Exposure to welding fumes increases lung cancer risk among light smokers but not among heavy smokers: evidence from two case-control studies in Montreal.

We investigated relationships between occupational exposure to gas and arc welding fumes and the risk of lung cancer among workers exposed to these agents throughout the spectrum of industries. Two population-based case-control studies were conducted in Montreal. Study I (1979-1986) included 857 cases and 1066 controls, and Study II (1996-2001) comprised 736 cases and 894 controls. Detailed job histories were obtained by interview and evaluated by an expert team of chemist-hygienists to estimate degree of exposure to approximately 300 substances for each job. Gas and arc welding fumes were among the agents evaluated. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of lung cancer using logistic regression, adjusting for smoking history and other covariates. The two studies provided similar results, so a pooled analysis was conducted. Among all subjects, no significant association was found between lung cancer and gas welding fumes (OR = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.9-1.4) or arc welding fumes (OR = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.8-1.2). However, when restricting attention to light smokers, there was an increased risk of lung cancer in relation to gas welding fumes (OR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1.7-4.8) and arc welding fumes (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3-3.8), with even higher OR estimates among workers with the highest cumulative exposures. In conclusion, there was no detectable excess risk of lung cancer due to welding fumes among moderate to heavy smokers; but among light smokers we found an excess risk related to both types of welding fumes

Lifetime occupational exposure to metals and welding fumes, and risk of glioma: a 7-country population-based case–control study

Background: Brain tumor etiology is poorly understood. Based on their ability to pass through the blood–brain barrier, it has been hypothesized that exposure to metals may increase the risk of brain cancer. Results from the few epidemiological studies on this issue are limited and inconsistent. Methods: We investigated the relationship between glioma risk and occupational exposure to five metals - lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium and iron- as well as to welding fumes, using data from the seven-country INTEROCC study. A total of 1800 incident glioma cases and 5160 controls aged 30–69 years were included in the analysis. Lifetime occupational exposure to the agents was assessed using the INTEROCC JEM, a modified version of the Finnish job exposure matrix FINJEM. Results: In general, cases had a slightly higher prevalence of exposure to the various metals and welding fumes than did controls, with the prevalence among ever exposed ranging between 1.7 and 2.2% for cadmium to 10.2 and 13.6% for iron among controls and cases, respectively. However, in multivariable logistic regression analyses, there was no association between ever exposure to any of the agents and risk of glioma with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) ranging from 0.8 (0.7–1.0) for lead to 1.1 (0.7–1.6) for cadmium. Results were consistent across models considering cumulative exposure or duration, as well as in all sensitivity analyses conducted. Conclusions: Findings from this large-scale international study provide no evidence for an association between occupational exposure to any of the metals under scrutiny or welding fumes, and risk of glioma

Vers une ludification adaptative expressive des environnements numériques d'apprentissage

National audienceLa ludification est une approche utilisée en éducation pour augmenter la motivation des apprenants. Cependant, les études sur l'impact de la ludification rapportent des résultats mitigés, voire contradictoires. Dans cet article, nous présentons la notion d'affordances motivationnelles comme fondement théorique d'une ludification expressive, c'est-à-dire qui a du sens pour les apprenants et qui répond à leurs besoins motivationnels. Nous décrivons ensuite les enjeux d'une telle approche et différentes méthodes de conception, afin d'introduire notre proposition permettant de prendre en compte les caractéristiques à la fois de la situation d'apprentissage et des apprenants. Enfin, nous proposons une approche complémentaire de ludification adaptative des environnements d'apprentissage, permettant d'aller encore plus loin dans la réponse aux besoins propres à chaque apprenant. Nous concluons par différentes perspectives offertes par ces contributions. Abstract: Gamification is an approach used in education to increase learners' motivation. Nevertheless, research about the impact of gamification reports mixed and even contradictory results. In this article, we present the concept of motivational affordances as a theoretical framework for meaningful gamification, that means that it makes sense to learners and responds to their motivational needs. We then describe the challenges of such an approach, and different design processes, in order to introduce our proposal to consider the characteristics of both the learning situation and the learners. Finally, we propose a complementary approach of adaptive learning environments, allowing us to meet the specific needs of each learner

Vers une ludification adaptative expressive des environnements numériques d'apprentissage

National audienceLa ludification est une approche utilisée en éducation pour augmenter la motivation des apprenants. Cependant, les études sur l'impact de la ludification rapportent des résultats mitigés, voire contradictoires. Dans cet article, nous présentons la notion d'affordances motivationnelles comme fondement théorique d'une ludification expressive, c'est-à-dire qui a du sens pour les apprenants et qui répond à leurs besoins motivationnels. Nous décrivons ensuite les enjeux d'une telle approche et différentes méthodes de conception, afin d'introduire notre proposition permettant de prendre en compte les caractéristiques à la fois de la situation d'apprentissage et des apprenants. Enfin, nous proposons une approche complémentaire de ludification adaptative des environnements d'apprentissage, permettant d'aller encore plus loin dans la réponse aux besoins propres à chaque apprenant. Nous concluons par différentes perspectives offertes par ces contributions. Abstract: Gamification is an approach used in education to increase learners' motivation. Nevertheless, research about the impact of gamification reports mixed and even contradictory results. In this article, we present the concept of motivational affordances as a theoretical framework for meaningful gamification, that means that it makes sense to learners and responds to their motivational needs. We then describe the challenges of such an approach, and different design processes, in order to introduce our proposal to consider the characteristics of both the learning situation and the learners. Finally, we propose a complementary approach of adaptive learning environments, allowing us to meet the specific needs of each learner

