Sylvester Arnab | Coventry University
Hybridity, Playfulness, and Game-Based Pedagogy


United Kingdom | Leamington Spa

My main interest has always been in experience design. Play and gameplay provide insights into how engaging and meaningful experiences can be designed. Game-based learning in particular opens up opportunity for experiential and active learning to be facilitated.
I am currently a full Professor in Game Science, where my research focuses on the design, development, and practice of play and game-based approaches in various sectors, but mainly in education and training.
I am a co-founder of the award-winning GameChangers initiative (GChangers.org), which focuses on promoting a more holistic and empathic approach for co-creating, adapting, and adopting playful and game-based learning. I am currently leading two international projects in Southeast Asia where we are investigating the impact of play and game-based learning in STEM education and in the development of social resilience. We have recently proposed a framework for designing and reflecting on the mapping of the various aspects that could advance our understanding of what playful attributes could help develop competencies and capabilities (including wellbeing) for enhancing resilience.

Maik Arnold | Fachhochschule Dresden
GATE:VET Project Team


Germany | Dresden

GBL helps to activate creative thinking provides students a safe environment for both learning from failure and developing their social, cognitive, and behavioural skills. My research interests include, amongst others, scholarship of teaching and learning, didactical applications of game-based learning, learning in VR/AR environments, digital education management. Currently, I am working on an interactive role play to train social and intercultural
competences in the hybrid classroom.

Claudia Börner, Anna Seidel, Franziska Weidle |
Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg

Re:construction – A Motivating and Successful Start into Studying Engineering


Germany | Cottbus


For us, GBL is interesting as a field of application of teaching-learning psychology and media didactics. Here, different theoretical concepts have to be transferred into practice and linked with each other. This results in complex, but also highly exciting structures that can yield new insights for game development and GBL on the basis of formative and summative evaluations. Currently, we are working on the completion of the learning videos, which provide an additional element in the game. In addition, a large part of our work is currently focused on error analysis and correction. In order to guarantee an interruption-free game experience, we are also working on appropriate help and hints that the players can fall back on in challenging and new situations.

Marius Brade | Fachhochschule Dresden
Using Games as Medium for Teaching Software Development


Germany | Dresden

I always found it compelling, how we learn and experience new aspects by “just playing around with things”. My professional and research interest lies in finding methods to connect people to their playful nature for problem solving in many domains.
Currently we are pushing our “New Work Design Lab” which focuses on applied research at the intersection of game design, UX design and cognitive ergonomics and supports the whole process ranging from concept to realization. One of our projects is “DD-REGIOplus”, which focuses on raising awareness for UX design, Gamification and prototyping for startups, so that products can be developed customer-oriented. Another current project is to support engineering companies through VR/AR training worlds to train their workers on the job.



Madeleine Diab | Akademie für berufliche Bildung
GATE:VET Project Team


Germany | Dresden

Being passionate about board games and video games myself, I was always fascinated how games and game-like scenarios can help people open up and get involved when learning. When I worked as a trainer for cross-cultural competence for students, I used game-elements to target the affective and behavioural domain and prepare them for unexpected or unknown situations. My main professional interest lies in transferring research results to actual teaching practice, advocating for experimenting with new methods and teaching styles and supporting teachers in implementing those.
In my work as a project coordinator, I am currently involved in several projects dealing with gamification, digital learning environments (VR) and curricula design.

Helge Fischer | Fachhochschule Dresden
Tools vs. Culture. Relation between Playfulness and Gamification in Education | GATE:VET Project Team


Germany | Dresden

I studied Media Studies and Strategic Business Management and received my PhD from TU Dresden and the University of Bergen. I am a research associate at the Center for Open Digital Innovation and Participation (CODIP) at TU Dresden and a professor of business administration at iu International University. I have been involved in various projects with digital game-based learning and corporate gamification, investigating potentials of games in business and education. I pay particular attention to the cultural and organisational aspects of gaming, as I argue that gaming generates social practices that offer great potential for companies, especially in the age of digitalisation and increasing uncertainty and dynamism.

Aurélie Gimbert | Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications
Mario Horvat | Créativ

“Cité Apprentie” an Immersive, Innovative and Numeric Experience


France | Dijon


One of the main objectives of the “Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications” is to impulse the change of the training contents to improve the skills matching between initial and vocational training and the needs of the local enterprises in the field of agroindustry, hospitality and tourism. That is the reason why we are interested in pedagogic innovation like GBL. We carry on the work on developing game based tools with technologies like virtual reality in the hospitality sector training.

