GAME222
EMBODYING VIRTUAL AVATARS
- Department
- Game-Interactive Media
- Terms offered
- 2
- Data refreshed
- Jun 27, 2026
Description
In this course, we explore the psychological, social, and emotional aspects of embodiment through persona development and presentation. We will investigate and discuss the historical, technical, and cultural timeline of relevant art, expression, and media including child's play, historic theater and performance around the world, fine-art puppetry, electronic game avatars, and modern-day v-streaming. We will also review research regarding the emotional and neurological responses to avatars and embodiment (including the Proteus effect and ego integration). Further, this course was developed to provide a space to apply and synthesize our readings, media investigations, and discussions of theory by covering methods and techniques of crafting and developing a virtual persona, visual avatar, and v-stream performances with exploration into physical representation. It is a critical element of this course to not only research, witness, and critically discuss embodiment, but to personally embody an avatar.
Syllabi
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Offering history & forecast 2025–2026
| Year | Fall | Spring | Summer | Intersession |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 2030 Fall: not enough history to forecast. | 2030 Spring: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 spring terms since 2018. | 2030 Summer: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 summer terms since 2018. | 2030 Intersession: 8% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 6 intersession terms since 2020. |
| 2029 | 2029 Fall: not enough history to forecast. | 2029 Spring: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 spring terms since 2017. | 2029 Summer: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 summer terms since 2017. | 2029 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2028 | 2028 Fall: not enough history to forecast. | 2028 Spring: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 spring terms since 2016. | 2028 Summer: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 summer terms since 2016. | 2028 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2027 | 2027 Fall: not enough history to forecast. | 2027 Spring: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 spring terms since 2015. | 2027 Summer: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 summer terms since 2015. | 2027 Intersession: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2026 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | No data for this term |
| 2025 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
Future estimates combine recent offering frequency with detected multi-year cycles. Hover a cell for confidence and evidence; low-confidence estimates are marked with ~.
Meeting times
Most recent first- Tue, 2:50 PM–5:50 PM MACD203 2026
- Thu, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM MACD205 2025
| Term | Professor | Type | Credits | Enrollment | CRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Vivian J. Manfra (She/They) | Lecture | 1 | 6 of 18 enrolled | 24116 |
| Fall 2025 | Vivian J. Manfra (She/They) | Lecture | 1 | 10 of 18 enrolled | 24116 |