Internet Gaming Disorder treatment: a case study evaluation of four different types of adolescent problematic gamers

Research examining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has grown markedly in recent years. However, research on its psychological treatment is still scarce, especially with respect to efficacy of specific programs. The PIPATIC (Programa Individualizado Psicoterapéutico para la Adicción a las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación) program is a 22-session specialized treatment for adolescents with IGD. The present paper briefly outlines the cases of four treatment-seeking male adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years with different clinical IGD profiles undergoing the treatment. A case study using an A-B-A’ withdrawal design was conducted. After completing the PIPATIC program, all participants showed clinical improvement in the amount of time spent using video games and in the symptoms of IGD. Results also demonstrated they received lower scores on clinical tests related to comorbid disorders. In an area with so few studies relating to IGD treatment, the present study is of existential value and contributes clinical information concerning the treatment of IGD in treatment-seeking adolescent patients

Evaluating the Change in Space in a Technology-Enabled Primary Years Setting

There has been considerable attention in the literature postulating the potential effects of contemporary, technology-enabled new generation learning spaces (NGLS) on both teaching and learning (Brooks, 2011, 2012). This has, in part, been driven by the pervasive and transformative potentiall of ubiquitous access to and use of digital technology in the classroom (Chan et al., 2006). Increased access to mobile technology in recent years has freed students from the restrictive nature of shared access in tradiitional computer laboratories (Blackmore, Bateman, O'Mara, & Loughlin, 2011). Students now have personal 'anywhere, anytime' access to a boundless library of highly indexed information (Beichner, 2014), which in turn challenges the highly sequential style of instruction that has allowed teachers to preserve their historically authoritative role. Personal access to technology can support more adaptive and connected learning experiences. These experiences are created by connecting teachers and students within multimodalities of teaching and },earning that may have not been possible before (Bocconi, Karnpylis, & Punie, 2012; Hall-van den Elsen & Palaskas, 2014; Swan, van'T Hooft, Kratcoski, & Schenk,er, 2007). Multimodalities afford teachers the ability to orchestrate adaptive learning opportunities using a range of physical, text and visual tools, whilst connecting students with each other. A key element is the connectivity between teachers-students and students-students is established through the creaition of technology-enabled NGLS. The technology-enabled spaces have ubiquitous access to digital technology through one-to-one digital devices connected through wireless infrastructure. The affordances of a NGLS environment has the potential to revolutionize how, where and with whom students learn (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013; Thomas & Brown, 2011). It has the potential to sup,port contemporary pedagogical practices that facilitate highly personalised models of student learning (Bocconi et al., 2012; Magee, 2009; Zandvliet & Fraser, 2004). This personalised model includes learning outside the primacy of the traditional classroom forum (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013). Together these elements intertwine to create a model of teaching and learning that can be radically different to prevailing school cultures (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013)