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The purpose of this report is to describe models for operational training of military personnel and frameworks, methodologies, and tools that support the analysis, planning, monitoring, and evaluation of such training. The primary example used is simulator-based training and exercises, and in particular the operations at FOI/FLSC (Swedish Defence Research Agency/Swedish Air Force Combat Simulation Centre). The report also includes specific recommendations on how frameworks, methodologies, and data from assessment tools can be used by an organization for effective training, and suggests a number of research and development activities that strive towards a learning organization., QC 20140919, E36714

Learning by practice, apprenticeship and paradigmatic examples have been prime paths for learning within interaction design. These have been criticized for being time-consuming and costly, not being implementable in academic contexts. In this article we suggest and evaluate a pedagogical model to address these problems in design teaching and learning. Results from a time-constrained collaborative design exercise, a so-called “interactionary”, are presented. Student design work is analyzed using the framework of learning design sequences. Analysis of the primary transformation unit shows that interactionaries reveal patterns in student design work. Materials are used mainly to document design ideas rather than as a design material to further investigate design ideas and aspects of interaction. In the critiquing sessions, regarded as the secondary transformation unit, many issues hardly addressed during the design work were brought up. Thus, the designers continued to develop their design proposal primed by critique presented by the reviewers., QC 20140619, DEKAL

This paper presents a study focused on comparing real actors based scenarios and animated characters based scenarios with respect to their similarity in evoking psychophysiological activity for certain events by measuring galvanic skin response (GSR). In the experiment, one group (n=11) watched the real actors’ film whereas another group (n=7) watched the animated film, which had the same story and dialogue as the real actors’ film. The results have shown that there is no significant difference in the skin conductance response (SCR) scores between the two groups; however, responses significantly differ when SCR amplitudes are taken into account. Moreover, Pearson’s correlation reported as high as over 80% correlation between the two groups’ SCRs for certain time intervals. The authors believe that this finding is of general importance for the domain of simulation-based tutoring systems in development of and decisions regarding use of animated characters based scenarios., Special issue on Emotional Intelligence for Online Learning.

In the last decades design-based research has grown in application within the learning sciences. Key to design-based research within Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), is that researchers, users and practitioner's work together to produce a meaningful change in contexts of practice. Much research within mobile learning has however come under criticism for being technology-driven with a large portion of studies lacking explicit educational foundations (eg. Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2011, Traxler & Kukulska-Hulme, 2005). I.e., lacking at least one of the key characteristics of design-based research in general and design-based research within TEL in particular. Elaborated views of mobile learning have been articulated and these have constituted a significant step in the evolution of mobile learning, characterized by a shift of focus, from an imprecise and inadequate foregrounding of technology, towards a conceptualization of mobile learning that emphasizes social practices mediated by mobile technology. Crucial to design-based research in general and perhaps particularly to design-based research within TEL and mobile learning is that results from research are usable also to others than the research community. I.e. to practitioners and other stakeholders involved in designing for a particular learning context or activity. Further, design solutions that have been collaboratively developed with stakeholders need to be usable also by others outside of the immediate collaboration. How else would these results become usable to a wider audience of practitioners? Building on a design-based research approach, in the past five years a number of studies pertaining to mobile learning and design of out-door and in-door learning activities have been carried out in collaboration with a primary school in a suburb to Stockholm, Sweden. Results from these studies have among other things shown the importance of scaffolding and support across out-door and in-door learning activities. I

This paper presents a study focused on comparing driving behavior of expert and novice drivers in a mid-range driving simulator with the intention of evaluating the validity of driving simulators for driver training. For the investigation, measurements of performance, psychophysiological measurements, and self-reported user experience under different conditions of driving tracks and driving sessions were analyzed. We calculated correlations between quantitative and qualitative measures to enhance the reliability of the findings. The experiment was conducted involving 14 experienced drivers and 17 novice drivers. The results indicate that driving behaviors of expert and novice drivers differ from each other in several ways but it heavily depends on the characteristics of the task. Moreover, our belief is that the analytical framework proposed in this paper can be used as a tool for selecting appropriate driving tasks as well as for evaluating driving performance in driving simulators.

