A Theoretical Basis for Learning in Massive Multiplayer Virtual Worlds

One of the most compelling affordances of information communications technologies for education is the combination of social interaction, simulation, and creative play offered by online games. Although massive multiplayer online games have been in existence for some time, only with the widespread adoption of highspeed Internet access has their potential has begun to be realized. This article focuses on the affordances of massive multiplayer virtual learning environments (MMVLEs) for education by examining the benefits of a theoretical understanding of learning, and then discussing the concept of affordances. An exploration of the theoretical framework supporting learning in MMVLEs as seen the lens of selected learning theoriess also given

TEACHER'S EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT ONLINE LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN TRAINING THE INDEPENDENCE OF CHILDREN IN CHILDREN IN THE ERA OF VIRUS COVID-19

Research on teachers' efforts to carry out online learning activities in training the independence of early childhood in TKI PGRI Standard Corawali in the covid -19 era, of course, there are many problems including: Inhibiting factors, over-protective and over-parent factors in educating children when learning online conducted by the teacher. Environmental factors often have an adverse effect on children because they hold more gadgets. Internal factors of children who have abnormalities from birth. Media factor. television and games have a profound effect on children, especially in negative matters. Children prefer to imitate movie scenes rather than imitate what teachers and parents teach. Supporting factors, curriculum in accordance with the needs and development of children, children do not feel burdened by learning. All learning is related to perminan so that children are always cheerful and happy. The number of teachers is balanced so it is easy to pay attention and control their students. Complete facilities and infrastructures become one of the supporting children in learning, children easily choose play equipment according to their talents and interests assigned online

SOSIALISASI PENDAMPINGAN PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS GAMIFIKASI DI SDN TANJUNGSARI 1 KABUPATEN TULUNGAGUNG

Technology-based learning is a form of adaptation of education to technological advances. The development of technological advances has led the world of education to adapt to global demands, both in the learning process and in the use of learning media. Gamification in the world of education can be defined to include game elements and elements in the learning environment, both the learning process and learning evaluation. The purpose of mentoring socialization at SDN Tanjungsari 1 is to introduce gamification support applications in education so that they can create innovative and interactive learning. The supporting applications used in this mentoring socialization are quizwhizzer and genially. The supporting application is an application that is quite easy to use and also has an attractive interface for elementary students. Mentoring is carried out twice, namely first discussing the use of quizwhizzer and making game elements in the quiz that will be applied. Meanwhile, at the second meeting, it was the use of genially in supporting learning using gamification in the form of online board games that were integrated with the ongoing learning theme.Pembelajaran berbasis teknologi merupakan bentuk dari adaptasi pendidikan dengan kemajuan teknologi. Perkembangan kemajuan teknologi, menuntun dunia pendidikan untuk menyesuaikan tuntutan global, baik dalam proses pembelajarannya, maupun penggunaan media belajar. Gamifikasi di dalam dunia pendidikan dapat didefinisikan memasukan unsur dan elemen game pada lingkungan pembelajaran, baik proses pembelajaran maupun evaluasi pembelajaran. Tujuan dari sosialisasi pendampingan di SDN Tanjungsari 1 adalah untuk memperkenalkan aplikasi pendukung gamifikasi dalam pendidikan sehingga bisa membuat pembelajaran inovatif dan interaktif. Adapun aplikasi pendukung yang digunakan dalam sosialisasi pendampingan ini adalah quizwhizzer dan genially. Aplikasi pendukung tersebut adalah aplikasi yang tergolong cukup mudah digunakan dan juga memiliki interface yang menarik bagi siswa SD. Pendampingan dilaksanakan dua kali yaitu pertama membahas penggunaan quizwhizzer dan pembuatan unsur game dalam kuis yang akan diterapkan. Sedangkan pada pertemuan kedua, adalah penggunaan genially dalam mendukung pembelajaran menggunakan gamifikasi berupa board games online yang terintegrasi dengan tema pembelajaran yang sedang berlangsung

Games Teachers Play: An investigation of upper secondary EFL teachers’ practices, beliefs, and attitudes regarding digital game-based language learning in Norway.

