Flow and automata programming inspired approach to human-readable VR training content logic modeling : View-Unit-Task-Step Unified Training Structure

This thesis introduces, demonstrates, and evaluates a custom VR training content logic modeling approach, the VUTS method we have created. We inspect the content creation needs from the point of view of the occupational safety training focused VR platform, Virtuario™, developed at The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. We review flow-based programming and Statecharts as comparison points to our approach and analyze techniques of secondary notation for their suitability for our needs. To define and evaluate our created hierarchical, visually representable flow approach, we use methods of design science to first define what we expect from an artifact that enables scalable, modular, and visualizable VR training content logic modeling: We test the artifact against requirements dictated by the pedagogical substance, software architecture development, and sustainable VR training content creation. We define the requirements for the artifact and test our developed approach against them by constructing real-life training scenarios utilizing the approach. We evaluate how this approach fares as the artifact to satisfy our set requirements. This thesis shows how our approach satisfies all the set requirements, is implementable within Unity3D game development platform, and is suitable for the content creation needs of Virtuario™

Engaging without greenwashing: a holistic gamified approach to foster eco-friendly behavior in a renewable energy crowdfunding platform

To achieve the necessary transformation towards a low carbon society, it is obvious that all the coming technological innovations should also be accompanied by gargantuan shifts in lifestyle patterns. This study aims at identifying a possible gamified engagement strategy that fosters pro-environmental behavior for a renewable-energy projects crowdfunding app. Besides the growing interest of industry in gamification, there is few research on how to implement such approaches in a way it fosters pro-environmental behavior. The research provides an integrative literature review of subjects such as environmental psychology, gamification and human computer interaction, to finally outline a comprehensive framework to guide practitioners in fostering sustainable behavior within the business world, in the context of a renewable energy crowdfunding platform, and also the analysis of a business case, Seeds. While many game elements and marketing techniques can be positive for increased customer engagement and business development, they can be severely counterproductive as a strategy for climate change public engagement, and contrast sharply with the long-term sustainable practices that are required to transform to a climate neutral society. This work suggests that the corporate ethos might do more harm than good when it comes to fight climate change. Some widely spread corporate strategies to drive customer engagement, such as the usage of pervasive technology to build habits on users, are based on unmoral principles that invite critique, and perhaps, rejection. Finally, the limitations of the research suggest than additional validation is required, leaving several unresolved questions that could drive further scientific researchPara alcançar a transformação necessária em direção a uma sociedade de baixo carbono, é óbvio que todas as inovações tecnológicas que virão também devem ser acompanhadas por mudanças gigantescas nos padrões de estilo de vida. Este estudo tem como objetivo identificar uma possível estratégia de marketing gamificada que fomente o comportamento pró-ambiental para um aplicativo de crowdfunding de projetos de energia renovável. Além do crescente interesse da indústria pela gamificação, há poucas pesquisas sobre como implementar tais abordagens de forma a promover um comportamento pró-ambiental. A pesquisa fornece uma revisão integrativa da literatura de assuntos como psicologia ambiental, gamificação e interação humano-computador, para finalmente delinear uma estrutura abrangente para orientar os profissionais na promoção de um comportamento sustentável no mundo dos negócios, no contexto de uma plataforma de crowdfunding de energia renovável, e também a análise de um caso de negócios, Seeds. Embora muitos elementos do jogo e técnicas de marketing possam ser positivos para um maior engajamento do cliente e desenvolvimento de negócios, eles podem ser severamente contraproducentes como uma estratégia para o engajamento público da mudança climática e contrastam fortemente com as práticas sustentáveis de longo prazo que são necessárias para se transformar em um clima sociedade neutra. Este trabalho sugere que o ethos corporativo pode fazer mais mal do que bem quando se trata de combater as mudanças climáticas. Algumas estratégias corporativas amplamente difundidas para impulsionar o envolvimento do cliente, como o uso de tecnologia difundida para criar hábitos nos usuários, baseiam-se em princípios morais que convidam à crítica e, talvez, à rejeição. Finalmente, as limitações da pesquisa sugerem que uma validação adicional é necessária, deixando várias questões não resolvidas que podem conduzir a pesquisas científicas adicionaisObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables::12.6 - Encoratjar les empreses, en especial les grans empreses i les empreses transnacionals, a adoptar pràctiques sostenibles i a incorporar informació sobre la sostenibilitat en el seu cicle de presentació d’informe

