EMERGENT LEARNING THROUGH PLAYFUL INTERACTIONS AND SERIOUS GAMES WHEN COMBINING AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE

WITH WIRELESS GRIDS

H.P. McKenna1, S. A. Chauncey2, M.P. Arnone3, M.L. Kaarst-Brown3, L.W. McKnight3

1 AmbientEase (CANADA) 2 Benchmark Education (UNITED STATES)

3 Syracuse University (UNITES STATES)

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore emergent learning in relation to playful interactions and instances of serious game conceptualization when combining the emerging and next generation technologies of ambient awareness with wireless grids. A review of the literature is presented for playful interactions and serious games in relation to ambient awareness and wireless grids. Using a case study approach and multiple methods of quantitative and qualitative data collection, the study investigates the use experience of faculty and students with Wejay social radio, a wireless grid edgeware application. Content analysis and descriptive statistics are used for the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. This study employs a number of techniques to mitigate challenges posed by an early stage, pre-standards tool incubated in the Wireless Grids Innovation Testbed (WiGiT) Lab, and deployed for the first time in a virtual, distributed setting. Study findings contribute to an understanding of the presence and viability of playful interactions and serious gaming initiatives in support of learning within ambient-aware edgeware environments while providing early and critical insights. Further, this research makes a contribution to the literature in the domains of emergent learning, playful interactions, serious gaming, ambient awareness (AmI), and wireless grids. This study has implications more broadly for emergent and ambient learning environments; provides suggestions for an agenda for research and practice; and identifies opportunities for further research based on larger studies with more advanced ambient-aware wireless grid products.

Keywords: Ambient awareness, ambient learning, autonomy, edgeware, emergent learning, emotion/affect, playful interactions, serious games, WeJay, wireless grids.

1 INTRODUCTION This research focuses on emergent learning in relation to playful interactions and serious game conceptualization when combining the emerging and next generation technologies of ambient intelligence (AmI) with wireless grids. This paper is significant as the first study to explore playful interactions and serious games based on use experience with aware-enabled wireless grids. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether aware-enabled wireless grids foster playful interactions; support the conceptualization of serious games; and contribute to an understanding of emergent learning.

Using a case study approach and multiple methods of data collection and analysis, research is conducted into the use experience of WeJay social radio, the first wireless grid application to emerge from the Wireless Grids Innovation Testbed (WiGiT) Lab. Content analysis is used for the analysis of qualitative data while descriptive statistics are used for quantitative data analysis. A deductive approach is employed during content analysis to gather emergent insights and an inductive approach based on guidance from the research literature is also employed. Drawing on emergence theory, from a social and socio-technical perspective, playful interactions and serious games in the context of aware-enabled wireless grid environments are explored in relation to emergent learning. Cognizant of the unintended consequences of emerging technologies, this study emphasizes the potential for what Tenner refers to as unexpected possibilities [1].

1.1 Definitions Definitions from the research literature are included for key terms used in this study to provide context.

Proceedings of INTED2014 Conference 10th-12th March 2014, Valencia, Spain

ISBN: 978-84-616-8412-05080

1.1.1 Wireless Grids

Wireless grids are defined by Wireless Grids Innovation Testbed (WiGiT) researchers as: "an emerging form of network for sharing resources, creating resources, facilitating connections across devices (smartphones, sensors, etc.) and enabling ad hoc interactions" [2]. Recent WiGiT standards refer to wireless grids as: "A human centric open access gateway to shared resources for mobile and wireless electronic devices interconnecting at least one device to at least one other device or resource. A device can establish a grid and become a member of one or more wireless grids" [3]. While wireless grids were deployed by Aruba Networks [4] in 2004, it is important to note the existence of different understandings of the wireless grid concept. McKnight [5] claims that, for Aruba, wireless grid "pertains to an array of wifi routers managed as a grid" with a "focus close to the physical network." For WiGiT researchers, McKnight indicates that the wireless grid concept is "abstracted away to a virtual space of users, machines and heterogeneous networks" and "designed to work across multiple dimensions from cloud to edge, hence, wireless grid edgeware" [6], [7].

1.1.2 Ambient Intelligence

Ambient intelligence (AmI) is defined as "the embedding and integrating, on a mass scale, of technologies that are sensitive and responsive to humans in everyday environments in increasingly invisible and unobtrusive ways" [8]. In the context of human-centered computing (HCC), Sebe [9], drawing upon earlier work by Canny [10], refers to computing as "infrastructure around human activity" which seems to align with the articulation of wireless grids by WiGiT researchers as "an emerging infrastructure that will fundamentally change the way we think about and use computing" [11], [12].

