Abstract:

This paper seeks to examine the experiences of serious game academics (at a UK university), participating in a European Union (EU) supported partnership between 19 different stakeholders (academic and commercial) from a range of EU member states. The purpose of this partnership project (Realising an Applied Gaming Ecosystem RAGE) was to develop applied game design on a European scale for educational purposes. Through three semi-structured interviews conducted during the course of 2019, this paper seeks to examine the lived experiences of the UK based academic stakeholders whilst working on the RAGE project. Interview feedback indicates that whilst positive exposure, relevance and credibility have been strong positives of the experience. Well-established issues such as technological capability, working cultures and institutional factors have been key areas of challenge. The purpose of this paper is to build towards an evidence-based framework of good practice for future industry partnerships at the university.

Keywords:

academic stakeholder, serious game educators, third-mission, triple-helix.