Tertiary Educators' Awareness of and Readiness to use Virtual Reality (VR) in Remote Online Learning

COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the conventional education landscape to online remote learning. However, this transition has brought about certain challenges such as low levels of student engagement and motivation, which raises the question of whether students are actually learning. Using Virtual Reality (VR) in teaching and learning (T&L) could increase engagement as it provides interactive experience that necessitates students’ online presence. Literature shows students are aware of VR benefits, yet not many tertiary educators are using VR. Thus, this study aims to investigate Malaysian tertiary educators’ awareness of VR and readiness to explore its potential in remote online T&L through a questionnaire survey adapted from previous studies that applied the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as their theoretical framework. Of 26 respondents, only 4 had VR experience in the classroom. While others lacked VR experience, their perceptions were positive, and they were aware of the challenges of using VR. It can be concluded these challenges are partly the reasons why VR is under-utilised. The findings implicate the need to train and familiarise tertiary educators in the use of VR for the continuous intention to use VR. It is believed that when more educators have more intimate knowledge of VR, the more students will benefit regardless if the classes are remote online or otherwise

Comparing Map Learning between Touchscreen-Based Visual and Haptic Displays: A Behavioral Evaluation with Blind and Sighted Users

The ubiquity of multimodal smart devices affords new opportunities for eyes-free applications for conveying graphical information to both sighted and visually impaired users. Using previously established haptic design guidelines for generic rendering of graphical content on touchscreen interfaces, the current study evaluates the learning and mental representation of digital maps, representing a key real-world translational eyes-free application. Two experiments involving 12 blind participants and 16 sighted participants compared cognitive map development and test performance on a range of spatio-behavioral tasks across three information-matched learning-mode conditions: (1) our prototype vibro-audio map (VAM), (2) traditional hardcopy-tactile maps, and (3) visual maps. Results demonstrated that when perceptual parameters of the stimuli were matched between modalities during haptic and visual map learning, test performance was highly similar (functionally equivalent) between the learning modes and participant groups. These results suggest equivalent cognitive map formation between both blind and sighted users and between maps learned from different sensory inputs, providing compelling evidence supporting the development of amodal spatial representations in the brain. The practical implications of these results include empirical evidence supporting a growing interest in the efficacy of multisensory interfaces as a primary interaction style for people both with and without vision. Findings challenge the long-held assumption that blind people exhibit deficits on global spatial tasks compared to their sighted peers, with results also providing empirical support for the methodological use of sighted participants in studies pertaining to technologies primarily aimed at supporting blind users

Políticas de Copyright de Publicações Científicas em Repositórios Institucionais: O Caso do INESC TEC

A progressiva transformação das práticas científicas, impulsionada pelo desenvolvimento das novas Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC), têm possibilitado aumentar o acesso à informação, caminhando gradualmente para uma abertura do ciclo de pesquisa. Isto permitirá resolver a longo prazo uma adversidade que se tem colocado aos investigadores, que passa pela existência de barreiras que limitam as condições de acesso, sejam estas geográficas ou financeiras. Apesar da produção científica ser dominada, maioritariamente, por grandes editoras comerciais, estando sujeita às regras por estas impostas, o Movimento do Acesso Aberto cuja primeira declaração pública, a Declaração de Budapeste (BOAI), é de 2002, vem propor alterações significativas que beneficiam os autores e os leitores. Este Movimento vem a ganhar importância em Portugal desde 2003, com a constituição do primeiro repositório institucional a nível nacional. Os repositórios institucionais surgiram como uma ferramenta de divulgação da produção científica de uma instituição, com o intuito de permitir abrir aos resultados da investigação, quer antes da publicação e do próprio processo de arbitragem (preprint), quer depois (postprint), e, consequentemente, aumentar a visibilidade do trabalho desenvolvido por um investigador e a respetiva instituição. O estudo apresentado, que passou por uma análise das políticas de copyright das publicações científicas mais relevantes do INESC TEC, permitiu não só perceber que as editoras adotam cada vez mais políticas que possibilitam o auto-arquivo das publicações em repositórios institucionais, como também que existe todo um trabalho de sensibilização a percorrer, não só para os investigadores, como para a instituição e toda a sociedade. A produção de um conjunto de recomendações, que passam pela implementação de uma política institucional que incentive o auto-arquivo das publicações desenvolvidas no âmbito institucional no repositório, serve como mote para uma maior valorização da produção científica do INESC TEC.The progressive transformation of scientific practices, driven by the development of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which made it possible to increase access to information, gradually moving towards an opening of the research cycle. This opening makes it possible to resolve, in the long term, the adversity that has been placed on researchers, which involves the existence of barriers that limit access conditions, whether geographical or financial. Although large commercial publishers predominantly dominate scientific production and subject it to the rules imposed by them, the Open Access movement whose first public declaration, the Budapest Declaration (BOAI), was in 2002, proposes significant changes that benefit the authors and the readers. This Movement has gained importance in Portugal since 2003, with the constitution of the first institutional repository at the national level. Institutional repositories have emerged as a tool for disseminating the scientific production of an institution to open the results of the research, both before publication and the preprint process and postprint, increase the visibility of work done by an investigator and his or her institution. The present study, which underwent an analysis of the copyright policies of INESC TEC most relevant scientific publications, allowed not only to realize that publishers are increasingly adopting policies that make it possible to self-archive publications in institutional repositories, all the work of raising awareness, not only for researchers but also for the institution and the whole society. The production of a set of recommendations, which go through the implementation of an institutional policy that encourages the self-archiving of the publications developed in the institutional scope in the repository, serves as a motto for a greater appreciation of the scientific production of INESC TEC