1.1.3 Emergent Learning Signet [13] describes emergent learning as pragmatic and defines the concept as learning that presents the need for "overcoming challenges, especially those that have no simple solutions, but require discipline, ongoing attention, learning through experience, and adaptation." Although Signet defines emergent learning in a workplace context, this definition has relevance more broadly to formal and informal settings in 21st century learning environments [14].

1.2 Background Wireless grids have been theorized for use with emergency response [12], learning in collaborative educational environments [11], health [15], energy [16], and security [17] in cloud computing spaces [18]. The importance of social interactions using wireless grids [11] has been developed in relation to learning, gaming [11] and the value of game theoretics [2]. With this background, a review of the research literature on playful interactions and serious games is provided in section 2 in the context of ambient-aware wireless grids.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW An overview is provided of the research literature on playful interactions, serious gaming, and both concepts are considered in relation to ambient intelligence (AmI) with wireless grids.

2.1 Playful Interactions Play in the research literature is described by Brown and Vaughan as "a hugely complex and controversial subject" [19]. Play has been theorized from a variety of perspectives with Wilson [20] claiming that "no behavioral concept has proved more ill-defined, elusive, controversial and even unfashionable than play". From an evolutionary biology perspective, Spencer [21] argued for the relevance of play and enjoyment to learning. Groos [22] proposed a theory of play, conceptualized from a range of perspectives –"'physiology, biology, and psychology, and a more definitely aesthetic, sociological, and pedagogical view." In relation to the physiological aspect of the persistence of play, Groos noted the 'circular reaction' and the 'trance condition'. In the absence of 'serious exercise', Groos makes reference to the practice and preparation aspects of play. Proponents of play, including evolutionary biologists [23] and experimental neuroscientists [23], claim purposeful and beneficial outcomes for playful interactions. Regarding playful interaction, Bekoff and Byers [24] note that, "If the activity is directed toward another living being it is called social play." Brown and Vaughn [19] note that Diamond [25] used the term 'enrichment' in conducting experiments which "are among the most well-established research findings showing that play is crucial to healthy brain development." In order to be

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taken seriously as a scientist, Diamond claims that she "did avoid the words 'toys' and 'play'". Spinka, Newberry and Bekoff [26] argue for play as "training for the unexpected." According to Brown and Vaughan [19], "Neuroscientists, developmental biologists, psychologists, social scientists, and researchers" now "know that play is a profound biological process" that "fosters empathy and makes possible complex social groups." Further, "play lies at the core of creativity and innovation" claims Brown and Vaughan, adding that what was once thought to be the 'apparent purposelessness' of play is actually a key defining aspect of play. Brown and Vaughan note the pervasiveness of play in nature, "human culture and across the evolutionary spectrum." Sortino and Wiltse promote the playful inquiry model [27] which they claim "leverages the benefits of playfulness to unlock our natural creativity and expand our capacity to solve problems." Brown and Vaughan [19] argue for the importance of play, citing Sheets-Johnstone [28] on "the origins of 'knowing' coming from body movement, with play as a major teacher." Sturm and Sebouten [29] note that traditionally, play has been confined within a fixed 'time and place' or 'magic circle', citing Huizinga [30] and Caillois [31].

The work of many researchers in the domain of play and playful interactions is emerging with renewed vigor, contributing increased insight and value. In the context of technology-pervasive environments it is worth noting Hollander's [32] articulation of ethics and moral imperatives drawing on the Association of Computing (ACM) code of ethics, specifically the commitment to "contribute to society and human well-being." The ACM's code of ethics is in keeping with the mission of the WIGIT Lab and wireless grids researchers and with the focus of Human-Centered Computing (HCC) researchers in the ambient intelligence (AmI) domain. Sturm and Sebouten [29] argue that the notion of pervasive play is not new, claiming that "Traces of pervasive playfulness can probably be found in all civilizations", adding that "Mysteries, scavenger hunts, and ludic pranks have long been a part of modern society." Technology-pervasive environments including "new media, social networks, modern technology and (social) interaction" enable digital play, allowing for greater integration "in a spatial, temporal and social sense" [33], highlighting "experiences on the boundary between life and play."

