The OCareCloudS project: toward organizing care through trusted cloud services

The increasing elderly population and the shift from acute to chronic illness makes it difficult to care for people in hospitals and rest homes. Moreover, elderly people, if given a choice, want to stay at home as long as possible. In this article, the methodologies to develop a cloud-based semantic system, offering valuable information and knowledge-based services, are presented. The information and services are related to the different personal living hemispheres of the patient, namely the daily care-related needs, the social needs and the daily life assistance. Ontologies are used to facilitate the integration, analysis, aggregation and efficient use of all the available data in the cloud. By using an interdisciplinary research approach, where user researchers, (ontology) engineers, researchers and domain stakeholders are at the forefront, a platform can be developed of great added value for the patients that want to grow old in their own home and for their caregivers

Design of Web-Based Mini-Games for Language Learning: An Evidence-Based and User-Centred Approach

This paper reports on an ongoing project which aims to develop and evaluate web-based mini-games for language learning in an evidence-based and user-centred approach. In recent years, a shift is taking place towards more learner-centred learning environments, and designers of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) software have stressed the need for a user-centred design approach (Colpaert, 2010; Hémard, 2003). In general, there is a growing interest in participatory design, in which users are involved in the design process (co-design), marking a move away from traditional design methods characterized by an expert mind-set (Sanders 2008). Many gaming elements, such as competition, interaction/interactivity, problem solving, scoring, and feedback, are also present in traditional learning and testing environments. Hence, it is conceivable that learners' perceptions of these "gaming elements" determine the reception of a language learning activity as a game to a significant extent, rather than the educational intentions of instructional designers alone (Hubbard, 1991). This warrants empirical research on language learners' perceptions of games for learning, as well as user evaluation studies with operational prototypes. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.status: publishe

Developing user-centered concepts for language learning video games

This paper will report on an ongoing project which aims to develop video games for language learning through a user-centered and evidence-based approach. Therefore, codesign sessions were held with adolescents between 14 and 16 years old, in order to gain insight into their preferences for educational games for language learning. During these sessions, 11 concepts for video games were developed. We noticed a divide between the concepts for games that were oriented towards formal language learning (e.g. exercises on vocabulary) and video games that were centered around communication with other players or in-game characters.status: publishe

The role of stereopsis in virtual anatomical learning

The use of virtual learning environments in the medical field is on the rise. An earlier experiment [Luursema, J.-M., Verwey, W.B., Kommers, P.A.M., Geelkerken, R.H., Vos, H.J., 2006. Optimizing conditions for computer-assisted anatomical learning. Interacting with Computers, 18, 1123–1138.] found that a combination of computer-implemented stereopsis (visual depth through seeing with both eyes) and dynamic exploration (being able to continuously change one’s viewpoint with respect to the objects studied in real-time) is beneficial to anatomical learning, especially for subjects of low visuo-spatial ability (the ability to form, retrieve and manipulate mental representations of a visuo-spatial nature). The present experiment investigated the contribution of computer-implemented stereopsis alone to anatomical learning. Two groups with a similar distribution of visuo-spatial ability were formed; one group studied a 3D computer model of the human abdominal anatomy in a stereoptic condition, the other group studied the same anatomy in a biocular condition (both eyes exposed to the same image). Although visuo-spatial ability was the most important variable predicting anatomical learning, computer implemented stereopsis provided a significant benefit for one of the post-tasks assessing this learning

Are you a gamer? A qualititive study on the parameters for categorizing casual and hardcore gamers

This article examines the parameters for categorizing gamers as hardcore or casual players and the relation between these parameters with special attention to gender differences. To investigate this, a qualitative persona-based focus group approach was employed, using a sample of 21 participants aged 18 to 37 years. Dependent on their average time spent on gaming, these gamers participated in a discussion on hardcore or casual gamers’ behaviour and attitudes. More particularly, the following topics were dealt with: time investment versus available time for gaming and game related activities, budget spent on gaming, game genre preferences, opinion and self-identification with the typical image of a hardcore/casual gamer. Attitude towards challenge, competition, sociality, story and violent content in gaming was also taken into account. The main findings reveal remarkable gender differences both between and within the casual and hardcore gamers. It is therefore concluded that the categorization of gamers as hardcore or casual is not as straightforward as often assumed in large-scale quantitative studies. More research is needed to arrive at a categorization of gamers based on a combination of relevant parameters, accounting for the existing gender differences and the time spent on gaming relative to the gamer’s available time.status: publishe

Videogames in therapy: a therapist's perspective

This paper describes a user and task analysis that was conducted in order to examine the role of therapists in the use of video games in therapy. The results show that video games were used often, but improvements could be made to make them more effective for the therapist. From these results recommendations for video game design were derived. Recommendations include that a therapeutic video game should be easy to startup and configure, should allow the therapist to support a patient during play, and should support the therapist in tracking a patient's performance.status: publishe

Van co-design tot playtest: een leidraad voor een player-centered design process

Het e-Treasure consortium heeft de afgelopen twee jaar een proces verfijnd dat spelontwikkelaars en e-learning bedrijven kan helpen met de sprong naar Meaningful Play. Het handboek is als volgt opgebouwd. In het eerste hoofdstuk overlopen we wat we bedoelen met Meaningful Play en de noodzaak voor een Player- Centered Design proces. In het tweede hoofdstuk geven we theoretische achtergrondinformatie. De User-Centered design cyclus”, waarvan de Player-Centered Design cyclus uiteraard een specifieke toepassing hoort te zijn, wordt allereerst samenvattend beschreven met uitleg en achtergrond bij de diverse stappen. Vervolgens wordt dieper ingegaan op een aantal methodologische aspecten, waarbij voor de verschillende methodologieën specifieke voor- en nadelen worden aangehaald, en argumenten waarom men (niet) voor een bepaalde methode zou kiezen. In het derde en laatste hoofdstuk illustreren we aan de hand van het e- Treasure project hoe we dit proces en de technieken hebben toegepast. We geven ook anekdotes, problemen en hoe dit op te lossen.nrpages: 35status: publishe

Digital Games for Physical Therapy: Fulfilling the Need for Calibration and Adaption

With the advent of computer games involving the movement of the player's whole body or body parts, an opportunity arises to develop games for people with motor disabilities. In this paper we present four minigames developed for people suffering from spasticity and loss of motor control. We thereby focus on the input devices, sensor signal processing and mapping of players' actions on events in the game. In order to adapt the game to the player's motor skills and goals, specific attention should be paid to calibration procedures and adjustable parameters. We illustrate how this can be done and simultaneously, we demonstrate the feasibility for the development of digital games for physical therapy with currently available commercial input devices.status: publishe