The Use of Augmented Reality as a Teaching Tool

Augmented reality (AR) has shown to be a facilitating tool and motivation to work with children, young people, and adults in times of recreation (entertainment) and also in classrooms (formal spaces of education). Augmented reality provides a different way of learning with the support of different technologies such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. It allows easy visualization and manipulation of the study object, reproducing the complex data in the form of objects and three-dimensional texts, increasing the student's ability to perceive, which is stimulated by the possibility of interaction with the interface. This chapter aims to present the different augmented reality technologies used in education and also to discuss methodologies for the use of augmented reality applications to improve the teaching and learning process.

Educational Games Design

Video games are widely and increasingly adopted in the educational field thanks to their inherent engaging, immersive, and adaptive capacities. Yet, one of the greatest problematic in educational games design remains how to create ludic and adaptive experiences without going astray from the targeted learning objectives. In creating adaptive educational games, modeling the learner/player is a prerequisite. This chapter highlights the importance of educational standards in learning content design and proposes an adaptive mechanism “AMEG” based on IMS learning design and artificial intelligence that model learners using game metrics and adapt the gameplay as well as the learning content. As a practical experimentation of the mechanism, MathQuests, an educational game that helps in teaching mathematical operations for first year middle school students was created.

The Uses of Games That Transcend the Play and Mediate Learning

The digital games market is around 109 billion dollars. In this scenario, games as tools for mental and educational stimulation have been highlighted. They allow the connection between friends, the narrowing of family ties, artistic expression, improvement of aspects related to health, institute mechanisms for business and advertising, as well as constitute opportunities for differentiated training and simulations. Such artifacts are also mediators for building knowledge, as well as developing or exercising skills and attitudes, since they involve the flow state. For this it is necessary to make use of adaptability that in the educational scope allows the personalization of the experience to extend the immersion and fun. The present chapter presents a review to subsidize the expansion of the mapping of games' uses developed by Klopfer, Osterweil, and Salen, as well as to establish their relation with the deliberate practice to institute immersive and meaningful educational proposals.

Online Inquiry-Based Learning in Biology

A number of experimental studies have been conducted to explore the relationship between inquiry-based learning and the use of online experiments carried out remotely or virtually. Researchers have studied the effect of these techniques in STEM-centered modules (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in recent years, as a way to better integrate educational technology to the school context, as well as providing the students with high-quality education. Within this scenario, a biology lecture on nervous impulses was presented following (1) the construction of an inquiry-based online course, as well as inquiry cycle, from which students had at their disposal a series of steps to research the subject, including testing practices through virtual laboratories; (2) application of the educational tool in biology classes; (3) identification the students' progression regarding the understanding of the content explored in the research phases and their perception regarding their learning and usefulness of the educational tool.

Using Game Development to Teach Programming

One of the educational actions used to leverage the acquisition of practical and theoretical knowledge in the classroom is related to the “learn by practice” methodology in which the student goes from a mere spectator to an agent in his/her learning process. This methodology is being applied in the teaching of courses related to programming, fostering the development of digital games as a didactic practice. This chapter describes the digital games development experience in programming courses on the first year of computer graduation courses in a Brazilian private university. The study reveals the opinion of students and teachers on the application of game development in such courses, as well as the methodology applied to each one of them. The results obtained emphasize that the activity intensifies the learning of concepts inherent to programming, along with fostering motivation and commitment that is paramount in the building of their competencies and skills.

Gamified Virtual Environment and Interaction Design for Activities of Daily Living Training

Ludic games and gamification processes can extend functional skills in players as they integrate different intelligences and stimulate the cognitive, perceptual, and motor activities. Play can facilitate the work of occupational therapist since provides better cooperation of the patient, besides helping in its development, increasing its behavioral repertoire, mainly in the accomplishment of activities of daily living. This chapter addresses these issues, discussing the design of a gamified virtual environment that helps occupational therapists to develop the potential of children and adolescents with mild, moderate, and severe neuropsychomotor disorder. For that, the authors present an investigation of the use of a gamified virtual environment and interaction devices in the training of activities of daily living. As result, they note that games as assistive technology can encourage the integration of education, rehabilitation, and habilitation of people in situations of vulnerability and social risk, providing access and inclusion through playful and challenging activities.

Bases for Summative Evaluation of Educational Digital Games and Their Implications in School Scenario

The theme of this chapter is in accord with the growing discussion proposed by several researchers while investigating games contributions for teaching and learning, particularly in relation to school. Within school environments, parents and teachers perceive that moment with suspicion, thus augmenting their questions about which evidence would point to games as capable of facilitating learning. Therefore, methodologies, procedural field, and evaluation instruments arise in an attempt to evidence the contributions of games for learning. The chapter's main objective is to present the bases of a summative evaluation methodology for educational digital games, having as a guiding tool an instrument ad hoc. The principles which orientate such grounds are based on interaction design and on the learning principles of Paul Gee. The instrument description is also included, as well as its enforceability by means of a pilot study.

Three Dimensional Virtual Laboratories and Simulations for Education

This chapter provides a detailed study of the current literature surrounding instructional animation. After discussing definitions and classifications of these technologies, the chapter reviews how they can be differentiated from games. The chapter covers subtypes of instructional animation, including experiential, symbolic, and forms considered animation but lacking criteria of effective animation. The three types differ in some points. Important criteria must be considered before, during, and after designation when designing educationally effective software of these animations. If simulations are prepared according to evidence-based guidelines mentioned in the chapter, many benefits will be developed, including pedagogical, motivational, and daily life profits. However, disadvantages exist. Criticisms in literature will be mentioned on an evidence-based level.

Digital Games for Computing Education

Digital games are considered an effective and efficient instructional strategy for computing education. However, there are few empirical studies providing sound evidence on the benefits of such educational games. In this respect, the objective of this chapter is to present a comprehensive analysis in order to summarize empirical evidence on the benefits of digital games used as an instructional strategy for computing education. The analysis is based on data collected from 21 case studies that use the MEEGA model, the most commonly used model for educational games' evaluation, evaluating 9 different games, involving a population of 344 students. The results indicate that digital games can yield a positive effect on the learning of computing, providing a pleasant and engaging experience to the students and motivating them to study. These results may guide instructors in the selection of educational games as instructional methods and guide game creators with respect to the development of new games.

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.