معرفی
Torbjörn Svensson is an Assistant Professor in Media, Aesthetics and Narrative at the Department of Information Technology, School of Informatics, University of Skövde. He is a member of the GAME (Games Art Media Experience) research group and works primarily with Media, Aesthetics and Narrative subjects within the Bachelor's and Master's programs for Computer Game Development. His academic journey culminated in February 2024 with the successful defense of his doctoral thesis "From Games to News: Creating an Engagement Model for Digital Local News," which represents a significant contribution to understanding how game engagement principles can be applied to digital journalism.
Dr. Svensson holds a PhD in Information Technology from the University of Skövde (2024), a Master's degree in Film Studies from Lund University (2006) with thesis "The Big Lebowski: The Story, the Narration and the Narrator," and a Bachelor's degree in Film Studies from the University of Skövde (1994) with thesis "Machine Man – Creation and Creations in Film." His educational background bridges film theory, narrative structures, and digital media technologies.
Dr. Svensson's research focuses on the intersection of game studies, digital media, and narrative theory. He specializes in applying game engagement principles to digital news contexts, exploring how interactive narratives can enhance user engagement with local journalism. His work investigates the transfer of psychological engagement mechanisms from computer games to digital news platforms, with particular attention to Self Determination Theory. He has developed a novel engagement model for digital local news that moves beyond traditional gamification approaches, examining how digital maturity of features ranges from substitution through modification to disruption. His research also encompasses VR/AR storytelling, pervasive gaming for cultural heritage, and the design of interactive news experiences.
Dr. Svensson's publications reveal a clear trajectory from game studies toward innovative applications in digital journalism. Starting with cultural heritage games like "The Mystery of Elin" (2014), his work evolved to examine user engagement in interactive narratives (2017), then progressed to VR/AR storytelling applications (2018-2019), culminating in his comprehensive engagement model for digital local news (2024). His research consistently applies game engagement principles to non-game contexts, but with increasing sophistication - moving from direct game implementations to abstracted engagement mechanisms. The interdisciplinary nature of his work bridges computer science, media studies, psychology, and journalism, with a particular focus on how digital technologies can transform traditional media consumption patterns.
While specific awards aren't detailed in the available information, Dr. Svensson's research has been presented at prestigious international conferences including ICIDS (Interactive Digital Storytelling), DiGRA (Digital Games Research Association), and POCG (Philosophy of Computer Games). His work has been featured at events like the Digital Media Europe conference in Copenhagen.
Dr. Svensson has served as program coordinator for Computer Game Development Game Writing (2012-December 2015) alongside Marcus Toftedahl. He has supervised student projects and research within game development and digital media. His Level Up project (August 2015-February 2020) investigated how gamification and game technology could increase news consumption among young citizens (16-39 years old). He has also led the development and maintenance of the Game Demonstrator at the University of Skövde, which showcases student games and program information in the Portalen building entrance hall.
Dr. Svensson is an active member of the GAME (Games Art Media Experience) research group at the University of Skövde. He has collaborated extensively with colleagues including Katrin Dannberg, Ulf Wilhelmsson, Mikael Lebram, and Anette Andersson from the Department of Game Development/Department of Information Technology, as well as Anna Vibrandt and Cecilia Renström from AMK (Department of Marketing and Communication) on projects like the Game Demonstrator. His interdisciplinary collaborations extend to researchers like Lissa Holloway-Attaway (his PhD supervisor) and Etienne Beroldy on VR/AR storytelling projects.