Marc Oliver Korn

Oliver Korn is a visiting professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information. He does research on human computer interaction, more specifically on assistive technologies, social robotics, as well as gamification and playful design. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Stuttgart University (Germany), where he also received a master’s in literature and computational linguistics. In between master and Ph.D., he founded the Fraunhofer spin-off KORION, a game development company where he worked as CEO for ten years.

Current Research

I started my scientific career after ten years in the game industry. That stuck – even during my Ph.D. on assistive technologies, where I combined cognitive support with gamification elements. My overall vision is enriching environments by intuitive interfaces and “intelligent” assistive systems, which adapt to the users and the context. To do so, I combine quantitative and qualitative methods. To get an even better understanding of things happening unconsciously while we work, learn, or play, I started using methods from Affective Computing: biosensors can tell a lot about our emotions and stress level. 

When I developed a new bachelor program on “Virtual Worlds and Game Technologies” I started investigating the interrelation between performance and embodiment. We found that especially young people are rather skeptical regarding the potentials of virtual worlds, fearing toxicity and dissociation from the real world. Investigating this mismatch and exploring solutions are the main areas of my current research, including my time in Berkeley. Furthermore, I will be teaching the master seminar “Playful Design & Gamification”.   

As a founder of a company, I also established a start-up incubator at my home university (Offenburg, Germany), so a sideline of my research is entrepreneurial thinking and ideation, mostly in digital contexts.        

Education

Ph.D., Computer Science, Stuttgart University, 2014

M.A., Literature and Computational Linguistics, Stuttgart University, 2000

What is the best thing about working at the I School?

The Ischools are a network with their own conferences and awards – an intercultural and interdisciplinary community of research, teaching, and practice. That is pretty awesome. 

Something few people know about me

I am both a gym shark and an avid player of video games with a special passion for dark RPGs. So, I am frequently leveling up. However, sometimes another passion gets in the way: wine.