Naomi Hupert, CCT research scientist, will lead a symposium to examine the benefits and challenges of using digital games to support preschool children's learning at the upcoming Games+Learning+Society (GLS12) Conference on August 17. The conference, held annually in Madison, Wisconsin, is the leading U.S. forum dedicated to videogames and learning. 

In the symposium, titled "Designing Educational Games for Early Learners," Hupert and her colleagues—Jillian Orr of WGBH, Camellia Sanford of Rockman et al, and Phil Vahey of SRI Education—will explore 
• What makes a digital game educational?
• What features of digital games are developmentally appropriate, and how do these features relate to learning?
• How do digital games support, complement, and supplement traditional learning in early childhood?

"Research—including our Ready To Learn study findings—suggests that preschool teachers who use digital resources in developmentally appropriate ways can boost children's early STEM learning," says Hupert. "But few early childhood programs use digital resources, due to concerns about what kinds are best, how often to use them, and how to use them to enhance children's learning. We look forward to discussing these issues, and we're eager to hear participants' ideas and insights."

Hupert has coauthored two recent works on this topic: Early STEM Learning and the Roles of Technologies and Reflections on the Ready To Learn Initiative, 2010 to 2015.

For more information about GLS12, go to glsconference.org.