This paper discusses findings of a study conducted to determine how to design peerteaching activities to promote inquiry based learning in a virtual learning environment (VLE) designed for a distance learning programme where teacher support is kept at a minimum level. A previous study conducted in the same environment, revealed that the students could engage in peer-teaching. Considering this ability and the instructional designers’ requirement to know how forum based activities should be designed, a peer-teaching activity was designed with necessary instructions to promote inquiry-based learning in the VLE. The activity was designed based on sets of collaborative and inquiry-based learning design principles. The findings of the study were used to improve the sets of design principles. In addition, sets of design guidelines were also prepared for easy application of the design principles.

Mobile devices have been successfully used in facilitating learning in informal education. In the study reported on here, we propose designing mobile based informal learning in the domain of agriculture to aware farmers on better farming practice. Thus, learning is referred to as in-situ practice of agriculture compared to traditional classroom learning. The facilitation of communication and interaction among farmers and other stakeholders is important to foster informal learning. Accordingly interactive mobile-learning environments can encourage participatory attitudes, excite interest and commitment among learners and thus become important in adult learning.

Mobile learning is defined by Keegan (2005) as basically a learning method which provides education and training on mobile phones. This is mostly from the point of view of the technology that is used to initiate learning. The second approach to define mobile learning is from the point of view of the learner. Accordingly, mobile learning is defined as any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies (Malley et al., 2003).This study attempts to evaluate the impact of a Twitter based mobile learning project conducted among a group of distance learners using Twitter mobile SMS option. We have delivered a series of short lessons related to agriculture among 20 young farmers since October, 2012 – March 2013. The lessons basically used Question & Answer format so as to improve student engagement and learning; which also helped in overcome 140 character limitation of Twitter. The aim of the study was to assess impact of mobile learning programme as a guided informal learning method, in the light of Activity theory. The activity theory has being used to structure the study, and also to derive the research questions related to user satisfaction, learning community, tools, learning resources, and user control aspects. The activity theory has been used as a guide to capture the dynamics of mobile learning context throughout the study. Other methodologies, including participatory methods such as key informant discussions, case studies and focus groups were also used to understand the interrelationships among the concepts. The study reveals the limitations and challenges faced by the learners when participating in the SMS based mobile learning programme. Furthermore it suggests on how to improve the mobile learning situation to maximize its benefits for the participants from the learner point of view while discus

This paper presents a study focused on comparing driving behavior of expert and novice drivers in a mid-range driving simulator with the intention of evaluating the validity of driving simulators for driver training. For the investigation, measurements of performance, psychophysiological measurements, and self-reported user experience under different conditions of driving tracks and driving sessions were analyzed. We calculated correlations between quantitative and qualitative measures to enhance the reliability of the findings. The experiment was conducted involving 14 experienced drivers and 17 novice drivers. The results indicate that driving behaviors of expert and novice drivers differ from each other in several ways but it heavily depends on the characteristics of the task. Moreover, our belief is that the analytical framework proposed in this paper can be used as a tool for selecting appropriate driving tasks as well as for evaluating driving performance in driving simulators., The authors wish to sincerely thank the staff of InGaMe Lab/Interaction Lab at University of Skövde, staff members who voluntarily participated in the experiment, and Fästningens Trafikskola, Karlsborg. This work has been financed through the NeLC project of SPIDER program and internal funding of University of Skövde.

Interaction design is about designing interaction. But how do first year students of interaction design understand and use concepts of interaction in their design processes? By interaction analysis of video material we analyse how students used concepts adhering to interaction. The aspect most frequently used was interactivity. Interaction was mainly handled by using spoken language. While working with physical materials, talk about interaction decreased, QC 20131211

Among the discussion-content analytical tools in the field of e-learning research, the community of inquiry (CoI) model is extensively applied and continuously improved by its users. This model investigates the types of elements that are manifested through inquiry-based learning processes in online discussions. They are social, cognitive, teaching and metacognitive presences. These elements are essential for meaningful student interactions to take place in online learning environments. In particular, the metacognitive presence construct of the CoI model discovers the students’ ability of self and co-regulation of learning in an online learning environment. However, the metacognitive presence construct of the CoI model has not been evaluated along with the other components of the model. Therefore, in this paper the CoI model was re-evaluated to determine its reliability in analysing discussions in online courses on information technology related subjects. The evaluation is conducted with four online courses designed and developed for a distance learning programme in Sri Lanka. The paper discusses the modifications that were needed to make the model more applicable for conducting discussion-content analysis in similar types of online learning environments, and reports on the results of the final evaluation. Furthermore, the findings of the study imply that the theoretical framework of the CoI model needs to be improved to properly enclose the metacognitive presence component. In spite of this, the study adds points to the CoI model supporting for its well applicability and reliability in analysing online discussion content in information technology related courses.

