Web-based Game Research Articles

Habits and Attitudes of Video Gaming and Information Technology Use in People with Schizophrenia: Cross-Sectional Survey.

BackgroundInformation technology and video gaming have potential advantages in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, information regarding the habits and attitudes related to internet use and video gaming in people with schizophrenia is limited.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the habits and attitudes regarding video gaming and information technology usage and their associated factors in people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey, service users with schizophrenia were recruited from 6 halfway hostels and 7 integrated centers for mental wellness in Hong Kong. A 79-item self-report questionnaire was utilized to explore the habits of internet use and video gaming in these people with schizophrenia. The attitude toward video gaming was assessed using the Gaming Attitudes, Motivations, and Experiences Scales. Of the 148 individuals in a convenience sample who were invited to participate in this study, 110 willingly participated (a response rate of 74.3%). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a two-tailed independent t test, Pearson correlation, and principal analysis with 3 methods of rotation (varimax, equimax, and promax).ResultsMost participants (100/110, 90.9%) had access to the internet and half of them (54/110, 49.1%) used the internet daily mostly to watch videos (66/110, 60.0%) or read news or books, etc (42/110, 38.2%). One-third of the participants (36/110, 32.7%) used the internet to play web-based games, and most of them (88/110, 80.0%) had played a video game in the past year. The most favorable gaming platforms were cellular phones (43/88, 49%) followed by computers (19/88, 22%) and arcade cabinets (6/88, 7%). The most favorable game genre was action games (34/145, 23.4%). Those who had a bachelor’s degree or higher scored lower in social interaction than those with a lower education level (P=.03). Those who played video games daily scored higher in the category of story than those who did not play daily (t86=2.03, P=.05). The most popular gaming category was autonomy and the least popular categories were violent catharsis and violent reward. Two motives, “social playing” and “evasive playing,” were formed to describe the characteristics of playing video games.ConclusionsOur data showed a high internet utilization rate among people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong. Only a few of them used the internet to search for health-related information. Our study also exemplified the unique habits of gaming among the participants. Health care professionals could utilize video games to engage people with schizophrenia and promote coping with stress and provide social skills training to such people with schizophrenia. Identification of the gaming attitudes can contribute to the development of serious games for the schizophrenic population. Further investigation is vital for the promotion of mental health through web-based platforms.

Detection of Hands for Hand-Controlled Skyfall Game in Real Time Using CNN

With human-computer interaction technology evolving, direct use of the hand as an input device is of wide attraction. Recently, object detection methods using CNN models have significantly improved the accuracy of hand detection. This paper focuses on creating a hand-controlled web-based skyfall game by building a real time hand detection using CNN-based technique. A CNN network, which uses a MobileNet as the feature extractor along with the single shot detector framework, is used to achieve a robust and fast detection of hand location and tracking. Along with detection and tracking of hand, skyfall game has been designed to play using hand in real time with tensor flow framework. This way of designing the game where hand is used as input to control the paddle of skyfall game improved the player interaction and interest towards playing the game. This model of CNN network used egohands dataset for detecting and tracking the hands in real time and produced an average accuracy of 0.9 for open hands and 0.6 for closed hands which in turn improved player and game interactions.

Connecting digital elements with physical learning contexts: an educational escape-the-room game for supporting learning in young children

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current study was to investigate students’ overall learning process during the implementation of educational escape-the-room games (EERGs) in classrooms. This study adopted a two-stage case-study methodology, namely single-case and multi-case designs. In the first stage, a well-designed EERG for a Chinese language class was developed on a web-based game platform. A total of 15 second-grade students from a public elementary school in Taiwan used tablet computers to engage in problem-solving tasks in the EERG. In the second stage, five schoolteachers from other elementary schools who had adopted similar EERGs in their classrooms in the previous academic year participated in the study to share their instructional experiences. The results indicated that students actively collaborated with their team members to address problem-solving tasks during the EERG activity. Positive collaborative learning experiences and learning attitudes towards the EERG were identified in the students’ self-reflection worksheets.

Use of web-based game in neonatal resuscitation - is it effective?

