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- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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A cognitonics approach to computer supported learning in the Mexican state of Oaxaca
- 2014
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In: Informatica. - 0350-5596 .- 1854-3871. ; 38:3, s. 241-240
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cognitonics is a new science which looks at ways to reconcile human socio-spiritual development with increasingly rapid human intellectual development in the new context of technological advances and increased cultural homogeny. This is particularly relevant in areas such as education and informatics where children are found to be increasingly capable to control and adapt to new technological advances yet often suffer from a lack of social development or are unable to engage with aspects of their own cultural heritage. In this study we consider the application of a cognitonics based approach to the problems of the Oaxacan education system, particularly for indigenous children who suffer from a loss of culture and diminished provision of education due to a lack of resources and regular teacher strikes. Specifically, we look at how the introduction of face-to-face collaborative video games can help develop academic, information-technology and social skills together while promoting spiritual well-being and cultural identity.
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3. |
- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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A Situated Cognition Aware Approach to the Design of Information Retrieval Systems for Geospatial Data
- 2012
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In: ECCE '12: Proceedings of the 30th European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics, August 2012. - New York, NY, USA : ACM. - 9781450317863 ; , s. 168-172
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Motivation -- To improve the process of information retrieval (IR), specifically for geospatial data, by accounting for the natural processes of situated cognition where knowledge is a product of both action and context.Research approach -- To focus on a specific topic (Mexican history), evaluate the limitations of existing approaches and design/implement a new system that overcomes these limitations.Findings/Design -- As the theory situated cognition stipulates-all knowledge is situated in activity bound to social, cultural and physical contexts. It was found that the knowledge produced by information retrieval can be situated in the activity of exploring search results and bound to the context of geographic location (specifically, place names). In the design of our new application this made it important to allow the user to be able to have place-names for towns and cities visible throughout the search process.Research limitations/Implications -- Tests were only undertaken with Mexicans living in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca with data about Mexican events, hence results may be culturally specific or specific to users from countries with a particular geography.Originality/Value -- The results of this research should be of interest to designers of interactive maps and those who attempting to apply the theory of situated cognition to application design.Take away message -- Taking account for the context in which users want to view the results of searches can improve the usability of IR applications. Specifically, this is demonstrated for geographic data where maintaining the visibility of place-names makes results generally more valuable.
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4. |
- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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A Vertical Timeline Visualization for the Exploratory Analysis of Dialogue Data
- 2012
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a novel vertical timeline information-visualization technique developed to support the analysis of human-computer dialogue data. The technique uses combined linked views including distorted views to effectively communicate the timing of dialogue events while presenting text in such a manner that it is easily readable. A prototype has been implemented and tested to demonstrate the technique's effectiveness for supporting exploration and revealing previously unsuspected patterns.
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5. |
- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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An Ethnographic Study of Mobile Videogames for English Vocabulary Development In Urban China
- 2019
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In: Electronic Devices. - : Digital Information Research Foundation. - 2278-6422 .- 2278-6430. ; 8:1, s. 17-21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigates the effectiveness of mobile video games for learning English language vocabulary among Chinese students in comparison with more standard electronic dictionary learning. This involved an ethnographic study of students in their natural learning environment which was followed by classroom testing of vocabulary proficiency. Results show that educational video games can both improve the student learning experience and student results when combined with traditional methods.
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6. |
- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Animated Geo-temporal Clusters for Exploratory Search in Event Data Document Collections
- 2014
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In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Visualisation. ; , s. 157-163
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a novel visual analytics technique developed to support exploratory search tasks for event data document collections. The technique supports discovery and exploration by clustering results and overlaying cluster summaries onto coordinated timeline and map views. Users can also explore and interact with search results by selecting clusters to filter and re-cluster the data with animation used to smooth the transition between views. The technique demonstrates a number of advantages over alternative methods for displaying and exploring georeferenced search results and spatio-temporal data. Firstly, cluster summaries can be presented in a manner that makes them easy to read and scan. Listing representative events from each cluster also helps the process of discovery by preserving the diversity of results. Also, clicking on visual representations of geo-temporal clusters provides a quick and intuitive way to navigate across space and time simultaneously. This removes the need to overload users with the display of too many event labels at any one time. The technique was evaluated with a group of nineteen users and compared with an equivalent text based exploratory search engine.
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7. |
- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Assessing the potential of collaborative video games to improve education in la mixteca region of mexico
- 2013
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The study presented in this paper shows how collaborative learning games can be used to improve primary education for children aged eight to ten in la Mixteca region of Mexico. We developed a series of three collaborative games to develop mathematics, language and reading skills. Each game uses elements of either Mixtec or Mexican national culture to encourage the children to identify with different sides of their identity. The children were tested before and after playing the games, observed during gaming sessions and interviewed to assess the impact of the games on their learning. Results show that educational videogames can be used to promote learning and team working skills as well as directly achieving learning objectives in mathematics.
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- Craig, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Information visualization for the collaborative analysis of complex data
- 2013
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper describes state of the art information visualization research undertaken within the Sistemas Interactivos group at the Universidad Technologica de la Mixteca to make large scale complex data-sets more accessible for scientists and the general public. Our central thesis is that by making data more accessible we can improve the efficiency of our scientists and democratize data for the general public toward improving development. This is particularly important in traditionally disadvantaged areas such as the state of Oaxaca where the state of development lags behind that of other parts of Mexico and the efficient use of human and physical resources are essential to improve this situation. We also demonstrate that information visualization is an important tool for collaboration and would like to encourage the use of information visualization in university systems, such as the SUNEO of Oaxaca (Seara Vázquez 2009), where regular face to face collaboration between staff can be difficult due to the large distances between campuses. The examples of information visualization presented in the paper are applied in the fields of bioinformatics, taxonomy, logistics, intelligent agent research, spoken language systems and information retrieval.
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10. |
- Craig, P., et al.
(author)
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The role of embodied conversational agents in collaborative face to face computer supported learning games
- 2013
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Studies show that face to face collaborative videogames have a great potential to improve the quality of education in the classroom of the future. Educational games can help pupils increase cognitive skills, increase motivation and reduce the time taken to reach learning objectives. Games used in a group environment can enrich the learning experience further still by helping develop group social skills and exploiting social dynamics toward achieving a common learning objective. Despite these advantages the uptake of collaborative games as learning tools in the classroom is still relatively low. While collaborative working has proven advantages they also suffer from an incompatibility with the ingrained individualism of traditional education. Moreover, collaborative working can disadvantage introverted students, suffer from conflicts within a group or allow less motivated students to avoid making a contribution. The work described in this paper investigates the viability of these disadvantages being managed through the intervention and mediation of an intelligent embodied conversational agent with awareness of group activity acting as a virtual tutor. Here we examine how students perform and collaborate using a variety of games to; learn words in a foreign language, solve mathematical equations, and add missing words to a paragraph of text. These respectively aim to develop the students’ memorization, basic reasoning, and creative vocabulary. Our embodied virtual agent is emulated using a wizard-of-oz set up with a human controlling the embodied agent Samuela using a basic scripted interaction strategy. To qualify our results, they are contrasted with those obtained with an unsupervised group and a group supervised by a human tutor.
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