A novel approach and software component for supporting competence-based learning with serious games

Digital educational games constitute a major opportunity for acquiring knowledge and competences in a different way than traditional classroom- and technology-based methods. This paper presents a novel approach for a game component that structures the game play in an adaptive way. This approach consists of a combination of three learning theories and techniques. First, Competence-based Knowledge Space Theory is used structure a knowledge domain into competences and game situations. Second, the Leitner system of flashcards is used to establish structured and timed repetition of competences to be acquired. Third, the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve is taken into account to model forgetting learned competences. This approach has been implemented as a game component in line with the games component architecture of the RAGE project. The design and development of this component followed the requirements of the French games company Kiupe that includes it in its environment of games and mini-games

'ACCORD' e-Platform: Development and evaluation of an innovative multicultural training for school professionals

The study aims at describing the development, application and evaluation of ACCORD, an innovative e-platform offering a free-accessible tailored multicultural training for school professionals through the application of current ICT research (e-learning, mobility, internet, artificial intelligence). The eplatform provided school professionals with a dedicated Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) and a Serious Game (SG), embedded within it, useful to enhance and (self-)evaluate their intercultural competences and negotiation abilities. Technological, Psychological, and Pedagogical models and approaches underpinned the methodology driving the creation of the e-platform contents. Following a pilot test, the edited version of the e-platform (including the SG, learning materials, lessons, questionnaires) was widely diffused in different languages (English, German, Italian, Flemish, Spanish). Pre- and post-training questionnaires were used to assess the learning experience and the efficacy of the training. Findings provided evidence supporting the learning effectiveness of ACCORD training. The experience with the e-platform has been positively rated by the users concerning both the technological and educational aspects. Overall, the study provided an overview on the creation, implementation and evaluation of a novel multicultural training tool, which has been proven to effectively foster the enhancement of intercultural and interethnic competencies of professionals working in the European educational contexts

The Impostor: Exploring narrative game design for learning Korean as a foreign language

In recent years, digital language learning games and applications have proliferated. However, most existing apps employ methods and theoretical approaches that are not designed to teach learners practical language competence. Additionally, commercial apps tend to focus on languages with large markets, leaving smaller languages like Korean unsupported. The objective of this thesis is to explore language learning and second language acquisition (SLA) theories and their practical applications to find teaching methods that are best suited for improving practical language competence of Korean. Having identified such methods grounded in socio-cultural and ecological SLA theory, the thesis further integrates the teaching methods into a conceptual design of a digital language learning game for learning Korean as a foreign language. This thesis demonstrates that a grounding the fundamentally messy digital language learning game design process in SLA theory is not only viable but a good starting point. Key findings indicate that the designers need to identify the targeted learning objectives, learning experiences and game experiences as clear design goals early on, to efficiently guide the inherently messy design process. Furthermore, the thesis highlights that digital language learning game designers need to develop and nurture knowledge both in the target language instructional domain and in game design.Viime vuosina digitaalisten kielten oppimista varten luotujen pelien ja applikaatioiden määrä on lisääntynyt voimakkaasti. Valtaosa olemassa olevista applikaatioista soveltaa kuitenkin käytäntöjä ja teoreettisia lähestymistapoja, jotka eivät opeta käytännön kielitaitoja. Lisäksi kaupalliset applikaatiot keskittyvät lähinnä kieliin, joilla on suuret markkinat ja eivätkä tue pienempiä kieliä kuten Koreaa. Tämän opinnäytetyön päämääränä on tutkia kielten oppimisen ja vieraan kielen omaksumisen teoriaa sekä niiden käytännön sovelluksia ja löytää opetusmenetelmiä, jotka soveltuvat parhaiten käytännöllisen Korean kielen taidon opiskeluun. Työn tuloksena löytyi sosiokulttuurilliseen ja ekologiseen kielten omaksumisteoriaan pohjautuvia menetelmiä, jotka integroitiin osaksi opinnäytetyön osana suunniteltua oppimispelikonseptia. Tämä opinnäytetyö havainnollistaa, että pohjimmiltaan sekavan digitaalisten kieltenopiskelupelien suunnitteluprosessin pohjaaminen kieltenoppimisteoriaan on paitsi mahdollista myös erinomainen lähtökohta suunnittelutyölle. Työn päälöydökset osoittavat, että suunnittelijoiden tulee tunnistaa tavoitellut oppimistavoitteet, oppimiskokemukset ja pelikokemukset ajoissa, jotta suunnittelutyö etenisi tehokkaammin. Lisäksi tämä opinnäytetyö korostaa, että digitaalisten kieltenopiskelupelien suunnittelijoiden tulee perehtyä syvällisesti sekä opiskelun kohteena olevaan kieleen että pelisuunnitteluun

