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Citation - WoS: 3
Evaluation of the Effects of Avatar on Learning Temporomandibular Joint in a Metaverse-Based Training
(Wiley, 2024) Basmaci, Fulya; Bulut, Ali Can; Ozcelik, Erol; Ekici, Saliha Zerdali; Kilicarslan, Mehmet Ali; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil
PurposeAvatars, representing users in the digital world, can influence users' behavior and attitudes. This study evaluates the impact of representing dental students receiving temporomandibular joint (TMJ) education in the metaverse via an anonymous or identified avatar.MethodsParticipants included 80 dental students in their fourth and fifth years of study. They were randomly assigned to either the avatar group (identified avatar) or the control group (anonymous avatar). Prior to training, participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a pretraining knowledge assessment. TMJ training was conducted in the metaverse for both groups. Pre- and post-training assessments included the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a shyness scale to ensure group comparability. A post-test consisting of five questions was administered to both groups after 2 weeks of training.ResultsThere were no significant differences in pretraining scores for prior knowledge (p = 0.67), trait anxiety (p = 0.28), state anxiety (p = 0.92), or shyness (p = 0.42) between the avatar and control groups, indicating comparability at baseline. Post-training analysis revealed significantly higher post-test scores in the avatar group (median = 80) compared to the control group (median = 60) (p = 0.03).ConclusionsMetaverse environments offer various benefits for students, educators, and educational institutions in health education programs. Representing learners and their identities in training environments can enhance learning outcomes.
Citation - WoS: 137
Citation - Scopus: 187
Improving Programming Skills in Engineering Education Through Problem-Based Game Projects With Scratch
(Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, 2018) Topalli, Damla; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil
Nowadays, programming skills are receiving widespread attention for different age groups alongside occupational education programs to better prepare individuals for their future careers. However, introducing programming concepts in an appropriate manner is a challenge in higher education. The main assumption of this study is that enhancing the classical introduction to programming courses through real-life problem-based game development with Scratch programming environment potentially improves the learners' programming skills and motivation. Accordingly, in this study, during one academic semester period, the Introduction to Programming course for engineering students is enriched up to a certain level through real-life game development projects with Scratch. The students are followed within a four-year period starting from freshman until their graduation. The progress of the students who have taken the Introduction to Programming course in enriched or classical form in the fourth year Senior-project course are evaluated. The results show that by slightly improving the course curriculum through real-life game development projects in the Scratch environment, students' performance on the graduation projects improved significantly. As a conclusion, game-based learning, problem-based learning, visual programming and projects are technologies that can potentially help learners to perform better in the introduction to programming course, in turn affecting their performances in projects.
Citation - WoS: 70
Citation - Scopus: 82
The Effect of Uncertainty on Learning in Game-Like Environments
(Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, 2013) Ozcelik, Erol; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Ozcelik, Nese Sahin
Considering the role of games for educational purposes, there has an increase in interest among educators in applying strategies used in popular games to create more engaging learning environments. Learning is more fun and appealing in digital educational games and, as a result, it may become more effective. However, few research studies have been conducted to establish principles based on empirical research for designing engaging and entertaining games so as to improve learning. One of the essential characteristics of games that has been unexplored in the literature is the concept of uncertainty. This study examines the effect of uncertainty on learning outcomes. In order to better understand this effect on learning, a game-like learning tool was developed to teach a database concept in higher education programs of software engineering. The tool is designed in two versions: one including uncertainty and the other including no uncertainty. The experimental results of this study reveal that uncertainty enhances learning. Uncertainty is found to be positively associated with motivation. As motivation increases, participants tend to spend more time on answering the questions and to have higher accuracy in these questions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An Rfid Based Location Finding and Tracking With Guidance
(Ieee, 2008) Oktem, Rusen; Aydin, Elif Uray; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil
This paper tackles an RFID based location finding and tracking system. The system is an integral part of a navigation aid being developed for guiding visually disabled people in a store. The aid is composed of a portable hardware interface unit, a standalone RFID unit, and a central processing unit. The units interact via wireless communication to locate the position of the user in a known indoor environment and tracking his/her movement. An active RFID tag helps to estimate the location of a user and the user is guided to follow a route accordingly, via a tactile compass. The system uses RF signal strengths and is based on Bayes Decision Theory. Initial simulation results with the system prove promising for location finding and tracking, especially when the tracked person is guided by a system.
