Applying the self-explanation principle to multimedia learning in a computer-based game-like environment

What is the most effective way to incorporate self-explanation into an educational game? In Experiment 1, students who played a 10-level computer game about electrical circuits performed better on an embedded transfer test (i.e., level 10) if they were required to select the reason for each move from a list on levels 1–9 (selection self-explanation) than if they were not required to engage in self-explanation (d = 1.20). In Experiment 2, the same pattern of results was replicated (d = 0.71), but students who were required to type in their reason for each move on levels 1–9 (generation self-explanation) did not perform any better than those who were not required to engage in self-explanation (d = −0.06). Overall, asking students to select a reason from a list fosters some degree of reflection while not overly disrupting the flow of the game.     

The influence of virtual presence: Effects on experienced cognitive load and learning outcomes in educational computer games

Does the immersive design of an educational gaming environment affect learners’ virtual presence and how much do they learn? Does virtual presence affect learning? This study tries to answer these questions by examining the differences in virtual presence and learning outcomes in two different computer-based multimedia environments: a gaming environment with high immersive design vs. hypertext learning environment with low immersive design. As the main focus, the effect of virtual presence on learning is also explained and tested. By identifying virtual presence as a variable that may determine learning, it is argued that computer gaming environments present a new challenge for researchers to investigate, particularly, the effects of virtual presence on the immersive design of games in order to help designers to predict which instructional configurations will maximize learning performance. In general, results revealed that the high-immersive gaming environment leads to the strongest form of virtual presence but also decreased learning. Although regression analyses indicate that virtual presence positively influences trivial- and non-trivial learning outcomes, learners who learned in a low-immersive environment outperformed the gaming group. A mediation analysis showed that the relation between virtual presence and non-trivial learning outcomes is partly mediated through increased cognitive load.     

Examining the pedagogical foundations of modern educational computer games

This study examines the pedagogical foundations of modern educational (computer video) games. Specifically, Cooper’s [Cooper, H. (1985, Mar 31–April 4). A taxonomy of literature reviews. In Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL] literature review framework was used to locate and examine relevant literature and games (published between the years 2000 and 2007) and to organize and report findings. A total of 50 articles and 55 educational games met specified selection criteria. The pedagogical foundations of the games were further investigated by contacting the authors of the games. Twenty-two games were based on established learning theories or instructional strategies and two games included basic instructional events that were not associated with any particular theory or strategy. No information regarding the pedagogical foundations of the 31 games was found or received. Analysis of the games and supporting literature revealed several patterns of practice that may be used to guide future research and development of educational games.     

Motivational aspects of different learning contexts: “My mom won’t let me play this game…”

Learning motivation should describe mechanisms that direct toward the learning goals, initiate learning activity and hold one‘s learning ability on a level that enables person to attain new information and more complex knowledge. Educational games are emerging as a new form of learning that should improve student’s desire for knowledge. Idea that educational games can be used as an effective teaching tool is what inspires our work in this field. In our study we attempted to explore the connection between motivational effects and application of educational game design as a learning tool. Additionally, we took into consideration effects of this approach on improving final exam results. Our results indicate that designing computer programs can raise enough curiosity and can be seen as a relevant learning tool for students.     

教育游戏在高等院校中的应用研究

教育游戏是教育软件与电脑游戏相结合的产物,它可以为学习者创造一个自由、和谐、有趣的学习环境,有助于学习者更好地掌握相应的知识。文中分析了教育游戏的特点,探讨了将教育游戏引入高等院校的必要性,列举了两个在高校教学中应用教育游戏的实例并进行研究。     

Bringing Commercial Games into the Classroom

One of the challenges facing us when we try to bring commercial materials such as video games into the classroom to be used as educational tools is to identify appropriate strategies of collaboration with teachers, families, and even industries. This paper explores how multimedia contexts can be created in which children become active participants in a digital universe where multiple technologies are present (so that video games are just one of several digital tools). We present several examples derived from specific projects carried out in formal and informal educational contexts, in action research and from ethnographical perspectives. As participant observers in and outside the classroom, we designed workshops as innovative educational contexts; all the sessions were video and audio recorded. Our analysis adopted a socio-cultural perspective. Several preliminary results clearly appeared: (a) Children playing commercial games inside and outside classrooms produce different writing texts depending of the context in which they are generated; (b) using video games combined with other digital technologies seems to be an effective way of introducing children to the content and structure of games considered as dynamic systems; (c) using and reflecting on video games in and outside the school, via discussions in digital media such as blogs or pictures, can contribute to the development of digital literacies as a way of using multimodal discourses. Our main goal at this moment is to design digital materials capable of supporting teachers’ and families’ use of games and in particular, to reveal the rules that organize their structure, codes and symbolic universe.     

Computerized notation analysis in field games

Abstract

Notation analysis can enhance the coaching process, and can provide information for virtually all decisions made with respect to long term and short term strategies, training, selection and scouting for talent. This applies to analysis of movement, actions and skills of individuals and teams.

Notation systems in sport developed rapidly from racket games to team sports. Initially all systems were manual. The development and growth in power and sophistication, together with a decrease in cost, of the micro-computer in the early 1980s has enabled sports analysts to use this tool to simplify data handling. Far greater amounts of data can now be handled, processed and analysed in a fraction of the time taken previously.

