The 16h Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning (iGBL2026) will be hosted online on Friday, 26th of June 2026.
Submissions from early-career researchers and PhD students are particularly welcome. The conference aims to provide a supportive and collegial environment in which participants can share ideas, discuss ongoing work, and receive constructive feedback. Presentations are designed to encourage interaction and exchange, creating space for meaningful discussion rather than one-way dissemination.
Presenters will have opportunities to receive feedback from session chairs and peers, supporting reflection and development at different stages of the research process. The conference is a live online event, with all presentations and workshops delivered synchronously via Zoom (and recorded), allowing for real-time engagement, questions, and discussion
Contributions are welcome from a wide range of topics and may be research or practitioner-based. Researchers from all countries and backgrounds are invited to submit.
Themes for the conference
The symposium will include (but is not restricted to) the following topics:
Pedagogy, Educational and Social issues
- Pedagogical/learning theories for game-based learning
- Evaluation of game-based learning
- Assessment in game-based learning
- Integrating games into the curriculum
- Games to teach arts, science, or business
- Social and collaborative aspects of game-based learning
- Multi-modal aspects of game-based learning (e.g. audio, augmented reality, virtual reality, etc)
- Motivational aspects of game-based learning
- Gender/age/cultural issues
- Ethical concerns of game-based learning (e.g. young children, adolescents, etc)
- Achieving sustainable impact with game-based learning
Gamification and Serious Games
- Serious games and gamification in different sectors (e.g., primary, secondary and higher education, corporate learning, training)
- Gamification within the industry and at the customer interface
- Organizational issues when implementing games
Creative Issues in Game Development
- Designing games for learning
- Best practices in game development
- Alternative controls/ interfaces for games
- Technologies, tools and platforms for developing games for learning
- Technologies for mobile and multi-user games for learning
- Prototyping and/or playtesting
- Narrative/role-playing in game-based learning
- Developing characters & animations for learning games
Virtual and Augmented Reality for Training and Learning
- Designing Serious games based on AR/VR
- Immersive learning experiences
- Virtual Worlds for Learning
- Geo-based gamified apps
Human Computer Interaction (HCI) & Audio
- User Interface and User Experience in games
- User-Centered Game-Based Learning
- Designing audio games for learning and training
- Audio devices and design for game-based learning
- Virtual Worlds for Learning
- Geo-based gamified apps
- Adaptive Design
Non-Digital Game-based Learning
- Board games for education and motivation
- Trading card games to learn and teach
- Simulation and draw games for education and motivation
- Educational games based on physical activities
AI-Driven & Data-Informed Game-Based Learning
- Artificial Intelligence in game-based learning (NPCs, tutoring agents, adaptive difficulty)
- Generative AI for educational game design (content, narratives, levels)
- Learning analytics and player modelling in educational games
- Adaptive and personalised learning experiences through games
- Ethical use of AI in educational games
Learning Analytics, Assessment & Evidence at Scale
- Learning analytics dashboards for game-based learning
- Data-driven assessment in serious games
- Stealth assessment and unobtrusive evaluation
- Longitudinal studies of learning transfer
- Validity, reliability, and reproducibility in GBL research
Accessibility, Inclusion & Universal Design
- Accessible game design for learners with disabilities
- Neurodiversity and game-based learning (ADHD, autism, dyslexia)
- Inclusive design practices in serious games
- Assistive technologies and adaptive interfaces
- Designing for low-resource or constrained contexts
Procedural Content, Emergent Systems & Replayability for Learning
- Procedural content generation for learning environments
- Replayability and variability in educational games
- Sandbox and open-ended learning games
- Emergent gameplay and discovery-based learning
- Balancing structure vs freedom in learning games
Informal, Lifelong & Community-Based Learning
- Game-based learning outside formal education
- Community-driven and citizen-science games
- Museums, libraries, and cultural heritage games
- Intergenerational learning through games
- Lifelong learning and upskilling through play
Submission types
- Submissions from early-career researchers and PhD students are particularly welcome.
- Research-based submissions may include theoretical contributions (e.g., literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, or systematic reviews) and/or empirical studies employing qualitative and/or quantitative methods. Submissions may report on completed research projects or works in progress. Dedicated categories are also available for research students, providing opportunities to receive feedback at any stage of the research process (e.g., research proposals, data collection, or projects nearing completion). The aim is to offer contributors a platform to present and discuss their work or projects. Authors will also have the opportunity to submit a poster.
- Practitioner-based submissions may include presentations describing how game-based approaches have been used to teach, train, or promote change, with no requirement for an associated research study. For example, contributors may have implemented games in a classroom, training environment, or organisational context and wish to share their experiences and insights with like-minded participants. The emphasis of this format is on sharing practical approaches, lessons learned, and applied insights rather than research outcomes.
- Proposals for workshops and interactive posters are also invited. Workshops are typically practical in nature and last between 1 and 2 hours. Their purpose is to equip participants with skills, tools, or approaches that can be applied immediately in their own contexts (e.g., at home, in the classroom, or within an organisation). Workshop proposals should relate to the themes of games, learning, and/or motivation.
- Proposals for game demonstrations are also welcome. If you have developed a game whose purpose is to support learning, motivation, or behavioural change, you may submit a short abstract. Accepted submissions will be invited to showcase their game at the conference..
Submission Formats & Procedure
For each submission, we will ask that you first submit an abstract for the category of your choice using our online submission form.
Research-based submissions
- Length: 300-500 words abstract
- Indicative format: Title, main issue or problem addressed, key research questions, objectives of the study, approach envisaged to answer these questions, a list of 5 relevant references.
- You will provide a 20-25-minute presentation during the conference (including 5-10 minutes for questions and answers).
Practitioner-based submissions
- Length: 300-500 words abstract
- Indicative format: title, relevance to the conference, relevant issue or challenge addressed, settings where GBL was used, results, and what key information the participants will “take away” from the presentation
- Once accepted, you will provide a 20-25-minute presentation during the conference (including 5-10 minutes for questions and answers).
Proposals for workshops
- Length: 300-500 words abstract.
- Indicative format: title, relevance to the conference, target audience, key goals for the workshop, list of the skills that the participants will have acquired after completing the workshop (between 5 and 10), what participants will “take away” from workshop.
- Duration: between 60 and 120 minutes.
- Maxim number of participants (if applicable).
- Hardware required if any.
- Software required if any.
Proposals for game demonstrations
- Length: 300-500 words abstract
- Indicative format: title of the game, target audience, relevance to the conference, key objectives for the game.
- Format: e.g., web, .exe, etc
- Language/platform used for development
- Once accepted, you will provide a 20-25-minute presentation/demo during the conference (including 5-10 minutes for questions, answers and feedback).
Important Dates
- 20th March: Abstract submission deadline.
- 17th April: Notification of abstract acceptance.
- 8th May: Registration deadline for authors.
12th April: Submission of extended abstracts.
25th March: Selected authors are invited to submit an extended version of their abstract (i.e., book chapter to be published in the conference proceedings).