Hsien Sheng Hsiao

Development of children's creativity and manual skills within digital game-based learning environment

In this study, we developed a digital game-based learning (DGBL) system, called the ToES, to foster students’ creativity. Fifty-one fifth-grade students from two classes in a public school in Taipei, Taiwan, were recruited and consented to participate. Both classes consisted of students with mixed abilities studying a foundation unit entitled “Electrical Science” in a natural science course. One class was chosen to be the experimental group (EG) and the other class was the control group (CG). The goal of this study was to examine how different instructional strategies (i.e., traditional instruction and instruction using digital games) affected the students’ creativity and their performance on manual skills. The analytical results indicated that the students’ creativity and their performance on manual skills displayed positive growth when they were involved in acquiring knowledge and resolving tasks in a DGBL environment, which fostered their creativity and facilitated the generation of flow experiences. Moreover, there were three interesting findings related to the use of DGBL: (1) the ToES was an effective learning tool for cultivating the students’ creativity; (2) there was a positive effect of creativity and their performance of manual skills; and (3) the ToES accelerated the improvement of practical behaviors regarding manual skills. Highlights We design a digital game with creativity called the ToES. We prove differences in creativity and manual skills between traditional classroom and digital game-based environment. Students were able to achieve better learning performances in DGBL environment. DGBL facilitates the generation of flow experience.

The minimum distance diagram of double-loop networks

The goal of the fault diagnosis agreement (FDA) problem is to make each fault-free processor detect/locate a common set of faulty processors. The problem is examined on processors with mixed fault model (also referred to as hybrid fault model). An evidence-based fault diagnosis protocol is proposed to solve the FDA problem. The proposed protocol first collects the messages which have accumulated in the Byzantine agreement protocol as the evidence. By examining the collected evidence, a fault-free processor can detect/locate which processor is faulty. Then, the network can be reconfigured by removing the detected faulty processors and the links connected to these processors from the network. The proposed protocol can detect/locate the maximum number of faulty processors to solve the FDA problem.It is well-known that the minimum distance diagram of a double-loop network yields an L-shape. It is important to know, for a given L-shape, whether there exists a double-loop network realizing it. Necessary and sufficient conditions were given before, but were said to be cumbersome. They also need some clarification. We give new conditions and a simple proof. We also prove that all double-loop networks realizing the same L-shape are isomorphic as the existing proof was given in a Spanish dissertation.The goal of the fault diagnosis agreement (FDA) problem is to make each fault-free processor detect/locate a common set of faulty processors. The problem is examined on processors with mixed fault model (also referred to as hybrid fault model). An evidence-based fault diagnosis protocol is proposed to solve the FDA problem. The proposed protocol first collects the messages which have accumulated in the Byzantine agreement protocol as the evidence. By examining the collected evidence, a fault-free processor can detect/locate which processor is faulty. Then, the network can be reconfigured by removing the detected faulty processors and the links connected to these processors from the network. The proposed protocol can detect/locate the maximum number of faulty processors to solve the FDA problem.

Reaching Fault Diagnosis Agreement under a Hybrid Fault Model

The goal of the fault diagnosis agreement (FDA) problem is to make each fault-free processor detect/locate a common set of faulty processors. The problem is examined on processors with mixed fault model (also referred to as hybrid fault model). An evidence-based fault diagnosis protocol is proposed to solve the FDA problem. The proposed protocol first collects the messages which have accumulated in the Byzantine agreement protocol as the evidence. By examining the collected evidence, a fault-free processor can detect/locate which processor is faulty. Then, the network can be reconfigured by removing the detected faulty processors and the links connected to these processors from the network. The proposed protocol can detect/locate the maximum number of faulty processors to solve the FDA problem.It is well-known that the minimum distance diagram of a double-loop network yields an L-shape. It is important to know, for a given L-shape, whether there exists a double-loop network realizing it. Necessary and sufficient conditions were given before, but were said to be cumbersome. They also need some clarification. We give new conditions and a simple proof. We also prove that all double-loop networks realizing the same L-shape are isomorphic as the existing proof was given in a Spanish dissertation.The goal of the fault diagnosis agreement (FDA) problem is to make each fault-free processor detect/locate a common set of faulty processors. The problem is examined on processors with mixed fault model (also referred to as hybrid fault model). An evidence-based fault diagnosis protocol is proposed to solve the FDA problem. The proposed protocol first collects the messages which have accumulated in the Byzantine agreement protocol as the evidence. By examining the collected evidence, a fault-free processor can detect/locate which processor is faulty. Then, the network can be reconfigured by removing the detected faulty processors and the links connected to these processors from the network. The proposed protocol can detect/locate the maximum number of faulty processors to solve the FDA problem.

