Academic methods for usability evaluation of serious games: a systematic review

In the last years, there has been an increasing interest in the design of video games as a tool for education, training, health promotion, socialization, etc. Usability, which is a key factor in any video game, becomes even more important in these so-called Bserious games^, where the users’ special characteristics should be considered, and the game efficacy depends on the users’ adherence and engagement. However, evaluation of the usability of this kind of games requires a redefinition of techniques, methods and even terminology. In this paper, we elicit six research questions and conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature, which resulted in the selection of 187 papers that contained the most relevant responses. The conclusions of this systematic review illustrate the general status of current academic usability evaluations of these games and the main trends in the selection of methodologies and how are they applied. This view may be a very valuable foundation for future researchMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación PROCUR@-IPT-2011-1038-90000

Touch- and Walkable Virtual Reality to Support Blind and Visually Impaired Peoples‘ Building Exploration in the Context of Orientation and Mobility

Der Zugang zu digitalen Inhalten und Informationen wird immer wichtiger für eine erfolgreiche Teilnahme an der heutigen, zunehmend digitalisierten Zivilgesellschaft. Solche Informationen werden meist visuell präsentiert, was den Zugang für blinde und sehbehinderte Menschen einschränkt. Die grundlegendste Barriere ist oft die elementare Orientierung und Mobilität (und folglich die soziale Mobilität), einschließlich der Erlangung von Kenntnissen über unbekannte Gebäude vor deren Besuch. Um solche Barrieren zu überbrücken, sollten technische Hilfsmittel entwickelt und eingesetzt werden. Es ist ein Kompromiss zwischen technologisch niedrigschwellig zugänglichen und verbreitbaren Hilfsmitteln und interaktiv-adaptiven, aber komplexen Systemen erforderlich. Die Anpassung der Technologie der virtuellen Realität (VR) umfasst ein breites Spektrum an Entwicklungs- und Entscheidungsoptionen. Die Hauptvorteile der VR-Technologie sind die erhöhte Interaktivität, die Aktualisierbarkeit und die Möglichkeit, virtuelle Räume und Modelle als Abbilder von realen Räumen zu erkunden, ohne dass reale Gefahren und die begrenzte Verfügbarkeit von sehenden Helfern auftreten. Virtuelle Objekte und Umgebungen haben jedoch keine physische Beschaffenheit. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es daher zu erforschen, welche VR-Interaktionsformen sinnvoll sind (d.h. ein angemessenes Verbreitungspotenzial bieten), um virtuelle Repräsentationen realer Gebäude im Kontext von Orientierung und Mobilität berührbar oder begehbar zu machen. Obwohl es bereits inhaltlich und technisch disjunkte Entwicklungen und Evaluationen zur VR-Technologie gibt, fehlt es an empirischer Evidenz. Zusätzlich bietet diese Arbeit einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Interaktionen. Nach einer Betrachtung der menschlichen Physiologie, Hilfsmittel (z.B. taktile Karten) und technologischen Eigenschaften wird der aktuelle Stand der Technik von VR vorgestellt und die Anwendung für blinde und sehbehinderte Nutzer und der Weg dorthin durch die Einführung einer neuartigen Taxonomie diskutiert. Neben der Interaktion selbst werden Merkmale des Nutzers und des Geräts, der Anwendungskontext oder die nutzerzentrierte Entwicklung bzw. Evaluation als Klassifikatoren herangezogen. Begründet und motiviert werden die folgenden Kapitel durch explorative Ansätze, d.h. im Bereich 'small scale' (mit sogenannten Datenhandschuhen) und im Bereich 'large scale' (mit einer avatargesteuerten VR-Fortbewegung). Die folgenden Kapitel führen empirische Studien mit blinden und