The goal of this study is to observe if having more interactivity and media richness in teaching will lead to more meaningful learning and remembering information longer, compared to more traditional teaching such as books and slideshow presentations. It has been revealed that using multimedia tools such as video games, which use different cognitive load-reducing methods, can help the learner use less irrelevant cognitive process. This will lead to more cognitive load being assigned to more relevant materials. Two groups of participants were compared to each other, where one group was asked to play a video game containing historical information about the city of Skövde, while the second group was presented with a slideshow containing the historical information but only as simple text. The results from the experiment suggested that there is a significant difference between the two groups, meaning the participants who were asked to play the video game has less difficulty in recalling information after 7 days compared to the group who only read the slideshow presentation.

Games are increasingly becoming a powerful and effective tool for training. The use of games as a training tool increase intrinsic motivation which enhances learning. This study concerns why people play and why they continue play. The study consists of two parts; a focus group and a web questionnaire. The results suggest that people prefer playing together with others, and that they play mainly because of entertainment, fellowship and pastime. Results also show that the participants come to an agreement of five different characteristics a game must have in order for the participants to play; a pleasant game feeling  i.e.- effects like sounds, characters and environments, variation in tasks, successively increased difficulty, a exciting story and that the game must be understandable. These findings are important because these are factors that game designers must take into consider when designing training games. After all, entertainment and intrinsic motivation in games is some of the general reasons why people play and why they learn, and therefore, a game only designed for training is doomed to fail.

Inledning: Att utbilda röntgensjuksköterskestudenter att ta bilder med i första hand konventionell röntgen har alltid varit svårt då man har varit hänvisad till fantomer eller rollspel på grund av strålningen. Med utvecklingen av VR uppkommer dock frågan om det kan bidra som komplement till utbildningen. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen var att beskriva om VR kan användas i röntgensjuksköterskeutbildningen. Metod: Studien utfördes som en allmän litteraturöversikt där en kvalitativ och nio kvantitativa vetenskapliga artiklar ingick i analysen efter sökningar i 3 databaser. Resultat: Det mesta pekade på att VR kan vara ett bra komplement i röntgensjuksköterskeutbildningen då studenterna uppvisade större säkerhet i positionering och ökat självförtroende vid bildtagning. Dock upplevdes inlärningskurvan av VR som tidskrävande och behov av mer forskning inom området finns. Resultatet visade även att utbildningsanordnaren måste anpassa och utveckla hur de lär ut. Slutsats: Många studenter är efter avslutade studier osäkra på röntgenbildtagning när de kommer till sin första arbetsplats. Kan användandet av VR i röntgensjuksköterskeutbildningen leda till en högre nivå av självsäkerhet och potentiellt ökad kunskap om positionering får det anses vara fördelaktigt. / Introduction: Teaching radiography students to be able to take good quality x-ray images has always been a problem since they have been referred to phantoms or roleplay given the radiation. With the development of VR, the question has been raised if that could serve as a complement. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe if VR could be used during radiography education. Method: The study was conducted as a literature review where one qualitative and nine quantitative scientific articles were analysed after searching 3 databases. Result: Most findings point to that VR might be a good compliment to regular radiography education since the students exhibit improved patient positioning and enhanced self-confidence while taking x-ray images. The learning curve with VR was however deemed as somewhat time consuming and more research seems necessary. The result also shows that the provider of the education must adapt and develop the way they teach. Conclusion: Many students feel insecure about x-ray imaging upon starting at their first place of work. If the use of VR in radiography education might raise the level of self-confidence as well as potentially increase the knowledge of positioning it might be considered beneficial.

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Spelbaserat lärande är ett exempel på ett område som intresset har ökatför under 2010-talet och forskning har påvisat positiva effekter medspelbaserat lärande. Pellas, et al. (2018) förklarar att det är svårt att hållastudenter motiverade och engagerade i klassrummen när de anser att lärarnas pedagogiskaval och lärandemetoder är tråkig och oinspirerande. Ett återkommande problem äratt det finns många studenter som av diverse anledningar inte genomför olikamoment inom kurser eller till och med hoppar av en pågående utbildning. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hurstudenter med tidigare erfarenhet av spel ser på spelbaserat lärande för attskapa ett underlag som kan användas som stöd vid implementation av denlärandemetoden. Studien baseras på en kvalitativmetod som innefattar semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex olika respondentersom valdes tack vare deras unika erfarenheter. Studien utgår från ettteoretiskt ramverk som består av kategorierna Motivation, Prestation, Attityd,Utmaningar och Nyttor. Frågor till intervjuerna baserades på teorin ochkompletterades med scenarion som innehöll specifika uppgifter från kurserrespondenterna deltagit i för att de skulle ha något att relatera till.Resultatet i studien visar att studenterna har en positiv syn på spelbaseratlärande i studierna och känner att det hade varit roligt att införa spelbaseratlärande i undervisningen. De menar på att det skulle kunna bidra till attmotivationen ökar och prestationen förbättras mende ser samtidigt utmaningar som kommer med spelbaserat lärande där utformningenav spelet tydligt pekas ut. Studenterna förklarar att ett spel bör varautformat för att vara anpassat tillaktuell målgrupp och för att kunna möta individens behov. Spelbaserat lärandehar visat sig ha en plats i skolbänken enligt den spelande generationeneftersom det faller naturligt för dem att interagera på det sättet. / Game-based learning is an example of an area where   interest has increased during the 2010s and research has shown positive   effects with game-based learning. Pellas, et al. (2018) explains that it is   difficult to keep students motivated and engaged in the classrooms when they   believe that the teachers' educational choices and learning methods are   boring and uninspiring. A recurring problem is that there are many students   who, for various reasons, do not carry out various parts of courses or even   skip an ongoing education. The purpose of this study is to investigate how   students with previous experience of games view game-based learning in order   to create a foundation that can be used as support in implementing the   learning method. The study is based on a qualitative method that includes   semi-structured interviews with six different respondents who were chosen due   to their unique experiences. The study is based on a theoretical framework   consisting of the categories Motivation, Achievement, Attitude, Challenges   and Benefits. Questions for the interviews were based on the theory and were   supplemented with scenarios which contained specific information from the   courses the respondents participated in, in order for them to have something   to relate to. The results of the study show that the students have a positive   view of game-based learning in the studies and feel that it would be fun to   introduce game-based learning in the teaching. They argue that it could   contribute to increasing motivation and improving performance, but at the   same time they see challenges that come with game-based learning where the   design of the game is clearly pointed out. The students explain that a game   should be designed to be adapted to the current target group and be able to   meet the individual's needs. Game-based learning has proven to have a place   in the school bench according to the gaming generation because it comes naturally   to them to interact in that way.

This dissertation consists of three journal articles that explored the effectiveness of a digital game, called EnerCities, in producing pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors by using a mixed-methods study approach. The first study was conducted as a quasi-experimental study among undergraduate students in the United States. Based on the Attitudinal Learning Instrument (ALI), this study found that the attitudinal learning gained from EnerCities influenced participants’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions significantly. This learning was retained until five weeks after game play according to the qualitative results of the study. The second study, conducted in India, used EnerCities to study the differences in attitudinal learning among high school students who played the game collaboratively or individually, using the ALI and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Results showed that the attitudinal learning and its effect on pro-environmental behavioral intentions between collaborative and individual players was similar. This study also showed that EnerCities had significantly impacted the environmental attitudes and behaviors of the game players when compared to students who did not play any game, although all students had studied environmental studies through traditional instructional methods since elementary school. The third study, conducted among high school students in India, compared the environmental attitudes between game players and students who did not play any game based on the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale. Both the unidimensional and multi-dimensional properties of the NEP were considered. It was found that EnerCities had impacted game players’ environmental attitudes significantly. All the three studies showed that digital games are more effective in promoting attitudinal (cognitive, affective, behavioral and social) learning compared to traditional instructional methods. This supports the implementation of digital games as a pedagogical tool in influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors.

Det här kandidatarbetet går ut på att undersöka hur en interaktiv upplevelse i virtuell verklighet kan användas för att ha en positiv inverkan på användarnas engagemang, uppmärksamhet och lärande. För att undersöka detta har vi använt oss av kvalitativa metoder såsom intervjuer och observationer, metoder och ramverk för speldesign, olika typer av metoder för speltest och tagit del av relevant forskning. Vi har även samarbetat med ett företag som har expertis och kunskap inom området. Resultatet visade att interaktiva VR-upplevelser har potential att väcka användarnas intresse och bibehålla deras motivation. Undersökningens resultat visade dock även att en VR-upplevelse som har brister i designen istället kan orsaka frustration och förvirring hos användarna. Slutsatsen som dragits är att väldesignade interaktiva VR-upplevelser kan vara effektiva verktyg för att på ett engagerande sätt ta till sig kunskap, men att brister i designen kan ha stora negativa effekter på lärandet. / The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to examine how an interactive experience in virtual reality can be used to have a positive impact on the users’ engagement, awareness and learning. To examine this we have used qualitative methods like interviews and observations, frameworks and methods for game design, different types of game testing techniques and taken part of relevant research. We have also been working together with a company that has expertise and knowledge in the area. The results showed that an interactive VR-experience has potential to evoke the users’ interest and maintain their incentive. However, the results also showed that flaws in the design of a VR-experience instead can cause frustration and confusion within the user. The conclusion that has been drawn is that a well-designed interactive VR-experience can be an effective tool for consuming knowledge in an engaging way, but flaws in the design can have a significant negative impact on the learning aspect.

