@masterthesis{Moor, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Moor, Irene}, title = {Character Animation und User Experience Design f{\"u}r eine Virtual Reality-Schulung in Herz-Lungen-Wiederbelebung}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, abstract = {Die Bereitschaft bei einem Herzstillstand Erste Hilfe zu leisten nimmt ab. Im Jahr 2019 f{\"u}hrten nur 39\% der Notfallzeugen eine Herzdruckmassage durch, 3\% weniger als noch im Jahr davor. (Nur ein Drittel hilft mit Herzdruckmassage, 2019) Sofortige und qualitativ hochwertige Wiederbelebungsmaßnahmen k{\"o}nnen jedoch die {\"U}berlebenschancen des Patienten verdoppeln bis vervierfachen. Vor allem der Einsatz eines Defibrillators innerhalb der ersten 3-5 Minuten nach dem Kollaps kann die {\"U}berlebenschancen auf 50-70 \% erh{\"o}hen. (Perkins et al., 2015) Um die Bereitschaft zur Ersten Hilfe im Falle eines Herzinfarktes zu erh{\"o}hen, wurde in Kooperation mit der secova GmbH \& Co. KG eine Virtual Reality Schulung mit Fokus auf hohe User-Experience entwickelt, in welcher der Anwender in die Rolle eines Notfallzeugen schl{\"u}pft. So soll dem Nutzer das richtige Vorgehen auf spielerische Weise nahegebracht werden.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Haaz, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Haaz, Benedikt}, title = {Das "Schrems II - Urteil" des Europ{\"a}ischen Gerichtshofes und die Anforderungen an die zus{\"a}tzlichen Maßnahmen im Datenschutz}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-8951}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {52}, abstract = {Our everyday is ruled by transporting data across the globe. It is unimaginable not being able to communicate around the world nowadays. It is not trivial to find suitable legal grounds for transferring data out of the European Union. The European Commission must declare a country as safe to be able to transfer data in this specific country. It is necessary to follow this principle not to violate any data protection laws. Since the 16th of July 2020 it is not allowed to transfer any data into the United States using the "Privacy Shield" as a legal safeguard due to the judgment of the European Court. There are still methods for legitimizing data transfers such as "Binding Corporate Rules (BCR's)" or "Standard contractual clauses". Those well-known legal safeguards are only available for transferring data into the United States if "additional measures" were taken according to the European Court. To this day no official instance announced what those "additional measures" could be. This bachelor thesis will analysis the problems a possible "additional measure" must face. To achieve this goal the method of literature review will be used. Many older and newer professional article, books, laws and jurisprudence will be researched and analysed to an- ticipate the needs for a "additional measure". Since the European Court complained in its jurisprudence about the lack of data security due to the enhanced possibilities of the US intelligence authorities inside the United States a possible outcome of this bachelor thesis could be the need to encrypt every data that is been send to the United States. Other possibilities could be to transfer the place where the data is processed into the European Union.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Mezghani, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Mezghani, Mohamed Rami}, title = {A software architecture and reference implementation based on xAPI for a modular, personalized learning platform}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-17718}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {34}, abstract = {Interactive learning platforms which include multiple modules and components require handling learning data and synchronizing progress across the entities. This thesis aims to create a control layer to manage the learning data and depict it on the user interface, as well as a learning path recommendation system to establish a learning path defined by the teacher. The project extends the pre-existing TierschutzErleben platform, utilizing a stateof-the-art specification for learning data, frontend framework, and a video game engine. A main control unit is developed to manage learning data and coordinate elements of the platform. To recommend learning paths, a system is created, and interfaces are established to validate communication. A service is introduced to relay events between components, with events containing instructions for executing appropriate actions on the receiving end. Additionally, a command execution system is implemented to manage these commands. The implementation of a single control layer, composed of the developed services, effectively coordinates data collected from multiple entities. The use of interfaces and the command execution system provides a clear and structured view of events and their corresponding actions.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Klose2025, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Klose, Hanna Lara Sophie}, title = {Development of an Online Presence for Northstar Roleplay}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, year = {2025}, abstract = {In this thesis, the multiplayer modification RedM and the competitors on it, have been explored in order to establish an online presence that distinguishes Northstar Roleplay from other RedM servers. The project encompasses the development of a clean, visually appealing website designed to present key server features, rules, professions, and the underlying vision, making it the main resource to attract potential new players. Additionally, a comprehensive tutorial video was produced to streamline the onboarding process, offering clear, step-by-step guidance and a personal introduction to the server. An automatic whitelist system was also conceptualized to ensure that new players read and understand the server rules before joining; however, technical challenges prevented its full implementation. Still, the website and video tutorial lay the foundation for the professional online presence of Northstar Roleplay.}, language = {en} } @misc{Wissigkeit, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Wissigkeit, Tobias}, title = {Interaction design strategies for conversational video games to accommodate for anomalous user- and AI behaviors: A case study on integration strategies for interaction-based AI technologies in games using participatory design methods.