The Middle Ages in contemporary time – Salve City; a reconstruction in the Between Land is an essay dealing with the reconstruction of medieval Kalmar. The Salve City is a melting pot of such diverse fields as archaeology, pedagogies, reconstruction, historical tourism, regional development policy et cetera. Together, these parts form a space for research and mediation, business and pleasure, a place where commercialism and historical tourism can function alongside with history enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Both pros and cons of the use of a reconstructed part of medieval Kalmar are debated. / Medeltid i samtid – Salvestaden en rekonstruktion i mellanlandet, är en uppsats om återskapandet av det medeltida Kalmar. Salvestaden är en smältdegel av vitt skilda områden så som arkeologi, pedagogik, rekonstruktion, historieturism, regional utvecklingspolitik med mera. Alla dessa delar bildar tillsammans en plats för forskning och förmedling, nytta och nöje, en plats där kommersialism och historieturism samsas med eldsjälar och entreprenörer. Nyttan med en återuppbyggd del av det medeltida Kalmar är omdiskuterad på både gott och ont.

This report investigates digital games with focus on differences and similarities between children’s point of view when it comes to games focusing on learning compared to those focusing on entertainment. The approached group was children, 7 years old. The study contains investigations and analysis of how these children used games in both school and home environment. The most used theory “8 theories of fun” by Marc LeBlanc (2004) raises the most important parts making a game fun. The method used was group interviews in a primary school. 12 children were interviewed to observe their attitudes to games. Our findings indicate that these children don´t reflect much upon why they play a certain game, mostly important is that playing is considered fun. Furthermore, another important observation was that these children in general perceived learning games as less fun. We found more differences than similarities in the childrens opinions regarding edutainment games compared to entertaining games. / Denna C-uppsats behandlar digitala spel och undersöker skillnader och likheter angående barns åsikter om inlärningsspel och underhållningsspel. Målgrupp för studien var barn i sju års ålder och vi har undersökt deras användning av spel både i hem- och skolmiljö. Den teori som kanske varit viktigast i uppsatsen, 8 theories of fun, är författad av Marc LeBlanc m.fl (2004) och tar upp vilka delar som samspelar för att göra ett spel roligt. Vår metod bestod av att utföra gruppintervjuer då vi intervjuade tolv barn inom målgruppen för att se vilka attityder som gått att uppvisa. De resultat vi fått av studien är bland annat att de barn vi undersökt inte reflekterar speciellt mycket över vad de spelar för spel. Samt att den kanske viktigaste delen i ett spel är att det upplevs som roligt. Studien uppvisade fler olikheter än likheter i jämförelsen mellan underhållningsspel och inlärningsspel. Respondenternas generella åsikt var att underhållningsspel upplevs roligare är inlärningsspel.

In order to leverage the use of various modalities such as audio-visual-touch in instilling learning behaviour, we present an intuitive approach of annotation based hapto-audio-visual interaction with the traditional digital learning materials such as eBooks. By integrating the traditional home entertainment system and respective media in the user's reading experience combined with haptic interfaces, we examine whether such augmentation of modalities influence the user's reading experience in terms of attention, entertainment and retention. The proposed Haptic E-Book (HE-Book) system leverages the haptic jacket, haptic arm band as well as haptic sofa interfaces to receive haptic emotive signals wirelessly in the form of patterned vibrations of the actuators and expresses the learning material by incorporating audio-video based augmentation in order to pave ways for intimate reading experience in the popular eBook platform. We have designed and developed desktop, mobile/tablet based HE-Book system as well as a semi-automated annotation authoring tool. Our system also supports multimedia based diverse quiz augmentations, which can help in learning tracking. We have conducted quantitative and qualitative tests using the developed prototype systems. We have adopted the indirect objective based performance analysis methodology, which is commonly used for multimedia based learning investigation. The user study shows that, there is a positive tendency of accepting multimodal interactions including haptics with traditional eBook reading experience. Though our limited number of laboratory tests reveal, that haptics can be an influencing media in eBook reading experience, but it requires large scale real life tests to provide a concluding remarks.

