7,540 research outputs found

    Proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET 2013)

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    "This book contains the proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET) 2013 which was held on 16.-17.September 2013 in Paphos (Cyprus) in conjunction with the EC-TEL conference. The workshop and hence the proceedings are divided in two parts: on Day 1 the EuroPLOT project and its results are introduced, with papers about the specific case studies and their evaluation. On Day 2, peer-reviewed papers are presented which address specific topics and issues going beyond the EuroPLOT scope. This workshop is one of the deliverables (D 2.6) of the EuroPLOT project, which has been funded from November 2010 – October 2013 by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLL) by grant #511633. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate Persuasive Learning Objects and Technologies (PLOTS), based on ideas of BJ Fogg. The purpose of this workshop is to summarize the findings obtained during this project and disseminate them to an interested audience. Furthermore, it shall foster discussions about the future of persuasive technology and design in the context of learning, education and teaching. The international community working in this area of research is relatively small. Nevertheless, we have received a number of high-quality submissions which went through a peer-review process before being selected for presentation and publication. We hope that the information found in this book is useful to the reader and that more interest in this novel approach of persuasive design for teaching/education/learning is stimulated. We are very grateful to the organisers of EC-TEL 2013 for allowing to host IWEPLET 2013 within their organisational facilities which helped us a lot in preparing this event. I am also very grateful to everyone in the EuroPLOT team for collaborating so effectively in these three years towards creating excellent outputs, and for being such a nice group with a very positive spirit also beyond work. And finally I would like to thank the EACEA for providing the financial resources for the EuroPLOT project and for being very helpful when needed. This funding made it possible to organise the IWEPLET workshop without charging a fee from the participants.

    Evaluating the impact of physical activity apps and wearables: interdisciplinary review

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    Background: Although many smartphone apps and wearables have been designed to improve physical activity, their rapidly evolving nature and complexity present challenges for evaluating their impact. Traditional methodologies, such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), can be slow. To keep pace with rapid technological development, evaluations of mobile health technologies must be efficient. Rapid alternative research designs have been proposed, and efficient in-app data collection methods, including in-device sensors and device-generated logs, are available. Along with effectiveness, it is important to measure engagement (ie, users’ interaction and usage behavior) and acceptability (ie, users’ subjective perceptions and experiences) to help explain how and why apps and wearables work. Objectives: This study aimed to (1) explore the extent to which evaluations of physical activity apps and wearables: employ rapid research designs; assess engagement, acceptability, as well as effectiveness; use efficient data collection methods; and (2) describe which dimensions of engagement and acceptability are assessed. Method: An interdisciplinary scoping review using 8 databases from health and computing sciences. Included studies measured physical activity, and evaluated physical activity apps or wearables that provided sensor-based feedback. Results were analyzed using descriptive numerical summaries, chi-square testing, and qualitative thematic analysis. Results: A total of 1829 abstracts were screened, and 858 articles read in full. Of 111 included studies, 61 (55.0%) were published between 2015 and 2017. Most (55.0%, 61/111) were RCTs, and only 2 studies (1.8%) used rapid research designs: 1 single-case design and 1 multiphase optimization strategy. Other research designs included 23 (22.5%) repeated measures designs, 11 (9.9%) nonrandomized group designs, 10 (9.0%) case studies, and 4 (3.6%) observational studies. Less than one-third of the studies (32.0%, 35/111) investigated effectiveness, engagement, and acceptability together. To measure physical activity, most studies (90.1%, 101/111) employed sensors (either in-device [67.6%, 75/111] or external [23.4%, 26/111]). RCTs were more likely to employ external sensors (accelerometers: P=.005). Studies that assessed engagement (52.3%, 58/111) mostly used device-generated logs (91%, 53/58) to measure the frequency, depth, and length of engagement. Studies that assessed acceptability (57.7%, 64/111) most often used questionnaires (64%, 42/64) and/or qualitative methods (53%, 34/64) to explore appreciation, perceived effectiveness and usefulness, satisfaction, intention to continue use, and social acceptability. Some studies (14.4%, 16/111) assessed dimensions more closely related to usability (ie, burden of sensor wear and use, interface complexity, and perceived technical performance). Conclusions: The rapid increase of research into the impact of physical activity apps and wearables means that evaluation guidelines are urgently needed to promote efficiency through the use of rapid research designs, in-device sensors and user-logs to assess effectiveness, engagement, and acceptability. Screening articles was time-consuming because reporting across health and computing sciences lacked standardization. Reporting guidelines are therefore needed to facilitate the synthesis of evidence across disciplines

    Learning Contexts: a Blueprint for Research

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    Most research efforts in online learning tend to concentrate on the delivery of content relegating to a lesser role the contexts, the activity-rich, interaction-rich and culturallyrich learning environments that the use of technology is making possible and where new principles and practices apply. We illustrate some of the threads of this emerging research field: What are learning contexts? How do they interact with contents? How can they be managed? What philosophical perspectives and social theories frame and support their use? Can they be designed? How do they shape the platforms of the future?Most research efforts in online learning tend to concentrate on the delivery of content relegating to a lesser role the contexts, the activity-rich, interaction-rich and culturallyrich learning environments that the use of technology is making possible and where new principles and practices apply. We illustrate some of the threads of this emerging research field: What are learning contexts? How do they interact with contents? How can they be managed? What philosophical perspectives and social theories frame and support their use? Can they be designed? How do they shape the platforms of the future

