ELIZABETH KEEGAN

I build game design programs and teach in them. Most of my career has been spent creating environments where students develop trust with each other first, then learn to make games together. The classroom work is one piece, but the real work is building systems that nurture curiosity, dialogue, and critical thinking through community.

I'm interested in games that fuse systems thinking with storytelling - and in teaching methods that do the same. I use traditional games (board games, card games, tabletop systems) because the design decisions are more visible, and because they create intimate, discussion-heavy spaces that are trickier to navigate when only working digitally. My biggest emphasis is reinforcing digital game production with tactile workshops - a major takeaway from my fine arts education. When students fixate on screens, they often leave behind what's most essential: peer-to-peer mentorship, creative leadership, and reflection. That's what drives them to push themselves in curious directions.

I make experimental games and physical artifacts - things people can hold, take apart, and figure out. That tangibility matters to me. Games aren't just screens and code; they're systems you can touch and share.

The pandemic forced a lot of scrappy solutions. Some failed, but the ones that worked taught me more about student-to-student support systems than years of traditional teaching. I'm still figuring out how to facilitate spaces that demand deep listening, observation, and playfulness for different kinds of learners.

I recently moved to Denmark. I'm absorbing this new environment and preparing to bring my experience into the next classroom.