The present research develops and tests a theoretical gamification model (GM) that explores the use of mobile learning (ML) and massively multiplayer online (MMO) games to strengthen group... Show More

The present research develops and tests a theoretical gamification model (GM) that explores the use of mobile learning (ML) and massively multiplayer online (MMO) games to strengthen group prospection of teams and improve retention. The GM used Pokémon GO to enable higher education students to engage in activities and challenges with a view to observe the impacts on health and wellbeing through collection of quantitative and qualitative data. The data that was collected involved a sample set (N = 50) of participants within the general educational sector. The model constructs were measured throughout the first academic semester, from September 2018 to February 2019. There is significant evidence to show that the use of ML in the classroom is beneficial depending on the influences from and engagement with participants. The contributions from these findings should provide the basics for further research into different studies involving MMOs and ML or gamification studies.

The purpose of this research has been to identify modern and effective learning models, based on constructionism, in learning biological concepts. The author shows that the cognitive, formative, and... Show More

The purpose of this research has been to identify modern and effective learning models, based on constructionism, in learning biological concepts. The author shows that the cognitive, formative, and emotional benefits, of combined learning models to obtain the best results in the construction of concepts, by students' effort, in accordance with Papert's constructionism ideas. The researcher recommends using the techno-empirio-psycho-sociocentric (TEPS) combined model, based on information and communication technologies (ICTs), in individual-and team-based rediscovery of new biological concepts. When no ICTs are used, the empirio-psycho-socio-centric model is recommended. As an alternative or in combination with, these learning models, the researcher promotes the techno-logo-psychocentric (TLP) model in presentations of science as a finished product when ICTs are used or the logo-psychocentric modernized (LPM) model, with attractive procedures, without ICTs.

Reinforcement learning is a flourishing machine learning concept that has greatly influenced how robots are designed and taught to solve problems without human intervention. Robotics is not an alien... Show More

Reinforcement learning is a flourishing machine learning concept that has greatly influenced how robots are designed and taught to solve problems without human intervention. Robotics is not an alien discipline anymore, and we have several great innovations in this field that promise to impact lives for the better. However, humanoid robots are still a baffling concept for scientists, although we have managed to develop a few great inventions which look, talk, work, and behave very similarly to humans. But, can these machines actually exhibit the cognitive abilities of judgment, problem-solving, and perception as well as humans? In this article, the authors analyzed the probable impact and aspects of robots and their potential to behave like humans in every possible way through reinforcement learning techniques. The paper also discusses the gap between 'natural' and 'artificial' knowledge.

This article investigates how and to what extent the data collected, the dropout rate, and the completion time in online surveys is influenced by the device used to fill out the questionnaire. To... Show More

This article investigates how and to what extent the data collected, the dropout rate, and the completion time in online surveys is influenced by the device used to fill out the questionnaire. To that end, an extensive online study with N=1493 was carried out. To address difficulties associated with the use of devices with smaller displays, different layout variants aimed at optimizing questionnaire usability for smartphones were developed and analyzed. Completion time, drop-out rate, and response patterns were compared across different display sizes and layout variants. Results show significantly lower completion times and drop-out rates when the questionnaire was answered on a larger display. Also, different answering patterns emerged among participants using mobile devices. Likewise, the study revealed effects of different questionnaire layouts. The authors discuss implications for the design of online questionnaire in order to obtain reliable data from online surveys.

The rudimentary notion of using MANET is that the exchange of information in between the portable nodes count on the swift arrangement of a momentary network. Also, each node in a MANET can travel... Show More

The rudimentary notion of using MANET is that the exchange of information in between the portable nodes count on the swift arrangement of a momentary network. Also, each node in a MANET can travel spontaneously in any direction and can change its links to the other nodes repeatedly. In hybrid protocols, initially, the routing is established with the help of some proactively prospected routes and later on serves the request with the help of reactive flooding. In MANET, the security and the routing are the two most crucial and challenging aspects that open up a vast area for improvement. Security includes a set of considerations that are adequately funded. Designing a competent routing protocol for wireless ad-hoc network along with the fulfilment of security aspects is a challenging task. MANET demands for a new set of networking strategies to be adopted in order to provide competent and secure overhead free end-to-end communication. In MANET, hybrid routing protocols are considered to be the most effective types of protocols as they take the advantage of both proactive and reactive routing protocols. After performing an intense literature survey, it could be concluded that there is a specific requirement of a protocol hybrid in nature that could include the two most specific factors for MANET (i.e., routing and security). The existing hybrid routing protocols suffers from the problems like optimisation control, images detection, and image quantization. To solve the above-mentioned issues of hybrid routing protocols, various optimization algorithms have been proposed that are natural genetics-inspired. The various techniques that can be used to enhance the security are cryptography, bio-metric, trust-based approach, Hash function algorithm, etc.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disability among gamers where individuals belonging to this group of conditions have difficulty understanding non-verbal cues. Though... Show More

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disability among gamers where individuals belonging to this group of conditions have difficulty understanding non-verbal cues. Though game accessibility is a focal point in the games industry, there has been a keen focus placed on developing accessibility. Consequently, this study examines the perspective of video games from individuals who have autism to gain further insight into the needs of these individuals. The preliminary study is to discover if autistic users' difficulty reading non-verbal cues extends to their perception of a game environment and if these individuals can experience sensory distress while playing video games. A prototype was created to further understand the non-verbal cues to help shape the foundation of accessibility framework. The preliminary results concluded that autistic users frequently misread or fail to pick up on the non-verbal cues used by developers to drive game flow and narrative (e.g., sign-posting), in addition to experiencing sensory distress while playing video games.