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Virtual Possibilities: Exploring the Role of Emerging Technologies in Work and Learning Environments
(2024)
The present work aims to investigate whether virtual reality can support learning as well as vocational work environments. To this end, four studies were conducted, with the first set investigating the demands for vocational workers and the impact of input methods on participant performance. These studies laid the foundation needed to create studies incorporating virtual reality research. The second set of studies was concerned with the impact of virtual reality on learning performance as well as the influence of binaural stimuli presentation on task performance. Results of each study are discussed individually and in conjunction with one another. The four studies are further supplemented with further research conducted by the author as well as an analysis of the growing field of virtual reality-based research. The thesis closes by embedding the discussed work into the scientific landscape and tries to give an outlook for virtual reality-based use cases in the future.
Light is an essential aspect of daily life, exerting a profound influence on various physiological and behavioral processes, including circadian rhythms, alertness, cognition, mood, and behavior. Technological advances, particularly the widespread adoption of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), have significantly accelerated the impact of lighting on the human experience. With the increasing global accessibility to electric and modern lighting systems, there is a pressing need to scientifically investigate the human-centered effects of lighting for the billions of people worldwide who encounter natural and electric lighting in their daily lives. Extensive interdisciplinary research across fields such as physics, engineering, psychology, medicine, business administration, and architecture has explored the biological and psychological effects of lighting, underscoring the immense potential for further advancements in this domain. Notably, innovative lighting technologies and strategies hold tremendous promise in enhancing human health, performance, and overall well-being.
Beyond physical spaces, three-dimensional virtual environments, including metaverse platforms, are becoming increasingly important. Simulated lighting in virtual spaces can have visual and non-visual effects on users. As technological progress and digitalization extend globally, more individuals will be exposed to virtual lighting scenarios. Consequently, exploring the human-centered lighting effects in virtual environments offers a compelling opportunity to improve the quality of user experiences. This thesis demonstrates the adaptability of established measurement methods from physical illumination and perception research for virtual environments.
This thesis comprises three parts. The first part reviews the current state of research on lighting and its influences on humans, examines research methods in lighting research, and identifies research gaps. The second part investigates the effects of lighting on complex emotional and behavioral constructs, specifically conflict handling. Elaborate laboratory experiments explore lighting as an independent variable, including realistic correlated color temperature (CCT) levels and enhanced CCT changes. Statistical analyses provide in-depth examination and critical discussion of the effects. The third part explores lighting in virtual spaces, considering literature, methodological approaches, and challenges. Two studies investigate visual and non-visual effects, and preferences in virtual environment design. Comparative analysis of the data yields implications for research and practice, including the interdisciplinary perspective of a novel approach called human-centric virtual lighting (HCVL).
In conclusion, this thesis comprehensively explores the impact of lighting on the human experience in both physical spaces and virtual environments. By addressing research gaps and employing contemporary methodologies, the findings contribute to our understanding of the effects of lighting on humans. Furthermore, the implications for research and practice offer valuable insights for the development of innovative lighting technologies and strategies aimed at enhancing the well-being and experiences of individuals worldwide. This work highlights the relevance of interdisciplinary research involving fields such as architecture, business management, event management, computer science, design, engineering, ergonomics, lighting research, medicine, physics, and psychology in advancing our understanding of visual and non-visual lighting effects.
Postural deficits such as hyperlordosis (hollow back) or hyperkyphosis (hunchback) are relevant health issues. Diagnoses depend on the experience of the examiner and are, therefore, often subjective and prone to errors. Machine learning (ML) methods in combination with explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) tools have proven useful for providing an objective, data-based orientation. However, only a few works have considered posture parameters, leaving the potential for more human-friendly XAI interpretations still untouched. Therefore, the present work proposes an objective, data-driven ML system for medical decision support that enables especially human-friendly interpretations using counterfactual explanations (CFs). The posture data for 1151 subjects were recorded by means of stereophotogrammetry. An expert-based classification of the subjects regarding the presence of hyperlordosis or hyperkyphosis was initially performed. Using a Gaussian progress classifier, the models were trained and interpreted using CFs. The label errors were flagged and re-evaluated using confident learning. Very good classification performances for both hyperlordosis and hyperkyphosis were found, whereby the re-evaluation and correction of the test labels led to a significant improvement (MPRAUC = 0.97). A statistical evaluation showed that the CFs seemed to be plausible, in general. In the context of personalized medicine, the present study’s approach could be of importance for reducing diagnostic errors and thereby improving the individual adaptation of therapeutic measures. Likewise, it could be a basis for the development of apps for preventive posture assessment.
