Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion

Vaizdo žaidimų filosofinės interpretacijos diskursai ir semantiniai tropai

The article explores one of the most remarkable and dynamic phenomena of modern technoculture – video games. It reconstructs the genesis of the philosophical discourse on video games, exposing the main difficulties arising in making the definitions. Special importance is attached to the critical comparative analysis of the major strategies for the philosophical explication of video games. With the aid of the method of comparative-historical reconstruction and a structuralist approach, the essential correlations between the essential definition of a video game and the ontological systems of Plato, the Gnostics, G. Berkeley, E. Kant, as well as post-modern philosophy was established. The research results in formulating a model-integrative definition of a video game.Straipsnyje tiriami vaizdo žaidimai – vieni išskirtiniausių ir dinamiškiausių moderniosios technokultūros fenomenų. Tekste rekonstruojama filosofinio diskurso apie vaizdo žaidimus genezė, atskleidžiamos esminės kliūtys, kylančios beieškant apibrėžimų. Ypatingas dėmesys skiriamas pagrindinėms vaizdo žaidimų filosofinio aiškinimo strategijoms ir jų kritinei lyginamajai analizei. Pasitelkę lyginamosios-istorinės rekonstrukcijos metodą ir struktūralistinę prieigą, nustatome esmines sąsajas tarp vaizdo žaidimo apibrėžimo ir ontologinių Platono, gnostikų, G. Berkeley’io, I. Kanto bei postmoderniosios filosofijos sistemų. Šio tyrimo rezultatas – suformuluotas integratyvųjį modelį atitinkantis vaizdo žaidimo apibrėžimas

Narratives of independent production in video game culture

Independent gaming, by describing itself as 'independent', automatically establishes its opposing force: a 'dependent', mainstream industry to be emancipated from. However, such a narrative of emancipation does not seem to propose a solid ground for its definition. Independent gaming is often presented as based on a technological revolution in the processes of game development. Also, it appears to be based on the alleged freedom of the independent developers, who overcome the restrictions imposed by the mainstream industry in order to express themselves through a personal, almost intimate work. Such enthusiastic descriptions can be easily counter-balanced by noting the difficulties and risks of independent game development, which forces the designers to struggle to find sufficient budget and exposure to produce and promote their work. The concept of ‘independence’ seems to have emerged in video game culture as a discursive redefinition of some of the practices of production of a game product. As such, it is not only descriptive but also generative of further practices and interpretations. In this paper I would like to propose an understanding of independent gaming not as based on an actual revolution (being it technological, economic or based on a different organization of work), but more as a change in the discourses surrounding contemporary video game culture. As such, it can be understood for the influences it receives and replicates, such as those coming from the creative industries and contemporary forms of immaterial labor. I will look at some specific cases, such as the ways in which articles, public events and the documentary 'Indie game: the movie' present independent gaming. I will debate which kind of 'independence' is outlined through the discourses produced within these contexts. This analysis does not intend to flatten independent gaming as a mere mirroring of practices coming from other media contexts, but rather proposes to look at it from a different perspective, which could possibly support a partial redefinition of its narrative. This could advocate a milder focus on the individual as an agent of artistic and cultural innovation, and more attention instead to the practices of co-operation which might emerge from a more flexible organization in the production of digital games

Dungeons & Dragons & Dewey: Toward a Ludic Pedagogy of Democratic Civic Life Through the Philosophy of John Dewey and Tabletop Role-Playing Games

In this dissertation, which uses philosophical inquiry, I posit that tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) can provide an educative experience for democratic civic life in the Deweyan tradition. Tabletop RPGs present an invaluable resource for ongoing civic formation by encouraging deliberation and consensus building across shared goals and circumstances. Philosopher John Dewey emphasized that democracy is defined by the civic habits and collective action, not formal governance structures. The experience of playing tabletop RPGs can cultivate habitus and space for future and current citizens to practice democratic skills and commitments. Therefore, these games are a means that align with the ends of a civic life that is rooted in an understanding of democracy beyond just a form of governance, and instead, as a process and interactions of a community. Understood this way, tabletop role-playing games can facilitate a ludic pedagogy of democratic civic life. This approach is not just focused on using novel tools to deliver information or a gamified approach to learning. Instead, it calls for an autotelic approach to citizenship formation that prioritizes committed collaboration with others, imaginative and emergent approaches to problem solving, and the ability to critically negotiate systems of power

The Effects Of Differential Reinforcement Structures On Computer-Assisted Instructional Learning

The use of computer assisted instruction as a viable educational technology in our nation\u27s schools has presented educators with new dilemmas and decisions. To operate these devices in the manner in which they were intended, computer software or courseware, whose cost often rivals the original cost of the computers themselves, must be purchased before their potential benefit can be realized. The most widely used type of instructional design that is inherent in these programs can be categorized under the operant theory of learning comprising the styles such as tutorial, skills building, and drill and practice. These computer lessons can be described as question-response-reinforcement in organizational design. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature of the reinforcement and its effects upon certain learner behaviors. Four computer lessons of equal length, scope and difficulty were designed to teach symbolic number systems to high school students. The lessons were designed with four different types of reinforcement structures ranging from sound and color graphics animation to simple knowledge of correct response. The programs were coded so that the students could control the real times allowed to read instructional frames, compute their responses, or watch the rewards. It was clear from the study that reinforcement style had little to do with the effectiveness of the lesson. Students watched the reinforcements for a substantial time to begin with, but ultimately opted to continue the program with little attention to the rewards. Students spent significantly more time watching the frames that demonstrated the question and correct response when they answered incorrectly than they spent listening or watching an animation intended for their delight. The implications for software publishers and purchasers are threefold: 1) Effort needs to be given in examination and evaluation of educational software concerning its learning design. 2) Programs designed as instructional tutorials should be structured economically, without the extensive reinforcement frills. 3) Continued research should be aimed at identifying the most efficient reinforcement strategies in operant-style computer assisted instruction