Fares Kayali’s research while affiliated with University of Vienna and other places

Background Restoring hand and finger function after a traumatic hand injury necessitates a regimen of consistent and conscientious exercise. However, motivation frequently wanes due to unchallenging repetitive tasks or discomfort, causing exercises to be performed carelessly or avoided completely. Introducing gamification to these repetitive tasks can make them more appealing to patients, ultimately increasing their motivation to exercise consistently. Objective This study aims to iteratively develop a serious virtual reality game for hand and finger rehabilitation within an appealing and engaging digital environment, encouraging patient motivation for at least 2 weeks of continuous therapy. Methods The development process comprised 3 distinct stages, each of which was subject to evaluation. Initially, a prototype was created to encompass the game’s core functionalities, which was assessed by 18 healthy participants and 7 patients with impaired hand function. Subsequently, version 1 of the game was developed and evaluated with 20 patients who were divided into an investigation group and a control group. On the basis of these findings, version 2 was developed and evaluated with 20 patients who were divided into an investigation group and a control group. Motivation was assessed using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), while the application’s quality was rated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale and the System Usability Scale. User feedback was gathered using semistructured interviews. Results The prototype evaluation confirmed the acceptance and feasibility of the game design. Version 1 significantly increased motivation in 2 IMI subscales, effort (P<.001) and usefulness (P=.02). In version 2, a significant increase in daily performed exercises was achieved (P=.008) compared to version 1, with significantly higher motivation in the IMI subscale effort (P=.02). High Mobile Application Rating Scale scores were obtained for both versions 1 and 2, with version 2 scoring 86.9 on the System Usability Scale, indicating excellent acceptability. User feedback provided by the semistructured interviews was instrumental in the iterative development regarding improvements and the expansion of the playable content. Conclusions This study presented a virtual reality serious game designed for hand and finger rehabilitation. The game was well received and provided an environment that effectively motivated the users. The iterative development process incorporated user feedback, confirming the game’s ease of use and feasibility even for patients with severely limited hand function.

In this paper, we explore the growing trend of European game developers embracing their cultural heritage with greater dedication. Taking a bottom-up approach, we showcase various successful examples of games that engage with local cultural canons. Additionally, we investigate how games can evolve into creators of cultural heritage by examining those that have already achieved such status. Furthermore, we delve into the potential fusion between independent games and cultural heritage by presenting several paradigms and posing pertinent questions about this evolution. Our study offers a framework that envisions games with strong local identities from diverse regions forming transnational networks and agencies within the videogame industry. Such developments could give rise to a new European game scene that draws inspiration primarily from local heritages, thereby fueling creativity and innovation in the field.

Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Ergebnisse einer explorativen Studie zur aktuellen Nutzungssituation von neun an Hochschulen in Ostösterreich angesiedelten Lehr- und Lernräumen im Bereich der digitalen Produktionstechnologien. Leitfadengestützt führten Forschende, die selbst in der Laborlehre, -gestaltung und -organisation eingebunden sind, bis zu einstündige semi-strukturierte Interviews mit den jeweiligen Lab-Expert:innen. Die damit erhobenen Daten wurden danach im Rahmen einer qualitativen inhaltlichen Analyse den Komponenten didaktischer Szenarien nach Reinmann (2015) zugeordnet. Daraus ergab sich sowohl, welche (teils spielerischen) Formen von Vermittlung, Aktivierung, Betreuung und Überprüfung zur Kompetenz- bzw. Wissensaneignung angewendet werden, als auch welche Alternativen aufgrund der Coronapandemie zur Online-Laborlehre geschaffen wurden. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass sich die Nutzungssituation zwar bedingt durch inhaltliche Schwerpunkte und Zielgruppenausrichtung unterscheidet, jedoch die angewendeten Lehr-Lernszenarien vergleichbar sind. Dabei steht der spielerische Charakter des Ausprobierens und Kennenlernens im Vordergrund. Erkannt wurde ebenfalls, dass – aufgrund hohen organisatorischen, personellen und infrastrukturellen Aufwands – aktuell nur wenige tatsächlich durchführbare Online-Settings (z. B. Distanzlaborlehre) bestehen. Zudem erkennen die Autoren der Studie ein ungenutztes Potenzial der Labore in der zielgruppenübergreifenden Nutzung. So werden etwa die Labore zumeist nur für lediglich einige wenige bzw. ähnliche Zielgruppen (z. B. kleine und mittlere Unternehmen oder Lehrpersonen) genutzt. Die Autoren stellen in diesem Artikel beispielhaft dar, wie diese Räume weiteren Zielgruppen wie Schüler:innen, Studierende, Lehrende etc. für Aktivitäten im Wissenstransfer gemeinsam nutzbar gemacht werden können. Dazu werden abschliessend Empfehlungen hinsichtlich einer Nutzung für mehrere Zielgruppen sowie zur Integration von virtuellen und spielerischen Ansätzen in Form eines Beispielszenarios mit Praxisüberlegungen beschrieben. Dieses soll ein Angebot für bestehende Labs sein, heterogenere Lerngruppen in Betracht zu ziehen, und die Ausgangsbasis für weitere empirische Untersuchungen hinsichtlich der Anwendbarkeit dieses Szenarios für diversere Gruppen darstellen.

