=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2747/paper21
|storemode=property
|title=A Multi-Agent Approach to Develop Courses in terms of Learning Objects with Videogames
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2747/paper21.pdf
|volume=Vol-2747
|authors=Jaime Muñoz-Arteaga,Edgar Calvillo Moreno,Héctor Cardona-Reyes,José Eder Guzmán Mendoza
}}
==A Multi-Agent Approach to Develop Courses in terms of Learning Objects with Videogames==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2747/paper21.pdf
A Multi-Agent Approach to Develop Courses in terms of
Learning Objects with Videogames
Jaime Muñoz-Arteaga1 [0000-0002-3635-7592] Edgar A. Calvillo Moreno2 [0000-0003-4702-1645]
Héctor Cardona Reyes2 [0000-0002-9626-6254] José Eder Guzmán-Mendoza3 [0000-0001-5201-7398]
Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (UAA)
1
Av. Universidad #940. C.P. 20131, Ags. México.
jaime.munoz@edu.uaa.mx
2
CIMAT Zacatecas, Zacatecas, México
alancalvillo@yahoo.com, hector.cardona@cimat.mx
3
Universidad Politécnica de Aguascalientes (UPA), CP 20342, Ags. México
jose.guzman@upa.edu.mx
Abstract. Videogames have been identified as potential learning tools, then the
videogames are considered here inside the main components of a learning object.
It is possible the learning objects can be produced and saved in the repositories
form different educative institutions, then some challenges are required to solve
such as the research and use of this kind of educational contents. Current work
proposes a multi-agent approach in order to help a tutor to develop online course
in terms of learning objects with videogames coming from several distributed
repositories located in different educative institutions. Finally, the performance
of current proposal is presented throughout a case study.
Keywords: Videogames, Learning Objects, Multi Agent Approach, E-learning
1 Introduction
A videogame is an interactive computer program proposed for entertainment; it can run
on various devices such as personal computer, consoles, cell phones, audio allowing
users learn in a ludic manner. The videogame market is constantly growing; new
developments occur almost every month, increasingly sophisticated and offer more
possibilities to the player. Nowadays the videogames are using in multiple platforms
creating a lot of mobile consoles. Then, the user can use the videogames consoles
exploring academic resources in those devices. However, in the e-learning area, there
are several works that offer few options for access educational resources with
videogames [1, 4].
The learning objects are considered as educational resources that can be employed
as a technology support of learning process, they are a digital pieces of knowledge to
put together in order to form online courses [7]; an example is presented by Fig. 1 of a
learning object to learn more about the world of chocolate from a practical side[3], the
student is enrolled on a cooking course about advanced uses of chocolate in cooking.
Copyright c 2020 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons
License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
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Theory Evaluation
Videogame
Activies Related Topics
Fig. 1 A learning object with videogame
from e-adventure research project [3]. Fig. 2. Model of a learning object with
videogame.
Current work considers here that videogames can be inserted in the content of a learning
object such as evaluation, related topics, theoretical y practical knowledge (see Fig. 2).
With this model, the student can put in practices the theoretical knowledge playing with
the interactive videogames embedded in every learning object.
LO
+Videogames
Topic
Course Section +Content
+GetTheory()
+GetActivities()
+GetEvaluation()
+GetRelatedTopics()
Fig. 3- Structure of an online course composed of learning objects with videogames.
In general, a course is composed of several sections (or modules), these are composed
by one or several topics, and every topic can be represented by one learning object with
videogames (see Fig. 3). In fact, the learning objects can be produced by several
educative institutions to encourage the creation of digital materials from a large
diversity of ludic scenarios under different platforms [8, 5].
Current work proposes some solutions to design and develop online courses in terms
of learning objects with videogames. To this end, section two describes some common
problems using videogames as educational resources. As an alternative solution, next
section describes a multi-agent approach to develop courses in terms of learning objects
with videogames. Section four presents an online course as a case study in order to
show the feasibility of current proposal. Finally, some conclusions are presented, and
some future works are proposed.
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2 Problem Outline
Learning objects can be designed to be used in different courses, they are generally
saved and accessed in repositories which offer a series of services such as display,
search, and update. Several institutions use Learning Management System (LMS) to
develop their courses with learning objects on various domains such as: data structure,
programming, software engineering, medicine, etc. Examples of LMS are
Talenlms[16], Claroline[14], and Moodle [15]; the creation of heterogeneous learning
objects require the compatibility between LMS platforms, OS platforms and content of
learning objects, but the compatibility is implicit to have portable devices such as
mobile devices, handhelds, laptops etc... It is possible to identify some difficulties when
learning objects include videogames, these difficulties are as follows:
The learning objects with videogames needs to be portable and reusable across
multiple platforms [11].
It is necessary a better performance searching learning objects with
videogames [4].
The search of learning objects requires to be applying in local and distributed
repositories [4].
It requires a visualization of learning objects with videogames [3]
It lacks criteria to evaluate the quality of this kind of learning of objects.
3 Conceptual Model
Given a large number of universities can produce online courses in terms of learning
objects and saving these objects in their own repositories, these repositories in general
support several queries with different criteria thanks to the information saved in the
metadata. Next model specifies a teacher can develop a course in a transparent way
searching and selecting learning objects from different repositories.
Research
Service
Fig. 4 Development of online courses in terms of learning objects with videogames
3
Open source learning management systems can be extended in a such way a teacher
can find and select learning objects in order to develop online courses (See Fig. 4).