Improving accessibility for people with dementia: web content and research

The Internet can provide a means of communication, searching for information, support groups and entertainment, amongst other services, and as a technology, can help to promote independence for people with dementia. However, the effectiveness of this technology relies on the users’ ability to use it. Web content, websites and online services need to be designed to meet the abilities and needs of people with dementia, and thus the difficulties that these users encounter must be explored and understood.The primary aim of this thesis is to investigate web content accessibility for People with Dementia and develop recommendations for improving current guidelines based on accessibility needs. The secondary aim is to support people with dementia having a voice within research through development of accessible ethical processes.Qualitative data were collected with a scoping study using questionnaires about everyday technology use (people with dementia and older adults without dementia); and in-depth interviews to explore difficulties and web accessibility issues. A document analysis was conducted on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (ISO/IEC40500:2012) for inclusion of the needs of people with dementia followed by review of Web Usability Guidance (ISO9241-151:2008) to consider how gaps relating to the unmet accessibility needs for people with dementia could be met. The scoping study found that both people with dementia and older adults without dementia use everyday ICT to access the Web. Both groups described difficulties with web interface interactions, which refined the research scope to web content accessibility. The interview data with people with dementia (n=16) and older adults without dementia (n=9) were analysed using Grounded Theory techniques. It was found that both user groups experienced the same types of difficulties using the Web, but that dementia symptoms could exacerbate the difficulties from usability issues (older adults without dementia) into accessibility issues for people with dementia. Navigation was a key issue for both groups, with a range of web content design elements contributing to accessibility issues with navigation for people with dementia. The document analysis found that the accessibility guidance did not address all the accessibility issues encountered by people with dementia. However, the usability guidance did address many of the accessibility issues for web content navigation experienced by people with dementia. The research provides recommendations for improvements to web content accessibility guidelines including content from usability guidelines, and amendments to current guidelines and success criteria. A new ethical recruitment/consent process was developed and tested as part of the research process and is recommended for use in future research to support engagement of people with dementia.</div

Multi-Sensory Interaction for Blind and Visually Impaired People

This book conveyed the visual elements of artwork to the visually impaired through various sensory elements to open a new perspective for appreciating visual artwork. In addition, the technique of expressing a color code by integrating patterns, temperatures, scents, music, and vibrations was explored, and future research topics were presented. A holistic experience using multi-sensory interaction acquired by people with visual impairment was provided to convey the meaning and contents of the work through rich multi-sensory appreciation. A method that allows people with visual impairments to engage in artwork using a variety of senses, including touch, temperature, tactile pattern, and sound, helps them to appreciate artwork at a deeper level than can be achieved with hearing or touch alone. The development of such art appreciation aids for the visually impaired will ultimately improve their cultural enjoyment and strengthen their access to culture and the arts. The development of this new concept aids ultimately expands opportunities for the non-visually impaired as well as the visually impaired to enjoy works of art and breaks down the boundaries between the disabled and the non-disabled in the field of culture and arts through continuous efforts to enhance accessibility. In addition, the developed multi-sensory expression and delivery tool can be used as an educational tool to increase product and artwork accessibility and usability through multi-modal interaction. Training the multi-sensory experiences introduced in this book may lead to more vivid visual imageries or seeing with the mind’s eye

3D Information Technologies in Cultural Heritage Preservation and Popularisation

This Special Issue of the journal Applied Sciences presents recent advances and developments in the use of digital 3D technologies to protect and preserve cultural heritage. While most of the articles focus on aspects of 3D scanning, modeling, and presenting in VR of cultural heritage objects from buildings to small artifacts and clothing, part of the issue is devoted to 3D sound utilization in the cultural heritage field