The objectification of acute fatigue (during isometric muscle contraction) and cumulative fatigue (due to multiple intermittent isometric muscle contractions) plays an important role in sport climbing. The data of 42 participants were used in the study. Climbing performance was operationalized using maximal climbing-specific holding time (CSHT) by performing dead hangs. The test started with an initial measurement of handgrip strength (HGS) followed by three intermittent measurements of CSHT and HGS. During the test, finger flexor muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) was measured using a near-infrared spectroscopy wearable biosensor. Significant reductions in CSHT and HGS could be found (p < 0.001), which indicates that the consecutive maximal isometric holding introduces cumulative fatigue. The reduction in CSHT did not correlate with a reduction in HGS over multiple consecutive maximal dead hangs (p > 0.35). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in initial SmO2 level, SmO2 level at termination, SmO2 recovery, and mean negative slope of the SmO2 saturation reduction between the different measurements (p > 0.24). Significant differences were found between pre-, termination-, and recovery- (10 s after termination) SmO2 levels (p < 0.001). Therefore, monitoring acute fatigue using athletes’ termination SmO2 saturation seems promising. By contrast, the measurement of HGS and muscle oxygen metabolism seems inappropriate for monitoring cumulative fatigue during intermittent isometric climbing-specific muscle contractions.
Since the end of the Cold War, Germany has been considered a largely safe country. But increasing terrorism, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and national flood disasters with serious consequences have led to growing attention to civil protection issues in politics and society. Thereby the reduction of possible risks is closely linked to rescue forces being well trained and the population being adequately informed about how to behave during disasters. Thus, adult learning is central to reducing risks associated with disasters. This paper, therefore, examines what works are available from adult and continuing education research on disaster protection in Germany after the 2nd World War. The results of this first
comprehensive scoping review in this field show that pedagogical issues in disaster risk reduction are addressed by various disciplines. Most of these are practice-oriented and aim for the development of pedagogical concepts. High-quality scientific works that are empirically based or oriented towards the development of theoretical foundations, are hardly to be found. Overall, this in-depth research thus reveals a large research gap in the field of adult pedagogical research on the area of disaster education in Germany.
This pilot study aimed to investigate the use of sensorimotor insoles in pain reduction, different orthopedic indications, and the wearing duration effects on the development of pain. Three hundred and forty patients were asked about their pain perception using a visual analog scale (VAS) in a pre–post analysis. Three main intervention durations were defined: VAS_post: up to 3 months, 3 to 6 months, and more than 6 months. The results show significant differences for the within-subject factor “time of measurement”, as well as for the between-subject factor indication (p < 0.001) and worn duration (p < 0.001). No interaction was found between indication and time of measurements (model A) or between worn duration and time of measurements (model B). The results of this pilot study must be cautiously and critically interpreted, but may support the hypothesis that sensorimotor insoles could be a helpful tool for subjective pain reduction. The missing control group and the lack of confounding variables such as methodological weaknesses, natural healing processes, and complementary therapies must be taken into account. Based on these experiences and findings, a RCT and systematic review will follow.
