Design for Children’s Playful Learning with Robots

This article presents an investigation of the implications of designing for children’s playful learning with robots. This study was carried out by adopting a Research through Design approach that resulted in the development of a novel low-anthropomorphic robot called Shybo. The article reports the main phases of the project: the preliminary and exploratory research that was carried out to define a list of design requirements; the design of the robot and its supplementary materials for carrying out playful learning experiences; and the evaluation of the project that involved both parents and children. The robot, in fact, was finally tested as part of a two-hour experience that engaged children in activities related to the associations between sounds and colours. The article presents and discusses the results of this evaluation to point out positive aspects of the experience, emerging issues and hints for future works. These are documented to share lessons learned that might be supportive of the general development of children’s playful learning and cognitive experiences with robots

An Embodied Tutoring System for Literal vs. Metaphorical Concepts

In this paper we combine motion captured data with linguistic notions (preliminary study) in a game-like tutoring system (study 1), in order to help elementary school students to better differentiate literal from metaphorical uses of motion verbs, based on embodied information. In addition to the thematic goal, we intend to improve young students’ attention and spatiotemporal memory, by presenting sensorimotor data experimentally collected from thirty two participants in our motion capturing labs. Furthermore, we examine the accomplishment of tutor’s goals and compare them to curriculum’s approach (study 2). Sixty nine elementary school students were randomly divided in two experimental groups (game-like and traditional) and one control group, which did not undergo an intervention. All groups were tested in pre and post-tests. Even though the diagnostic pretests present a uniform picture, two way analysis of variance suggests that the experimental groups showed progress in post-tests and, more specifically, game-like group showed less wrong answers in the linguistics task and higher learning achievements compared to the other two groups. Furthermore, in the game-like condition the participants needed gradually shorter period of time to identify the avatar’s actions. This finding was considered as a first indication of attentional and spatiotemporal memory’s improvement, while the tutor’s assistance features cultivated students’ metacognitive perception

Playing in a New Key, in a New World: Virtual Worlds, Millennial Writers, and 3D Composition

In the author’s courses, students have been augmentationist, not immersionist, in their approaches to using technology. In a virtual world, however, they are born with new skins into strange settings, doing things that might be impossible in the world of matter. Their frequent discomfort at this rebirth corroborates findings in two studies (Mosier, 2009; Howe & Strauss, 2000) that American Millennials distrust activities that seem to have no direct bearing on their educational outcomes, established social circles, or professional desires. The chapter describes assignments for such students, in the context of Rouzie s (2005) serio-ludic pedagogy. Several touchstones for educators appear, such as four challenges educators face, advice for orienting students \u27first hours in a virtual world, long-standing Second Life content of worth such as Virtual Harlem, and guidelines for creating such content oneself

Learning analytics and psychophysiology : understanding the learning process in a STEM game

This study focuses on the exploration of player experience in educational games and its potential impact on predicting learning outcomes. Specifically, the research aims to investigate the connection psychophysiology data, obtained through a summative study involving nine participants, and the results of a learning analytics model derived from a larger field test. The study incorporates eye tracking and electrodermal activity data to gain insights into the predictive power of this data. Through the analysis of player experience data, the study sheds light on the factors that contribute to effective educational game design. By examining the eye tracking and EDA data, the researchers explored the participants' engagement levels, attention patterns, and emotional arousal during gameplay. These findings revealed a connection between spikes of visual attention and EDA during interactions with character faces as well as in game cinematics. In conclusion, the outcomes of this study provide valuable insights for future educational game designers. By understanding the relationship between user experience indicators and learning analytics, designers can tailor game elements to enhance engagement, attention, and emotional arousal, ultimately leading to improved learning outcomes. The integration of eye tracking and EDA data in user experience studies adds a new dimension to the evaluation and design of educational games. The findings pave the way for future research in the field and highlight the importance of considering user experience as a crucial factor in educational game design and development.Includes bibliographical references