Reading in Web-based hypertexts : cognitive processes strategies and reading goals

Hypertext is a multi-linear electronic, textual and interactive environment to present information. The objective of such an environment is that readers may browse through linked, cross-referenced, annotated texts in a multi-sequential manner, and thus, it is believed, to improve the learning. However, early and current research findings have revealed some mixed results concerning the alleged advantage of hypertext on learning over paper-based documents. Researchers have identified the lack of research about the cognitive processes and the strategies that readers use during reading as one of the main factors for such results. As a result, there is a need and scope for further research in modelling the cognitive processes involved in reading comprehension and the reading strategies in a hypertext environment. This research addresses some of the gaps in the field by proposing a model that represents the sequence of events that take place during reading in a Web-based hypertext environment. Also, emphasis is placed on the strategies that readers use during hypertext reading and on the potential effect of different reading goals on reading comprehension. The evaluation of the model and the other hypotheses is conducted in two experiments using qualitative and quantitative methods. The first experiment employs the think aloud method. Forty two subjects participated. The results demonstrated that the proposed model precisely describes the sequence of events that take place during hypertext reading. They did not reveal any significant difference between different reading goals and understanding. They revealed four reading strategies: serial, serial overview, mixed, and mixed overview, and they identified three factors that influence the selection of hyperlinks: coherence, link location, and personal interest. The second experiment is an independent samples design experiment with ninety subjects. The results confirmed those found in the first experiment. The current study makes a contribution in the field of hypertext reading by proposing and evaluating a procedural model and by making this model graphic. By doing so it addresses some of the voids in the field, expands our understanding of the reading processes and the reading strategies, and provides practical guideliness which are enhanced to promote design supporting effective learning processes.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

D2.4 Guidance and assessment tutorial: Inquiry Guidance and Assessment Tutorial

The weSPOT project aims at propagating scientific inquiry as the approach for science learning and teaching in combination with today’s curricula and teaching practices. It lowers the threshold for linking everyday life with science teaching in schools by technology. weSPOT supports the meaningful contextualization of scientific concepts by relating them to personal curiosity, experiences, and reasoning. weSPOT addresses several challenges in the area of science learning and technology support for building personal conceptual knowledge. The project focuses on inquiry-based learning with a theoretically sound and technology supported personal inquiry approach. The project is focused on three main development aspects: (a) define a reference model for inquiry-based learning skills, (b) create a diagnostic instrument for measuring inquiry skills, and (c) implement a working environment that allows the easy linking of inquiry activities with school curricula and legacy systems. The foreseen weSPOT Toolkit gives smart support for personal scientific inquiry to address a lack of scientific inquiry skills in an age group of 12-25. The current deliverable, D2.4, outlines the inquiry guidance and assessment tutorial, to support teachers in their quest for scientific inquiry. The inquiry guidance tutorial includes several items that will introduce the weSPOT IBL model to the teachers, provide them with examples of how to use it in practice, describe the available tools and show them how they work. This diagnostic tutorial is focused on the diagnostic instrument which will look at the entire inquiry life cycle which may start with the formulation of a research question and may end with the valorisation of the results and it will cover the four different complexities of inquiry, from confirmation inquiry to open, self-directed inquiry. The second part of the deliverable focuses on the diagnostic framework describing the adopted approach. The weSPOT diagnostic instrument for inquiry skills and competences aimed at a) to establish a European baseline of the current level of inquiry skills in the target group and b) to demonstrate the potential of the weSPOT-technology for STEM-learning in general.weSPOT Project IST (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement N° 318499

Promoting cross-cultural awareness through exposure in game-based learning

With the global market constantly evolving through a globe-spanning network of communications, collaborations and immigrations, individuals are encouraged to be equipped with cultural literacy. To offset cultural division, it is essential to promote “cross-fertilisation across all boundaries, between ‘majority’ and ‘minorities’, ‘dominant’ and ‘sub’ cultures, localities, classes, faiths, disciplines and genres, as the source of cultural, social, civic and economic innovation”. Three main campaigns are: 1) Pluralism, which aims to promote positive diversity by encouraging understanding and respect. Britain, for instance, has increasingly diversified in ethnic and religious terms as a result of continued large scale immigration from a far wider set of source countries. 2) Homogenisation, that goes beyond co-existence through tolerance by promoting one common identity based around citizenship and assimilating minorities into the society. Malaysia, for instance, is running ‘1Malaysia’ campaign to promote homogenisation while celebrating diversity. 3) Globalisation: Awareness nurtured at the root level can be extended into a more global setting. The lack of cross-cultural awareness can be detrimental to the success of global marketing campaigns, business meetings and international relations. Within the domain of game-based learning (GBL), this article briefly describes the attributes of the e-VITA project, which may be adopted by future initiatives in exploring games to support cross-cultural awareness campaigns, such as ‘1Malaysia’ and multicultural Britain

