75 research outputs found
Encouraging persons to visit cultural sites through mini-games
Gamification has been recently proposed as a technique to improve user engagement in different activities, including visits to cultural sites and cultural tourism in general. We present the design, development and initial validation of the NEPTIS Poleis system, which consists of a mobile application and a Web interface for curators, allowing the definition, and subsequent fruition by users, of different minigames suitable for open-air assets
Arithmetic Bird: a game for training mathematical operations
We present a game for training main mathematical operations for elementary school students, mainly for the
third and fourth-grade. The learning mechanisms used in the game were included in the game mechanics. The
target audience evaluated the game and the results were positive, both in the gameplay and in the learning.
Three groups were used to evaluate the learning: one control group that did not play the game, another group
that played it in the school and the third group that played at home. The last two groups were used to compare
the use of the game in scholar and in the home contexts. The first group was used to compare to the groups
that played the game. The results showed that the use of the game has a positive effect on the improvement of
the mental calculus rapidness of the players. The statistical analysis of the data showed a significant reduction
of the time from pre- to post-test and Cohenâs d value was used to evaluate the magnitude of the effect for
each group analysed. Besides, we also observed that playing the game at school or at home has similar results.
Therefore, the game can be an effective educational tool for students and teachers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The Use of digital games to enhance the physical exercise activity of the elderly : a case of Finland
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), population ageing is a global phenomenon, which brings both challenges and opportunities for society. The current longer expected lifespan can create opportunities for the elderly to contribute in many ways to their families and communities. However, it greatly depends on their quality of life, which is affected by many factors, including physical and functional health, social well-being, and cognitive abilities. The WHO (2012) states that physical health is one of the indicators for the elderlyâs quality of life, and it declines with increasing age. Participation in regular physical exercises can help the elderly improve their physical and mental health, and this has been aided by the use of modern technologies to promote the elderlyâs physical and functional health.
Of these latest technologies, digital games have shown promise to improve and enhance the elderlyâs physical activities through fun and engaging gameplay. The literature highlights that some commercial games in the market (e.g. Microsoft Kinect- Sports and Nintendo Wii Sports games) have the potential to improve the elderlyâs physical health such as gait, balance, and fall prevention. However, researchers argue that these commercial games are not designed specifically for the elderly and their physical exercise activities. They state that most commercial games are not user-friendly for the elderly whose functional and physical abilities are limited due to their advanced years. The literature points out that more studies need to be undertaken to understand the usability and usefulness of digital games for physical exercise activities so that game designers can create elderly-friendly digital games in the future. In Finland, the government has been focusing on promoting healthy ageing and increasing home care services for the elderly. In recent years, Finnish researchers have used digital games to promote older Finnsâ healthy and active ageing. The existing literature, whilst showing the potential of digital games for elderly Finnsâ physical health, also acknowledges further research is needed particularly in the context of Finland.
Thus, in this study, we aimed at investigating digital games to specifically assess their applications for older Finnsâ physical activities, focusing on the quality of usersâ experiences, and their reported ease of use and perceived usefulness. We used the mixed methods approach, which applies both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study design included four stages: requirements gathering, analysis and design, prototyping, and evaluation. Firstly, we conducted pre-studies to elicit usersâ requirements. This was followed by the analysis of the resulting data to identify trends and patterns, which fuelled ideas in the brainstorming game design and development phases. The final product was a digital game-based physical exercise called the Skiing Game. We then evaluated the Skiing Game in Finland with 21 elderly Finns (M=7, F=14, Average Age =76). By using questionnaires, observation, and interviews, we investigated user experiences, focusing on the gameâs usability, and usefulness for enhancing the physical activity and wellbeing of the elderly. We also conducted a comparative test of the Skiing Game in Japan with 24 elderly Japanese participants (M=12, F=12, Average Age = 72) to further understand non-Finnish elderly usersâ experiences.
