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S-CUBE ProjectUsing Online-Role-Play-Games for Entrepreneurship Training

Ireland Game Based Learning Symposium (iGBL-2013) June 06-07, 2013, Dublin, Ireland

Alfie Keary1, Paul Walsh1, Déirdre O’Byrne1, Jonathan Moizer2, Jonathan Lean2 Andrea Di Ferdinando3, Luigia Simona Sica4

1Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland, alphonsus.keary@mycit.ie, paul.walsh@cit.ie 2Plymouth University, UK

3SynapThink, Italy 4University of Naples, Italy

“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”

Presentation Overview• S-Cube Project Background• Quantitative and Qualitative Research• S-CUBE E-MORPG • S-CUBE/EUTOPIA Software• S-CUBE Software Trials #1• S-CUBE Near Term Developments • Short demo video• Q&A

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S-Cube Project Background

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What is Social Enterprise (SE)

“A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals”

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S-Cube Introduction • S-Cube is a trans-European Leonardo Transfer

of Innovation project• Led by Plymouth University• Partners: Naples University Federico II – Italy; CIT-

Ireland; GePros – Germany• €265,000 grant for 2 year project

• Project aim: On-Line Role Play Training• Develop an On-line role play training experience to

enhance soft skills for staff at Social Enterprises (SEs)• e.g. effective communication, leadership, negotiation,

decision making, etc.

S-Cube E-MORPG in Action

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Quantitative and Qualitative Research Conducted

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TNA Outcomes (2/3)

As produced by partners - P. Walsh (CIT) & D. O'Byrne (University College, Cork)

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Perceived Capability

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TNA Outcomes• Training scenarios can reflect real life

workplace situations– Application of soft skills can help to deliver

superior outcomes• The expected result of this on-line training

intervention– Enhanced retention of know-how – Leading to the transfer of SS developed on-line

to real workplace situations

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Wider Applications of S-Cube• S-Cube deliverables will be a reusable on-line

training product– Sustainable–Adaptable– Engaging–Training or education applications

• Technology can easily be adapted to non-SE applications (Corporate, Education, Schools).

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IMPO

RTANCE

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ACTUAL

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IMPO

RTANCE

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ACTUAL

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Communication skills: IMPORTANCE @ SEs

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Soft skills training: IMPORTANCE @ SEs

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Role play learning: IMPORTANCE @ SEs

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Serious games for learning: BENEFICIAL @ SEs

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Role play learning/training with staff participation: BENEFICIAL @ SEs

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Training & Learning Delivery

S-Cube E-MORPG

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S-Cube Trainer/Master• Engage Options: – Take the role of one of the characters– Act as an invisible stage director• Invisibly observe player interactions;• Access players' “private characteristics”; • Listen to private messages (“whispers”) between

players;• Broadcast messages visible to all players;• Exchange private messages with a specific user;• Activate events, changing the course of the

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Trainer/Master Control

Record Session

RPSEvents

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Event Documents Pre-Designed

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S-Cube Editor

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RPS Creation Editor

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Avatar Creation Editor

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Character Creation Editor

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RPS Events Editor

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Sample Event – New Avatar

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RPS Survey Creation Editor

S-Cube/EUTOPIA Software

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EUTOPIA Background• Psychodrama from the real world to a virtual

3D world – Sica, L.S., Delli Veneri, A., Miglino, O. (2012). Exploring New Technological Tools

for Education: Some Prototypes and Their Pragmatical Classification. In Pontes, E., Silva, A., Guelfi, A., Takeo Kofuji, S. (eds.) Methodologies, Tools and New Developments for ELearning, pp. 107-128, InTech Press.

• Research developed by Natural and Artificial Cognition Laboratory – (SISINE; Miglino et al., 2007)– http://www.nac.unina.it/nac/

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EUTOPIA/S-Cube• EUTOPIA/S-Cube: –Trainer can set up unique games – Intervene during a game–Record specific phases of a game –Annotate recordings and discuss

• Game development process: – Select 3D scenarios–Create personae • (Personality, Affect, Goals, Avatar)

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S-Cube Software Trials #1

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S-Cube Trials Phase #1

• Trials of S-Cube: Germany, Ireland, UK • SE related organisations • General software usability trials• Focus on rapid uptake of the game by novice

users • Qualitative Feedback

• Emotions • Gestures

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Qualitative Feedback - Emotions

Emotion Features - Facial Expressions:

Difficulty in seeing facial expressions Hard to gauge feelings More focus on graphics for facial expressions Limited moods in avatar faces

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Qualitative Feedback - EmotionsEmotion Features – Range & Interface

Additional types of moods Create more positive emotion expressions

Reacted more to text than visuals of moods and gestures

Takes time to easily use moods

Text indicators of mood status required

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Qualitative Feedback - Gestures

Gesture Features:

Not easy to use the gestures Typing and introducing gestures at same

time very difficult Introduce an avatar handshake gesture

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S-Cube Development Futures

• New updates of the software June 2013– Trial #1 feedback is being incorporated

• S-CUBE and Affective Computing – Integration of wearable and non-wearable sensors– Real-time emotion tracking agent– Real-time gesture tracking agent– Evaluation of highly charged emotional scenarios– On-board soft-skills intelligence on dealing with

emotional situations– Emotion prompts and direction to users

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Next Developments

• Call for action: – CIT is building consortia for EU funded projects

relating to:• Affective Computing, • Brain Machine Interfaces, • Recent announced Human Brain Project (HBP).

• Contacts: Dr. Paul Walsh, Alfie Keary

alphonsus.keary@mycit.ie

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S-Cube Demo

• Demo of S-Cube in action • YouTube video:

http://youtu.be/Msg4VbtuZho

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Thank you Alfie Keary

alphonsus.keary@mycit.ie

Call to Users/Educators Please try out S-Cube:

http://www.s-cubeproject.eu/