scholarly journals A Framework for Serious Games in High Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 661-668
Author(s):  
Pedro Brandao ◽  
Sandra Gama

With the ubiquity of technology, we have nowadays, many processes have taken advantage of information technology mechanisms to leverage their outcomes. Education is not an exception. In fact, technology has been playing an increasingly important part in learning experiences. For instance, game elements have been effectively used in educational settings, with very promising results. Hence, we propose a framework for applying game elements in a serious game to be used in higher education settings. It comprises a set of game mechanisms and leverages the importance of a coherent narrative and collaboration. We have deployed this framework in an instance of an engineering course as proof of concept, with promising results. Extensive empirical testing will be conducted, with advanced statistical analysis, to validate our framework. It will then be a tool to be used by educators to enhance learning processes.

Author(s):  
Stavros Kiriakidis ◽  
Efstathios Kefallonitis ◽  
Androniki Kavoura

The aim of this chapter is to (1) present a review of some innovative communication technologies in higher education and how these are implemented for organizational, marketing, and learning processes, (2) illustrate how information and communication technologies (ICTs) may drive the introduction and use of inventive activities in education. Financial cutbacks and limited government support for institutions of higher education led to (1) either a withering effect for them that made them shrink or merge in order to survive, or (2) they had to find innovative ways to survive and attract new students and audiences as potential users while making connections with the community and firms. Current trends in higher education institutions (HEIs) are associated with supplying the student with those learning methods that can lead to skills and contribute to his/her creative and individual thought. At the same time, teaching instructors need to be aware of the know-how in the communication and information technology sectors that can be further employed.


Author(s):  
Juan Roberto Hernández-Herrera ◽  
José Luis Cendejas-Valdez ◽  
Heberto Ferreira-Medina ◽  
Carlos Arturo Vega-Lebrún

This research proposes a didactic strategy based on robotics to promote innovation in higher education (EDITICA), which is structured in ten stages by information technology professionals can go from simple users or programmers of robots, to develop an inventive ability to create their ownprototypes. The nature of the research was based on a quantitative approach to get the statistical analysis of the data generated; exploratory type research was used given the limited material available on the subject in question, also relying on experimental, descriptive, correlational and documentary research. The data generated by the survey was analyzed statistically to observe the correlations of the different variables that confirmed the veracity of the proposed hypothesis. Finally, a quasi-experiment was carried out to put the strategy into practice through two teams that worked motivated and enthusiastic to make their prototype work.


Author(s):  
Carmelita do Espirito Santo ◽  
Maria de Fátima Pereira Raposo

O trabalho visa apresentar alguns procedimentos que podem caracterizar uma postura proativa em bibliotecas universitárias. Para tanto, apresenta aspectos do conceito de proatividade em um contexto onde o uso e a aplicação das tecnologias de informação (TI) constituem-se ferramentas essenciais para promover a inclusão social/digital no Brasil. O trabalho é abordado no contexto das bibliotecas do Centro Universitário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro – UNIVER CIDADE. A adoção de procedimentos pró-ativos no Sistema de Bibliotecas da UNIVER CIDADE possibilitou um maior alcance dos problemas de informação de seus usuários, oferecendo, assim, subsídios para uma gestão eficiente da informação. Conseqüentemente, a confiança nos serviços da biblioteca e a participação nos programas instituídos cresceram proporcionalmente às ações pró-ativas adotadas pelo Sistema de Bibliotecas. Abstract This work aims to present some procedures that characterize a pro-active posture in Brazilian university libraries. For this purpose, aspects of the concept of pro-active libraries are presented in a context where growth in the number of needy students entering private higher education demands ever more use and application of information technology (IT) for their learning processes. This work is developed in the context of the Library System of the Centro Universitário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro – UNIVER CIDADE. The adoption of pro-active procedures in the UNIVER CIDADE Library System allowed a better reaching of the users’ information problems, thus offering support for efficient information management. Consequently, the use of the system’s services and the participation in the instituted programs grew as proportionately as the pro-active actions adopted by the Library System were implemented.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Manosalvas Vaca ◽  
Luis Manosalvas Vaca ◽  
Ruth Barba

La presente investigación, analiza los conceptos más importantes del pensamiento Crítico, así como su importancia y utilidad en los procesos de formación profesional a nivel de Posgrado. Se hace un análisis detallado de los conceptos más ampliamente aceptado y de los factores inmersos en el desarrollo y aplicación de este tipo de pensamiento. Finalmente se propone un modelo que engloba los conceptos y factores analizados y como se interrelacionan entre ellos; el objetivo final es brindar a los docentes y directivos de Instituciones de Educación Superior, una herramienta que posibilite la inclusión de este tipo de pensamiento en sus procesos enseñanza-aprendizaje con el fin último de mejorar la calidad de los procesos de formación. Palabras Clave: Pensamiento Crítico, Educación Superior, Educación ABSTRACT This research analyzes the most important concepts of critical thinking as well as their importance and usefulness for the educational processes at graduate level. A detailed analysis of the most widely accepted concepts and factors involved in the development and application of this kind of thinking has been made. Finally, a model that includes the concepts and analyzed factors and their interrelations is proposed; the ultimate goal is to provide teachers and directors of Institutions in Higher Education, a tool that enables the inclusion of this type of thinking in their teaching and learning processes with the ultimate intention of improving the quality of the training processes. Keywords: Critical thinking, Higher Education, Education Recibido: mayo de 2016Aprobado: septiembre de 2016


