SHRIMP http://www.shrimpp.de ist ein Lehr-Lern-Experiment, das im Rahmen von Lehrpraxis im Transfer am Institut für Amerikanistik der Universität Leipzig https:// americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de und an der Professur für Literatur Nordamerikas der TU Dresden https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/slk/ anglistik_amerikanistik/na-literatur durchgeführt wurde: Das Lehrmaterial von Seminaren an beiden Standorten wurde als gemeinsames Social Hypertext Universum umgesetzt und über eine digitale Online-Plattform in das Lehrangebot integriert. Anstatt als traditionelle, lose Blattsammlung, lesen die Studierenden die Seminartexte online auf einer Social- Media-Plattform. Dort können sie die Inhalte entdecken, annotieren, individuell erschließen und für den eigenen Lernerfolg aktivieren, indem sie die den meisten Studierenden wohlvertrauten Interaktionsformen der Social Media (likes, Kommentare) verwenden. Das zugrundeliegende Modell wurde in Leipzig entwickelt, durch den Transfer mit Dresden aber sowohl in seinen technischen als auch in seinen didaktischen Möglichkeiten stark weiter entwickelt.

Experience, expertise, but also self-confidence and attitudes towards computer technology play an important role in how people interact with computers, especially when problems arise (cf. Janneck, Vincent-Höper, & Ehrhardt, 2013). In this regard, attribution theory is a promising approach to explain general types of user behavior. Attribution theory deals with the causal explanations people find for things happening around them, and also with the extent of control people feel they have over external events. Attribution styles have a considerable influence on motivation, behavior, and emotions (Weiner, 1985; Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978). While originating in social psychology, attribution theory is also applicable to computer-related experiences. Recent research found distinct computer-related attribution styles (Niels & Janneck, 2015). Moreover, a study has shown that users with more unfavorable (e.g. low sense of control) attribution styles are less motivated in handling computer issues – such as breakdowns or learning to use new features – than users with more favorable attribution styles (Niels & Janneck, 2017). These results raise the question which specific measures are appropriate to specifically support users with less favorable attribution styles with the intention to increase their motivation to master computer applications. [... from the Introduction]

Background: Overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns that are prevalent in younger age cohorts. Preventive or therapeutic interventions are difficult to implement and maintain over time. On the other hand, the majority of adolescents in the United States have a smartphone, representing a huge potential for innovative digitized interventions, such as weight loss programs delivered via smartphone applications. Although the number of available smartphone applications is increasing, evidence for their effectiveness in weight loss is insufficient. Therefore, the proposed study aims to assess the efficacy of a gamification-based smartphone application for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents. The trial is designed to be a phase II, single-centre, two-arm, triple-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a duration of 6 months. Method: The intervention consists of a smartphone application that provides both tracking and gamification elements, while the control arm consists of an identically designed application solely with tracking features of health information. The proposed trial will be conducted in an urban primary care clinic of an academic centre in the United States of America, with expertise in the management of overweight and obese adolescents. Eligible adolescents will be followed for 6 months. Changes in body mass index z score from baseline to 6 months will be the primary outcome. Secondary objectives will explore the effects of the gamification-based application on adherence, as well as anthropometric, metabolic and behavioural changes. A required sample size of 108 participants (54 participants per group) was calculated. Discussion: The benefits of the proposed study include mid-term effects in weight reduction for overweight and obese adolescents. The current proposal will contribute to fill a gap in the literature on the mid-term effects of gamification-based interventions to control weight in adolescents. This trial is a well-designed RCT that is in line with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement.