Brew it yourself - Sistema de aprendizagem

Atualmente, os métodos de ensino em espaços curriculares estão a ser alvo de uma mutação tecnológica. O autor verificou que vários professores, estudantes e pais, notam que a aprendizagem é mais eficaz quando os tópicos ensinados são explicados usando entretenimento como base. Devido a isto, este projeto tem como objetivo examinar que tópicos de aprendizagem estão, ou não, a usar métodos educativos com base em entretenimento - mais especificamente, usando gamificação para educar estudantes usando este paradigma. Não sendo o conceito de gamificação um tópico muito recente, a sua aplicabilidade em termos curriculares ainda não é muito disseminada, sendo então desejável ter dados que mostrem factualmente como é que, e se, estes projetos de aprendizagem com base em entretenimento, funcionam em salas de aula. Este documento descreve o desenvolvimento de uma solução de aprendizagem com base em entretenimento, como foi testada, e respetivos resultados.Abstract: Today, teaching methods in curricular spaces are undergoing a technological mutation. The author verified that several teachers, students, and parents note that learning is more effective when the topics being taught are explained using entertainment as a basis. Because of this, this project aims to examine what learning topics are, or are not, using entertainment-based educational methods - more specifically, using gamification to educate students using this paradigm. Since the concept of gamification is not a very recent topic, its applicability in curricular terms is not yet widespread, so it is desirable to have data that shows factually how, and if, these entertainment-based learning projects work in classrooms. This paper describes the development of an entertainment-based learning solution, how it was tested, and its results

La Gamificación como estrategia didáctica para la enseñanza/aprendizaje de la programación: un mapeo sistemático de literatura

The incorporation of gamification into Programming courses has been identified as a potential strategy that could maximize student participation and have a positive impact on learning. To our knowledge, there is no study aimed at collecting and analyzing research results on this subject using a systematic method. To fill this gap, a systematic mapping of literature was carried out with the aim of summarizing the studies on the use of gamification as a didactic strategy for teaching/learning of Programming. Initially, through the search in four (4) digital libraries, 186 studies were obtained. Then, after a careful analysis of each of them, we verify that only 78 match our needs. Finally, we have categorized the contributions of these studies to present an overview of the results produced by the research community.La incorporación de la gamificación en cursos de Programación ha sido identificada como una estrategia potencial que podría maximizar la participación de los estudiantes y tener un impacto positivo en el aprendizaje. Hasta donde sabemos, no existe un estudio dirigido a recopilar y analizar los resultados de investigación sobre este tema utilizando un método sistemático. Para llenar este vacío, se realizó un mapeo sistemático de literatura con el objetivo de resumir los estudios sobre el uso de la gamificación como estrategia didáctica para la enseñanza/aprendizaje de la Programación. Inicialmente, mediante la búsqueda en cuatro (4) bibliotecas digitales, se obtuvieron 186 estudios. Luego, después de un cuidadoso análisis de cada uno de ellos, verificamos que sólo 78 coinciden con nuestras necesidades. Por último, hemos categorizado las contribuciones de estos estudios para presentar una visión general de los resultados producidos por la comunidad investigadora

Evaluating the Effects of Immersive Embodied Interaction on Cognition in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is on its advent of becoming mainstream household technology, as technologies such as head-mounted displays, trackers, and interaction devices are becoming affordable and easily available. Virtual reality (VR) has immense potential in enhancing the fields of education and training, and its power can be used to spark interest and enthusiasm among learners. It is, therefore, imperative to evaluate the risks and benefits that immersive virtual reality poses to the field of education. Research suggests that learning is an embodied process. Learning depends on grounded aspects of the body including action, perception, and interactions with the environment. This research aims to study if immersive embodiment through the means of virtual reality facilitates embodied cognition. A pedagogical VR solution which takes advantage of embodied cognition can lead to enhanced learning benefits. Towards achieving this goal, this research presents a linear continuum for immersive embodied interaction within virtual reality. This research evaluates the effects of three levels of immersive embodied interactions on cognitive thinking, presence, usability, and satisfaction among users in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Results from the presented experiments show that immersive virtual reality is greatly effective in knowledge acquisition and retention, and highly enhances user satisfaction, interest and enthusiasm. Users experience high levels of presence and are profoundly engaged in the learning activities within the immersive virtual environments. The studies presented in this research evaluate pedagogical VR software to train and motivate students in STEM education, and provide an empirical analysis comparing desktop VR (DVR), immersive VR (IVR), and immersive embodied VR (IEVR) conditions for learning. This research also proposes a fully immersive embodied interaction metaphor (IEIVR) for learning of computational concepts as a future direction, and presents the challenges faced in implementing the IEIVR metaphor due to extended periods of immersion. Results from the conducted studies help in formulating guidelines for virtual reality and education researchers working in STEM education and training, and for educators and curriculum developers seeking to improve student engagement in the STEM fields