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Virginia Mero Suárez ◽  
Edwin Joao Merchán Carreño ◽  
Ana Del Rocío Fernández Torres ◽  
Narcisa María Crespo Torres

El artículo aborda la necesidad de la creatividad que se impone en la era actual del conocimiento y la importancia que  constituyen las tecnologías como herramientas indispensables en todas las esferas de la vida. En Trabajo toma como campo investigativo los cambios que se llevan a cabo en esta esfera en la Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí y la Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Ecuador, donde se toman como objeto el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje en la Educación Superior. El objetivo de la investigación fue comunicar el impacto de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones en las Universidades, donde se hace énfasis en el nuevo rol de los docentes y su nuevo desempeño de facilitadores del aprendizaje en los educandos a través en los nuevos escenarios mediados por las tecnologías. Para el desarrollo exitoso de esta memoria investigativa se   usó como metodología instrumentos que se basaron fundamentalmente en documentos referativos que ayudaron a justificar el problema de investigación, el cual consistía fundamentalmente en el impacto de las nuevos  dispositivos tecnológicos y su utilidad en los centros de altos estudios del país. Se concluyó que las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación son herramientas indispensables en la docencia y al mismo tiempo la forma de intervenir en el diseño educativo que nos llevan a explorar nuevos métodos docentes en los escenarios educativos mediados por estas. Se constató además que estas herramientas favorecen satisfactoriamente al proceso si se tiene una buena preparación por parte del docente.   Palabras clave: Herramientas tecnológicas, universidades, formación, docencia universitaria, proceso de enseñanza – aprendizaje Impact of information technology and communications: a look at higher education  Abstract The article states the need of the creativity that prevails in the current era of knowledge and the importance that technologies constitute in all spheres of life. In field research work it takes as changes take place in this area in Southern State University of Manabí and the Technical University of Babahoyo, Ecuador, where they are taken as an object the process of learning in higher education. The aim of the research was to communicate the impact of Information Technology and Communications in the universities, where the emphasis is on the new role of teachers and their new performance of facilitators of learning in students through the new scenarios mediated by technologies. For the successful development of this research report it was used as a methodology instruments based mainly on referative documents that helped to justify the research problem, which consisted mainly of the impact of new technological devices and their use in the centers of higher learning in the country. It was concluded that information technology and communication are indispensable tools in teaching and at the same time how to intervene in the educational design that lead us to explore new teaching methods in educational settings mediated by these. It was further found that these tools successfully promote the process if there is a good preparation by the teacher.


Author(s):  
José van

This chapter investigates how platformization is affecting the idea of education as a common good on both sides of the Atlantic. The growth of online educational platforms has been explosive, in both primary and higher education. Most of these educational platforms are corporately owned, propelled by algorithmic architectures and business models. They have quickly gained millions of users and are altering learning processes and teaching practices; they boost the distribution of online course material, hence impacting curriculums; they influence the administration of schools and universities; and, as some argue, they change the governance of (public) education as a whole. The chapter explores how, powered by the Big Five, these educational platforms are pushing a new concept of learning that questions values that are fundamental to publicly funded education: Bildung, a knowledge-based curriculum, autonomy for teachers, collective affordability, and education as a vehicle for socioeconomic equality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6586
Author(s):  
Fernando Fraga-Varela ◽  
Esther Vila-Couñago ◽  
Ana Rodríguez-Groba

In recent years, serious games offer great opportunities for learning processes at schools. However, it is unclear whether this type of proposals can offer differentiated answers among the students according to their gender. In this context, the aim of this paper is to know the possible differences that occur in primary school classrooms according to gender, with serious games designed for the development of mathematical fluency, and to examine to what extent these games contribute to the overall school performance. We carried out a quasi-experimental study, including pretest and posttest, without control group and with several experimental groups, and the participation of 284 students from first to fourth grade. The results show that the software benefits boys and girls equally, compared to the previously followed methodology that benefited boys. A clear relation between the results achieved and the performance in the overall students’ grades has also been observed. The conclusions show the potential of serious games in school settings, and the opportunity to approach performance differences based on the gender.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1138
Author(s):  
Rocio de la Torre ◽  
Bhakti S. Onggo ◽  
Canan G. Corlu ◽  
Maria Nogal ◽  
Angel A. Juan

The prevailing need for a more sustainable management of natural resources depends not only on the decisions made by governments and the will of the population, but also on the knowledge of the role of energy in our society and the relevance of preserving natural resources. In this sense, critical work is being done to instill key concepts—such as the circular economy and sustainable energy—in higher education institutions. In this way, it is expected that future professionals and managers will be aware of the importance of energy optimization, and will learn a series of computational methods that can support the decision-making process. In the context of higher education, this paper reviews the main trends and challenges related to the concepts of circular economy and sustainable energy. Besides, we analyze the role of simulation and serious games as a learning tool for the aforementioned concepts. Finally, the paper provides insights and discusses open research opportunities regarding the use of these computational tools to incorporate circular economy concepts in higher education degrees. Our findings show that, while efforts are being made to include these concepts in current programs, there is still much work to be done, especially from the point of view of university management. In addition, the analysis of the teaching methodologies analyzed shows that, although their implementation has been successful in favoring the active learning of students, their use (especially that of serious games) is not yet widespread.


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