BackgroundKnowledge and skills decline within months post simulation-based training in neonatal resuscitation. To empower ‘Millennial’ learners to take control of their own learning, a single-player, unguided web-based Neonatal Resuscitation Game was designed. The present study investigates the effectiveness of the game on retention of resuscitation knowledge and skills.MethodsThe study evaluated 162 healthcare professionals who attended simulation-based training in neonatal resuscitation. Following standard simulation-based training, participants were assigned to either a gaming group (Gamers) with access to the web-based Neonatal Resuscitation Game or a control group (Controls) with no access to the game. Although Gamers were given access, game utilization was completely voluntary and at will. Some Gamers chose to utilize the web-based game (Players) and others did not (Non-players). Knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation were assessed upon completion of training and 6 months post-training using a multiple-choice question test and a manikin-based skills test. Changes in scores were compared statistically between Gamers vs Controls, Players vs Controls, and Players vs Controls + Non-players using two-sample t-tests.ResultsAt the final assessment, declines in knowledge scores were seen in all groups. Mean change from baseline in knowledge and skill performance scores at 6 months, adjusted for baseline skill performance and MCQ test scores, did not differ significantly between Players vs Controls and Players vs Controls + Non-players.ConclusionThe web-based game in its current format may not be effective in facilitating retention of knowledge and technical skills in neonatal resuscitation.

The effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions in paediatric outpatient surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

To evaluate the effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions on paediatric patients and their parents in the day surgery context, where the primary outcome was children's pre-operative anxiety and secondary outcomes were postoperative pain and parents' anxiety and satisfaction with entire course of the day surgery. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science were systematically searched without time limits (up to December 2018). Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random effect meta-analysis of children's pre-operative anxiety was performed. Eight studies with a total of 722 patients were included in the analysis. The effectiveness of web-based mobile health interventions, including age-appropriate videos, web-based game apps, and educational preparation games made for the hospital environment, was examined in pre-operative settings. A meta-analysis (N=560 children) based on six studies found a statistically significant reduction in pre-operative anxiety measured by the Modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety Scale with a moderate effect size. Three studies reported parental satisfaction. Web-based mobile health interventions can reduce children's pre-operative anxiety and increase parental satisfaction. Web-based mobile health interventions could be considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools for children in nursing. There is not enough evidence regarding the effectiveness of reducing children's postoperative pain and parental anxiety using similar interventions. Web-based mobile health interventions reduce children´s pre-operative anxiety and could therefore be considered as non-pharmacological distraction tools for children in nursing.

Exploiting Gamification and Interactive Activities to Achieve Better Students’ Engagement in ELT Classes

Students’ active engagement and participation in the learning process has always been the most desirable factor in English Language Teaching (ELT) classes. Yet, it remains challenging for educators to engage students and make them participate. This qualitative research addresses the potential for exploiting gamification and interactive activities to achieve improved engagement in ELT classes. The integration of technology in education enables educators to use web-based games and interactive activities in ELT classes to get students’ engagement. An analysis of the research done in the related fields proves that games and interactive activities, integrated with technology, can be more effectively used in ELT classes to deliver better outcomes, which include enhanced motivation, active engagement, and willing participation of learners in the learning process. Another observation is that the current scenario has reinforced the need for using gamification and interactive activities in online classes. For instance, pedagogical applications like Forum (Moodle), Nearpod, Kahoot!, and H5P can be used in both regular face-to-face classes and in online classes. A careful analysis of some research findings proves that educators face a number of difficulties such as lack of training and insufficient time to prepare. However, the researchers in the field have also provided some possible solutions such as collaboration at different levels. The present scenario demands new approaches as online classes necessitate the implementation of modern techniques such as web-based gamification and interactive activities in order to actively engage students in ELT classes.

Evaluation of multiple active learning strategies in a pharmacology course

Background and purposeThe objectives of this study were to implement multiple active learning strategies in pharmacology and evaluate the most effective method to promote understanding. Educational activity and settingA structured, student-centered learning approach was launched. The implemented active learning strategies were Kahoot web-based interactive games, crossword puzzles, an instructional video, a music video, and fill-in-the-blank tables. For three consecutive years, several topics in pharmacology were taught by the same instructor. While traditional teaching was used for the class of 2016, the above-mentioned active learning strategies were utilized for the classes of 2017 and 2018. Student perceptions on traditional teaching vs. active learning and on the different active learning methods were determined by anonymous survey. The effectiveness of active learning on understanding pharmacology concepts was detected by extracting student performance data from ExamSoft item analysis. FindingsBased on exam performance assessment, students in the classes of 2017 and 2018 performed significantly better when fill-in-the-blank activities and videos were utilized. However, students believed that web-based games helped them better understand concepts. Variables between the classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018 were minimized through comparison of the same lecture topics and having the same instructor write exam questions. SummaryAlthough students perceived Kahoot web-based interactive gaming as the most valuable active learning strategy, fill-in-the-blank activities and videos were more effective in understanding the pharmacology concepts as measured by their exam performance.