This master's thesis examined the attitudes, beliefs and practices of upper secondary school English (EFL) teachers in Norway towards digital game-based language learning (DGBLL). Additionally, it explored the current state of digital game utilization, particularly focusing on the games and genres employed. Digital games, which are games played using an electronic device, are combined with educational content, or learning principles through digital game-based learning (DGBL). DGBLL is a form of DGBL specifically tailored for language learning. The study that is part of this master’s thesis not only focuses on EFL teachers' use of and attitudes towards digital games but also recognizes the importance of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories in relation to DGBLL and teacher cognitions (i.e., what teachers know, believe, and think regarding the use of digital games in their EFL classrooms) as essential components. Data was collected through an online, mixed-methods questionnaire. The questions targeted information about attitudes towards and use of digital games in English as a foreign language (EFL) in formal learning contexts and were designed to collect information to answer the three research questions that guided the study which focused on the use of DGBLL, the attitudes towards DGBLL and the games and game genres employed in EFL instruction in the context of Norwegian upper secondary EFL classrooms, respectively. The questionnaire was comprised of three parts across a total of five pages with a total of 48 questions. A total of 219 upper secondary EFL teachers with diverse educational backgrounds from all parts of Norway participated in the study. Among them, women comprised the majority of respondents at 68.5%. Data analysis involved a combination of descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis, facilitating a comprehensive examination of both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings revealed that while only about half of the teachers in this study were familiar with the term DGBLL, a large majority believed digital games could be effectively used for teaching EFL. Almost 75% reported using digital games in their EFL instruction, mostly to target vocabulary, listening, speaking, and reading skills. Comparisons with previous studies suggests an increasing trend in the utilization of digital games for EFL education. Furthermore, the results suggested that the reported use of games in instruction varied by age and gender, with younger teachers and possibly female teachers being more likely to use games in the context of EFL. Also, EFL teachers in this study expressed generally positive attitudes towards DGBLL. Specifically, a large majority of the teachers believed that digital games could be used to meet the Norwegian curriculum and core pedagogical standards, serve as useful teaching and learning tools, and play a supporting role in EFL education. Despite the positive outlook, obstacles to DGBLL integration were also identified, including lack of time and inadequate knowledge and skills, the latter ascribed to insufficient or outdated teacher training. Additionally, a potential link between playing games for leisure and perceived competence for implementing DGBLL was also noted. However, personal gaming interest did not appear to be a deciding factor for the instructional use of DGBLL for EFL. Finally, the study revealed that teachers employed a variety of digital games in their EFL instruction, mostly from the Serious Games and Puzzle/Quiz genres. The most popular games included Spent, Fake News, Minecraft, Quizlet and Kahoot!. More than half of the twenty most popular games used by the teachers in this study are listed either on the Norwegian Digital Learning Arena or Statsped websites, along with supporting resources. The choice of games seems to reflect the beliefs and concerns about DGBLL expressed by the EFL teachers in this study, as the games were suitable for upper secondary students and EFL, their use was economical and time-efficient, and teachers possibly benefited from the availability of supporting resources from reliable sources. Moreover, the games did not require specialized technical expertise on the part of the teacher. In conclusion, the findings of this study contributed to the broader understanding of Norwegian EFL teachers' beliefs and practices, while also informing future teacher development in DGBLL in order to contribute to the effective implementation of Digital Games in EFL education

Using massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) to support second language learning: Action research in the real and virtual world

