Katrin Becker
A long and varied career can lead to a long and varied resume. Katrin makes no apologies for having such a long resume – it indicates she’s done a lot of things.
Katrin taught her first university course in 1982 while she was still a graduate student and she’s been teaching computer science in various forms on and off ever since. Her research interests have included instructional and software ethology, educational game design & analysis, digital game-based learning (DGBL), interdisciplinary communication, and sometimes computer science education (CSE) and data architecture. She started using classic arcade games as both programming and algorithmic examples and also as assignments in computer science over 15 years ago, and has been using digital games as instructional technologies as long as she’s been teaching.
Katrin holds a BSc and an MSc in Computer Science and a PhD in Educational Technology; she’s a systems analyst, interactive media designer, and instructional designer with > 30 years’ worth of teaching and course design experience. She’s designed curricula in information technology; designed, developed, and taught courses in computer science, education, engineering, fine art, and general science at the post-secondary level. She’s used leading edge technology, developed internationally recognized and award winning innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and has developed several design and analysis models for instructional design generally and serious games in particular. These days, a lot of what Katrin does in her classes is called gamification, so, she does gamification now too.
She’s consulted as a systems analyst, programmer, web designer, and instructional designer. She’s published widely on education, computer science education, games studies and serious games, and has developed and maintained extensive resource and educational websites as well as installing and managing her own Moodle courses.
Finally, to counterbalance a very digital life, she runs a small farm where she has been raising waterfowl, rabbits and other animals for over 25 years. This farm forms the basis for her “Ducks in the Classroom” program, which provided eggs for hatching in classrooms locally from 1988-2012, and information on school hatching projects globally since 2001. It also accounts for occasional bit of poo on her shoe.
Jim Parker
Jim has degrees in Applied Mathematics (B.Sc. Calgary, 1977), Computer Science (M.Sc., Calgary, 1980) and Informatics (Ph.D., Universiteit Ghent with greatest distinction, 1998). He has been a Full Professor of Computer Science, a professor of Drama, and a professor of Art in a 30 year career in academia. He has published over 140 technical articles on simulation, video games, computer vision, and artificial intelligence. He is also the author of five books, including this one.
Dr. Parker has taught game design and has designed a score of games in the Serious Game category, including the acclaimed Booze Cruise in 2007-08. This was an impaired driving simulator in game form, and was designed to show that concentrating hard could not account for alcohol impairment when driving a vehicle.