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Many faces, many names? Ethics in Belgian game development education

Published: 08 August 2024 Publication History

Abstract

What is nowadays taught to the game creators of tomorrow in terms of ethics? The current study addresses this question by focusing on 11 higher education and continuous vocational training programs for aspiring game developers taught in Belgium. We conducted textual analyses of institutional materials and semi-structured interviews with nine educators. By combining these sources of data, this study identifies three key categories of ethical considerations that are taught to students: content and design impact, workplace standards, and diversity in gaming culture. This study also underscores educators’ proactivity in addressing gaps between curricular content, industry expectations, and student concerns. It is our hope that this study elucidates the critical potential of teaching ethics, providing actionable recommendations for educational institutions to help prepare creators navigate complex moral issues in today's gaming landscape.

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  • (2024)Ethical Games: Toward Evidence-Based Guidance for Safeguarding Players and DevelopersGames: Research and Practice10.1145/36852072:2(1-11)Online publication date: 29-Jul-2024

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  1. Many faces, many names? Ethics in Belgian game development education

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    Published In

    cover image Games: Research and Practice
    Games: Research and Practice  Volume 2, Issue 2
    June 2024
    149 pages
    EISSN:2832-5516
    DOI:10.1145/3613575
    Issue’s Table of Contents

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    Association for Computing Machinery

    New York, NY, United States

    Publication History

    Published: 08 August 2024
    Online AM: 04 July 2024
    Accepted: 17 May 2024
    Revised: 16 March 2024
    Received: 25 September 2023
    Published in GAMES Volume 2, Issue 2

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    Author Tags

    1. Education
    2. Ethical
    3. Societal
    4. and Political Issues
    5. Design

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    • Flemish Research Foundation-funded GAM(e)(a)BLE

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    • (2024)Ethical Games: Toward Evidence-Based Guidance for Safeguarding Players and DevelopersGames: Research and Practice10.1145/36852072:2(1-11)Online publication date: 29-Jul-2024

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