David Richard Moore

Concept Learning and the Limitations of Arcade-Style Games

This study suggests that conceptualization is the primary activity of arcade-style gameplay. Arcade-style game play is primarily a function of presenting concepts to players and continually requiring them to react with finer responses. The degree to which a concept is malleable determines how large its range is in gameplay. In other words, the characteristics of a concept determine its role in gameplay. The primary purpose of this article is to distinguish between two types of concepts; one that is appropriate for arcade style gaming and another that requires a different, more involved style. Designers of games, particularly of educational games, will find guidance for selecting concepts related to their instructional content. DOI: 10.4018/ijgbl.2012070101 2 International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 2(3), 1-10, July-September 2012 Copyright

Exploring gender effects on the spatial probability measure

This paper presents the spatial probability measure (SPM). The SPM is an adapted assessment instrument that attempts to ascertain a learners strength of response or response certitude relative to other options and may be useful to designers of computer-based instruction. The question the study addresses is, does gender influence the degree to which the variable response certitude is expressed through the SPM instrument. Results indicate that gender is not a significant factor in responding to the SPM. Many of the details of this experiment have been excluded for brevity, a full account, as well as additional studies on the SPM are available at http://oak.cats, ohiou.edu//spl sim/moored3 by D.R. Moore (2005).

Preparing Teacher Candidates for Virtual Field Placements Via an Exposure to K-12 Online Teaching

Aim/Purpose The goal of this project was to determine what effects exposure to online K-12 teaching and learning activities had on teacher candidates’ perceptions of K-12 online learning, how the exposure allowed teacher candidates to reach greater understanding of online pedagogy, and what effect such exposure had on teacher candidates’ aspirations to complete virtual field experiences. Background With an increasing number of K-12 students learning online within full-time online schools and in blended learning environments, universities must prepare future educators to teach in virtual environments including clinical practice. Before engaging in online field placement, preservice teachers must be oriented to online K-12 teaching and learning. Methodology Using a design-based, mixed-method research methodology, this study drew samples from four sections of a hybrid technology integration course. Preservice teachers’ papers detailing their perceptions, focus groups, and surveys were used to gauge changes in perceptions of online learning after participating in online teaching and learning activities. Contribution The study demonstrated that an exposure to online K-12 classrooms stimulated preservice teachers’ interest in online teaching as they began to feel that online education could be equivalent to traditional education. Findings Students’ perceptions positively improved the equivalency of online learning to traditional schooling, the possibility of positive relationships between teachers and students, and the ability to create interactive learning. Students also reported being more knowledgeable and showed increased interest in participating in virtual field experiences. Preparing Teacher Candidates for Virtual Field Placements 2 Future Research Future research may continue to examine if the exposure course, combined with a short-term clinical experiences and long-term online apprenticeships may serve to prepare graduates with the skills necessary to teach in classrooms of the future.

Examining participation and engagement in a microblogging-supported college-level hybrid course

Abstract This study sought to understand student participation and engagement in a microblogging-supported college-level hybrid course. Using a case study design, the researchers examined how students participated and engaged in a variety of microblogging-supported instructional activities, including backchanneling, exploration, discussion, and live chat activities. Students were asked to report their perception of their learning experience. Our study suggested that students participated actively in the microblogging-based activities, while challenges remained as well. The degree of participation and engagement varied considerably depending on the type of instructional activity. Despite that students perceived all activities positively, our analyses of student tweets showed that sustained participation and engagement with a high-level of interactivity was rarely achieved among the data.

Haptics-Augmented Training Software for Undergraduate Engineering Mechanics

This paper presents the development efforts for a set of software activities and tutorials to augment teaching and learning in standard required undergraduate engineering mechanics courses. Using these software activities, students can change parameters, predict answers, compare outcomes, interact with animations, and feel the results. The overall system aims to increase teaching and learning effectiveness by rendering the concepts compelling, fun, and engaging. The problem with current examples and homework problems is that they are flat, static, boring, and non-engaging, which may lead to student attrition and a less than full grasp of fundamental principles. We implement integration of haptics technology with educational products to enable improvement in undergraduate engineering mechanics education. The current system is composed of a computer (laptop or desktop), a haptic device and a set of haptic modules. Currently, two modules, Interactive Free-Body Diagram (Box Motion) and Rigid Body Dynamics (Box Motion), were developed and several others are under development.