Endless Games and Learning Lab
The Endless Games and Learning Lab represents a whole new era in education. By merging cutting-edge technology and engaging game environments, the Endless Lab will redefine the future of games, learning and opportunity, and empower individuals and communities around the world.
President Michael Crow
Unleashing endless possibilities for learning and empowerment
The Endless Games and Learning Lab, an Arizona State University Realm 5 initiative, represents a new era in education, merging cutting-edge technology, engaging game environments, and universally accessible high-intensity learning experiences. This initiative will advance ASU's pursuit of Realm 5, which seeks to create infinitely scalable learning – massively distributed, universally accessible, high-intensity and personalized learning solutions for all people.
The Endless Lab draws its inspiration from John Dewey’s philosophy that education should be organized around a learner’s everyday experiences, rather than being imposed “from above and from outside.” By integrating advanced research, global partnerships and state-of-the-art technologies, the Endless Lab will redefine the future of games, learning and opportunity, empowering individuals and communities across the globe.
Vision
The Endless Lab envisions a world where education transcends traditional boundaries, harnessing the power of digital creativity to create high-quality, personalized learning experiences that are accessible and engaging for everyone. Almost half a billion global youth (ages 15-30) are not in school or are unemployed. Existing systems of education cannot reach these young people because they are not designed to be scalable and personalized, meeting learners where they are — in the environments where they play, socialize and spend time. Educators must find ways to build personalized learning and work pathways that are integrated into the interests, habits and lives of young people. This requires new educational technology, new models of mentorship and peer learning, new ways to assess knowledge, skills and competencies, and new curricular designs.
The Endless Lab at ASU will stand at the forefront of educational innovation, bridging the gap between playful game environments and high-intensity learning solutions to create a new paradigm in education. By partnering with companies, governments and schools, the Endless Lab will drive use-inspired research and advance ASU’s pursuit of Realm 5 — providing transformative, universally accessible learning experiences that empower learners to forge successful careers and lead meaningful lives, ultimately unlocking infinite possibilities for individuals and communities across the planet.
The Endless Network
Endless Network empowers youth with access to digital skills, tools, and content. It shares ASU’s commitment to harnessing the transformative power of game design to advance learning across multiple disciplines. The grant to launch the Endless Lab has the potential to enable millions of students to become creators through scalable game-based learning experiences.
Making a difference
Endless Lab director
Key objectives
- Seamlessly integrated play-to-learn, make-to-learn and learn-through-making activities: Conduct research and develop innovative game-based learning experiences that combine play, creation and learning, empowering learners to develop critical hard and soft skills and knowledge while contributing to the understanding of effective educational methodologies.
- Advancing a modern-day ‘primer’ in pursuit of Realm 5: Advance a state-of-the-art AI-driven personalized learning platform that dynamically tailors learning content, pathways and experiences for individual learners within the game making/learning ecosystem.
- Designing AI systems for game development and asset creation: Dedicate a specialized research area to designing and developing AI systems aimed at enhancing all aspects of game development and asset creation, encompassing domains from conceptualization and design to production and optimization.
- Global reach and impact: Establish strategic partnerships and collaborations worldwide, extending the benefits of the Endless Lab’s pioneering research and innovative approach to learners from diverse backgrounds and communities, fostering a more equitable and inclusive global society.
- Full life cycle development: Cultivate a system that supports learners throughout their educational journey, fostering the development of ongoing skills, leading to job placement and/or entrepreneurship opportunities.
- Scale and program enrollment: Within five years, the Endless Lab’s research will inform the technology and educational design necessary to reach millions of learners, with each learner qualifying for at least three micro-credentials issued by ASU.
Governance and organization
The Endless Lab will be organizationally housed within the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and physically housed within the Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center. The Endless Lab will amplify and benefit from connections across the entire university, including engineering, management and leadership, education and learning science.
The Endless Lab will have a Global Advisory Council that includes executives and leaders from the gaming, education and technology sectors, along with key ASU leaders from the Academic Enterprise, the Learning Enterprise, the Knowledge Enterprise and EdPlus.