Towards a Sustainable Life: Smart and Green Design in Buildings and Community

This Special Issue includes contributions about occupants’ sustainable living in buildings and communities, highlighting issues surrounding the sustainable development of our environments and lives by emphasizing smart and green design perspectives. This Special Issue specifically focuses on research and case studies that develop promising methods for the sustainable development of our environment and identify factors critical to the application of a sustainable paradigm for quality of life from a user-oriented perspective. After a rigorous review of the submissions by experts, fourteen articles concerning sustainable living and development are published in this Special Issue, written by authors sharing their expertise and approaches to the concept and application of sustainability in their fields. The fourteen contributions to this special issue can be categorized into four groups, depending on the issues that they address. All the proposed methods, models, and applications in these studies contribute to the current understanding of the adoption of the sustainability paradigm and are likely to inspire further research addressing the challenges of constructing sustainable buildings and communities resulting in a sustainable life for all of society

Intervención con realidad virtual inmersiva y arteterapia en personas con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) para el desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas y resolución de problemas

La Tesis que aquí se presenta nace de la conjunción de dos complejos desafíos intrínsecos al sistema educativo actual: una adecuada atención a la diversidad, que se sustenta en los principios pedagógicos y didácticos aplicados a la denominada Educación Especial y, por otro lado, la correcta integración y aprovechamiento del potencial didáctico que ofrecen nuevos recursos tecnológicos audiovisuales y la utilización del arte como recurso educativo. El aumento en los últimos años de la prevalencia del alumnado con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) en todos los niveles educativos se traduce en una mayor visibilidad y concienciación social sobre este heterogéneo colectivo, pero también en una mayor exigencia a la hora de satisfacer sus necesidades educativas. Paralelamente, las nuevas tecnologías de información y comunicación se presentan como un potente recurso didáctico, cuyo aprovechamiento óptimo exige de un vasto estudio de estrategias de adaptación a las necesidades educativas del alumnado, con la dificultad añadida asociada a la frenética e incesante evolución que dichas estrategias han experimentado en los últimos tiempos. Este progreso, no obstante, ha permitido la democratización y popularización de tecnologías como la Realidad Virtual inmersiva, que frece la oportunidad de estudiar su utilización como recurso educativo para un colectivo como el TEA, con manifiesta preferencia por el aprendizaje visual. Adicionalmente, el uso del arte y la creatividad como recurso educativo permite generar entornos de socialización y fomentar la introspección, el autoconocimiento y los recursos comunicativos, ámbitos que se enmarcan dentro de las necesidades educativas especiales que definen al alumnado con TEA. Así, la presente Tesis plantea la realización de una intervención educativa para niños con TEA de baja severidad mediante el uso de la Realidad Virtual, por un lado, y la Arteterapia, por otro, con el objetivo de testar las posibilidades educativas, capacidad de adaptación a su estilo cognitivo y efectividad en su aprendizaje en diferentes campos donde este colectivo presenta necesidades educativas especiales. Una vez realizada la revisión de la literatura científica vinculada a la temática de la presente Tesis, se reúnen tres grupos de estudio de 7 individuos cada uno con TEA de baja severidad, con edades comprendidas entre los 8 y los 15 años y capacidades educativas análogas. Un primer grupo participa de un diseño de intervención educativa que trabaja sus competencias sociales y emocionales a lo largo de 10 sesiones mediante la utilización de la RV inmersiva como recurso didáctico, recreando entornos virtuales educativos de socialización (un aula, un jardín). Un segundo grupo de estudio lleva a cabo una intervención educativa de 10 sesiones donde el arte es el recurso educativo principal, trabajando igualmente sus capacidades sociales y emocionales. Un tercer grupo hace las veces de grupo de control, por lo que, en el mismo periodo en que tiene lugar la intervención educativa, no desarrollan actividad didáctica alguna. Terapeutas, familiares y el investigador implicado realizan cuestionarios generales de desempeño al inicio de la intervención educativa y una vez concluida ésta, que permiten conocer el progreso obtenido en cada caso y comparar la evolución en los diferentes dominios de conocimiento considerados de los grupos de estudio participantes. Se analizan los resultados mediante los procedimientos tradicionales de puntuación, así como mediante un procedimiento nuevo, de índole probabilística. Los resultados obtenidos en ambos casos son consistentes, y sugieren un impacto positivo en las competencias evaluadas para los grupos de Arteterapia (AT) y Realidad Virtual (RV) respecto del grupo de control (GC). Los niveles de adaptación y las mejoras mostradas permiten sugerir que tanto la RV como la AT en los formatos adaptados a las intervenciones educativas expuestas, se han alineado con las preferencias sensoriales y fortalezas visuoespaciales del alumnado con TEA que ha participado en el presente estudio. En consecuencia, tanto la Arteterapia como la Realidad Virtual son herramientas que pueden ser utilizadas satisfactoriamente como recursos educativos para el alumnado adolescente con TEA