Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Sylvester Arnab is a Professor of Game Science at the Centre for Postdigital Cultures at the Institute for Creative Cultures. His research focuses on the investigation of engaging, empathic, and empowering experiences through the lens of playful and gameful design practices.
Sylvester is a co-founder of the multi-award winning GameChangers initiative, focusing on open practice in playful and game-based learning. Gamechangers has informed empathic teaching and learning and community engagement in various countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, towards responding to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
To date, Sylvester has successfully secured research funding with a total value of £19 million since 2010 (£9.9 million as a principal investigator). Funders include the UKRI (AHRC and ESRC), European Commission (FP7, H2020, and Erasmus+), British Council, British Academy, and HEFCE.
Sylvester is currently leading the ACES project (http://aces.gchangers.org) and the CreativeCulture 4.0 project (http://mycapsule.my), funded by the UKRI under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund Impact Scheme respectively. Both projects are building on the GameChangers initiative, where Sylvester's play and game thinking approach is being adapted in South East Asia towards developing inclusive and equitable teaching and learning practices.
Sylvester has over 100 academic publications, having recently published a book on ‘Game Science in Hybrid Learning Spaces’, which provides insights into the research and practice of purposeful game design with a focus on hybrid education. He is regularly invited to give public and keynote lectures in various international events. Sylvester is currently supervising six PhDs with four completions and has examined over 10 PhD theses.
Sylvester was previously a researcher at the Serious Games Institute, Applied Innovation Lead at the Disruptive Media Learning Lab, and a researcher at University of Warwick’s WMG. He graduated with a PhD in Engineering in 2009 at the University of Warwick.
Twitter: @sarnab75
Blog: http://sylvesterarnab.com
Research Interests
Game Science (gameful/playful design, serious games, game-based learning, gamification, game design thinking); Hybrid learning spaces; Technology-enhanced learning; Pervasive learning and technologies; Trans-disciplinary game-based intervention development; Multi-modal platforms (tactile, wearable, mobile, mixed-reality)
Vision Statement
A champion of gameful, playful and persuasive designs that transform ordinary tasks into extraordinary experiences. My research interests are inspired by the potential of game techniques and technologies in sustaining engagement with serious activities, and to inform the design of experiences. My research focus is influenced by a a hybrid approach for holistically define, design and implement game-based interventions, including the blending of physical and digital spaces, and formal and informal contexts. I have developed a trans-disciplinary and holistic model for game-based design and development that can be adopted by researchers, designers and developers. My research, development, and practice findings have informed the discussions in a book on Game Science and it's application and implication on Hybrid Learning Spaces published in 2020.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctorate, University of Warwick
May 2005 → May 2009
Award Date: 22 Jun 2009
MSc, University of Leeds
Sep 2000 → Sep 2001
Award Date: 1 Nov 2001
Degree, University of Manchester
Sep 1996 → Sep 1998
Award Date: 1 Jun 1998
External positions
PhD External Examiner, Royal College of Art
24 Mar 2021
Academic Expert for Institutional-Led Review of the Creative Technologies Programme, University of the West of Scotland
22 Mar 2021
PhD External Examiner, Goldsmiths, University of London
16 Dec 2020
PhD External Examiner, Open University of the Netherlands
2020 → …
PhD External Examiner, Hanken School of Economics
Oct 2018
PhD External Examiner, University of Tasmania
Jul 2018
PhD External Examiner, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
2018
PhD External Examiner, University of Toronto
2018
PhD External Examiner, University of Aveiro
20 Dec 2017
PhD External Examiner, University of the West of Scotland
May 2017
EdD External Examiner, University of Huddersfield
2017
PhD External Examiner, University of Bath
Nov 2016
External Reviewer (PARM Panel), Manchester Metropolitan University
Feb 2016
PhD External Examiner, Universidade de Lisboa
Jun 2014
Keywords
- L Education (General)
- experiential learning
- game-based learning
- playful learning
- STEM
- STEAM
- Q Science (General)
- computer science
- games science
- gamification
- TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
- Software Engineering
Fingerprint
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Network
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DALI: Data Literacy for Citizenship
Arnab, S., Villar-Onrubia, D., Lameras, P. & Lewis, M.
31/12/20 → 30/12/23
Project: Research
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CreativeCulture 4.0 – Transforming 21st century teaching and learning of STEM in Malaysia through play and gamification towards Education 4.0
Arnab, S., Beaufoy, J. & Masters, A.
29/05/20 → 31/03/22
Project: Research
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E-digilit (Improving digital literacy of tertiary students)
Arnab, S., Villar-Onrubia, D. & Lewis, M.
1/09/19 → 28/02/22
Project: Research
Research output
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ACES - A Community-centred Educational Model for Developing Social Resilience
Wimpenny, K., Arnab, S., Muhibuddin, F., Mohamad, F., Thom Nguyen, T. T. & Mahon, D., 6 Sep 2022.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review
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Serious Gaming for Behaviour Change: A Systematic Review
Hammady, R. & Arnab, S., 8 Mar 2022, In: Information (Switzerland). 13, 3, 27 p., 142.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)98 Downloads (Pure) -
The Adoption of Digital Games among Older Adults
Mohsin, N. F., Jali, S. K., Arnab, S., Bandan, M. I. & Ma, M., Feb 2022, In: International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications . 13, 2, p. 39-45 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile78 Downloads (Pure) -
The potential of game-based micro-learning resources for engaging learners with intercultural competence development
Arnab, S. & Walaszczyk, L., 30 Sep 2022, In: Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. 8, 2, p. 1-22 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile14 Downloads (Pure) -
An adaptation of the ‘Escape Rooms’ methodology in online learning to facilitate and investigate active learner-led activities and experiences
Arnab, S., Eyre, E., Noon, M., Kernaghan-Andrews, S. & Mahon, D., 24 May 2021, Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Game Based Learning, ECGBL 2021. Fotaris, P. (ed.). Academic Conferences and Publishing International, 15 p. (Proceedings of the European Conference on Games-based Learning; vol. 2021-September).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding › peer-review
Open AccessFile98 Downloads (Pure)
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Play, Games, Gamification, and Hybrid learning
Sylvester Arnab (Speaker)
11 Mar 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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University of the West of Scotland
Sylvester Arnab (Reviewer)
22 Mar 2021 → 23 Mar 2021Activity: Visiting an external institution › Visiting an external academic institution
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Expert on a panel session
Sylvester Arnab (Speaker)
18 Mar 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Teachers as Game Designers... Seriously?
Sylvester Arnab (Speaker)
16 Feb 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Prizes
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Gamification Award for Education and Learning 2019
Arnab, Sylvester (Recipient), Clarke, Samantha (Recipient), Masters, Alex (Recipient), Beaufoy, J. (Recipient) & Morini, Luca (Recipient), 28 Jan 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Gamification Award for Gamification Software 2019
Arnab, Sylvester (Recipient), Beaufoy, J. (Recipient), Loizou, Michael (Recipient) & Calderwood, J. (Recipient), 22 Jan 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Outstanding Gamification Research
Clarke, Samantha (Recipient), Arnab, Sylvester (Recipient) & Wood, O. (Recipient), 26 Nov 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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QS Reimagine Education Award
Arnab, Sylvester (Recipient), Masters, Alex (Recipient) & Beaufoy, J. (Recipient), 9 Dec 2021
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Press / Media
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Interview featured by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain in both English and Spanish
18/11/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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