Determinants of the effectiveness of using renewable resource management-based simulations in the development of critical thinking: an application of the experiential learning theory

The twenty-first century’s society experiences new challenges in being immersed in a new paradigm of the educational system. Higher education institutions should train professionals so that they are able to experience real situations in order to encourage reflection on affective, aesthetic, and ethical dimensions of these people in their relations with the natural and sociocultural environment. Learning strategies must allow the acquisition of creative, active, and applied knowledge as well as the development of critical thinking. According to the experiential learning theory, to achieve this, higher education should use student-centered interactive and collaborative teaching methodologies and focus studies on the skills that graduates must have, promoting student know-how, initiative, and autonomous learning. Business simulations are instruments that fulfil the above characteristics, facilitating learning. The objective of this research was to provide a model that identifies the determining factors (simulation’s realism and structure, perceived usefulness, and students’ learning motivation) in the effectiveness of using these tools to develop critical thinking focused on sustainability. Three hundred and twenty-six surveys completed by undergraduate students were obtained, which used a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the influence of realism, simulation structure, perceived usefulness, and students’ motivations to develop critical thinking. The outcomes according to the experiential learning theory showed that the game’s realism lets students perceive its usefulness and, together with an adequate simulation structure, determines the students’ learning motivations by developing critical thinking

Flow-kokemuksen psykofysiologia : eksploratiivinen tutkimus

This study explored the possibilities the psychophysiological methodology offer to flow research. Facial electromyography has often been used to index valence, and electrodermal activity to index arousal, the two basic dimensions of emotion. It was hypothesized that these measures can also be used to examine enjoyment, a basic component of flow experiment. A digital game was used to induce flow, and physiological activity of 32 subjects was measured continuously. Flow State Scale was used to assess flow. Activity of corrugator supercilii muscle, an index of negative valence, was negatively correlated with flow reports, as hypothesized. Contrary to hypothesis, skin conductance level, an index of arousal, was unrelated to self-reported flow. The results for association between flow and zygomaticus major and orbicularis oculi muscle activities, indices of positive valence, were inconclusive, possibly due to experimental design where only tonic measures were available. Psychophysiological methods are recommended for future studies of flow. Specifically, the time series approach may be particularly viable in examining the temporal aspects of flow, an area currently unexplored. Furthermore, it is suggested that digital game research would benefit from psychophysiological study of game-related flow.Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin psykofysiologisien menetelmien tarjoamia mahdollisuuksia flow'n tutkimukselle. Kahden emootioiden perusulottuvuuden, valenssin ja kiihtymyksen, tutkimiseen on usein käytetty kasvolihastoiminnan ja ihon sähkönjohtavuuden mittaamista. Hypoteesina oli, että näitä menetelmiä voi myös käyttää mielihyvän, flow'n peruskomponentin, tutkimiseen. Flow-kokemuksen synnyttämiseen käytettiin digitaalista peliä, ja 32 koehenkilöltä mitattiin tooninen fysiologinen aktiviteetti. Flow State Scale -kyselyä käytettiin flow'n arvioimiseen. Hypoteesin mukaisesti negatiiviseen valenssiin yhdistetty corrugator supercilii -lihaksen aktiviteetti korreloi negatiivisesti flow-kyselyn tulosten kanssa. Hypoteesin vastaisesti kiihtyneisyyttä ilmaiseva ihon sähkönjohtavuuden taso ei ollut yhteydessä raportoituun flow-tasoon. Tulokset positiiviseen valenssiin yhdistettyjen zygomaticus major ja orbicularis oculi -kasvolihaksien aktiviteettien suhteesta flow-tasoon eivät olleet ratkaisevia, johtuen mahdollisesti toonisiin mittauksiin perustuvasta koeasetelmasta. Psykofysiologisia metodeja suositellaan käytettäväksi tulevissa flow-tutkimuksissa. Erityisesti aikasarja-lähestymistapa saattaa olla erityisen käyttökelpoinen tarkasteltaessa flow'n ajallisia ominaisuuksia, joista tällä hetkellä ei ole lainkaan tutkimusaineistoa. Lisäksi esitetään, että digitaalisten pelien tutkimus hyötyisi pelien aikana tapahtuvan flow'n psykofysiologisesta tutkimuksesta