604 research outputs found
Doctor Mario: How Video Games Are Being Used as Medicine
The video game industry has become the largest media industry in the world, dwarfing even the movie and music industries. As such, video games are very present in the consciousness of American citizens. This makes them attractive to areas such as the field of medicine, which is always researching new and more effective ways to administer treatments to patients. This thesis examines all the research surrounding the use of video games as medicine, whether it be to treat a mental illness, physical ailment, or just for cognitive training, in an effort to determine if video games are effective as a treatment modality and determine the ideal way to introduce them into the field of medicine. Through an extensive literature review, this thesis determined that video games are, in fact, effective as treatments for various medical issues. Through an examination of the types of video games used in these studies, it was discovered that commercially-available video games are more common, as they are more attractive to doctors and researchers, offering an already existing, nearly endless pool of potential treatments. It was also concluded that the best way to introduce video games to medicine is by using them as a supplement to normal therapies and treatments, rather than as a standalone treatment
Invisible Teacher: How Might Digital Leisure Games Foster Critical Thinking and Grit?
The ubiquity of mobile devices and the rapid growth of mobile gaming have put digital games into the tiny hands of children, some under 2 years of age. What, if anything, are these games teaching our kids? Could they be learning essential skills that will be useful in the futureâor are they just for fun? This research investigates if and how digital leisure games promote critical thinking and grit in children ages 9â12. It will explore game design, motivations of players, stages in childâs development and other factors that may influence learning outcomes. It aims to create a framework for identifying essential future skills and traits and provide future directions for parents and, potentially, educators and game developers
Investigating the potential of mobile games as learning environments for independent adult skill development
The research described in this thesis is grounded in the fields of independent adult
learning, user experience for mobile applications and game design. It considers the
case for mobile game-based learning in the context of informal microlearning and
investigates the potential of mobile games to assist the independent skills
development of adults.
Initial research found that adults expressed positive attitudes towards the idea of
learning with a mobile game, while even those who did not use mobile games
recreationally appeared positive to using them if they perceived them as an effective
way to develop their skills. Guidelines were then developed to inform the design of
effective mobile learning games based on theories of adult learning, game-based
engagement, mobile usability and mobile game design. These guided the
development of a mobile game prototype aimed at assisting adults, speakers of
English as a second language, to build their academic vocabulary.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype, a mixed methods approach combining
quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments was utilised. Player
engagement and system usability were measured rather than direct measures of
learning outcomes. Overall the results were encouraging since evaluation participants
were found to be engaged by the activity and able to easily pick up the game and
play. Additionally, qualitative data on participantsâ experiences and perceptions were
collected, which supported initial research findings on the positive attitudes of adults
towards using mobile games for learning. Though caution is recommended when
generalising the evaluation results, the potential of mobile games for the independent
learning of adults was supported.
Overall this research offers a rationale for the use of mobile game-based learning, an
insight into the nature of adult learnersâ needs and their mobile devices usage
patterns, a critical discussion on the type of learning that would be appropriate for
the context, a set of guidelines for the design of mobile learning games, and finally a
discussion of evaluation methods along with a collection of empirical data on the
post-experiential attitudes of adults with regards to mobile games for learning
VI Workshop on Computational Data Analysis and Numerical Methods: Book of Abstracts
The VI Workshop on Computational Data Analysis and Numerical Methods (WCDANM) is going to be held on June 27-29, 2019, in the Department of Mathematics of the University of Beira Interior (UBI), CovilhĂŁ, Portugal and it is a unique opportunity to disseminate scientific research related to the areas of Mathematics in general, with particular relevance to the areas of Computational Data Analysis and Numerical Methods in theoretical and/or practical field, using new techniques, giving especial emphasis to applications in Medicine, Biology, Biotechnology, Engineering, Industry, Environmental Sciences, Finance, Insurance, Management and Administration. The meeting will provide a forum for discussion and debate of ideas with interest to the scientific community in general. With this meeting new scientific collaborations among colleagues, namely new collaborations in Masters and PhD projects are expected. The event is open to the entire scientific community (with or without communication/poster)
Essays on firms, technology, and macroeconomics
This thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter 1 studies the role of marketing in the economy. Using aggregate and firm-level data, I find that aggregate marketing intensity in the US increased sharply around the mid-1990s, which coincides with a rapid rise of elasticity between firm-level Marketing Production Cost Ratio and markup. To explain these facts, I develop a model with heterogeneous firms and endogenous markups in which firms engage in marketing to signal their quality. I use a calibrated version of the model to quantify the impact of information frictions and marketing on aggregate productivity. I find that quality information revealed by marketing is valuable and access to marketing cannot undo the information frictions completely.
