Empirical evaluation of an educational game on software measurement

Software measurement is considered important in improving the software process. However, teaching software measurement remains a challenging issue. Although, games and simulations are regarded powerful tools for learning, their learning effectiveness is not rigorously established. This paper describes the results of an explorative study to investigate the learning effectiveness of a game prototype on software measurement in order to make an initial judgment about its potential as an educational tool as well as to analyze its appropriateness, engagement and strengths & weaknesses as guidance for further evolution. Within the study, a series of experiments was conducted in parallel in three master courses in Brazil. Results of the study reveal that the participants consider the content and structure of the game appropriate, but no indication for a significant difference on learning effectiveness could be shown.

A multilevel analysis of the effects of external rewards on elementary students' motivation,engagement and learning in an educational game

This study investigated the effects of external rewards on fifth graders' motivation, engagement and learning while playing an educational game. We were interested in exploring whether the feedback-rich environment of the game could mitigate the predicted negative effects of external rewards. Data of students' engagement and learning were collected and analyzed at multiple levels. A quasi-experimental design was used to examine the effect of external rewards in one group (n = 50) compared to a control group without such rewards (n = 56). According to the results, the external rewards did not undermine students' motivation (e.g., at proximal and distal levels), however they did not foster disciplinary engagement. On the other hand, students in the reward condition showed significantly larger gains in conceptual understanding (proximal) and non-significantly larger gains in achievement (distal). These results suggest that the predicted negative consequences of external rewards may be addressed in this new generation of learning environments. Future research and contributions of the study are provided.     

Using Cultural‐Historical Activity Theory to design and evaluate an educational game in science education

The aim of this paper is to describe a methodology for using Cultural‐Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) at the initial stages of the design process of an educational game, by exploring how the theory can be used as a framework for producing not only usable but also useful computer tools. The research also aimed to investigate how the theory could be used for designing computer tools for learning science. Although CHAT and specifically the concepts of ‘activity system’ and ‘contradictions’ were used as the basis for the design and development of the educational game, subsidiary design guidelines also contributed significantly to this process. These derived from the research fields of Human Computer Interaction and Science Education and from students' everyday experiences when playing video games at home. The educational game produced was concerned with the teaching and learning of ‘Expansion and Contraction of Air’ in primary science, a subject that existing research suggests is conceptually difficult for students. As far as the main outcomes of the study are concerned, it was revealed through the implementation of the game that contradictions could be adequately resolved, while stakeholders' needs and motives could be appropriately addressed.     

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.     

Motivation in software engineering industrial practice: A cross-case analysis of two software organisations

ContextThe research about motivation in software engineering has provided important insights into characterizing factors and outcomes related to motivation. However, the complex relationships among these factors, including the moderating and mediating effects of organisational and individual characteristics, still require deeper explanatory investigation.ObjectiveOur general goal is to build explanatory theories of motivation in different software organisations and to integrate these local theories towards a comprehensive understanding of the role of motivation in the effectiveness of the individuals and the teams in which they work. In this article, we describe the integrative synthesis of the results of two case studies performed with software organisations in different business contexts.MethodWe performed two case studies using a multiple-case, replication design, focusing on the software engineers as the unit of analysis. For 13 months, we conducted semi structured interviews, diary studies, and document analyses, and analysed the collected data using grounded theory procedures. The results of the two cases were synthesized using a meta-ethnography supported process.ResultsWe built translations of the concepts and propositions from the two studies into one another. We then used the translations to build a central story of motivation that synthesizes the individual stories. This synthesis is contextualized by the differences in organisational and individual characteristics.ConclusionThe differences in organisational contexts and in the characteristics of the software engineers in each study provided rich explanations for contrasts in perceptions and feelings about motivation in both organisations. The theory that emerged from the synthesis, supported by these explanations, provides a deeper understanding of the interplay between motivators and outcomes, and the needs and personal goals of the software engineers. This theory also characterises the role of team cohesion in motivation, advancing previous models about motivation in software engineering.     

Engineering education as a part of industrial society—product quality, process quality and quality in engineering education

The task assigned to the engineer is to develop and to produce engineering products that improve the welfare of humanity. Common to these products is, or should be, the fact that they meet human needs. It is important that each product reaches those who have need for it at the correct time, price and quality. Dr J.M. Juran, pioneer in quality control, has defined quality as “fitness for use”. Production should always be as rational and as cost-effective as possible. Process quality has to be balanced to the quality of the product and the rationality of the process. At the high-tech level we experience today, it is technically demanding to develop and produce engineering products. This is not possible without very skilled engineers.     

