Kind piece on “Video Game Law” @ Flexible Learning site & some thank you’s

Link to: “Video Game Law” Offers Lectures and Rich Course Content Online | Flexible Learning

Posting the article is just a good excuse to say thank you to a great number of people who encouraged and supported the current incarnations and experimentations of Video Game Law as a course. The order which follows is more or less chronological:

David Duff of the Faculty of Law for green-lighting the course.

Richard Smith, Director of the Centre for Digital Media for actively encouraging and providing perspective and support in respect of the pedagogic and technological directions of the course. Richard also provided much needed academic coaching.

Associate Dean Benjamin Goold and through him the entire UBC Faculty of Law for unfailing and profound support for the course and its unorthodoxies. Ben’s faith in the enterprise and his ability to remain kind and full of humour while suffering my constant barrage of emails on matters large and small was awe-inspiring.

The Lew Fund for its support.

The UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology for being an incredible facilitator of ideas, support and inspiration. Jeff Miller for seeing and encouraging the potential of the course. The amazing Novak Rogic for leading me to the creation of website, making it happen and sitting with me every two weeks to improve, refine and evolve the directions of the on-line presence of the course. Also Will Engle for his ideas and encouragement, and the unfailingly professional Saeed Dyanatkar who was so much more then our camera-person.

To all the students in the class for bringing their best and being so patient with a course reboot which was of necessity a work in progress. You were a terrific class filled with amazing individuals.

Roch Ripley for his understanding, support and kindness – not to mention his academic counter-points which greatly benefited the class. As well as for marshalling the logistical support of Gowlings whenever needed.

Dan Silverman of the Faculty of Law for help, suggestions and always working to make things better on the tech side of things.

Jia Lang who T.A.’d, Helene Love of the Faculty, and Ken Cavalier who is doing his Doctorate in intellectual property law, for their support of the course, their presence in the classes and generously sharing knowledge and perspectives.

All of the guest speakers in the course with special mention to those who travelled considerable distance to join us live (Jennifer Kelley of Fenwick & West LLP in San Francisco and Alan Bruggeman of Microsoft in Redmond, Washington).

Larry Bafia, Patrick Pennefather and George Johnson, colleagues at the Centre for Digital Media, who indulged my pretty constant desire to discuss and debate issues and subjects of the course.

Prof. Kimberly Voll, possibly the best pure teacher I have ever seen, for always providing inspiration and intellectual back-up when I was trying to figure out how to present complex materials.

My wife Corinne and our children Jeremy, Dara & Avrel for the support that really matters.

Apologies to all I have missed.

jon