Gamification certificates or conferences for Higher Ed

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E B

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May 7, 2026, 10:48:53 AMMay 7
to Professors at Play
Hello everyone! I am wondering if anyone knows of any Gamification or Game-based learning certifications/training specifically focused on higher education. I am aware of the Sententia training, and it is excellent! But it does have more of a corporate training focus, even though the concepts can be applied to Higher Ed. But I didn't know if there also might be Gamification certification specifically for higher education folks (I am an instructional designer and former online instructor at the University of Nebraska, also co-organizer of the Lincoln Nebraska Playposium!) 

If you also know of any gamification or GBL conferences that specifically target higher ed (other than Playposium of course ;-)) I'd love to know about it. I'm looking to develop more online training for faculty/students that is gamified.

Thank you! Erin

David McHugh

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May 7, 2026, 12:38:53 PMMay 7
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It's not the focus, but we have a good games strand in Play Make Learn (https://playmakelearn.org/) an annual in-person conference out of UW-Madison.  Our audience skews K12 & libraries but us conference organizers are almost all higher ed, and we get an interesting mix of others as well.  More GBL than gamification.  

It's old, but I really enjoyed Werbach's Gamification MOOC back in the day: https://www.coursera.org/learn/gamification/.  

Colleen Kuusinen

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May 7, 2026, 3:26:38 PMMay 7
to David McHugh, Professors at Play
Barry Fishman at the University of Michigan would know if it exists (or might be willing to develop). His website has some self-paced materials for higher ed:  https://www.gamefulpedagogy.com/getting-started-with-gameful-course-design/


Colleen M. Kuusinen, Ph.D. (she/they)
Educational Developer and Lecturer
Center for Teaching and Learning
702C W.E.B. Dubois Library
Amherst, MA 01003

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E B

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May 7, 2026, 3:36:31 PMMay 7
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Thank you!! I will reach out to Barry!

Swindell, Jami

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May 7, 2026, 3:40:39 PMMay 7
to E B, Professors at Play
Hello All- We are working on a PD for Higher Education faculty on Gamification and Game-Based Learning this summer. Thank you for sharing these resources! 

Jami Swindell 

Dr. Jami L. Swindell 

Jami L. Swindell, Ed.D.  

Assistant Teaching Professor  |  Education  |  Missouri S&T



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Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:36 PM

To: Professors at Play <professor...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Gamification certificates or conferences for Higher Ed
 
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Christine Erin Alexander

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May 8, 2026, 12:29:45 PMMay 8
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The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) has an annual conference and is largely dominated by PK-12 teacher educators and play researchers, but is always seeking a larger presence of higher ed-focused folks. They're a lovely group of people and they offer a lot of play research that can support our work with play.
-Christine

Joshi, Arti

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May 8, 2026, 12:45:32 PMMay 8
to Christine Erin Alexander, Professors at Play
HI All:
I second what Christine said. I am a member of TASP and have been to their conferences- there is a wonderful opportunity/possibility for cross-pollination with TASP.  They do define play across all ages, too- I have seen and presented research on play themes in higher ed.

Regards,
Arti
Dr. Arti Joshi
pronouns:  she/her/hers
Office: Education Room: 300 E. 
Professor
Coordinator , Elementary -Undergraduate & Graduate Programs
Dept. OF Elementary & Early Childhood Education.

(Emails received on any weekday after 8.00 pm will be replied to the following day). Emails are checked sporadically over the weekends. Replies might be delayed).


Randall Fujimoto

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May 8, 2026, 2:50:06 PMMay 8
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Hi Erin, I used to run a GBL microcredential program through CSU Fullerton before they downsized my program last year. I'm currently looking for another institution to host it, but in the meantime, I'd be happy to help provide some ideas or feedback for you on your online training program. Please feel free to email me at ran...@gametrainlearning.org.

--Randall

P.S. On another note, if any of you are in the Los Angeles area, please consider coming to the HistoryCraft collaborative storytelling workshop I'm doing on May 30th: https://historycraft.live

Randall Fujimoto
Executive Director / Game-Based Learning Designer
GameTrain Learning, Inc.
https://www.gametrainlearning.org

E B

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May 11, 2026, 9:28:49 AMMay 11
to Professors at Play
Thank you again everyone for the great suggestions!! I appreciate this community! 
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