Academic Credentials:
Amanda Ochsner is an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Findlay in Ohio. She researches how formative experiences with games and digital media influence the learning pathways and professional trajectories of youth and adults. Her recent projects examine the experiences of women who work in the video game industry, efforts to engage girls in learning to code, and a digital initiative to increase college access for youth from historically marginalized populations. Dr. Ochsner teaches courses on video games and learning, scholarly writing and research, qualitative research methods, information literacy, and innovation.
SERVICE TO PROFESSION
Manuscript Reviews
International Journal of STEM Education
Games & Culture
Qualitative Research
International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations
Conference Reviews
Connected Learning Summit
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)
International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS)
SIGCSE (SIG on Computer Science Education)
Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA)
Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Conference
Committees & Advisory Boards
Committee Member, Graduate Curriculum Committee
University of Findlay
Advisory Board Member, Math Snacks Project Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), New Mexico State University, P.I. Karin Wiburg
Steering Committee for Professional Pathways Distributed Open Collaborative Course (DOCC)
Digital Media and Learning Hub
Advisory Board Member, Teacher Pioneers: Visions from the Edge of the Map Book Project
ETC Press
CONSULTING, WRITING, & EDITING
Pearson Education, Santa Monica, CA
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Milwaukee, WI
The Field Museum, Chicago, IL
Wisconsin Science Festival, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, WI
COMMUNITY SERVICE & OUTREACH
Teen Hackathon
Served as mentor for all-day youth hackathon event for coding and e-textiles
Woodbury, MN
Professional Development Day
Games & Learning Keynote presented at Patrick Henry High School
Hamler, OH
Hancock Leadership Program
Participated in 12-month leadership program and service project
Findlay, OH
The Minecraft Experience @ USC.
Facilitated game jam and panel event as part of campus Visions & Voices series
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
I AM Mentoring Program
Mentoring high school students on college application & financial aid process
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cyberlearning Club
Facilitated after school game design and programming club
New Glarus Middle School, New Glarus, WI
Expanding Your Horizons Conference
Facilitated game design jams with middle school girls
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Digi Design E-Textile Class
Designed curriculum & co-taught e-textile class for elementary & middle school students
New Glarus Schools, New Glarus, WI
Media Arts & Game Development Expo
Provided feedback on student game design projects
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Visioneers Design Challenge
Facilitated game jam and provided feedback on student design projects
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
International Women’s Hackathon
Organized participant and mentor recruitment, solicited financial support
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Biology Game Design Jam
Facilitated game design jams with middle school students
Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, Madison, WI
Digital Learning Day
Facilitated programming sessions with middle school students
New Glarus Middle School, New Glarus, WI
Playful Learning Summit
Facilitated workshops on making games in Kodu
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Women in Science & Engineering
Facilitated information session with undergraduate women
University of Wisconsin-Madison
WePlay @WEMTA (Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association)
Madison, WI
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Quality Matters
Higher Education Video Game Alliance (HEVGA)
International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
Association for Computing Machinery
SIG for Computer Science Education (SIGCSE)
ACM-W supporting Women in Computing
Literacy Research Association (LRA) Member
American Educational Research Association (AERA) Member
Games+Learning+Society Group (GLS)
PRESS
Game On
Published in University of Findlay Faculty Focus, Spring 2018
Ochsner brings games, research methods on cross country trip.
Published in Findlay Newsroom, May 17, 2017.
Minecraft game jam looks at USC—100 years from now.
Published on USC News, January 31, 2017
How playing one game can help students get into college.
Published on Polygon, September 26, 2016
UW researches ways to draw women toward science majors.
Published in The Badger Herald, February 23, 2015
UW graduate students push for more women in computer programming and game design.
Aired on WKOW 27 News, February 20, 2015
Interview on Women in STEM.
Wisconsin Public Radio, February 19, 2015
Ph.D. student advocates for women’s involvement in gaming industry.
Published in The Daily Cardinal, February 16, 2015
Game researcher encourages Wisconsin girls to become next generation of computer programmers.
Published on University of Wisconsin News, February 11, 2015
Game researchers encourage next generation of female game designers & computer programmers.
Published on WID Culture, January 26, 2015
Edited Books & Conference Proceedings
Tierney, W., Corwin, Z., & Ochsner, A. (Eds.) (2018). Diversifying digital learning: Online literacy and educational opportunity. Baltimore, MA: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ochsner, A., Dietmeier, J., Williams, C., & Steinkuehler, C. (Eds.) (2014) Proceedings of the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 4. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Williams, C., Ochsner, A., Dietmeier, J., & Steinkuehler, C. (Eds.) (2013) Proceedings of the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 3. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Martin, C., Ochsner, A., & Squire, K. (Eds.) (2012) Proceedings of the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 2. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Steinkuehler, C., Martin, C., & Ochsner, A. (Eds.) (2011) Proceedings of the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 1. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Lanford, M., Corwin, Z., Maruco, T., & Ochsner, A. (In Press). Institutional barriers to innovation: Lessons from a digital intervention to improve college access for low-income students. Journal of Research on Technology in Education.
