How Do You Like Me in This: User Embodiment Preferences for Companion Agents

We investigate the relationship between the embodiment of an artificial companion and user perception and interaction with it. In a Wizard of Oz study, 42 users interacted with one of two embodiments: a physical robot or a virtual agent on a screen through a role-play of secretarial tasks in an office, with the companion providing essential assistance. Findings showed that participants in both condition groups when given the choice would prefer to interact with the robot companion, mainly for its greater physical or social presence. Subjects also found the robot less annoying and talked to it more naturally. However, this preference for the robotic embodiment is not reflected in the users’ actual rating of the companion or their interaction with it. We reflect on this contradiction and conclude that in a task-based context a user focuses much more on a companion’s behaviour than its embodiment. This underlines the feasibility of our efforts in creating companions that migrate between embodiments while maintaining a consistent identity from the user’s point of view

Virtual Standardized Patient

Background: Higher education nursing programs include a physical/health assessment course that prepares graduates to provide excellent care based on data collected through assessment. Finding a teaching strategy that engages students as well as educates them in health assessment techniques is a challenge that all nurse educators share. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the level of engagement and learning that occurred with undergraduate and graduate students who participated in a health assessment course that included the use of an online virtual standardized patient (VSP). Design: Quantitative, descriptive survey research was utilized to determine student nurses’ perception of the use of VSP in a physical assessment course.  Setting/Participants: Students in a traditional on-campus BSN program and students in an online RN to BSN and MSN program were included in this study. Methods: After receiving IRB approval, course leaders provided students a standardized questionnaire of two (2) multiple choice and six (6) Likert-style questions. The questions evaluated the participants’ ease of use, comparison of interaction between online virtual and live human patients, ability to perform an exam on a virtual patient, and ability to communicate with a virtual patient.  Questionnaires were administered to volunteers in the three identified health assessment courses (BSN, RN-BSN, and MSN).  Also evaluated was the participant’s perception of their ability to transfer knowledge from the VSP to the live patient.  All students participated in the VSP with completion of the questionnaire optional. Results: Findings in this study generally supported the educational value of using a virtual standardized patient in teaching both undergraduate and graduate students’ health assessment. Variations between the groups were found. Conclusion: Use of a virtual standardized patient is a positive teaching strategy for teaching health assessment in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs

Augmented Reality in Astrophysics

Augmented Reality consists of merging live images with virtual layers of information. The rapid growth in the popularity of smartphones and tablets over recent years has provided a large base of potential users of Augmented Reality technology, and virtual layers of information can now be attached to a wide variety of physical objects. In this article, we explore the potential of Augmented Reality for astrophysical research with two distinct experiments: (1) Augmented Posters and (2) Augmented Articles. We demonstrate that the emerging technology of Augmented Reality can already be used and implemented without expert knowledge using currently available apps. Our experiments highlight the potential of Augmented Reality to improve the communication of scientific results in the field of astrophysics. We also present feedback gathered from the Australian astrophysics community that reveals evidence of some interest in this technology by astronomers who experimented with Augmented Posters. In addition, we discuss possible future trends for Augmented Reality applications in astrophysics, and explore the current limitations associated with the technology. This Augmented Article, the first of its kind, is designed to allow the reader to directly experiment with this technology.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap&SS. The final publication will be available at link.springer.co

Supporting active database learning and training through interactive multimedia

The learning objectives of a database course include aspects from conceptual and theoretical knowledge to practical development and implementation skills. We present an interactive educational multimedia system based on the virtual apprenticeship model for the knowledge- and skills-oriented Web-based education of database course students. Combining knowledge learning and skills training in an integrated environment is a central aspect of our system. We show that tool-mediated independent learning and training in an authentic setting is an alternative to traditional classroom-based approaches

Agents for educational games and simulations

This book consists mainly of revised papers that were presented at the Agents for Educational Games and Simulation (AEGS) workshop held on May 2, 2011, as part of the Autonomous Agents and MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS) conference in Taipei, Taiwan. The 12 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from various submissions. The papers are organized topical sections on middleware applications, dialogues and learning, adaption and convergence, and agent applications