Prof. Dr. Sebastian von Mammen and his Games Engineering working group will be awarded the 11th Vogel Foundation Research Prize 2024 for their project “Effective Framework for Serious Game Design and Analysis”. The foundation reports in a press release from which the following information is taken. This prize recognizes research into the combination of pedagogical preparation of learning content and the principles of game design, which significantly expand the possible uses of serious games. “Why? Because gamification is increasingly penetrating various areas of life and the efficiency of learning can be significantly increased for all age groups through digital tools such as “serious games.”
At a time when young people spend a lot of time on social networks and video games, serious games – video and computer games with higher-level goals – are gaining importance. Studies show that the flexibility and interactivity of these games can offer significant educational added value and improve teaching and learning opportunities.
Serious games bring challenges, especially in terms of conception, development and evaluation. By creating knowledge graphs, von Mammen and his team combine theories from both disciplines to use suitable game elements for effective game design.
“Developing an appealing computer game is very time-consuming. It is therefore not possible to incorporate a large number of important educational goals into computer games using conventional means. Thanks to the support of the Vogel Stiftung Dr. Eckernkamp, we will be able to develop serious games faster and better in the future, use them for more educational topics and make them accessible to a wider audience,” says von Mammen, thanking him for the 2024 research funding award.
Gunther Schunk, Chairman of the Vogel Foundation, explains: “The development of educational games is crucial for conveying education and other complex topics in a contemporary, understandable and entertaining way. In the future, everyone could benefit from serious games, including older or disabled people. With Mounsif Chetitah and his team, we are supporting young researchers who will open new doors to the learning-oriented games world with their versatile frameworks.”
The Vogel Foundation has been awarding the “Research Promotion Prize” together with the University Association of Würzburg for eleven years at the Julius Maximilian University. The prize is endowed with 25,000 euros, making it one of the highest private research prizes in Germany. Since 2014, a total of 18 projects have been funded, including seven special research prizes, with a total funding volume of 425,000 euros.
The Research Award 2024 will be awarded publicly on November 13th from 7 p.m. in the Neubaukirche as part of the Unibund gala concert. Admission is free. Information at