Ochsner, A. (2017). Reasons why: Examining the experience of women in games 140 characters at a time. Games and Culture. doi: 10.1177/1555412017709418
Ochsner, A. & Saucerman, J. (2015). I choose you! Diversity in the design of Pokémon. Well Played Journal, 4(3), 26-40.
Book Chapters
Ochsner, A., Maruco, T. J., & Corwin, T. B. (in press). Mission: Admission. In K. Schrier (Ed.) Learning, education, & games volume 3: 100 games to use in the classroom and beyond. Cambridge, MA: ETC Press.
Ochsner, A. (2018). Diversifying digital clubhouses: Creating pathways of opportunity for girls in games and technology. In W. Tierney, Z. Corwin, & A. Ochsner (Eds). Diversifying digital learning: Online literacy and educational opportunity. Baltimore, MA: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ochsner, A., Corwin, Z. B., & Tierney, W. G. (2018) Towards digital equity: The role of context, quality and connections. In W. Tierney, Z. Corwin, & A. Ochsner (Eds). Diversifying digital learning: Online literacy and educational opportunity. Baltimore, MA: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ochsner, A. (2016). Need to succeed: Women share their reasons to be in the game industry. In Y. Kafai, G. Richard, & B. Tynes (Eds). Diversifying Barbie and Mortal Kombat. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Rothschild, M., Ochsner, A., and Gray, J. (2013). It’s all part of the game: The emergence of narrative and meaning in play. Ctrl-Alt-Play: Essays on control in video gaming. Durham, NC: HASTAC Press.
Martin, C., Williams, C., Ochsner, A., Harris, S., King, E., Anton, G., Elmergreen, J., & Steinkuehler, C. (2012). Playing together separately: Mapping out literacy and social synchronicity. In G. Merchant, J. Gillen, J. Marsh & J. Davies (Eds.) Virtual literacies: Interactive spaces for children and young people (pp. 226-243). London: Routledge.
Martin, C., Chu, S., Johnson, D., Ochsner, A., Williams, C., & Steinkuehler, C. (2011). Ding! World of Warcraft: Well played, well researched. In D. Davidson (Ed.), Well played 3.0. ETC Press.
Peer Reviewed Conference Proceedings
Ochsner, A. (2017). More than making games: Exploring the professional pathways of women in the game industry. Published in the Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 6. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Ochsner, A. (2015). Lessons learned with girls, games, and design. Proceedings from GenderIT 2015: Advancing Diversity. New York, NY: ACM Association for Computing Machinery. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2807565.2807709
Ochsner, A. & Anton, G. (2014). Talking with kids on game design, computer programming, and taking over the world with dragons. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 4. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Rothschild, M. & Ochsner, A. (2014). Tech TrajecStories: Values that shape the lives of women in technology. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 4. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Hatfield, D., Anton, G., Ochsner, A., Squire, K., Shapiro, R.B., & Games, I.A. (2013). Studio K: Tools for game design and computational thinking. Proceedings from CSCL: Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Conference.
Ochsner, A. (2013). Online communities making a Mass Effect: From affinities for games to identities for professionalism. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 3. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Anton, G., Harris, S., Ochsner, A., Rothschild, M., & Squire, K. (2013). Patterns of play: Understanding computational thinking through game design. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 3. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Ochsner, A. & Martin, C. (2012). Learning and cultural participation in Mass Effect and Elder Scrolls affinity spaces. In W. Kaminski & M. Lorber (Eds.), Gamebased Learning: Clash of Realities 2012 (pp. 97-106). Munich, Germany: kopaed.
Ochsner, A. & Steinkuehler, C. (2012). Playing nice: Social and ethical reasoning across in- and out-of-game contexts. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 2. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Ochsner, A. & Martin, C. (2012). Not just for the love of the game: Finding professional quality in game-based wikis. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 2. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Martin, C., Anton, G., Ochsner, A., Elmgergreen, J., & Steinkuehler, C. (2012). Information literacy and online reading comprehension in WoW and school. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 2. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Steinkuehler, C., King, E., Alagoz, E., Anton, G., Chu, S., Elmergreen, J., Fahser-Herro, D., Harris, S., Martin, C., Ochsner, A., Oh, Y., Owen, V. L., Simkins, D., Williams, C., & Zhang, B. (2011). Let me know when she stops talking: Using games for learning without colonizing play. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+ Society Conference: Vol. 1. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Steinkuehler, C., King, E., Martin, C., Oh, Y., Chu, S., Williams, C., Ochsner, A., Harris, S., Owens, L., & Anton, G. (2011). Mixed methods to study games and learning. Proceedings from the Games+Learning+Society Conference: Vol. 1. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press.
