Taylor Kessner (SUNY Geneseo/Matt Burkhartt)
Taylor Kessner is a new assistant professor in Geneseo’s Ella Cline Shear School of Education whose research focuses on games, game design, and simulations as methods to teach students social studies and history.
Kessner examines game design and how designers use play to foster decision-making, autonomy, a sense of belonging, and other important skills and qualities in students.
"The value of games in learning isn't so much about using the games," Kessner says. "The real power is thinking about how games are designed for deep learning, in which students can make choices and use disciplinary tools to help them to solve problems."
Kessner is teaching his first semester of classes at Geneseo. He came to Geneseo from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he was an assistant professor and program coordinator of secondary social studies. He holds a master's degree in educational leadership and policy from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor and a PhD in learning, literacies, and technologies from Arizona State University–Tempe.
He also taught middle and high school social studies for seven years before transitioning to higher education. He believes his previous experience helps him bring to the classroom a sense of what teachers actually need to know.
"I taught in diverse schools in rural, suburban, and urban settings," says Kessner. "There isn't much I haven't seen as a classroom teacher. This diverse set of experiences allows me to engage deeply and authentically with my students both about what they are seeing in their early student teaching placements and what they will see going forward."
Kessner is looking forward to creating opportunities for research with education majors, and will host two student research projects this spring that focus on play and learning. He is also working with a student in the education graduate program on research of economics-based games.
"My students learn by doing,” he says. “They formulate big questions deeply relevant to their future careers, conduct research, and present their findings. That's the kind of teaching and learning we do here, and I sleep so much better at night knowing I'm a part of preparing our students for excellence in their chosen professions."
Read more about Taylor Kessner’s research on:
• Navigating divisive issues in social studies
• Avatar identity and opportunities
• Made-for-school history video games