Scholarship & Media

Williams, J., & LaRiviere, B. (2024, November 14). Empowering Minds: Student-Led Innovations in Games Research, Design, and Development. ACTAL Annual Conference 2024, University of Texas at Arlington. https://actal2024.notion.site/actal2024/ACTAL-Conference-2024-13867d6449e480b6a890e0e710a1d1d3

Empowering Minds: Student-Led Innovations in Games Research, Design, and Development” highlights how students at The Basement took initiative to self-teach essential skills in game development, design, and research. Through independent study and collaboration, they developed materials, workshops, and presentations to share their knowledge with peers. This session showcases their creative process, exploring how student-led learning fosters innovation, critical thinking, and community engagement in games education. Attendees will gain insights into empowering students to take ownership of their learning and contribute meaningfully to the broader games industry and academic research. 

Root-Williams, J., Kessner, T. M., & Bernier, J. (2024, April). "Representation in Games and their Historical Antecedents: The queer-ious case of Assassin’s Creed." Games and Culture. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120241291087

Videogames, like other new media, reflect and shape culture and are influenced by societal attitude shifts. We conducted a qualitative close-reading analysis of queer representation in the AAA historical-fiction series Assassin's Creed and the historical antecedents thereof to explore (a) the traditional marginalization of queer-identifying folks in (b) the context of growing societal acceptance within the (inter)national zeitgeist. In our examination of the developer's reaction operationalized as observable shifts in developers’ design choices, we observed an increase in representation that aligns with the shift in social attitudes toward queer folks over the last 15 years. With respect to the historical antecedents, we discovered a misalignment between the in-game portrayal of queer folks and acceptance thereof vis a vis the available historical record.

Kessner, T. M., Bernier, J., & Root-Williams, J. (2024, April). Ludoepistemic Consonance in in Pre-Service Social Studies Teachers’ (Re)Design of Monopoly as a Classroom Simulation. AERA 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

We explored how 12 pre-service social studies teachers went about (re)designing Monopoly to serve as a simulation of the Great Depression for a secondary history course. We use data relevant to participants’ content knowledge, gaming experience, and design experience to help explain major differences between two groups we use as contrasting cases. Team 1 held the lowest scores on the three constructs and limited their (re)design to simply reskinning, or re-theming the game. Team 2 held the highest scores and engaged in what we call ludoepistemic consonance. Results suggest greater content knowledge, gaming experience, and design experience correlate with stronger simulation designs. 

Unpublished Research Proposal "Mastering the table: A constructionist ludology approach and reflexive analysis on the dynamic interplay of communication dynamics and leadership styles through the role of Dungeon/Game Master in tabletop roleplaying games." PDF Link

This proposed study hoped to explore how Dungeon/Game Masters (D/GMs) in tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) enact and interpret leadership within and beyond the game. This paper begins with a comprehensive literature review, outlining key research in communication leadership, semiotics, game studies, and TRPG-specific scholarship. This section synthesizes existing theories on leadership communication, game studies scholarship, and the ways games function as structured yet socially negotiated communicative spaces. By reviewing leadership styles, discursive leadership, then diving into ludology and TRPG dynamics, this study aims to situate itself within the broader academic discussions on communication leadership and play.

COMM 5392: Seminar “Critical Media Studies” - Fall 2025

Developed expertise in core concepts across Communication with exploration into new media including media effects, audience analysis, and cultural theory.

Applied interdisciplinary frameworks (feminist, race, queer, and political economy) to analyze media representation, identity formation, and power, with an emphasis on translating complex theory into accessible, discussion-driven learning environments.

Produced a graduate research project on gender, religion, and performative identity in video games using Hollow Knight: Silksong, employing critical cultural theory and mixed-method approaches to analyze media, identity, and player interpretation. PDF Link

ENGL 5391: Grad Readings “Video Game Analysis” - Spring 2025

Research project on the game Stardew Valley and how “cozy games” have amplified “coziness” due to the opposing urgent and more adrenaline rushing parts of the game such as: having to be home by midnight, enemies in the mines, and the infamously debated fishing mini-game. PDF Link

COMM 5350: Health Communication - Fall 2024

Used an alternate scene in the game Life is Strange as a case study for end of life care and assisted suicide. Engaged the class in a critical thinking discussion and asked if their views changed after playing the scene through as a group and making collective decisions.

Research proposal on how non serious games could be used by mental health professionals as part of treatment plans for anxiety and/or depression. PDF Link

COMM 5347: Crisis Communication - Fall 2024

Mock press conference to practice presenting in front of the press and the usage of crisis communication theories in front of a live audience.

Modified the popular resource management board game Scythe using SCCT framework to have students as players use the theory to make decisions for their territory in groups. This had either positive or negative consequences based on what theory they chose, what the other groups/territories chose, and the results of their people (AKA stakeholders). They then had to craft messages responding to their people and were assessed on the potential effectiveness of their message.

EDUC 5394: Understanding and Designing Classroom Research - Summer 2022

Proposed a study using Quantum Foundry’s motivation to specifically target undergraduate students motivations for why or why not they would play and what would help them enjoy serious learning games.

EDUC 5390: Special Topics in Education “Games, Learning, & Society” - Spring 2022

Poster session: How Life is Strange: True Colors could be used to teach empathetic concepts like emotional intelligence, emotional contagion, and reading others emotions (see photo below).

Gameplay and reflection: The potential harm of cultural appropriation in the Horizon Zero Dawn & Horizon Forbidden West games. PDF Link

COMM 5305: Communication Research Methods - Fall 2021

Designed and implemented a study on empathy and gaming using Dis4ia, Life is Strange, and Gris to see if players empathy toward transgender individuals, assisted suicide, and depression varied after playing the game. Results leaned toward more positive and affirming viewpoints after playing of the games, but there were not enough participants to be statistically significant. PDF Link