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Terence Govender – Choose Your Adventure
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Hi, I'm Terence Govender

Researcher. Game designer. AI enthusiast. Fresh PhD. Curious human.

You could read a normal CV — or you could play your way through this one.
What brought you here today?

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The Academic
I read your research and want to know more about your scholarly work
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The Designer
I'm interested in your instructional design and game-based learning projects
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The Futurist
I want to know about your AI literacy work and industry experience
The Scholar's Archive 📚

You've found the academic wing. Pull up a chair — there's research to explore.
What aspect interests you most?

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Research Focus
Game-based learning, AI literacy, and the ethics of playful pedagogy
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Publications & Outputs
Peer-reviewed papers, journal contributions, and co-created artefacts
Research Universe 🌌

🎓 PhD — Fresh off the Press

  • Doctoral research exploring game-based learning in higher education
  • Focus on the intersection of play, cognition, and ethical AI use
  • Contributing to a growing field where games aren't just entertainment — they're instruments of transformation

🔭 Research Themes

Game-Based LearningAI LiteracyGamificationSelf-Directed LearningNarrative PedagogyDigital Language LearningAcademic IntegrityEdtech Ethics
"Learning should feel like discovery — not obligation. That's the question driving all my work: how do we design experiences that make people want to know more?"
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See Publications & Connect
Read the papers and get in touch
The Publication Vault 🗄️

📰 Selected Publications

  • Narrative Alchemy — Published paper with co-created Ren'Py visual novel exploring storytelling in education
  • Anti-Plagiarism Adventure — Research paper paired with an Articulate Storyline game on academic integrity
  • Game-Based Framework in HE — Case study testing a game-based learning framework (Future-X Journal)
  • Digital Game-Based Language Learning — Analysis of game elements in language acquisition (Sustainability, MDPI)
  • Gamification in Self-Directed Learning — Examining gamification elements (ACM TEEM 2020)

🏛️ Editorial Roles

  • Section Editor — Technology for the Journal of ExoTechnology and Education (JExEd)
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Read the Papers & Connect
Links to full publications and a way to reach Terence
Let's Collaborate 🤝

Terence is open to research collaborations, speaking engagements, and editorial partnerships.

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Full PortfolioAll publications & projects
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MDPI PaperDigital game-based language learning
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JExEd JournalEditorial team page

👋 Say Hello

Spotted a collaboration opportunity? Want to discuss research? Terence would love to hear from you.

✉️ Get in Touch🧑 About Terence
The Design Studio 🎨

Welcome to the creative side of Terence's brain. Games, learning experiences, interactive artefacts — all made with care.
What are you most curious about?

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Games & Interactive Work
Visual novels, adventure games, and playable learning experiences
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Instructional Design
Courses, frameworks, and learning systems built from scratch
Games Lab 🕹️

🎭 Narrative Alchemy — Ren'Py Visual Novel

  • Co-authored published research alongside a fully playable Ren'Py visual novel
  • Explores storytelling as a vehicle for deep, meaningful learning
  • Proof that academic rigour and creative craft can live in the same project

🕵️ Anti-Plagiarism Adventure Game

  • Built in Articulate Storyline — an adventure game tackling academic integrity
  • Co-authored with published research to back it up
  • Because the best way to teach something is to make it impossible to forget

💌 MBA Interactive Invitation

  • Developed an interactive tangram invitation for a new degree programme launch
  • Where instructional design meets experiential marketing
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See the Work & Connect
Links to live projects and how to reach Terence
The ID Toolkit 📐

🎓 Gamification Course for Educators

  • Designed and developed a full online course on gamification for the Alfihri platform
  • Built for educators looking to bring play into their pedagogy
  • End-to-end: concept, content, structure, and delivery

🛠️ Tools & Skills

Articulate StorylineRen'PyInstructional Systems DesignCurriculum DesignGamificationE-Learning DevelopmentLearning Experience Design
"A well-designed learning experience should feel less like a course and more like an encounter. Something that changes how you see things."
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See the Work & Connect
Links to live projects and how to reach Terence
Ready to Build Something? 🏗️

Terence is available for instructional design projects, game-based learning commissions, and creative collaborations.

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Narrative AlchemyVisual novel + research
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Anti-Plagiarism GameStoryline adventure
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Gamification CourseLive on Alfihri

👋 Let's Make Something

Have a project in mind? Want to talk learning design, game mechanics, or playful pedagogy?

✉️ Get in Touch🗂️ Full Portfolio
The AI Frontier 🤖

You've entered the forward-thinking zone. AI literacy, educational technology consulting, and the future of learning.
What's your angle?

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AI in Education
Terence's work on AI literacy, ethics, and empowering students with AI tools
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Current Role & Experience
Instructional technology consulting at Indiana University Columbus
AI Literacy Work 🧠

⚡ Unlocking Learner Potential with AI

  • Research and practice focused on how AI tools can genuinely empower students — not replace thinking, but amplify it
  • Exploring AI's role in transforming assessment design and feedback loops
  • Committed to ethical, critical AI adoption rather than hype-driven implementation

🔮 Areas of Interest

AI LiteracyEdTech EthicsAssessment DesignHuman-AI CollaborationCritical PedagogyFuture of HE
"The question isn't whether AI belongs in the classroom. It's how we help learners engage with it thoughtfully, critically, and on their own terms."
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Explore More & Connect
Blog posts, projects, and a way to reach Terence
Professional Experience 🏛️

💼 Instructional Technology Consultant

  • Indiana University Columbus — bringing research-informed thinking to real-world institutional challenges
  • Supporting faculty in designing more effective, engaging learning experiences
  • Bridging the gap between cutting-edge EdTech research and day-to-day teaching practice

🎯 What Terence Brings

  • A PhD-level understanding of how people actually learn — not just how we assume they do
  • Hands-on experience building courses, games, and learning systems from scratch
  • A rare combination of researcher rigour + designer instinct + practitioner experience
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Work Together
Let's talk about what Terence can bring to your organisation
Let's Shape the Future 🚀

Terence is interested in senior EdTech roles, faculty opportunities, consulting engagements, and strategic conversations about the future of learning.

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Insights & IdeasBlog posts on AI & learning
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Full PortfolioResearch, projects & more

👋 Let's Talk

Hiring, partnering, or just want to exchange ideas about AI and education? Terence is all ears.

✉️ Get in Touch🧑 About Terence