ICIC-express letters, special issue on Computer Human Interaction.

We evaluate to what extent students are interacting with mobile devices in one of four ways intended in the design of a mobile learning activity. Video data from one class of fifth grade students were analyzed using a model of four different types of interaction. The evaluation shows that the students interacted with the devices in the ways intended in design 64% of the time. The contribution is an approach for translating learning goals to interaction design goals in mobile learning research. We conclude that this approach can be of value in designing and evaluating interaction with mobile devices for an entire mobile learning activity.

This paper discusses findings of a study investigating how students, on four online courses, engaged in inquiry-based learning with and without support from a facilitator. The investigation was conducted by analysing discussions of the online courses using the community of inquiry model. The results of the study imply that students in online discussions can engage in deep and meaningful learning, even when there is no facilitator interaction. Further the findings of the analysis suggest that successful inquiries are possible without teacher or facilitator interactions, if learning environments are designed to support students to be interactive and the students have motivation, regulatory skills and a willingness to collaborate with peers., Dans le cadre de cet article, nous discutons les résultats obtenus dans une étude visant à déterminer comment des élèves, participant à quatre cours en ligne, se sont engagés dans un processus d’apprentissage par enquête, soit avec ou sans l’aide d’un facilitateur. L’étude a été réalisée en analysant les discussions relatives aux cours en ligne au moyen du modèle du Community of Inquiry (CoI). Les résultats de l’étude laissent entendre que les élèves participant aux discussions en ligne peuvent réaliser des apprentissages approfondis et significatifs, même en l’absence d’interaction avec un facilitateur. De plus, les résultats de l’analyse suggèrent que des enquêtes peuvent être réussies sans intervention de la part d’un enseignant ou d’un facilitateur si, d’une part, les environnements d’apprentissage sont conçus de manière à favoriser l’interactivité des élèves et, d’autre part, les étudiants ont la motivation, les compétences requises et la volonté de collaborer avec leurs pairs.

In collaborative design there is a need to create a shared understanding of design ideas and proposals. Misunderstandings and communication breakdowns often get in the way and need to be resolved. Little empirical research has addressed the use of design patterns in collaborative design work. An empirical study was carried out on students’ collaboration while working on design tasks. Data were analysed using interaction analysis focusing on how the participants resolved misunderstandings and communication breakdowns, and the role of design patterns. Particular attention was paid to gaps in the collaboration; situations where designers had difficulties understanding each other and how to continue the design work. One type of gap concerned difficulties seeing or finding solutions to problems. However, many gaps concerned how to define or frame problems underlying design proposals. The results contradict the conception that design patterns are examples serving the role of inspiration for reuse of design ideas: simply showing a pattern solution was not enough to resolve gaps. The main observations were that patterns had an important role in overcoming difficulties in discussions regarding rationales and problem framing, and explicitly referring to design patterns by their names was decisive for the patterns to become useful.

In location-based and contextual mobile learning, students are continually mobile in the virtual, social, and physical environment. A common problem in this view of mobile learning is that students spend time focusing on the mobile devices at the expense of interacting with other students or exploring the physical environment. The authors approach this problem from an interaction design perspective, where they design and analyse geometry-learning activities in two iterations. Based on video data from groups of students participating in the learning activities, the authors analyse when mobile devices are in the foreground and background of their interaction. The authors present six guidelines for designing location-based and contextual mobile learning activities, where mobile devices support rather than distract students from contents and contexts relevant to the learning goals. Finally, the guidelines are evaluated using a model of interaction, which represents mobile device interaction as one of four different modes of human interaction with technology.

