected due to a poor standard of English.
• Papers that are accepted will be published in the conference proceedings providing at least one author registers and presents the work at the Conference (see the registration section of the conference website for more information about registration).
• Due to the large number of papers expected for this conference, the committee only allows an author to present one paper. Therefore if multiple papers are accepted for presentation different co-authors need to present each paper. Author registration must be completed by 15 September 2011.

Important dates