Collaborative educational environments incorporating mixed reality technologies: a systematic mapping study

In this paper, we report findings from a systematic mapping study, conducted to review the existing literature on collaborative educational environments incorporating mixed reality technologies. There is increasing interest in mixed reality technologies in education, especially with the introduction of new Over Head Mounted Displays (OHMDs), such as HoloLens, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. with the consideration of areas such as education, dynamic technology and complex environments, a research area is identified. We carried out an extensive review of the literature from 2007 to 2017 and conducted an analysis of the works on mixed reality technologies and its subcategories applied to collaborative education environments. Results highlighted the lack of research across the mixed reality spectrum, especially in the augmented virtuality subcategory, as well as technical limitations such as response time in the development of mixed reality technologies for collaborative environments. Furthermore, the difficulty of teaching professionals to replicate mixed reality experiments in real environments, due to the technical skills required, was identified. The main contribution of this article is the discussion of the current works with visualization of the present state of the area, which is aimed to encourage educators to develop mixed reality artefacts and conduct further research to support collaborative educational environments

The Influence of Family and Parent Types on the Child Rearing Practices of Parents: Nigerian Experience

This study investigated the influence of family and parent types on the child rearing practices of parents of children in day care centres in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Two research questions were answered and two hypotheses were tested. The population studied consisted of 12080 parents of children (age from birth to 3 years) in the 604 government approved crèche/nursery schools in the State. A sample of 1200 parents (respondents) was drawn from this population using multistage random sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was a 51-item Child Rearing Practice Scale (CRPS) with Pearson’s average reliability coefficient of 0.84 adapted to evaluate child rearing practices under the five domains of child rearing related to infancy, namely: feeding, cleaning, protection, stimulation and monitoring of growth and development. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while one-way analysis of variance and independent t-test were used where appropriate to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 significant level. The findings revealed that family-type and parent-type of parents of children in day care centres in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria significantly influence the child rearing practices of such parents. Parents of children from extended family do significantly better in child rearing practices than their nuclear family counterparts, while those of two-parent families do significantly better than their single parent and step-parent counterparts. The findings are of practical essence to day care centres, social welfare centres, government and some non-governmental organizations. Key words: family type, parent type, child rearing, mother

Collaborative educational environments incorporating mixed reality technologies: a systematic mapping study

In this paper, we report findings from a systematic mapping study, conducted to review the existing literature on collaborative educational environments incorporating mixed reality technologies. There is increasing interest in mixed reality technologies in education, especially with the introduction of new Over Head Mounted Displays (OHMDs), such as HoloLens, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. with the consideration of areas such as education, dynamic technology and complex environments, a research area is identified. We carried out an extensive review of the literature from 2007 to 2017 and conducted an analysis of the works on mixed reality technologies and its subcategories applied to collaborative education environments. Results highlighted the lack of research across the mixed reality spectrum, especially in the augmented virtuality subcategory, as well as technical limitations such as response time in the development of mixed reality technologies for collaborative environments. Furthermore, the difficulty of teaching professionals to replicate mixed reality experiments in real environments, due to the technical skills required, was identified. The main contribution of this article is the discussion of the current works with visualization of the present state of the area, which is aimed to encourage educators to develop mixed reality artefacts and conduct further research to support collaborative educational environments

Framework for Enhancing Learning Experience with Wearable Technology in Technical MOOC

The use of wearable technology in education can significantly help educators to engage the students more with the learning. By providing users with hands-free access to contextually relevant knowledge, wearable technologies are poised to inspire a new generation of mobile learning design. However, for educators to harness the pedagogical opportunities of wearable technologies and to implement it in MOOC platform, this paper proposes a framework for enhancing the learning experience in technical MOOC using wearable technology. In addition, we also identify the elements of wearable technology that is suitable to be implemented in teaching and learning, elements of technical MOOC to be combined with wearable technology elements and student engagement elements. The main measurement for enhancing learning experience is based on the level of students’ engagement (measure through course completion) and students’ skill development (measure through direct observation, interview, and questionnaire). The students reflected as fully engaged with the online course when they able to actively participate and complete the course and in contrast, when the students are unable to complete the course, this reflects that they are not engaged with the online learning. Thus, the proposed framework will work as a guideline for lecturers and educators to create effective and engaging MOOC learning design, especially for technical courses

