6 research outputs found

    A Study of Leadership Behaviors in Esports Contexts

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    Soft skills, leadership in particular, are highly sought-after traits for businesses when searching for new employees. Using games as a tool to teach soft skills is fairly well documented. One way that games can do this is by creating a space where learners can practice these skills. Esports in particular seem to be an already existing space where modern, dynamic types of leadership are already practiced. In order to determine if this was indeed the case, I interviewed people who were involved in different levels of esports about the ways they behaved while playing esports. I found that in order to succeed while playing esports, it was often necessary to share leadership across various members of the team. Because of this sharing of leadership, I found that esports could be a great tool for training and building leadership skills

    Factores relacionados con la adicción a los videojuegos: Un estudio empírico sobre las variables psicológicas y del juego.

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    El objetivo del estudio es analizar la relación de la tolerancia a la frustración con la adicción a los videojuegos. Asimismo, se pretende analizar una serie de variables relacionadas con la conducta de juego y ciertas características de los videojuegos que puedan mediar en dicha adicción. Para ello, se realizó un estudio con una muestra de 203 personas, de las cuales 123 afirmaban ser jugadores habituales. Se aplicaron diferentes pruebas: un test de tolerancia a la frustración a la muestra total, un test de adicción a videojuegos y una escala ad hoc sobre las características de los videojuegos y la conducta de juego a los usuarios habituales de videojuegos. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que existen diferencias significativas en tolerancia a la frustración entre los jugadores con puntuaciones extremas en adicción a videojuegos. Asimismo, existe relación entre la adicción a los videojuegos y algunas variables sociodemográficas como el sexo o la edad. Del mismo modo, las variables relacionadas con las características de los videojuegos y de la conducta de juego obtuvieron una relación significativa con la adicción a los videojuegos. A partir del estudio se concluye que la tolerancia a la frustración es un elemento a considerar al abordar la adicción a los videojuegos, además de que se deben tener en cuenta las variables asociadas a los juegos para entender la interacción entre los videojuegos y la adicción.The aim of this study is to analise the relation between frustration tolerance and video game addiction. It is also intended to analyze a series of variables related to video game behavior and certain characteristics of video games that may mediante in such addiction. A sample of 203 people, of which 123 people claimed to be regular video game players, was obtained for this study. Different tests were used: a test dedicated to evaluate frustration tolerance was applied to the totality of the sample, while a test dedicated to evaluate video game addiction and an ad hoc scale built to evaluate the characteristics of both the video games played and the gaming behavior were applied 2 only to the group of regular video game players. The results obtained show that frustration tolerance was signifficantly different between the video game players when only extreme scores in video game addiction were considered. In the same way, all the variables related to the characteristics of the videogames and video game behaviour obtained signifficant relation with video game addiction. By the results of this study we can conclude that frustration tolerance is a key element that needs to be considered when video game addiction is being approached. Video game characteristics also need to be considered in order to understand the relation between video games and addiction