SUPPORTING THERAPY-CENTERED GAME DESIGN FOR BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION

Brain injuries (BI) are a major public health issue. Many therapists who work with patients who have had a BI include games to ameliorate boredom associated with repetitive rehabilitation. However, designing effective, appropriate, and engaging games for BI therapy is challenging. The challenge is especially manifested when considering how to consolidate the different mindsets and motivations among key stakeholders; i.e., game designers and therapists. In this dissertation, I investigated the ideation, creation, and evaluation of game design patterns and a design tool, GaPBIT (Game Design Patterns for BI Therapy) that leveraged patterns to support ideation of BI therapy game concepts and facilitate communication among designers and therapists. Design patterns, originated from the work of Christopher Alexander, provide a common design language in a specific field by documenting reusable design concepts that have successfully solved recurring problems. This investigation involved four overlapping phases. In Phase One, I interviewed 11 professional game designers focused on games for health (serious games embedded with health-related goals) to explore how they perceived and approached their work. In Phase Two, I identified 25 therapy-centered game design patterns through analyzing data about game use in BI therapy. Based on those patterns, in Phase Three I created and iterated the GaPBIT prototype through user studies. In Phase Four, I conducted quasi-experimental case studies to establish the efficacy and user experience of GaPBIT in game design workshops that involved both game designers and therapists. During the design workshops, the design patterns and GaPBIT supported exploration of game design ideas and effectively facilitated discussion among designers and therapists. The results also indicated that these tools were especially beneficial for novice game designers. This work significantly promotes game design for BI rehabilitation by providing designers and therapists with easier access to the information about requirements in rehabilitation games. Additionally, this work modeled a novel research methodology for investigating domains where balancing the role of designers and other stakeholders is particularly important. Through a “practitioner-centered” process, this work also provides an exemplar of investigating technologies that directly address the information needs of professional practitioners

