Lights, Camera, Inclusion S3E3: Dr. Kris Alexander
The “Video Games Professor” discusses the educational potential of gaming, the importance of curating video games for young people and how inclusion and belonging are tied to the ability to create.
Now & Next’s Lead Editor Gaëlle Essoo is joined on this third episode by Dr. Kris Alexander, Associate Professor of game design at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), and Director of the Red Bull Gaming Hub at the Creative school, TMU. Dr. Alexander is an advocate for using video games as an interactive and powerful learning tool, and is a huge believer in empowering young people to create their own games and worlds. He believes parents have a central role to play when it comes to curating inclusive games for their children.
In this interview, Dr. Alexander delves into the untapped educational potential of video games. He explains how games differ from traditional media by providing an element of player autonomy that fosters deeper learning. “Video games are unique because they offer instant feedback—players learn through doing, making mistakes, and trying again in a safe space,” he says.
Addressing common misconceptions, he urges parents to move beyond fears of gaming addiction by understanding the medium’s educational value. He stresses the importance of curating video games for children and teens, the same way books or films are curated by parents and educators. “Responsibility pulls inward and blame pushes outward. You can’t ask technology to raise your kids and then get mad at how it did it.”
Through personal anecdotes, Dr. Alexander also shares how his love of video games drove him to learn valuable life skills, such as financial literacy and computer building, which he now imparts to underserved communities, arguing that giving those communities the tools to create their own narratives can transform the industry and enrich its cultural impact.