The aim of this study is to define and evaluate a methodological framework for human-machine interaction (HMI) readiness evaluation in system development for complex, high risk, and task-critical environments. The long-term objective is to establish a HMI readiness evaluation framework for environments with these characteristics, in this specific case HMI development for fighter aircrafts. Based on literature studies a series of interviews were conducted to identify shortcomings of current practices and methods, and define requirements for an enhanced methodology. The results were further explored during facilitated workshops with HMI subject matter experts. The overall result is a methodological framework based on triangulation of many already established evaluation methods and techniques, combined with a set of measurable HMI criteria. Inspired by risk management practices, the result of the proposed methodology is presented in a HMI assessment matrix. This matrix is proposed to form the basis of the HMI evaluation and assessment.

wi: journal of mobile media: Special issue on methodological issues for studying user experiences. QC 20120410

Data collection in M-TEL (Mobile Technology Enhanced Learning) studies is associated with great challenges, as both the learners and data collectors are mobile. The context for M-TEL is in the wild, meaning disturbing sound and noise from the environment, which forces us to re-evaluate how we collect data. The aim of this study was to evaluate how many recording devices are needed when collecting data for a subsequent qualitative analysis of an M-TEL study, in our case interaction and conversation analysis. We have analysed how much of one learner’s speech was recorded by a recording device attached to that learner, and compared this with how much that learners speech was recorded by her peer learners’ recording devices, as well as by a close-up video camera. The paper presents a quantitative analysis of the material from different points of view; consecutive in time, the proximity of the learners, activity of the learners, and a union between dictaphones and/or video and a dictaphone. Our conclusion is that in a group of a number of learners, it is necessary to attach an audio recording device to every learner in order to sufficiently record their speech. A close-up video camera helps in connecting the speech to the activity performed.

This article questions the design of mobile learning activities that lead students to spend time focusing on the mobile devices at the expense of interacting with other students or exploring the environment. This problem is approached from an interaction design perspective, designing and analysing geometry-learning activities. The authors present six guidelines for designing mobile learning activities, where mobile devices support rather than distract students from contents and contexts relevant to the learning goals. The guidelines are developed through video analysis of groups of middle school students doing learning activities outdoors and evaluated using the task model. The guidelines suggest that students (1) assume roles based on a different functionality of each device, (2) use devices as contextual tools, that the activities, (3) include physical interaction with the environment, (4) let teachers assume roles, (5) encourage face-to-face communication, and (6) introduce students to the mobile devices.

Pages 93-95.

Mobile technology opens up opportunities for collaborative learning in otherwise remote contexts outside the classroom. A successful realization of these opportunities relies, however, on mobile learning activities providing adequate collaboration structures. This article presents an empirical study aimed at examining the role played by mobile devices, teachers and task structures as a means for collaborative learning in geometry. The study focused on the analysis of the nature of collaboration that unfolded when students measured areas outdoors in the field. The analysis of the mobile learning activity was conducted from an Activity theory perspective. The findings obtained indicate that the collaboration observed may be impaired if: 1) the functionalities needed for collaborative problem-solving are asymmetrically distributed on a number of mobile devices; 2) task-related information is not accessible to all learners; 3) the task structure is not sufficiently complex; 4) teacher scaffolding is too readily available; and 5) necessary collaborative skills are not developed.

This article questions the design of mobile learning activities that lead students to spend time focusing on the mobile devices at the expense of interacting with other students or exploring the environment. This problem is approached from an interaction design perspective, designing and analysing geometry-learning activities. The authors present six guidelines for designing mobile learning activities, where mobile devices support rather than distract students from contents and contexts relevant to the learning goals. The guidelines are developed through video analysis of groups of middle school students doing learning activities outdoors and evaluated using the task model. The guidelines suggest that students (1) assume roles based on a different functionality of each device, (2) use devices as contextual tools, that the activities, (3) include physical interaction with the environment, (4) let teachers assume roles, (5) encourage face-to-face communication, and (6) introduce students to the mobile devices.