The Rise of Free-to-Play: How the Revenue Model Changed Games and Playing

Ilmaispelit ovat mullistaneet pelialan. Pelin tarjoaminen ilmaiseksi ja tulojen kerääminen vapaaehtoisilla pelinsisäisillä maksuilla on osoittautunut tuottavimmaksi tavaksi ansaita peleillä. Mallin ansiosta pelejä pelataan nyt enemmän kuin koskaan, ja niiden taloudellinen merkitys on moninkertaistunut. Samaan aikaan ilmaispelit ovat saaneet osakseen kritiikkiä, jonka mukaan ne tarjoavat heikompia pelikokemuksia ja käyttävät hyväkseen pelaajia manipuloiden nämä pelaamaan ja maksamaan. Kritiikistä ja pelikokemusten muutoksista huolimatta ilmaispelien tutkimus on edelleen pitkälti keskittynyt tarkastelemaan taloudellisia näkökulmia tavoitteena tuottojen maksimointi ja parhaiden toteutustapojen löytäminen. Pelaajien näkökulmia tarkastellaan pääasiassa lokitietojen ja määrällisten kyselyjen avulla, ja eksploratiivinen, laadullinen tutkimus on ollut vähemmistössä. Ilmaispelien merkityksiä ja yhteyksiä pelikulttuuriimme ja yhteiskuntaamme ei ole juuri tutkittu. Tämä väitöskirja tarttuu haasteeseen tutkimalla ilmaispelejä useista näkökulmista ja useilla, laadullisiin lähestymistapoihin keskittyvillä menetelmillä. Työ luo laajaa ymmärrystä siitä, miten ja miksi ilmaispelit nousivat suosioon, miten ne ovat muuttaneet pelejä ja mitä ongelmallisia piirteitä niihin liittyy. Väitöksen päähuomiot liittyvät viiteen kohtaan: 1) ilmaispelien aliarvostukseen, 2) rahan ja pelikokemuksen välisiin ainutlaatuisiin haasteisiin, 3) reiluuden erilaisiin kehyksiin, 4) läpinäkyvyyden ja lainsäädännön tarpeeseen ja 5) ilmaispelien mullistavaan voimaan muuttaa pelien kulutusta ja tuotantoa. Tulokset osoittavat, että suuresta suosiostaan huolimatta ilmaispelejä arvostetaan muita pelejä vähemmän. Tämä koskee erityisesti mobiili- ja kasuaalipelejä ja kuvaa sitä, miten arvioimme ja arvotamme pelejä. Arvostuksen puute liittyy osaltaan ilmaispelien luonteeseen. Ne ovat usein päättymättömiä ja hidastempoisia ja tarjoavat muista peleistä poikkeavia haasteita. Niiden tarjoamat kokemukset eroavat perinteisistä, meritokraattisista arvoista, jotka tyypillisesti liitetään peleihin, ja erityisesti rahaa maksamalla eteneminen on ristiriidassa näiden arvojen kanssa. Arvostuksen puute taas näkyy esimerkiksi siinä, miten peleistä keskustellaan, miten niitä arvioidaan (tai ei arvioida lainkaan) pelimediassa ja miten niitä tutkitaan. Ilmaispelien pelaajia voidaan myös sulkea pelaajayhteisöistä tai pelaajaidentiteeteistä. Samalla ansaintamallin haasteet ovat tuoneet esiin uusia, luovia suunnitteluratkaisuja, jotka lisäävät pelikokemusten monimuotoisuutta ja tarjoavat joustavampaa pelaamista laajemmille yleisöille. Ilmaispeleihin liittyvät eettiset ongelmat tulee ottaa vakavasti. Läpinäkyvyyden puutteeseen, ongelmapelaamiseen, samankaltaisuuteen uhkapelien kanssa, alaikäisille markkinointiin ja yksityisyyteen liittyvät kysymykset nostavat esiin tärkeitä huolia. Samalla kun ilmaispeliyhtiöiden tulee antaa pelaajille tarpeeksi tietoa ja rakentaa työkaluja vahinko-ostosten ja ongelmapelaamisen estämiseksi, peliala tarvitsee myös ulkoapäin tulevaa säätelyä. Jotta lainsäädäntö olisi reilu ja toimiva, tarvitsemme tutkijoiden ja teollisuuden asiantuntemusta lakiasäätävissä elimissä. Haasteista ja aliarvostuksesta huolimatta ilmaispelien vaikutus peliteollisuuteen ja pelien kulutukseen on sekä merkittävä että peruuttamaton. Siten ne ansaitsevat huomiomme ja kriittisen tarkastelun oikeutettuna osana pelikulttuuriamme. Jos ei tunne ilmaispelejä, ei tunne pelejä.Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying. Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection. This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games. The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences. The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work. Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games

Determining spatio-temporal metrics that distinguish play outcomes in field hockey

Tactical behaviour in field sports can be examined using spatio-temporal metrics, which are descriptions of player behaviour derived from data of player positions over time. Many metrics can be computed that describe the cooperative and adversarial interactions between players. The methods typically used by sports performance analysts cannot appropriately analyse the many possible spatio-temporal metrics and their interactions. Tantalisingly, the interactions between these descriptions of player behaviour could potentially describe tactical differences in performance. This thesis describes a programme of research that determined some spatiotemporal metrics that distinguish play outcomes in field hockey. Methods inspired by genetic analysts were used to estimate the influence of combinations of spatio-temporal metrics on the outcome of field hockey plays. The novel application of the genetic methods to sports performance data raised some practical difficulties. Adjustments to the method facilitated the selection of distinguishing metric combinations from an initially large list of over 3,600 metrics. The adjustments made to the genetic methods represent one of several contributions to knowledge made by this programme of research. These contributions will help performance analysts with the increasingly common task of analysing high-dimensional data. Other contributions to knowledge are a suite of metric combinations that distinguish play outcomes in field hockey and empirical support for some tactical preconceptions. The key finding of interest for players and coaches is that play outcomes in field hockey are distinguished by proximity to the goal and passing execution. The metrics that distinguish the several outcomes differ depending on the outcomes being compared. Coaches and athletes should therefore recognise the variety of tactics required to minimise negative outcomes and maximise positive ones

From gamestorming to mobile learning : a conceptual framework and a gaming proposition to explore the design of flourishing business models

