{"title":"Supporting collective learning experiences in special education","authors":"Catia Afonseca, S. Badia","doi":"10.1109/SEGAH.2013.6665299","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SEGAH.2013.6665299","url":null,"abstract":"Down Syndrome (DS) is one of the most common causes of cognitive disability in our society. In DS, cognitive skills are impaired, and learning requires personalized attention and specific special education approaches. In this context, computer mediated learning, and in particular computer games, are promising as potential tools for the personalization of learning and for engaging users in motivating and stimulating learning experiences. In this paper, we present a virtual reality gaming approach to support DS education, with particular emphasis in collective learning in small group settings. The proposed system addresses some of the main limitations in DS such as training of association and composition/decomposition tasks. Here we present the development of the system and results of a pilot study with special education instructors (N=3) and DS participants (N=4). The results show a high degree of acceptance and suggest that our system can be a valuable tool to support both, instructors and DS users, in the learning experience. In addition, our results support the use of integrated computer based interactive board systems with multiple DS users. We find that group settings seem to be more effective at engaging DS participants and encouraging their autonomy and initiative.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"111 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123548484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luís Torrão, Sandro Queirós, P. M. Teixeira, J. Vilaça, N. Rodrigues
{"title":"Palco: A multisensor realtime 3D cartoon production system","authors":"Luís Torrão, Sandro Queirós, P. M. Teixeira, J. Vilaça, N. Rodrigues","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665314","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665314","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents Palco, a prototype system specifically designed for the production of 3D cartoon animations. The system addresses the specific problems of producing cartoon animations, where the main objective is not to reproduce realistic movements, but rather animate cartoon characters with predefined and characteristic body movements and facial expressions. The techniques employed in Palco are simple and easy to use, not requiring any invasive or complicated motion capture system, as both body motion and facial expression of actors are captured simultaneously, using an infrared motion detection sensor, a regular camera and a pair of electronically instrumented gloves. The animation process is completely actor-driven, with the actor controlling the character movements, gestures, facial expression and voice, all in realtime. The actor controlled cartoonification of the captured facial and body motion is a key functionality of Palco, and one that makes it specifically suited for the production of cartoon animations.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"66 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133991052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"My Crohn's diease on real time information","authors":"Cláudia Pernencar","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665304","url":null,"abstract":"Living with chronic diseases have an enormous impact in patients daily lifes. For doctors and clinics dealing with all the information details of each patient it's not easy also. When we have other external user, the patient's family becomes even more complex, because of privacy polities and environments. This research intended to recognize paths to create a framework “My Crohn” based on real time information for different kind of interfaces using an iterative process design to redesigned health information, through overlapping multidisciplinary methodologies, in order to get heterogenetic interfaces and innovate in the user's experience as a way to understand the HCI ecosystems for e-health interfaces.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"85 21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130861684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Carmo, Ricardo Gonçalves, Rui Batalau, José Guilherme, A. Palmeira
{"title":"Active video games in schools to enhance children's physical activity","authors":"J. Carmo, Ricardo Gonçalves, Rui Batalau, José Guilherme, A. Palmeira","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665320","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Despite all the efforts to promote physical activity, there is a decline of its level from childhood to adolescence. To create attractive physical activity programs it is important to consider a new generation of video games: the active video games. The aim study protocol is to describe an experimental design trial protocol to verify if the use of active video games can increase physical activity among 10-12 years old children. Methods: The protocol will be a two-arm randomized controlled trial, with a 4-week duration and 4-week follow-up. This experimental trial will be developed in Algarve Region, Portugal. This study follows two phases. The first is a pilot randomized controlled trial to determine the feasibility of the study, with a sample of 8 participants. The second will be a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of active video game play on physical activity levels. A sample size of 60 participants in this study is estimated to supply at least 80% power at 5% level of significance (two-sided).","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121905002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A serious game for EVAcuation training","authors":"J. F. Silva, J. Almeida, R. Rossetti, A. Coelho","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665302","url":null,"abstract":"Serious Games are increasingly used as a training and educational tool. Fire keeps claiming a high number of victims. Some authors allege failures during the evacuation process as the main cause that contributes for that number. Fire drills are used to train buildings' occupants for emergency situations. However, fire drills' participants often have prior knowledge of their schedule and as result they are not as focused as they should. Moreover, fire drills require the mobilization of some resources, leading to financial costs. Performing a fire drill will always affect the normal functioning of the place where they take place; for this reason, sometimes they are not performed at all. In some special locations, like hospitals, fire drills are unsuitable. Emergency planning is crucial to prevent and minimize damage and victims. Albeit the improvement on safety measures, many occupants and employers in this type of buildings still lack adequate knowledge and training on how to behave in such hazardous situations. EVA is presented as a possible solution, which is based on the concept of Serious Game that can be used as a training tool for healthcare professionals. A preliminary prototype was developed. A sample of 20 subjects was selected to test it giving promising results. Results also showed that users who had training in fire prevention appear to perform better in the course. Moreover, participants who regularly play computer games overcame easily the game challenges. Further research and development are still to be explored, which are discussed in the concluding part of this paper.