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One of the more complex topics to teach to Software Engineering students is the conceptual modeling design, which has several concepts that students must learn in order to specify the structural, behavioral and interaction views of software systems. Learning the design of class diagrams is of paramount importance since these diagrams are used to guide concrete development tasks such as programming and testing, and, consequently, to avoid defective software products. Applying novel teaching/learning techniques in this topic may help students to reduce the defects that are committed at the moment of designing a class diagram. One interesting technique is the use of serious games, since they provide learning environments free of risks and pressure for students, allowing the students to know the topics that they must learn in a funny way. Serious games have been widely used in programming courses. We aim to investigate the feasibility to replicate this experience for conceptual modeling of class diagrams at Software Engineering courses. In this paper, we present a role-playing game especially focused on the class diagram, which is called Classutopia. This serious game provides modeling challenges, comprehension and correction of diagrams with different complexity levels for learning conceptual modeling design.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a frequent learning disorder affecting about 5%–8% of the student population globally. Currently, the traditional methods for ADHD diagnosis are not fully specified, due to difficulties in identifying the particular factors that cause this disorder. In this paper, we present a novel system for diagnosing ADHD, which does not need special equipment. Instead, it is based on the application of machine learning (ML), using data gathered from gameplay sessions of a serious game named “ADHD360”, developed for this purpose. Participants were recruited with particular criteria in order to generate data for the study. The benefits of our approach include less subjectivity in the decision process, cost-efficiency and easier accessibility than the typical procedure. To this end, special data preprocessing steps and ML techniques were applied. Our models achieved up to 85.7% F1-score performance metric in predicting correctly a user’s label (ADHD or not) from his/her gameplay session in ADHD360. Our method also proved to be efficient using only a small amount of data for the training procedure. The results of our systems are very promising, indicating notable ability of the tool to distinguish players that probably suffer from ADHD than those who do not.

Gamification is a paradigm and process innovation premised on applying game mechanics to non-game settings with benefits of creative games designs and disruptive effects challenging conventional learning approaches. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on gamification-as-innovation. Applying the systematic review methodology, this study examines 96 articles and identifies developments in gamification-as-innovation in literature. Insights from the review suggests three main perspectives on gamification-as innovation in processes that reveal problems (investigation), stimulate novel behavior (induction) or transform processes (intervention) for improved effectiveness and engagement. The review also captures the state-of-the-art in gamification research underscoring advances in multi-level models, strategic initiatives and digital platforms. The review concludes by highlighting future research directions that advance gamification scholarship and practice.

Radicalization, as a violent form of extremism, is a growing problem for Europe. Currently, it is possible to find extreme ideologies regarding almost every topic such as religion, politics or sports. This problem, which ranges from personal identity conflicts to complex societal issues, has an impact on several people everyday, especially on youngsters. To confront this situation, the European Union found several initiatives, as a way to face this problem from a scientific perspective. Some of these initiatives face the problem trying to reduce radicalization by working on personal and social skills through education, in such a way the youngster’s resilience is improved. This paper aims to present YoungRes, a European project whose goal is to improve the resilience of youngsters. To do so, it unifies an already created intervention — named Fortius — through the inclusion of video games in the learning process. This paper describes both: (1) how the Fortius program is modified to allow video games sessions and (2) the software architecture designed to allow students and educators to participate in YoungRes project. Finally, different suggestions to include in future versions of the game are discussed.

Cognitive abilities are brain-based skills needed to carry out any task. These are measured using cognitive tests generally designed to be administered by an expert, which consequently makes experience less engaging. Gamification, or the application of game elements in a non-game context improves the experience and the engagement of the user while doing mundane tasks. RoboKuma is a serious game platform that incorporates gamified cognitive tests to measure a person’s cognitive abilities to improve the engagement and overall experience when taking the tests. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the system for use in measuring a person’s cognitive ability. Upon the deployment of the system, the collected data from select participants were observed and analyzed to assess the system’s replay value and effectiveness as a clinical tool. Based on the analysis performed, it can be concluded that the system is an effective tool in measuring a person’s cognitive abilities.