Understanding the Effect of Passive View on Surgical Performance in Simulation-Based Endoscopic Surgery Education
(Iated-int Assoc Technology Education A& development, 2016) Topalli, Damla; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil
With the improvements of technologies in the field of surgery, minimally invasive surgical (MIS) technique have become the standard of surgical care for many patients which is performed through the camera view of the operational area from small entry points to the patients' body. Unlike open surgery, MIS is, by its nature, a technique that is very suitable for simulation based training. Developing special skills by using surgical simulations before entering an operating room enables more focused and efficient performance, which minimizes time in the operating room and enhances patient safety. Beside the benefits, MIS reveals some drawbacks as well, such as passive view. Passive view occurs when the surgeon needs the help of assistant to control the camera instead of controlling by his own movements. In such cases, performing the operation from the assistant's camera controlled view is considered as passive view. Earlier studies show that this passive view problem affects the surgical performance. Accordingly, the related surgery training programs should consider providing skills on passive view and the surgical tool designers also should consider this problem in their designs. Hence understanding the concept of passive view in general and understanding its possible affects on surgical performance is critical to improve the surgery process. Additionally, understanding the instructional considerations to better provide environments to practice for gaining these skills are critical for the domain of endoscopic surgery education programs. However, in the literature there are not many studies related with the passive view problem in endoscopic surgery procedures. In this study, a literature review is conducted to better understand the problems related with the passive view. Additionally, a pilot experimental study is conducted through a surgical simulation environment. The results of this study aimed to provide guidelines to the surgical training programs and the instructional system designers to improve the skills of the trainees to better deal with passive-view problem in endoscopic surgery.
How Assessment System of an Open Source Learning Management System Can Be Integrated To a Remote Laboratory Application? Problems and Solutions
(Ieee, 2007) Aydin, Cansu Cigdem; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil
Most of the education programs need an assessment system for formative and summative evaluation purposes. Similarly, in the ERRL* project which is a distance remote radio frequency laboratory application, assessment system is required. However, developing an assessment system cost is very high and requires some extra time for testing and development purposes. Open source systems provide these services in a standard way. Since the source is open, it is possible to make some modifications to better adapt these systems to the requirements of developed systems. Similarly, in the Moodle part of the system we need to integrate the test and the experiment platforms. hi order to better guide the learners in the system, they should take some tests about the devices and the theoretical content included in the system. It is important to prevent users Who do not have the enough knowledge directed to the experiments platform. These testing requirements should be integrated into the remote laboratory system, so that, the learners should not need to jump between different systems and interfaces. This article presents implementation process of open source Learning Management System software's assessment module to a remote laboratory application and it also discusses the advantages, disadvantages of using an open source Web based assessment system.
Citation - WoS: 24
Citation - Scopus: 42
Using Learning Styles Theory in Engineering Education
(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2008) Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil
Studies have shown that, while learning different concepts, people sometimes take different approaches (learning styles). Accordingly, their performance reflected differently in their academic studies. With the effect of globalisation to the educational environments, the influence of individual learning styles on educational performance is getting more significant. In this study, a learning style assessment tool was used to examine the relationship between students' learning styles and their performance in engineering education programmes. At the beginning of the programme, 285 students' learning styles were measured using a learning style assessment tool. Four years after the engineering education, their performance in the programme was compared with their individual learning styles. This study shows that most of the students are assimilators. Divergers and convergers follow the assimilators. The number of accommodators is very limited. The relationship between engineering students' learning styles and their performance is found: assimilators and convergers performed better than the divergers and accommodators. The performance difference between assimilators and divergers is statistically significant. The results of this study show that the learning style theory is a potential tool for guiding the design and improvement of courses and helping students to improve their individual performance.
