This article presents a critical examination of European policy in relation to gamification. We begin by describing how gamification “traveled” as an idea, evolving from controversial yet persuasive buzzword to legitimate policy priority. We then focus on how gamification was represented in Horizon 2020: the flagship European Research & Development program from 2014 to 2020, worth nearly €80 billion of funding. The article argues that the ethically problematic aspects of gamification were removed through a process of policy capture that involved its assimilation in an established European network of research and small and medium enterprise (SME) actors. This process of “ethical neutering” is also observable in the actual funding calls, where the problematic assumptions of gamification around agency and manipulation are made invisible through a superficial commitment to vague and ill-defined criteria of responsible research and innovation.
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Carnival Futures: Notting Hill Carnival 2020 is a King’s Cultural Institute project led by Nicole Ferdinand (Culture, Media and Creative Industries at King’s College London) which sought to engage cultural organisations and other stakeholders in planning for the future of the Notting Hill Carnival. The content of this report is intended as a contribution to current research and to identifying future directions for the development of the Notting Hill Carnival. The material and views expressed are produced by various stakeholders in a series of workshops.
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The worldwide rise of skin cancer incidence rates increases the need to investigate ultraviolet radiation (UVR), as it is one of the main causes of skin cancer. 1 A ’ u to UVR varies depending on different factors such as the location of the individual and shielding effects. In this analysis, we evaluated wearables at different body positions measuring ultraviolet radiation when worn during daily activities at different locations. First, we analyzed which of the body positions provide the most robust measurements. We then devised a new measure, the horizon shielding factor, to evaluate the effect of horizon shielding and explored if high/low horizon shielding factor values coincide with particular geospatial attributes.
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The project aims to improve palliative care in China through the competence development of Chinese teachers, professionals, and students focusing on the horizontal priority of digital transformation.Palliative care (PC) has been recognised as a public health priority, and during recent years, has seen advances in several aspects. However, severe inequities in the access and availability of PC worldwide remain. Annually, approximately 56.8 million people need palliative care, where 25.7% of the care focuses on the last year of person’s life (Connor, 2020).China has set aims for reaching the health care standards of the developed countries by 2030 through the Healthy China Strategy 2030, where one of the improvement areas in health care includes palliative care, thus continuing the previous efforts.The project provides a constructive, holistic, and innovative set of actions aimed at resulting in lasting outcomes and continued development of palliative care education and services. Raising the awareness of all stakeholders on palliative care, including the public, is highly relevant and needed. Evidence based practice guidelines and education are urgently required for both general and specialised palliative care levels, to increase the competencies for health educators, professionals, and students. This is to improve the availability and quality of person-centered palliative care in China. Considering the aging population, increase in various chronic illnesses, the challenging care environment, and the moderate health care resources, competence development and the utilisation of digitalisation in palliative care are paramount in supporting the transition of experts into the palliative care practice environment.General objective of the project is to enhance the competences in palliative care in China through education and training to improve the quality of life for citizens. Project develops the competences of current and future health care professionals in China to transform the palliative care theory and practice to impact the target groups and the society in the long-term. As recognised by the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), palliative care competences need to be developed in collaboration. This includes shared willingness to learn from each other to improve the sought outcomes in palliative care (EAPC 2019). Since all individuals have a right to health care, project develops person-centered and culturally sensitive practices taking into consideration ethics and social norms. As concepts around palliative care can focus on physical, psychological, social, or spiritual related illnesses (WHO 2020), project develops innovative pedagogy focusing on evidence-based practice, communication, and competence development utilising digital methods and tools. Concepts of reflection, values and views are in the forefront to improve palliative care for the future. Important aspects in project development include health promotion, digital competences and digital health literacy skills of professionals, patients, and their caregivers. Project objective is tied to the principles of the European Commission’s (EU) Digital Decade that stresses the importance of placing people and their rights in the forefront of the digital transformation, while enhancing solidarity, inclusion, freedom of choice and participation. In addition, concepts of safety, security, empowerment, and the promotion of sustainable actions are valued. (European Commission: Digital targets for 2030).Through the existing collaboration, strategic focus areas of the partners, and the principles of the call, the PalcNet project consortium was formed by the following partners: JAMK University of Applied Sciences (JAMK ), Ramon Llull University (URL), Hanze University of Applied Sciences (HUAS), Beijing Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Guangzhou Health Science College (GHSC), Beihua University (BHU), and Harbin Medical University (HMU). As project develops new knowledge, innovations and practice through capacity building, finalisation of the consortium considered partners development strategy regarding health care, (especially palliative care), ability to create long-term impact, including the focus on enhancing higher education according to the horizontal priority. In addition, partners’ expertise and geographical location was also considered important to facilitate long-term impact of the results.Primary target groups of the project include partner country’s (China) staff members, teachers, researchers, health care professionals and bachelor level students engaging in project implementation. Secondary target groups include those groups who will use the outputs and results and continue in further development in palliative care upon the lifetime of the project.