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"51 184 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127102771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ATTAC-L: A modeling language for educational virtual scenarios in the context of preventing cyber bullying","authors":"Frederik Van Broeckhoven, Olga De Troyer","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665300","url":null,"abstract":"Cyber bullying (bullying via electronic communication tools) is a relatively recent phenomenon that especially occurs among early adolescents. As cyber bullying may have a serious impact on the mental (and physical) well-being of victims, it is important to develop effective evidence-based interventions against cyber bullying. The “Friendly ATTAC”-project has the aim to develop so-called virtual interactive scenarios (i.e. digital games) to modify behavior patterns associated with cyber bullying among youngsters. The scenarios will be developed during brainstorming sessions involving people from the different disciplines and with different backgrounds, but specialized in the domain of cyber bullying. To allow this non-technical people to specify the virtual interactive scenarios that should be developed, we have developed a domain specific modeling language that allow them to do so in an intuitive and close to natural language way. This paper presents this language in an informal way.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132609379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Portugal, D. Ferreira, J. Reis, F. Pinho, N. Dias
{"title":"Cognitive intervention protocol for age-related memory impairments","authors":"A. Portugal, D. Ferreira, J. Reis, F. Pinho, N. Dias","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665310","url":null,"abstract":"With the number of elderly people increasing tremendously worldwide, comes the need for effective methods to maintain or improve older adults' cognitive performance. Using continuous neurofeedback, through the use of EEG techniques, people can learn how to train and alter their brain electrical activity. A software platform that puts together the proposed rehabilitation methodology has been developed: a digital game protocol that supports neurofeedback training of alpha and theta rhythms, by reading the EEG activity and presenting it back to the subject, interleaved with neurocognitive tasks such as n-Back and Corsi Block-Tapping. This tool will be used as a potential rehabilitative platform for age-related memory impairments.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115613423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ivo Sousa, M. Couceiro, Ana R. Barbosa, C. M. Figueiredo, N. Ferreira
{"title":"Exploiting the development of robotic hands","authors":"Ivo Sousa, M. Couceiro, Ana R. Barbosa, C. M. Figueiredo, N. Ferreira","doi":"10.1109/SEGAH.2013.6665321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SEGAH.2013.6665321","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, some considerations about the state-of-the-art and the current trends in the design and mechanisms of robotic hands are reported and discussed. Several robotic hands with multiple degrees-of-freedom have been developed over the last two decades, mainly through the use of traditional means of action (e.g., electric actuators). This paper surveys the related work accomplished by the scientific community so far, focusing on the problems engendered by these often conflicting requirements, and the work that has been done in this area. Although there are many robotic hands projects, only a few have been addressing alternative technologies such as the use of Shape Memory Alloy.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"57 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126010845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leveraging the learning process in health through clinical cases simulator","authors":"C. Flores, P. R. Barros, S. Cazella, M. Bez","doi":"10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665303","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a multi-agent learning system for health care practitioners named SimDeCS (Simulation for Decision Making in the Health Care Service). The main contribution of this work is the system architecture, model-learning environment supported by artificial intelligence techniques, and its evaluation as a educational software. The SimDeCS was designed as a multi-agent system, composed by three intelligent agents: Domain Agent, Learning Agent and Mediator Agent. The Domain Agent implements the knowledge model by probabilistic reasoning (Bayesian networks), with the knowledge encoded by human experts. The pedagogical strategies emerge from an influence diagram, based on the student's conduct during the simulation. Some results related with the SimDeCs evaluation are presented.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114218567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Parafita, G. Pires, U. Nunes, M. Castelo‐Branco
{"title":"A spacecraft game controlled with a brain-computer interface using SSVEP with phase tagging","authors":"R. Parafita, G. Pires, U. Nunes, M. Castelo‐Branco","doi":"10.1109/SEGAH.2013.6665309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/SEGAH.2013.6665309","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a brain-computer interface game that controls a spacecraft that has to avoid obstacles in a space route. The neural mechanism is based on steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) combined with phase tagging. Two flickering stimuli are used to move the spacecraft to left or right. The stimuli are tagged with a phase offset of 180° between them. Phase extraction is applied to narrowband frequency of SSVEP. The stimuli frequencies were selected in a 3-5 Hz range that provides a high level of comfort. The game is being developed to be tested as a neurotherapy tool for children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, showing attention deficits. Since usability is a major issue in clinical use, the game was designed to be controlled with a single electroencephalographic (EEG) channel, and requiring a calibration time less than two minutes. Pilot experiments were performed with a group of five healthy adults that tested the game, achieving performances above 95% accuracy for 5 second trials.","PeriodicalId":170908,"journal":{"name":"2013 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)","volume":"73 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128289801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}