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- Separating gesture detection and application control concerns with a multimodal architecturePublication . Morgado, Leonel; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto de; Fernandes, Luís; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Nunes, Ricardo RodriguesGesture-controlled applications typically are tied to specific gestures, and also tied to specific recognition methods and specific gesture-detection devices. We propose a concernseparation architecture, which mediates the following concerns: gesture acquisition; gesture recognition; and gestural control. It enables application developers to respond to gesture-independent commands, recognized using plug-in gesture-recognition modules that process gesture data via both device-dependent and deviceindependent data formats and callbacks. Its feasibility is demonstrated with a sample implementation.
- SimProgramming : the development of an integrated teaching approach for computer programming in higher educationPublication . Pedrosa, Daniela; Cravino, José; Morgado, Leonel; Barreira, Carlos Manuel Folgado; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Martins, Paulo; Paredes, HugoComputer programming courses in higher education tend to have high rates of academic failure and students struggle, particularly so in the transition from entry-level programming to advanced programming. Some of the reasons given in the literature relate to the type of teaching approach and the strategies used by students and their attitudes towards computer programming. The literature also mentions that educational approaches are not always appropriate to the needs of students and to the development of skills required in the job market. We developed a teaching approach to try to address some of these issues and support students learning computer programming in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming: the SimProgramming approach. This approach was introduced at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), within the scope of the course “Programming Methodologies III”, part of the second curricular year of the programmes of studies in Informatics Engineering and in Information & Communication Technologies. We present in detail the origins of the SimProgramming approach, starting from the first trials that introduced, in two iterations, learning activities based on problem-based learning, and up to the third iteration where the current SimProgramming approach was implemented. We describe the reasoning, design and implementation of these three iterations, to show how the approach evolved. The SimProgramming approach is based in four conceptual foundations: business-like learning environment, self-regulated learning, co-regulated learning and formative assessment. For each of these conceptual foundations, we explain the teaching strategies adopted. In SimProgramming, the learning activity process develops in four phases, and students have specific tasks in each phase. We analyse interview data regarding student perceptions about the SimProgramming approach, and registration grids data on team work dynamics and final assessment of the assignment, noting the impact of SimProgramming in student grades. The application of SimProgramming revealed promising evidences in the overall results of student learning in the activities proposed in this approach. The average grades improved, and did the number of students regularly submitting their tasks on schedule. The perceptions of students regarding the SimProgramming approach are very positive: they recommend using it in the following years, and provided some suggestions to improve the approach. We conclude with reflections and recommendations for subsequent development of the SimProgramming approach in its application to the teaching of computer programming and potential for using it in other educational contexts.
- SimProgramming: uma abordagem motivacional para a aprendizagem de alunos intermediários de programaçãoPublication . Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Pedrosa, Daniela; Morgado, Leonel; Paredes, Hugo; Martins, Paulo; Cravino, José; Barreira, Carlos Manuel FolgadoNeste artigo, é apresentada uma pesquisa-ação com o objetivo de motivar os alunos a desenvolverem suas aprendizagens de programação de computadores no ensino superior, particularmente na transição da programação de nível iniciante para a programação avançada. Para alcançar este objetivo, foi desenvolvida uma abordagem motivacional denominada SimProgramming. A partir das reflexões sobre o processo desta pesquisa, conclui-se que SimProgramming em sua aplicação ao ensino de programação de computadores em turmas intermediárias é promissor e ainda apresenta potencial para ser usado em outros contextos educacionais.
- Bringing user experience empirical data to gesture-control and somatic interaction in virtual reality videogames: an exploratory study with a multimodal interaction prototypePublication . Fernandes, Luís; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Matos, Gonçalo; Azevedo, Diogo; Pedrosa, Daniela; Morgado, Leonel; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto deWith the emergence of new low-cost gestural interaction devices various studies have been developed on multi-modal human-computer interaction to improve user experience. We present an exploratory study which analysed the user experience with a multimodal interaction game prototype. As a result, we propose a set of preliminary recommendations for combined use of such devices and present implications for advancing the multimodal field in human-computer interaction.
- BIZZY : a social game for entrepreneurship educationPublication . Fonseca, Benjamim; Gonçalves, Ramiro Manuel Ramos Moreira; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Teixeira, Mário Sérgio; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, Leonel; Martins, PauloEntrepreneurship education is increasingly being promoted, driven by a wide consensus in modern societies concerning its benefits in fostering the development of several professional and personal attitudes and skills, such as business expertise, creativity, risk assessment or responsibility. In this context, several authorities have been actively developing policies and activities to empower entrepreneurship culture in young people. Serious Games are recognized as having an important role and potential in education and social networks emerged in the last decade as the platform preferred by many people to socialize, play games or conduct professional activities. This paper presents a proposal for BIZZY, a serious game to be developed and implemented as a Facebook application, to enable young people in the range 12-18 years old to learn entrepreneurial skills progressively, by guiding them to develop a business project from the early idea to the business plan.
- Primeira armada da Índia: novo conceito de jogo misturando realidades aumentada e virtual, gestos finos e amplosPublication . Morgado, Leonel; Cristóvão, Paulo; Fernandes, Luís; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Martins, Paulo; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto deApresentamos um conceito de jogo inovador e o seu protótipo inicial, integrando tipos distintos de interação e de visualização. Dois jogadores interagem como timoneiro de uma nau portuguesa e gigante Adamastor. Um joga em realidade virtual controlada por gestos finos, outro usa aumentação contextual com gestos amplos e fi-nos. Pretende o conceito e o protótipo servirem como exemplificadores das potencialidades das novas formas de interação e de como as concretizar.
- Exploring educational immersive videogames : an empirical study with a 3D multimodal interaction prototypePublication . Fernandes, Luís Miguel Alves; Matos, Gonçalo Cruz; Azevedo, Diogo; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, Leonel; Barbosa, Luís; Martins, Paulo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Cristóvão, Paulo; Carvalho, Fausto de; Cardoso, BernardoGestural interaction devices emerged and originated various studies on multimodal human-computer interaction to improve user experience. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the use of these devices to enhance learning. We present an exploratory study which analysed the user experience with a multimodal immersive videogame prototype, based on a Portuguese historical/cultural episode. Evaluation tests took place in high school environments and public videogaming events. Two users would be present simultaneously in the same virtual reality environment: one as the helmsman aboard Vasco da Gama’s XV-century Portuguese ship, another as the mythical Adamastor stone giant at the Cape of Good Hope. The helmsman player wore a virtual reality headset to explore the environment, whereas the giant player used body motion to control the giant, and observed results on a screen, with no headset. This allowed a preliminary characterization of user experience, identifying challenges and potential use of these devices in multi-user virtual learning contexts. We also discuss the combined use of such devices, towards future development of similar systems, and its implications on learning improvement through multimodal human-computer interaction.
- Enhancing students’ motivation to learn software engineering programming techniques: a collaborative and social interaction approachPublication . Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Pedrosa, Daniela; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Cravino, José; Morgado, Leonel; Martins, PauloTo motivate students to study advanced programming techniques, including the use of architectural styles such as the model–view–controller pattern, we have con-ducted action research upon a project based-learning approach. In addition to collabo-ration, the approach includes students’ searching and analysis of scientific documents and their involvement in communities of practice outside academia. In this paper, we report the findings of second action research cycle, which took place throughout the fourth semester of a six-semester program. As with the previous cycle during the pre-vious academic year, students did not satisfactorily achieve expected learning out-comes. More groups completed the assigned activities, but results continue to reflect poor engagement in the communities of practice and very low performance in other learning tasks. From the collected data we have identified new approaches and recom-mendations for subsequent research.