A model for evaluating the effectiveness of remote engineering laboratories and simulations in education

Economic pressures on universities and the emergence of new technologies have spurred the creation of new systems for delivering engineering laboratories in education, in particular simulations and remote-access laboratory systems. Advocates of simulation argue that physical labs needlessly consume university space and students’ time. However, proponents of hands-on laboratories argue that student engineers should be exposed to real environments. Remote laboratories have appeared as a third option. These laboratories are similar to simulation techniques in that they require minimal space and time, because the experiments can be rapidly configured and run over the Internet. But unlike simulations, they provide real data. Studying the relative effectiveness of these modes of delivering student laboratories is complex, for the underlying technology of the laboratory is just one of many possible factors that could influence effectiveness. For example, the interface to the equipment may be of importance, as might the discussions students have among themselves. This paper presents a model for testing the relative effectiveness of engineering laboratories in education that takes account of these and other factors. The results are presented for an assessment study comparing versions of remote labs versus hands-on labs in a junior-level mechanical engineering course on machine dynamics and mechanisms. The results suggest that students learned lab content information equally well from both types of laboratories, and that they have a realistic understanding and appreciation of the practical advantages of remote laboratories.     

Living labs as an opportunity for experiential learning in building engineering education

Building performance – spanning energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, indoor environmental quality, etc. – is fundamental to the field of building engineering, yet it is typically taught with idealistic assumptions and traditional, teacher-centred, lecture-based methods. A promising emerging approach for university-level building engineering education is experiential learning, whereby students actively engage in complex tasks with real building data that reflect the kinds of problems graduates are likely to encounter in the workplace. To bridge the academic and employability skills and knowledge that they are developing through these tasks, students participate in reflective activities that help them to articulate the relevance and implications of the experience for lifelong learning. The objective of this paper is to assess the teaching and learning effectiveness of a data- and information-centric experiential learning approach to university-level engineering education. This paper reflects upon a particular course-based initiative informed by experiential learning theory that engaged fourth-year students in the life cycle of a new building on a university campus that was equipped with state-of-the-art building controls technologies. Students were provided access to a living lab resource with diverse artefacts from the building: drawings and building information models, guest lectures and technical tours, and live/historic data for the building. A series of assignments provided students with simulated problem scenarios to solve through the application of the building data as well as reflection prompts about their problem-solving process. The present paper details the assignments and the nature of the living lab data, students’ assignment results, and students and teaching assistants’ feedback on the overall teaching approach. The findings indicate a significant and continuous improvement in the reception and perceived educational value of the experiential assignments over the four-month term, suggesting living labs are a promising source of educational material for experiential learning. The paper concludes with lessons learned from the current course about experiential learning in building engineering education that can be applied more broadly to future courses in the field.     

Evaluation of hypertext in an activity learning environment

Abstract This paper presents a study which evaluates the use and efficiency of two computer learning tools for basic virology. The first, VIROLAB, is a simulation of a biology laboratory in which the learner uses virtual lab facilities to help defective viruses to multiply. The system also includes a hypertext that provides learners with some knowledge on virology. The second tool is the hypertext which has been extracted from VIROLAB and which is now considered as an independent learning environment. This study addressed two specific questions: (1) which of the two tools was the most efficient for knowledge acquisition, and (2) were there any differences in the use of the two hypertexts? Comparison of pre‐ and post‐test scores showed that neither of the two learning tools is better than the other. However, analysis of the navigation paths showed that VIROLAB users dissociated the reading of the integrated hypertext from the problem resolution activities. The implications of this finding for the design of the learning environment are discussed.     

Implementing flexible hybrid instruction in an electrical engineering course: The best of three worlds?

This study explored a modified version of hybrid instruction, referred to as the flexible hybrid format, in a lower division electrical engineering course offered at a large public university. The objective of the study is to use longitudinal data to investigate the impact of class attendance, out-of-class study time, and motivation on student exam performance. Generalized least squares and fixed effects models were used in the analyses. It was found that class attendance was indispensable; it was associated with exam performance even when all essential course material was made available online and students generally rated the online instruction component to be of higher quality. The benefit of class attendance was then explained by the ICAP hypothesis and spaced learning practice and it was suggested that online education might be more effective in teaching relatively simpler contents. Out-of-class effort significantly predicated performance in previous weeks, but not in the final period. The harmful effect of cramming was cited to explain this phenomenon. Hence, by implication, time management might be an issue in a flexible hybrid environment. Finally, motivation was found to be a robust predicator of performance and its effect was the strongest when the course was at its most challenging stage. Besides, the relationship between motivation and exam performance was likely to be bidirectional, as higher motivation resulted in better performance, which in turn further boosted motivation. Based on current findings, directions for future research were also suggested to verify our claims and improve our implementation.     