The findings from the usability study of the Skiing Game in Finland demonstrated that elderly Finns had a positive experience in the gameplay, and their motivation was noticeably high. It also confirmed that elderly Finns have a genuine interest in digital game-based exercises and strong intentions to play digital games as a form of physical exercise in the future. Although prior to the study most of them had negative views and misconceptions about digital games, after the gameplay their attitudes were decidedly positive. They acknowledged that whilst playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising for them their use would primarily be when they donât have access to their usual non-digital physical exercise. The Japanese usability of the Skiing Game showed that the elderly Japanese people also had positive user experiences in playing digital games, and also intend to use them in the future. Similarly, after playing the game they reported that their attitudes towards digital games become positive, and indicated playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising. Although the comparison of the two studies suggests that the elderly Finns had relatively more positive experiences whilst playing the Skiing Game, compared to their Japanese counterparts, in general, both groups had a positive experience in the gameplay and showed interest in digital games as an alternative exercise.
Based on the usability lessons learned from these two studies, recommendations for practitioners and designers regarding improvements in game design and development are made in this report. Implementing these modifications into future designs and further development of digital games for the elderly will improve their commercial viability and user uptake. The findings from this study can provide valuable insights, particularly for Finnish policymakers and healthcare practitioners who are keen to introduce digital games into the aged-care sector in Finland. The studies have also provided valuable insights into the optimal methods for introducing Finnish digital games to international markets, in particular, digital games tailored specifically for the physical exercise needs and motivations of the elderly. By taking into consideration the limitations of the study, we provide our future studies and further improvements of the game to be conducted
Games, Simulations, Immersive Environments, and Emerging Technologies
International audienceThis entry presents an overview of advanced technologies to support teaching and learning. The use of innovative interactive systems for education has never been higher. Far from being just a trend, the objective is to use the current technology to cover educational needs and create relevant pedagogical situations. The arguments in their favor are generally their positive effects on learnersâ motivation and the necessity to provide learning methods adapted to our growing digital culture. The new learning technologies and emerging trends are first reviewed hereunder. We thus define and discuss learning games, gamification, simulation, immersive environments and other emerging technologies. Then, the current limits and remaining scientific challenges are highlighted
Games in Higher Education
International audienceThis entry presents an overview of how and why Learning Games are used in higher education.Learning Games can be defined as games that are designed to captivate the learnersâ attention and facilitate their learning process. They have explicit educational purposes and can be used for teaching at all levels of education. All types of games can be used for learning: board games, card games, role-playing games, First Person Shooter games, simulation games, management games, puzzle games, treasure huntsâŠThe main characteristic of Learning Games for higher education is the fact that they are designed to teach specific complex skills taught at university or during professional training programs. Unfortunately, it is not infrequent to observe strong opposition on the part of this target audience to this mode of learning, that these adult students associate with children.The use of Learning Games in primary school seems natural to teachers and is encouraged by specialists in didactics and neuroscience. This learning technique is much less frequently used in middle school and is almost completely absent from higher education. Yet teachers at all these levels are faced with the same problems, such as lack of motivation and investment, for which games are known to be an effective solution. This entry presents an overview of the games that can be used for higher education and the reasons why some teachers and students still show resistance to this type of learning. The numerous advantages of games for higher education will then be presented, citing games presently used in universities, in graduate schools and for professional training. Finally, thisDraft : Marfisi-Schottman I. (2019) Games in Higher Education. In: Tatnall A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Education and Information Technologies. Springer, Chamentry presents the current research questions that need to be addressed concerning the design of games for higher education and the acceptance of these games by teachers
The serious games ecosystem: Interdisciplinary and intercontextual praxis
This chapter will situate academia in relation to serious games commercial production and contextual adoption, and vice-versa. As a researcher it is critical to recognize that academic research of serious games does not occur in a vaccum. Direct partnerships between universities and commercial organizations are increasingly common, as well as between research institutes and the contexts that their serious games are deployed in. Commercial production of serious games and their increased adoption in non-commercial contexts will influence academic research through emerging impact pathways and funding opportunities. Adding further complexity is the emergence of commercial organizations that undertake their own research, and research institutes that have inhouse commercial arms. To conclude, we explore how these issues affect the individual researcher, and offer considerations for future academic and industry serious games projects
The use of 3D printing for the development of a learning tool for the visually impaired.