Cette démarche de thèse débute par la mise au point d'un cadre conceptuel à propos de la durabilité ('sustainability') et du MA (modèle d'affaires), pour cadrer une recherche sur la définition et la conception de MA durable. Grâce notamment à Ehrenfeld (2005), le MAF (modèle d'affaires pour un avenir florissant ou 'flourishing future') est défini. La question est maintenant de savoir comment introduire les gestionnaires à la théorie et la pratique du MAF? Quelle est la nature de l'effort cognitif exigé? Et l'apprentissage peut-il être stimulé par le 'gamestorming' en proposant un espace d'apprentissage ouvert à la formation de nouveaux concepts. Le premier chapitre présente les origines du MA suite à l'affrontement dans les années 1980 entre la finance d'entreprise et la stratégie d'entreprise lors de la naissance du premier logiciel de tableur. Dès lors, le chapitre un propose d'envisager l'histoire du MA en trois périodes : d'abord le MA pour la valeur numérique, ensuite, le MA architectural et finalement, le MA durable. Mais les académiciens et les praticiens ne s'entendent pas sur la définition de MA durable. Il existe une opposition entre les approches faible et forte. Nous adoptons dans cette thèse la définition et l'engagement d'Ehrenfeld (2005) à un avenir florissant, définissant ainsi le MAF ou modèle d'affaires (pour un avenir) florissant. Le chapitre un montre que le MA pour la valeur numérique implique le calcul comme un mode cognitif, le MA architectural est plus associé à l'interprétation comme mode cognitif, tandis que MAF devrait être conçu grâce à la cognition située et à la macrocognition. Le chapitre deux oppose le MA développé sous une vision cognitive plus traditionnelle de computation-interprétation à la construction du MAF exigeant de nouvelles conditions préalables nécessaires à la cognition située et à la macrocognition. De cette façon, les acteurs conçoivent un MAF via leur interface sensorimotrice où le sens se dégage de multiples interactions avec la matérialité sociale et la matérialité physique du modèle. Aussi un MAF devient un objet public partagé, ouvert au développement de la compétence sociale dans une situation où les principes de macrocognition s'appliquent. Le chapitre trois fait le bilan d'une expérience d'enseignement / apprentissage avec une classe d'étudiants au MBA dans laquelle les étudiants devaient gérer dans le même cours, à la fois le canevas dédié au MA (CMA) et une modélisation organisationnelle plutôt abstraite reliée à la gestion des connaissances (Morabito et al., 1999). Cette expérience d'apprentissage est un cas de conception dense ('thick design') à l'intérieur d'une salle de classe inversée qui permet d'explorer l'idée suivante : si la matérialité sociale et physique fait partie du domaine de conception, les exigences de la cognition et la charge cognitive seront plus lourdes. Le chapitre se termine en associant durabilité faible avec un design mince ('thin') et la durabilité forte avec la conception dense ('thick'). Le chapitre quatre plonge plus profondément dans les questions de durabilité. Ce chapitre présente une expérience jeu avec Logim@s© qui s'est produite dans la division du développement durable d'une grande ville canadienne : les quatre joueurs étaient gestionnaires de développement durable ou professionnels dans le domaine. Le jeu est basé sur le livre de Steven Moore (2007) qui expose les scénarios, les modes logiques et les discours qui permettent à trois villes très différentes (Curitiba, Austin et Francfort) de déployer leur leadership en matière de durabilité. Un défi de conception dense est au cœur de l'expérience : comment un joueur peut-il utiliser l'approche CMA alors que des discours contradictoires risquent de le bloquer cognitivement? Les joueurs sont dans un mode logique inductif / déductif. Vont-ils passer en mode abductif? Le chapitre cinq examine comment le jeu Logim@s© pourrait devenir une plateforme ouverte de gamestorming, appelons-la SustAbd©. Ce chapitre comporte deux parties : la première partie est une réflexion sur le processus de conception de jeu pour justifier une approche plate-forme d'architecture composé du noyau SustAbd© et de sa périphérie, et une seconde partie, où cinq cas d'utilisation UML sont proposés. Le chapitre six s'appuie sur l'expérience du chercheur comme un tuteur humain dans les expériences d'enseignement inversé et de 'gamestorming.' Le but de ce chapitre est d'adopter la modélisation cognitive (MC) comme approche pour remplacer un tuteur humain par un robot 'situé.' Ce chapitre se poursuit avec des développements au sujet du caractère situé des robots. Ces idées permettent de concevoir SustAbdPLAY© conformément au caractère situé et aux conditions de macrocognition propres au design d'un MAF. La modélisation sociale avec iStar permet de clarifier la conception. Le chapitre sept termine la thèse. Il décrit les leçons apprises, les limites de l'étude ainsi que la suggestion de recherches futures. Une conclusion générale clôt le chapitre.\ud ______________________________________________________________________________ \ud MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Business model, modèle d'affaires, soutenabilité, développement durable, cognition, matérialité, gamestorming, apprentissage mobile, recherche action, desig

