Science versus design; comparable, contrastive or conducive?

A Location Analytics Method for the Utilisation of Geotagged Photos in Travel Marketing Decision-Making

Location analytics offers statistical analysis of any geo- or spatial data concerning user location. Such analytics can produce useful insights into the attractions of interest to travellers or visitation patterns of a demographic group. Based on these insights, strategic decision-making by travel marketing agents, such as travel package design, may be improved. In this paper, we develop and evaluate an original method of location analytics to analyse travellers’ social media data for improving managerial decision support. The method proposes an architectural framework that combines emerging pattern data mining techniques with image processing to identify and process appropriate data content. The design artefact is evaluated through a focus group and a detailed case study of Australian outbound travellers. The proposed method is generic, and can be applied to other specific locations or demographics to provide analytical outcomes useful for strategic decision support.

Maximizing Authentic Learning and Real-World Problem-solving in Health Curricula Through Psychological Fidelity in a Game-Like Intervention: Development, Feasibility, and Pilot Studies

High fidelity is regarded as a hallmark of educational games and simulations for health education. Mainly physical and functional fidelity are associated with authenticity, resulting in the pursuit of a true-to-life simulation and suggesting the imposition of a generally accepted and often unintentional design rationale that assumes that the greater the fidelity of a game or simulation to the real world, the more authentic the intervention is perceived as. Psychological fidelity receives significantly less attention, although it correlates strongly to credibility, suspension of disbelief, and engagement. The BABLR simulator reduces physical and functional fidelity to a minimum and explores the use of psychological fidelity as the main carrier of an authentic learning experience. BABLR was assessed using 26 participants with varying backgrounds in health innovation and social work. In several pilot studies, we collected data on perceived realisticness and real-world relevance. Results show that experts, as well as participants, attest to BABLR's engagement, immersiveness, and motivational qualities. Practical implications of these findings for future research into developing low-fidelity simulations with high psychological fidelity will be discussed.