Game2Work was centered on gaming to strengthen 21st-century work and learning.
Game2Work was a multi-organizational, interdisciplinary gaming research program from 2020-2024 that sought to contribute to the following broad questions:
- How can serious gameplay prepare the future STEM workforce?
- Can gamified teams of humans and technology work together to solve big problems?
- How can the research community be at the forefront of ethical and healthy gaming in our digital future?
Our Vision
The long-term goal of Game2Work is to strengthen the 21st century work and learning skills of the digital generation through rapid design, development, and research of serious games with the potential to advance the frontiers of knowledge. We seek to answer questions on the learning and skills developed through gaming, the interactions between humans and technology, and the societal impacts of gaming for the digital generation. In comparison with other research centers at US universities, Game2Work is the only university program with a core team of faculty that work together through the development process, have the ability to test in different environments, and apply results directly to the learning community. The area of gaming studies is still in its infancy, and the Game2Work team is poised to lead the field on related tools and data collection techniques.
Retrospective
After four years of exploration and innovation, we are proud to announce the conclusion of Game2Work (G2W) grant at Iowa State University (ISU). Game2Work began in 2020 through a multi-year Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative (PIRI) grant, intended to support new interdisciplinary research that has strong potential to attract external funding. G2W brought together faculty experts from education, engineering, computer science, psychology, and design to explore the transformative power of serious games in education and workforce development.
In its first year, despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic, Game2Work laid a strong foundation by building a vibrant community and establishing critical networks. Led by co-principal investigators Dr. Larysa Nadolny (School of Education / Human Computer Interaction) and Dr. Michael Dorneich (Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering), the team focused on developing infrastructure and project plans that would support future successes. This phase focused on learning the playing field and creating a space where innovative ideas could be nurtured.
As the collaboration progressed, Game2Work made its mark on the broader academic and professional landscape. The team expanded its reach across Iowa and beyond, forging partnerships that enriched the serious game development network and contributed to a growing body of research on how serious games can foster teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in real-world settings. Dr. Michael Brown (Higher Education and Student Affairs) took on co-PI duties when Dr. Nadolny left for other opportunities. Dr. Brown and graduate student Ezequiel Aleman also added gaming elements to the monthly meetings, often bringing new tabletop games for the group to try out.
In addition to research, the Game2Work team organized events to connect people in the field and to apply learning and tools in outreach settings. The first Game2Work Day was held in Ames in the fall of 2022, bringing together academics, industry professionals, and government representatives from across the state to learn from one another and share ideas. The following fall, Game2Work Day moved to Des Moines, IA to bring the event to where much of the industry innovation was happening.
A core characteristic of Game2Work has been its commitment to education and outreach. The team’s collaborative Game Jam pedagogy, developed with ISU Extension and Outreach, has sparked interest in computer science and game design careers among students in middle school through college. Between hosting games nights on the ISU campus and engaging more than 65 K-12 students and 200 undergraduates in game design activities, Game2Work has helped to inspire the next generation of digital innovators.
Additionally, Dr. Brown ran a game design lab throughout the last year of the G2W program. This lab was a springboard for two G2W graduate students to collaborate in launching a student game design club on campus.
On the research side, the group has achieved outcomes that include the development of novel game-based research testbeds, developing games to teach optimization, using games to address cybersickness adaptation, applying game design in the classroom, utilizing games to cultivate science identity, investigating serious games in science learning, and utilizing games to support connected rural communities. Funders for this work included the National Science Foundation, Air Force Research Laboratory, Iowa Space Grant Consortium, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), and more. These efforts advance academic inquiry and help lay the groundwork for future innovations in gameful learning.
Although Game2Work is winding down, its impact will continue to be felt in the work of the faculty collaborators and the students who worked on their projects. In addition, an undergraduate Game Design Major is set to launch in fall 2025, with strong industry partnerships and a curriculum that spans interactive media, game computing, and narrative design. The G2W team is grateful to all the researchers, educators, students, industry partners, and community partners who have joined in this work.
Game2Work by the Numbers
- $9.5 million in grant funding secured
- 51 publications
- 26 invited talks
- 19 events
- 15 games created
- 21 students supported, including PhD, MS, and undergraduate researchers
Land Acknowledgement
Iowa State University aspires to be the best land‐grant university at creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where diverse individuals can succeed and thrive. As a land‐grant institution, we are committed to the caretaking of this land and would like to begin this event by acknowledging those who have previously taken care of the land on which we gather. Before this site became Iowa State University, it was the ancestral lands and territory of the Baxoje (bah-kho-dzhe), or Ioway Nation. The United States obtained the land from the Meskwaki and Sauk nations in the Treaty of 1842. We wish to recognize our obligations to this land and to the people who took care of it, as well as to the 17,000 Native people who live in Iowa today.