April 13, 2015

Can teachers use Minecraft to meet the New Alaska Language Arts Standards? How does a choose-your-own-adventure online simulator help high schoolers make decisions about careers? And can kids really learn about science through competitive board games with names like "Elemental Magma Lords – The Cauldron of Geology?"

Find out more about the blurring lines between gaming and education at Serious Fun from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 17 in the UAA Planetarium and the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building. This event includes an educational arcade with more than a dozen booths, as well as interactive sessions, faculty-led workshops and 3-D planetarium shows.

A collaborative effort across the University of Alaska system, this one-day event aims to make better use of games and gamification in education. Serious Fun brings together educators, students, gaming fans and others to share ideas and discuss the latest trends and research.

Registration is $10 students, $30 general public.