Creative learning with serious games [editorial]

This paper, summarises the Creative Learning with Serious Games workshop that took place in the Fun and Games 2010 conference. The workshop discussed innovative methodological approaches to Serious Games for creative learning. A special emphasis was given to state-ofthe- art research work and cross-discipline approaches (e.g. the mix of Storytelling and Serious Games). In addition, different case studies coming from very different European (research) projects were presented and discussed with the participants. Five papers were selected via a peer reviewed process to be presented at the workshop. The authors presented their work and demonstrated their applications during the second part of the workshop

Blended game-based learning environments: extending a serious game into a learning content management system

Serious games have recognized potential as a means to tackle many challenges in education, ranging from stimulating increased learner motivation, to transferring challenging concepts in a novel and engaging form. They are commonly shown to work most effectively in blended approaches to learning, whereby the game plays a core role in a wider pedagogic approach, often based around an experiential or exploratory model. In this paper, we explore how the integration of a serious game, and more generally gaming paradigms, can be extended to a learning content management system (LCMS) to support a blended and holistic approach to their use in education. Through a case study within the EU-Funded Adaptive Learning via Intuitive/Interactive, Collaborative and Emotional Systems (ALICE) project, we demonstrate a technical integration of a gaming engine with a proprietary LCMS, and discuss the broader pedagogic benefits of such an approach. In particular, we note how this method can support an 'intuitive guided' or scaffolded approach to learning, where the learner is given the potential to explore a non-linear learning environment, whilst scaffolding and blending provides the guidance towards ensuring targeted learning objectives are met

Game engines selection framework for high-fidelity serious applications

Serious games represent the state-of-the-art in the convergence of electronic gaming technologies with instructional design principles and pedagogies. Despite the value of high-fidelity content in engaging learners and providing realistic training environments, building games which deliver high levels of visual and functional realism is a complex, time consuming and expensive process. Therefore, commercial game engines, which provide a development environment and resources to more rapidly create high-fidelity virtual worlds, are increasingly used for serious as well as for entertainment applications. Towards this intention, the authors propose a new framework for the selection of game engines for serious applications and sets out five elements for analysis of engines in order to create a benchmarking approach to the validation of game engine selection. Selection criteria for game engines and the choice of platform for Serious Games are substantially different from entertainment games, as Serious Games have very different objectives, emphases and technical requirements. In particular, the convergence of training simulators with serious games, made possible by increasing hardware rendering capacity is enabling the creation of high-fidelity serious games, which challenge existing instructional approaches. This paper overviews several game engines that are suitable for high-fidelity serious games, using the proposed framework

Authoring of adaptive serious games

Game-based approaches to learning are increasingly being recognized as having the potential to stimulate intrinsic motivation amongst learners. Whilst a range of examples of effective serious games exist, creating the high-fidelity content with which to populate a serious game is resource-intensive task. To reduce this resource requirement, research is increasingly exploring means to reuse and repurpose existing games and relevant sources of content. Education has proven a popular application area for Adaptive Hypermedia, as adaptation can offer enriched learning experiences to students. Whilst content to-date has mainly been in the form of rich text, various efforts have been made to integrate Serious Games into Adaptive Hypermedia via run-time adaptation engines. However, there is little in the way of effective integrated authoring and user modeling support for these efforts. This paper explores avenues for effectively integrating serious games into adaptive hypermedia. In particular, we consider authoring and user modeling aspects in addition to integration into run-time adaptation engines, thereby enabling authors to create Adaptive Hypermedia that includes an adaptive game, thus going beyond mere selection of a suitable game and towards an approach with the capability to adapt and respond to the needs of learners and educators