Entertainment-Education (EE), or ‘Edutainment’ as it has come to be known, is a prominent discipline and communicative practice, both in international and community development, and is utilised to address social issues and culturally specific norms, some of which may be taboo or harmful.  This research sets out to explore the application of edutainment, in particular Theatre for Development (TfD), through an examination of its practice in a Pacific context; namely, a case study of Wan Smolbag Theatre (WSB), a grassroots NGO based in Vanuatu. Using tangible examples of WSB’s theatre work, the interplay between listening, participation, and dialogue will be examined as they bear on WSB’s diverse operations in Vanuatu. It will also be suggested that edutainment and TfD sits at the intersection of communication, culture and development and in fact, requires all three elements in order to be realised.  Through its use of edutainment and TfD, WSB’s core strength lies in its sensitivity and responsiveness to both culture as aesthetic activity and as a way of life, enabling a dialogic, participatory approach that provides a stage for subaltern community voices to identify issues, and importantly, solutions to their own problems.  The Pacific Region poses a complex landscape for development research and the same applies in the area of communication for development and social change. Due to its vast geographical area but often small population sizes, Pacific-focused research and data can be difficult to source, both of a qualitative and quantitative nature. This study aims to address one such gap, while also attempting to situate this research in the wider historical context of edutainment.

Among the American population, there is a general misunderstanding of human evolution and human life in the Paleolithic. Beyond the mechanics of biological evolution, there is confusion over what sorts of modern-day behaviors are vestiges from humans’ evolutionary past. My master’s thesis explores what kind of misconceptions about Paleo-life and human evolution circulate in popular discourse and where these misconceptions stem from. Drawing on the experiences of community members in upstate New York, I conducted a multimodal discourse analysis via surveys, interviews, and a reflexive media analysis to triangulate my findings. Through these two discourses – that of the everyday understanding of human evolution and Paleo-life versus what kinds of messages popular media portrays on these same issues – I determined that popular media constitutes a large resource of information gathering for the general public. Furthermore, the media highlighted by my research participants to exhibit themes of human evolution had clear messages on race, gender, and violence that research participants largely believe to be successful modes of “survival of the fittest” and thus cultural “survivals” from when we were evolving to our modern form. Participant and media messages regarding race, gender, and violence mirror the logics behind white American Exceptionalism; though these everyday epistemologies are argued by my participants to be biological in nature, they merely reflect today’s values and are logics used to successfully participate in American society. That is to say, the repetitive, naturalizing messages portrayed by popular media on human evolution and paleo-life both construct and reify the popular understanding that modern concepts of race, gender and violence are biological and have led to the success of our species. With these findings, I offer science educators recommendations on how to best utilize edutainment to correct these outdated narratives. / Graduate

This study aims to analyze the audience engagement in a Chinese social media, Weibo, of the Palace Museum TV show “There is Something New in the Palace Museum”. It is new for a Chinese museum to cooperate with traditional media and digital media at the same time to generate more interest, particularly of younger generations. Weibo content is mainly about the TV show and the Palace Museum. While focusing on different types of content that create more interactions, quantitative and qualitative methods of data and content analysis of Weibo posts and in-depth interviews are used to find out the answers to the research questions. The theories of participatory culture by Jenkins and the book about edutainment “Entertainment-education and social change: History, research, and practice” are considered in this study. Based on the theory, the research demonstrates the celebrity-related content is the one that generates the most engagement with fans and followers, followed by direct interaction-trigger content and the Palace museum promotional content. Each type of posts has pros and cons; for example, the celebrity effect can produce the role model effect on the followers and generate more engagement within the fan community, but also create meaningless content. As for the direct trigger content, it can attract many zombie accounts to participate in expecting a positive result. To sum up, Weibo still connects the Palace Museum and the young generation and helps to attract more visitors in the future. These findings offer new insights for the cultural institution to make their work affect the younger generation in the digital media era.

Under 2017/18 genomfördes Bibeläventyret med cirka trettio tusen mellanstadieelever i Sverige, av licensierade instruktörer, under nio timmar, med elevernas klasslärare som observatörer. Bibeläventyrets pedagogik och material drivs av Svenska Bibelsällskapet, där Svenska kyrkan och frikyrkorna är huvudmän. Konceptet bygger på sinnlig gestaltning, elevmedverkan samt kronologisk framställning av teman och berättelser från såväl Gamla Testamentet (årskurs 4) som Nya Testamentet (årskurs 5).Uppsatsens empiri är begränsad till en skola, observationer av tre dubbellektioner kring Gamla Testamentet samt fem elevuppgifter där samtal i smågrupper har dokumenterats som skriftliga reflektioner. Framställningen inramas av svensk läroplanshistoria, läroplansteoretisk forskning, lärandeteorier av Jerome Bruner och David Ausubel samt vissa epistemologiska och teologiska reflektioner.Observationerna har fungerat tillfredsställande men fortsättningsvis rekommenderas en viss uppstramning. Elevernas skriftliga reflektioner har ofta varit kortfattade men substantiella och tämligen varierade till innehållet. Komplettering med bandade fokusgrupper kan i framtiden prövas som komplement. Digitala enkäter till instruktörer respektive lärare konkretiseras för framtida bruk. Fortsatta studier bör nämligen vara mer omfattande, systematiska och varierade med avseende på sammansättningen av skolmiljöer.Redan denna blygsamma studie stöder dock idén att lustfyllt lärande och kulturhistoriskt meningsfull bildning kring en biblisk kanon går att förena.