The effectiveness of adaptive difficulty adjustments on students' motivation and learning in an educational computer game

Computer games that adaptively adjust difficulty are used to continuously challenge players according to their abilities. The adjustment of difficulty occurs automatically in response to a game's ongoing assessment of a player's performance. This approach to difficulty adjustment is likely to be of value in educational computer games as a means of scaffolding learning for students. However, there is limited research evaluating the effectiveness of educational computer games with adaptive difficulty adjustment when compared to non-adaptive difficulty adjustment. To expand on this research a quasi-experimental study was designed to isolate the impact of the difficulty adjustment game element on motivation and learning. A total of 234 secondary school students were allocated to one of three activities involving learning about Spanish cognates: an adaptive difficulty adjustment game, an incremental difficulty adjustment game that was non-adaptive, and a written activity. The three learning activities were designed following the same learning and motivation theories. The two games were identical apart from the difficulty adjustment mechanism. The results for motivation indicated that all students experienced high levels and there was no significant difference between the three learning activities. The pre- and post-tests results for learning indicated that significantly higher learning outcomes were achieved by students who played the adaptive game. Analysis of a game log recording the correctness of students' responses indicated that the adaptive difficulty adjustment game, in contrast to the non-adaptive incremental difficulty adjustment game, provided a scaffolding structure to enhance student learning.     

Design of educational and ICT conditions to integrate differences in learning: Contextual learning theory and a first transformation step in early education

Educational differentiation and ICT can be designed to better recognize and integrate learning differences across students particularly by assisting instructional management and the self-regulation of students. A conceptual framework for such practice is elaborated here. First, learning as an interactional co-constructive process at various levels is considered. The diagnostic, instructional, management, and system aspects of the learning process can be stimulated and maximized. Second, differentiation of learning procedures and materials, design of integrating ICT support, and improvement of development and learning progress are recommended as contextual conditions to optimize the learning process. The combination of the learning aspects with these contextual conditions provides theoretical guidelines for the transition from a nondifferentiating system of education to a differentiating, ICT-based system of instructional management for all students. Information is given about the realization of two of the differentiation guidelines and all ICT design guidelines. The first products were used in kindergarten, to start the improvement of educational practice. This occurred in co-development with kindergarten teachers of three Dutch kindergartens. Information is given about the process and outcomes of this first transformation step in practice. Finally, next co-development steps are discussed.     

Software features for the estimation of an operators’ group activity in man-machine system

Methods for the selection of candidates for operators of man-machine systems are analyzed. Vector mean estimates of group intelligence and estimates defining the group’s collective decision-making ability to obtain the unified solution to the selection problem and to retain the correct original solution to the problem, and estimates of solution quality and interoperability in correct decision-making are proposed. The properties of the suggested estimates are studied with a test example of five candidates. Amongst these properties are estimates of the group’s psychological traits, such as average estimates of professional competence, static components of the intelligence vector for tested candidates, components of the trainability vector for tested candidates, average intelligence estimates for tested candidates, average estimates for the basis of groups, average different-mindedness estimates of groups, variations in the trainability of operators, and arithmetic estimates of group intelligence variability such as levels of awareness, knowledge level, mean speed of knowledge variation, comprehension and motivation in operators’ reasoning.     

Exploring the effects of emotional design and emotional intelligence in multimedia-based learning: an engineering educational perspective

ABSTRACT

Emotions are an important aspect in learning and with the current boom in instructional technology, researchers are exploring methods to investigate how emotions may be manipulated to positively influence online learning. One such method is by adapting the theory of emotional design through multimedia elements. This theory emphasises on individuality and metacognition in exploring these learning outcomes and by this we choose to explore the effects of emotional intelligence (EI). We replicated the methodology used in previous research studies in emotional design in multimedia learning by further exploring the gaps from those studies especially the effects of negative design, EI and a new sample that primarily focusses on engineering undergraduates in Malaysia. This study was designed as a quantitative quasi-experimental using a 3?×?2 factorial design. Based on the findings, it was found that emotional design is a better predictor of cognitive outcomes, whereas EI was a better predictor of emotional outcomes such as motivation and satisfaction for multimedia-based learning. It was also found that positive and negative designs have similar effects on students’ learning outcomes, while EI affected perceived satisfaction in each design.     