sehbehinderten Nutzern durch und geben einen formativen Einblick, wie virtuelle Objekte in Reichweite der Hände mit haptischem Feedback erfasst werden können und wie verschiedene Arten der VR-Fortbewegung zur Erkundung virtueller Umgebungen eingesetzt werden können. Daraus werden geräteunabhängige technologische Möglichkeiten und auch Herausforderungen für weitere Verbesserungen abgeleitet. Auf der Grundlage dieser Erkenntnisse kann sich die weitere Forschung auf Aspekte wie die spezifische Gestaltung interaktiver Elemente, zeitlich und räumlich kollaborative Anwendungsszenarien und die Evaluation eines gesamten Anwendungsworkflows (d.h. Scannen der realen Umgebung und virtuelle Erkundung zu Trainingszwecken sowie die Gestaltung der gesamten Anwendung in einer langfristig barrierefreien Weise) konzentrieren.Access to digital content and information is becoming increasingly important for successful participation in today's increasingly digitized civil society. Such information is mostly presented visually, which restricts access for blind and visually impaired people. The most fundamental barrier is often basic orientation and mobility (and consequently, social mobility), including gaining knowledge about unknown buildings before visiting them. To bridge such barriers, technological aids should be developed and deployed. A trade-off is needed between technologically low-threshold accessible and disseminable aids and interactive-adaptive but complex systems. The adaptation of virtual reality (VR) technology spans a wide range of development and decision options. The main benefits of VR technology are increased interactivity, updatability, and the possibility to explore virtual spaces as proxies of real ones without real-world hazards and the limited availability of sighted assistants. However, virtual objects and environments have no physicality. Therefore, this thesis aims to research which VR interaction forms are reasonable (i.e., offering a reasonable dissemination potential) to make virtual representations of real buildings touchable or walkable in the context of orientation and mobility. Although there are already content and technology disjunctive developments and evaluations on VR technology, there is a lack of empirical evidence. Additionally, this thesis provides a survey between different interactions. Having considered the human physiology, assistive media (e.g., tactile maps), and technological characteristics, the current state of the art of VR is introduced, and the application for blind and visually impaired users and the way to get there is discussed by introducing a novel taxonomy. In addition to the interaction itself, characteristics of the user and the device, the application context, or the user-centered development respectively evaluation are used as classifiers. Thus, the following chapters are justified and motivated by explorative approaches, i.e., in the group of 'small scale' (using so-called data gloves) and in the scale of 'large scale' (using an avatar-controlled VR locomotion) approaches. The following chapters conduct empirical studies with blind and visually impaired users and give formative insight into how virtual objects within hands' reach can be grasped using haptic feedback and how different kinds of VR locomotion implementation can be applied to explore virtual environments. Thus, device-independent technological possibilities and also challenges for further improvements are derived. On the basis of this knowledge, subsequent research can be focused on aspects such as the specific design of interactive elements, temporally and spatially collaborative application scenarios, and the evaluation of an entire application workflow (i.e., scanning the real environment and exploring it virtually for training purposes, as well as designing the entire application in a long-term accessible manner)

