Towards multimodal player adaptivity in a serious game for fair resource distribution

We present an initial demonstrator towards the creation of an adaptive serious game for teaching conflict resolution. The overall aim is the development of a game which detects and models player in-game behaviours and cognitive processes and, based on these, automatically generates content that drives the player towards personalized conflict resolution scenarios.peer-reviewe

Serious gaming for adaptive decision making of military personnel

The importance of improving adaptive decision making for the military is ever increasing, particularly in operational environments that are unfamiliar, complex, and constantly changing. This paper presents the development and testing of a serious game for training military officers in adaptive decision making. Participants were to detect rule changes in the game world, and to adjust their decisions in accordance with these changes. In an explorative study, the effectiveness of the game was tested by using in-game and outgame measures. The findings on the in-game measure suggest that the game helps participants to detect rule changes and to adapt their decision making. Despite this effect, participants' cognitive flexibility did not increase based on the findings on the out-game measures. Discussions, future directions, and training implications for the Defense organization are described

It’s not whether you win or lose: investigating the use of serious games and L2 reading development

Màster de Lingüística Aplicada i Adquisició de Llengües en Contextos Multilingües, Departament de Filologia Anglesa i Alemanya, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2019-2020, Tutor: Roger Gilabert GuerreroWith the reliance on technology becoming increasingly prevalent in the classroom, educational administrators and educators have begun to consider how to effectively incorporate serious games into their curriculums and lessons. Published research supports that early mathematics and reading development are areas in which serious games have proven to be beneficial in both the short and long-term. This longitudinal study investigates the effectiveness and mechanisms involved in the development of L2 reading skills through the use of the novel serious game iRead. Hoover and Gough’s (1990) simple view of reading demonstrates that the dual components of word reading accuracy and fluency form a measure of word recognition, which, along with listening comprehension is responsible for explaining differences in reading comprehension. iRead is a EU-funded project that seeks to create adaptive technologies that will contribute to improvements in reading skills. By collecting measures of word reading accuracy and fluency from 72 ESL learners prior to and following four months of iRead use, this study sought to tie overall accuracy and fluency gains to game use and performance. We also consider differences in game use and performance based on initial proficiency measures in listening, reading, and vocabulary. We link gains in word reading accuracy to the use and performance of a specific iRead feature and also show evidence of iRead’s adaptivity, drawing conclusions about its role in overall gains and gameplay. Finally, we tie gains in fluency to number of books read and number of tricky words saved during iRead use. This study contributes to the body of existing research investigating the effectiveness of personalized and adaptive serous games and provides evidence for their efficacy when used in conjunction with traditional methods of L2 reading development

A multi functional plug-in for exergames

This paper describes the development of a software complement for Blender (a freely available animation software) which allows to insert motion data obtained from a motion capture camera device. The main target is to provide Blender with a tool to develop exergames, i.e. serious games for performing physical exercises, which are fully adaptive to the user?s needs and capabilities, especially addressing chronical patients or handicapped. The plugin incorporates both: motion control and recording, allowing to store user movements. Transmission is realized via the OSC (Open Sound Control) protocol. The tool is still under development, here a first version is presented showing its functionalities in a demo-game. In the future, sensor data from other devices is planned to be integrated

SLR - Análisis del Aprendizaje Basado en Juegos Serios en las Prácticas de los Estudios de Ingeniería

Este trabajo se trata de un Análisis Sistemático de la Literatura del uso de los juegos serios en los estudios de ingeniería.15 página

An interface to virtual environments for people who are blind using Wii technology - mental models and navigation

Accessible games, both for serious and for entertainment purposes, would allow inclusion and participation for those with disabilities. Research into the development of accessible games, and accessible virtual environments, is discussed. Research into accessible Virtual Environments has demonstrated great potential for allowing people who are blind to explore new spaces, reducing their reliance on guides, and aiding development of more efficient spatial maps and strategies. Importantly, Lahav and Mioduser (2005, 2008) have demonstrated that, when exploring virtual spaces, people who are blind use more and different strategies than when exploring real physical spaces, and develop relatively accurate spatial representations of them. The present paper describes the design, development and evaluation of a system in which a virtual environment may be explored by people who are blind using Nintendo Wii devices, with auditory and haptic feedback. The nature of the various types of feedback is considered, with the aim of creating an intuitive and usable system. Using Wii technology has many advantages, not least of which are that it is mainstream, readily available and cheap. The potential of the system for exploration and navigation is demonstrated. Results strongly support the possibilities of the system for facilitating and supporting the construction of cognitive maps and spatial strategies. Intelligent support is discussed. Systems such as the present one will facilitate the development of accessible games, and thus enable Universal Design and accessible interactive technology to become more accepted and widespread

Designing a gamified social platform for people living with dementia and their live-in family caregivers

In the current paper, a social gamified platform for people living with dementia and their live-in family caregivers, integrating a broader diagnostic approach and interactive interventions is presented. The CAREGIVERSPRO-MMD (C-MMD) platform constitutes a support tool for the patient and the informal caregiver - also referred to as the dyad - that strengthens self-care, and builds community capacity and engagement at the point of care. The platform is implemented to improve social collaboration, adherence to treatment guidelines through gamification, recognition of progress indicators and measures to guide management of patients with dementia, and strategies and tools to improve treatment interventions and medication adherence. Moreover, particular attention was provided on guidelines, considerations and user requirements for the design of a User-Centered Design (UCD) platform. The design of the platform has been based on a deep understanding of users, tasks and contexts in order to improve platform usability, and provide adaptive and intuitive User Interfaces with high accessibility. In this paper, the architecture and services of the C-MMD platform are presented, and specifically the gamification aspects. © 2018 Association for Computing Machinery.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft