Developing serious games for cultural heritage: a state-of-the-art review

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result, the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented

Serious Games in Cultural Heritage

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented

A Portable Augmented Reality Science Laboratory

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology which overlays virtual objects on the real world; generates three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects and provides an interactive interface which people can work in the real world and interact with 3D virtual objects at the same time. AR has the potential to engage and motivate learners to explore material from a variety of differing perspective, and has been shown to be particularly useful for teaching subject matter that students could not possibly experience first hand in the real world. This report provides a conceptual framework of a simulated augmented reality lab which could be used in teaching science in classrooms. The recent years, the importance of lab-based courses and its significant role in the science education is irrefutable. The use of AR in formal education could prove a key component in future learning environments that are richly populated with a blend of hardware and software applications. The aim of this project is to enhance the teaching and learning of science by complementing the existing traditional lab with the use of a simulated augmented reality lab. The system architecture and the technical aspects of the proposed project will be described. Implementation issues and benefits of the proposed AR Lab will be highlighted

M-learning will disrupt educational practices

Proceedings of: 2012 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) "Collaborative Learning & New Pedagogic Approaches in Engineering Education", Marrakesh (Morocco), 17-20 April, 2012.n this paper, an overview is given about the research carried out in the area of mobile teaching and learning by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, a member of the eMadrid Excellence Network. Mobile learning is raising growing expectations and is considered by some authors the next disruptive revolution in education. Cognitive and pedagogical theories supporting this prospect are reviewed. How these theories can be translated into meaningful educational practices is analysed by exploring ways of usage of mobile devices for supporting learning and teaching. Finally, a portfolio of experiments and case studies carried out by the Gradient group of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid testing the application and effects of mobile learning are reported. These experiments show that the use of these devices is changing educational practices in a fundamental way.The eMadrid Excellence Network is being funded by the Madrid Regional Government (Comunidad de Madrid) with grant No. S2009/TIC-1650. We wish to acknowledge stimulating discussions with our partners in the context of the network. Partial support has also been received from the Learn3 project (TIN2008-05163) and the EEE project (TIN2011-28308-C03-01)

Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research, and Practice (Volume 2)

Message design is all around us, from the presentations we see in meetings and classes, to the instructions that come with our latest tech gadgets, to multi-million-dollar training simulations. In short, instructional message design is the real-world application of instructional and learning theories to design the tools and technologies used to communicate and effectively convey information. This field of study pulls from many applied sciences including cognitive psychology, industrial design, graphic design, instructional design, information technology, and human performance technology to name just a few. In this book we visit several foundational theories that guide our research, look at different real-world applications, and begin to discuss directions for future best practice. For instance, cognitive load and multimedia learning theories provide best practice, virtual reality and simulations are only a few of the multitude of applications. Special needs learners and designing for online, e-learning, and web conferencing are only some of many applied areas where effective message design can improve outcomes. Studying effective instructional message design tools and techniques has and will continue to be a critical aspect of the overall instructional design process. Hopefully, this book will serve as an introduction to these topics and inspire your curiosity to explore further!https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/distancelearning_books/1003/thumbnail.jp