Vi lever idag i ett digitaliserat samhälle, där datorspel är ett naturligt inslag i många barn och ungdomars vardag. Teknikens ständiga utveckling och barns höga grad av datorspelande, har resulterat i att det idag finns flertal möjligheter att integrera digitala lärospel som en del av matematikundervisningen. Detta arbete syftade till att öka kunskapen gällande vilka faktorer som påverkar lärares val att implementera, alternativt inte implementera digitala lärospel i sin matematikundervisning för årskurs 4–6. Studien syftade också till att belysa hur lärare som använder digitala lärospel upplever att spelen påverkar elevers lärande. Studiens syfte har besvarats genom kvalitativa intervjuer, med elva matematiklärare i årskurs 4–6. Intervjusvaren har vidare analyserats med hjälp av det teoretiska ramverket RAT, samt utifrån ett sociokulturellt perspektiv. Resultatet visar att digitala lärospel är ett vanligt förekommande i dagens matematikundervisning, samt att lärare främst väljer att använda spelen i syfte att variera undervisningen och för att öka elevernas motivation. Vidare visar resultatet att lärare anser att graden av en aktiv lärarroll är en påverkansfaktor för huruvida digitala lärospel kan bidra till elevers lärande eller inte. Trots den höga användningsgraden av digitala lärospel visar resultatet att ett stort antal lärare upplever sin digitala kompetens som bristfällig, vilket de önskar förbättra. / Today we live in a digitized society, where computer games are a part of most people’s lives. Technology’s constant change, together with the large number of children who play computer games, have led to many new opportunities to integrate digital learning games in today’s mathematics education. This study aimed at increasing knowledge about which factors influence teachers’ choices to implement, or not to implement, digital learning games in their mathematics education for grades 4-6. The study also aimed at investigating teachers’ experiences of how digital learning games affect student learning. In order to answer these questions, qualitative interviews have been conducted with eleven mathematics teachers who are teaching grades 4-6. The results of the interviews have further been analyzed with the theoretical framework RAT, as well as from a sociocultural point of view. The result show that digital learning games are common in today’s mathematics education, and that teachers frequently use the games in order to vary teaching and increase student motivation. The results also show that teachers consider a teacher’s level of activity as an influencing factor for whether or not digital learning games can facilitate the student learning process. Despite teachers’ frequent use of digital learning games, the results show that many feel they lack sufficient digital skills, which almost all of them want to improve.

Die Technische Mechanik (TM) ist ein Grundlagenfach vieler Ingenieurstudiengänge. Lern- und Verständnisschwierigkeiten in diesem Bereich führen jedoch verstärkt zu schlechten Prüfungsergebnissen und Problemen im weiteren Studienverlauf (Dammann, 2016). Von Studierenden häufig benannte Hürden sind v.a. den richtigen Lösungsansatz zu finden, mangelnde Vorstellungskraft, der hohe Lernaufwand, mathematische Grundlagen, unklare Aufgabenstellung, die Komplexität des Lernstoffs sowie nachträgliches (meist selbstständiges) Aufarbeiten (Seidel, Weidle, Flagmeier, Börner & Vossler, 2019). Game-based Learning (GBL) bietet eine Möglichkeit, Studierende und Lehrende bei der Bewältigung dieser Hürden zu unterstützen. In einem spielerisch gestalteten Lernszenario können Lernprozesse auf Grundlage vorher definierter Lernziele durch narrativ-immersive, adaptive, kompetitive und/oder kooperative Elemente unterstützt werden (Le, Weber & Ebner, 2013). Der Einsatz von GBL kann sich zudem positiv auf affektive, motivationale, kognitive und sozio-kulturelle Faktoren auswirken (Plass, Homer & Kinzer, 2015). Im Kontext des Ingenieurwesens erhofft sich das hier vorgestellte Learn&Play Projekt durch die geeignete Auswahl und Gestaltung von Spielelementen eine Ansprache dieser Faktoren, sodass eine Hinwendung zum Theorie geprägten Lerninhalt und schließlich auch zum Lernen selbst stattfindet. Dabei steht die aktive Auseinandersetzung und praktische Selbsterfahrung mit den Inhalten der TM im Vordergrund, was auch zu einer Verringerung der Komplexität führen soll. [... aus der Einführung]

The possible benefits of digital games for English language learning and teaching have received increasing attention in recent years as more research shows that digital games can affect students’ learning and motivation within formal education. A great deal of the integration of digital games in school contexts depends on the attitude of teachers and students. The aim of this study is to investigate upper-secondary teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward digital games in the English language classroom in a Swedish context. Additionally, this study will also examine teachers’ and students’ views regarding the effects of using digital games for learning English. This is a mixed-method study, where semi-structured interviews and online surveys were conducted by participants from Uppsala, Gävleborg and Dalarna. 106 students and 11 teachers responded to the online survey, and 3 teachers participated in the semi-structured interview. The results found in this study confirm the findings from the majority of previous studies. Teachers and students are generally positive toward digital games in English language learning, and they see potential effects of using games in class. However, teachers find it difficult to implement digital games due to different obstacles, such as preparation time, lack of knowledge, and finding quality games.