    Entornos virtuales para la escritura académica. Un modelo en Minecraft

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    El presente trabajo analiza las posibilidades que un entorno virtual mediante un videojuego comercial presenta para la escritura y la publicación académicas en el marco de la formación universitaria. A finales del 2017 se realizó una investigación mixta por medio un estudio de caso único con un grupo de 28 estudiantes de licenciatura; se combinaron técnicas de observación y recolección de información (preguntas abiertas, fotografías dentro del entorno virtual, bitácora del investigador, registros de sistema), así como de medición (escala Likert) para dar cuenta de la Afinidad y la Adaptabilidad expresada por los estudiantes en la realización del ejercicio de escritura colectiva dentro del videojuego. Tras la realización del ejercicio, el tratamiento estadístico permitió establecer la presencia de las dos variables propuestas y establecer correlaciones con el resto de las variables del instrumento. Para este artículo, se presenta una selección de los resultados del cuestionario —e.g. Afinidad (0.522, 0.531) y Adaptabilidad (0.508, 0.688) del grupo independientemente del género— así como una selección de los registros complementarios de indagación. Los hallazgos en su parcialidad apuntan hacia la pertinencia del uso de videojuegos adaptados como plataformas para la escritura académica en el marco de la formación disciplinar universitaria. Se abre la posibilidad de pensar en usos extendidos de entornos virtuales de escritura y publicación académica inter e intra institucionales para desarrollar la alfabetización académica.//The article explores the possibilities that a virtual environment through a commercial video game presents for academic writing within the framework of university education. At the end of 2017, a mixed investigation was conducted through a single case study with a group of 28 undergraduate students; combined techniques of observation and information gathering (open questions, photographs within the virtual environment, field diary, system records), as well as measurement (Likert scale questionnaire) were used to account for the affinity and adaptability expressed by students in the realization of the collective writing exercise within Minecraft. After completing the exercise, the statistical treatment of the questionnaire allowed to establish the presence of the two proposed variables and establish correlations with the rest of the variables of the instrument. For this article, we present only a selection of the results of the questionnaire —e.g. Affinity (0.522, 0.531) and Adaptability (0.508, 0.688) within the group independently of genre— as well as a selection of the complementary observation records. The findings point towards the relevance of the use of adapted videogames as platforms for academic writing within the framework of university disciplinary training. This opens the possibility of thinking about extended uses of virtual environments for inter and intrainstitutional writing and publishing to develop academic literacy

    Design and evaluation of mobile computer-assisted pronunciation training tools for second language learning

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    The quality of speech technology (automatic speech recognition, ASR, and textto- speech, TTS) has considerably improved and, consequently, an increasing number of computer-assisted pronunciation (CAPT) tools has included it. However, pronunciation is one area of teaching that has not been developed enough since there is scarce empirical evidence assessing the effectiveness of tools and games that include speech technology in the field of pronunciation training and teaching. This PhD thesis addresses the design and validation of an innovative CAPT system for smart devices for training second language (L2) pronunciation. Particularly, it aims to improve learner’s L2 pronunciation at the segmental level with a specific set of methodological choices, such as learner’s first and second language connection (L1– L2), minimal pairs, a training cycle of exposure–perception–production, individualistic and social approaches, and the inclusion of ASR and TTS technology. The experimental research conducted applying these methodological choices with real users validates the efficiency of the CAPT prototypes developed for the four main experiments of this dissertation. Data is automatically gathered by the CAPT systems to give an immediate specific feedback to users and to analyze all results. The protocols, metrics, algorithms, and methods necessary to statistically analyze and discuss the results are also detailed. The two main L2 tested during the experimental procedure are American English and Spanish. The different CAPT prototypes designed and validated in this thesis, and the methodological choices that they implement, allow to accurately measuring the relative pronunciation improvement of the individuals who trained with them. Both rater’s subjective scores and CAPT’s objective scores show a strong correlation, being useful in the future to be able to assess a large amount of data and reducing human costs. Results also show an intensive practice supported by a significant number of activities carried out. In the case of the controlled experiments, students who worked with the CAPT tool achieved better pronunciation improvement values than their peers in the traditional in-classroom instruction group. In the case of the challenge-based CAPT learning game proposed, the most active players in the competition kept on playing until the end and achieved significant pronunciation improvement results.Departamento de Informática (Arquitectura y Tecnología de Computadores, Ciencias de la Computación e Inteligencia Artificial, Lenguajes y Sistemas Informáticos)Doctorado en Informátic

    XBadges. How soft skills are boosted by video games: Improving persistence, risk taking & spatial reasoning with Flappy Bird, Pacman & Tetris

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    Abstract — XBadges is a research project based on the hypothesis that commercial video games (nonserious games) can train and promote certain soft skills. With a pre and post test model, Persistence, Spatial Reasoning and Risk Taking were measured before and after in the subjects (15 divided into groups of 5) trained for 2 hours with the video games: Flappy Bird, Tetris and Pacman (respectively). In addition, the emotions of the players were captured too (thanks to a facial and emotional recognition system), to determine if emotions also have something to do with the skills acquisition. The results show how Tetris significantly improves spatial reasoning and how Pacman significantly improves prudence in certain areas of behavior. As for emotions, they reveal that being concentrated helps improve performance and skills acquisition but frustration is also shown as a key element in the process. With the results obtained we can begin to glimpse multiple applications in the education sector and Skilling Development area
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