}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-19710}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {51}, abstract = {The recent development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has inspired some game developers to try and integrate it into games. Anomalous behavior by generative AI or users seems undesirable and effort is being made to find ways on how to prevent anomalous responses by generative AI. However, these responses are a unique trait of generative AI and in our project, we explore strategies on how the negative effects of anomalous user and AI behavior can be mitigated, instead of trying to prevent them from appearing. We want to leverage their uniqueness as an intended game mechanic and see in what context these strategies can work. To achieve these goals, we researched already existing integrations of generative AI features in games and entertainment as well as possible connections to game mechanics and systems that are not related to AI. Based on this, we created 4 prototypes of conversational games with generative AI characters, which allowed the AI to create anomalous responses and did not limit the player freedom of what they may input. In our 36 participatory design sessions, we found that anomalous user and AI behavior can have a positive influence on the player's experience if a game's story is set up in a way that it can allow new and diverging story threads, that are created by the player and AI, to be integrated and if there are supplementary game mechanics, that allow the player to follow the intended story and complete the game.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Wissigkeit, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Wissigkeit, Tobias}, title = {Motivating children to eat vegetables by enhancing meals with digital media}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-4708}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {34}, abstract = {Digital media is finding its way into all parts of life, even eating. The gamification of food is experimented with, mainly for recreational purposes. But it could also be used to achieve a different goal. In this work, an approach to motivating children to eat and like vegetables more is explored. First, the basic perception of vegetables by children is examined and various ideas for games are explored with Cooperative Inquiry. These can be grouped into three categories: building, challenge and randomness. Possible prototypes have been discussed in form of text. A building game has been tested and it had a positive effect on the perception of vegetables of the participating children. However, only few children were available to work with, making further studies necessary.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Theiler, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Theiler, Jason}, title = {Implementierung und iterative Entwicklung eines Konzepts f{\"u}r eine Wissensduell-Applikation im Kontext von Serious Games}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-15988}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {74}, abstract = {This bachelor thesis accompanies and documents the implementation and first step in the iterative development of a concept for a knowledge duel application. The application's goal is to exploit a player's playfulness and competitiveness, in order to learn new information and reinforce previously acquired knowledge. The concept was developed in cooperation with the B{\"a}umer, Afonso, Meissner GmbH. Because of its goal, the concept and its implementation are analyzed in the context of serious games. To achieve this, the thesis first examines the meaning of the serious games term and what their most significant attributes are. It also explores some state of the art systems and concepts of all the implementation's related fields. After extensive documentation of the concept and its implementation in the form of the web application called sw¨up, a formative evaluation using the results of several semi-structured interviews takes place. Following that, the thesis further explores possible improvements and new features for later iterations of the application. The evaluation shows that sw¨up happens to be a very intuitive, performant and both optically and structurally well designed application. Additionally several problem fixes and improvements were found while evaluating the interviews' results. While it is shown that sw¨up shares many similarities with a serious game, it can not be proven with the acquired results that sw¨up can effectively cause a learning effect and thus be considered a serious game. This remains to be determined by further, more in-depth tests and evaluations.}, language = {de} } @misc{Ladani, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Ladani, Siddhi}, title = {An exploratory study of how to effectively communicate the level of hotness/spiciness of food items}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-13815}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {70}, abstract = {Preferences for spiciness in food varies greatly from person to person. In addition, the notion of spiciness itself varies greatly from culture to culture and from region to region making it hard to effectively represent and communicate the level of spiciness of food items in restaurant menus and food packaging. In this study we explore the use of virtual taste sensation as a means of effectively communicating the desired or available level of spiciness between the consumer and the provider. Based on prior research on electrical and thermal stimulation of taste sensations, we have developed a device capable of simulating the sensation of hotness on the human tongue through the use of a low voltage electrical current delivered via a set of electrodes and control panel. The development process of the device consisted of the following two steps: 1. We conducted an observational study in which participants were asked to rate their spiciness preference using a commonly used hot sauce which was mixed with either water or rice. 2. Participants were asked to match their spiciness preference using the device at different voltage levels. Although the device only generates the stinging sensation and not the full flavour sensation associated with a spice such as a chili pepper it proved effective in assessing and communicating the spiciness preference of the study participants. Thus, we argue the device holds great promise for developing applications focused on communicating spiciness levels, e.g. the spiciness of the contents of a food package, the spiciness of items in a restaurant menu, or the spiciness of various chili peppers in a market.