TeLearn - DigiCult

Learning and gaming

These projects explore innovations of computer game technology in storytelling, information visualisation and interactivity. They are characterised by the interdisciplinary nature of the research, which integrates pedagogy, cognitive science, neuroscience and computer science. Research focuses on supporting and understanding the learner as an individual and in the context of different and complex social situations, and involves strategies such as role play, affective engagement, and improving the attention span.

Projects

80Days - Around an inspiring virtual learning world in eighty days

This project is concerned with theories, methodologies, and technologies for game-based learning. It will integrate models of adaptive personalised learning and adaptive interactive storytelling in gaming environments. One objective is to reduce production costs for digital educational games by developing solutions for making use of already existing learning resources.

Fact sheet - Project website

eCIRCUS - Education through Characters with emotional-Intelligence and Role-playing Capabilities that Understand Social interaction

e-CIRCUS will investigate the efficiency of role-play, narrative engagement and empathy on cognitive and emotional learning processes in complex social situations. The concepts developed will be validated in an interactive 3D environment populated by synthetic characters with autobiographical memory, individual personalities and improvisational capabilities. Exemplary topics are socially sensitive issues in which empathy and emotional engagement are key factors, such as bullying and refugee integration in schools.

Fact sheet - Project website

ELEKTRA - Enhanced Learning Experience and Knowledge Transfer

This project merged pedagogical and cognitive science expertise with the innovations of computer game technology and design in storytelling, visualisation and interactivity. Research exploited the added value of an interdisciplinary integration of the related research areas (neuroscience, cognitive science, pedagogy and computer science) and has lead to further insights in learning processes in game-based virtual environments. The research results were implemented in the conception and development of a new kind of digital learning game that uses game design fundamentals based on a sound psycho-pedagogical theory.
Fact sheet - Project website

GaLA - Game and Learning Alliance

This Network of Excellence will shape the scientific community concerned with game-based learning and build a European virtual research centre aimed at gathering, integrating, harmonising and coordinating research on serious games for education and training. An important project activity will be the dissemination of knowledge, best practices and tools and the establishment of a reference point at international level. Two other key areas are the support to deployment in actual educational and training settings and the fostering of innovation and knowledge transfer through research-business dialogue.

Fact sheet - Project website

TERENCE - An Adaptive Learning System for Reasoning about Stories with Poor Comprehenders and their Educators

This project will explore and advance the potential of intelligent adaptive learning systems to support children in developing the key skill of text comprehension. The research will result in innovative usability and evaluation guidelines, improved cognitive and pedagogical models for story comprehension and inference making, and in a system that will allow teachers to choose and customise stories and games according to the needs of their learners. TERENCE will be based on cross-disciplinary expertise in diverse and complementary fields (art and design, computer science, engineering, linguistics, evidence-based medicine, psychology), and on the constant involvement of end-users throughout the project.

Fact sheet - Project website

TARGET - Transformative, Adaptive, Responsive and Engaging Environment

TARGET will develop a responsive learning system with serious games at its core, that presents the learner with complex situations and results in experiences that are gradually honed into knowledge.

Fact sheet - Project website

SIREN - Social games for conflIct REsolution based on natural iNteraction

SIREN targets the improvement of conflict resolution skills, using tools that are appropriate and engaging for today's children, for whom computer games and social networks are natural parts of life. The project outcome will be a new type of educational game which makes use of recent advances in serious games, social networks, computational intelligence and emotional modelling. The software created in the project will be able to automatically generate conflict scenarios that fit the learning needs of particular groups of children with varying cultural background, maturity, and technical expertise, and meet the desired learning outcomes as specified by a teacher.

Fact sheet - Project website

xDELIA – Xcellence in Decision-making through Enhanced Learning in Immersive Applications

xDELIA will explore novel technology-supported approaches to training and support for non-formal and informal learning tested in the domain of financial decision making. This research will increase the understanding of emotional states in decision making processes and help handling biases.

Fact sheet - Project website