| Gaze-Dependent Depth-of-Field Effect Rendering in Virtual Environments | | BIBA | Full-Text | 1-12 | |
| Radoslaw Mantiuk; Bartosz Bazyluk; Anna Tomaszewska | |||
| This paper presents gaze-dependent depth-of-field (DOF) rendering setup, consisting of high frequency eye tracker connected to a graphics workstation. A scene is rendered and visualised with the DOF simulation controlled by data captured with the eye tracker. To render a scene in real-time, the reverse-mapped z-buffer DOF simulation technique with the blurring method based on Poisson disk is used. We conduct perceptual experiments to test human impressions caused by simulation of the DOF phenomenon and to assess benefits of using eye tracker to control the DOF effect rendering in virtual environments. Additionally, we survey the eye tracking technologies suitable for virtual environments and preview techniques of the real time DOF rendering. | |||
| Personalized Storytelling for Educational Computer Games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 13-22 | |
| Michael D. Kickmeier-Rust; Thomas Augustin; Dietrich Albert | |||
| Educational computer games are a highly popular but also a highly
challenging field where (technology-enhanced) education meets entertainment/
gaming. Ongoing endeavors concentrate on the need to translate the
state-of-the-art in conventional e-learning, this regards in particular to
technologies of intelligent and adaptive tutoring, to educational games. This
is a non-trivial attempt since methods of personalization, such as pedagogical
guidance or adaptive curriculum sequencing have a substantial impact on a
game's flow, in particular on the narrative. In the present paper we introduce
a formal and computable approach to interactive and adaptive storytelling in
educational games. This approach, coined macro adaptivity, is based on the idea
of merging story models with cognitive domain and learner models. The
principles of the approach have been exemplified in an appealing educational
game teaching geography for 12 to 14 year olds. Keywords: Serious games; educational computer games; adaptation; personalization;
micro adaptivity; macro adaptivity; interactive storytelling | |||
| Impact of the Feeling of Knowledge Explicitness in the Learners' Participation and Performance in a Collaborative Game Based Learning Activity | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 23-35 | |
| Mireia Usart; Margarida Romero; Esteve Almirall | |||
| Despite the growing interest in the Game Based Learning (GBL) literature
(Squire, 2005; Gee, 2005), only a reduced number of studies have focused on the
collaborative modality in GBL (Harteveld & Bekebrede, 2011). Knowledge
Group Awareness (KGA) designates the intersubjective perception of teammates'
knowledge. The use of especially designed gaming interfaces allows KGA
declaration and displaying support by the introduction of the KGA explicitness
systems, called by some authors KGA tools (Buder, 2010).
This paper aims to study whether a structured explicitness of the KGA could play a core role in facilitating and improving collaborative face to face GBL performances. The KGA is operationalized through the Feeling of Knowledge (FOK) declaration. The FOK refers to the feelings a student has regarding his/her knowledge for a specific subject (Hart, 1965), it is defined by the student using a Confidence Level (CL) based in a 3 level scale. We expect that the FOK declaration process will have a positive impact in the learning process based in the GBL task, both in individual and collaborative phases of the GBL activity proposed to the students. However, we expect better performances in collaborative settings with the explicitness of the KGA thanks to the socially shared metacognition process, developed through the displaying of the intersubjective FOK. For this purpose we designed a collaborative SG in the field of finance, introducing an ad hoc KGA explicitness system with the aim of supporting the students' FOK declaration according to the 3 CL. The first is analyzing the impact of the declaration of the FOK in individual performance when playing alone. The second one is analyzing the influence of shared visualization of the intersubjective FOK in the individual and collaborative performances, according to the symmetry of knowledge between dyad members. This environment permits researchers study different variables in order to study four hypotheses on learner's performances and changes in their Feeling of knowledge (FOK) accuracies during collaborative game experience. Keywords: Feeling of Knowledge; Knowledge Group Awareness tool; Collaborative
Learning; Game Based Learning; Serious Game; Management Game; Finance | |||
| Virtual Location-Based Indoor Guide | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 36-48 | |
| Tiago Fernandes; João Jacob | |||
| This article proposes a solution for user localization in indoor areas using
the compass, accelerometer and Bluetooth of a mobile device to calculate the
user's position within this virtual environment, for it to be used in both
entertainment-industry mobile games and serious games. The user's position is
viewed through a 3D virtual environment representing his real position and
orientation. The basis of this solution is the utilization of a mobile
Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a PDA, where the application is deployed. The
application will then use the mobile phone's Bluetooth to determine the
Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of beacons located within the area.
