Games, Learning & Society Conference
The Games, Learning & Society academic conference, or GLS conference, was an annual gathering of academic researchers, video game developers, and government and industry leaders in Madison, Wisconsin, to discuss the social significance of gaming culture. Specifically, they examined how games can be used to transform how people learn and what implications that knowledge has for society. According to the official website, the conference's stated mission was to foster substantive discussion and collaboration among academics, designers, and educators interested in how videogames - commercial games and others—can enhance learning, culture, and education. The founder and chair was Constance Steinkuehler. The first conference was held in 2005, and took place at the Monona Terrace, a conference center inspired by the design of Wisconsin architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The final conference was held in 2016, where Constance Steinkuehler announced she was leaving the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and that the GLS conference would not continue in her absence. A similar conference, Play Make Learn Conference, meant to continue the work and is also held annually at University of Wisconsin–Madison.