Several studies now document the disproportionate distribution of environmental pollution across different groups, but many are based on aggregated data or subjective pollution measures. In this study, we describe the air quality disadvantage of migrants in Germany using objective pollution data linked to nationally representative individual-level survey data. We intersect 1 × 1 km2 grid geo-references from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) 2014, 2016, and 2018 with 2 × 2 km2 estimates of annually averaged air pollution by the German Environment Agency for nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter. Respondents with a migration background are exposed to higher levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter than people of German descent. Urbanity of residence partly explains these differences, up to 81 per cent for particulate matter and about 30 per cent for other pollutants. A larger proportion of immigrants live in larger cities, which are more prone to high levels of air pollution. This is especially true for second-generation migrants. Income differences, on the other hand, do not explain the migrant disadvantage. In city fixed effects models, the patterns for migration background point unambiguously in the direction of environmental disadvantage for all pollutants except ozone. However, the within-municipality associations are weak.
The testing effect describes the finding that retrieval practice compared to study practice enhances memory performance. Prior evidence consistently demonstrates that this effect can be further boosted by providing feedback after retrieval attempts (test-potentiated encoding, TPE). The present PhD thesis was aimed at investigating the neural processes during memory retrieval underlying the beneficial effect of additional performance feedback beyond the benefits of only adding correct answer feedback. Three studies were conducted and behavioral as well as neural correlates (collected with electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging) of feedback learning were examined.
The association between social origin and educational attainment has been repeatedly confirmed and studied in social science research. Much of the international comparative research to date has shown that countries differ in the extent of educational inequality. This research suggests that the institutional design of the education system can affect multiple dimensions of educational inequality, such as school performance and educational decisions. In addition to international comparative research, other research also suggests that institutional characteristics moderate the link between social origin and educational inequality. Thus, the institutional features of the education system provide opportunities for policy interventions to influence the relationship between social origin and educational inequality and to reduce educational inequalities. The literature examines and discusses various institutional characteristics of the education system for their respective effects on or associations to educational inequalities. In this respect, tracking is also an institutional characteristic that has been studied repeatedly and could be an important link between social origin and education. Tracking is the practice of separating students by performance. This separation can occur between schools or within schools. Thus, students are placed in a particular school type (between-school tracking) or class (within-school tracking) based on their performance. National and international research demonstrate the importance of tracking in relation to the emergence of educational inequalities. In this context, previous research has often shown that early and strict tracking leads to greater educational inequality. However, there is also research that finds no effects from tracking or even inequality-reducing effects from early and strict tracking. Against this background, further research on the associations with - and effects of - tracking, including under different settings and contexts, is important for a better understanding of tracking and may be particularly interesting for the German education system. This is because, apart from some deviations, the German education system is characterized by an early and strict separation of students into different school types in secondary education. Over the years, there have been many different educational reforms in Germany with different scopes, goals, and at different phases in the education system. The fact that the federal states in Germany can decide independently on education policy (Kulturhoheit der Länder - Cultural sovereignty of the states) means that they partially developed in different directions. The following contribution is therefore limited to three selected aspects of tracking in the education systems of the federal states in Germany and its influences on features of educational inequality: integrated comprehensive schools, timing of tracking, and strictness of tracking.
Caregivers typically use a simplified mode of the language – child-directed speech (CDS) – when addressing young children. In this study, we investigate the use of complex morphological structures with a word class change within a single word in Inuktitut CDS. Inuktitut is a polysynthetic agglutinative language of the Inuit–Yupik–Unangan language family spoken in arctic Quebec, which allows more than 10 morphemes per word and in which the meaning of an entire sentence can be expressed in one word. Clearly, such a complex morphological system presents special challenges for young children, which raises the question of whether caregivers shape their CDS in ways that facilitate acquisition. Using the data from mothers addressing eight Inuktitut-speaking children aged 0;11 to 3;6, we investigated whether the frequency and complexity of polysynthetic structures in CDS are dependent on the stage of the children’s linguistic development. The results demonstrate that the number and morphological complexity of the structures with a word class change increased as the children developed linguistically. The variety of nominalizers and verbalizers – the key components of such structures – also increased through the stages and were used in variation sets, which help children acquire morphological items by providing examples of use of the same morpheme in morphologically contrasting environments. These results show the presence of morphological simplification in Inuktitut CDS and demonstrate that such simplification is fine-tuned, i.e., that mothers are sensitive to their children’s level of linguistic development.