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About

About

PhD in Computer Science with a thesis in the area of serious games and virtual platforms, based on the creation of a framework for behavioural change using gamification techniques. He has worked on several research projects, including: OnlineGym (3D Virtual Gym); eCompared; StopDepression; NanoStima, GresBas (EU/FCT), FEEdBACk (H2020), VRTraining, MELOA (H2020), ILIAD (H2020), BLUE-X (H2020), PRR. His main research focus is studying the relationship between behaviour and immersive environments for training and professional certification, using XR(AR/VR/MR) platforms as well as virtual worlds, metaverses and digital-twins. He is an assistant professor at FEUP in subjects related to software programming and multimedia. He's passionate about life! His great hobby is being a boy scout ...

Details

Details

  • Name

    Fernando Cassola Marques
  • Role

    Assistant Researcher
  • Since

    29th April 2013
008
Publications

2023

Inven!RA Architecture for Sustainable Deployment of Immersive Learning Environments

Authors
Morgado, L; Coelho, A; Beck, D; Gutl, C; Cassola, F; Baptista, R; van Zeller, M; Pedrosa, D; Cruzeiro, T; Cota, D; Grilo, R; Schlemmer, E;

Publication
SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract
The objective of this work was to support the sustainable deployment of immersive learning environments, which face varied obstacles, including the lack of support infrastructures for active learning pedagogies. Sustainability from the perspective of the integration of these environments in educational practice entails situational awareness, workload, and the informed assessment ability of participants, which must be supported for such activities to be employed in a widespread manner. We have approached this wicked problem using the Design Science Research paradigm and produced the Inven!RA software architecture. This novel result constitutes a solution for developing software platforms to enable the sustainable deployment of immersive learning environments. The Inven!RA architecture is presented alongside four demonstration scenarios employed in its evaluation, providing a means for the situational awareness of immersive learning activities in support of pedagogic decision making.

2022

Design and Evaluation of a Choreography-Based Virtual Reality Authoring Tool for Experiential Learning in Industrial Training

Authors
Cassola, F; Mendes, D; Pinto, M; Morgado, L; Costa, S; Anjos, L; Marques, D; Rosa, F; Maia, A; Tavares, H; Coelho, A; Paredes, H;

Publication
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract
The use of virtual reality (VR) for industrial training helps minimize risks and costs by allowing more frequent and varied use of experiential learning activities, leading to active and improved learning. However, creating VR training experiences is costly and time-consuming, requiring software development experts. Additionally, current authoring tools lack integration with existing data and are desktop-oriented, which detach the pedagogic process of creating the immersive experience from experiencing it in a situated context. In this article, we present a novel interactive approach for immersive authoring of VR-based experiential training by the trainers themselves, from inside the virtual environment and without the support of development experts. The design includes identifying interactable elements, such as 3-D models, equipment, tools, settings, and environment. The trainer also specifies by demonstration the actions to be performed by trainees, as a virtual choreography. During course execution, trainees' activities are also registered as virtual choreographies and matched to those specified by the trainer. Thus, trainer and trainee are culturally situated within their area semantics and social discourse, rather than adopting concepts of the VR system for the learning content. We conducted a usability case study with professionals from an international wind energy company, using detailed models of wind turbines and real-world procedures. Trainers set up a training course using the immersive authoring tool, and trainees executed the course. The learning experience and usability were analyzed, and the training was certified by comparing real-world task completion between a user who had undergone virtual training and a user who did not.

2022

Using Virtual Choreographies to Identify Office Users' Behaviors to Target Behavior Change Based on Their Potential to Impact Energy Consumption

Authors
Cassola, F; Morgado, L; Coelho, A; Paredes, H; Barbosa, A; Tavares, H; Soares, F;

Publication
ENERGIES

Abstract
Reducing office buildings' energy consumption can contribute significantly towards carbon reduction commitments since it represents similar to 40% of total energy consumption. Major components of this are lighting, electrical equipment, heating, and central cooling systems. Solid evidence demonstrates that individual occupants' behaviors impact these energy consumption components. In this work, we propose the methodology of using virtual choreographies to identify and prioritize behavior-change interventions for office users based on the potential impact of specific behaviors on energy consumption. We studied the energy-related office behaviors of individuals by combining three sources of data: direct observations, electricity meters, and computer logs. Data show that there are behaviors with significant consumption impact but with little potential for behavioral change, while other behaviors have substantial potential for lowering energy consumption via behavioral change.

2022

Using Virtual Choreographies to Identify Office Users’ Behaviour-Change Priorities with Greater Impact Potential on Energy Consumption

Authors
Cassola, F; Morgado, L; Coelho, A; Paredes, H; Barbosa, A; Tavares, H; Soares, F;

Publication

Abstract
Reducing office buildings’ energy consumption can contribute significantly towards carbon reduction commitments since it represents 10% of total energy consumption. Major components are lighting (40% of consumption), electrical equipment (35%), and heating and central cooling systems (25\%). Occupants’ behaviours impact these energy consumption components, with solid evidence on the role of individual behaviours. In this work, we propose a methodology that uses virtual choreographies to identify and prioritize behaviour-change interventions towards office users based on the potential impact on energy consumption. The data shows that some behaviours with significant consumption have little potential for behavioural change impact, while other behaviours hold substantial potential for lowering energy consumption via behavioural change.

2021

FEEdBACk: An ICT-Based Platform to Increase Energy Efficiency through Buildings' Consumer Engagement

Authors
Soares, F; Madureira, A; Pages, A; Barbosa, A; Coelho, A; Cassola, F; Ribeiro, F; Viana, J; Andrade, J; Dorokhova, M; Morais, N; Wyrsch, N; Sorensen, T;

Publication
ENERGIES

Abstract
Energy efficiency in buildings can be enhanced by several actions: encouraging users to comprehend and then adopt more energy-efficient behaviors; aiding building managers in maximizing energy savings; and using automation to optimize energy consumption, generation, and storage of controllable and flexible devices without compromising comfort levels and indoor air-quality parameters. This paper proposes an integrated Information and communications technology (ICT) based platform addressing all these factors. The gamification platform is embedded in the ICT platform along with an interactive energy management system, which aids interested stakeholders in optimizing "when and at which rate" energy should be buffered and consumed, with several advantages, such as reducing peak load, maximizing local renewable energy consumption, and delivering more efficient use of the resources available in individual buildings or blocks of buildings. This system also interacts with an automation manager and a users' behavior predictor application. The work was developed in the Horizon 2020 FEEdBACk (Fostering Energy Efficiency and BehAvioral Change through ICT) project.

Supervised
thesis

2022

Three-Dimensional Interactive Visualization of the Thematic Network of Immersive Learning Research

Author
Madalena Antunes de Sousa

Institution
UP-FEUP

2021

Inven!RA Authoring Immersive Education & Training

Author
José Ricardo Vieira Gomes

Institution
UP-FEUP

2021

Data Analytics in Military Training

Author
Gustavo Speranzini Tosi Tavares

Institution
UP-FEUP

2021

Representation of virtual choreographies in learning dashboards of interoperable LMS and SCORM analytics

Author
Diogo Alexandre Ramos Marques Costa

Institution
UP-FEUP

2021

The Immersive Learning Brain

Author
Elton Cândido Sampaio

Institution
UP-FEUP