Hi, <div><br></div><div>within our grant, we have the opportunity to fund one PhD student on the topic "gamified skills-training environment ". I would like </div><div>to ask for your support by forwarding the mail to potential students. The grant covers the tuition fee and approx AUD 27,000 pa </div>
<div>for 2.5 years; an extension by 0.5-1.0 year is planned. </div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">We are delighted to announce that we are offering a PhD scholarship in the School of Information Systems at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. This scholarship is for a student working on the topic “research on a gamified skills-training environment using Design Science Research.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The PhD scholarship supports a learning and
teaching grant:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:28.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:21.3pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">This project develops and
trials immersive virtual environments as an innovative and authentic approach
to teaching and learning for practical skill acquisition, with integrated
assessment and feedback. Educational and assessment tools allow students to
demonstrate that they have successfully applied theoretical knowledge in real
contexts and achieved appropriate skills before entering workforces. Greater
authenticity allows students to experience multiple roles and business cases.
The project addresses the largely ‘inauthentic’ pedagogical approaches
currently used in classrooms and distance-learning environments. It proposes a
methodology utilising existing technologies in creative and innovative ways.
The simulation combines emerging technologies to project multiple business
dimensions into one space; enabling students from different disciplines to
observe, engage, interact, and participate in self-guided or group-based
learning scenarios; receiving instant, multi-perspective, rich feedback to
support their learning; enabling iterative scenario-based training in a safe
environment. Experiments and evaluations are executed on supply chain scenarios
where, in reality, business dimensions like space or time impose difficulties
in understanding impacts of decisions.</span></i><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt">
</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The<i> </i>focus of the PhD is the application of authentic immersive virtual environments in Higher Education. The Design Science Research method will be used to establish whether a gamified skills-training environment is an effective method to increase engagement in both routine training (e.g., regular health and safety training) and experiential/active learning (e.g., university-based education or situation-specific training such as evaluation of a new system or new facility layout). The PhD incorporates one or more of the following topics: 3D environments, authentic learning in 3D spaces, implementing scenario models, software engineering, methodology, conceptual development of the visualisation/human computer interaction, complex systems, and interaction between components. However, these suggested areas are examples rather than an exhaustive list and the scholarship recipient will be encouraged to explore these areas for her or his interest for a focal research.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The candidate is expected to have some
experiences and interests in the following (or equivalent) areas</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Completed Master (or equivalent degree) to enrol in a PhD program.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Good written and spoken English.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Extensive programming experience in OOP and scripting languages.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Experience and/or interest in virtual environments, virtual
worlds, games; e.g., developments in environments like Second Life, OpenSim,
and Unity. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Willingness to conduct experiments with focus groups to test the
artefacts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ability and willingness to engage in joint research projects and
team activities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ability to communicate with academic and professional audiences; e.g.,
with industry partners in the project.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Willingness to publish the research outcomes in high-ranked
journals and conferences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:3.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:35.7pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'">
</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Interest in computer games.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:110%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The PhD student will be supervised by Dr Torsten
Reiners (<a href="mailto:t.reiners@curtin.edu.au">t.reiners@curtin.edu.au</a>) and
Dr Lincoln C. Wood (<a href="mailto:l.wood@curtin.edu.au">l.wood@curtin.edu.au</a>),
and Christian Gütl (</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:110%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:christian.guetl@iicm.tugraz.at">christian.guetl@iicm.tugraz.at</a></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:9pt;line-height:110%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">). Please contact either of
them for further information.</span></p></div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div>-- <br><div><br></div><div><b><font size="4"><u>Dr Torsten Reiners</u></font></b></div><div>PhD IS/Edu, Dipl IS, Ba CS, </div><div><br></div>
<div>Senior Lecturer | School of Information Systems</div><div>Logistics and Supply Chain Management </div><div>Curtin Business School</div><div>Curtin University</div><div>Kent St.</div><div>Bentley, WA</div><div>6102 </div>
<div><br></div><div>Tel | +61 8 9266 7642</div><div>Mobile | 0410861172</div><div><br></div><div>Email | <a href="mailto:t.reiners@curtin.edu.au" target="_blank">t.reiners@curtin.edu.au</a></div><div>Web | <a href="http://business.curtin.edu.au/contact/staff_directory/index.cfm/T.Reiners" target="_blank">http://business.curtin.edu.au/contact/staff_directory/index.cfm/T.Reiners</a></div>
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