2.2 Serious Games An overview of the origins of the serious gaming concept is provided by Djaouti, Alvarez, Jessel and Rampnoux [34] who use Michael and Chen's [35] definition of the concept to denote "games that do not have entertainment, enjoyment or fun as their primary purpose." Similarly, the European Union (EU) [36] employs the definition provided by Michel and Chen [35]: "A serious game is a game in which education (in its various forms) is the primary goal, rather than entertainment." Zyda notes that "serious games use pedagogy to infuse instruction into the game play experience" [37]. Zyda articulates the importance of creating a science for games and developed a three-part games research agenda focused upon "infrastructure, cognitive game design, and immersion", able to support "innovation and increased complexity" as well as affective computing [38]. Focusing on transformative games, play, and learning, Nicholson identifies a theoretical framework [39] and strategies [40] for meaningful gamification. Citing Deterding, Khaled, and Dixon [41], Nicholson describes gamification as "the use of game elements in non-game contexts." Citing Schell [42] who advances the concept of transformative game, Nicholson states that: "The advantage of this term is that it describes what impact the game has from the perspective of the player, instead of presenting the goal of the game (games for change) or the context of the game (serious games)." Meaningful gamification is participant-focused, engages users in real-world activity, incorporates a playful design, is mindful of internal motivation in support of engagement, and encourages transformative learning. As such, ludic learning spaces in support of meaningful gamification models, as articulated by Nicholson, "allow participants the freedom to choose how to engage, the tools to create their own gamification elements, and the ability to build social connections with other users based upon common interests."

2.3 Serious Play & Games with Ambient-Aware Wireless Grids Bekker, Sturm, and Eggen [43] describe three design values in support of the design of playful interactions – motivating feedback; open-ended play; and social interaction patterns. Using intelligent objects, creativity affordances (e.g., collaboration, negotiation of game aspects, and socio-physical interactivity) are enabled through social interactions, together with the potential for emergent behavior. Ambient games and play are taken to mean "playful activities that are seamlessly integrated within our daily lives in such a way that the boundaries between other activities and play disappear or blur" [29]. Multiple pervasive devices support ambient games and play interactions which are said to be more natural and motivational. Citing Aarts and Marzano [44], Sturm and Sebouten [29] claim that ambient games and play "incorporate ambient intelligent characteristics which means being surrounded by

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'smartness'." Research by McKenzie [45] suggests the importance of 'gamification' as a consideration in the diffusion, adoption, and use of applications containing location-awareness, involving "an aspect of game play". Cramer, Ahmet, Rost, and Holmquist [46] express concern that the gamification aspect of location-sharing applications may contribute to 'social conflicts', indicating the importance of social context and other associated motivations. Sturm and Sebouten [29] argue that "ambient gaming and play, change the traditional notion of 'game', as governed by a well-defined set of rules, impenetrable to our everyday interactions, and bounded in terms of time, space, and participation, by expanding it in spatial temporal and social sense". Drawing on the work of Montola, Stenros, and Waern [33], Sturm and Sebouten [29] contend that "Space, players, onlookers, and passers-by may move in and out of the ambient play space and influence what happens even unaware." As such, "Playful interactions in ambient play spaces are thus likely to lead to more social involvement, as compared with traditional, bounded play environments" [29].

With this review of the literature as a context and background, the theoretical perspective guiding this research will now be presented.

2.4 Theoretical Perspective Emergence theory, encompassing emergent properties, processes, patterns, and behaviors is used to provide the theoretical framework for the study from a social and socio-technical perspective. Emergence theory was found to be particularly amenable to the adaptive, uncertain, and other elements characterizing AmI and wireless grid environments. The use of emergence theory is prevalent in gaming and play communities [47] and the theory is said to pertain to that which is in-the-making and to novelty [48]. It is worth noting Johnson's [49] description of emergent behaviors which: "like games, are all about living within the boundaries defined by rules, but also using that space to create something greater than the sum of its parts." The methodology underlying this research study is described in section 3.

3 METHODOLOGY This study is based on research conducted through the Wireless Grid Innovation Testbed (WiGiT) Lab, School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. WeJay social radio, the first wireless grid edgeware application to emerge from the WiGiT Lab, is used for this study in beta, early stage, pre-standards form. The methodology for this research is described in terms of the process; sources of evidence; and techniques for data analysis.

