Heinrich Söbke

Nicolas Schwenke, Heinrich Söbke, Eckhard Kraft

The release of the large language model based chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022 has brought considerable attention to the subject of artificial intelligence, not only in the public. From the perspective of higher education, ChatGPT challenges various learning and assessment formats as it significantly reduces the effectiveness of their learning and assessment functionalities. In particular, ChatGPT might be applied to formats that require learners to generate text, such as bachelor theses or student research papers. Accordingly, the research question arises to what extent writing of bachelor theses is still a valid learning and assessment format. Correspondingly, in this study, the first author was asked to write his bachelor's thesis exploiting ChatGPT. For tracing the impact of ChatGPT, methodically an autoethnographic approach was used. First, all considerations on the potential use of ChatGPT were documented in logs and secondly, all ChatGPT chats were logged. Both logs and chat histories were analyzed and are presented along to the recommendations for students regarding the use of ChatGPT suggested by Gimpel et al. (2023). In conclusion, ChatGPT is beneficial in thesis writing during various activities, such as brainstorming, structuring and text revision. However, there arise limitations, e.g., in referencing. Thus, ChatGPT requires a continuous validation of the outcomes generated fostering learning. Currently, ChatGPT is to be valued as a beneficial tool in thesis writing. However, writing a conclusive thesis still requires the learner's meaningful engagement. Accordingly, writing a thesis is still a valid learning and assessment format. With further releases of ChatGPT, an increase in capabilities is to be expected and the research question needs to be reevaluated from time to time.

Darwin Droll, Heinrich Söbke

For games used in educational contexts, realism, i.e., the degree of congruence between the simulation models used in the games and the real-world systems represented, is an important characteristic for achieving learning goals well. However, in the past, the realism of especially entertainment games has often been identified as insufficient. Thus, this study is investigating the degree of realism provided by current games. To this purpose, two games in the domain urban water management, a subdomain of environmental engineering (EE), are examined. One is ANAWAK, a web-based serious game on water management and climate change. For ANAWAK, an analysis of the simulation model is conducted. Second, the simulation model of the entertainment game Cities: Skylines (CS) is analyzed. In addition, a survey among CS players (N=61) is conducted. Thereby, different degrees of realism in various EE subdomains are revealed. All in all, there are still considerable deficits regarding the degree of realism in the CS simulation model. However, modding as a means of achieving more realistic simulation models is more widely supported than in the past.

Heinrich Söbke, Maria Reichelt

Game-based technologies and mobile learning aids open up many opportunities for learners; however, evidence-based decisions on their appropriate use are necessary. This explorative study (N = 100) examines the role of game elements in university education using a game-based learning app for mobile devices. The educational goal of the app is to support students in the field of engineering to memorize factual knowledge. The study investigates how the game-based app affects learners' motivation. It analyses the perceived impact and appeal as well as the game elements as an incentive in learners' perception. To realize this aim, the study combines structured methods like questionnaires with semi-structured methods like thinking aloud, game diaries, and interviews. The results indicate that flexible tem-poral and spatial use of the app was an important factor of learners' motivation. The app allowed more spontaneous involvement with the subject matter and the learners took advantage of an improved attitude toward the subject matter. However, only a low impact on intrinsic motivation could be observed. We discuss reasons and present practical implications.