Exploring students’ iterative practices when learning with physical computing kits through data visualisations

Physical computing kits allow the practical implementation of open-ended, hands-on, interactive learning experiences in the classroom. In the process of engaging with physical computing kits, students formulate and implement self-constructed goals using an iterative approach. However, the openness and diversity of such learning contexts often make them challenging to design and support. The field of learning analytics has the potential to support project-based learning, using continuous real-time data traces arising from student interactions. Data visualisations, specifically, can provide reflective opportunities for teachers to analyse students’ actions and act based on this evidence. However, to date, there has been little data visualisation research targeted at learning with physical computing kits. This thesis reports progress into the design and evaluation of a suite of data visualisations focussed on students’ iterative design process when using physical computing kits in authentic classroom settings. The areas of iterative design, appropriation theory, process-driven learning analytics and data visualisation inform the analysis and interpretation of trace data collected from students’ interactions. The contribution of the thesis is three-fold. First, a model for examining students’ trace data in keeping with social processes, such as appropriation, is presented. Secondly, insights into the iterative design process of students engaging in open-ended projects are produced, as they emerge from our data visualisations, across multiple groups of students. Thirdly, an evaluation into the role and potential of using data visualisations in the classroom is conducted with ten teachers. Implications for the design and support of open-ended project-based learning experiences with physical computing kits using trace data and data visualisation are discussed based on the teachers’ feedback. The thesis represents a first step towards the design of context-aligned, process-oriented data visualisations to provide evidence-based reflective opportunities to support students’ iterative design behaviours in this learning setting

Improving managerial decision-making quality in the NBA draft: a closer look at the policy, behavioural economic dynamics, and cognitive biases

The thesis explores the intricacies of the NBA Draft. This mechanism is a policy a professional basketball league installed to foster competitive balance within their self-created market. The goals of this regulation are clear and noble. It provides great intentions and attractive potential benefits for most stakeholders involved. The entire league and its franchises would immensely profit from a perfectly functioning draft regulation. Nonetheless, historically it has failed to produce many of the positive outcomes it was intended to provide. This thesis explores this dissonance through the lens of behavioral economics. The application of the NBA Draft policy hinges on human decision-making. However, making choices in a complex environment like professional sports is incredibly difficult. It can be brutally unforgiving due uncontrollable factors. And yet, managerial decision-making quality within the mechanism can almost certainly be improved. The primary objective of this dissertation is to investigate the entire NBA Draft mechanism from a behavioral economic perspective. Using this approach, the overarching goal is to identify segments within the underlying managerial decision-making processes that offer room for decision-making quality improvement. These improvements in judgements and choices which ultimately could lead to a superior policy performance on a league-wide level, could either be achieved due to avoiding error-producing biases or enhancing the information subsequent draft decisions are based on. To reach this main objective, four academic papers were written to tackle important sub-issues. All articles provide sources for decision-making quality improvements within the NBA Draft setup. These are not only supposed to increase the performance of the individual managers and franchises, but also to enhance the results of the overarching league-wide policy with benefits for many stakeholders

Games and rules: game mechanics for the "Magic Circle"

Why do we play games and why do we play them on computers? The contributors of "Games and Rules" take a closer look at the core of each game and the motivational system that is the game mechanics. Games are control circuits that organize the game world with their (joint) players and establish motivations in a dedicated space, a "Magic Circle", whereas game mechanics are constructs of rules designed for interactions that provide gameplay. Those rules form the base for all the excitement and frustration we experience in games. This anthology contains individual essays by experts and authors with backgrounds in Game Design and Game Studies, who lead the discourse to get to the bottom of game mechanics in video games and the real world - among them Miguel Sicart and Carlo Fabricatore