A comparison of methodological frameworks for digital learning game design

Methodological frameworks guide the design of digital learning game based on well founded learning theories and instructional strategies. This study presents a comparison of five methodological frameworks for digital learning game design, highlighting their similarities and differences. The objective is to support the choice of an adequate framework, aiming to promote them as a way to foster principled digital learning games design. This paper concludes that: (i) interactivity, engagement and increasing complexity of challenges are fundamental factors to digital learning game design; (ii) the pedagogical base, the target, the possibility of doing game assessment and the presence of practical guidelines are the selection criteria that influence most the choice of a methodological framework, and (iii) the development of digital learning games - preferably by different research teams - is needed to provide empirical evidence of the utility of framework-based design

PHENOMENOLOGY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE STYLE FOR MANAGING A MODERN EDUCATIONAL LYCEUM

El propósito de este artículo es presentar las características, el contenido y la lógica del desarrollo de un estilo de gestión innovador entre los directores de los liceos en la Rusia moderna. El estudio revela las características específicas de este estilo de gestión, que se reduce a la capacidad del gerente para promover el espacio educativo del Liceo al estado de un sistema en desarrollo dinámico que cumple con los requisitos modernos para la formación de especialistas en economías innovadoras. Un criterio clave para un estilo de gestión innovador fue la capacidad de un gerente de hacer una contribución personal para inculcar la innovación. Este criterio permitió identificar los niveles de crecimiento del estilo innovador de gestión del liceo (reproductivo, adaptativo, modelado local, modelado de sistemas, innovador-creativo). El estudio desarrolló un modelo de actividad gerencial innovadora del jefe del liceo, que apunta a la formación de un potencial de liderazgo constructivo y un dinámico "auto-concepto" de gestión. Se revela la lógica de la formación de un estilo de gestión innovador, que consta de tres etapas: reflexiva, identificación y la etapa de autorrealización profesional. Como resultado de la aplicación de esta lógica, los gerentes del grupo experimental desarrollaron una mejor tolerancia y flexibilidad del posición, aumentaron su creatividad, su capacidad para resistir el estrés prolongado, se controlaron mejor, la situación y la comunicación, tomaron las decisiones necesarias más rápido, mostraron confianza en sí mismos y capacidad de ejercer influencia gerencial y pedagógica, capacidad de gestionar una situación social, asumir la responsabilidad.O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar as características, o conteúdo e a lógica do desenvolvimento de um estilo de gerenciamento inovador entre os diretores de lyceums educacionais da Rússia moderna. O estudo revela as características específicas desse estilo de gestão, que se resumem à capacidade do gerente de promover o espaço educacional do lyceum para o estado de um sistema em desenvolvimento dinâmico que atende aos requisitos modernos de treinamento de especialistas uma economia inovadora. Um critério-chave para um estilo de gerenciamento inovador foi a capacidade do gerente de dar uma contribuição pessoal à promoção da inovação. Esse critério tornou possível identificar os níveis de crescimento do estilo inovador de gerenciar o lyceum (reprodutivo, adaptável, modelagem local, modelagem de sistema, inovação inovadora). Um modelo de atividade gerencial inovadora foi desenvolvido para o chefes do lyceums, que apunta a la formación de un potencial de liderazgo constructivo y un dinámico "auto-concepto" de gestión. É revelada a lógica da formação de um estilo de gestão inovador, que consiste em três estágios: reflexivo, identificação e o estágio da autorrealização profissional. Como resultado da aplicação dessa lógica, os gerentes do grupo experimental desenvolveram melhor tolerância e flexibilidade da posição, aumentaram sua criatividade e capacidade de suportar estresse prolongado, melhor controlaram a situação e a comunicação, tomaram as decisões necessárias mais rapidamente, mostraram autoconfiança e capacidade de exercer influência gerencial e pedagógica, seja responsável.The purpose of this article is to present the characteristics, content and logic of the development of an innovative managerial style among the directors of educational lyceums in modern Russia. The study reveals the specific features of this management style, which in general boils down to manager’s ability to promote the educational space of the Lyceum to the state of a dynamically developing system that responding to modern requirements for training specialists of innovative economies. As a key criterion for the development of an innovative managerial style, the authors considered the ability of a manager to make a personal contribution to instilling innovation. This criterion made it possible to identify the growth levels of the innovative style of managing the lyceum (reproductive, adaptive, locally-modeling, system-modeling, innovative-creative). The study developed a model for providing innovative managerial activities of the lyceum’s director, which is aimed at the formation of constructive leadership potential and a dynamic "Self-concept" of management. The logic of an innovative managerial style formation is revealed, which consists of three stages: the reflective stage, the identification stage, the stage of professional self-actualization. As a result of applying this logic in the research work, the managers of the experimental group developed better tolerance and flexibility of their position, increased creativity, the ability to withstand prolonged psycho-emotional stress, they better control themselves, the situation and communication, faster made the necessary decisions, showed self-confidence and ability exert managerial and pedagogical influence, ability to manage the social situation, bear responsibility

