Information Trails

This is a personal site about my professional research work in ”’information trails”’: assessment with video games and game modding. My purpose for this site is to record my thinking process, research work, and peripheral interests related to doing research with serious games.

I have been involved in this line of research since 2004 and have evaluated a large number of computer(/digital/PC/video) games for this purpose. My final pick is Neverwinter Nights (NWN).

For assessment, I have spent long months thinking through the process, from both a classroom teacher’s (once upon a time) and a researcher’s perspectives. The result of that long contemplation was a conceptual framework for “learning assessment” using video games. The conceptual framework was first published as a book chapter (think of it as a position paper) in the book edited by David Gibson.

Subsequently, I began the process to apply for a provisional patent in March 2006 through my school, but unfortunately the process took longer than expected. The worst obstacle during the application process is that I was not allowed to present the “method” until the provisional patent is granted! (which is why there appeared to be a blank in Information Trails research). The provisional patent was finally granted in July 2007, and the concept presented at CGAMES 2007 in the same month.

I have separated my publications according to categories, instead of listing them in the usual chronological order.

Video Games & Education

• Botturi, L. and Loh, C. S. (2009). Once Upon a Game: Rediscovering the Roots of Games in Education. In C. Miller (Ed.), Games: Their Purpose and Potential in Education. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. [Chapter 1: pp.] [PDF]
• Loh, C. S. (2009). Confronting the Dark Side of Video Games. In C. Miller (Ed.), Games: Their Purpose and Potential in Education. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. [Chapter 9: pp.] [PDF]

Information Trails: Assessment with Video Games

• Loh, C. S. and Byun, J. H. (2009). Modding Neverwinter Nights into Serious Games. In D. Gibson, and Baek, Y. K. (Eds.), Digital Simulations for Improving Education: Learning Through Artificial Teaching Environments. Hershey, PA: Idea Group, Inc. [Chapter 22: pp. 408-426] [PDF]
• Loh, C. S. (2008). Designing Online Games Assessment as “Information Trails.” In V. Sugumaran (Ed.), Intelligent Information Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, Vol. I (pp. 553-574). Hershey, PA: Idea Group, Inc. [PDF]²
• Loh, C. S., Anantachai, A., Byun, J., & Lenox, J. (July 2007). Assessing what players learned in serious games: in situ data collection, information trails, and quantitative analysis. In Q. Mehdi (Ed.), Computer Games: AI, Animation, Mobile, Educational & Serious Games (CGAMES 2007). Wolverhampton, UK: University of Wolverhampton. [PDF]
• Loh, C. S. (Jan 2007). Designing Online Games Assessment as “Information Trails.” In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich & M. Prensky (Eds.), Games and Simulation in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks (pp. 323-348). Hershey, PA: Idea Group, Inc. [PDF]¹

Web-Based Instruction / Online Learning

• Loh, C. S. and Schrader, P. G. (December, 2007). A Handbook of E-Learning: Two Reviewers Comment. Educational Researcher. 36(9): 573-578. [PDF]
• Loh, C. S., Branch, R. M., Shewanown, S., & Ali, R. (2003). The effect of text spacing after the period on time for on-screen reading tasks. In R. E. Griffin (Ed.), The 2002 International Visual Literacy Association Selected Readings. [PDF]
• Loh, C. S., & Williams, M. D. (Spring 2002). “What’s in a Web site?” - Students’ perception. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. 34 (3): 351-363.
• Loh, C. S. (Nov/Dec 2001). Learning tools for knowledge nomads: Using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in Web-based learning environment. Educational Technology. 41(6): 5-14.
• Wong, P. and Loh, C. S. (2000). Evaluating computer-based educational resources. In M. D. Williams (Ed.), Integrating Technology Into Teaching And Learning. (pp. 93-117). Pearson Education Asia Pte. Ltd., Singapore.
• Loh, C. S. (1999). Children’s perceptions of motivational design elements in educational Web sites. Unpublished M. Ed. thesis: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Mona Listen: Aural Skill Development in Music Education

• Loh, C. S. (2007). Choice and Effects of Instrument Sound in Aural Training. Music Education Research, 9 (1), 129-143.
• Loh, C. S. (2004). The effects of pitch discrimination training on achievement in melodic interval discrimination. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation: The University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

¹ Copyright Notice: This chapter appears in “Games and Simulation in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks” edited by D. Gibson, C. Aldrich & M. Prensky. Copyright 2007, IGI Global, www.igi-pub.com. Posted by permission of the publisher.

² Copyright Notice: This chapter appears in “Intelligent Information Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications” (Vol. I)  edited by V. Sugumaran. Copyright 2008, IGI Global, www.igi-pub.com. Posted by permission of the publisher.