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) create large virtual communities. Online gaming shows potential not just for entertaining, but also for education. The aim of this research project is to investigate the use of commercial MMORPGs to support second language teaching. MMORPGs offer a digital safe space in which students can communicate by using their target language with global players. This qualitative research based on ethnography and action research investigates the students’ experiences of language learning and performing while they play in the MMORPGs. Research was conducted in both the real and virtual worlds. In the real world the researcher observes the interaction with the MMORPGs by the students through actual discussion, and screen video captures while they are playing. In the virtual world, the researcher takes on the role of a character in the MMORPG enabling the researcher to get an inside point of view of the students and their own MMORPG characters. This latter approach also uses action research to allow the researcher to provide anonymous/private support to the students including in-game instruction, confidence building, and some support of language issues in a safe and friendly way. Using action research with MMORPGs in the real world facilitates a number of opportunities for learning and teaching including opportunities to practice language and individual and group experiences of communicating with other native/ second language speakers for the students. The researcher can also develop tutorial exercises and discussion for teaching plans based on the students’ experiences with the MMORPGs. The results from this research study demonstrate that MMORPGs offer a safe, fun, informal and effective learning space for supporting language teaching. Furthermore the use of MMORPGs help the students’ confidence in using their second language and provide additional benefits such as a better understanding of the culture and use of language in different contexts

Recognizing The Children English Vocabulary Input Through Internet

It cannot be denied that children nowadays are very familiar with Internet. They mostly use internet connection for playing games rather than supporting their school assignments. Most online games the children play are imported from abroad so that language used is mostly English. As a result, children frequently pick up many English words from the game naturally. The present study is the continuous study of the vocabulary learning strategy mapping among 28 primary school students on grade 5 using the VOLSQUES survey. From the survey, the researcher found that 29% respondents chose internet as the source of their English vocabulary input. Started from this finding, the researcher continue the study by conducting descriptive qualitative research on those 29% respondents. The focus is on recognizing the Internet content commonly the respondents use and type of English vocabulary input they gain. All the respondents admit that they frequently play online games, especially the Mobile Legend game. The interesting result is that the participants are mostly unable to read and write the English words they recognize from the game correctly. This is understandable since the children listen from the game narrators. Besides, the typical English words they acquire are instructions

Healthy Competition: Multiplayer Digital Games in Health Education

The focus of this dissertation is on the role of multiplayer digital games in adult education, with a particular emphasis on health education. Although interest in the use of digital games for serious applications has been increasing since the early 2000s, there is a significant gap in understanding on the use of multiplayer digital games in adult education. In the context of health education, there has been a large amount of research conducted in to the use of repurposed commercial games for predicting performance of trainees and health students on surgical simulators. However, beyond this niche research into game based learning is notably less cohesive. There has been some research into the use of digital games in areas such as for delivering insulin management training, but understanding of the processes for widespread application of games based learning in the health sector is limited. Additionally, almost no research has been undertaken into the use of multiplayer digital games in health education, whether it be for tertiary or adult learners. In this dissertation two digital games were developed, implemented and evaluated to explore the value of multiplayer games for supporting cooperation and collaboration in health education. The first game, They Know: Anatomy, was a real time team based strategy game designed to support anatomy revision by second year medical students. The second game, the Qstream: Cancer Cup Challenge, was a team based asynchronous online program designed to reinforce understanding of how to identify and manage adverse events by oncology registrars. A design research framework informed the methodology used in this dissertation. This framework emphasises the need to use multiple iteration cycles to develop a comprehensive understanding of player experiences with the digital games they encountered. Data on participant experiences with the digital games was collected using qualitative methods, including post-game surveys and semi-structured interviews. Between iterative cycles data on participant experiences with the digital games were analysed so that future implementations of the game could be modified to maximise cooperation and collaboration between players. At the conclusion of the study period data collected across all implementations of the digital games were analysed to increase understanding of how multiplayer digital games supported cooperation and collaboration between learners. Findings from this dissertation demonstrate that multiplayer digital games can be used to engage medical students in anatomy revision and medical oncologists in adverse events retraining. This is the first study to look at the use of digital games for either of these demographics. Additionally, this dissertation identified four ways through which multiplayer digital games foster collaboration between players: through the development of a team strategy to win the game, by facilitating !iii shared decision making, by working towards a shared goal, and by creating a sense of investment in a team. Finally, findings from this dissertation contribute to the literature on the implementation of game based learning in adult education. This is an under researched area, but one that warrants further focus in future if game based learning is going to be successfully incorporated into curricula and training activities for adult learners. This dissertation adds to the literature by presenting new knowledge on how and why multiplayer games support collaboration between learners. Additionally, it appears that multiplayer digital games offer diverse, flexible and immersive experiences to adult learners in a way that single player digital games may not. Finally, multiplayer digital games provide new avenues for support self-directed learning by encouraging cooperation between large groups of students in a manner that is not normally achieved in online learning environment