Evaluating Social Change Games

The RETAIN Model is a game design and evaluation model for serious games. In this study, educators evaluated social change web-based and mobile app games using the RETAIN model rubric. In general, web-based games scored higher on the RETAIN rubric than their mobile app counterparts. In addition, the educators analyzed the social change games for their “hidden curriculum.” In some cases, the rubric and “hidden curriculum” contributed to educators altering the way they used the games they had appraised by supplementing context, incorporating discussion, or not using the games at all. The RETAIN model rubric offered educators a tool to evaluate digital games.

DEVELOPMENT OF WEB GAME LEARNING MATERIALS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

The purpose of this study is to develop a web-based learning game media to improve problem-solving skills in two-dimensional figure. Research method with R & D use the ASSURE development model consisting of 6 steps, that is 1) analyze learners, 2) state objectives, 3) select method, media, and materials, 4) utilize media and materials, 5) require learner participation, 6) evaluated and revise. The validity of the product is assessed by the experts with the expert validation sheets. The practicality of the product was tested by a limited trial of 10 students followed by interviews to see student responses. The Product effectiveness was seen from one class trial with one group pretest-posttest design and the results were analyzed using the Paired-Samples T-Test. The results of this study are in the form of web-based game learning media to improve problem-solving skills in flat-build material. The Learning media is proved valid based on the expert media, material, and learning tests. Learning media was also proved practical based on the results of interviews by 10 students. Learning media is proved effective based on the Paired Samples T-Test which was taken from the results of the pretest and post test

Web Browser Network Based on a BA Model for a Web-Based Virtual World

Real-time web applications such as a virtual world require considerable computing resources. However, as the number of servers increases, so does the maintenance and financial cost. To share tasks among web browsers, the browsers must share data. Therefore, a network must be constructed among the web browsers. In this paper, we propose the construction of a web browser network based on the Barabasi–Albert model (BA model). We focus on a web-based multiplayer online game that requires higher frequent communication and significant computing resources. We attempt to optimize computing resource utilization for web browsers. We improve upon the method in our previous study, which constructed a network for a web-based virtual world, using only location information. When a new user logged into a world, the web browser connected to two other browsers whose users had a location close to that of the user. The experimental results of that method showed 50% data coverage, which was insufficient to display the game screen because the web browser displays the characters on the virtual world. In this study, we attempt to use the BA model to construct more efficient networks than those in the previous study to increase data coverage. Our new method uses the number of connections of the web browser and location information to calculate the probability of web browser selection. The experimental results show that the data coverage exceeds 90%, indicating significant improvement over the previous method.

Using Team Supports and Gamified Web-Based Approaches to Attain Recommended Levels of Physical Activity Among International Indonesian Students

Introduction: The interactive web-based, blended with tri-axial accelerometer by smartphone Apps, have the potential to help university students adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle.The purposes of this text was to evaluated a gamification base for International Indonesia students to determine the impacts of a program building with psychosocial base to increase the exercise efficacy to attain a recommended level of physical activity. Methods: A non-equivalent control group with pre and posttest design conducted in 86-Indonesian international students with a time cluster randomize to avoid information contamination between groups. The intervention group received a Social Cognitive Theory skill-building by web-based game with team competition for 10-week program. Outcomes include physical activity, health outcomes, and cardiopulmonary fitness. ANCOVA and McNemar X2 test was adopted to test pre- and post-outcome effects. Results: The intervention group recorded more steps/day than those in the control (p <0.001, eta = 0.522), more distance (p <0.001, eta = 0.521), greater calories consumption (p <0.001, eta = 0.419), more longer (time) (p <0.001, eta = 0.217), more physical fitness (p <0.001, eta = 0.168), lower body weight (p <0.002, eta = 0.131), lower BMI (p <0.001, eta = 0.149), and lower systolic blood pressure (p <0.007, eta = 0.103). Conclusions: Web-based game with group competition programs can successfully increase physical activity among international university students.The results could serve as a good approach for health professionals to design an effective program toachieve recommended levels of physical activity and the physical fitness.

The training game SALIENCE for the therapy of alcohol use disorder.