Wearable sensors for learning enhancement in higher education

Wearable sensors have traditionally been used to measure and monitor vital human signs for well-being and healthcare applications. However, there is a growing interest in using and deploying these technologies to facilitate teaching and learning, particularly in a higher education environment. The aim of this paper is therefore to systematically review the range of wearable devices that have been used for enhancing the teaching and delivery of engineering curricula in higher education. Moreover, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of these devices according to the location in which they are worn on the human body. According to our survey, wearable devices for enhanced learning have mainly been worn on the head (e.g., eyeglasses), wrist (e.g., watches) and chest (e.g., electrocardiogram patch). In fact, among those locations, head-worn devices enable better student engagement with the learning materials, improved student attention as well as higher spatial and visual awareness. We identify the research questions and discuss the research inclusion and exclusion criteria to present the challenges faced by researchers in implementing learning technologies for enhanced engineering education. Furthermore, we provide recommendations on using wearable devices to improve the teaching and learning of engineering courses in higher education

BlueEyes: using beacon and smart phone for visually impaired / blind people

There are currently few options for navigational aids for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) in large indoor and outdoor spaces. Such indoor and outdoor spaces can be difficult to navigate even for the general sighted population if they are disoriented due to unfamiliarity or other reasons. This paper presents an indoor wayfinding system called GuideBeacon for the blind, visually impaired, and disoriented (BVID) that assists people in navigating between any two points within indoor environments. The GuideBeacon system allows users equipped with smartphones to interact with low cost Bluetooth-based beacons deployed strategically within the indoor space of interest to navigate their surroundings. This paper describes the technical challenges faced in designing such a system, the design decisions made in building the current version of the GuideBeacon system, the solutions developed to meet the technical challenges, and results from the evaluation of the system. Results presented in this paper obtained from field testing GuideBeacon with BVI and sighted participants suggests that it can be used by the BVID for navigation in large indoor spaces independently and effectively. This paper presents novel structure for visually impaired/blind people using beacon and smart phone. The proposed structure is consisted of three parts. In the first part esp8266 module due to ultra-low power consumption, in the second part configurator application to configure these beacon and last part is mobile application to detect these beacons. The aim is to help visually impaired/blind people to knowledge the environment in which they live by. Three tests applied in real environment. The results show good performance for the suggested scheme help the visually impaired/blind people reach the desired devices location successfully without error. In conclusion, beacon and smart phone were a valid and reliable method to help the visually impaired/blind people to know the location of devices that are nearest from him in indoor and outdoor environment

Applications of 5G Communications in Civil Protection

Τα δίκτυα πέμπτης γενιάς θεωρούνται ευρέως ως μία από τις πιο θεμελιώδεις τεχνολογικές εξελίξεις του τρέχοντος αιώνα, προσφέροντας υψηλή ταχύτητα, χαμηλή καθυστέρηση και κλιμάκωση. Τα επόμενα χρόνια, τα δίκτυα πέμπτης γενιάς αναμένεται να δημιουργήσουν τη χωρητικότητα, την απόδοση και την ευελιξία του ασύρματου δικτύου για να υποστηρίξουν μια εκρηκτική αύξηση στις συνδεδεμένες συσκευές, μαζί με πρωτοποριακές εφαρμογές. Αυτή η καινοτόμος νέα τεχνολογία μπορεί να βελτιώσει όλο το φάσμα της καθημερινής ζωής από την υγεία στην ψυχαγωγία και από τη γεωργία στην πολιτική προστασία. Οι κρίσιμες επικοινωνίες, ο ακρογωνιαίος λίθος της Πολιτικής Προστασίας, θα επωφεληθούν σε μεγάλο βαθμό από το 5G. Η παρούσα εργασία μελετά πώς νέα στοιχεία και τεχνολογίες του 5G όπως η επαυξημένη πραγματικότητα, η ηλεκτρονική υγεία και η βελτιστοποιημένη δρομολόγηση ασθενοφόρων μπορούν να υποστηρίξουν την Πολιτική Προστασία ενισχύοντας παράλληλα το περιβάλλον και την οικονομία.5G networks are widely considered as one of the most fundamental technology developments of our century, providing ultra-high-speed, low-latency and scalability. Over the coming years, 5G is expected to create the wireless network capacity, performance and flexibility to support an explosive increase in connected devices, along with exciting new use cases. This innovative technology can improve the whole spectrum of everyday life from health to entertainment and from agriculture to civil protection. Mission critical Communications, the cornerstone of civil protection, are to be greatly impacted by 5G. This thesis studies how new 5G components and technologies such as augmented reality, ehealth and optimized routing of ambulances are able to support the role of civil protection while enhancing the protection of the environment and the economy