Using Multimodal Virtual Instruction to Build Preservice Teachers\u27 Knowledge of Dyslexia

Increasing awareness about screening and instructional interventions for students with dyslexia is a necessary component of P-12 teacher preparation. Disparities in reading achievement for students with disabilities, including those with dyslexia, is evidenced in lower literacy testing scores as well as lower high school graduation rates for those with documented disabilities when compared to typical developing peers. Preservice teachers, however, continue to struggle with understanding, identifying, and providing targeted literacy instruction to remediate reading challenges for students with dyslexia. Emerging data on the impact of the COVID-19 school closures on lags in student’s reading attainment, further solidifies the need for teacher preparation programs to prepare preservice teachers to implement best practices for supporting students with dyslexia. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine the impact of asynchronous online learning modules on preservice teacher’s knowledge of dyslexia. Results indicate that preservice teachers who learn via online sources such as podcasts, infographics, and educational games, statistically increase their knowledge of dyslexia and confidence to work with students. Recommendations for programmatic change and inclusion of online learning about dyslexia for teacher preparation programs are suggested

A Novel Reinforcement-Based Paradigm for Children to Teach the Humanoid Kaspar Robot

© The Author(s) 2019. This is the final published version of an article published in Psychological Research, licensed under a Creative Commons Attri-bution 4.0 International License. Available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-019-00607-xThis paper presents a contribution to the active field of robotics research with the aim of supporting the development of social and collaborative skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We present a novel experiment where the classical roles are reversed: in this scenario the children are the teachers providing positive or negative reinforcement to the Kaspar robot in order for the robot to learn arbitrary associations between different toy names and the locations where they are positioned. The objective of this work is to develop games which help children with ASD develop collaborative skills and also provide them tangible example to understand that sometimes learning requires several repetitions. To facilitate this game we developed a reinforcement learning algorithm enabling Kaspar to verbally convey its level of uncertainty during the learning process, so as to better inform the children interacting with Kaspar the reasons behind the successes and failures made by the robot. Overall, 30 Typically Developing (TD) children aged between 7 and 8 (19 girls, 11 boys) and 6 children with ASD performed 22 sessions (16 for TD; 6 for ASD) of the experiment in groups, and managed to teach Kaspar all associations in 2 to 7 trials. During the course of study Kaspar only made rare unexpected associations (2 perseverative errors and 1 win-shift, within a total of 272 trials), primarily due to exploratory choices, and eventually reached minimal uncertainty. Thus the robot's behavior was clear and consistent for the children, who all expressed enthusiasm in the experiment.Peer reviewe

Generating learning through the crowd: the role of social media practices in supporting students as producers at scale

Social media and higher education pedagogy have enjoyed a chequered relationship with significant debates about the efficacy of social media as a site of student centred learning, the manager/host of an individual’s learning trajectory and as a tool of facilitating collaborative learning at scale. This paper presents the findings from the evaluation of Constitution UK, an innovative civic engagement and open learning project run by the London School of Economics and Political Science (UK). This was the lead initiative in an institution-wide shift in pedagogical approach, designed to transform the learning experience through supporting students to be co-producers of knowledge. We argue that some of the behaviours inherent in social media learning (centred on fleeting connections, digital identity and discontinuous engagement) can create the conditions for effective learning through experience and practice, both at scale in open, online modes as well in the face-to-face delivery environment. Challenging the dominant pedagogical approaches of other massive online programmes, Constitution UK brought together a civil community of people engaging in the process of digital citizenship that produced a crowdsourced constitution for the United Kingdom. The learning design of the project successfully engineered both learning and problem solving at scale. The key aspects of the project arising from how social media can facilitate critical thinking, engagement, peer and crowd learning have informed pedagogical change within the mainstream provision of the School for initiatives such as Students as Producers, civic engagement over Brexit and games-based learning