Advances in Technology Enhanced Learning

‘Advances in Technology Enhanced Learning’ presents a range of research projects which aim to explore how to make engagement in learning (and teaching) more passionate. This interactive and experimental resource discusses innovations which pave the way to open collaboration at scale. The book introduces methodological and technological breakthroughs via twelve chapters to learners, instructors, and decision-makers in schools, universities, and workplaces. The Open University's Knowledge Media Institute and the EU TELMap project have brought together the luminaries from the European research area to showcase their vision of the future of learning with technology via their recent research project work. The projects discussed range widely over the Technology Enhanced Learning area from: environments for responsive open learning, work-based reflection, work-based social creativity, serious games and many more

XEL Group Learning – A Socio-technical Framework for Self-regulated Learning

We describe XEL-Group Learning, a socio-technical framework for socially oriented e-learning. The aim of the presented framework is to address the lack of holistic pedagogical solutions that take into account motivational theories, socio–technical factors, and cultural elements in social learning networks. The presented framework provides initiatives for collaboration by providing a dynamic psycho-pedagogical recommendation mechanism with validation properties. In this paper, we begin by highlighting the socio-technical concept associated with socially-oriented e-learning. Next, we describe XEL-GL’s main mechanisms such as group formation and the semantic matching framework. Moreover, through semantic similarity measurements, we show how cultural elements, such as the learning subject, can enhance the quality of recommendations by allowing for more accurate predictions of friends networks

Affective processes as network hubs

The practical problems of designing and coding a web-based flight simulator for teachers has led to a ‘three-tier plus environment’ model (COVE model) for a software agent’s cognition (C), psychologicsal (O), physical (V) processes and responses to tasks and interpersonal relationships within a learning environment (E). The purpose of this article is to introduce how some of the COVE model layers represent preconscious processing hubs in an AI human-agent’s representation of learning in a serious game, and how an application of the Five Factor Model of psychology in the O layer determines the scope of dimensions for a practical computational model of affective processes. The article illustrates the model with the classroom-learning context of the simSchool application (www.simschool.org); presents details of the COVE model of an agent’s reactions to academic tasks; discusses the theoretical foundations; and outlines the research-based real world impacts from external validation studies as well as new testable hypotheses of simSchool

Supporting Refugee and Immigrant Children: Building Bridges Programme of the International Children's Institute in Canada and Overseas

This article highlights factors concerning refugee school-aged children and their caregivers both in Canada and overseas. This article documents the impact of the International Children's Institute's Building Bridges programme, which has received validation from both qualitative and quantitative studies. It concludes with implications for authentic programmes which combine education, health and NGO (non-governmental organization) sector partnerships.Cet article souligne certains facteurs concernant les enfants réfugiés en âge de scolarité et leurs fournisseurs de soins au Canada ainsi qu'à l'extérieur. L'article documente l'impact du programme de l'Institut international des enfants, intitulé « Construire des ponts », qui a reçu la validation d'études tant qualitatives que quantitatives. Pour conclure, l'article évoque les implications que cela comporte pour des programmes authentiques qui combinent des partenariats entre les secteurs de l'éducation, de la santé et des ONG (organisations non-gouvernementales)