Game Concepts in Learning and Teaching Process

The traditional teaching and learning process has undergone several transformations in order to increase the engagement and motivation of students in relation to the content studied. The emergence of learning management systems, along with the adoption of games or gamification features, make the instructional process more stimulating and dynamic. Educators also seek to identify appropriate pedagogical strategies in the context of motivational design and the study of emotions. This chapter aims to present different approaches to playful learning and also discuss good practices in the use of frameworks created based on students' emotional components and instructional design in order to make game-based learning and the use of gamification more effective and engaging.

Tutorial support for forming the readiness of future teachers for recreational work with children in summer camps

Introduction. The urgency of the problem presented in the article is due to the need to form the readiness of future teachers for recreational work with children. The authors of the article carried out a pedagogical analysis of the works of modern scientists devoted to the problems of finding methods, means of preserving, strengthening the health of students in the conditions of the educational process. In this regard, the natural environment acts as a powerful factor in health-improving work with children in country summer camps. They are the most massive type of extra curricular organizations in our country, in which future teachers, as trainees, can carry out work to preserve, strengthen the health of children, as well as carry out useful activities to form an ecological culture, a healthy and safe lifestyle among the younger generation. There is an obvious need to prepare future teachers to carry out this work with children. Tutor support of this process is of particular importance in solving this problem, since it makes it personified, which significantly increases its effectiveness. The purpose of the article is to identify the most effective methods and forms of tutoring support for the process of forming the readiness of future teachers for health-improving work with children, to analyze the results of its implementation in the educational process of a pedagogical universityMaterials and Methods. In the course of research, the following methods were used: analysis of ecological-valeological, psychological-pedagogical literature; normative documents on health protection and promotion, on education; analysis of teaching materials; systematization; comparison; modeling; studying the pedagogical experience of university teachers; observation; testing; questioning; conversation; oral questioning; quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data obtained; building an individual educational route for future teachers.Results. The result of the study was the implementation of the author's program of tutor support for the process of forming the readiness of future teachers for health-improving work with children using methods, techniques and forms that have proven their effectiveness.Discussion and Conclusion. In the course of the study, the most effective methods, techniques and forms of tutor support of the process of forming the readiness of future teachers for recreational work with children were identified. An analysis of the results of experimental work is presented, which confirms the effectiveness of this support.Highlights:- it is proved that the urgency of the problem of tutor support of the process of forming the readiness of future teachers for recreational work with children is determined by objective contradictions;- tutor support for tutors is a targeted sequence of interdependent stages: diagnostic-motivational, design, implementation and analytical;- the methods, forms and means of tutor support of the process of formation of future teachers' readiness for health-improving work with children are characterized;- the criteria for the level of formation of the readiness of future teachers for health-improving work with children have been determined: cognitive, emotional and behavioral;- the influence of tutor support of the process of forming the readiness of future teachers for health-improving work with children on its effectiveness has been proved;- the results of the diagnostic study are presented.

Harnessing the Beast - COVID-19: Integrative Knowledge-Building with LCT Autonomy

<p style="text-align: justify;">Cytology is one of the core sections of introductory first-year Biology courses. Laboratory practicals form an integral component of these Cytology curricula - experiential learning through microscopy which students find fascinating and engaging. In contrast, we found that students are much less enthusiastic about the theory part presented during lectures – they perceive the content as being complex, high in volume and due to scale, often purely theoretical. Applicable real-world context is often far removed from the lived experiences of most students. However, the dramatic arrival of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) early in 2020 presented vast and new possibilities for these lectures and was therefore selected as narrative to teach certain Cytology concepts to improve engagement and equip students for the future challenge. The ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction) Model of Motivational Design Theories underpins the rationale for using this narrative, whereas the Autonomy dimension of Legitimation Code Theory served as a theoretical framework to enable integrative knowledge-building. This strategy integrated two different bodies of knowledge, science and health science. It further harnessed the uncertainty caused by the novel virus to evoke a deeper level of curiosity and motivation among the students, who were visibly engaged in this Cytology offering.</p>

Designing Better Exposure Notification Apps: The Role of Persuasive Design (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Digital contact tracing apps have been deployed worldwide to limit the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic and to facilitate the lifting of public health restrictions. However, the apps are yet to be widely adopted and require a critical mass of users to be successful. Privacy concerns aside, the minimalist and non-motivational design of the contact tracing apps have been identified as key factors that contribute to low uptake. Using the Government of Canada’s exposure notification app, COVID Alert, as a case study, we demonstrated how incorporating persuasive features in contract tracing apps may improve uptake, usage, reporting diagnosis, and compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Behavioral Theories and Motivational Features Underlying eHealth Interventions for Adolescent Antiretroviral Adherence: A Systematic Review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Electronic health (eHealth) interventions provide new opportunities for the delivery of ART adherence interventions for adolescents. Reviews have examined their effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability. However, studies have not systematically explored the extent to which interventions are grounded in theory to guide the selection of behavior change techniques (BCTs) and their design in the application. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this systematic review was to explore which health behavior theories support eHealth ART interventions for adolescents, and which BCTs are present in the design of the chosen platforms. Additionally, we investigated whether more extensive use of theory was associated with higher quality of the study and higher impact of the intervention. METHODS A systematic search was applied on IEEE Xplore, ACM, ScienceDirect, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases. The results were reported following the PRISMA guidelines. Theory use and BCTs were coded using the Theory Coding Scheme (TCS) and the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) respectively. Design principles were identified using the Lenses of Motivational Design for mHealth. RESULTS Twenty-four papers describing fifteen different eHealth interventions were included. Out of the fifteen interventions, ten were grounded in theory, of which only three used theories extensively. None of the included studies relied on theories addressing adolescent developmental psychology. Interventions used forty-two different behavior change techniques, most commonly ‘prompts/cues’. Moreover, twenty-four motivational design principles were applied, most common was the technique of ‘reminding’. Simplistic applications (SMS texting and phone calls) were most frequent delivery platforms, yet smartphone apps were also emerging. Most of the included eHealth applications reported positive impact. CONCLUSIONS The overall evaluation of the design process of eHealth interventions indicated gaps in the use of theory, behavior change techniques, and how these were translated into design principles in the chosen technology platform. None of the theory-based interventions provided strong justifications why and how the respective theories were selected, or how appropriate these theories are for adolescents in particular. Moreover, none of the included interventions considered specific theories on adolescent developmental psychology to guide ART adherence interventions. In sum, theories, BCTs and features that tailor specifically to adolescents are still missing; instead adolescents are simply considered young adults.

Teacher Motivational Strategies for EFL Learners: For Better or Worse

This study examines how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ motivational practice affects learners based on a motivational design for learning and performance, the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation. There was also an examination of how learners’ perceptions of teachers’ motivational practices were contributing to learners’ L2 proficiency. A total of 242 high school EFL learners completed questionnaires on their teachers’ motivational practice, and 12 of the learners’ teachers completed complementary questionnaires to indicate their use of motivational tactics or strategies. One-to-one interviews with eight learners were additionally conducted. Results indicated that the learners were underutilizing the motivational strategies (MS) that their teachers claimed to use. On the other hand, teachers’ attention-getting strategies and confidence-building strategies were significant predictors of learners’ language proficiency. Interview data revealed that the learners’ underutilization of teachers’ motivational practices was due to problems in lack of MS variability, motive mismatching, and natural consequences. Although teacher’s use of MS is generally believed to enhance learners’ motivation, the findings provide empirical evidence on how MS need to be implemented to accommodate learners’ vocational aspirations, and support classroom climates that can promote communicative language teaching practices.