Chapter 2 examines the impact of zombie firms on resource allocation. Using firm-level data in China, I show that zombie firms are larger, less productive, and receive a higher subsidy rate on average. The difference in average subsidy rate between zombies and non-zombies reflects both the selection criterion of zombies and the underlying joint distribution of subsidy rate and productivity. I develop a model with heterogeneous firms to quantify the impact of zombies on aggregate productivity. Quantitative exercise shows that reducing the dispersion in subsidy rate across firms can lead to significant productivity gains, while policies that increase the exit rate of zombies have limited productivity effects.
Chapter 3 establishes two facts along with the rise of information technology: (i) the output from the information sector is more intensively used as an intermediate input; (ii) the wage of information workers and their total employment increase relative to those of non-information workers. To understand the causes, we develop a two-sector accounting framework with sector-factor specific technical changes. We find that labor-augmenting technical change is important in explaining the observed change in wage premium and intermediate shares
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Investigating the Construct of Topical Knowledge in a Scenario-Based Assessment Designed to Simulate Real-Life Second Language Use
The vast development of digital technology and the widespread use of social network platforms have reshaped how we live in the world. For L2 learners to maximally utilize their language proficiency to function effectively as members of modern society, they need not only the necessary L2 knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) but also essential topical knowledge. While many researchers believe that topical knowledge should be viewed as an integral component of L2 communicative competence, the role of topical knowledge has not always been accounted for in an assessment context due to the difficulty of operationalizing the construct.
Scenario-based assessment, an innovative, technology-based assessment approach, allows great affordances for expanding the measured constructs of an assessment. It is designed expressly for learners to demonstrate their KSAs in a context that simulates real-life language use. Through the utilization of a sequence of thematically-related tasks, along with simulated character interaction, scenario-based assessment offers opportunities to examine L2 learnersâ communicative competence in a purposeful, interactive, and contextually meaningful manner.
In this study, a scenario-based language assessment (SBLA) was developed to measure high-intermediate L2 learnersâ topical knowledge and their L2 KSAs as part of the broadened construct of L2 communicative competence. To fulfill the scenario goal, learners were required to demonstrate their listening, reading, and writing abilities to build and share knowledge. In addition, learnersâ prior topical knowledge was measured and their topical learning was tracked using the same set of topical knowledge items.
A total of 118 adult EFL learners participated in the study. The results showed that the SBLA served as an appropriate measure of high-intermediate learnersâ L2 proficiency. The topical knowledge items were found to function appropriately, supporting the use of the SBLA to measure topical knowledge as part of the broadened construct of communicative competence. In addition, most learners exhibited substantial topical learning over the course of the SBLA, suggesting that with proper contextualization, learning can be facilitated within an assessment. In sum, this study demonstrated the potential value of scenario-based assessment as an approach to measure complex constructs of communicative language competence in L2 context
Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Gameplay-Scale for Educative Video Games in Spanish Children
The knowledge of evaluation instruments to determine the level of gameplay of
schoolchildren is very important at this time. A systematic review has been carried out in this
study. The aim of this paper is to investigate the psychometric properties of a study of a sample
of Spanish gamers. Two hundred and thirty-seven children (mean age: 11.2 +/- 1.17 years, range:
10-12 years, 59.5% female) completed the Gameplay-Scale to discover their opinions after a game
session with a serious educational game. The final scale consisted of three factors. The fit for factor 1
(usability) was 0.712, the fit for factor 2 was 0.702 (satisfaction), the fit for factor 3 was 0.886 (empathy)
and the overall fit was 0.868. A positive and direct relationship could be observed between all the
dimensions of the developed scale. The greatest correlation strength is shown between satisfaction
and empathy (r = 0.800; p < 0.005), followed by satisfaction and usability (r = 0.180; p < 0.05) and
the association between empathy and usability (r = 0.140; p < 0.05). In summary, the results of the
present study support the use of the Gameplay-Scale as a valid and reliable measure of the game
experience of youth populations. These results demonstrate strong psychometric properties so that
the Gameplay-Scale appears to be a valid instrument for children in different contexts where an
educational video game is used, analyzing its usability/âplayabilityâ in terms of learning to use it,
game satisfaction, and empathy.This research is supported by the Andalusian Research Program under the project P11-TIC-7486
co-funded by FEDER, together with TIN2014-56494-C4-3-P and TEC2015-68752 from the Spanish Ministry of
Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER also
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