David Passig

Gender preferences for multimedia interfaces

This study examined the gender differences in the preferences to varying designs of multimedia learning interfaces. In the study it was assumed that design characteristics add to the interest in learning and a taxonomy of design of efficient user interfaces for both boys and girls was developed. The research included 90 children from three kindergarten classes who used interactive multimedia stories. The research subjects responded to questions which elicited their level of satisfaction with the various interfaces. The research findings indicate that there is a significant difference in the level of satisfaction between boys and girls depending on the design of the learning interfaces. This paper reports on the findings which were statistically significant.

Gender interest differences with multimedia learning interfaces

In this study we examined whether there are gender differences in learning interest from different designs of multimedia interfaces. In the study we assumed that design characteristics add to the interest in learning and we developed taxonomy of design of efficient user interfaces both for boys and girls. The research included 90 children from three kindergarten classes, who were exposed to interactive multimedia stories. The research subjects, with the help of a Pollimeter (Lampert, S.I., 1981, A new scale for consumer research: The Pollimeter combines properties for data collection and data analysis. Journal of Advertising Research, 21(2), 23–29), answered to questionnaires, which examined their level of time on task and their level of satisfaction with the various interfaces. The research findings indicate that there is a significant difference between boys and girls in the influence of the design of the learning interfaces on their level of time on task as well as on their level of satisfaction with the different interfaces. Boys on the one hand had a higher level of time on task, and were more familiar with computer games so they looked for assistance through navigational buttons; girls on the other hand tended to ask for help with the game. Girls preferred to include writing into the game and preferred colourful screens full of drawings, which changed slowly. We also found that boys preferred green and blue colours, whilst the girls preferred red and yellow. Generally speaking, we found that girls preferred the components of the Mise-en-scene interface, and boys preferred the components of the Montage interface.

Virtual Reality as a Tool for Improving Spatial Rotation among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the practice of rotating Virtual Reality (VR) three-dimensional (3D) objects will enhance the spatial rotation thinking of deaf and hard-of-hearing children compared to the practice of rotating two-dimensional (2D) objects. Two groups were involved in this study: an experimental group, which included 21 deaf and hardof-hearing children, who played a VR 3D game, and a control group of 23 deaf and hard-of-hearing children, who played a similar 2D (not VR) game. The results clearly indicate that practicing with VR 3D spatial rotations significantly improved the childrens performance of spatial rotation, which enhanced their ability to perform better in other intellectual skills as well as in their sign language skills.

Improving Flexible Thinking in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children with Virtual Reality Technology

The study investigated whether rotating three-dimensional (3-D) objects using virtual reality (VR) will affect flexible thinking in deaf and hard of hearing children. Deaf and hard of hearing subjects were distributed into experimental and control groups. The experimental group played virtual 3-D Tetris (a game using VR technology) individually, 15 minutes once weekly over 3 months. The control group played conventional two-dimensional (2-D) Tetris over the same period. Children with normal hearing participated as a second control group in order to establish whether deaf and hard of hearing children really are disadvantaged in flexible thinking. Before-and-after testing showed significantly improved flexible thinking in the experimental group; the deaf and hard of hearing control group showed no significant improvement. Also, before the experiment, the deaf and hard of hearing children scored lower in flexible thinking than the children with normal hearing. After the experiment, the difference between the experimental group and the control group of children with normal hearing was smaller.

Cognitive intervention through virtual environments among deaf and hard-of-hearing children

The lack of the auditory sense in the hearing-impaired raises the question as to the extent to which this deficiency affects their cognitive and intellectual skills. Studies have pointed out, that with regard to reasoning, particularly when the process of induction is required, hearing-impaired children usually have difficulties. They experience similar difficulties with their ability to think in a flexible way. Generally, a large body of literature suggests that hearing-impaired children tend to be more concrete and rigid in their thought processes. This study aimed at using Virtual Reality as a tool for improving structural inductive processes and the flexible thinking with hearing-impaired children. Three groups were involved in this study: an experimental group, which included 21 deaf and hard-of-hearing children, who played a VR 3D game; a control group, which included 23 deaf and hard-of-hearing children, who played a similar 2D (not VR game); and a second control group of 16 hearing children for whom no intervention was introduced. The results clearly indicate that practising with VR 3D spatial rotations significantly improved inductive thinking and flexible thinking of the hearing-impaired.

