I am a Lecturer in Games Production and the Programme Lead for the BA (Hons) Game Design and Production programme. I currently deliver teaching on modules in quality assurance, interaction design, and awareness of the creative industries. I also supervise and mentor many applied game-based projects at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Game Design and Production Management at Abertay University. Following that, I achieved my PhD in applied game design from Glasgow Caledonian University. I achieved my Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in September 2020.

My research activity focuses mainly on the design, production, and evaluation of 'applied games' with particular sectoral interests in the third-sector, education, public engagement, and health and wellbeing. I am interested in exploring new ways for game technologies to be developed and used in contexts beyond pure entertainment, and understanding their growing ubiquity in society.

More information about my work and experience can be found on my website.

Undergraduate Teaching

• Quality Assurance and User Experience
• The Creative Industries

Undergraduate Supervisions

• Professional Project
• Honours Project Proposal and Development
• Honours Project
• Honours Project Dissertation

Postgraduate Supervisions

• Martin Lynagh (PhD, 2021-)
• Fraser Simpson (MbR, 2021-)
• Gordon Brown (PhD, 2020-)
• Tom Dixon (MbR, 2020-)
• Vedant Sandare (MbR, 2019-2020)

My research has focused on the design, development, and evaluation of applied games for a variety of contexts:

• Project:Filter is a game developed as part of my PhD and explores the intersection of public policy, engagement, and education. This game was shortlisted as a finalist for the International Educational Games Competition;
• CHAS Play is a curation of games developed by students in partnership with Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). One such project, Boccia Champions, was awarded a Bronze Award at the Serious Play Conference 2019;
• CumbraeCraft is a heritage-themed game on the Minecraft Education platform designed for primary schoolchildren. The game was developed alongside a complete suite of lessons based on the discovery of local heritage of the Isle of Cumbrae in North Ayrshire, Scotland.

My currently work involves the development of methodologies to assist with the co-production and analysis of applied games. This includes:

• the Applied Jam Framework, a method for engaging in collaborative applied game development;
• the 3A Framework, a framework for analysing historical narratives in games;
• Transform Net-Zero, a project supporting SMEs in reducing energy, waste, and water use across the supply chain.

I am interested in pursuing research and supervision opportunities of research in:

• games for third-sector and volunteer organisations;
• game-based learning;
• games for health and wellbeing;
• game jams and game creation events;
• games and historical analysis;
• phenomenology and experiences of play.

Member of AHRC Peer Review College (2022-2025)

External Examinations:

• BA (Hons) Games Development and Futures, Academy of Contemporary Music
• BA (Hons) Game Design, Technological University Dublin

I have been an active STEM Ambassador since 2016 and enjoy volunteering for various school-based STEM activities such as public demonstrations, career presentations, and hands-on workshops related to game development. I am passionate about providing insight and advice to young people who may wish to consider a career in the games industry.

Selected Public Engagements and Workshops

• CumbraeCraft: Games and Learning Alliance (GALA) Conference 2021 (virtual; exhibitor)
• Nostalgia and Applied Games: RSE Curious 2021 (virtual; speaker)
• More Than Playthings: RSE Curious 2020 (virtual; speaker)
• RSE @ Inverness Family Day (Inverness, UK; speaker)
• Jamology 2019 (Tampere, Finland; speaker)
• Project:Filter and the Game and Experiment Model: GameThink 2.0 (Glasgow, UK; speaker)
• Science Day at Kelvingrove, Glasgow Science Festival 2016 (Glasgow, UK: exhibitor)
• Policy Engagement through Digital Participatoin: TICTeC 2016 (Barcelona, Spain; speaker)