title: Influencing Play through Design

authors: Robinson, Alex

subjects: Avatar

abstract: This thesis aims to examine if the visual features of virtual identities that players use to represent themselves within different game worlds may influence their interactions within those game worlds. If such a correlation exists the thesis aims to build a better understanding of the level of influence these visual features have on how a player interacts within a game world.
In order to identify and evaluate any correlations between differences in visual avatar features compared to any differences in playstyle the research involved conducting an online survey in addition to a small scale observation study. To differentiate the players and create groupings to better identify differences the thesis examines the concepts of player types (Bartle, 1995) and player motivations (Yee, 2005). Through the use of which it was able to properly explore a player's behaviour and the influencing motivations behind it, while being able to compare these motivations to the visual features the player’s virtual identity may possess.

text: Influencing Play through Design This thesis aims to examine if the visual features of virtual identities that players use to represent themselves within different game worlds may influence their interactions within those game worlds. If such a correlation exists the thesis aims to build a better understanding of the level of influence these visual features have on how a player interacts within a game world.
In order to identify and evaluate any correlations between differences in visual avatar features compared to any differences in playstyle the research involved conducting an online survey in addition to a small scale observation study. To differentiate the players and create groupings to better identify differences the thesis examines the concepts of player types (Bartle, 1995) and player motivations (Yee, 2005). Through the use of which it was able to properly explore a player's behaviour and the influencing motivations behind it, while being able to compare these motivations to the visual features the player’s virtual identity may possess.

year: 2016

title: Increasing compliance with teacher instructions within the classroom using variable interval tactile prompting in a self-management intervention

authors: Veitch, Sarah

subjects: Compliance

abstract: The skill of compliance is considered an essential keystone behaviour that correlates with academic performance and pro-social behaviours. This study extended the research of Lee (2016) by implementing a self-management intervention (with and without a tactile prompt) to increase compliant behaviour of a typically developing child in a mainstream New Zealand classroom. Two key components of this intervention were treating compliance as a skill to be taught, and evaluating the use of a discrete tactile prompt. It was expected that this self-management intervention would effectively increase compliance with teacher instructions within the classroom. The main hypothesis of this study was that a self-management intervention is more effective at increasing compliance with teacher instructions if it includes the use of a tactile prompt than if no prompts are used. A single-subject alternating treatment design was used to assess and compare the efficacy of both conditions. Secondly it was hypothesised that this self-management intervention would have high social validity for both the student and teacher. Thirdly, it was hypothesised that the intervention would result in a concomitant increase in on task behaviour. The findings of this study supported these hypotheses. Additionally increases in both compliance and on-task behaviour generalised to other settings and were maintained beyond the fading phase of the intervention. The findings of this study have theoretical implications relevant to the general classroom and future research.

text: Increasing compliance with teacher instructions within the classroom using variable interval tactile prompting in a self-management intervention The skill of compliance is considered an essential keystone behaviour that correlates with academic performance and pro-social behaviours. This study extended the research of Lee (2016) by implementing a self-management intervention (with and without a tactile prompt) to increase compliant behaviour of a typically developing child in a mainstream New Zealand classroom. Two key components of this intervention were treating compliance as a skill to be taught, and evaluating the use of a discrete tactile prompt. It was expected that this self-management intervention would effectively increase compliance with teacher instructions within the classroom. The main hypothesis of this study was that a self-management intervention is more effective at increasing compliance with teacher instructions if it includes the use of a tactile prompt than if no prompts are used. A single-subject alternating treatment design was used to assess and compare the efficacy of both conditions. Secondly it was hypothesised that this self-management intervention would have high social validity for both the student and teacher. Thirdly, it was hypothesised that the intervention would result in a concomitant increase in on task behaviour. The findings of this study supported these hypotheses. Additionally increases in both compliance and on-task behaviour generalised to other settings and were maintained beyond the fading phase of the intervention. The findings of this study have theoretical implications relevant to the general classroom and future research.

year: 2022

title: Dis-lodging literature from English: Challenging linguistic hegemonies

authors: Locke, Terry

subjects: literature

abstract: This paper problematises the location of literature "teaching" within the English (L1) curriculum, as is the case in New Zealand and other settings. It defamiliarises this arrangement by drawing attention to official New Zealand policies of biculturalism and to the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in many New Zealand classrooms. It identifies a number of social justice issues arising from the current arrangement, and also raises issues in respect of educational policy and ways in which canonical subjects become constructed in practice. It then discusses ways in which a new qualifications template developed at the University of Waikato might provide a vehicle for establishing a new arrangement, in terms of which literature study is dislodged from English and reshaped as a course of study entitled Literature in Society. It indicates ways in which Comparative Literature, as a predominantly university-constituted discipline, might contribute to the theorisation of this new arrangement.

text: Dis-lodging literature from English: Challenging linguistic hegemonies This paper problematises the location of literature "teaching" within the English (L1) curriculum, as is the case in New Zealand and other settings. It defamiliarises this arrangement by drawing attention to official New Zealand policies of biculturalism and to the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in many New Zealand classrooms. It identifies a number of social justice issues arising from the current arrangement, and also raises issues in respect of educational policy and ways in which canonical subjects become constructed in practice. It then discusses ways in which a new qualifications template developed at the University of Waikato might provide a vehicle for establishing a new arrangement, in terms of which literature study is dislodged from English and reshaped as a course of study entitled Literature in Society. It indicates ways in which Comparative Literature, as a predominantly university-constituted discipline, might contribute to the theorisation of this new arrangement.

year: 2004-05-01