Man found dead in home identified as School of Education adjunct instructor

Tyler Dodge wanted educators and parents to realize the learning potential of video games — that they were more than just violent ways to pass the time.

However, his research was cut short when he was found dead Monday in his home at 801 S. Mitchell St.

Although an autopsy was conducted on Tuesday, Monroe County Coroner Nicole Meyer said the cause of death won’t be known for a few weeks.

Dodge co-authored papers about video games, spoke at this summer’s Games+Learning+Society Conference and worked on Quest Atlantis, an educational computer game that has been played by more than 50,000 teenagers and children.

He received his doctorate from IU in 2009. The same year, he served as a visiting research associate at IU’s Center for Research on Learning and Technology.

This year, he joined IU’s faculty as an adjunct instructor, teaching an online class called “Effective Writing for Instructional Technology.”

Ted Frick, chairman of the Instructional Systems Technology Department, said Dodge was admired by his students.

“Students in Tyler’s online class were highly appreciative of him as a teacher,” Frick said.

In an e-mail sent to faculty and alumni on Wednesday, Frick remembered Dodge for his kindness and persistence.

“While many of our current students may not have had the opportunity to get to know Tyler, he was a very kind person who cared deeply about helping others and who would go the extra mile in the pursuit of excellence,” Frick said in the e-mail. “He was a dedicated scholar who sought to understand.”

A memorial celebrating Dodge’s life is being planned for this weekend.

— Jake New