Dr. Menno van Pelt-Deen
Designer & Researcher
Dr. Menno van Pelt-Deen is a Design[er] Researcher, he explores game design in new and weird contexts. Amongst others, he created games in swimming pools, therapeutic sessions and forests. By creating games with professionals, students and non-game developers, Menno builds bridges between industries, disciplines and people. As a result, he fosters the inclusion of new perspectives and domains into the creative industry of game development.
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Talk
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[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1496760373065{padding-top: 2px !important;}” ][vc_column ][vc_column_text]Games from the Favelas[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
02/03 March 2022 | Teenagers in the favelas of Brazil have significantly less access to digital education, future prospects and the labour market. These disadventures widens the digital divide in south America. Together with foundation edumais, we try to bridge the gap through games. More specifically, we offer a speedcourse in game development to educate teeangers from the favelas to use digital technologies and become problem solvers by teaching them valuable design skills.
In January 2022, ±40 teenagers from the favelas Pavão-Pavãozinho and Cantagalo in Rio de Janeiro enrolled in a serious game design & development course for a full month. They created digital games for educational purposes and games that may improve the living circumstances of their relatives, help them to learn a second language or further develop their mathematical skills.
Together with serious game designers from the Netherlands, these creatives went through the complete development process of building a serious game. They were taught digital skills, such as coding, digital imagery and interaction design. But also ‘analog’ skills of conceptualizing, paper prototyping and iterative design. In addition, they developed business skills, such as creating a captivating value proposition, successful marketing strategies and team management.
The results of this educational (and fun!) month will be presented by the kids themselves. They will explain what they learned and how their game will contribute to a possible solution for a particular problem. The talk will give a unique insight into the Brazilian perspective on interactive edutainment.
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