Applying Real-World Learning through Amusement Parks to Help Teach the Upcoming Changes to Utah Core Standard

To assist educators in satisfying the Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards the Utah State University (USU) Physics Department has developed a curriculum centered around USU Physics Day at Lagoon. With an upcoming change to Utah\u27s core standards and a shift to more hands-on learning styles, the use of real-world learning offered by amusement park applications is analyzed in its ability to satisfy the Utah State Bureau of Education’s (USBE) SEEd standards. Amusement park learning allows educators a vehicle to capture students’ attention in the classroom by discussing science principles in a fun and exciting manner with a promise of application rather than through tired word problems or rote memorization. Utilizing the amusement park as a source of data allows for a truly exciting lab experience, and the opportunity to make associative memories between science and the fun had at an amusement park. By bringing data acquired at Physics Day back to the classroom, students can verify preliminary findings and cement those principles which they learned in the classroom and tested in the park. This learning approach enhances student retention, satisfies new core standards, and allows students the opportunity to continue their learning outside of the classroom

Optimizing Player and Viewer Amusement in Suspense Video Games

Broadcast video games need to provide amusement to both players and audience. To achieve this, one of the most consumed genres is suspense, due to the psychological effects it has on both roles. Suspense is typically achieved in video games by controlling the amount of delivered information about the location of the threat. However, previous research suggests that players need more frequent information to reach similar amusement than viewers, even at the cost of jeopardizing viewers' engagement. In order to obtain models that maximize amusement for both interactive and passive audiences, we conducted an experiment in which a group of subjects played a suspenseful video game while another group watched it remotely. The subjects were asked to report their perceived suspense and amusement, and the data were used to obtain regression models for two common strategies to evoke suspense in video games: by alerting when the threat is approaching and by random circumstantial indications about the location of the threat. The results suggest that the optimal level is reached through randomly providing the minimal amount of information that still allows players to counteract the threat.We reckon that these results can be applied to a broad narrative media, beyond interactive games

Integrated Text Mining and Kansei Engineering Methodology for Excellent Amusement Park Services

The excellent service with full emotional (Kansei) satisfaction for an. amusement park is a must. Today the customers expect not only for the amazing show itself, but also the friendliness of staff, the cleanliness of the area, and the benefit package for family as family is the targeted segment for any amusement park industries. In fulfilling the full satisfaction of customer, the amusement park service provider should always provide what the customer needs and close the gap between what expected and perceived by the customer. The challenge is that customer not always at the right time and moment revealing what their expectations and critics. One way to get what genuinely customer feels about the service is through the reviews gathered from social media. In addition, there will be abundant and various customer feedbacks unconstrainted by time or any pressures. Hence, we proposed text mining and Kansei Engineering methodology taken an empirical study on an amusement park services in Indonesia. It was found that the critical Kansei was “safe” and the service attribute was “the amusement park rides for family”. Adding new amusement park rides and providing its regular maintenance schedule might be considered as sufficient solutions, with regard to limited resources

An Updated Trade Area Analysis of Wisconsin Counties for 2006

The intent of this functional research project is to apply the tools of Trade Area Analysis (TAA) to retail and service sales data for Wisconsin Counties. For this analysis we use the sales tax data as reported by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for 2006, the most current year the data are available. Only those counties that have elected to collect the optional county sales tax are included in the analysis. Through Pull Factors and measures of Surplus and Leakage the relative strengths, and weaknesses, of local retail and service markets are identified.

Numerical investigation into the failure of a micropile retaining wall

The paper presents a numerical investigation on the failure of a micropile wall that collapsed while excavating the adjacent ground. The main objectives are: to estimate the strength parameters of the ground; to perform a sensitivity analysis on the back slope height and to obtain the shape and position of the failure surface. Because of uncertainty of the original strength parameters, a simplified backanalysis using a range of cohesion/friction pairs has been used to estimate the most realistic strength parameters. The analysis shows that failure occurred because overestimation of strength and underestimation of loads.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Modelling human behaviour in a bumper car ride using molecular dynamics tools: a student project

Amusement parks are excellent laboratories of physics, not only to check physical laws, but also to investigate if those physical laws might also be applied to human behaviour. A group of Physics Engineering students from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya has investigated if human behaviour, when driving bumper cars, can be modelled using tools borrowed from the analysis of molecular dynamics simulations, such as the radial and angular distribution functions. After acquiring several clips and obtaining the coordinates of the cars, those magnitudes are computed and analysed. Additionally, an analogous hard disks system is simulated to compare its distribution functions to those obtained from the cars' coordinates. Despite the clear difference between bumper cars and a hard disk-like particle system, the obtained distribution functions are very similar. This suggests that there is no important effect of the individuals in the collective behaviour of the system in terms of structure. The research, performed by the students, has been undertaken in the frame of a motivational project designed to approach the scientific method for university students named FISIDABO. This project offers both the logistical and technical support to undertake the experiments designed by students at the amusement park of Barcelona TIBIDABO and accompanies them all along the scientific process.Postprint (published version