3.1 Process A case study approach was used in support of the contemporary nature of the use experiences with emerging and next generation technologies under study. The WiGiT Lab is a virtual distributed testbed with diverse membership extending to other universities, businesses, and work environments. Members of the WiGiT Lab were invited to participate in the study as well as faculty and students in the iSchool at Syracuse University. The experimental setup for this study featured an unstructured approach with minimal guidance, supports, and influences in order to maximize imaginative potential and emergent behaviours, patterns, processes, and properties, in keeping with emergence theory. Upon signing up for the research study, participants were instructed to download and install the WeJay tool. Rather than any explicit invitation to design new forms of interaction, participants were simply instructed to: create a radio station; develop a radio show with their choice of content; host or cohost the show with one or more individuals; and live-stream the show for shared listening within WeJay, with Facebook friends, and with others who wished to tune-in to the Weheartradio broadcast over the Internet. Where participants were unable to install and use the tool, two brief videos enabled exposure to WeJay and the opportunity to imagine playful interactions and serious game scenarios. Over a four month period, participants were invited to describe their use experience in one or more ways through interviews, focus groups, and a survey.

3.2 Evidence Data was collected from study participants in multiple ways incorporating a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Activity data enabled the tracking of information pertaining to tool use. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with participants using a pretested protocol. Group interviews were conducted in a focus group format using a pretested protocol. Based on interview and

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focus group data a survey instrument was developed, pretested, and administered. The survey included open and closed ended questions generating qualitative and quantitative data, respectively.

3.3 Analysis Techniques Qualitative data from interviews (n-22), focus groups (n=6), and open ended survey data (n=20) were organized into 1000 text segments. Using content analysis, data coding of text segments by a 1st and 2nd coder occurred. During this process a glossary to guide the coding was created inductively from the emergence of terms during the analysis. A deductive coding approach was also used based on terms drawn from the research literature. For quantitative data, in view of the relatively small sample size (n=34), the use of descriptive statistics was employed to analyze activity data on tool use and closed ended survey responses (n=20). Data triangulation was conducted in a variety of ways in support of validity and reliability. From activity data (quantitative), actual use data were triangulated with participant descriptions of use activities (qualitative data). The use of multiple coders resulted in investigator triangulation while the use of multiple data collection methods involved methodological triangulation.

What follows is a reporting of findings pertaining to playful interactions and serious games using an early stage tool representing an aware-enabled wireless grid environment.

4 RESULTS The analysis of qualitative and quantitative data reveals a range of findings and insights related to playful interactions, serious games, and emergent learning. A representative selection of participant responses is presented to highlight findings from qualitative data. Descriptive statistics are used to provide an overview of quantitative data findings.

4.1 Play-Game-Learn During the research study all participants (n=32) demonstrated an indication of playful interaction or serious games, or both, through artifact development with the tool; the generation of ideas for tool use; or interpretations for use of the WeJay product. For example, one participant described the conceptualization of a mobile learning and play type of game in the form of a scavenger hunt designed for use in an urban environment. This dynamic involved the function of creating radio stations as a tool to develop a game where the radio station attributes were equated to clues needed for the scavenger hunt. This activity was designed to be playful, incorporated a learning component, and the participant also found the exercise to be engaging and motivating during the development of the game strategy. Further, the mobility dimension of the game was intended to enable the element of discovery during play as well as interest and engagement.

Another example involved the crafting of a broadcast entitled Sounds of Science, Ears of Engineers. Described by the participant, this idea was to resemble a game where, in a circle of five participants, one person would provide a sound file of some sounds in nature such as the rustling of leaves. The other people in the circle would then comb through their own sound files to find some technology related to that sound. In this case, a leaf blower could be an example. As such, the game was proposed as an opportunity for playful interaction and "for people to open to more audio channels for learning, rather than just visual or kinesthetic." Further, it was suggested that WeJay could be used to develop a news broadcast in the form of informative podcasts about science and engineering, interlaced between sound tracks of music. Although this idea is not a new one, the participant was motivated to experiment and develop this type of mixed media broadcast for an emerging technology environment for educational purposes.

Hacking the system was discussed by one participant in the positive and playful curiosity sense as a form of engaged learning and meaningful exploration. Himanen [50] describes the ethic and culture of the hacker as "an expert or enthusiast, exhibiting passion, enjoyment, interest, sharing, excitement, and curiosity” with "roots in playful explorations." During interviews and focus groups, it was noted that enjoyment, a characteristic of playful interactions and serious gaming, accompanied the use experience of many participants. Content analysis revealed the presence of curiosity, excitement, and interestedness among participants. The emotion/affect dimension of the use experience was probed further in a closed ended matrix type survey question. Response levels in Table 1 reveal that for n=20, when asked to describe how they felt during their WeJay use experience, 65% of respondents somewhat agreed in the enjoyment category and 25% strongly agreed for an overall total of 90%.