Hélena Gottschalk, Corinna Zimmermann | Technische Universität Dresden
Know Your Types: Connecting Player Types and Learning Styles in Game-Based Learning Settings


Germany | Dresden


We have been interested in game-based learning since we started working in related projects. We both got interested in the it as learning by playing is the first thing you do as a child, but you forget about this method when you are constantly exposed to conventional teaching. Reactivating these childhood experiences may have a positive impact on some students’ learning experience. Therefore, it is essential to have a closer look at teachers’ mind-sets and support them using game-based learning in their everyday school life. Hélena’s professional interest is designing game-based learning workshops. Her research interests include game-based learning as well as gamification in the higher education context. Corinna is interested in the mind-set of teachers; what do teachers need to think about before starting with game-based learning and what skills do they need. We are currently working on a gamified study navigator for the first year students at TU Dresden and the development of edLUDO, an online community for digital cultures of learning and play.

Matthias Heinz | Technische Universität Dresden
Gamification’s Dark Side Horizon


Germany | Dresden

The perception of gamified situations in our everyday life, the added value that gamification can bring to learning processes and the power that game elements can have (e. g. the world‘s second largest economy plans to introduce a nationwide social credit system) got me interested in game-based learning. My research interests are e-learning/blended-learning trends (esp. gamification/game-based learning) in the area of higher and further education. Currently I am working on a gamified study assistance system and the analysis of risks and side effects of gamification.

Petros Lameras | Coventry University
Endowing a Game-Based Learning Hub for Augmenting Teaching and Learning: Design, Constellations and Perceptions from a Teacher’s Perspective | GATE:VET Project Team


United Kingdom | Coventry

My research interests span the areas of games science and Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) research in general and within the research strand of investigating how learning and teaching in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) may be enhanced with the use of games and AI. Teaching and learning aspects in relation to measuring, visualising, and analysing data (in-game learning analytics) on students’ deeper learning assessment; as well as exploring metrics and indicators of tracking and monitoring teachers’ ways of guiding learning and enhancing in-game assessment (teaching analytics) are perpetuated through applied-based digital learning research. I have worked as a researcher in European and national collaborative Research and Innovation projects exploring the use of technology in learning as well as the integration of games and digital content for developing authentic and meaningful teaching and learning experiences. I have been engaged in supporting and guiding teachers in designing, describing, capturing, and representing their teaching ideas by developing and evaluating games for science teacher training in using inquirybased learning for improving students’ scientific inquiry process.

Josefin Müller | Fachhochschule Dresden
GATE:VET Project Team


Germany | Dresden

Games are part of my everyday life, I have loved playing analogue or digital games since I was a child. Therefore, I have always been fascinated by the effect games have on people and the enthusiasm they generate. Games and playful applications can be used especially in the field of education to impart knowledge, to increase the motivation of students and thus to support active engagement with the content and learning processes.
My research interests are wide ranging, including topics such as organisational development, digital teaching and learning, educational innovation and game-based learning. I am currently involved in several Erasmus+ projects dealing with curriculum development, inclusion in tourism and game-based learning.

Steve Nebel | Technische Universität Chemnitz
Recent Findings and Future Developments in GBL Research


Germany | Chemnitz

I deal with the design of digital learning media from a predominantly psychological perspective. My topics range from GBL, VR/AR and multimedia material to 360° learning videos. In this field, digital educational games are by far the most complex and unexplored learning medium. I am therefore currently trying to identify learning relevant psychological processes of basic game mechanics. The aim is to determine parameters with which these mechanics can be optimally applied in the learning context. It is impossible, however, to predict what video games will look like in the future – similarly, it is impossible to predict how learning games will develop. This gives rise to the special attraction (and the special challenge) of constantly looking at new ways of conveying learning content in the best possible way with GBL.

Bettina North | Akademie für berufliche Bildung
GATE:VET Project Team


Germany | Dresden

Many years of experience in tertiary education have shown me that games are not only suitable to motivate younger learners. I have always tried to integrate little games and elements of play into my lessons to lighten the mood and break through what are often quite complex topics. My interests are wide-ranging, but a particular focus has always been on translation processes – be it literal translation from one language to another, cultural translation or translating theory into practice (including the transfer of knowledge to students). Games can be a wonderful „language“ to transmit knowledge – sometimes the acquisition of knowledge may even seem like a side effect. I am currently working in the field of vocational education and training and am involved in several European projects, all aimed at adapting processes and content of teaching to the diverse challenges of our world.

Stéphanie Philippe | Manzalab
Mobile Games as Support for Digital Design Students | GATE:VET Project Team


France | Paris

I hold a doctorate in biotechnology therapeutics and worked for a while in academia. Subsequently, in multiple start-ups and a consulting firm, I had the opportunity to collaborate on a European scale, coordinating international public and private partners around serious games, multimodality and different applications of innovative technologies.