    Collaborative learning experiences for the development of higher-order thinking

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    The work presented in this article describe the conceptualization and methodological proposal for the development of two distinct pedagogical approaches. One, based on Inquiry Based Learning (IBL), is structured in phases, guiding the student through the learning process. The other is based on gamification, applied as an integrated teaching-learning strategy. It includes the definition of the formative assessment, student classification and learning experiences, which include traditional practical assignments and educational games. This study was conceptualized and applied in two curricular units of different areas, to identify the impact that these strategies have in the construction of higher-order skills, such as communication skills, critical thinking and collaboration. There are strong indicators that the intense and active role of students allows them to build strong connection to the issue in study and also to rely on team work for further in the knowledge building.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Towards Adaptive Technology in Routine Mental Healthcare

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    This paper summarizes the information technology-related research findings after 5 years with the INTROducing Mental health through Adaptive Technology project. The aim was to improve mental healthcare by introducing new technologies for adaptive interventions in mental healthcare through interdisciplinary research and development. We focus on the challenges related to internet-delivered psychological treatments, emphasising artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, and software engineering. We present the main research findings, the developed artefacts, and lessons learned from the project before outlining directions for future research. The main findings from this project are encapsulated in a reference architecture that is used for establishing an infrastructure for adaptive internet-delivered psychological treatment systems in clinical contexts. The infrastructure is developed by introducing an interdisciplinary design and development process inspired by domain-driven design, user-centred design, and the person based approach for intervention design. The process aligns the software development with the intervention design and illustrates their mutual dependencies. Finally, we present software artefacts produced within the project and discuss how they are related to the proposed reference architecture. Our results indicate that the proposed development process, the reference architecture and the produced software can be practical means of designing adaptive mental health care treatments in correspondence with the patients’ needs and preferences. In summary, we have created the initial version of an information technology infrastructure to support the development and deployment of Internet-delivered mental health interventions with inherent support for data sharing, data analysis, reusability of treatment content, and adaptation of intervention based on user needs and preferences.publishedVersio

    Learning Contexts: a Blueprint for Research

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    Most research efforts in online learning tend to concentrate on the delivery of content relegating to a lesser role the contexts, the activity-rich, interaction-rich and culturallyrich learning environments that the use of technology is making possible and where new principles and practices apply. We illustrate some of the threads of this emerging research field: What are learning contexts? How do they interact with contents? How can they be managed? What philosophical perspectives and social theories frame and support their use? Can they be designed? How do they shape the platforms of the future?Most research efforts in online learning tend to concentrate on the delivery of content relegating to a lesser role the contexts, the activity-rich, interaction-rich and culturallyrich learning environments that the use of technology is making possible and where new principles and practices apply. We illustrate some of the threads of this emerging research field: What are learning contexts? How do they interact with contents? How can they be managed? What philosophical perspectives and social theories frame and support their use? Can they be designed? How do they shape the platforms of the future

    Utilizing artificial intelligence in perioperative patient flow:systematic literature review

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    Abstract. The purpose of this thesis was to map the existing landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) applications used in secondary healthcare, with a focus on perioperative care. The goal was to find out what systems have been developed, and how capable they are at controlling perioperative patient flow. The review was guided by the following research question: How is AI currently utilized in patient flow management in the context of perioperative care? This systematic literature review examined the current evidence regarding the use of AI in perioperative patient flow. A comprehensive search was conducted in four databases, resulting in 33 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Findings demonstrated that AI technologies, such as machine learning (ML) algorithms and predictive analytics tools, have shown somewhat promising outcomes in optimizing perioperative patient flow. Specifically, AI systems have proven effective in predicting surgical case durations, assessing risks, planning treatments, supporting diagnosis, improving bed utilization, reducing cancellations and delays, and enhancing communication and collaboration among healthcare providers. However, several challenges were identified, including the need for accurate and reliable data sources, ethical considerations, and the potential for biased algorithms. Further research is needed to validate and optimize the application of AI in perioperative patient flow. The contribution of this thesis is summarizing the current state of the characteristics of AI application in perioperative patient flow. This systematic literature review provides information about the features of perioperative patient flow and the clinical tasks of AI applications previously identified

    Mix IT Up!: a blending of community informatics and youth services librarianship to further social justice in library and information science education

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    Mix IT Up! is a library and information science (LIS) education initiative blending theories and approaches in community informatics and youth services librarianship in order to further social justice agendas. It is based on collaboration with community partners who share similar interests and objectives. Prior to launching Mix IT Up!, community members identified a pressing need to engage with local youth more effectively. Mix IT Up! was developed to address this critical gap. From 2011 to 2015, Mix IT Up! enabled a broad array of community-based connections and projects related to youth advocacy and information technologies—the “IT” in the title—and provided robust opportunities for LIS students to gain experience in community engagement. Mix IT Up! serves as a model of effective practice in LIS education.published or submitted for publicatio
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