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Responses for associated emotions (e.g., adventurous and enthusiastic) are lower, yet significant, at 65% and 80%, respectively.

Table 1: Emotion/Affect Dimension: Aware-Enabled Wireless Grids

(n=20) Somewhat disagree Neutral Somewhat agree Strongly agree Adventurous 5% 30% 50% 15% Enjoyment 0% 10% 65% 25% Enthusiastic 0% 20% 55% 25%

In support of playful interactions with aware-enabled wireless grids, 70% of survey respondents (n=20) perceived WeJay to be a social space. In support of interactivity and feedback, feature preference rating for display information pertaining to followers, likes, listeners, and recommending is consistently strong with somewhat to strongly agree response totals in the 85-100% range, as shown in Table 2

Table 2: Interactivity Feedback: Aware-Enabled Wireless Grids

(n=20) Somewhat disagree Neutral Somewhat agree Strongly agree Follow 0% 10% 40% 50% Like 0% 0% 50% 50% Listeners 5% 10% 35% 50% Recommend 0% 10% 45% 45%

Playful interactions gave rise to emergent learning and unexpected possibilities in a variety of ways. For example, participants spontaneously provided instruction in use of the tool to others. In conversations on tool use and interpretations for tool use and potential, participants learned about another parallel study in progress involving WeJay use among high school students. Others discussed use of the tool in continuing education environments. Use of the tool for research purposes in support of research funding and doctoral student advising was discussed and the tool was interpreted as a space for sharing research work and related ideas and opportunities. The WeJay tool was assessed by 55% of survey respondents as a way to create and share OERs (Open Educational Resources). In assessing WeJay for educational settings, 25% indicated that the tool is exactly what is needed now while 25% indicated that WeJay would be too new for people to grasp.

Actual monetization and potential commercialization of the tool emerged when use of the tool for creation of a radio show, shared through Facebook, resulted in a study participant receiving a job offer to develop and host a local radio station. Sharing of radio shows resulted in a broadening of one's music awareness and the decision to purchase music. With the utilization of user data streams based on the combining of wireless technology and social networks, the potential for the development of unique applications, informed by people's interests and behaviors was identified. For example, one proposed use of the tool pertained to healthcare. Where an individual experiences irregular heart events, the WeJay tool could be adapted to continuously monitor health information. This information could be communicated to a doctor, making data available on random and rare events, contributing to enhanced possibilities for diagnosis and treatment. Similarly, WeJay could be adapted to support vehicle troubleshooting and maintenance, enabling the monitoring and detection of irregular noise. Data monitoring could be shared in vehicle troubleshooting spaces where others could collaboratively contribute to suggestions and solutions. The capture and reporting of this type of irregular event information could be shared with vehicle maintenance centers to assist in rapid diagnosis and solutions.

Participants were paradoxically unaware of smart tools and environments yet knowledgeable about embedded awareness in social media, indicating that various types of system awareness (e.g., presence, location, interests, etc.) are expected and taken for granted. When asked about the potentially disruptive nature of WeJay, on a scale of 1 (not really) to 5 (absolutely), responses of 10%, 20%, 25%, 40% and 5% weighted the product more toward disruption or transformativeness. Shared distributed listening and radio show creation and cohosting supported interactivity and collaboration

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and generated interest in what others were creating and how the tool was being used and interpreted for use.

5 DISCUSSION This research work is revelatory in terms of the importance of what began as playful interactions with a social radio tool and what emerged in relation to play and games as insights and the power of playful interaction and games to inform, educate, and support learning. The use of playful interactions and serious games in AmI-infused wireless grid spaces adheres to the notion of serious games as articulated by Michel and Chen [36]; games for change that are designed to make a difference [39]; transformative games as advanced by Schell [41]; and Nicholson [39]. Findings from this study are suggestive of an interweaving of playful interactions, serious games, and emergent learning in aware-enabled wireless grid environments to form a play-game-learn dynamic, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1: Play-Game-Learn Dynamic & Adaptive Components in Aware Wireless Grid Environments

Playful interactions, serious game conceptualization and development, and emergent learning appear less as discrete and separate activities and more as an intricately interwoven and complex dynamic. In summary, an overview of the Play-Game-Learn Dynamic in action in aware-enabled wireless grid environments is presented in Table 3, followed by a discussion of the adaptive components of autonomy, awareness, and affect/emotion.

