The objective of this PhD course is to provide PhD Candidates with new theories and methods within evaluations of serious games and design-oriented artefacts and technologies. Several studies evaluate games, a technology, product, or service during development, often iteratively, to make early improvements, or helps to refine or improve the game or technology. This is a type of evaluations that helps to form the design of the technology, product, or service. It might help in detecting and eliminating early-stage problems, as well as answering questions such as which strategy can be used to improve the technology, product, or service. However, this comes with many challenges, and this course will provide various theoretical- and specific methodological approaches for how to perform formative user evaluations. The course will have a special focus on how to perform user evaluations of serious games, gamification, and other design-oriented artefact and technologies.
Course participants will be introduced to in-depth research and foundation of how to make a successful user evaluations. An essential focus of the PhD course is how to perform and document solid and advanced user evaluations with improved validity and reliability. The course will also provide a theoretical foundation (definitions) and applied (how to measure) overview of concepts of e.g., engagement, motivation, flow, immersion, and gamification within a context of game research, evaluations, and mixed methods.
Teaching methods:
Lectures with presentation of different methodological overviews (50%). Participant presentations with added theoretical and practical discussions (25%). Workshop where participants will work in groups e.g. using new theories and methods. The groups set-up own theoretical focus (25 %).
Evaluation:
The evaluation consists of three parts:
1. Participation both days
2. Participation and presentation based on assigned task during the course (in groups).
3. Presentations linked to your current PhD project. The presentation must somehow have a focus within serious games/gamification. The focus can be within empirical data, ethical issues, and theoretical or even more abstract methodological questions. The duration of the presentation must not exceed 10 minutes. There will be 20 minutes for discussion. Your presentation should include a specific question/problem you would like for discussion/ advice.
Organizer: Thomas BjørnerLecturers: Lectures with presentation of different methodological overviews (50%). Participant presentations with added theoretical and practical discussions
(25%). Workshop where participants will work in groups e.g. using new theories and methods. The groups set-up own theoretical focus (25 %).
ECTS: 3
Time: 22 - 23 November 2023
Place: The course is online via a set-up in Teams
Number of seats: 20
Deadline: 31 October 2023
Important information concerning PhD courses:
We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 3.000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.
- Teacher: Thomas Bjørner