Game-Based Learning, Gamification in Education and Serious Games

The aim of this book is to present and discuss new advances in serious games to show how they could enhance the effectiveness and outreach of education, advertising, social awareness, health, policies, etc. We present their use in structured learning activities, not only with a focus on game-based learning, but also on the use of game elements and game design techniques to gamify the learning process. The published contributions really demonstrate the wide scope of application of game-based approaches in terms of purpose, target groups, technologies and domains and one aspect they have in common is that they provide evidence of how effective serious games, game-based learning and gamification can be

Gaze and Peripheral Vision Analysis for Human-Environment Interaction: Applications in Automotive and Mixed-Reality Scenarios

This thesis studies eye-based user interfaces which integrate information about the user’s perceptual focus-of-attention into multimodal systems to enrich the interaction with the surrounding environment. We examine two new modalities: gaze input and output in the peripheral field of view. All modalities are considered in the whole spectrum of the mixed-reality continuum. We show the added value of these new forms of multimodal interaction in two important application domains: Automotive User Interfaces and Human-Robot Collaboration. We present experiments that analyze gaze under various conditions and help to design a 3D model for peripheral vision. Furthermore, this work presents several new algorithms for eye-based interaction, like deictic reference in mobile scenarios, for non-intrusive user identification, or exploiting the peripheral field view for advanced multimodal presentations. These algorithms have been integrated into a number of software tools for eye-based interaction, which are used to implement 15 use cases for intelligent environment applications. These use cases cover a wide spectrum of applications, from spatial interactions with a rapidly changing environment from within a moving vehicle, to mixed-reality interaction between teams of human and robots.In dieser Arbeit werden blickbasierte Benutzerschnittstellen untersucht, die Infor- mationen ¨uber das Blickfeld des Benutzers in multimodale Systeme integrieren, um neuartige Interaktionen mit der Umgebung zu erm¨oglichen. Wir untersuchen zwei neue Modalit¨aten: Blickeingabe und Ausgaben im peripheren Sichtfeld. Alle Modalit¨aten werden im gesamten Spektrum des Mixed-Reality-Kontinuums betra- chtet. Wir zeigen die Anwendung dieser neuen Formen der multimodalen Interak- tion in zwei wichtigen Dom¨anen auf: Fahrerassistenzsysteme und Werkerassistenz bei Mensch-Roboter-Kollaboration. Wir pr¨asentieren Experimente, die blickbasierte Benutzereingaben unter verschiedenen Bedingungen analysieren und helfen, ein 3D- Modell f¨ur das periphere Sehen zu entwerfen. Dar¨uber hinaus stellt diese Arbeit mehrere neue Algorithmen f¨ur die blickbasierte Interaktion vor, wie die deiktis- che Referenz in mobilen Szenarien, die nicht-intrusive Benutzeridentifikation, oder die Nutzung des peripheren Sichtfeldes f¨ur neuartige multimodale Pr¨asentationen. Diese Algorithmen sind in eine Reihe von Software-Werkzeuge integriert, mit de- nen 15 Anwendungsf¨alle f¨ur intelligente Umgebungen implementiert wurden. Diese Demonstratoren decken ein breites Anwendungsspektrum ab: von der r¨aumlichen In- teraktionen aus einem fahrenden Auto heraus bis hin zu Mixed-Reality-Interaktionen zwischen Mensch-Roboter-Teams

An adaptive model for digital game based learning

Digital Game-based Learning (DGBL) has the potential to be a more effective means of instruction than traditional methods. However meta-analyses of studies on the effectiveness of DGBL have yielded mixed results. One of the challenges faced in the design and development of effective and motivating DGBL is the integration of learning and gameplay. A game that is effective at learning transfer, yet is no fun to play, is not going to engage learners for very long. This served as the motivation to devise a systematic approach to the design, development and evaluation of effective and engaging DGBL. A comprehensive literature review examined: how games can be made engaging and how the mechanics of learning can be mapped to the mechanics of gameplay; how learning can be designed to be universal to all; how learning analytics can empower learners and educators; and how an agile approach to the development of instructional materials leads to continuous improvement. These and other considerations led to the development of the Adaptive Model for Digital Game Based Learning (AMDGBL). To test how successful the model would be in developing effective, motivating and universal DGBL, a Virtual Reality (VR) game that teaches graph theory was designed, built and evaluated using the AMDGBL. An accompanying platform featuring an Application Programming Interface (API) for storing learner interaction data and a web-based learning analytics dashboard (LAD) were developed. A mixed methods approach was taken for a study of learners (N=20) who playtested the game and viewed visualizations in the dashboard. Observational and think aloud notes were recorded as they played and gameplay data was stored via the API. The participants also filled out a questionnaire. The notes taken were thematically analysed, and the gameplay data and questionnaire responses were statistically analysed. Triangulation of data improved confidence in findings and yielded new insights. The learner study became a case study for a second, qualitative study of DGBL practitioners (N=12). The VR game was demonstrated and a series of visualizations presented to the participants. They then completed a questionnaire featuring open questions about: the need for the model; the benefits of VR; and the embedding of learning analytics, universal design for learning, iteration with formative evaluation, and triangulation at the heart of the model. The responses were thematically analysed. The results of both studies supported the following assertions: that the AMDGBL would allow for iterative improvement of a DGBL prototype; that employing the AMDGBL would lead to an effective DGBL solution; that the inclusion of UDL would lead to a more universally-designed game; that the LAD would help learners with executive functions; and that VR would foster learner autonomy

Intelligent tutoring Module for a 3Dgame-based science e-learning platform

The three-dimensional (3D) game-based intelligent science tutoring system (GIST) is an e- learning platform for science. The individual complexity of 3D games and conventional intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) results in extra complexities in system design and development of GIST. It is significant to develop practical GIST, not just to seek the powerful ones. The main contribution of this paper is the lightweight modelling of the intelligent tutoring module based on the brief-desire-intention (BDI) framework. The tutoring module, which is implemented by integration of the BDI framework into a game actor, can be able to suggest to each student specific learning tasks based on his/her learning histories. As a study case, algebra-based physics are intentionally chosen as the learning contents in this 3D game-based learning system, since the most of existing 3D game-based learning systems only focused on the qualitative understanding of physical concepts. Our proposed modelling is only based on the BDI reasoning mechanism, so it can be easily extended to obtain practical GIST by using standard game engines