Table 3: Play-Game-Learn Dynamic in Action in Aware-Enabled Wireless Grid Environments

Playful Interactions Serious Games Emergent Learning Analytics (leveraging of content to generate other forms of media, value, & learning) Autonomy (to create, design, share, collaborate, interpret, & imagine) Awareness (learning about aware systems & people & technology interactions) Co-hosting (sharing, collaboration, & learning) Carnivals/Festivals (application for cultural sharing & learning) Conversations (chat, discussion, share, & learning) Digital Scholarship (research, grants/funding, collaboration, & OERs) Games (scavenger hunt, science news & music, sounds & science, etc.) Hacking (highly engaged productive play, exploration, curiosity, & learning) Healthcare (continuous monitoring for rare events – diagnosis & treatment) Maintenance (continuous vehicle monitoring – diagnosis & servicing) Monitization (job offer based on social media sharing of radio show) Sharing (as modeling what is possible & as generating new awareness for others) Shared Distributed Listening (group listening, playful chat, & learning) Validation of Ideas (play & share creations for feedback from peers to peers) Affect/Emotion (importance of positive & negative emotion in aware-WGs spaces)

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5.1 Autonomy A common experience for participants during use of the WeJay tool was the importance of the autonomy capability. Being able to create a radio station, host and co-host a station, create content, and broadcast the content to friends, family, and colleagues proved to be a highly motivating, compelling, and engaging activity. As an early stage beta tool the WeJay product presented 'readiness issues' contributing to barriers and limitations to use. In mitigating this issue, participants were encouraged to imagine use and interpretations for use which proved highly effective and confirmed the value of this technique when studying emerging technologies [51]. This research work confirms the presence and viability of playful interactions and serious game potential in aware-enabled wireless grid environments in terms of the ability to create content; engage in experiential learning; explore; collaborate; personalize; and experiment – activities considered to be elements critical to generating meaning in 'ludic learning spaces' [52] through "transformative games, play, and learning" [39].

5.2 Awareness Through playful interactions; the imagining and conceptualization of serious games; and the engagement in conversations about the tool use experience, it was possible to have discussions with participants about types of awareness, smartness, and ambient intelligence. Participants immediately recognized the benefits of various forms of awareness; the potential challenges related to privacy, security, and other unintended consequences; and made recommendations for improvements. This research study provided the opportunity for participants to surface important insights and understandings about embedded awareness, smart environments, and new forms of networked spaces. Awareness capabilities were found to be critical to the development of wireless grid enabled tools going forward, although participants were clear about the need to be involved in the design and development of such systems to accommodate human-centered considerations and autonomies.

5.3 Affect/Emotion Underlying all aspects of the AmI-wireless grid experience is the affect/emotion component, operating as an informative indicator of the value, efficacy, and potential of the play-game-learn dynamic.

6 CONTRIBUTIONS & CONCLUSIONS Research with aware-enabled wireless grids contributed important insights into playful interactions, serious games, and emergent learning. The presence of a play-game-learn dynamic was identified, involving the complex interweaving of adaptive elements where autonomy, awareness, and affect/emotion operate as critical components. Application of the play-game-learn dynamic to the design of learning environments is a contribution of this study. The importance of ecologies concerned with playful interaction design [53] is confirmed. Presented as a playful social radio tool in support of the creation of radio stations for the broadcasting of music, participants leveraged music and music spaces to create, compose, imagine, and curate. The potential for transformative and serious game development in relation to news, healthcare, information, learning, digital scholarship, discovery, research, vehicle monitoring and maintenance, and myriad purposes quickly became evident.

Many opportunities and challenges were encountered during the investigation of an early stage aware-enabled wireless grid tool, contributing in turn to an abundance of research and practice possibilities. This study calls for further research into the play-game-learn dynamic, based on an enhanced wireless grid enabled WeJay tool, supporting a more populous research sample. This study also serves as a bridge study for other wireless grids tools under development, including the possibility of simulation studies [37] applicable to wireless grids. The varied nature of emergent playful interactions and the type of focused and purposeful gaming developed and conceptualized by participants provides future guidance to developers, educators, and researchers. The play-game-learn dynamic emerging from this study has the potential to benefit from the curiosity, interest and engagement dynamic advanced by researchers [54] for technology-pervasive learning environments.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The development of the Wireless Grid Innovation Testbed (WiGiT) is primarily funded by the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnership for Innovation (PFI) program grants NSF #0227879 (2002-2006), continued under NSF # 0917973 (2009-2011). Views expressed are those of the authors.

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