In-process assessment of trainee learners in game-based simulators is a challenging activity. This typically involves human instructor time and cost, and does not scale to the one tutor per learner vision of computer-based learning. Moreover, evaluation from a human instructor is often subjective and comparisons between learners are not accurate. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an automated, formula-driven quantitative evaluation method for assessing performance competence in serious training games. Our proposed method has been empirically validated in a game-based driving simulator using 7 subjects and 13 sessions, and accuracy up to 90.25% has been achieved when compared to an existing qualitative method. We believe that by incorporating quantitative evaluation methods like these future training games could be enriched with more meaningful feedback and adaptive game-play so as to better monitor and support player motivation, engagement and learning performance.

In this workshop note we describe a new approach we used fordoing mobile user experience research. The method is build uponsituationist theory and the Dérive method, and is used for inspiremobile storytelling. We outline some of the challenges we facedand the lessons learned based on these experiences and highlightwhat we see as the key areas to focus on, in terms of carrying outmobile user experience research on real use of mobile services inthe future., QC 20120420

There is an increasing interest to use computer games for non-traditional education, such as for training purposes. For training education, simulators are considered as offering more realistic learning environments to experience situations that are similar to real world. This type of learning is more beneficial for practicing critical situations which are difficult or impossible in real world training, for instance experience the consequences of unsafe driving. However, the effectiveness of simulation-based learning of this nature is dependent upon the learner's engagement and explorative behaviour. Most current learner evaluation systems are unable to capture this type of learning. Therefore, in this paper we introduce the concept of game interaction state graphs (GISGs) to capture the engagement in explorative and experience-based training tasks. These graphs are constructed based on rules which capture psychologically significant learner behaviours and situations. Simple variables reflecting game state and learner's controller actions provide the ingredients to the rules. This approach eliminates the complexity involved with other similar approaches, such as constructing a full-fledged cognitive model for the learner. GISGs, at minimum, can be used to evaluate the explorative behaviour, the training performance and personal preferences of a learner.

The objective of the empirical study presented in this paper was to investigate students’ and teachers attitudes towards the issue of plagiarism. The study was conducted at the department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) at Stockholm University (SU) in Sweden in 2009. For the purpose of the investigation, we chose to make a comparison between results obtained by Uppsala University in a previously survey focused on the study of prevention of plagiarism in student work in 2005 (Henriksson, 2008). The goal with the comparison was twofold: i) to point at similarities and differences found on the issue of how plagiarism is perceived and faced by teachers and students at both universities as well as to summarize teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards plagiarism at DSV-Stockholm University and Ii) to develop a strategy to prevent plagiarism at DSV- Stockholm University. The survey which was in English and was sent by e-mail to teachers and students at the master level at DSV and was answered by 47 students and 24 teachers. Results obtained can be organized into the following topics: Awareness of plagiarism (consisting of a comparison between students and teachers); attitudes towards plagiarism(consisting of a comparison between students and teachers and European and non-European students studying at DSV); perception of plagiarism (consisting of a comparison between students and teachers and European and non-European students studying at DSV) and, comparison of results obtained by Uppsala and Stockholm University., CD-ROM proceedings

Design research in mobile learning is challenging. In this position paper, we suggest that the dichotomy between design-oriented research and research-oriented design can help explicate the role of different design activities in mobile learning research., Ingår i en Book of Abstracts

We need mobile learning innovations that are adaptable in educational settings. Considering this aim, the mobile learning field has had a history of technology-driven designs with less successful results. However, in order to overcome the shortcomings of the technology-driven attempts several studies have leaned towards codesign approaches that involve teachers and students in the design process. In this position paper, we argue that the co-design approach is insufficient on its own and we direct our focus towards learning theories to inform the design of mobile learning activities in educational settings., Ingår i en Book of Abstracts

Valletta, Malta

9th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn2010) Valetta, Malta

A common picture from studies on mobile learning is a group of students standing somewhere outdoors around a mobile device "like bees around the hive". This paper questions the design of learning activities that lead learners to spend time focusing on the device at the expense of interacting with other learners while exploring the outdoor environment. We approach the question in relation to a field trial we have conducted on geometry for middle school students. The objective of the trial was to find out, from an interaction design perspective, how to help users to balance their attention on the device and the outdoor physical environment. We found that the careful design of pedagogical activities and the redesign of mobile devices, to have different roles and to function as tools within the activity, can serve to balance focus between devices and the outdoors environment.

