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Researchers use an app to predict GPA based on smartphone use
What a person does on their phone call tell you a lot about them -- including their GPA. Researchers from Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin have developed an app that tracks smartphone activity to compute a grade point average that's within 0.17 of a point. The software is called smartGPA and using it alongside "periodic self reports" keeps tabs on how hard a student is studying and partying -- on top of physical activity, sleep, attendance and social interactions. Members of the research team were also responsible for the StudentLife app that kept up with mental health and its effect on grades, and this goes a step further by taking into account a broader picture of daily life. "We show that there are a number of important behavioral factors automatically inferred from smartphones that significantly correlate with term and cumulative GPA," the study explains. Installing the app, which is built with cloud and machine learning algorithms, monitored a group of undergrads 24 hours a day for 10 weeks.
Chinese high school gives free iPads to senior students
Here's another instance of students getting to use iPads in the classroom, but in a slightly different setting: China. A high school in China has given iPads to all of its senior students, allowing them to replace textbooks and download lectures and texts from all over the world. In all, 21 different schools in Nanjing are eventually planned for the program, so if it all goes as planned, there will be a lot more iPads in Chinese students' backpacks in the future. And the schools are making sure the students are focused on homework, too, by locking out popular social networking apps and other time wasters. Hopefully these iPads will help students focus in on their studies, as well as get them access to texts and materials they wouldn't normally get to see.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is keeping a close eye on World of Warcraft
From the interface to the design, many people have commented that there's a certain degree of similarity between Star Wars: The Old Republic and World of Warcraft. So it probably comes as no real surprise to learn that Electronic Arts is studying WoW when it comes to SWtOR's upcoming launch -- but not in the way you might think. The company isn't concerned as much with the mechanical side of the equation, but with the question of what happens post-launch and how to increase player retention. This might not seem like terribly relevant information, but a lot of attention is being paid to the game's content release schedule, the speed at which experienced players will go through new content, and the game's post-launch foci. It also extends to an emphasis on smooth networking code to ensure that players can log in and experience the game quickly rather than having to fight off latency. It's no secret that WoW is influencing other games, but SWtOR seems to be designed with an eye toward more than just gameplay.
Storyboard: Archetype discussion - the Scholar
It's time for our third archetype discussion, with the previous two being the Soldier and the Rogue. I've been pleased with the positive response I've seen so far, especially since the archetypes seem to help highlight the difference between a class and the character. There are classes that suggest a more roguelike approach (not a Roguelike approach; that's different), but people play them as soldiers, undertaking missions and killing based on exterior orders rather than any sort of malice or desire. And that's great -- the power of archetypes is that you can have almost any class or combination of abilities backing them up. Such is the case with today's archetype, one that is often seen as being limited to spellcasters but which can really cover almost any set of skills. James Joyce wrote that when you think about things, you can understand them, and that's the bread and butter of the scholar. Queue up some appropriate music, and let's take a look at someone who just wants to know more.
Royal Navy sailors given PSPs to 'encourage studying'
So, umm, this is kind of awkward. We're sorry to tell you, British Royal Navy, but it would appear that you've been duped. We know that the electric engineer everyone trusts so much – Reginald, that con artist! – has spent hours convincing everyone at HMS Collingwood in Hampshire how important it is for him to have a Sony PSP for "studying," but we have to tell you: It's a gaming system! He's just using it to play games! And so even though Reginald said it would be a "smashing idea" for you to buy 230 consoles and spend £50k in the process, we're not so sure this is the best way to educate British sailors. The pre-loaded engineering software may help, but who's to stop users from spending hours with Patapon 2 instead? And no matter how much they claim to be learning about naval combat from SOCOM: Tactical Strike, we're pretty sure that's a lie as well. We hope you've learned from this, and will think twice next time that dastardly Reginald proposes a gaming system as education. [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony PSPs enlisted as study aids by the Royal Navy
Whoever it was at Sony HQ that decided to pursue "military contracts" as a revenue source, kudos! Mere days after the US Air Force expressed interest in expanding its PS3 supercomputer, we're hearing glorious Britannia's Royal Navy has conscripted 230 PSPs into duty as revision aids for its trainee sailors. Loaded with maths and physics materials, the PSPs can be used in a bunk, have familiar controls for the young and mostly male recruits, and are considered pretty tough to break. The underlying reason for this move though is cost cutting: by making the training course more intensive, the Navy is saving on teaching time. Given that the UMD drive won't come disabled -- which is hoped to encourage the sailors to take better care of the device -- the future this paints is of marines who've spent more time with a freebie handheld console than with a pro instructor. At least they'll have a great stable of captured monsters to show for it. [Thanks, pankomputerek]
"My Life as a Night Elf Priest"
A University of California Irvine anthropologist named Bonnie Nardi has been studying one of the strangest cultures known to man lately, and she's going to be presenting her findings in a book called "My life as a Night Elf Priest" -- that's right, she's been taking notes on the weird sociological experiment known as Azeroth. It sounds pretty interesting -- she's been examining the way Chinese and American players play the game (and of course the differences between them), and she's also looking into how games like WoW can bring us closer together rather than isolating us socially. It's funny -- as a genre and a technology, MMO games are actually in the absolute earliest phases of their history. Socoiologists and psychologists have been studying real humans for thousands of years, and yet it's only in the past few decades that they've gotten access to MMO games, like little petri dishes of condensed human behavior. Nardi may be one of the first to try and scientifically examine how players use (and are affected by) this technology, but she'll definitely be far from the last.
iPod has new role as educational tool
Children will soon have a compelling new argument when begging their parents for an iPod, as the music, movie, and audio book player is about to take on a new role: educational tool. Pearson Education has just announced plans to release downloadable study guides (for use with Pearson texts, naturally) and audible review notes for exam preparation that may convince even the strictest parents to acquiesce and let the little white trojan horse into their homes. Not content with just the youth market, Pearson also revealed that it has purchased Apple's PowerSchool student information system, which is used by teachers and administrators to track student progress. No word yet on when kids can start using the "I'm studying!" excuse when told to take off their headphones in class.