Citation - WoS: 1
Haptic User Interface Integration for 3d Game Engines
(Springer-verlag Berlin, 2014) Sengul, Gokhan; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Ozcelik, Erol; Tuner, Emre; Erol, Batuhan
Touch and feel senses of human beings provide important information about the environment. When those senses are integrated with the eyesight, we may get all the necessary information about the environment. In terms of human-computer-interaction, the eyesight information is provided by visual displays. On the other hand, touch and feel senses are provided by means of special devices called "haptic" devices. Haptic devices are used in many fields such as computer-aided design, distance-surgery operations, medical simulation environments, training simulators for both military and medical applications, etc. Besides the touch and sense feelings haptic devices also provide force-feedbacks, which allows designing a realistic environment in virtual reality applications. Haptic devices can be categorized into three classes: tactile devices, kinesthetic devices and hybrid devices. Tactile devices simulate skin to create contact sensations. Kinesthetic devices apply forces to guide or inhibit body movement, and hybrid devices attempt to combine tactile and kinesthetic feedback. Among these kinesthetic devices exerts controlled forces on the human body, and it is the most suitable type for the applications such as surgical simulations. The education environments that require skill-based improvements, the touch and feel senses are very important. In some cases providing such educational environment is very expensive, risky and may also consist of some ethical issues. For example, surgical education is one of these fields. The traditional education is provided in operating room on real patients. This type of education is very expensive, requires long time periods, and does not allow any error-and-try type of experiences. It is stressfully for both the educators and the learners. Additionally there are several ethical considerations. Simulation environments supported by such haptic user interfaces provide an alternative and safer educational alternative. There are several studies showing some evidences of educational benefits of this type of education (Tsuda et al 2009; Sutherland et al 2006). Similarly, this technology can also be successfully integrated to the physical rehabilitation process of some diseases requiring motor skill improvements (Kampiopiotis & Theodorakou, 2003). Hence, today simulation environments are providing several opportunities for creating low cost and more effective training and educational environment. Today, combining three dimensional (3D) simulation environments with these haptic interfaces is an important feature for advancing current human-computer interaction. On the other hand haptic devices do not provide a full simulation environment for the interaction and it is necessary to enhance the environment by software environments. Game engines provide high flexibility to create 3-D simulation environments. Unity3D is one of the tools that provides a game engine and physics engine for creating better 3D simulation environments. In the literature there are many studies combining these two technologies to create several educational and training environments. However, in the literature, there are not many researches showing how these two technologies can be integrated to create simulation environment by providing haptic interfaces as well. There are several issues that need to be handled for creating such integration. First of all the haptic devices control libraries need to be integrated to the game engine. Second, the game engine simulation representations and real-time interaction features need to be coordinately represented by the haptic device degree of freedom and force-feedback speed and features. In this study, the integration architecture of Unity 3D game engine and the PHANToM Haptic device for creating a surgical education simulation environment is provided. The methods used for building this integration and handling the synchronization problems are also described. The algorithms developed for creating a better synchronization and user feedback such as providing a smooth feeling and force feedback for the haptic interaction are also provided. We believe that, this study will be helpful for the people who are creating simulation environment by using Unity3D technology and PHANToM haptic interfaces.
Citation - WoS: 6
Simulation-Based Environments for Surgical Practice
(Ieee, 2017) Dalveren, Gonca Gokce Menekse; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Ozcelik, Erol; Maras, Hakan
Modeling and simulation environments provide several insights about the real situations such as endoscopic surgery. Endoscopic surgery requires both hand skills, so, understanding the effect of using dominant or non dominant hand on mental workload is important to better design, develop and implement modeling and simulation environments to support real-life implementations of surgical procedures. This experimental study presents a simulation application of eye-tracking approach to understand mental workload in different hand conditions: dominant hand, non-dominant hand and both hand. The results of the study show that, performing simulated surgical tasks by both hands compared to dominant hand, increases mental workload which is evident by higher pupil size. Accordingly, to manage the mental-load problems of surgeons while performing complex tasks that require both hand usage simulation-based environments can be used. Consequently, collection of detailed information such as eye-data, can give several insights about the behaviors of the surgeons. Also, their required skills can be improved by development of simulation and training environments.
Citation - WoS: 22
Citation - Scopus: 36
An Analysis of Course Characteristics, Learner Characteristics, and Certification Rates in MITx MOOCs
(Athabasca Univ Press, 2020) Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Cagiltay, Kursat; Celik, Berkan; Software Engineering
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), capable of providing free (or low cost) courses for millions of learners anytime and anywhere, have gained the attention of researchers, educational institutions, and learners worldwide. Even though they provide several benefits, there are still some criticisms of MOOCs. For instance, MOOCs' high dropout rates or predominantly elite participation are considered to be important problems. In order to develop solutions for these problems, a deeper understanding of MOOCs is required. Today, despite the availability of several research studies about MOOCs, there is a shortage of in-depth research on course characteristics, learner characteristics, and predictors of certification rates. This study examined MOOC and learner characteristics in detail and explored the predictors of course certification rates based on data from 122 Massachusetts Institute of Technology MOOCs (MITx) on edX platform as well as data about the 2.8 million participants registered in these MOOCs. The results indicated that as the number of courses offered and the number of learners enrolled increased in years, there was a decrease in the certification rates among enrolled learners. According to our results, the number of average chapters completed, total forum messages, and mean age predicted course certification rates positively. On the other hand, the total number of chapters in a course predicted the course certification rates negatively. Based on these results, shorter and more interactive MOOCs are recommended by considering the needs of the learners, course content design, and strategies encouraging the enrolled students to enter the courses.

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