La Realidad Aumentada (RA) es una tecnología con gran auge en los últimos años y, en especial, en dispositivos móviles. Es en dichos dispositivos móviles en los que el hardware y software disponibles presentan mayores diferencias respecto a sus predecesores. Diferencias que hacen que actualmente se puedan ejecutar correctamente aplicaciones de RA en tales dispositivos. La RA consiste en fusionar imagen real con objetos virtuales. M-learning es una metodología de enseñanza que hace uso de dispositivos móviles. La enseñanza a través de m-learning presenta ciertas ventajas respecto a la enseñanza tradicional, como, por ejemplo, la capacidad de seguir aprendiendo fuera de los entornos educativos. Por otra parte, edutainment se refiere al contenido que se crea para educar y divertir al mismo tiempo. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es el desarrollo y validación de juegos educativos para niños en dispositivos móviles. Los juegos desarrollados combinan m-learning, edutainment y RA. Los juegos incluyen minijuegos con RA y sin RA. Para la interacción utilizan manipulación física (tangible), pantalla táctil o teclado, y acelerómetro. En los estudios realizados, los juegos se comparan con juego/enseñanza tradicional y otros dispositivos (Tablet PC) con el fin de observar la eficacia que tienen con respecto al conocimiento adquirido, la diversión, la facilidad de uso, y su influencia en los niños. Como dispositivos móviles se han utilizado el Nokia N95 8Gb y el iPhone 3GS. Estos teléfonos poseen las características mínimas necesarias para desarrollar juegos de RA (cámara, aceleración gráfica, etc.). Además, el iPhone presenta capacidades táctiles y acelerómetro, que permiten una interacción más completa y variada. Se han desarrollado tres juegos educativos para niños con edades comprendidas entre 8 y 13 años. El juego ARGreenet, desarrollado para el teléfono Nokia N95 8Gb, trata de concienciar a los niños acerca del problema del cambio climático y de cómo pueden reducir su impacto ambiental mediante el reciclaje. Para el iPhone, se han desarrollado dos juegos. El primero de ellos, es un juego de multiculturalidad donde los niños conocen alimentos, monumentos y animales típicos de los continentes más pobres del mundo. El segundo juego desarrollado para el iPhone trata sobre el ciclo del agua. Se han llevado a cabo un total de seis estudios para determinar la eficacia de los juegos con respecto al aprendizaje, facilidad de uso, diversión, satisfacción, e influencia, en general, que tienen en los niños. En el primer estudio, se comparó la versión de RA (ARGreenet) con una versión sin RA (BasicGreenet). En el segundo estudio se comparó la versión individual de ARGreenet con una versión colaborativa del mismo juego (TeamARGreenet). En el tercer estudio se compararon tres versiones de ARGreenet: una individual, una colaborativa y una competitiva. Los resultados de estos tres estudios indican que ARGreenet influye en los niños de forma similar a la versión sin RA y que no hay diferencias estadísticas significativas entre las distintas versiones de ARGreenet. A pesar de este hecho, los niños prefirieron ARGreenet sobre BasicGreenet, y la versión competitiva sobre la individual y la colaborativa. En el cuarto estudio se comparó el juego de multiculturalidad desarrollado para el iPhone con juegos tradicionales. Los resultados mostraron que los niños adquirieron conocimientos similares tanto con el juego desarrollado como con el tradicional. Además, una gran mayoría de niños indicó que prefería el juego del iPhone a los juegos tradicionales y que les gustaría volver a jugar de nuevo. Los niños obtuvieron resultados similares independientemente de que utilizaran el juego autónomo (iPhone) o el juego guiado (juegos tradicionales). En el quinto estudio se comparó el juego del ciclo del agua con dos dispositivos móviles diferentes: un iPhone y un Tablet PC. De los resultados se puede observar que las diferentes características de los dispositivos (tamaño de la pantalla y peso) no influyeron en los niños con respecto al conocimiento adquirido. En el sexto estudio se comparó el juego del ciclo del agua con una lección de clase tradicional. De los resultados se puede observar que el juego del ciclo del agua demostró ser igual de eficaz que la lección de clase con respecto al conocimiento adquirido. Pero, además, el juego del iPhone consiguió motivar más a los niños. De los estudios realizados se han extraído las siguientes conclusiones generales: ¿ Los dispositivos móviles poseen características adecuadas (cámara, pantalla táctil, acelerómetro, GPS) para ayudar en el proceso de aprendizaje. ¿ La inclusión de RA en el juego permite a los niños explorar lo que se está aprendiendo desde diferentes perspectivas, de forma fácil e intuitiva. ¿ A la mayoría de los niños les gustaría utilizar RA en clase como herramienta de aprendizaje. ¿ Los juegos educativos en dispositivos móviles son efectivos a la hora de transmitir conocimiento. ¿ El tipo de juego desarrollado facilita versatilidad en el proceso de aprendizaje, ya que con un dispositivo móvil se puede aprender en cualquier lugar, sin que se precise supervisión. Por lo tanto, podrían utilizarse como complemento a las clases tradicionales. ¿ El uso de dispositivos móviles con diferentes características físicas (tamaño de la pantalla y peso) no influye significativamente en el aprendizaje adquirido. Pero, son aspectos a considerar en función de la edad. / Furió Ferri, D. (2014). Desarrollo y validación de sistemas de Realidad Aumentada para edutainment y dispositivos móviles [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/35329

