Enrica Pesare

Game-based learning and Gamification to promote engagement and motivation in medical learning contexts

Smart learning environments can be defined as systems aimed at proposing innovative uses of emerging pedagogical approaches and technologies to support effective learning experiences. In the past years, rather than designing and developing even more advanced technological solutions attention has been focused on defining environments that adopt appropriate strategies to sustain student motivation and engagement. Game-based learning and gamification approaches could be a promising solution, since there is much experimental evidence that proves their effect. In this context, our research aims at defining and developing a Smart Learning Environment able to improve engagement and motivation by means of game-based learning and gamification approaches. In particular, the paper presents two serious games that, using the gamification dimensions, aim at sustaining engagement and motivation in learning processes in medical contexts. In particular, the games involve both the patients, who have to acquire knowledge and skills about their disease, in order to become responsible for their choices, and the medical and paramedical staff, who must acquire knowledge and skills about diagnostic procedures, therapeutic interventions and follow-up of patients. Some results of a user test show that the games enhance student motivation and this means improvement also in knowledge acquisition.

Digitally enhanced assessment in virtual learning environments

One of the main challenges in teaching and learning activities is the assessment: it allows teachers and learners to improve the future activities on the basis of the previous ones. It allows a deep analysis and understanding of the whole learning process. This is particularly difficult in virtual learning environments where a general overview is not always available. In the latest years, Learning Analytics are becoming the most popular methods to analyze the data collected in the learning environments in order to support teachers and learners in the complex process of learning. If they are properly integrated in learning activities, indeed, they can supply useful information to adapt the activities on the basis of students needs. In this context, the paper presents a solution for the digitally enhanced assessment. Two different Learning Dashboards have been designed in order to represent the most interesting Learning Analytics aiming at providing teachers and learners with easy understandable view of learning data in virtual learning environments.

Smart Learning Environments Using Social Network, Gamification and Recommender System Approaches in e-Health Contexts

The fundamental role that ICT plays in the process of modernization of education and training, whether in formal or informal, is now universally recognized. The lifelong learning become increasingly urgent in many areas such as, for example, adult education, innovation and learning in the workplaces, health & wellbeing, cultural heritage, and so on. This requires the creation of learning paths cantered on the specific needs of the individual, for the development of skills and abilities as well as for the acquisition of content. Re-inventing the ecosystem training and re-strengthen the teaching and learning in the digital age, through practices more open and innovative in order to create learning experiences richer, engaging and motivating, is a priority. The article presents some solutions of smart learning environment in e-health domain that combines pedagogical approaches of social learning and game-based learning with technological approaches of the social network and recommender systems in order to provide engaging learning experiences.

Visualizing student engagement in e-learning environment.

The learning assessment in e-learning contexts is one of the latest challenges for educational technology researchers. One of the main issues to be addressed is the definition of dimensions that should be used to measure the learning effectiveness. In this perspective, the research work aims at defining the engagement indicators useful to assess the active participation of students in social learning environments. Moreover, the paper presents the design and implementation of Learning Dashboards aimed at visualizing the student engagement in online communities where the engagement and involvement of students are the key factors for successful learning. KeywordsAssessment; Learning Analytics; Learning dashboard; Social learning environments; Engagement.

Engagement in Social Learning: Detecting Engagement in Online Communities of Practice

The education in informal learning contexts is spreading over the world. In these contexts, from a pedagogical point of view, the most used approaches is the social learning and, in particular the communities of practice (CoP). From a technological point of view, the social network is the framework most used to allow users to interact and to share resources. Several aspects have been identified as key factors for the success of the community, the engagement is one of the most important. Thus, in order to guarantee a successful learning process in a CoP it is necessary to detect and monitor user’s engagement in a continuous and unobtrusive way. The research proposes a model to detect and measure the engagement in online communities by means Social Learning Analytics from log files.

Are Computer Adaptive Tests suitable for assessment in MOOCs

Assessment is one of the basic issues in both formal and informal educational contexts. Current online courses are massive and online, thus it is important to find new strategies for improve the effectiveness of evaluation. In MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), indeed, there is also the certification of knowledge and skills acquisition that requires more formal and trustworthy methods. Researchers should work to combine pedagogical and technological solutions to guarantee the effectiveness of learning measures. In this context, the Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) could be useful to better measure the knowledge acquisition using a quiz, as usually happens in MOOCs. These are the premises of this research work that, in order to understand if CAT could be suitable for assessment in MOOCs, proposes a first algorithm to measure the acquired knowledge using a quiz-game. The pilot study attests the appreciation of users.

Intelligent Agent and Virtual Game to support education in e-health

The education in e-health play an important role in particular in context of chronic diseases. The empowerment process aims at enhancing the patient knowledge and skills in order to allow them to be aware of their health status. The paper presents a serious game that is addressed to young children with type I diabetes and uses the coaching strategy. The coach has been designed and developed as an Intelligent Agent using a knowledge base about the diabetes intervenes to suggest the best action to do or to correct wrong behaviours. A first pilot test was conducted to measure the learning effectiveness and usability of the game. The results were promising. Virtual game; Intelligent game; Serious game; Coaching strategy.