Multisensory games-based learning - lessons learnt from olfactory enhancement of a digital board game

Serious games are becoming an alternative educational method in a variety of fields because of their potential to improve the quality of learning experiences and to facilitate knowledge acquisition and content understanding. Moreover, entertainment-driven learners are more easily motivated to benefit from the learning process through meaningful activities defined in a game context. Interfacing educational computer games with multisensorial interfaces allows for a seamless integration between virtual and physical environments. Multisensorial cues can improve memory and attention and increase the cognitive and sensory-motor performance. Despite of the increasing knowledge in sensory processes, multisensory experiences and interactions in computer based instruction remain insufficiently explored and understood. In this paper, we present a multisensory educational game - Fragrance Channel - and we investigate how enabling olfaction can contribute to users' learning performance, engagement and quality of experience. We compare results obtained after experiencing Fragrance Channel in the presence and absence of olfactory feedback on both a mobile and a PC. A knowledge test administered before and immediately after showed that our proposed educational game led to an improvement of performance in all the explored conditions. Subjective measurements carried out after the olfactory experience showed that students enjoyed the scenario and appreciated it as being relevant.European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programm

Recuperação de ambientes fluviais na Bacia do Itajaí: estabelecimento inicial de Citharexylum Myrianthum e Schinus Terebinthifolius sob diferentes espaçamentos e tipos de solos.

Assim, tem - se por objetivo oferecer subsídios para o desenvolvimento de modelos de recuperação de ambientes fluviais partindo do plantio de mudas de espécies florestais nativas sob diferentes espaçamentos e tipos de solos.Disponível também on-line

Efeitos da aplicação de calcário no desenvolvimento, no estado nutricional e na produção de matéria seca de mudas de maracujazeiro Effects of liming on the development, nutritional status and dry matter of passion fruit seedlings

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de calcário ao substrato de produção das mudas de maracujazeiro, acompanhando os benefícios no desenvolvimento, na produção de matéria seca e no estado nutricional das plantas. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições. As doses de calcário calcinado foram aplicadas objetivando elevar em meia; uma vez; uma vez e meia, e duas vezes a dose para elevar o V = 80%, correspondendo a 0,44; 0,88; 1,32; 1,76 g por vaso, respectivamente, além da testemunha sem aplicação. As mudas receberam doses de N, P, K, Zn e B de 300; 450; 150; 5,0 e 0,5 mg dm-3, respectivamente, sendo o N e o K parcelados em três vezes (30; 45 e 60 dias após a semeadura). O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação da FCAV/Unesp, em Jaboticabal-SP, no período dezembro/2002 até abril/2003. A unidade experimental foi constituída por vasos com 2 dm³ de substrato de um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico. Após 80 dias da semeadura, avaliaram-se: o diâmetro do caule, a altura, o número de folhas, a área foliar e a matéria seca da parte aérea e das raízes, bem como os teores de macro e micronutrientes. As mudas de maracujazeiro responderam à aplicação de calcário. O maior desenvolvimento das plantas esteve associado à saturação por bases do solo de 56% e a concentrações de Ca e Mg no solo de 20 e 8 mmol c dm-3, e a teores de Ca e Mg na parte aérea de 12,8 e 4,0 g kg-1, respectivamente.<br>This work objectified to evaluate the effect of the application of lime to the substratum of production of passion fruit seedlings, being followed by the benefits in the development, in the production of dry matter and in the nutritional state of the plants. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with 5 treatments and 4 repetitions. The doses of calcined liming had been applied objectifying to raise in half; once, once and half; and twice the dose to raise the V = 80%, corresponding to 0; 0.44; 0.88; 1.32; 1.76 g per vase, respectively, and the control without application. The passion seedlings had received doses from N, P, K, Zn and B of 300; 450; 150; 5 and 0,5 mg dm-3 respectively, being the N and the K parceled out in three times (30; 45 and 60 days after the sowing). The experimental unit was constituted by vases with 2 dm³ of substratum of a Red Latossol (Oxisol). After 80 days of the seeding, it was evaluated: the stem diameter, the leaf height, the number of leaves, the leaf area and the dry matter of the shoots and the roots, as well as contents of macro and micronutrients. The passion fruit seedlings had answered to the liming application. The major development was associated with the base saturation of 56% and with the concentrations of Ca and Mg in the soil of 20 and 8 mmol c dm-3 and, content of Ca and Mg in the shoots of 12.8 and 4.0 g kg-1, respectively