The feasibility study was aimed to develop a web-based gaming tool for the therapy of alcohol use disorder to offer patients a cue-exposure-based extinction and decision training, enhanced with virtual reality. To increase the training effect, patients playfully experience situations that resemble critical real-life situations. For implementing the game, a combination of HTML5 and JavaScript was used. The application comes with an administrator interface, to allow editing the game content. Initially, we included 21 patients (Group 1), 18 suffering from alcohol use disorder and 3 using cannabis (18/3 male/female, mean age 39 ± 13 years). Considering the iterative process of a feasibility study, we developed the game design as suggested by participants of Group 1 and additionally included 11 novel participants (Group 2) (11 suffering from an alcohol use disorder, 7/4 male/female, mean age 46 ± 14 years). Basically, the game was very well received. Usability ratings were generally high, even in patients with little computer experience. Both groups rated the application as realistic, and would generally be willing to play it on a daily basis. Given that SALIENCE is inexpensive, easily available, and engaging, it might be a reasonable add-on intervention to the standard treatment of alcohol use disorder.

КОМПЛЕКСНА СИСТЕМА МОНІТОРИНГУ СУЧАСНИХ ІНТЕРАКТИВНИХ WEB-ІГОР

This paper discusses a comprehensive approach to monitoring key parameters of modern web-based games. The basic and secondary monitoring parameters have been identified, and they have been divided into two main categories for complete independence of technical and business processes. Possibilities of modern monitoring systems and the basic approaches of observation, forecasting and statistics of the main parameters of interactive applications are analyzed. The structure of a comprehensive approach to monitoring the basic and minor parameters, which are necessary to ensure non-failure and round-the-clock monitoring of applications, is developed. In developing the structure of complex monitoring, the principle of modularity was used, which ensures complete interchange of monitoring systems with other such systems, as well as ensures the independence of monitoring the parameters of web-games with the help of several different monitoring systems. A list of the most up-to-date and most convenient monitoring systems has been formed to perform the basic functions of monitoring, maintaining statistics and forecasting further development. Advantages and disadvantages of modern systems are considered. The general description of the selected monitoring systems with regard to the tasks assigned to them is given. The basic generalized monitoring parameters that can be applied in the process of monitoring modern web-based games are given, taking into account the distribution of the main and secondary, technical and business processes, as well as external and internal positioning.

A Web-based Game Universe Creation Support Service for OSMU

OSMU(One Source Multi Use)가 활성화되면서 콘텐츠창작의 중요성이 커지고 있는 가운데, 콘텐츠의 논리적 완전성 및 사건의 개연성을 고려하여 스토리를 탄탄하게 전개하기 위해서 보다 긴밀하고 체계적인 자료 관리가 매우 필요하다. 또한 가상의 환경 및 인물, 사건 등의 세계관 설정과 인물 사이에 벌어지는 일련의 사건들이 지속적으로 발생하며 수정하는 일들이 반복적으로 발생하기 때문에 오류가 발생할 가능성이 크다. 더구나 이러한 설정들은 글에만 의존하므로 팀원 간에 오해가 발생할 가능성이 크다. 따라서 이 연구는 이러한 오류제거 및 팀원간의 원활한 소통을 위해 콘텐츠에 사용되는 설정자료들을 체계적으로 관리 및 시각화 할 수 있는 웹기반 창작지원 서비스를 기획 및 구현한다. 주요기능으로 지역설정을 시각화 한 지도기능, 인물 및 관계설정을 한 인물관계기능, 사건 타임라인 기능, 지역과 연계한 관련사건 기능 등이 있다.

Tensions Within the Ministry of Provenance: Reflections on Co-Creating a Research Game Together With Artists

