Design, Informal, and Creative Education (DICE)

The Design, Informal, and Creative Education (DICE) area focuses on the use of creative media in service of education, learning, and human growth. Students will be supported in building a range of scholarship and leadership abilities necessary to excel. Students learn to work with an international community of scholars focused on design, informal, and creative education. Our goals are to educate scholars in:

The critical analysis of education in design, production, evaluation, and use of digital and non-digital tools;
The socio-cultural roles of communication, media, and the creative arts in education and learning;
The relationship of games, play, making, and creativity to education and the human experience; and
Critical analysis and production of research on and in informal and creative education spaces like museums, makerspaces, and afterschool programs.

Ranked Best Education School Nationally

Ranked Best Graduate School Programs

Top 5

In producing tenure-track professors

DICE is a specialization within the graduate program in Curriculum & Instruction, which has been ranked the #1 in the United States for 17 of the last 20 years. It is part of the fifth-ranked School of Education in the nation and among the top five for nine straight years. Graduates of our PhD program are also among the top five most hired into tenure-track positions.

Research In DICE

The coterie of designers and researchers in DICE currently are engaged in a wide variety of projects. These projects are sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services as well as foundations and private funders. Through this work, students are able to work collaboratively and be mentored on a variety of aspects of research and design. Some of examples of this work includes designing and/or investigating:

Playful AI curriculum with and for K12 educators
A museum exhibit that support collaboration and science learning
Assessment with and for maker educators
A game to support career readiness
A community of museum and maker educators
A game-based assessment of spatial reasoning and persistence

Recent publications from DICE faculty

The Left Hand of Data

How the Arts Can Save Education

Run and Jump: The Meaning of the 2D Platformer

A Supportive Network That Extends Beyond Graduation

In DICE, we believe that learning is a lifelong pursuit, and we are committed to supporting our students beyond graduation. Graduate students who complete the program go on to secure faculty positions around the world, including at prestigious institutions such as MIT; top industry positions at companies like Google and Unity; communities and schools across Wisconsin; and top government positions, such as the Wisconsin Department of Instruction. In addition, DICE faculty frequently collaborate with graduates on large scientific grants, papers and books, and published software. Furthermore, as core leadership of the Play Make Learn conference, DICE faculty, students, and graduates can share their expertise and showcase their work to a wider audience. Play Make Learn is an annual international conference that brings together researchers, designers, and educators to explore the intersection of learning and play. The conference features keynote talks, hands-on workshops, paper presentations, and interactive exhibits. Through their involvement in Play Make Learn, our students and faculty have the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, develop new skills and ideas, and network with peers from around the world.

With these resources, our graduates can stay connected and continue to grow both professionally and personally long after completing the DICE program.