Valérie Radelet | Manzalab
Mobile Games as Support for Digital Design Students | GATE:VET Project Team


France | Paris

As the holder of a master‘s degree from ESC Rennes and an MBA from Wake Forest University – Babcock Graduate School of Management (USA), I worked for 15 years at Ubisoft Entertainment, first as a videogame project manager, then as a manager of the “Development of training contents” department of the publisher. I have initiated many projects in all kinds of media. In 2011, I joined Manzalab as a project manager, then a production manager. As such, I was one of the very first Manzalab employees. I am now Director of Customer Relations.

Cornelia Schade | Technische Universität Dresden
How to Develop an Adaptive Learning Path for the Serious Game E.F.A.


Germany | Dresden

I am a research associate at the Center for Open Digital Innovation and Participation (CODIP) of Technical University Dresden. My research focus are media didactics, game-based learning and serious games. I am passionate about accompanying the creative development process of digital game-based learning applications from the initial game idea to the finished prototype. I regularly incorporate methods such as paper prototyping or Lego® Serious Play®. The passion began with the codevelopment of a small business game on the topic of project management for students during an activity as a student assistant. Also during the work at CODIP the connection to game-based learning was always present. I am currently developing a game concept that teaches managers the duties of occupational health and safety in a playful way (project E.F.A.). In addition to the procedure for developing adaptive learning environments, I also research the development process of digital learning games and how this can be accompanied with creative methods in the sense of humancentered design.

Vincent Schiller | Fachhochschule Dresden
ENC#YPTED: An Educational Game for Programming in the Unity Engine


Germany | Dresden

During my media informatics and design studies, I had my first contact with GBL when we used the game SQL Island to understand database queries. The game remained in my mind due to its entertaining learning experience, which is why I decided to develop a GBL application as part of my bachelor‘s thesis, which would have helped me a lot when I started programming myself.
My main research interests today are still focused on easy onboarding of students to programming languages/tools as well as enhancing the user experience in multi user scenarios in mixed reality (VR & AR) worlds. At the “New Work Design Lab” of the FHD, for example, we are currently working on a sandbox-like development kit, which can be used to create multi-user scenarios in VR within a very short time. This is used both by students to create games but also in our current research projects like a training app for exploring complex cause-effect relationships in industrial machines.

Maria Storm-Holm | VUC Storstrøm
VUC Storstrøm | GATE:VET Project Team


Denmark | Nykøping Falster

As a learning consultant and project manager, and having worked as a teacher for 16 years I find it interesting and mandatory to develop and improve pedagogical and didactic practice to improve students’ learning outcomes.
Currently, I am involved in the GATE:VET (Using Gamification in Teaching at VET Schools) Erasmus+ project as well as a GBT (Games in Basic Skills Teaching) Erasmus+ project. I also manage an O&SR (Onboarding and Student Retention) Erasmus + project and am actively developing our hybrid school at VUC Storstrøm.

Yann Tambellini | Creasup Digital
Mobile Games as Support for Digital Design Students


France | Tonnerre

Graduated from Rubika Supinfocom in 2001, I quickly started my career in the video game industry as a 3d Artist at 4x Technology. At the end of 2002, I co-founded the video game studio Kylotonn in Paris, holding the positions of Production Director and Creative Director. While working on more than 30 PC and console titles of a wide variety of styles, I became very interested in training, as recruitment difficulties were so great. I collaborate with prestigious institutions and universities. In 2012, I moved to China and worked mainly for Disney on many mobile games. Five years later, back in France, I joined Manzalab, a company specialised in Serious Game and Virtual Reality, to take over the production teams. At the same time, I began to set up CRÉASUP Digital with the support of the public authorities. Game is central to the school, both as a subject matter and learning method.

Jazmin Zaraik | Manzalab
GATE:VET Project Team


France | Paris

After obtaining a Bachelor of Art in Cinema, where I devoted myself fully to my passion for motion pictures, I continued my training with a master’s degree in Production Management. After different experiences in film and animation, I joined Manzalab to coordinate international projects in serious games and educational applications.

Theresia Zimmermann | Technische Universität Dresden
Narration Design in Educational Games


Germany | Dresden

My interest in game-based learning was sparked when I was doing my master‘s degree in Children‘s and Youth Media Studies. Eventually, as part of my master‘s thesis, I developed an educational game for children with the goal of providing information about the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
Currently, I am interested in the research field of interactive storytelling, especially in connection with location-based narration.