Background. Research games are challenging to design as they seek to fulfil a research agenda as well as work as a game. We have successfully collaborated with a group of artists in a research game about people’s perception of provenance called The Apocalypse of the Ministry of Provenance (MoP). The web-based game ran for 6 months with a total of 1004 players signing up over its lifetime with 490 consenting to their data being used for research purposes. While the game allowed us to answer our provenance-related research questions, in this article we look at the game design process of such a collaborative research game. Aim. The co-creation approach created tensions that had to be carefully negotiated between everyone involved. The purpose of this article is to investigate the nature of these tensions, what has caused them, and how we managed (or failed) to mitigate them. This leads to recommendations for future researchers co-creating a research game with artists. Method. We use the form of a post-mortem reflection on the development of the game, based on our own experiences, a one-hour long interview with the two artists involved, and post-game phone interviews with players (n=8). Results. We identify the following three tensions that had a high impact on the overall process: 1) Translating research questions into engaging gameplay elements; 2) Creation of research-relevant content by artists; 3) Artistic vision conflicting with research agenda. We contextualize these tensions by describing six vignettes concerning our collaboration in rich detail that highlight the salient issues of the overall process and resulting game from different perspectives. Lastly, we present seven mitigation strategies on how to deal with the tensions or prevent them from arising. Conclusions. A collaboration with artists for the purpose of creating a research game is a rewarding but also challenging process. Overcoming the resulting tensions is possible by utilizing mitigation strategies that need to be implemented jointly between researchers and artists to guarantee the success as an engaging research game.

Building Web-based Game Online

The purpose of the research is to investigate the design of a website-based online store with the game content. Therefore, this website will be designed specifically for gaming enthusiasts. The website will be divided into two views, the first view for the admin and the second display for consumers. In view of the admin page can only be accessed by the web admin. While the consumer display can be accessed by the admin and the consumer. The data analysis was conducted on the website from both admin and consumer. The result indicated that the successful of game online is highly affected by its website design. In the future, the design of website itself should be analyzed and studied further by more specific application to make the data more comprehensive.

Copystree

AbstractThe reconstruction of phylogenies of cultural artefacts represents an open problem that mixes theoretical and computational challenges. Existing benchmarks rely on simulated phylogenies, where hypotheses on the underlying evolutionary mechanisms are unavoidable, or on real data phylogenies, for which no true evolutionary history is known. Here we introduce a web-based game, Copystree, where users create phylogenies of manuscripts through successive copying actions in a fully monitored setup. While players enjoy the experience, Copystree allows to build artificial phylogenies whose evolutionary processes do not obey any predefined theoretical mechanisms, being generated instead with the unpredictability of human creativity. We present the analysis of the data gathered during the first set of experiments and use the artificial phylogenies gathered for a first test of existing phylogenetic algorithms.

The Design of Web Games for Helping Young High-Functioning Autistics in Learning How to Manage Money

We describe the design of a Web-based game application aimed to support high-functioning individuals affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder in gaining skills that can help them understand the concept of money and apply it in practical life situations. In order to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the games, a user study involving six high-functioning ASD individuals in their teens and above was carried out. Preliminary results were encouraging and showed the potential advantages of such a system for training end users on practical life skills. We report on the redesign of the application that has been performed taking into account also the feedback gathered in the empirical validation. During the redesign we also added a more realistic game involving interaction with a vending machine, a tool that is commonly used by teenagers to buy snacks or drinks.

Sentiment analysis and Twitter: a game proposal

Pervasive sensing of people's opinions is becoming critical in strategic decision processes, as it may be helpful in identifying problems and strengthening strategies. A recent research trend is to understand users' opinions through a sentiment analysis of contents published in the Twitter platform. This approach involves two challenges: the large volume of available data and the large variety of used languages combined with the brevity of texts. The former makes manual analysis unreasonable, whereas the latter complicates any type of automatic analysis. Since sentiment analysis is a difficult process for computers, but it is quite simple for humans, in this article, we transform the sentiment analysis process into a game. Indeed, we consider the game with a purpose approach and we propose a game that involves users in classifying the polarity (e.g., positive, negative, neutral) and the sentiment (e.g., joy, surprise, sadness) of tweets. To evaluate the proposal, we used a dataset of 52,877 tweets, we developed a Web-based game, we invited people to play the game, and we validated the results through two different methods: ground-truth and manual assessment. The obtained results showed that the game approach is effective in measuring people' sentiments and also highlighted that participants liked to play the game.

Learning through play: The impact of web-based games on early literacy development

Education practitioners and policy-makers are enthusiastic about web-based games’ potential to promote reading and pre-reading skills, although it is unclear how effective these games are, especially for children in early childhood. The aim of this study was to determine if literacy games on an educational website could effectively promote early literacy. 136 preschoolers and kindergarteners were randomly assigned to play literacy-focused (intervention group), or puzzle- and arts-themed computer games (control) for 8 weeks at home. Children’s early literacy skills were evaluated pre- and post-intervention via 12 literacy assessments. Children in the intervention group outperformed control group peers on eight of these outcomes. Learning was most pronounced for alliteration and phonics, which are important early predictors of later reading abilities.