De COVID-19-pandemie heeft grote impact gehad op het praktijkgericht onderzoek van Saxion. Allereerst vanwege de tijdelijke sluiting van laboratoria, verandering van empirische dataverzameling, acute acties zoals het produceren van mondkapjes en het ondersteunen van mkb’s met andere businessmodellen. Op de langere termijn leidt het tot verandering in thematisering, zoals capaciteit in de zorg; menselijke interactie met technologie; bezettingsgraad van gebouwen, openbaar vervoer, stadions en openbare ruimten; en impact van een anderhalvemetersamenleving. Dit alles in een periode van enorme dynamiek en stroomversnelling in het onderzoekslandschap. Saxion wordt erkend als een serieuze partner in grote ontwikkelingen in de Nederlandse en Europese kennisinfrastructuur. Denk hierbij aan topsectoren, de Kennis & Innovatie Agenda’s, het Nationaal groeifonds, NWA, Regio Deals, de derde cyclus aan hogescholen, alsook de European Research Area, Horizon Europe en de Green Deals. Ter illustratie: Saxion participeert in Grozzerdam Deventer; in de regionale Groeifonds-hubs voor Artificial Intelligence en MedTech; in TOPFIT; in het Regiodeal lab Texplus voor kledingrecycling; in SPRONG-aanvragen; in de EU-RRF investeringsagenda; in de KIA governancestructuren; etc. Om onze rol en ambities in deze grote en complexe kenniscoalities waar te kunnen maken professionaliseert Saxion het praktijkgericht onderzoek. Saxion investeert in extra onderzoeksvolume en ondersteuningsinfrastructuur om snel in te kunnen spelen op actuele vraagstukken en behoeften van het bedrijfsleven, overheden en instellingen in de regio, zowel nationaal als internationaal. Saxion gaat de Impuls 2020-regeling dan ook inzetten om de eigen investeringsagenda te versnellen via vier strategische instrumenten: 1. Versterking van de capaciteit voor ondersteuning en projectmanagement 2. Acquisitievouchers voor het schrijven van grote complexe onderzoekaanvragen 3. Versterking van het Saxion-portfolio van Centres of Expertise 4. Ontwikkeling van pilots in de derde cyclus (Professional Doctorate)
GAMING HORIZONS is a multidisciplinary project that aims to expand the research and innovation agenda on serious gaming and gamification. The project is particularly interested in the use of games for learning and cultural development. Gamification - and gaming more broadly – are very important from a socio-economic point of view, but over the past few years they have been at the centre of critical and challenging debates, which highlighted issues such as gender and minority representation, and exploitative game mechanics. Our project’s key contention is that it is important for the European ICT community to engage with design trends and social themes that have affected profoundly the mainstream and ‘independent’ game development cultures over the past few years, especially because the boundaries between leisure and serious games are increasingly blurred. GAMING HORIZONS is a direct response to the official recognition by the H2020 programme of work that multidisciplinary research can help to advance the integration between Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and the Social Sciences and the Humanities (SSH). The project’s objective is to enable a higher uptake of socially responsible ICT-related research in relation to gaming. This objective will be achieved through a research-based exchange between communities of developers, policy makers, users and researchers. The methodology will involve innovative data collection activities and consultations with a range of stakeholders over a period of 14 months. We will interrogate the official ‘H2020 discourse’ on gamification – with a particular focus on ‘gamified learning’ - whilst engaging with experts, developers and critical commentators through interviews, events, workshops and systematic dialogue with an Advisory Board. Ultimately, GAMING HORIZONS will help identify future directions at the intersection of ethics, social research, and both the digital entertainment and serious games industries.EU FundingThe 14-month research project 'Gaming Horizons' was funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
