PEC (conference)
Mountain West Conference (Esports)
EsportsU / Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC)
Esports Awards
National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE)
National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD)
International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL)
Head Coach and Director, Varsity Esports (College of Innovation + Design), Boise State University
Chris “Doc” Haskell is an Associate Clinical Professor of Educational Technology at Boise State University and the founding Head Coach and Director of Boise State Varsity Esports. His scholarship centers on educational gaming and the quest‑based learning (QBL) model he helped pioneer alongside the development of the 3D GameLab platform. Haskell joined the Boise State faculty in 2007 and launched the university’s varsity esports program in 2017, leading it to national prominence while continuing to teach and research game‑based approaches to learning. citeturn1search3turn1search1turn4search0
A game‑inspired instructional design framework that structures curricula as non‑linear “quests,” leveraging experience points, progress bars, badges, and iterative resubmission to promote choice, persistence, and mastery. QBL underpins the 3D GameLab platform and emphasizes flexible pathways tied to standards/competencies.
Journal of College Reading and Learning • Journal
In a survey of 152 undergraduates, the study examined perceptions of reading, habits, and learning preferences across traditional and non‑traditional text formats. Results revealed misalignment between students’ stated perceptions and actual habits: while students engaged frequently with non‑traditional digital texts, they expressed preferences more aligned with traditional print. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed.
• Report
This white paper introduces quest‑based learning as an instructional design theory that applies game mechanics—experience points, progress bars, badges, and achievements—to create flexible, choice‑driven curricula. Drawing on classroom implementations, it argues that QBL increases engagement, supports iterative improvement through unpenalized retries, and provides personalized pathways toward course “winning conditions.”
Cases on Digital Game‑Based Learning: Methods, Models and Strategies (IGI Global) • Chapter
This chapter reports a design‑based research effort to implement game‑based pedagogy and a quest‑based learning management system (3D GameLab) in a pre‑service teacher education course. Across iterative phases, the authors refined the system, curriculum, and pedagogy in tandem to test and generate theory around game‑/quest‑based learning, documenting outcomes and design implications for scalable, choice‑driven instruction.
Cases on Digital Game‑Based Learning: Methods, Models and Strategies (IGI Global) • Chapter
Describes the development of 3D GameLab, a quest‑based learning management system, and its use in a pre‑service teacher education course. Grounded in design‑based research, the chapter details iterative phases of building the system, curriculum, and pedagogy to support game‑based and quest‑based learning and theory generation.
Virtual Education Journal • Journal
Boise State University Theses and Dissertations • Thesis
This dissertation investigates quest‑based learning (QBL) as an instructional design theory that leverages game mechanics to support student choice within a curriculum. Using electronically collected data from a QBL learning management system, educational quests were coded and analyzed to identify features that increase initial interest and completion. Data mining and text mining highlight clusters of attractive quest characteristics and their significance, and an educational quest taxonomy is proposed to inform future QBL design.
Ubiquitous Learning: Strategies for Pedagogy, Course Design, and Technology (Information Age Publishing) • Chapter
Proceedings of the World Conference on E‑Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education • Conference
Reports results of a Technology Proficiency and Use survey of more than 200 pre‑service teachers, examining technology fluency and use patterns across software, mobile communication, gaming, and social networking. The paper offers recommendations for designing pre‑service technology courses that prepare emerging teachers to engage millennial learners.