Edutainment refers to curriculum and instruction designed with a clear educational purpose, including multi-faceted virtual learning game design. Tools such as the Jacob's Ladder pre-production design tactic have been developed to ensure that voices of both engineers and educators are heard. However, it is unclear how development team members experience and perceive their collaborative work while designing a virtual game using such tactics. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of agile software team members using Jacob's Ladder pre-production design as an interdisciplinary collaboration tool while designing a virtual learning game. Seven design team members (3 educators and 4 engineers) participated in semi-structured interviews and transcripts were analyzed via an inductive coding process that led to the development of key themes. Findings indicated that using Jacob's Ladder design tactic influenced the experience of the team by keeping the team focused on common goals and learner needs, organizing the team work, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting shared understandings of the software platform limitations. Individuals played various roles, appreciated diverse views, recognized prior experience and idea sharing, and felt the design tactic supported flexibility for interdisciplinary collaboration. By linking integration strategies to interdisciplinary collaboration, findings from this study may be used by organizational leaders to consider best practices in team building for virtual learning game design, which will further support the development of effective games and growth of the edutainment industry.

Denna studie undersöker hur sexualupplysning och sexualundervisning i TV producerar, reproducerar och utmanar föreställningar om sexualitet och genus. Det empiriska materialet består av tre programserier från Utbildningsradion samt två säsonger av Fråga Olle i Kanal 5. Programmen producerades och sändes mellan 1998 och 2004. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna utgörs av genus- och queerteori, där genus och sexualitet betraktas som producerade genom diskurs. Analysen visar hur programmen använder sig av två olika men sammanlänkade perspektiv. Det första är ett bejakande perspektiv där sexualitet presenteras på ett positivt sätt. Det andra är ett riskperspektiv, där faror och negativa aspekter av sexualiteten framhålls. Analysen visar vidare hur programmen bidrar till en rangordning av olika sexuella identiteter och praktiker, där somliga framstår som vanliga, naturliga och önskvärda, samtidigt som andra görs till annorlunda, onaturliga eller äckliga. Heterosexualitet och det heterosexuella vaginala samlaget innehar en normerande position genom att de är ständiga föremål för diskussion, men utan att namnges. Istället är det annorlunda eller oönskade sexuella identiteter och praktiker som benämns explicit, t. ex. problematiseras penetrerande analsex. Till skillnad från heterosexualitet namnges homosexualitet och görs till föremål för specifika program och programpunkter. / This dissertation examines the ways in which Swedish formal and informal sex education materials produce, reproduce and challenge notions of sexuality and gender. The main empirical material consists of four different series of television programmes about sexuality and relationships produced and aired between 1998 and 2004. The programmes make use of an “edutainment” approach, trying to both educate and entertain. The theoretical approach is derived from gender and queer theory by which gender and sexuality is regarded as construed through discourse. Another theoretical outline is that sexuality is subjected to stratification, in which sexual identities and practises are placed in a hierarchical order, placing some as normal and others as deviant. The analysis discloses that the programmes make use of two different but intertwined perspectives. The first is an affirmative discourse in which sex is construed as a positive phenomenon. The second is sex as a risk, emphasising what can be perceived as the destructive aspects of sexuality. The programmes takes heterosexuality for granted and therefore reinforces a heteronormative order. In contrast to heterosexuality, homosexuality is named and made into a topic for specific programmes and program items. The normative sexual practise is the heterosexual vaginal intercourse, a practise which is frequently discussed but hardly ever mentioned by name. Rather, it is unwanted or questioned sexual practises that are mentioned explicitly, among others penetrative anal sex.