Three-Dimensionality as an Effective Mode of Representation for Expressing Sequential Time Perception:

The process of developing concepts of time continues from age 5 to 11 years (Zakay, 1998). This study sought the representation mode in which children could best express time concepts, especially the proper arrangement of events in a logical and temporal order. Usually, temporal order is examined and taught by 2D (2-dimensional) pictorial scripts. Using Bruners (1973, 1986, 1990) representation stages, we tested the comparative effectiveness of VR (Virtual Reality) as a mode of representation on childrens conception of sequential time with the pictorial representation mode, the oral, and textual modes. The study involved 65 participants, aged 4 to 10, in 2 groups: kindergarten and school children. The study examined their ability to arrange episodes of a scenario in which a temporal order exists, using the different modes of representation. The findings demonstrate substantial differences in the temporal order arrangement between the modes of representation. In the 3D VR representation, the subjects had a smaller number of errors than in the other representations. These findings suggest that even though the pictorial mode is the most common way of examining and expressing temporal sequence, we should establish new ways of presenting sequencing so that children will be better able to achieve their full cognitive and academic potential.

Improving children's cognitive modifiability by dynamic assessment in 3D Immersive Virtual Reality environments

Increasing evidence reveals the efficacy of dynamic assessment (DA) procedure in providing rich and reliable feedback regarding childrens cognitive modifiability. The DA procedure included four phases: pre-teaching test, teaching, post-teaching and transfer test two weeks after teaching. The teaching phase includes mediated learning experience strategies. Childrens cognitive modifiability was examined by pre- to post-teaching improvement and by the transfer test. Children in Grades 1 and 2 (n?=?117) were randomly assigned into three experimental groups and one control group. Each of the experimental groups was given the teaching phase in a different modality: 3D Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR, n?=?36), 2D (n?=?36), and tangible blocks (TB, n?=?24). The control group (n?=?21) was not given teaching phase. The teaching phase included strategies of solving problems from the Analogies Subtest of the Cognitive Modifiability Battery (CMB). Pre- and post-teaching CMB Analogies tests were administered to all groups followed by CMB Transfer Analogies two weeks later. The findings indicate that the 2D and TB groups showed higher cognitive modifiability than the control group. Also, the findings indicate that teaching in a 3D IVR environment contributed to the childrens cognitive modifiability more than in the other groups in the CMB Transfer Analogies. The findings are discussed in relation to the unique enhancing characteristics of the 3D IVR condition combined with the applied mediation strategies. Childrens cognitive modifiability was examined using dynamic assessment.Cognitive modifiability was measured in 2 computerized environments: 3D IVR and 2D.3D IVR contributed to the cognitive modifiability more than in the other groups.There was a significantly greater improvement in the analogical thinking in 3D IVR.Experiencing a DA procedure in 3D IVR demonstrate a higher learning potential.

Enhancing Time-Connectives With 3D Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR)

This study sought to test the most efficient representation mode with which children with hearing impairment could express a story while producing connectives indicating relations of time and of cause and effect. Using Bruners (1973, 1986, 1990) representation stages, we tested the comparative effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) as a mode of representation on childrens production of time-connectives with four other modes of representation: pictorial, oral, signed, and textual. One hundred thirty-four participants aged 4–10, 69 children with hearing impairment and 65 hearing children, divided into two age groups, pre-school and elementary school children, took part in this study. The study examined their ability to express time and cause-connectives, using the different modes of representation. The findings demonstrate substantial differences in producing time-connectives with the various modes of representation. The leading mode of representation is 3D IVR among the hearing children, and signed representation and 3D IVR among the children with hearing impairment.

The Interaction between Gender, Age, and Multimedia Interface Design

In this study we assumed that multimedia design contributes to an interest in learning by young children. Thirty kindergarten children were exposed to interactive multimedia stories. With the help of the Pollimeter tool (Lampert, 1981), we examined previous experience with computers, level of covert time-on-task, and level of satisfaction with various interfaces. The findings indicate that different interfaces have a different impact on boys and girls as regards covert time-on-task and level of satisfaction with the interface. Boys who are more familiar with computer games show a greater covert time-on-task than girls, as also a higher level of satisfaction. Younger boys and girls were found to show higher satisfaction than older children.

A taxonomy of ICT mediated future thinking skills

Our future society will be different from that we have known in the last fifty years. Futurists foresee that in the near decades the world’s community will traverse through a period of rapid technological innovations that will change the foundations of society as we used to know. Changes will engulf all aspects of life (Gleick, 1999). These changes will have great impact on society, work, culture and art. People will have to innovate or evaporate. They will have to adapt continuously to never-ending permutations and engage in a never-ending adaptation. It makes sense, therefore, to assume that the graduates of today’s schooling will need a different set of cognitive and learning skills reflecting the profound change that they will encounter. This paper traces the basic nature of future society and proposes a relevant taxonomy of future cognitive skills that will provide our students with appropriate tools to succeed in the future. We have used Bloom’s taxonomy as a working ground and expanded his categories to reflect the needs of the future. This paper suggests an additional cognitive category to add to our teaching procedures named melioration, which we believe, is not addressed in today’s curriculum.