Exergames (MA)

This course follows a challenged-based learning approaches and deals with the theory, design, and development of games for health, prevention, therapy and rehabilitation. In few sessions the course provides theoretical game-design and gamification foundations. Then the students start to work in small groups to realize working exergames.

The theoretical introduction include:

– Gamification and Game-Design foundations
– Social and motivation psychology
– Introduction on games for health, Exergames and Cyber Rehabilitation

Exemplary project themes could be:

– Location-based exergames that combine AR technologies with, sports and POIs in real world

– Designing gameful approaches for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, dementia, or depression

– Designing gamified nature-based therapy approaches

– VR supported rehabilitation procedures for patients with motor impairments

The course is designed in an interactive format. Based on initial discussions, students research, design, develop, and evaluate innovative gameful solutions in small groups following user-centered design and agile software engineering principles. Intermediate presentations of the project group members take place at regular intervals.

After participating in the module, students

• can explain the application of Serious Games and Exergames in the context of health.
• are able to understand the technical and theoretical foundations of interdisciplinary interfaces between games and health.
• are able to apply this basic knowledge to conceptualize methodical solutions and empirical studies with various tools.
• are able to interpret empirical findings from the literature in this field.
• they are able to apply game technologies for use cases in health, create applications, and collect empirical data based on learned methods.
• can implement software development projects in practice-oriented contexts.
• can apply fundamental project management principles, organize themselves in groups, work toward specific goals and consider relevant stakeholder needs.