It’s not the model that doesn’t fit, it’s the controller! The role of cognitive skills in understanding the links between natural mapping, performance, and enjoyment of console video games

This study examines differences in performance, frustration, and game ratings of individuals playing first person shooter video games using two different controllers (motion controller and a traditional, pushbutton controller) in a within-subjects, randomized order design. Structural equation modeling was used to demonstrate that cognitive skills such as mental rotation ability and eye/hand coordination predicted performance for both controllers, but the motion control was significantly more frustrating. Moreover, increased performance was only related to game ratings for the traditional controller input. We interpret these data as evidence that, contrary to the assumption that motion controlled interfaces are more naturally mapped than traditional push-button controllers, the traditional controller was more naturally mapped as an interface for gameplay

That Time One Person Came to My End-of-Semester Citation Workshops

Recognizing the challenges and stresses many students encounter when citing and paraphrasing, I decided to hold two citation workshops -- one for MLA, one for APA -- at the end of the semester. I created visually appealing presentations in Canva. I got the word out by distributing a flyer for digital signs across campus. A colleague and I disseminated an announcement to professors. An advertisement appeared on the sign above the campus center. Chocolate-covered pretzels were offered as snacks! These efforts resulted in exactly one person -- who didn’t know there was a citation workshop taking place -- wandering into the room. A month later, I can identify several reasons why these well-intentioned workshops were not well attended. Organizing these workshops late in the semester was a chief misstep, but other crucial mistakes included not reaching out to faculty on a broader scale, and assessing what specific citation needs and questions students had. Perhaps the greatest takeaway from the lack of interest and attendance is something we always tell our students: “Don’t wait until the last minute!” Acknowledging the ideas and scholarship of others is a crucial skill that can be reinforced, but not taught, at the last minute. While we address citation in our information literacy sessions, we might approach the topic of citation and paraphrasing in a more comprehensive way throughout the semester, as outlined in the Framework for Information Literacy. We could also reach out to colleagues on campus (including faculty and those working in the writing center) to determine how we can partner to help our students understand the fundamentals of citation

Fun Versus Meaningful Video Game Experiences: A Qualitative Analysis of User Responses

Emerging research on video games has suggested that feelings of both enjoyment and meaningfulness can be elicited from gameplay. Studies have shown enjoyment and meaningfulness evaluations to be associated with discrete elements of video games (ratings of gameplay and narrative, respectively), but have relied on closed-end data analysis. The current study analyzed participants’ open-ended reviews of either their “most fun” or “most meaningful” video game experience (N = 575, randomly assigned to either condition). Results demonstrated that “fun” games were explained in terms of gameplay mechanics, and “meaningful” games were explained in terms of connections with players and in-game characters

A Study of How Flight Instructors Assess Flight Maneuvers and Give Grades: Inter-rater Reliability of Instructor Assessments

This article discusses calibration of flight instruction to an academic institution’s “gold standard”. Flight instructors reviewed four lessons within the private pilot curriculum. Each lesson required rating four maneuvers and assigning an overall letter grade. Data was compared to the gold standard set by flight faculty from the institution. Initial data revealed instructors with one year or less of experience had less agreement to the gold standard. A curriculum to rate maneuvers and grade lessons was developed and practice sessions occurred in instructor meetings starting Fall 2013. Post-test results show improvement in agreement in one year or less experienced group

Video games as meaningful entertainment experiences

We conducted an experiment to examine individuals’ perceptions of enjoyable and meaningful video games and the game characteristics and dimensions of need satisfaction associated with enjoyment and appreciation. Participants (N = 512) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups that asked them to recall a game that they found either particularly fun or particularly meaningful, and to then rate their perceptions of the game that they recalled. Enjoyment was high for both groups, though appreciation was higher in the meaningful- than fun-game condition. Further, enjoyment was most strongly associated with gameplay characteristics and satisfaction of needs related to competency and autonomy, whereas appreciation was most strongly associated with story characteristics and satisfaction of needs related to insight and relatedness

Women and Substance Abuse: Perceptions of a Therapeutic Recreation Coping Skills Intervention

Department of Health and Human Performanc