The Emergence of the Project Manager Role in Student Design Teams: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study

BACKGROUND Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to the successful development of serious games, albeit difficult to achieve. The co.LAB serious game design framework was created to support collaboration within serious game multidisciplinary design teams. Its use has not yet been validated in a naturalistic context. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to perform a first assessment of the impact of the co.LAB framework on collaboration within multidisciplinary teams during serious game design and development. METHODS This was a mixed-methods study based on two serious game design projects in which the co.LAB framework was used. The first phase was qualitative and carried out using a general inductive approach. To this end, all members of the first serious game project team who used the co.LAB framework were invited to take part in a focus group session (N=6). Results inferred from qualitative data were then used to define a quantitative instrument (questionnaire) which was designed according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys. Members of both project teams (N=11) were then asked to answer the questionnaire. Quantitative results were reported as median [Q1;Q3] and appropriate non-parametric tests used to assess for between group differences. Finally, results gathered through the qualitative and quantitative phases were integrated. RESULTS In both phases, the participation rate was 100%. Verbatim transcripts were classified into 4 high level themes: influence on collaborative dimensions; impact on project course, monitoring and efficiency; qualitative perceptions of the framework; and influence of team composition on the use of the framework. Accordingly, the web-based questionnaire was then developed according to Burhardt's seven dimensions of collaboration. In both projects, the co.LAB framework had a positive impact on most dimensions of collaboration during the multidisciplinary design and development of serious games. When all collaborative dimensions were aggregated, the overall impact of the framework was rated on a scale from "-42" to "+42" (very negative to very positive). The overall score was 23 [20;27], with no significant difference between groups (P=.58). Most respondents also believed that all serious game design teams should include a member possessing a significant expertise in serious game design frameworks to guide the development process. CONCLUSIONS The co.LAB framework has a positive impact on collaboration within serious game development teams. However, expert guidance seems necessary to maximize development efficiency. Whether such guidance can be provided by means of a collaborative web platform remains to be determined.

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In sickness and in health: The strains and gains of caring for a chronically ill or disabled spouse

Chronic Illness ◽

10.1177/1742395316664960 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 75-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Victoria L Solomi ◽

Rachel E Casiday

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Subjective Experience ◽

Marital Relationship ◽

Chronically Ill ◽

Subjective Experiences ◽

Relational Experiences ◽

Health Promoting ◽

Depth Interviews ◽

Insight Into

Objectives To examine the subjective experiences of spousal carers, focusing on positive, negative, and relational aspects of this role. Methods Mixed-methods exploratory study involving questionnaires ( N = 40) and in-depth interviews ( N = 8) with spousal carers in the southwest of England. Results Participants used a combination of negative and positive terms to describe their experiences, with the cared-for spouse's mental acuity, behavior towards the carer, and amount of care required, impacting on carers' subjective experience. Women were more likely to report neglecting their own health because of being a carer ( p = 0.02). The marital relationship itself was highly significant, and many carers took special measures to maintain and develop their marital bonds. Carers adapted to their roles in various ways, with those finding acceptance of their situation and accessing support appearing to cope best with the demands of the role. Discussion This study, though based on a small and geographically restricted sample, offers insight into the positive, negative, and relational experiences of spousal carers. Support that encourages carers to engage in health-promoting activities, and ideally provides opportunities for both partners to be involved in such activities together, may be particularly beneficial.

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Should female community health volunteers (FCHVs) facilitate a response to gender-based violence (GBV)? A mixed methods exploratory study in Mangalsen, Nepal

Global Public Health ◽

10.1080/17441692.2020.1839929 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Myra Betron ◽

Anil Thapa ◽

Roshani Amatya ◽

Kusum Thapa ◽

Elizabeth Arlotti-Parish ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Community Health ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Community Health Volunteers ◽

Female Community ◽

Female Community Health Volunteers ◽

Gender Based

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Minding many minds: An assessment of mental health and resilience among undergraduate and graduate students; a mixed methods exploratory study

Journal of American College Health ◽

10.1080/07448481.2020.1781134 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rebecca R. Fried ◽

Shazya Karmali ◽

Jennifer D. Irwin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Exploratory Study

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Diffusion of disinformation: How social media users respond to fake news and why

Journalism ◽

10.1177/1464884919868325 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 381-398 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Edson C Tandoc ◽

Darren Lim ◽

Rich Ling

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

National Survey ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Interpersonal Relationship ◽

Sequential Design ◽

Fake News ◽

Mixed Methods Approach ◽

Explanatory Sequential Design ◽

Depth Interviews

This exploratory study seeks to understand the diffusion of disinformation by examining how social media users respond to fake news and why. Using a mixed-methods approach in an explanatory-sequential design, this study combines results from a national survey involving 2501 respondents with a series of in-depth interviews with 20 participants from the small but economically and technologically advanced nation of Singapore. This study finds that most social media users in Singapore just ignore the fake news posts they come across on social media. They would only offer corrections when the issue is strongly relevant to them and to people with whom they share a strong and close interpersonal relationship.

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