We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming Seminar: Engaging Game Design: Design Your Career Game on Wednesday & Thursday, January 14&15th at 10:00-15:00 at the SEDO Seminar hall (K12.1.04) at the HMU Heraklion Campus, featuring Dr Ingrida Lescauskiene, associate professor, scientist, innovator, and educator at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH).
REGISTRATION LINK: https://forms.gle/2xNoJ5gPMfYv6s9q8
Short description of seminar:
Games are not just about entertainment — they influence how we learn, stay motivated, and make decisions. Game and gamification principles are already widely used in education, tourism, cultural projects, community initiatives, and digital innovation. Instead of focusing on game programming, this creative seminar explores the ideas behind games — how rules, challenges, and stories shape engagement and how these principles can be applied to real-life situations. During this 2-day interactive workshop, students will combine core theory with creative teamwork. Working in small groups, they will brainstorm ideas, experiment with game mechanics, and co- create a game or gamified concept focused on career preparation — such as recognising personal strengths, exploring career paths, preparing for job interviews, or understanding the job market. Through storytelling, challenges, discussion, and rapid prototyping, students will transform real career questions into playable systems while developing creative thinking, collaboration, and an understanding of human motivation — skills highly valuable for professional life in Greece and beyond. Participation and the skills gained in the seminar will be recognised with digital badges issued by VILNIUS TECH.
Workshop’s structure
Day 1
– Short theoretical introduction
– First practical workshop part (teamwork, ideation, early prototyping)
Day 2
– Introduction to future skills and their importance in the job market, including digital badges (until 12:00)
– Continued work on the games or gamified concepts, Presentation of cerated board game concepts
– Group discussion and reflection
The workshop is designed to be less computer-based and more focused on teamwork and hands-on creative practice. However, there will be moments where students may benefit from using AI tools for ideation or visual support, so if they have their own laptops, it would be helpful for them to bring them. Ideally, the room should support group work and flexible seating, rather than a traditional lecture-only setup.
About teachers:
Assoc. Prof. Dr Ingrida Lescauskiene is a scientist, innovator, and educator at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH). She holds a PhD in Informatics Engineering and has over 10 years of teaching and working in game design, gamification, human–computer interaction, and learning recognition. Her work explores how interactive systems shape human motivation, behaviour, and competence development, as well as the persuasive power of games. She is a co- author of the first Lithuanian book on video game design and a frequent speaker at academic and industry conferences, including CIBES, DevGAMM, and EdTech Week Lithuania. She is also the creator of the VILNIUS TECH Digital Badge System, a large-scale, gamified learning ecosystem that connects formal and non-formal education and enables students to recognise skills and competencies gained beyond the classroom.