Tanks to the connection of repositories (current work has used the repositories of
universities of UAA, UPA and UV in México), it is possible to reuse the academic
contents and offer online course in terms of learning objects. In addition, all the learning
objects in the repositories should be filter by multiple agents asking and getting learning
objects with videogames. Then, the students can use the learning objects with
videogames accessing these courses under different platforms such as pc, lap and
mobiles devices.
Fig. 5. Access of learning objects with videogames coming from different repositories.
The architectural model of Fig. 5 considers the learning objects can be produced by
several teachers of different institutions where several digital content can be found by
a research in several repositories, current work has used the repositories of universities
of UAA (Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes), UPA (Universidad Politécnica de
Aguascalientes) and UV (Universidad Veracruzana) in México. In addition, the model
specifies the use of videogame console to access and display different learning objects
with videogame from different repositories [2, 3, 11]. The user interface of a videogame
console (such as psp, itouch, pc and switch) can display the content of a learning object.
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Fig. 6. Relations of agents to search learning objects with videogames
With the multi-agent approach is possible to access to a large collections of learning
objects from different repositories located in different Mexican institutions. They can
share their academic resources. Here, each agent is specified in terms of classes with
attributes and functions and the interactivity between the agents; this framework give
us the opportunity to launch each agent, with this performance is incremented of a local
search and a federated search.
The Fig. 6 presents the components of system with multiple agents in each activity.
The Local-Search Agent works only in the local repository creating queries, the
Federated-Search Agent this agent work in the federation of learning objects, when this
two agents finish their work then the list objects agent get all the results and send to the
GUI-Adapter Agent, this agents try to detect the final dispositive to adapt the
information generated by the previous agents. Finally, we have the Object Services
Agent, this agent works with the main functions of a learning object such as the
visualization, accessing, interaction (in this space we have the interactivity of a
videogame) and evaluation. This community of agents is called “social network
games”.
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4 Case Study
This case study shows a medicine course saved in the Moodle platform of UAA, where
a teacher can select some learning objects requesting from distributed repositories in
some Mexican universities. A teacher can lunch a query of learning object using key
words, then two agents start the search, one agent searches in the local repository and
other agent searches in a federated repository, then an agent takes all the results and
prepare all the information in a unique list of learning objects. In this step the user
doesn’t know the platform, then an agent detects the platform where is the client, once
is identify send all the aspects to run in this platform to the final agent who gives all the
services like search, display, interact and evaluation [12].
The use of technologies in the medicine field have been risen exponentially, now the
medicine students can learn playing for example to put in practice surgical cuts since
this delicate task requires a lot of practice, the videogame specify basic movements in
a surgery.
Note in Fig.7.1 shows a learning object with a videogame from [13], it is used to learn
and play about the reconstruction of an arm, indicating the areas to be sewn for optimum
operation within the time available shows a standard of health score indicating the user's
progress. This type of interface helps to start with a theoretical knowledge that can be
used on a short-term future.
Fig. 7.1 Course online in the domain of Fig. 7.2 A medical learning object with a
medicine using learning objects with videogame to learn ad play about a heart
videogames from [13] surgery [13].
The Fig. 7.2 shows a type of surgery that requires a reconstruction of an arm; this
process can be assisted by Aid that presents the video game involving a series of
messages that help to improve their learning.
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Fig. 8. Videogame “Under the knife” [13] to play and learn about a heart surgery.
The Fig. 8 shows how the agents send as result, this learning object is got by two agents,
one searching in a local repository and the other agent work in the distributed
repositories, then all identified information by the two agents is taken by the list objects
agent, creating an uniform list of objects, this list of objects are taken by the Graphical
User Interface adapter agent that detect a play station, sending all the display sizes and
list of objects at the last object services agent finally we have the game in the form of
exercise with a theme of human cell, allowing the user to drag the elements that are
relevant to each of the boxes in white, this is done interactively allowing the user to
learn based on practices and games, this is done interactively allowing the user to learn
based on practices and games.
001 ED
Operation Arms
Video Game Based in basic
operations
Arm
Morfologia;Medicina
Fig. 9. Metadata of learning object to learn about the arm surgery.
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The metadata is specified under the standard SCORM (see Fig. 9) with the purpose that
despite being the subject of learning in the form of videogame, it can be used by other
search across different repositories in educational institutions as well as the successful
execution in a mobile device.
5 Conclusions
This paper proposes the use of multi-agent approach in order to compose online courses
in term of learning objects with videogame. The multi-agent approach helps to make
an easy use of several services throughout a graphical user Interface under mobile
devices; all services in particular the search of learning objects in several repositories.
The proposed model for a learning object with videogame is composed here of five
components such as: theoretical knowledge, evaluation, related subjects and practical
knowledge in terms of interactive videogames. Some sections have described learning
object where the students can use videogames to learn and put in practices the
theoretical knowledge in medicine area. This improves the maintenance, access and
reuse of learning objects. In such a way that end users (in particular teachers and
students) can transparently identify and respectively access the learning objects of a
course from a content management system which will be connected to several
repositories distributed in different educational institutions. Current wok presents the
results from a case study with good performance in the connection between different
repositories institutions and a good compatibility between different kinds of mobiles
devices.
Future work is diverse such as the study of copyright, the accessibility and the
learning objects repository policies. Another topic to study an intelligent virtual
environment as a multi-agent system enables to support collaborative learning with
learning objects and videogames.
Acknowledgements.- This work was developed thanks to PRODEP support to UAA
research team (Reference UAA-CA-48). The authors gratefully appreciate the
collaboration with software engineering researchers from Universities of UV and UPA.
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