Selected Peer Reviewed Conference Presentations
Ochsner, A., Williams, N., Gillham, J., Brasfield, J., Cain, M., & Cindric, J. (2018). Excellence online: A reflection on participation in an online course design program evaluation. Presented at the Mid-Western Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Cincinnati, OH. October 24-26.
Ochsner, A. (2018). Diversifying digital clubhouses: Creating pathways of opportunity for girls in games and technology. In Z. Corwin (Chair) Digital equity: Micro and macro-level perspectives. Presented at the 2018 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. New York City, NY. April 13-18.
Corwin, Z. B., Ochsner, A., Maruco, T., McClelland, A., Reichardt, R., & Aguilar, S. (2018). Evaluating the effects of a game-based intervention on FAFSA completion: Mixed methods and multiple metrics. Presented at the 2018 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. New York City, NY. April 13-18.
Ochsner, A. (2017). Implementing and embracing innovation to support college access: A study of two schools. Presented at the Mid-Western Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Evanston, IL, October 18-21.
Corwin, Z. B., Ochsner, A., Maruco, T. J., Aguilar, S. J. (2017). Implementing a digital college access initiative: Four profiles of engagement. Presented at the Digital Media & Learning (DML) Conference, Irvine, CA, October 4-6.
Ochsner, A. (2017). Early and diverse access to technology to support equitable outcomes for girls. Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX, April 27 – May 1, 2017.
Ochsner, A. & Corwin, Z. B. (2017). Barriers to brokering space, time, and technology to support college knowledge. Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX, April 27 – May 1, 2017.
Corwin, Z. B., Ochsner, A., Maruco, T., Danielson, R. W., Tichavakunda, A. A., Kolluri, S., Thacker, I. E., Galan, C., Sinatra, G. M., & Tierney, W. G. (2017). A digital approach to increasing college access in California high schools. In Statewide innovations in the college access space: Perspectives from researchers, practitioners, and evaluators. Symposium presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX, April 27 – May 1, 2017.
Ochsner, A. (2016). Early, often, & different: Fostering inclusive spaces for supporting diverse learning pathways in games & technology. Presented at the Digital Media & Learning (DML) Conference, Irvine, CA, October 5-7.
Ochsner, A., Swensen, E., Bouchard, S., Wells, N., McClelland, A., & Corwin, Z. (2016). Launching the Mission: Admission Challenge. Panel presented at the Digital Media & Learning (DML) Conference, Irvine, CA, October 5-7.
Ochsner, A. (2016). More than making games: Exploring the professional pathways of women in the game industry. Presented at the Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Conference, Madison, WI, August 17-19.
Ochsner, A., Tichavakunda, A., & Corwin, Z. (2016). A game-based approach for improving college access and enrollment for underserved students. In C. Martin (Chair) Equity, technology, and youth: An examination of experimental design to bridge equity gaps. Symposium presented at the 2016 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. April 8-12.
Ochsner, A. (2015). Lessons learned with girls, games, and design. Presented at Gender and IT 2015. Philadelphia, PA, April 24-25.
Ochsner, A. & Anton, G. (2014). Talking with kids on game design, computer programming, and taking over the world with dragons. Presented at the Games+Learning+ Society (GLS) Conference, Madison, WI, June 11-13.
Rothschild, M. & Ochsner, A. (2014). Tech TrajecStories: Values that shape the lives of women in technology. Presented at the Games+Learning+ Society (GLS) Conference, Madison, WI, June 11-13.
Ochsner, A. & Schmeider, C (2014). Blurred through translation? Exploring a technique of masking qualitative online data. Presented at the 2014 Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Urbana-Champaign, IL, May 21-24.
Hatfield, D., Anton, G., Ochsner, A., Squire, K., Shapiro, R.B., & Games, I.A. (2013). Studio K: Tools for game design and computational thinking. Presented at the Conference of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), Madison, WI, June 15-19.
Ochsner, A. (2013). From affinities for games to identities for professionalism. Presented at the Games+Learning+ Society (GLS) Conference, Madison, WI, June 12-14.
Anton, G., Harris, S., Ochsner, A., Rothschild, M., & Squire, K. (2013). Patterns of play: Understanding computational thinking through game design. Presented at the Games+Learning+ Society (GLS) Conference, Madison, WI, June 12-14.
Ochsner, A. (2013). No one edits alone: Collaborative construction of multimodal wiki worlds. In C. Martin and M. Rafalow (Chairs), Beyond the classroom: Learning in online communities. Panel presented at the Digital Media and Learning (DML) Conference: Democratic Futures. Chicago, IL, March 14-16.
Anton, G., Ochsner, A., & Squire, K. (2013). Interest-driven learning in game design environments. Presented at the Digital Media and Learning (DML) Conference: Democratic Futures. Chicago, IL, March 14-16.