Investigation of video games and educational software that promote the integration for visual impaired in general education

Διπλωματική εργασία--Πανεπιστήμιο Μακεδονίας, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2019.Η παρούσα εργασία αποτελεί μια συστηματική ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που μελετά τη συμβολή των ηλεκτρονικών παιχνιδιών και των εκπαιδευτικών λογισμικών στη συμπερίληψη ατόμων με οπτική αναπηρία στη γενική εκπαίδευση. Συνεπώς, καταγράφονται ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια (video games) τα οποία δοκιμάστηκαν στη μαθησιακή πρακτική και αποδείχθηκαν εκπαιδευτικά εργαλεία που προωθούν τη συμπερίληψη ατόμων με προβλήματα όρασης στη γενική τάξη

Virtual envonments and spatial ability to people with special educational needs (SEN)/disabilities

Σημείωση: διατίθεται συμπληρωματικό υλικό σε ξεχωριστό αρχείο

Proceedings of the 9th international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies (ICDVRAT 2012)

The proceedings of the conferenc

Uso de los Entornos Virtuales en la comprensión del espacio en personas con ceguera y discapacidad visual

La instrucción en habilidades para el desplazamiento autónomo (denominada en el ámbito científico como Orientación y movilidad, O&M) es fundamental dentro del proceso de rehabilitación e inclusión social de las personas con ceguera y discapacidad visual (DV). Durante los últimos años, ha comenzado a utilizarse software de Entornos Virtuales (EV) interactivos representados a través de interfaces de audio y/o háptica para el aprendizaje de habilidades de navegación en niños y adultos con ceguera y DV. Paralelamente, los métodos de exploración neurológica han avanzado, permitiendo la observación de la actividad neurológica del sujeto mientras realiza tareas que implican habilidades espaciales. En el presente trabajo se realizó una revisión bibliográfica sobre el uso de los EV en la comprensión del espacio en personas con ceguera y DV, además de estudiar algunos aspectos generales de la cognición espacial y de la neuroplasticidad en las personas con ceguera y DV. Las principales conclusiones fueron que las personas con ceguera y DV pueden desarrollar mapas cognitivos espaciales y que su desarrollo cognitivo para estas tareas es similar al de las personas con visión, además, que el cerebro recluta las zonas de la visión para este tipo de tareas y que los EV basados en audio y/o háptica permiten el desarrollo de habilidades de O&M, así como la construcción de mapas cognitivos espaciales precisos en personas con ceguera y DV, los cuales pueden ser transferidos a tareas de navegación en el entorno real.Máster en Rehabilitación Visua

Interface avançada para orientação geográfica

A bússola magnética é uma das ferramentas mais básicas usadas para a orientação e navegação pedonal. É usada para dar uma direção precisa do pólo norte magnético da terra para que os seus utilizadores tenham uma direção de referência durante as atividades de navegação. Com o aparecimento dos smartphones e o constante crescimento do seu número de utilizadores, a bússola tradicional foi muitas vezes substituída por aplicações que emulam o comportamento da mesma através de sensores e uma interface visual. Por só ter acesso a uma interface visual, o utilizador é forçado a olhar para o seu smartphone, distraindo-se e perdendo "obstacles in his path". Para além disto, este tipo de interface é inútil para pessoas com problemas graves de visão ou até mesmo cegas. A idéia é criar uma interface de multimédia avançada que integra as funções da bússola tradicional com feedback áudio, háptico e vibratório, permitindo uma interação "eyes-free". A criação desta interface tem como objetivo dar uma boa perceção de direção, durante atividades de navegação, sendo o menos intrusiva possível para os sentidos do utilizador, uma vez que os mesmos são essenciais para evitar obstáculos e para estar alerta a situações de perigo e para o que acontece no ambiente. A utilização de dispositivos de vibração wearable e aúdio por condução óssea, permite criar esta interface "eyes-free", utilizável por qualquer pessoa, sem obstruir ou modificar de forma apreciável a perceção dos sentidos. A preservação dos sentidos é importante para sermos capazes de evitar situações perigosas, sobretudo para as pessoas que dependem mais de um dos sentidos para compensar a falta ou deficiência de outro. Para conseguir desenvolver uma interface que cumpra estes requesitos, vão ser estudadas e avaliadas as diferentes formas de interagir e dar feedback aos utilizadores, para que depois possam ser selecionadas aquelas que são úteis e mais viáveis para uma solução final. Por outro lado, a bússola em si tem o problema de ser afetada por alterações do campo magnético em redor da mesma, tendo este problema de ser atenuado para que a informação dada aos utilizadores seja a mais fiável possível. A utilidade desta interface inovadora, por um lado vem diminuir a distração introduzida pelo uso de uma bússola de quadrante, diminuindo a possibilidade de acidentes durante a sua utilização e, por outro lado, torna possível o uso da bússola por qualquer pessoa.The magnetic compass is one of the most basic tools used for pedestrian navigation and orientation, it is used to give a precise direction to the users. With the fast development of smartphone use, the traditional compass was many times replaced by sensors and applications that emulate its behaviour and show a similar visual feedback to the users. By providing only a visual interface, the user is forced to look at the smart-phone, losing awareness of the obstacles in his path. Also, this type of interface is useless for blind or visually impaired people. The idea is to create an advanced multimedia interface which integrates the functions of a traditional compass with audio, haptic and vibrational feedback, that may provide a highly usable "eyes-free" interaction. This advanced multimedia interface will give a good perception of direction, while doing pedestrian navigation activities, and it will be as no intrusive as possible to the users senses, since they are essential to avoid obstacles and to be aware of danger in general. Innovative user feedback interfaces like wearable vibration devices and bone conduction audio are some of the possible interfaces to be used, as they give the ability to have an "eyes-free" interface that is usable by everyone and interacts with the users without disturbing all of the other senses. The preservation of the senses is important to avoid dangerous situations and even more for people who have to rely mostly in one of the senses to compensate the lack of another. To provide an interface that meets all the specications described above, different ways to interact and give feedback to the users will have to be studied and evaluated and then a selection of which ones would help solving the problem and the ones that are useful for the final solutionwill be done. Also, it is known that the calculation of heading can be affected by changes in the magnetic field near the magnetometer in our smartphones and this needs to be addressed in order to give trustworthy information to the users. This innovative device, in the author's opinion, will diminish the number of accidents of people, who get distracted from the rest of the world while using their smartphone. On the other hand, it will help disabled people, who otherwise were discriminated when a device is invented to fulfil everyone else's needs without thinking about their own needs in particular. Therefore, this is what makes this application stand out from what already exists