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Salobir, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Salobir, Randy}, title = {Dark Patterns in Videospielen - Unterschiede zwischen Casual-, Core- und Hardcore-Gamern}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-14911}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {76}, abstract = {Gaming has become a huge industry. In an attempt to generate more revenue, manipulative design decisions, aimed towards making the consumer act in certain ways or perform certain actions, which are beneficial to the developers of the game, have become a common sight. Those design decisions have become known under the umbrella term "Dark Patterns". While individual Dark Patterns have already been researched on their impact on gamers as a whole, it stands to reason that groups with widely different gaming behaviors would exhibit differences in their exposure and vulnerability towards these patterns. This bachelor's thesis aims to use a quantitative approach in the form of an online survey (n=465), to research this. For that, the survey asked questions about the participants gaming behavior and interactions with a wide array of Dark Patterns. The participants will then be grouped into casual-, core- and hardcore gamers based on their answers about their gaming behavior, after which the groups will then be directly compared in terms of their exposure and vulnerability towards Dark Patterns, in order to find any significant differences. Finally, these results will be discussed and suggestions for further research will be offered.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Vela, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Vela, Gianfranco}, title = {Anwendbarkeit des Gamification Frameworks Octalysis auf Multibankingapps}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-11349}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {58}, abstract = {Ziel der vorliegenden Abschlussarbeit war es, ausgew{\"a}hlte Multibankingapps anhand des von Yu-Kai Chou entworfenen Gamification Frameworks Octalysis (Y.-k. Chou, 2019) zu analysie- ren, um daraufhin eine Aussage {\"u}ber die Anwendbarkeit des Frameworks auf Multibankingapps treffen zu k{\"o}nnen. Mithilfe des Design Pattern Canvas (Žavcer u. a., 2015) wurde ein Arte- fakt geschaffen, welches Entwicklern solcher Apps erlaubt, die im Framework beschriebenen Core Drives auf die Anwendung abzustimmen. Die Anwendbarkeit des Frameworks wurde zwar durch die Analyse best{\"a}tigt, jedoch ergaben sich weitere Abh{\"a}ngigkeiten, welche grundlegend f{\"u}r eine erfolgreiche Anwendung sind. Darunter z{\"a}hlt beispielsweise die Offenheit der Nutzer gegen{\"u}ber Finanzthemen.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Schumacher, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Schumacher, Julian}, title = {Combining Entertainment-Oriented Action Gameplay and Learning-Oriented Memorization Challenges}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-12800}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {43}, abstract = {Though much research is being conducted into educational applications of video games, the effects of individual gameplay elements on overall enjoyment and motivation remain largely unexplored. Similarly, long-term player retention tied to these factors in educational or serious games are often ignored, leading to a lack of engagement and thus an ineffective product. This thesis outlines several proven design patterns employed in the entertainment-based games industry, particularly in action games. It then discusses how these patterns may be applied in digital learning environments and provides examples using a practically implemented prototype of a game combining 2D platforming, multiplayer interactivity, and vocabulary quizzes. The theoretical concepts described herein are based on peer-reviewed scientific research as well as informal resources such as presentations from the annual Game Developers Conference, development logs, or interviews with prominent figures in the games industry. They incorporate principles of visual, audio, gameplay, and didactic design; coding practices and software architecture are not discussed. The prototypical implementation employs the freely accessible Unity game engine, along with a combination of foreign and custom-made assets. Keywords: Serious Games, Video Game Development, Educational Software, digital learning environments, vocabulary learning}, language = {en} } @misc{Afzal2025, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Afzal, Umair}, title = {AI-Driven Comic Generation: Exploring the Creative Potential of Generative AI in Digital Storytelling}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22581}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {111}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Creative sectors have accepted AI into their industry for establishing modern methods of generating digital content. This study introduces a novel AI-based framework based on AI technology, using GANs along with Stable Diffusion models to automate comic development. This study looks at juxtaposing narrative outlining through text with automated visual generation toward an integrated system that produces adaptable comic panels with appropriate visual structure. The research methodology that the project has followed can be built on three cornerstones: advanced GAN schemes for text generation and pre-processing, followed by image synthesis through Stable Diffusion. A specially developed algorithm for speech bubbles determined the optimal placement of that text, so it would function well and maintain a semblance of beauty. By iteratively refining and tuning the model, this system was evaluated. Initial observations regarding visual coherence and narrative alignment were hopeful, but further tests using quantitative metrics-for instance, FID for images and BLEU for text, as well as broader user feedback-would be needed to validate the efficacy of the model entirely. The impediments were, however, GAN mode collapse, irregular speech-bubble layout, and inconsistent artistic styles. Further research would uncover the potential role of AI systems in easing the comic generation process for creators, educators, and designers of digital content to enhance accessibility and efficiency. This method shows promising applicability in various domains like automated narratives, customizable comics, and educational material. Further along the way, the scientists plan to improve panel storytelling, create an intuitive interface, and expand the dataset to include more artistic styles. Such enhancements could maximize the gain from automated comic conception.}, language = {en} }