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Providing guidance to learners navigating a game-based learning environment requires walking a fine line between encouraging progression toward learning goals without disrupting playful engagement in the game. In this paper, we present a scaffolding guidebook developed for tutors to provide guidance in game-based learning environments that encourages exploration of the problem space and solving puzzles without disrupting engagement. Scaffolding strategies were coded and categorized from Baba is You gameplay recordings of 13 middle school and 12 undergraduate students and then situated based on guiding principles from relevant literature into a scaffolding guide. Here, we describe this guidebook and its development, which could provide educators with important tools that can help their students progress through game-based learning environments without interfering with engagement.

Esports appeal to millions worldwide and have observable social, political, and economic impacts. This influence presents unique opportunities for academia and industry to examine a variety of topics. Research on esports continues to grow in both volume and complexity while the industry continues to refine itself as both a profession and a cultural force. Following the success of an esports summit in 2016, the 2018 Esports Research Conference (ESC 2018) was the first conference of its kind to focus on esports research and practice inclusive of both academics and industry professionals. Created to provide a space for esports researchers and industry leaders to come together to present research, discuss topics relevant to future work, celebrate collaboration in the growing field, and build bridges between the many communities that make up the field of esports. ESC is the premier academic research conference in the field of esports. Building on our success last year, ESC 2019 aims to foster substantive discussion about competitive video game play, bringing together leading thinkers across both academia and industry. Each year, we foster in-depth conversation and networking across diverse disciplines including informatics, computer science, cognitive science, game studies, sociology, sports science, communication arts, and business.Conference highlights include keynotes by leaders in both academia and industry, interactive workshops on research and program design, individual and symposia presentations, big debates about critical aspects of esports, a massively multiplayer evening poster session over hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, fireside chats that enable cozy conversations among VIP speakers and attendees, and the finest fiercest friendly competition among collegiate esports teams in our evening esports invitational event.ESC aims to bring the communities and people of this growing phenomenon together to foster debate and collaboration through esports research.

This article looks at two televised video game tournaments from the 1980’s from the viewpoint of sports spectacle. Through the analysis of the television episodes and comparison to modern eSports-scene, the aim is to see, if there were similarities or differences between sports broadcasting and video game broadcasting at the time. The article suggests that because of visual choices made in sports broadcasting, the video game tournaments adapted this style coincidentally, which might have affected the style of eSports-broadcasting later. nonPeerReviewed