An Internet- and Kinect-Based Multiple Sclerosis Fitness Intervention Training With Pilates Exercises: Development and Usability Study

background: balance impairments are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), with reduced ability to maintain position and delayed responses to postural adjustments. Pilates is a popular alternative method for balance training that may reduce the rapid worsening of symptoms and the increased risk of secondary conditions (eg, depression) that are frequently associated with physical inactivity.objective: In this paper, we aimed to describe the design, development, and usability testing of MS Fitness Intervention Training (MS-FIT), a Kinect-based tool implementing Pilates exercises customized for MS. methods: MS-FIT has been developed using a user-centered design approach (design, prototype, user feedback, and analysis) to gain the target user's perspective. a team composed of 1 physical therapist, 2 game programmers, and 1 game designer developed the first version of MS-FIT that integrated the knowledge and experience of the team with MS literature findings related to pilates exercises and balance interventions based on exergames. MS-FIT, developed by using the Unity 3D (Unity Technologies) game engine software with kinect Sensor V2 for Windows, implements exercises for breathing, posture, and balance. Feedback from an Italian panel of experts in MS rehabilitation (neurologists, physiatrists, physical therapists, 1 statistician, and 1 bioengineer) and people with MS was collected to customize the tool for use in MS. The context of MS-FIT is traveling around the world to visit some of the most important cities to learn the aspects of their culture through pictures and stories. At each stay of the travel, the avatar of a Pilates teacher shows the user the exercises to be performed. Overall, 9 people with MS (n=4, 44% women; mean age 42.89, SD 11.97 years; mean disease duration 10.19, SD 9.18 years; Expanded Disability Status Scale score 3.17, SD 0.75) were involved in 3 outpatient user test sessions of 30 minutes; MS-FIT's usability was assessed through an ad hoc questionnaire (maximum value=5; higher the score, higher the usability) evaluating easiness to use, playability, enjoyment, satisfaction, and acceptance.Results: A user-centered design approach was used to develop an accessible and challenging tool for balance training. all people with MS (9/9, 100%) completed the user test sessions and answered the ad hoc questionnaire. the average score on each item ranged from 3.78 (SD 0.67) to 4.33 (SD 1.00), which indicated a high usability level. The feedback and suggestions provided by 64% (9/14) of people with MS and 36% (5/14) of therapists involved in the user test were implemented to refine the first prototype to release MS-FIT 2.0. Conclusions: The participants reported that MS-FIT was a usable tool. It is a promising system for enhancing the motivation and engagement of people with MS in performing exercise with the aim of improving their physical status

Engaging adolescents with Down syndrome in an educational video game

Producción CientíficaThis article describes the design, implementation and evaluation of an educational video game that helps individuals with Down syndrome to improve their speech skills, specifically those related to prosody. Special attention has been paid to the design of the user interface, taking into account the cognitive, learning, and attentional limitations of people with Down syndrome. The learning content is conveyed by activities of production and perception of prosodic phenomena, aimed at increasing their communicative competence. These activities are introduced within the narrative of a video game so that the players do not conceive the tool as a mere succession of learning activities, but so that they learn and improve their speech while playing. The evaluation strategy that has been followed involves real users and combines different evaluation activities. Results show a high level of acceptance by participants and also by professionals, speech therapists, and special education teachers.2018-09-01MEC-FEDER Grant TIN2014-59852-R y la Junta de Castilla y León Regional Grant VA145U1

Towards the Use of Interactive Simulation for Effective e-Learning in University Classroom Environment

In this PhD thesis, the utilisation of interactive simulation in a higher education e-learning classroom environment was explored and its effectiveness was experimentally evaluated by engaging university students in a classroom setting. Two case studies were carried out for the experimental evaluation of the proposed novel interactive simulation e-learning tool. In the first case study, the use of interactive agent-based simulation was demonstrated in teaching complex adaptive system concepts in the area of ecology to university students and its effectiveness was measured in a classroom environment. In a lab intervention using a novel interactive agent-based simulation (built in NetLogo). For the purpose of teaching complex adaptive systems such as the concept of spatially-explicit predator prey interaction to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the University of Stirling. The effectiveness of using the interactive simulation was investigated by using the NetLogo software and compared with non-interactive simulation built using R programming language. The experimental evaluation was carried out using a total of 38 students. Results of this case study demonstrates that the students found interactive agent-based simulation to be more engaging, effective and user friendly as compare to the non-interactive simulation. In the second case study, a novel interactive simulation game was developed (in NetLogo) and its effectiveness in teaching and learning of complex concepts in the field of marine ecology was demonstrated. This case study makes a twofold contribution. Firstly, the presentation of a novel interactive simulation game, developed specifically for use in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the area of marine ecology. This novel interactive simulation game is designed to help learners to explore a mathematical model of fishery population growth and understand the principles for sustainable fisheries. Secondly, the comparison of two different methods of using the interactive simulation game within the classroom was investigated: learning from active exploration of the interactive simulation game compared with learning from an expert demonstration of the interactive simulation game. The case study demonstrated the effectiveness of learning from passive viewing of an expert demonstration of the interactive simulation game over learning from active exploration of the interactive simulation game without expert guidance, for teaching complex concepts sustainable fishery management. A mixed methods study design was used, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to compare the learning effectiveness of the two approaches, and the students’ preferences. The investigation was carried out by running interventions with a mixture of undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University of Stirling in a classroom environment. A total of 74 participants were recruited from undergraduate and postgraduate level for both case studies. This thesis demonstrated through two case studies effectiveness of the proposed novel interactive simulation in university e-learning classroom environment

:Gamification & Serious Game : Symposium 2016, July 4 & 5

Reinforcing the bridge between local academic and applied worlds in the domain of Serious Game & Gamification, e.g. applied universities and startups. Focusing on three application domain, Helath, Social, and Education, the figure next page illustrates the variety of short talks of the symposium. The three categories of talks (among 14 corresponding short papers): five concept-oriented in green, nine demo-oriented in black, and three roundtables

Preliminary Development and Content Validation of a Rating Scale for Assessing Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is currently one of the most frequent problems for which children are referred to mental health clinics in this country, affecting approximately 3-5% of the childhood population. Although adequate assessment and identification of this disorder is imperative, most of the currently existing measures to assess for ADHD in children are inadequate . The present research study involved the development and content validation of a new behavior rating scale prototype for assessing ADHD in the school-age (K-12) population. This research was conducted in five distinct steps: (a) item development; (b) development of the prototype; (c) content validation by an expert panel; (d) evaluation of the prototype; and ( e) modification of the prototype. Initial behavioral descriptors were obtained from a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature related to ADHD in school-age children. Potential items were then reviewed by a panel of experts in the area of ADHD in children. A panel of teachers and a panel of parents rated the usability of the prototype and the overall quality of the items. Two different types of rating formats were developed to help determine, through the content validation and the usability ratings of the prototype, which rating format would be most appropriate and useful for the eventual users of the rating scale. A final version of the prototype was constructed, including the revised items, a rating scale format, instructions to the informant, questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the child being assessed, and a mixed order presentation of the items