Developing self-management and teamwork using digital games in 3D simulations

Producción CientíficaEmerging technologies are providing opportunities for designing new learning environments, especially environments in which students can learn by putting their skills into practice. Knowledge about the development of these experiences needs to be accumulated and processed so that they can be integrated effectively into training programmes. In this study we describe how transferable skills such as self-management and teamwork have been developed by 70 Spanish students of Education and Marketing. The learning experience comprised a serious game designed in a 3D simulation environment. For the analysis, two analytical rubrics were taken as references. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests such as Mann-Whitney U and Spearman rho were conducted for comparison and correlation analysis. Our results showed that the students performed well and had a positive perception of the suitability of using the simulation environment for the development of transferable skills. We also found that women performed better than men in activities involving teamwork, especially communication tasks.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Proyecto EDU2008-01479

User satisfaction on virtual reality taekwondo training material

This study focuses on the design and development of Virtual Taekwondo Training Environment (VT2E) prototype as a supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training. Even though there are varieties of supplementary Taekwondo training materials available, most of them have limitations in supporting self-directed training. The results of the preliminary study clearly indicated the importance of self-directed Taekwondo training among the trainees and they are facing problems while performing self-directed training at home since they do not have proper supplementary training materials to guide them. Thus, the research aims to propose the VT2E prototype as a supplementary material for self-directed Taekwondo training which incorporates Virtual Reality (VR) and Motion Capture (MoCap) technologies which is to study the trainees’ satisfaction in terms of Engaging, Presence, Usefulness and Ease of Use. The methodology of this study consists of three phases, namely; information gathering, prototype design and development and evaluation which is adapted from Vaishnavi and Kuechler (2008). In providing a useful and effective training material, the prototype incorporates the Constructivist Theory and Theory of Flow. Perception, Pearson Correlation and Regression analyses were used to determine the effects of Engaging, Presence, Usefulness and Ease of Use on trainees’ Satisfaction in using the VT2E prototype. The results provided empirical support for the positive and statistically significant relationships between usefulness and ease of use on trainees’ satisfaction. However, Engaging and Presence did not have positive and significant relationships with satisfaction. As for the conclusion, this study has looked into the possibility of introducing a new approach of training through the use of the two technologies. It is hopeful that this prototype can be a guide for self-directed Taekwondo training in enhancing the skills and performances and indirectly fullfil the trainees’ satisfaction

Teachers Support for English Language Learners to Build Inquiry Skills in Online Biology Simulations

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore how biology teachers support ELLs in learning biology, using biology simulations to promote inquiry learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the constructivist perspective regarding the zone of proximal development, Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol, and technology use in science instruction. The purposive sample for this study was 4 biology teachers from 2 high schools in large school districts in the southeastern region of the United States who taught ELL students using inquiry-based online simulations. The data sources were face to face interviews with teachers, scaffolding documents, and lesson plans. Data were coded and analyzed for common themes across within and across cases. Results indicated that although biology teachers believed that ELL students benefited from inquiry simulations because of the already incorporated visuals and their ability to interact and manipulate the program, they sometimes lacked technology experiences and struggled with English and literacy that may reduce the benefits of the simulation experiences. The results of this study have the potential to contribute to social change by providing insights that may increase the understanding of how biology teachers can support ELL students when using technology in the form of simulations to promote inquiry learning

THE EFFECT OF PLAYING A SCIENCE CENTER-BASED MOBILE GAME: AFFECTIVE OUTCOMES AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

Situated in a hands-on science center, The Great STEM Caper was a collaborative mobile game built on the ARIS platform that was designed to engage 5th-9th grade players in NGSS science and engineering practices while they interacted with various exhibits. Same gender partners sharing one iPad would search for QR codes placed at specific exhibits; scanning a code within the game would launch a challenge for that exhibit. The primary hypothesis was that in- game victories would be equivalent to “mastery experiences” as described by Bandura (1997) and would result in increased science self-efficacy. Gender differences in gameplay behaviors and perceptions were also studied. The study included two groups, one that played the game during their visit and one that explored the science center in the traditional way. The Motivation to Learn Science Questionnaire was administered to participants in both groups both before and after their visit to the science center. Participants wore head-mounted GoPro cameras to record their interactions within the physical and social environment. No differences in affective outcomes were found between the game and comparison groups or between boys and girls in the game group. The MLSQ was unable to measure any significant change in science self-efficacy, interest and enjoyment of science, or overall motivation to learn science in either group. However, girls outperformed boys on every measure of game achievement. Lazzaro’s (2004) four types of fun were found to be a good fit for describing the gender differences in game perceptions and behaviors. Girls tended to enjoy hard fun and collaborative people fun while boys enjoyed easy fun and competitive people fun. While boys associated game achievement with enjoyment and victory, girls perceived their game achievement as difficult, rather than enjoyable or victorious

Restorative Environmental Design for Densifying Cities

The urban population around the world is growing rapidly. Although increasing urbanization has positive aspects, it has also raised concerns about environmental, economic and social sustainability. As response, some design and planning solutions emphasize greater densification of urban areas. Research has however not been able to show that urban density enhances sustainability in a consistent manner. One possible explanation might be the neglect of psychological factors within the compact city practice. Restorative environmental design (RED) that builds in part on theory and empirical research concerned with restorative environments is one approach to addressing this problem. To date, however, the empirical results behind RED as applied to urban densification are quite limited, and the purpose of this thesis work is to provide more empirical substance to reinforce the foundation of RED for use in this context. This work is based on four papers. The first paper is an introduction to the restoration perspective on human-environment relations in general and to research on environmental supports for psychological restoration more specifically. It provides a starting point for the empirical work in this thesis by identifying some specific research gaps with regard to the restorative potential of urban environments. The three remaining papers report a sequence of empirical studies that focus on specific physical components and characteristics that affect the restorative potential of urban streetscapes. Taking guidance from the preference literature when choosing relevant characteristics, the first two of the remaining papers report the results of studies that used digitally created static images to present streetscapes in which different characteristics had been systematically manipulated. Aggregate ratings for the respective image sets were obtained from adult Icelanders through an internet-based procedure. The results of multiple-mediator regression analyses found architectural variation (presented as entropy), number of street trees, their arrangement along the street, presence of flowers, and presence of grass to positively affect ratings of the likelihood of restoration, with the effects mediated by one or both of the restorative quality variables being away and fascination. The results also demonstrated a negative effect of building height on judgments of restoration likelihood, as mediated by a reduced sense of being away. In a third study, reported in the fourth paper, ratings of restoration likelihood obtained in the earlier empirical studies were found to predict actual restoration experienced by members of a separate sample. Two three-dimensional interactive virtual neighbourhoods were constructed from streetscapes that in the two previous studies had differed in term of restoration likelihood. Participants who “walked” through the low restoration likelihood neighbourhood showed a negative shift in affective balance while those who navigated through the higher restoration likelihood neighbourhood showed a positive shift in affective balance. This effect became stronger after adjustment for the participants’ own perceptions of restorative quality (being away and fascination) in the assigned streetscape. The results of this dissertation work show that the restorative potential of residential urban environments depends on specific architectural components and design characteristics, which indicates the relevance of RED for densifying cities. The results provide guidance for the design of more psychologically sustainable urban residential environments. The studies also demonstrate strategies for using digital imaging and virtual technologies in pursuing the further research that is needed in this area to strengthen the empirical foundations of RED. Finally, this work encourages authorities and practitioners to apply a restoration perspective in their efforts to create urban environments that are sustainable not only in ecologic terms, but also in terms of basic human needs