There is a consensus that serious games have a significant potential as a tool for instruction. However, their effectiveness in terms of learning outcomes is still understudied mainly due to the complexity involved in assessing intangible measures. A systematic approach—based on established principles and guidelines—is necessary to enhance the design of serious games, and many studies lack a rigorous assessment. An important aspect in the evaluation of serious games, like other educational tools, is user performance assessment. This is an important area of exploration because serious games are intended to evaluate the learning progress as well as the outcomes. This also emphasizes the importance of providing appropriate feedback to the player. Moreover, performance assessment enables adaptivity and personalization to meet individual needs in various aspects, such as learning styles, information provision rates, feedback, and so forth. This paper first reviews related literature regarding the educational effectiveness of serious games. It then discusses how to assess the learning impact of serious games and methods for competence and skill assessment. Finally, it suggests two major directions for future research: characterization of the player’s activity and better integration of assessment in games.

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Recent advancements in computing and digital signal processing technologies have made automated identification of people based on their biological, physiological, or behavioral traits a feasible approach for access control. The wide variety of available technologies has also increased the number of traits and features that can be collected and used to more accurately identify people. Systems that use biological, physiological, or behavioral trait to grant access to resources are called biometric systems. In this paper we present a biometric identification system based on the Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. The system extracts 24 temporal and amplitude features from an ECG signal and after processing, reduces the set of features to the nine most relevant features. Preliminary experimental results indicate that the system is accurate and robust and can achieve a 100% identification rate with the reduced set of features.

The results suggest that video-based observational practice can be effective in extending simulation-based learning, but its effectiveness is mediated by the amount of time the learner spends engaged in the practice and the type of learning activities the learner performs in the observational practice environment. We speculate that increasing collaborative interactivity supports observational learning by increasing the extent to which the educational environment can accommodate learners' specific needs.

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