Under the theme “Building communitiesInteraction Design and Children, bridging ideas,” the Constructionism Conference 2025 was held from June 24 to 27 in Zurich. Hosted by ETH Zurich and the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PHZH), the event provided a dynamic platform for educators, researchers, and practitioners to share innovative practices and theoretical advancements. The diverse program ranged from workshops on designing questions that foster learning to presentations on makerspaces in teacher education.
One of the conference’s key focuses was the question of how learning processes in constructionist environments can be re-evaluated. The Special Track on “Innovative Assessment and Evaluation Methods” explored how traditional assessment methods could be adapted to better align with principles such as creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on engagement.
As part of this Special Track, doctoral candidate Petra Weixelbraun presented her short paper titled “Game Character Design as a Mirror of Student Perceptions.” The paper, co-authored with Barbara Göbl and Mirjam Duvivié, investigates how game character design can serve as a creative method for reflection and assessment. The analysis of character designs created by students in workshops provided deep insights into their individual perspectives on topics like the healthcare system and social inequality.
The short paper is available to read here:
Weixelbraun, P. F., Göbl, B., & Duvivié, M. (2025, June). Game Character Design as a Mirror of Student Perceptions: A Creative Method for Reflection and Assessment in Educational Settings. In Constructionism Conference Proceedings (Vol. 8, pp. 351-358). https://constructionism.oapublishing.ch/index.php/con/article/view/28/28