Éditorial. Individualisation, personnalisation et adaptation des Environnements Informatiques pour l’Apprentissage Humain

Garrot, Rinaudo Jean-Luc. Éditorial. Individualisation, personnalisation et adaptation des Environnements Informatiques pour l’Apprentissage Humain. In: Sciences et Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication pour l'Éducation et la Formation, volume 19, 2012. Individualisation, personnalisation et adaptation des Environnements Informatiques pour l’Apprentissage Humain. pp. 191-203

Investigating the Effects of Tailored Gamification on Learners' Engagement over Time in a Learning Environment

International audienceGamification has been widely used to increase learners' motivation and engagement in digital learning environments. Various studies have highlighted the need to tailor gamification according to users' characteristics. However, little is known about how tailoring gamification affects learners' engagement when interacting with the environment. In this paper, we analyse learners' behaviours in a large-scale field study in real-world classroom conditions over a six-week period. We identify three behavioural patterns and show at a global level that two of these patterns are influenced by adaptation. When we look at how learners' engagement evolves over time, we see more differences in the adapted condition, specifically in the final lessons of the experiment. Globally learners' engaged behaviours gradually decreased over time but tailoring the game elements to learners seemed to reduce this decrease or make it more stable, depending on the behavioural patterns

Impact du point de vue sur la présence sociale et les processus de collaboration dans un jeu sérieux collaboratif

International audienceCollaborative serious games have proven to be effective learning environments to enhance the development of learners' soft skills, such as collaboration, negotiation and cooperation. To be effective, such role paying games should provide genuine interactions. However, little is known on how design choices, such as the viewpoint (either first or third person perspective), impact collaborative processes and learners' perception of their partners. This paper reports an exploratory study on the impact of the viewpoint on the sense of social presence, and on collaborative processes that emerge from learners' interactions in a collaborative serious game dedicated to soft skills training. To address this issue, learners played in either first-person or third-person perspective during a session of two games. Our results show that the first-person view allowed for a higher sense of social presence and increased information sharing. This seems to be mainly due to the knowledge asymmetry caused by the affordances of the environment, in other words design choices. These results can be applied in the design of collaborative serious games that support social interactions and collaborative skills training

Présence et incarnation dans les jeux sérieux : Une revue de la littérature

IHM'23 - 34e Conférence Internationale Francophone sur l'Interaction Humain-MachineAFIHM, Université de Technologie de TroyesNational audiencePresence and embodiment are important dimensions of the user experience in immersive virtual environments. These concepts have been extensively studied, particularly in the field of video games, to model, measure and analyze their influences on the user experience. Serious games, although close to video games, have a different purpose (educational, informative or training) and few studies have yet focused on presence and embodiment in this specific context. In this paper, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the studies that have been conducted so far on the feeling of presence and embodiment in serious games. Our literature review addresses 3 research questions: (1) How are the concepts of presence and embodiment studied and measured? (2) By what modalities, factors or variables are the sense of presence and embodiment influenced? (3) What are the impacts of the degree of presence or embodiment on other dimensions of the user experience and on learning? We conclude by proposing avenues of research to explore some aspects that have not yet been fully explored in the field.La présence et l’incarnation sont des dimensions importantes de l’expérience utilisateur dans les environnements virtuels immersifs. Ces concepts ont fait l’objet de nombreux travaux, notamment dans le domaine des jeux vidéo, pour les modéliser, les mesurer et analyser leurs influence sur l’expérience utilisateur. Les jeux sérieux, bien que proches des jeux vidéo, ont une finalité différente (pédagogique, informative ou d’entraînement) et peu d’études se sont encore intéressées à la présence et l’incarnation dans ce contexte spécifique. Dans cet article, nous effectuons une analyse approfondie des études menées concernant le sentiment de présence et l’incarnation dans les jeux sérieux. Notre revue de littérature aborde 3 questions de recherche : (1) Comment les concepts de présence et d’incarnation sont-ils étudiés et mesurés ? (2) Par quelles modalités, facteurs ou variables le sentiment de présence et l’incarnation sont-elles influencées ? (3) Quels sont les impacts du degré de présence et/ou d’incarnation sur d’autres dimensions de l’expérience utilisateur et de l’apprentissage ? Nous terminons en proposant des pistes de recherche permettant d’explorer certains aspects encore peu approfondis dans le domaine

Investigating the Effects of Tailored Gamification on Learners' Engagement over Time in a Learning Environment

International audienceGamification has been widely used to increase learners' motivation and engagement in digital learning environments. Various studies have highlighted the need to tailor gamification according to users' characteristics. However, little is known about how tailoring gamification affects learners' engagement when interacting with the environment. In this paper, we analyse learners' behaviours in a large-scale field study in real-world classroom conditions over a six-week period. We identify three behavioural patterns and show at a global level that two of these patterns are influenced by adaptation. When we look at how learners' engagement evolves over time, we see more differences in the adapted condition, specifically in the final lessons of the experiment. Globally learners' engaged behaviours gradually decreased over time but tailoring the game elements to learners seemed to reduce this decrease or make it more stable, depending on the behavioural patterns