3D printing is a technology that allows manufacturing objects from a virtual model. The field of education has appropriated its use due to its potential to contribute to the teaching-learning process, especially for the education of the visually impaired. Visually impaired people develop their skills through alternative means, mainly using auditory and tactile landmarks as a way of obtaining information. Within the innovative perspectives for education, this study aims to propose a learning tool using 3D printing technology to build a board game employed for the use of unplugged programming language in the education of children visually impaired for their development of logical thinking skills. The learning tool production started in its modeling performed using specific software that generated 3D virtual models. Later, these files were sent to a 3D printer for printing, using the fused filament fabrication, originating physical copies of modeled objects. Then, the objects, now printed, went through a finishing process for their completion. Part of the game components received braille indications accordingly to the proposed in this study. As a result, we obtained a game prototype adapted for the visually impaired, made through 3D printing, with the potential to assist in the teaching-learning process
Teaching with AudaCity: A Board Game for Urban Studies
In order to improve undergraduate studentsâ mastery of urban theory, we developed an activeâlearning module that allows participants to compete with one another in a board game of strategic planning and coalition formation called âAudaCity.â Utilizing a gamesâbased learning design, the game places players in the roles of adversarial property developers, political actors, and zoning committees all seeking to build and raise rent from developments within a spatially constrained urban grid. Game mechanics such as proximity bonuses and limitations to available space compel players to simultaneously compete against and collaborate with their peers to advance their development agenda while thwarting rival projects in the hopes of generating more wealth than their competitors. Unlike a prescribed simulation, the final outcome of the game is an urban environment organically generated from the accumulation of the players\u27 individual decisions. In this paper, we provide an overview of the gameâs mechanics and place the game within the larger context of gameâbased learning and serious games. Importantly, we note that urban studies classrooms were at one time an early adopter of the gamesâbased learning design, but the inclusion of simulation in teaching urban studies has waned since the 1970âs. We hope that this activeâlearning module can demonstrate the effectiveness of allowing undergraduate students to master urban theory through the negotiated construction of their own urban space and inspire future instructors to return gamesâbased learning to urban studies. We draw on qualitative data from several courses in which AudaCity was implemented to demonstrate its effectiveness in facilitating student learning. With data from several instances in which AudaCity was used in undergraduate courses and writing assignments completed by students after playing the game, we find that playing AudaCity helps students be able to discuss urban studies models and theories clearly and connect these models and theories to both their game experiences and relevant situations in realâworld cities
A Data-driven Pricing Scheme for Optimal Routing through Artificial Currencies
Mobility systems often suffer from a high price of anarchy due to the
uncontrolled behavior of selfish users. This may result in societal costs that
are significantly higher compared to what could be achieved by a centralized
system-optimal controller. Monetary tolling schemes can effectively align the
behavior of selfish users with the system-optimum. Yet, they inevitably
discriminate the population in terms of income. Artificial currencies were
recently presented as an effective alternative that can achieve the same
performance, whilst guaranteeing fairness among the population. However, those
studies were based on behavioral models that may differ from practical
implementations. This paper presents a data-driven approach to automatically
adapt artificial-currency tolls within repetitive-game settings. We first
consider a parallel-arc setting whereby users commute on a daily basis from a
unique origin to a unique destination, choosing a route in exchange of an
artificial-currency price or reward while accounting for the impact of the
choices of the other users on travel discomfort. Second, we devise a
model-based reinforcement learning controller that autonomously learns the
optimal pricing policy by interacting with the proposed framework considering
the closeness of the observed aggregate flows to a desired system-optimal
distribution as a reward function. Our numerical results show that the proposed
data-driven pricing scheme can effectively align the users' flows with the
system optimum, significantly reducing the societal costs with respect to the
uncontrolled flows (by about 15% and 25% depending on the scenario), and
respond to environmental changes in a robust and efficient manner
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