In the beginning of November, our team welcomed David Baberowski from TU Dresden, Germany as a visiting researcher to TU Wien. The visit was supported through Erasmus+ and allowed him to connect and collaborate with our team, give a guest lecture as part of our Informatics didactics seminar and test his current research prototype with students of TU Wien.
On Thursday, November 7th, 2024, David Baberowski gave an engaging guest lecture on his PhD research in the field of Virtual Reality (VR) serious Games for Computer Science Education. He motivated the need for research and development of didactically well-designed VR learning applications and games and presented his approach of using conceptual models and methaphors to create abstract virtual realities for learners to engange with learning content. His presentation of recent research studies highlighted valuable findings for the research community and emphasized the need for more work. David Baberowski introduced the audience to his VR serious game “Inside the Router” and invited everyone to test it right after the lecture in the foyer of the TU Wien Informatics building. The audience was enganged in discussions and able to test the VR serious game, sparking new ideas and questions for future research collaborations between TU Wien and TU Dresden.
In the following days, David Baberowski invited students of TU Wien Informatics to test and experiment with his latest research prototype as part of a scientific study. The VR serious game “Inside the CPU” gives learners an opportunity to dive into the inner workings of a CPU by taking a look inside the system. Through clever thought out metaphors and design choices, the game allows players to actively engage with the learning content. By embedding all gameplay sessions in a scientific study, David Baberowski was able to capture gameplay experiences and investigate learning effects, enjoyment and more.
Overall, we thank David Baberowski for his visit to our research lab and we are looking forward to future research collaborations in the field of VR serious games for computer science education.