Evaluation of holding handheld scanner on muscle activity,heart rate variability,and model accuracy in industrial applications

PurposeThe capabilities of handheld scanners have been investigated previously in different applications, without considering its impact on the accuracy of model, heart rate variability (HRV), subjective measurements, and worker muscular activity. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of using two handheld scanners, elevation, and orientation of object that is scanned on the basis of aforementioned parameters.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve these objectives, electromyographic measurements of six muscles were obtained. Moreover, dependent variables include; NASA task load index (NASA-TLX) as a subjective measure, HRV, and accuracy of the model; while, the scanner-type (laser versus white light scanner), target orientation (0° versus 45°), and elevation (50 cm versus 80 cm table height) were the independent variables.FindingsThe results of the within-subject design indicated that a light scanner exhibited less accurate performance, lower cardiac cost, less subjective NASA-TLX, and less task execution time than the laser scanner.Originality/valueWhen using the laser scanner, to reduce muscle contraction and decrease the subjective NASA-TLX, the target elevation and orientation angle with respect to the horizontal plane must be 80 cm and 45°, respectively. However, when using the light scanner, to reduce muscle contraction and the subjective NASA-TLX, the target elevation and orientation angle with respect to the horizontal plane must be 50 cm and 0°, respectively. Furthermore, cardiac rhythms were less stressed when using the laser scanner at a 50 cm target elevation and light scanner at an 80 cm target elevation.     

Making HCI theory work: an analysis of the use of activity theory in HCI research

This paper reports a study of the use of activity theory in human–computer interaction (HCI) research. We analyse activity theory in HCI since its first appearance about 25 years ago. Through an analysis and meta-synthesis of 109 selected HCI activity theory papers, we created a taxonomy of 5 different ways of using activity theory: (1) analysing unique features, principles, and problematic aspects of the theory; (2) identifying domain-specific requirements for new theoretical tools; (3) developing new conceptual accounts of issues in the field of HCI; (4) guiding and supporting empirical analyses of HCI phenomena; and (5) providing new design illustrations, claims, and guidelines. We conclude that HCI researchers are not only users of imported theory, but also theory-makers who adapt and develop theory for different purposes.     

Relational database as a tool in industrial design. Experience from a human factors engineering analysis of a module for manned space-flight

A human factors engineering analysis was carried out to verify that the CUPOLA—a module developed by the European Space Agency for the International Space Station—complies with an extensive set of human factors requirements. Analysis was carried out in three steps: task analysis, computer simulation of tasks and empirical test of tasks in a physical mock up. In advance to each step the method of assessment and type of information to be obtained were determined in detail and the way of documentation was established as input forms to a relational database. Advantages and drawbacks of this early formalisation as seen by project members are discussed in the present paper.

Relevance to industry

The method of early formalisation by a relational database used throughout the project showed to be a suitable tool in this human factors analysis of a working place under design. Early formalisation of the results and documentation served as a quality system supporting a homogeneous high standard of data collection and documentation. In industry, the use of relational databases underlying Product Data Management systems increases. This makes it relevant to try and link human factors work to these methods of documentation in order to promote the integration of human factors work at an early stage of product and production development.     

ICT for development in the context of the closure of Chernobyl nuclear power plant: an activity theory perspective

This paper provides an analysis of a broadband implementation in the town of Slavutych, Ukraine. Slavutych was purposefully built 50 km from Chernobyl shortly after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) disaster in 1986 to house personnel of ChNPP and their families evacuated from the city of Prip'yat. Drawing on activity theory, and in particular the notion of activity systems, we demonstrate how an activity system approach can be used to frame Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) intervention. We highlight the tools used to mediate the activity, the activity motivation and the relevant stakeholders and examine the role of ‘contradictions’. Using the notion of connected activities, we also provide some theoretical basis for understanding the emergence of activities and conceptualising the impact of development projects, arguing that the outcome of an activity leads to/is consumed by other related activities. This paper contributes to scholarship in the field of ICTD using an empirical case in a complex setting and furthers theoretical development by advancing an activity system perspective for understanding and theorising ICTD interventions.     

Thermodynamic activity of solute in multicomponent alloy from first-principles: Excess Mg in Mg3(Sb1-xBix)2 as an example

Assessment of the thermodynamic activity and solid solubility for solute element in multi-component alloy is critical in thermodynamics, but an effective first-principles estimation of the parameter has been an unsolved issue for many years. By taking the excess Mg in Mg₃(Sb_1-xBi_x)₂ alloy as an example, Mg atoms could occupy the regular lattice sites and the interstitial sites as well, which makes the estimation of thermodynamic activity of Mg solute not easy. In this work, we develop a model to estimate the activity and solid solubility of Mg in alloys such as Mg₃(Sb_1-xBi_x)₂ by considering the formation energy contribution from both Mg interstitials and Mg vacancies, and the associated entropies to final Gibbs energy. Accurate assessment of the parameter by using first-principles thermodynamics approach is also realized. The estimated activity of Mg in Mg₃Bi₂ and Mg₃Sb₂ reproduce well the available experimental results. The solubility limits of Mg and equilibrium concentrations of Mg interstitials and Mg vacancies in Mg₃(Sb_1-xBi_x)₂ are also estimated. The results could be used to understand Mg–Mg₃Sb₂–Mg₃Bi₂ phase diagram as well as the Mg effect on thermoelectric performance of Mg₃(Sb_1-xBi_x)₂ alloy.