University of Waterloo Stratford CampusThe University of Waterloo has long been seen as a preeminent leader in Engineering and Computer Science. Now it seeks to expand its reach in the arts with the opening of the Stratford Campus, focused on creating, examining and commercializing opportunities in the digital media space. By bringing together students, leading researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs to advance digital media technology and creative application, the Waterloo Stratford Campus is leading an evolution in learning and career preparation.

"At the Stratford Campus, we have been engaging Arts and Humanities in important new ways", says Beth Cotter, a Marketing Manager with the university. Students are immersed in a rich, technology-driven environment where theory and practice, science and commerce, creativity and innovation merge to forward digital media. The upcoming Gamification conference, happening October 2-4, is a great example of this, providing a platform for research and innovation to intersect.

We are so excited to have this forward-thinking organization as a sponsor this year. The UW Stratford Campus is just another example of the thriving user experience (UX) and design community here in Kitchener-Waterloo.

We recently caught up with Beth in between study breaks to learn a little bit more about this new campus and it's initiatives - here's some of that conversation.

Q: UW's main campus offers courses in the faculties of computer science, systems design engineering and even psychology that each focus on some aspect of UX design.  How does the UW Stratford Campus differentiate itself in this space?

A: The University of Waterloo has long had the reputation of being the most advanced and internationally recognized science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) institution in Canada. These are important to Canada’s future, but only in the perspective of how humans will use them.We put the Arts in STEM for human engagement. We immerse our students in an Arts inspired, technology driven and industry directed environment where theory and practice, science and art, commerce and creativity combine to prepare them for a world of opportunity and change.

Q: UW Stratford is hosting the Gamification conference in the fall, which is more than just about playing games.  Can you explain a bit about what the term gamification refers?

A:  Gamification makes use of gaming elements and thinking to motivate, engage and change behaviour in addressing important personal, corporate and even global challenges and opportunities.

Games surround us. For some, they provide entertainment. For others, they guide health, fitness, even education. For still others, they offer an increasingly important source of narratives, joining books, films, and television. In digital media, games represent the most successful user experiences of all time – bar none. What gamification does is take those experiences beyond the realm of games as we know them and place them inside non-game settings: business, education, health, politics, and more. Gamification, done well, enriches user engagement.

Q: Why did the campus choose to get involved in Fluxible?

A: Our campus got involved with Fluxible as a means to share UX learning and introduce our students to a broader group of thought leaders and practitioners in UX. Our students can learn a great deal from those working in industry, applying UX skills and knowledge now in their daily work. By connecting our campus with UX professionals and  industry groups, we are creating future learning opportunities.

A big thanks again to the UW Stratford Campus for sponsoring. We had a great time engaging with the number of students that attended - what a fantastic learning opportunity for us all!