Dr. Sinem Siyahhan is an Assistant Research Professor in the School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University, Tempe. She has extensive research, teaching, and curriculum development experiences, and a passion for supporting families through digital media technologies. 

“I deeply care about family well-being and learning. I am convinced that we cannot improve education and hope for social change without supporting families. That is exactly why, for the last few years, I have spent my time designing educational video games for intergenerational play. In my designs, I paid particular attention to providing opportunities for collaborative discussions and sharing between parents and children. My goal is to create a shared conceptual play space between parents and children that results where the intergenerational play activity is not only educational but also transformative for the entire family. So far, my research shows that video games when designed intentionally with intergenerational play in mind can have a positive impact on family interaction and learning.”