Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion

Small cities face greater impact from automation

The city has proven to be the most successful form of human agglomeration and provides wide employment opportunities for its dwellers. As advances in robotics and artificial intelligence revive concerns about the impact of automation on jobs, a question looms: How will automation affect employment in cities? Here, we provide a comparative picture of the impact of automation across U.S. urban areas. Small cities will undertake greater adjustments, such as worker displacement and job content substitutions. We demonstrate that large cities exhibit increased occupational and skill specialization due to increased abundance of managerial and technical professions. These occupations are not easily automatable, and, thus, reduce the potential impact of automation in large cities. Our results pass several robustness checks including potential errors in the estimation of occupational automation and sub-sampling of occupations. Our study provides the first empirical law connecting two societal forces: urban agglomeration and automation's impact on employment

Forging Wargamers

How do we establish or improve wargaming education, including sponsors, participants, and future designers? The question stems from the uncomfortable truth that the wargaming discipline has no foundational pipeline, no established pathway from novice to master. Consequently, the wargaming community stands at a dangerous precipice at the convergence of a stagnant labor force and a patchwork system of passing institutional war-gaming knowledge. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to ill-informed sponsors, poorly scoped wargames, an unreliable standard of wargaming expertise, and worst of all, risks the decline of wargaming as an educational and analytical tool. This fundamental challenge is a recurring theme throughout this volume and each author offers their own perspective and series of recommendations

Exploring the Effect of a Collaborative Problem-Based Learning Simulation Within a Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment on Tutor Perceptions and Student Learning Outcomes

Alternative learning experiences and environments are being increasingly investigated, in response partly to technological developments but also following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators have found that pedagogic strategies and learning environments profoundly influence behaviour of students, approach to learning, learning outcomes and overall level of satisfaction. There is nascent literature on how specific pedagogical approaches (in this case, collaborative problem-based learning) and environments (technology-enhanced learning environment: TELE) can positively impact student learning. In this article, the authors explore the value of a technology-enhanced problem-based simulation exercise for achieving learning objectives and engagement. This approach is novel in combining research on active learning, collaboration and simulation within a specific context. This was a mixed-method study, and staff and student participants were engaged, gathering data through several methods, including questionnaires and interviews. The data was analyzed through different methods, including thematic analysis. The results suggested that the pedagogic approach and learning environment explored in this study positively enhanced student understanding of subject content and learners’ ability to apply abstract theories and concepts. Moreover, evidence shows that these interventions increased learner motivation and knowledge retention. 

The role of simulations in the authentic learning for national security policy development: implications for practice

This report is provides examples of practice that illustrate the use of authentic learning and simulations in post-graduate and on-campus learning environments, especially when applied national security policy education. It examines the following areas: The place of authentic learning in postgraduate education. The methods used to simulate policy development, and related activities like strategy planning, in educational environments relevant to national security policy-making. Policy simulation methods that could enhance learning at the College and similar institutions, including teaching skills, technology and resource implications. The roles of technology in enhancing learning in policy development simulations. Ways to assess learning effectiveness through simulation

Supporting Negotiations: Methods, Techniques, and Practice

The family of decision analysis techniques can be applied effectively to support practical negotiators in international settings. These techniques are most appropriate in support of the prenegotiation phase, when parties are diagnosing the situation, assessing their own plans and strategies, and evaluating likely reactions and outcomes. The paper identifies how these approaches have and can be used to assist negotiation practitioners, offer a rationale for the application of decision analytic approaches in terms of the particular analytical requirements of the prenegotiation period, suggests how these process-oriented tools can be integrated with substantive tools, and discusses ways in which these tools can be presented and delivered to practitioners in a practical and confidence-building manner

Shall we play a game?

In response to real and perceived short-comings in the quality and productivity of software engineering practices and projects, professionally-endorsed graduate and post-graduate curriculum guides have been developed to meet evolving technical developments and industry demands. Each of these curriculum guidelines identifies better software engineering management skills and soft, peopleware skills as critical for all graduating students, but they provide little guidance on how to achieve this. One possible way is to use a serious game — a game designed to educate players about some of the dynamic complexities of the field in a safe and inexpensive environment. This thesis presents the results of a qualitative research project that used a simple game of a software project to see if and how games could contribute to better software project management education; and if they could, then what features and attributes made them most efficacious. That is, shall we— should we— play games in software engineering management? The primary research tool for this project was a game called Simsoft. Physically, Simsoft comes in two pieces. There is an A0-sized printed game board around which the players gather to discuss the current state of their project and to consider their next move. The board shows the flow of the game while plastic counters are used to represent the staff of the project. Poker chips represent the team’s budget, with which they can purchase more staff, and from which certain game events may draw or reimburse amounts depending on decisions made during the course of the game. There is also a simple Java-based dashboard, through which the players can see the current and historical state of the project in a series of reports and messages; and they can adjust the project’s settings. The engine behind Simsoft is a system dynamics model which embodies the fundamental causal relationships of simple software development projects. In Simsoft game sessions, teams of students, and practicing project managers and software engineers managed a hypothetical software development project with the aim of completing the project on time and within budget (with poker chips left over). Based on the starting scenario of the game, information provided during the game, and their own real-world experience, the players made decisions about how to proceed— whether to hire more staff or reduce the number, what hours should be worked, and so on. After each decision set had been entered, the game was run for another next time period, (a week, a month, or a quarter). The game was now in a new state which the players had to interpret from the game board and decide how to proceed. The findings showed that games can contribute to better software engineering management education and help bridge the pedagogical gaps in current curriculum guidelines. However, they can’t do this by themselves and for best effect they should be used in conjunction with other pedagogical tools. The findings also showed that simple games and games in which the players are able to relate the game world to an external context are the most efficacious