Using a gesture interactive game-based learning approach to improve preschool children's learning performance and motor skills

Children love to play games, and early childhood is a critical time for developing motor skills. This study combined gesture-based computing technology and a game-based learning model to develop a gesture interactive game-based learning (GIGL) approach that was suitable for preschool children. In this research, the ASUS Xtion PRO was used as a game-based device to build a virtual interactive learning environment for preschoolers. The aim of this study was to implement the GIGL approach to improve the learning performance and motor skills (namely, coordination and agility) of the participants. Based on a quasi-experiment involving 105 preschoolers (average age 5.5 years), the results showed that the participants who used the GIGL approach demonstrated better learning performance and motor skills than those who used the traditional activity game-based learning approach, and the statistics showed a significant deviation between the two approaches. Thus, this study provides additional evidence that using a GIGL approach is an effective learning method that improves both learning performance and motor skills to a greater extent compared with the traditional activity game-based learning approach. This study developed a gesture interactive game-based learning approach.It combined gesture-based computing technology and game-based learning model.A quasi-experiment with 105 preschoolers (average age 5.5 years) was conducted.Learning performance and motor skills (coordination and agility) were evaluated.This approach improved both learning performance and motor skills.

Designing Constructivist Learning Environment in Online Game

To date, online games have increasingly become the dominant form of computer games particularly for children and adolescents. From the educational point of view, online games almost possess the key features of a constructivist learning environment. In this paper we present an online game-based learning model for designing constructivist learning environment and propose an instance to illustrate how to implement it.

The influence of Chinese character handwriting diagnosis and remedial instruction system on learners of Chinese as a foreign language

This study designed and developed a Chinese character handwriting diagnosis and remedial instruction (CHDRI) system to improve Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners’ ability to write Chinese characters. The CFL learners were given two tests based on the CHDRI system. One test focused on Chinese character handwriting to diagnose the CFL learners’ errors in the stroke order and their knowledge of Chinese characters, while the other test focused on the spatial structure of Chinese characters. Sixty-five participants, who had a strong desire to learn Chinese characters, voluntarily participated in this study. The results revealed that the CHDRI system enhanced the CFL learners’ ability to write Chinese characters and to understand the spatial structure of Chinese characters, especially Sinosphere CFL learners. Moreover, it was found that remedial instruction materials not only reduced the amount of time the teacher spent coaching CFL learners in Chinese language learning but also facilitated the teachers ability to provide feedback to individual learners.

Using cognitive affective interaction model to construct on-line game for creativity

The paper constructed an online game for Creativity. The development of the game is based on the Cognitive Affective Interaction Model that was designed to help students develop the skills for divergent and creative thinking. First, we proposed a framework for designing creativity games. Then, an online game system is constructed with the strategies of teaching for creativity. We proved that the creativity of the learners can be improved by the proposed game-based learning system. Conclusively, game-based learning creates a new opportunity for creativity.

“iRobiQ”: the influence of bidirectional interaction on kindergarteners’ reading motivation, literacy, and behavior

This study focused on an intelligent robot which was viewed as a language teaching/learning tool to improve children’s reading ability, reading interest, and learning behavior. The iRobiQ, with its multimedia contents, was employed to encourage children to read, speak, and answer questions. Fifty-seven pre-kindergarteners participated in this study, and they were divided into an experimental group (30 children using iRobiQ) and a control group (27 children using a tablet-PC). After 2 months of experiments, the reading ability of the experimental group was better than that of the control group. It was found that using iRobiQ as a learning tool had many advantages, for example, the enhancement of learners’ reading literacy, in comparison with the use of tablet-PC. In this study, there were three interesting findings: (1) iRobiQ is a more effective learning companion as compared to tablet-PC; (2) iRobiQ is a bidirectional interactive toy; and (3) iRobiQ can foster and promote the peer collaboration and competition because it has intriguing characteristics, particularly its communicative and interactive functions. The bidirectional interactive robots allow pre-kindergarten teachers to create more active and interactive learning environment for children and provide the children with more various learning contents.

Collaborative Early EFL Reading among Distributed Learners: A Simulation Pilot Study

In this paper, we designed a wireless peer-assisted leaning system for early EFL reading to enhance online collaborative EFL reading and provide distributed EFL learners with an opportunity to teach and learn with each other. Compare with the control group, the result shows that wireless EFL reading is emerging as a flexible and portable solution to the pedagogical challenges exist in conventional EFL reading teaching instruction.

Hierarchical state machine architecture for regular expression pattern matching

Regular expression has been widely used in network intrusion detection system to represent attack patterns due to its expressive power and flexibility. However, the traditional memory architecture suffers from the problem of memory explosion for certain types of complex regular expressions. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical state machine architecture which can significantly reduce the memory required to accommodate complex regular expression patterns. The experiments demonstrate a significant reduction in memory for the complex regular expression patterns commonly used in network intrusion detection systems.