Development of the multimodal system of educational game for partially sighted and blind children

У дисертацији су приказани развој мултимодалног система за образовну игру Луграм и истраживања везана за његову примену у области редовног и специјализованог основношколског образовања. Извршено је испитивање утицаја Луграма на повишење ефеката учења геометрије у редовној разредној настави, испитивање да ли његову прилагођену мултимодалну верзију могу да користе слабовида и слепа деца и да ли се она може користити за њихову обуку за самосталну употребу рачунарске аудио верзије Луграма. Утврђено је да Луграм има утицаја на пораст успеха у учењу геометрије и да се прилагођена аудио- тактилна верзија може користити у сврху обуке слабовиде и слепе деце за самостално коришћење аудио верзије игре. Резултати истраживања су показали оправданост приступа развоју Луграма као мултимодалног система за игру и усмерили његов даљи развој ка асистивном мултимодалном систему који поседује способност говорне интеракције са корисником и могућност прилагођења различитим категоријама корисника.U disertaciji su prikazani razvoj multimodalnog sistema za obrazovnu igru Lugram i istraživanja vezana za njegovu primenu u oblasti redovnog i specijalizovanog osnovnoškolskog obrazovanja. Izvršeno je ispitivanje uticaja Lugrama na povišenje efekata učenja geometrije u redovnoj razrednoj nastavi, ispitivanje da li njegovu prilagođenu multimodalnu verziju mogu da koriste slabovida i slepa deca i da li se ona može koristiti za njihovu obuku za samostalnu upotrebu računarske audio verzije Lugrama. Utvrđeno je da Lugram ima uticaja na porast uspeha u učenju geometrije i da se prilagođena audio- taktilna verzija može koristiti u svrhu obuke slabovide i slepe dece za samostalno korišćenje audio verzije igre. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali opravdanost pristupa razvoju Lugrama kao multimodalnog sistema za igru i usmerili njegov dalji razvoj ka asistivnom multimodalnom sistemu koji poseduje sposobnost govorne interakcije sa korisnikom i mogućnost prilagođenja različitim kategorijama korisnika.The dissertation presents the development of the multimodal system for the educational game Lugram and the research related to its application in the regular and specialized primary education. The examination of the effect which Lugram has on the improvement in learning geometry in the primary education is done, as well as the testing weather its adapted multimodal version can be used for the training of partially sighted and blind children for the independent use of the computer audio version of Lugram. It is established that Lugram has an influence on the improvement in learning geometry and that adapted audio-tactile version can be used for the training purposes for partially sighted and blind children. Results of the research have justified the approach in the development of Lugram as a multimodal system for the game. Moreover, they focus further development toward assistive multimodal system which has ability of the voice interaction with the user and also ability of adaptation to the different kind of users