TEACHING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
TEACHING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Neumont students know Bret Wardle from his UX and Software Engineering classes, but our talented instructor also shares his expertise by volunteering in the STEM community and speaking at Salt Lake City's 2022 TEDx. Bret has been teaching at Neumont College of Computer Science since 2016 and we are excited to celebrate Bret’s upcoming appearance at TEDx this Saturday, June 11, 2022.
MAKING AN IMPACT WITH TED TALKS
Not new to TED speakers, Neumont has also had the privilege of having the CEO of InclusionPro, author, and official TED speaker, Sara (Dansie) Jones as our 2021 Commencement speaker. The TED Foundation celebrates and promotes “Ideas worth spreading,” and at Neumont College, we strive to inspire our students with instructors and speakers like Bret and Sara who provide diverse and innovative ways of thinking.
The theme for this year’s Salt Lake City TEDx is Radical Reframe. 13 speakers including Neumont’s very own, Bret, will be discussing a variety of topics such as the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, the education system, humanities, digital privacy, and technology. Bret brings his unique expertise of “making better software and products by understanding how games are designed.” By connecting the design psychology behind games, especially the 1994 Nintendo classic game, Super Metroid, Bret’s TEDx talk will shift the way many programmers look at software design.
WHO IS BRET WARDLE
As a Neumont instructor, Bret is able to balance working in the tech industry and teaching students and prides himself on being able to give Neumont students a learning experience in UX and software design that is based on current industry trends. According to Bret, who went to a small tech college, having a great instructor and meaningful classes makes a huge difference in students’ lives and that’s what he strives to do for our Neumont students.
In the industry, Bret is a “product design, UX, and gamification expert,” and he has been working in product management and design positions since 2007. He has had a wide variety of passion projects over the years and has found that a lot of his best work is done when he is trying to solve a problem that he has himself. Bret said “Some of my favorite work can be found in projects that have failed, or never seen the light of day. There are a lot of lessons learned in those projects, and they are quite often the ones that are born out of passion rather than funded by money.”
A PASSION FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE
Bret’s passion for computer science started like many of our students did, by tinkering with computers as a kid. “I helped build my first computer when I was 10 (way back in 1991). I have been hooked on technology ever since. My interest in the psychological side of design came later.”
He also has a love of video games and believes that when it comes to creating games, “there is no substitute for good design. You can make a game as pretty as you want, but games have always been about FUN. And if your game isn’t that, it won’t survive.” Aside from the classics, Bret enjoys “story-driven RPGs games and couch co-op gaming.” He often plays games for research in his work, really exemplifying the classic “do what you love” motto.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Like his fellow staff and faculty members at Neumont College, Bret Wardle works to help prepare students for their futures in the tech industry. One of the biggest lessons Bret’s students should take into the industry is to “Solve problems. Anyone can write code and make ’software.’ But the real talent comes in understanding the Who, What, and Why before you start to build a solution.”
Bret also reflected that the gaming sector has some notable trends. Computer science students should expect to see “the growth of VR/AR type experiences.” This is one of the many reasons why VR is a big component of the Software and Game Development program at Neumont College. In his research, he has found that “games are trending back to their roots in a way. Large studios are having a hard time keeping up with smaller independent teams.”
Finally, having a collaborative spirit in the industry is an important concept for our students. Utilizing Neumont’s Career Services programs like Enterprise Projects will help students expand their opportunities and knowledge. Emphasizing the TED spirit of learning from others, Bret loves “the amazing, talented people and clients he gets to interact with.” Nicole Lazzaro, Jane McGonigal, Celia Hodent, Don Norman, Jakob Nielsen, Yu-kai Chou, and Shigeru Miyamoto are some of the many people in the tech industry that have both inspired Bret and helped him in his tech journey.
We can’t wait to see what other gaming and software insights Bret Wardle will uncover in his TEDx Talk this weekend, and couldn’t be more proud to have one of our own alongside all the other incredible speakers.