This information is then used to determine the virtual position of the user by
triangulation. Additional sensors, such as the accelerometer or the compass
provide extra precision and compensate the latency that the Bluetooth
positioning solution provides. This solution has proved to be reasonably
accurate, inexpensive, and very usable, as it uses virtually no input from the
user (since the input the user provides is actually passive). Also, it does not
conflict with any other Bluetooth devices, such as other mobile phones. Keywords: Mobile; Indoor; Localization; Bluetooth; 3D Environment; Virtual Guide;
Serious Games | |||
| What Can Bits Teach about Leadership: A Study of the Application of Variation Theory in Serious Games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 49-60 | |
| Martin Ruskov; William Seager | |||
| This study was conducted with the purpose to explore the potential of
serious games to utilize systematic learning variation. We employed a
methodology that followed the learning study method, while we also introduced
experimental and control groups in order to allow for more direct comparison.
In this study we did not have control over the employed serious game (vLeader)
and thus had to implement our experiment through its supplementary materials.
The study explores a systematic approach towards serious games design. This
study provides weak evidence of greater stakeholder awareness by the group that
has experienced variation. Its exploratory findings provide a valuable
contribution that could inform design of future serious games. Keywords: serious games; learning study; variation theory; leadership | |||
| Serious Game for Introductory Programming | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 61-71 | |
| António Coelho; Enrique Kato; João Xavier; Ricardo Gonçalves | |||
| For beginners in computer programming, the learning curve can be in many
cases quite steep, especially if it is their first contact with this area.
Plus, the traditional learning methodologies are usually based on doing
countless exercises that aim to cover many areas, but are often disconnected
from each other and can become tiresome, as they offer little immediate rewards
to the student.
Nowadays serious games technology offers tools that may have potential to help computer programming students to become more engaged on their learning through a 'learn while having fun' approach. This paper aims to generally describe our approach on the creation of a platform for deploying serious computer games for the teaching of any computer programming language. We will begin by describing the game mechanics, followed by the general system architecture and its data model, finalizing with a small conclusion. Keywords: serious games; programming; e-learning; unity3d; domjudge | |||
| Game Design Evaluation Study for Student Integration | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 72-82 | |
| André Cruz; Armando Sousa; António Coelho | |||
| This paper presents the evaluation of a serious game project, where the
primary goal was to develop a set of collaborative game levels on a virtual
campus, in order to help the integration process of newcomer students to the
university. The global activities that can be performed by the students were
designed for a group approach in a controlled virtual environment. For the
present work we have selected Second Life for the implementation of these
collaborative "game levels". A prototype evaluation was conducted to collect
results with a sample of university students. With this data, some conclusions
were extracted in order to delineate future developments. Keywords: Student integration; virtual worlds; second life; serious game development;
game design; collaborative games; group dynamics; problem solving | |||
| Towards a Serious Game for Portuguese Learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 83-94 | |
| André Silva; Nuno Mamede; Alfredo Ferreira; Jorge Baptista; João Fernandes | |||
| Language learning resources are constantly evolving alongside technology.
One of such resources is REAP.PT, a system which aims to raise users
proficiency in the Portuguese language in an interactive manner. Its current
features include text-based exercises. This paper describes the evolution of
REAP.PT aiming on locative prepositions used to describe the spatial position
between objects. In this new REAP.PT, exercises take place in a 3D environment,
and are complemented with gaming aspects to make them more appealing to
students. The game scenario is an office, where each room contains different
exercises. Completing exercises awards the student with points that unlock
harder rooms. This provides the student with a challenge and a sense of
progression. We believe that with these gaming aspects, students will have
increased motivation to complete exercises. Keywords: Computer Assisted Language Learning; Serious Games; Pictorial Exercises;
Portuguese | |||
| Serious Games: Are They Part of the Solution in the Domain of Cognitive Rehabilitation? | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 95-105 | |
| Artemisa Rocha Dores; Irene Palmares Carvalho; Fernando Barbosa; Isabel Almeida; Sandra Guerreiro; Miguel Leitão; Liliana de Sousa; Alexandre Castro-Caldas | |||
| Serious Games are in increasing use for serious purposes, such as health.
