Research projects
Current projects
Augmented Social Play (ASP):
Smartphone-enabled group psychotherapeutic interventions that boost adolescent mental health by supporting real-world connection and sense of belonging
Augmented Social Play is a new kind of experience for young people, supporting their social wellbeing and sense of belonging. Our smartphone-facilitated, face-to-face collaborative experiences combine immersive storytelling, contemporary technology and evidence-based psychology. We are developing this pioneering new format for use in schools to boost young people’s mental health by fostering a greater sense of belonging and connectedness.
Period of implementation: 9/2023–8/2027
Leader for Masaryk University: Dr. Alžběta Šašinková
Program: Horizon Europe
Re-education of dyslexia and development of reading skills using eye-tracking
The aim is to develop interactive automated adaptive SW, and intervention tasks for dyslexia re-education and development of reading skills. The presented system DeveLex is based on the principle of eye tracking and, thanks to an advanced computational module (cognitive modeling), allows real-time adaptation to the current level of the child's abilities.
Period of implementation: 9/2023–11/2026
Leader: Assoc. Prof. Čeněk Šašinka
Program: Technology Agency of Czech Republic
The social-motivational effect of virtual reality in distance education
The project aims at the possibilites of innovative use of virtual reality (VR) in a novel context: in active collaboration in a virtual environment to enhance community building, which should enrich distance learning programmes by a social dimension they typically lack. This expectedely results in a decrease in drop-out rates. Partial project objectives are:
- Empirical validation of the influence of collaborative VR on developing a social connectedness among distance programmes students;
- Building and designing a VR toolbox for community development of distance learners;
- Create a network of academic institutions offering distance learning programmes that are willing to employ VR for raising social cohesion among the students, and potentially collaborate within or outside CZ.
Period of implementation: 9/2023–11/2026
Leader: Dr. Alžběta Šašinková
Program: Technology Agency of Czech Republic
Virtual theatre as a new medium for exploring culture
The aim of the project is to propose new forms of cultural and language education using theater performance in collaborative immersive virtual reality (hereinafter referred to as "iVR"). The project achieves its intention through four interrelated goals:
- Theater application in collaborative iVR;
- Teaching content – scenography and theater script;
- Empirical evaluation of the participants' experience through rehearsal and performance of a theater play;
- Implementation of cultural and language education using theater performance in collaborative iVR in universities and libraries as institutions mediating cultural content for the wider public.
Period of implementation: 9/2023–11/2026
Leader: Assoc. Prof. Wei-lun Lu
Program: Technology Agency of Czech Republic
