Smart learning environments can be defined as systems aimed at proposing innovative uses of emerging pedagogical approaches and technologies to support effective learning experiences. In the past years, rather than designing and developing even more advanced technological solutions attention has been focused on defining environments that adopt appropriate strategies to sustain student motivation and engagement. Game-based learning and gamification approaches could be a promising solution, since there is much experimental evidence that proves their effect. In this context, our research aims at defining and developing a Smart Learning Environment able to improve engagement and motivation by means of game-based learning and gamification approaches. In particular, the paper presents two serious games that, using the gamification dimensions, aim at sustaining engagement and motivation in learning processes in medical contexts. In particular, the games involve both the patients, who have to acquire knowledge and skills about their disease, in order to become responsible for their choices, and the medical and paramedical staff, who must acquire knowledge and skills about diagnostic procedures, therapeutic interventions and follow-up of patients. Some results of a user test show that the games enhance student motivation and this means improvement also in knowledge acquisition.

Currently digital educational applications are employed in education, since technological tools are very interesting and engaging for pupils. Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the most explored and successfully used technology. Thanks to the AR, the situated learning can occur; it suggests that people easily acquire new knowledge if learning occurs in a specific context and is embedded in a physical environment. This paper presents an AR application, called Geo+, for supporting primary school students in the acquisition of knowledge on the solid geometry. Geo+ has been developed by following a Human-Centered Design approach, thus several formative evaluation studies were performed to enhance the quality of the resulting application. A user study involving 96 pupils of the 3 ^rd grade of primary school was performed in order to investigate the learning effectiveness, the engagement and the perceived workload of Geo+ at school. The results showed that Geo+ is effective in terms of student learning gain. In addition, pupils really appreciated the ease of use of the game; they were satisfied and felt engaging and comfortable during the interaction, none of them ask for help during the execution of the learning activities.

The new challenge for designers and HCI researchers is to develop software tools for effective e-learning. Learner-Centered Design (LCD) provides guidelines to make new learning domains accessible in an educationally productive manner. A number of new issues have been raised because of the new “vehicle” for education. Effective e-learning systems should include sophisticated and advanced functions, yet their interface should hide their complexity, providing an easy and flexible interaction suited to catch students’ interest. In particular, personalization and integration of learning paths and communication media should be provided. It is first necessary to dwell upon the difference between attributes for platforms (containers) and for educational modules provided by a platform (contents). In both cases, it is hard to go deeply into pedagogical issues of the provided knowledge content. This work is a first step towards identifying specific usability attributes for e-learning systems, capturing the peculiar features of this kind of applications. We report about a preliminary users study involving a group of e-students, observed during their interaction with an e-learning system in a real situation. We then propose to adapt to the e-learning domain the so called SUE (Systematic Usability Evaluation) inspection, providing evaluation patterns able to drive inspectors’ activities in the evaluation of an e-learning tool

In the environmental sector, in recent years, policies and governance of marine issues have seen greater enhancement of participatory and community-based processes (for example the Blue Growth Actions of the Interreg Med Program of the European Union). The greater involvement of citizens in the processes and policies of the sea can greatly benefit the survival of the marine environment and support reforms, since most environmental problems are caused by human behavior. Changes in individual behaviors are desirable to ensure sustainable use of the ocean and its resources. These changes are possible only if there is an improvement in people’s knowledge and awareness since the childhood. Ocean literacy interventions will allow people to understand their responsibilities towards the oceans and their health. For this reason, it is necessary to promote sustainable behavior changes using new educational approaches that can be effective with young pupils. The research presents a serious game and an explainer video, used in order to introduce the problem of marine litter, one of the main dangers for the marine species. The aim of the serious game was to enhance ocean literacy with a particular attention to the biodiversity of the Apulian and Mediterranean sea to raise children’s awareness of the issue of caring for life in the sea. The measure of learning effectiveness confirmed that the knowledge gained can be actually acquired by children using new technologies, in general, and serious games in particular.