This paper revisits the notion of context from an interaction design perspective. Since the emergence of the research fields of Computer supported cooperative work and Ubiquitous computing, the notion of context has been discussed from different theoretical approaches and in different research traditions. One of these approaches is Embodied Interaction. This theoretical approach has in particular contributed to (i) challenge the view that user context can be meaningfully represented by a computer system, (ii) discuss the notion of context as interaction through the idea that users are always embodied in their interaction with computer systems. We believe that the particular view on users context that the approach of Embodied Interaction suggests needs to be further elaborated in terms of design. As a contribution we suggest an integrated approach where the interactional view of Embodied Interaction is interrelated with the representational view of Context-aware computing., QC 20110309

studerar: 1. hur verksamma, erfarna interaktionsdesigners går till väga när de löser interaktionsdesignproblem och hur de pratar kring dessa 2. hur studenter kan få stöd i sitt lärande och samarbete kring interaktionsdesignuppgifter 3. verktyg som skulle kunna underlätta interaktionsdesigners i sitt arbete och särskilt då med avseende på sådant som är specifikt för interaktionsdesign och som utnyttjar en specifik miljö, nämligen "iLounge-rummet" med sina stora skärmar och speciella bord i Kista. Särskilt med avseende på just interaktionsdesign kan vara att materialet som deisgnas, interaktionen, "saknar egenskaper" och behöver visualiseras tex genom att på olika representera tidsförlopp genom informationsrymder mellan och på olika sidor/skärmbilder i ett system eller genom att stödja versionshantering m.m.. 4. Möjligheter att utveckla ett gemensamt språkbruk för interaktionsdesigners och särskilt designmönster för interaktionsdesign., Resultatdialog 2009. Vetenskapsrådet. WWW.VR.SE Dnr: 2003-4467. QC 20120117

The design of an Online Learning Environment (OLE) and presentation of content in a distance educational programme is a major factor in success or failure of the learning programme. The role of instructional designers who design online learning environments for distance learning programmes has become demanding. In order to support instructional designers to do their work effectively, they are provided with instructional design guidelines. However, most of these guidelines are not specific nor easily applicable. Therefore, we were motivated to create sets of easy applicable instructional design guidelines. We selected an OLE which was already reported as successful in achieving learning effectiveness and student satisfaction. We gathered students’ experiences on using the OLE for their studies and analysed the data to find what design components of the OLE has led to the learner satisfaction, what design strategies used to design the learning content and design features of it led to the learning effectiveness and whether there was a relationship between students’ learning style preferences and students’ learning design preferences. The findings of the data analysis were presented as guidelines for instructional designers of online learning materials for novice online learners in distance learning programmes. on computer applications and information technology., at UCSC, Sri Lanka

Sketching and design sketches are often recognized as key elements of successful interaction design practice and a central skill in interaction design expertise. Interaction design is a relatively young field without well-developed conventions, tools, and formalisms. We analyze the practical work and the conduct of interaction designers in how they express interaction and dynamics through whiteboard drawings. We focus on how talk and action were used to shape the meaning of the drawings. The ways the designers imagined that users would interact with the system and how it would mediate communication between users became topical through a web of drawings, talk, and embodied action. Our analysis forefronts three aspects of interaction design: 1) the role of the design material 2) the role of embodied action in interaction design, and 3) talk and embodied action as central means of doing design. We argue that the qualities of a design material need to be understood in relation to the activity in which it is taken into use and through the kinds of actions that the participants engage in. This implies that design representations do not carry meaning in themselves but are made meaningful through design activity., QC 20141017

This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted with a set of students using an online learning environment (OLE) to follow a distance education program. The aim of the study was to find whether students could perform well in examinations using only the Learning Management System (LMS), whether they could use it in an efficient way and whether there was a relationship between students? learning styles, number of LMS hits and learning achievements. The students were given access to a specially designed course section. The students? learning achievements were evaluated in two tests at different intervals. The study data were gathered using questionnaires and LMS statistics. We found that once the students got acquainted with the environment they could use the LMS more efficiently and managed to get high scores by only using the LMS. Results associated with the learning style preferences imply that we have designed the learning content and the environment to satisfy and support the learners with different learning style preferences.