Particularly in the field of cognitive rehabilitation, they can offer new
solutions that are fun, user-friendly and goal-directed. In this study, a
prototype rehabilitation platform is presented, aimed at intervening in
executive functioning and other related cognitive functions in patients with
Acquired Brain Injury. It was tested in three studies investigating patients'
satisfaction and performance in a virtual environment using 2D computer-screen
or 3D projection-screen approaches, and patients' satisfaction with the virtual
reality (VR) program regarding its usability and role in motivation to
participate in the rehabilitation process. Contributing to the final version of
the program, results in our pilot-studies are promising, supporting the
usability of the VR program and showing its relevance in subjects' motivation
to participate in the rehabilitation process. Keywords: Serious Games; Virtual Reality; Health Care; Cognitive Rehabilitation;
Executive Dysfunction | |||
| A Cloud Observational Learning System of Art Education via E-Learning in Taiwan | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 106-116 | |
| Wen-Wei Liao; Rong-Guey Ho | |||
| This study tried to apply observational learning of social learning theory
in the curriculum of art education in an elementary school. Art creation skills
are complicated and difficult to memorize, and thus this study expected to
utilize computer to assist in the instruction. In order to solve the problems
such as long creation process, massive information, complicated computing, and
the difficulty to learn from others' works, this study developed a cloud
education system to assist instruction. This course was taught on two groups by
two teachers. The group using the cloud education system was the on-line
observational learning group, and the other group was the general observational
learning group. For students' evaluation, this study used "Measurement of
Children's Painting Expression Ability" designed by Guo (1994) to be the
evaluation instrument; higher score represents stronger painting performance
ability, and vice versa. 61 pieces of work collected by the researcher were
analyzed and scored by two teachers, and a statistical analysis was conducted
based on the results.
Image expression ability, color expression ability, space expression ability, and aesthetic expression ability were all significantly different between the two groups; that is, the scores of the on-line observational learning group were better than those of the general observational group. But there was no significant difference in completeness expression ability, showing that these two groups were equal in this ability. Besides, after the instruction was finished, this study used a questionnaire to survey students and conducted a teacher interview on their satisfaction with the system. The results showed that students were highly satisfied with the functions of high-speed computing, repeated play, fine work quotation, work observation and learning of this system, and teachers had a high evaluation about using this system to teach. Keywords: Cloud Education; Observational Learning; Art education | |||
| The Use of Integrative Framework to Support the Development of Competences | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 117-128 | |
| Manuel Fradinho Oliveira; Bjorn Andersen; Joao Pereira; William Seager; Claudia Ribeiro | |||
| In corporate environments, there is a growing interest in deploying more
effective solutions in supporting competence development, namely to address the
identified need of developing soft-skills (eg: negotiation, leadership) and
complex competences (eg: sense-making and cross-cultural communication). The
"learning by doing" has gained prominence, in particular when considering the
use of serious games as the delivery platform for the educational content.
However, the adoption of serious games alone is not a guarantee for effective
learning and consequently, the aim of this paper is to present the integrative
framework that combines together five key developments in education research,
namely Knowledge Ecology, Social Learning Communities, Threshold Concepts,
Experience Management and Cognitive Management. Based on the integrative
framework, the paper proceeds to present the TARGET componentized platform. Keywords: Serious Games; Competence Development; Threshold Concepts; Cognitive Load;
Social Learning; Knowledge Ecology | |||
| A SUNNY DAY: Ann and Ron's World an iPad Application for Children with Autism | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 129-138 | |
| Feng Yan | |||
| As autism becomes a more widely-understood medical field, so do therapeutic
implications. With the recent development of these methodologies in mind, "A
SUNNY DAY" aids the therapeutic treatment of children with autism by providing
simple and structured tasks while awarding children with praise in the form of
an electronic iPad application. Every task in the game takes into consideration
the emotional, social, and sensory disabilities autistic children struggle with
and utilizes new teaching methods to remedy them. This paper includes the
research prior to developing the application and the design and objectives of
the application. Keywords: Autism; autistic disorder; iPad; application; therapy; rehabilitation; game;
a sunny day; interactive behavior training; text-to-speech; communication | |||
| Ordsall Hall in Manchester: A Creative Game for Heritage Studies | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 139-145 | |
| Mathias Fuchs; Deborah Leighton | |||
| The article describes the development of an educational game at the
University of Salford to facilitate learning and discussion about on a Heritage
Site in Manchester: Ordsall Hall. The building has been used as a basis for a
series of games about gastronomy, religion, fashion and politics of the
respective times with the aim of delivering information in a playful manner.
The project investigates of how a popular games engine (UT2004) can be used to
create Digital Heritage representations and how features that are popular and
well known amongst dedicated gamers can be ported or modified to suit an
interactive environment that corresponds to scientific standards. Three games
have been developed that differ in regard to "ludicity", seriousness, depth of
content implemented, and ease of use. This led to terminological considerations
in regard to the notion of "Serious Games" and to a critical analysis of the
terminologies used and strategic branding of games as "historic", "big fun",
puzzle, "serious", "First Person Shooter" or "Creative". Keywords: Serious Games; Creative Games; Games with a Purpose; Games Studies;
Cyberspace | |||