Exploring the Experiences and Understanding of Clinical Judgement of IENs Transitioning to Nursing Practice in Ontario

Clinical judgment is increasingly discussed in the nursing education literature as it is critical to the development of professional knowledge, and it provides a structure for the reasoning necessary for nursing practice today. It is well indicated in the literature that a significant number of novice practitioners in health care do not meet entry-to-practice expectations for clinical judgment and have difficulty transferring knowledge and theory into practice—regardless of educational preparation and credentials. Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) are also considered novice practitioners in the Ontario health-care environment. The purpose of the study was to explore IENs’ experience and understanding of clinical judgment when engaged in a simulated clinical environment. The research question guiding the study was, What is the experience and understanding of clinical judgment of IENs when engaged in High Fidelity Patient Simulation (HFPS) and stimulated recall and reflective practice? The research employs qualitative descriptive, open-ended exploratory and interpretive methods informed by constructivism and transformative learning theories. Qualitative research seeks to understand and explain participant meaning. The participants in this study were four IENs, aged 27–37, who were attending a university academic bridging program. They participated in a) a preliminary interview to collect data regarding their demographics and information associated with their educational, clinical, and professional background; b) three interactive simulated clinical activities comprising of high-fidelity SimMan™ manikins; and c) three stimulated recall sessions followed by three focus groups. The interactive simulated activities were videotaped and stimulated recall and focus groups were audiotaped. Tanner’s Model of Clinical Judgment was used to guide this process. The thematic analysis uncovered six themes pertaining to IEN’s experience and understanding of clinical judgment: the shift from expert to novice, the need to rethink cultural competence and culturally competent care, the acknowledgement that culture and diversity are integral to understanding clinical judgment, the role of communication as a means to understanding clinical judgment, the recognition of unlearning as a way to understanding clinical judgment, and the phenomenon of unknowing as a dimension of understanding clinical judgment. The concepts of reflection-beyond-action and intercultural fluency emerged as implications for the teaching and learning of IENs

Exploring the effectiveness of the design-led intervention in reducing screen time and enhancing exercise for children in the home environment

Considering the rapid rise in obesity, this thesis suggests the notion that obesity can be tackled beyond conventional ways. It is widely reported in the literature that the epidemic of obesity is only going to get worse in the next 10 years. A change is needed to allow people to have more control over living healthier through improving physical and social environments, as these have a strong influence in shaping lifestyles. Existing research is converging on the view that modifying lifestyle behaviours is a viable approach to tackling this global epidemic. Therefore, this thesis proposes a unique intervention approach, focused on instigating sustainable behaviour through a design-led intervention. This novel approach attempted to facilitate a change in participants' sedentary lifestyles and prompt daily exercise behaviours. Physical inactivity amongst children and young people has been identified as a serious public health concern in relation to increases in obesity, with figures on screen time reaching a worrisome peak. The current study demonstrated that making small changes to people's daily routine could result in habitualising healthier behaviours. This thesis further analysed some fundamental theories/models that have been applied in stimulating behaviour changes in different disciplines. Following a thorough literature review of a broad range of behavioural change studies, including reported case studies, a framework was developed. It proposed the stages of intended habitualisation of this new behaviour and informed the development of a research tool artefact which was employed for the main study of this thesis. To evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention, a longitudinal study called the Domestic User Study (DUS) was undertaken to discover the habitual changes over time in home environments. A total of 20 households participated in DUS and used the prototype (design-led intervention) for a total duration of three months. Their behaviour change data were captured through means of monitoring, pre/post interviews, and mid/post surveys. The evaluation explored three fundamental research questions: 1) Did the design-led intervention help in building exercise behaviour? 2) Has the user's TV watching behaviour changed as a result of the design-led intervention? 3) Has Knudgbox created habitualised sustainable behaviour? Some key constructs were emerged to form the theoretical framework of this thesis and were measured throughout the DUS. The results uncovered the key determinants that influenced participants' behaviour when exposed to the design-led intervention. After a comprehensive analysis, three main dimensions are presented that constitute the user habitualisation process: visual feedback, user empowerment, and regulation. The joint impact of these dimensions on sustainable behaviour suggests that, when incorporated, they can bring forth habitual changes in the target demographic and beyond. Overall, this study suggests that design-led interventions can have a positive effect on instigating exercise behaviour in the home environment. The recommended behaviour habitualisation model should be considered in the future implementation of design led approaches in order to improve the chances of success