BACKGROUND Restoring hand and finger function after a traumatic hand injury necessitates a regimen of consistent and conscientious exercise. However, motivation frequently wanes due to unchallenging repetitive tasks or discomfort, causing exercises to be performed carelessly or not at all. Introducing gamification to these repetitive tasks can enhance their appeal to patients, ultimately boosting their motivation for consistent exercise performance. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to iteratively develop a serious virtual reality game for hand and finger rehabilitation within an appealing and engaging digital environment, encouraging patient motivation for at least two weeks of continuous therapy. METHODS The development process comprised three distinct stages, each of which was subject to evaluation. Initially, a prototype was created to encompass the game’s core functionalities, which was assessed by 18 healthy participants and 7 patients with impaired hand function. Subsequently, Version 1 of the game was developed and evaluated with 20 patients who were divided into an investigation group and a control group. Based on these findings, Version 2 was developed and evaluated with 20 patients divided into an investigation and a control group. Motivation was assessed using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) while the application’s quality was rated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and the System Usability Scale (SUS). User feedback was gathered using semi-structured interviews. RESULTS The prototype evaluation confirmed the acceptance and feasibility of the game design. Version 1 significantly increased motivation in two IMI subscales, effort (p<.001) and usefulness (p=.015). In Version 2, a significant increase in daily performed exercises was achieved (p=.008) compared to Version 1, with significantly higher motivation in the IMI subscale effort (p=.022). High MARS scores were obtained for both Versions 1 and 2, with Version 2 scoring 86.9 on the SUS, indicating excellent acceptability. User feedback provided by the semi-structured interviews was instrumental in the iterative development regarding improvements and the expansion of the playable content. CONCLUSIONS This study presented a virtual reality serious game designed for hand and finger rehabilitation. The game was well received and provided an environment that effectively motivated the users. The iterative development process incorporated user feedback confirming the game’s ease of use and feasibility, even for patients with severely limited hand function.

In this paper we explore aspiring teachers’ motivation in using digital technology. Referring to the self determination theory, we examine changes in their perceived competence, autonomy and relatedness before and after a University course on “Digital Education” in the two consecutive winter terms of 2020/21 and 2021/22. This course aims at contributing to students’ digital empowerment and critical perspective on digitalisation. To get insight on students’ motivation, we arranged a questionnaire. Apart from their motivation, we asked for students’ technology use continuance intention. The validation of the questionnaire along with its evaluation is based on several statistical approaches: We compare the internal validity of content-related group of questions through correlation and factor analyses. Further, we explore the outcomes for two specific student cohorts in two succeeding years. Students perceived competence and realisation of digital media’s usefulness increased in both cohorts after course participation. KeywordsDigitalisationDigital media useMedia use continuanceSelf-determination theoryDesign-based researchPre-post test