Computerized systems, for analysing team games, from Canada and Britain are described. Applications to association football, hockey, Rugby Union and American football have provided insights into successful patterns of play in these games. Recent work, in both these countries, gives a clear indication of likely trends in sport notation systems, given the pace of developments within the microelectronics industry. These may be extended to include applications to areas outside sport.     

A ship motion simulation system

In this article, efficient computational models for ship motions are presented. These models are used to simulate ship movements in real time. Compared with traditional approaches, our method possesses the ability to cope with different ship shapes, engines, and sea conditions without the loss of efficiency. Based on our models, we create a ship motion simulation system for both entertainment and educational applications. Our system assists users to learn the motions of a ship encountering waves, currents, and winds. Users can adjust engine powers, rudders, and other ship facilities via a graphical user interface to create their own ship models. They can also change the environment by altering wave frequencies, wave amplitudes, wave directions, currents, and winds. Therefore, numerous combinations of ships and the environment are generated and the learning becomes more amusing. In our system, a ship is treated as a rigid body floating on the sea surface. Its motions compose of 6 degrees of freedom: pitch, heave, roll, surge, sway, and yaw. These motions are divided into two categories. The first three movements are induced by sea waves, and the last three ones are caused by propellers, rudders, currents, and winds. Based on Newton’s laws and other basic physics motion models, we deduce algorithms to compute the magnitudes of the motions. Our methods can be carried out in real time and possess high fidelity. According to ship theory, the net effects of external forces on the ship hull depend on the ship shape. Therefore, the behaviors of the ship are influenced by its shape. To enhance our physics models, we classify ships into three basic types. They are flat ships, thin ships, and slender ships. Each type of ship is associated with some predefined parameters to specify their characteristics. Users can tune ship behaviors by varying the parameters even though they have only a little knowledge of ship theory.     

Understanding the role of competition in video gameplay satisfaction

One of the key elements in many video games is competition. Based on Self-Determination and Flow theories, this paper explores the process through which competition makes a video game satisfying. A structural model that examines the impacts of Situational Competitiveness (manipulated via modes of competition) and Dispositional Competitiveness (as a personality trait) on gameplay experience is proposed and validated. The results show that the perception of video game competitiveness has a strong effect on Flow experience and Satisfaction. While an individual’s personality impacts the perception of a game’s competitiveness, this perception can also be influenced by the mode of competition.     

Toward operationalization of ‘flow’ in mathematics learnware

Many children are not motivated to learn mathematics. Flow, a type of intrinsic motivation, has been described as an optimal experience in which a learner can derive great joy from a learning activity. This paper examines the importance and application of flow while learning mathematics. An operational model of flow for designing children’s mathematics learnware is proposed. This model is intended to operationalize the characteristics of flow in mathematics learnware in an integrated manner, facilitating the flow experience for children. The suitability of the model is demonstrated through an instantiated operational learnware called Super Tangrams. Super Tangrams aims to facilitate children’s understanding of transformation geometry while making the learning activity enjoyable and a flow experience. A study is reported that evaluates if the operational instance of the model promotes the flow experience while learning mathematics. The results suggest that the model is highly effective.     

Colearning in Differential Games

Game playing has been a popular problem area for research in artificial intelligence and machine learning for many years. In almost every study of game playing and machine learning, the focus has been on games with a finite set of states and a finite set of actions. Further, most of this research has focused on a single player or team learning how to play against another player or team that is applying a fixed strategy for playing the game. In this paper, we explore multiagent learning in the context of game playing and develop algorithms for co-learning in which all players attempt to learn their optimal strategies simultaneously. Specifically, we address two approaches to colearning, demonstrating strong performance by a memory-based reinforcement learner and comparable but faster performance with a tree-based reinforcement learner.     

The higher the score,the higher the learning outcome? Heterogeneous impacts of leaderboards and choice within educational videogames

Interactive multimedia environments such as educational videogames offer great potential for learning in groups with multiple players. Multiplayer games might lead to competition among the learners which is frequently used to motivate them to play again. Additionally, competitive outcomes as discrepancies to a desired standard might differ between players and this type of feedback might influence learning. Therefore, the experiment seeks to investigate learning effects of different amounts of standard discrepancy and the choice to repeat levels. Standard discrepancy was operationalized by either showing a high learner score (low standard discrepancy) or a medium learner score (large standard discrepancy) at a leaderboard. Choice to repeat a level (possibility to repeat vs. no possibility to repeat) was manipulated by presenting or hiding a repeat button. An experiment was conducted with 85 students who played a jump-and-run game in order to learn facts about three allegorical paintings. Results revealed an effect of standard discrepancy on retention performance with higher scores for the high standard discrepancy condition. Choice did not influence learning outcomes, but improved motivational and emotional measures. Findings underpin the new role of leaderboards as feedback mechanisms.     

基于微分对策的供应链合作广告决策研究

针对供应链系统中制造商和零售商的合作广告计划问题,利用微分对策构建动态模型．分别研究制造商和零售商在合作和非合作条件下的广告策略．运用动态规划原理。分别得出静态反馈Nash均衡和反馈Stackelberg均衡,将两种均衡策略加以比较,结果显示合作广告计划是供应链系统中的一种协调和激励机制,可以提高两个渠道成员以及整个供应链系统的利润。