Extended Realities for Sensorially Diverse Children.

-Learning space for children with different sensory needs, nowadays, can be interactive, multisensory experiences, designed collaboratively by (i) specialists in special-needs learning, (ii) Extended Realities (XR)-technologists and (iii) sensorial-diverse children, to provide the motivation, challenge and development of key skills. While traditional audio and visual sensors in XR is challenging for XR-applications to meet the needs of visually and hearing impaired sensorial-diverse children, our research goes a step ahead by integrating sensory technologies including haptic, tactile, kinaesthetic and olfactory feedback that was well received by the children. Our research also demonstrates the protocols for (i) development of a suite of XR-applications; (ii) methods for experiments and evaluation; and (iii) tangible improvements in XR learning experience. Our research considered and is in compliance with the ethical and social implications and has the necessary approval for accessibility, user safety, and privacy.

Development of an interactive module to enhance and understand cavity navigation.

The Interactive Module for Cavity Navigation (IMCA) was created in order to enhance the Web Environment for Surgical Skills Training in Otolaryngology (WESST--OT); later, it was found that it could be used as an independent module which allowed the practice of path navigation in any medical cavity, and its potential use with patients was evidenced. This paper describes the making of IMCA and the potential use of genetic algorithms in path generation.

Virtual surgical telesimulations in otolaryngology.

Distance learning can be enhanced with the use of virtual reality; this paper describes the design and initial validation of a Web Environment for Surgery Skills Training on Otolaryngology (WESST-OT). WESST-OT was created aimed to help trainees to gain the skills required in order to perform the Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery procedure (FESS), since training centers and specialist in this knowledge are scarce in Colombia; also, it is part of a web based educational cycle which simulates the stages of a real procedure. WESST-OT is one from the WESST family of telesimulators which started to be developed from an architecture proposed at the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality conference 2002; also, it is a step towards the use of virtual reality technologies in Latin America.

Diseño de un escenario educativo para museos con el uso de TRIZ y ACT / Design of a Learning Scenario for Museums Using TRIZ and ACT / Desenho de um cenário educativo para museus com o uso de TRIZ e ACT

Objetivo. Se realizó un trabajo interdisciplinario que utilizó la Teoría de solución de problemas inventivos (TRIZ) y el Análisis cognitivo de tareas (ACT) para orientar el diseño de un escenario de aprendizaje para un museo de ciencias naturales. Método. Participaron 23 personas: seis ingenieros de sistemas, un ingeniero industrial, un ingeniero eléctrico, dos psicólogas, un biólogo, una bioquímica, un físico, un técnico museológico, un historiador, un guía de museo, un diseñador gráfico y seis estudiantes de ingeniería. El proceso de análisis fue realizado en dos fases: en la primera, se analizó el componente técnico del problema utilizando TRIZ; en la segunda, se analizó el componente educativo utilizando el ACT. Resultados. La aplicación de TRIZ permitió identificar que el escenario de aprendizaje debía ser divertido, durable, de fácil uso e integración del uso de nuevas tecnologías con fines educativos, y que debía implicar poca asistencia de los guías del museo. El ACT posibilitó entender que la función principal del escenario de aprendizaje era promover la comprensión de conceptos involucrados en la relación entre personas, humedales y aves migratorias. Para ello, se diseñó la estructura de un videojuego educativo. Conclusión. El diseño de este videojuego prioriza los componentes educativos, que promueven la conservación ambiental, sin descuidar el componente de entretenimiento, equilibrio que parece difícil de lograr en diseños de aplicaciones de interacción humano - computador, en los cuales se privilegia la diversión, el uso de recursos tecnológicos sofisticados y el sentido estético.

Objetive. This interdisciplinary study used the Theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) and Cognitive task analysis (CTA) to address the problem of designing learning scenarios. Method. The study was conducted in a natural science museum in Cali, Colombia to solve the educational problem of teaching visitors about migratory birds who arrive at Colombian wetlands. The design process was conducted in two phases. The first analyzed the technical component of the problem with TRIZ, and the second analyzed the educational component with CTA. The analysis involved 23 participants: six systems engineers, a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, two psychologists, two biologists, a physicist, a museum technician, a historian, a museum guide, a graphic designer, and six engineering students. Results. The TRIZ application makes it possible to conclude that the learning scenario should be easy to use, durable and fun. Also, the learning scenario should exhibit minimal assistance of museum guides and the use of new technologies directed toward the educational objective. The CTA makes it possible to understand that the main function of the learning scenario was to promote the visitors understanding of the concepts involved in the relationships among man, wetlands and migratory birds. Conclusion. The design of this game gives priority to the educational factors, promoting environmental conservation, without neglecting the entertainment component. A balance between them seems difficult to achieve in human-computer interaction application designs on which the focus is generally on fun, using sophisticated technological resources and aesthetic sense.

Escopo. Foi feito um trabalho interdisciplinar que utilizou a Teoria de solução de problemas inventivos (TRIZ) e o Análise cognitivo de tarefas (ACT) para orientar o desenho de um cenário de aprendizagem para um museu de ciências naturais. Metodologia. Participaram 23 pessoas: seis engenheiros de sistemas, um engenheiro industrial, um engenheiro eléctrico, psicólogas, um biólogo, uma bioquímica, um físico, um técnico museológico, um historiador, um guia de museu, um desenhador gráfico e seis estudantes de engenheira. O processo de análise foi feito em duas fases. Na primeira, foi analisado o componente técnico do problema usando TRIZ, na segunda, foi analisado o componente educativo utilizando o ACT. Resultados. A aplicação de TRIZ permitiu identificar que o cenário de aprendizagem devia ser divertido, durável, de fácil uso e integração do uso de novas tecnologias com fins educativos, e que devia implicar pouca assistência dos guias do museu. O ACT possibilitou entender que a função principal do cenário de aprendizagem era promover a compreensão de conceitos involucrados na relação entre pessoas, pantanais e aves migratórias. Para isto, foi desenhada a estrutura de um videojogo educativo. Conclusão. O desenho de este videojogo prioriza os componentes educativos, que promovem a conservação ambiental, sem descuidar o componente de entretenimento, equilíbrio que parece difícil de lograr em desenhos de aplicações de interação humano-computador, nos quais privilegia-se a diversão, o uso de recursos tecnológicos sofisticados e o sentido estético.