Experiential Perspectives on Sound and Music for Virtual Reality Technologies

This thesis examines the intersection of sound, music, and virtuality within current and next-generation virtual reality technologies, with a specific focus on exploring the experiential perspectives of users and participants within virtual experiences. The first half of the thesis constructs a new theoretical model for examining intersections of sound and virtual experience. In Chapter 1, a new framework for virtual experience is constructed consisting of three key elements: virtual hardware (e.g., displays, speakers); virtual software (e.g., rules and systems of interaction); and virtual externalities (i.e., physical spaces used for engaging in virtual experiences). Through using and applying this new model, methodical examinations of complex virtual experiences are possible. Chapter 2 examines the second axis of the thesis through constructing an understanding of how sound is designed, implemented, and received within virtual reality. The concept of soundscapes is explored in the context of experiential perspectives, serving as a useful approach for describing received auditory phenomena. Auditory environments are proposed as a new model for exploring how auditory phenomena can be broadcast to audiences. Chapter 3 explores how inauthenticity within sound can impact users in virtual experience and uses authenticity to critically examine challenges surrounding sound in virtual reality. Constructions of authenticity in music performance are used to illustrate how authenticity is constructed within virtual experience. Chapter 4 integrates music into the understanding of auditory phenomena constructed throughout the thesis: music is rarely part of the created world in a virtual experience. Rather, it is typically something which only the audience – as external observers of the created world – can hear. Therefore, music within immersive virtual reality may be challenging as the audience is placed within the created world.The second half of this thesis uses this theoretical model to consider contemporary and future approaches to virtual experiences. Chapter 5 constructs a series of case studies to demonstrate the use of the framework as a trans-medial and intra/inter-contextual tool of analysis. Through use of the framework, varying approaches to implementation of sound and music in virtual reality technologies are considered, which reveals trans-medial commonalities of immersion and engagement with virtual experiences through sound. Chapter 6 examines near-future technologies, including brain-computer interfaces and other full-immersion technologies, to identify key issues in the design and implementation of future virtual experiences and suggest how interdisciplinary collaboration may help to develop solutions to these issues. Chapter 7 considers how the proposed model for virtuality might allow for methodical examination of similar issues within other fields, such as acoustics and architecture, and examines the ethical considerations that may become relevant as virtual technology develops within the 21st Century.This research explores and rationalises theoretical models of virtuality and sound. This permits designers and developers to improve the implementation of sound and music in virtual experiences for the purpose of improving user outcomes.<br/

Transferência inteligente de instruções digitais de montagem

Mestrado em Sistemas de InformaçãoThe German maritime industry has a strong economic influence, prevailing over competitors by offering a higher quality product and a higher degree of flexibility during design and building phases. In order to maintain its competitive edge, means to increase the productivity of a ship’s construction process are researched and developed. Under the PROSPER project, an Android application running augmented reality technology was developed to assist shipbuilders in the performance of their tasks. In this work, we researched organizational models capable of holding assembly instruction information later transfered to the application. Different wireless technologies and protocols were analyzed and studied to determine the most suitable transferring mechanisms. In the end, a Node.js server capable of handling complex assembly instructions requests was developed and tested using real-word scenarios. Throughout the development process, time was devoted to security measures in the protection of the server, end connections, and all information. Two different transferring methods were developed and testes, together with improvements to the overall transfer of assembly instructionsA indústria marítima alemã tem uma forte influência econômica, prevalecendo sobre os seus concorrentes, oferecendo um produto de maior qualidade e um maior grau de flexibilidade durante as fases de conceção e construção. A fim de manter a sua vantagem competitiva, fins para aumentar a produtividade do processo de construção de um navio são investigados e desenvolvidos. No âmbito do projecto PROSPER, uma aplicação Android foi desenvolvida para ajudar, através de realidade aumentada, construtores navais no desempenho das suas funções. Neste trabalho, investigamos modelos organizacionais capazes de armazenar informação pertinentes a instruções de montagem de navios, mais tarde transferidas para a aplicação. Diferentes tecnologias e protocolos sem fio foram analisados e estudados para determinar os mecanismos mais adequados para o procedimento de transferência. No final, um servidor Node.js capaz de lidar com complexas solicitações de instruções de montagem foi desenvolvido e testado utilizando cenários reais de montagem. Durante todo o processo de desenvolvimento, medidas de segurança na proteção do servidor, conexões entre servidor e clientes, e informações foram implementadas. Dois métodos distintos de transferência foram desenvolvidos e testados, juntamente com melhorias para a transferência global de instruções de montagem