Scott Nicholson

Dr. Nicholson is focused on transformative games and meaningful gamification and runs the Because Play Matters game lab.

Transformative games are games designed to change people.  They also are known as serious games or games for change.  Dr. Nicholson focuses on the use of these games in informal learning settings, like libraries, museums, and community programs. He uses the terms "games," "simulations," and "experiential learning" interchangably.

Meaningful gamification is focused on using game design elements to help people find meaning and deeper engagement with real-world settings.  It is different from reward-based gamification, as it focuses on elements of play, information, and reflection instead of points, levels and badges.  More about this can be found at http://becauseplaymatters.com/pubs/

Dr. Nicholson's past research areas have focused on the intersection of gaming in libraries through the Library Game Lab of Syracuse and the combination of data mining and bibliometrics, known as bibliomining, to better understand library users.  More about these topics can be found at http://scottnicholson.com/pubs/index.html

Research Interests

• Games of all types (board, card, roleplaying, video, computer, real-world)
• Game design
• Transformative games
• Games in informal learning
• Games in libraries
• Gamification and Meaningful gamification

Teaching Interests

• Adding game layers to the real world
• Meaningful gamification
• Transformative game design
• How to Teach Online
• The Gamification Journey
• Information Reporting and Presentation

Professional Interests

• How games change people
• Creating transformative games and simulations for informal learning and training
• Developing community-based games and big games

Personal Interests

• Board games (designer of Tulipmania 1637 and host of Board Games with Scott) and digital games
• Face painting through Pied Piper Painting and clown-based performance and activities in non-circus settings