Playing music and partaking in learning to play an instrument, in this case keyboard, can be a highly rewarding but demanding experience. A key issue of adults that attempt to learn to play an instrument, again, in this case keyboard, is that a vast number of them will give up shortly after beginning their learning. Through both primary and secondary research we established that a core reason for this high number of adults dropping off is a lack of fundamental skills; skills which make the process of learning and playing more efficient, easy and enjoyable. This issue in conjunction with the lack of engaging methods of practicing these skills which require rote learning (copious amounts of repetition) led us to develop a novel solution in the form of a practice video game. We established, through multiple studies, that there was a place for such a solution, but it became apparent that there was a need to empirically measure whether this video game experience could improve or help acquire new skills just as well as a traditional or typical method within real-world contexts. In this paper, we present our novel prototype practice game. We will discuss the various stages and pitfalls of testing, design and development whilst also discussing the methodology of our upcoming longitudinal study. The study aims to measure the concepts of educational value and engagement in a real-world setting using adult beginner keyboard learners over an extended period of time, which is conducted at their own pace and within their own home environments.

The term “aesthetic experience” corresponds to the inner state of a person exposed to the form and content of artistic objects. Quantifying and interpreting the aesthetic experience of people in different contexts can contribute towards (a) creating context and (b) better understanding people’s affective reactions to different aesthetic stimuli. Focusing on different types of artistic content, such as movies, music, literature, urban art, ancient artwork, and modern interactive technology, the goal of this workshop is to enhance the interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers coming from the following domains: affective computing, aesthetics, human-robot/computer interaction, digital archaeology and art, culture, addictive games.

This paper describes the development of a set of video games designed to reduce the high drop-off rates associated with learning to play the keyboard by gamifying rote tasks that require monotonous practice. By defining our own understanding of what musicianship is and creating a custom framework for assessment through the use of existing curriculums and learning applications, we have chosen specific areas which require the most rote learning, are critical to developing motor skills and to building an understanding of music; these include learning and practicing musical scales, keeping in time with tempo and the basics of hand coordination and fingering styles. We developed solutions which offer a new way for learners to practice in an engaging and entertaining way with the aim to reduce the drop-off rates and lower the barrier for entry to learning keyboard. Developing games requires an iterative process of development, testing, isolating key issues and solving them through further development. Therefore, through a pilot study (using observations, screen recordings and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods), we have observed that whilst this novel method of learning and practicing using video games is positively accepted by learners and teachers alike, the games themselves and the process of validation requires refinement in order to truly gauge each game relating to engagement, motivation and educational benefit. This paper describes the findings of this pilot study regarding the improvements and changes of each developed game as well how to improve future user studies.

The term “aesthetic experience” corresponds to inner states of individuals exposed to art. Investigating form, content, and aesthetic values of artistic objects, indoor and outdoor spaces, urban areas, and modern interactive technology is essential to improve social behaviour, quality of life, and health of humans in the long term. Quantifying and interpreting the aesthetic experience of art receivers in different contexts can contribute towards (a) creating art and (b) better understanding humans’ affective reactions to aesthetic stimuli. Focusing on different types of artistic content, such as movies, music, urban art, ancient artwork, and modern interactive technology, the goal of the Second International Workshop on Multimodal Affect and Aesthetic Experience is to enhance the interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers from the following domains: affective computing, aesthetics, human-robot interaction, and digital archaeology and art.

This paper describes the development of a set of three video games designed to reduce the high drop-off rates associated with learning to play the piano/keyboard by gamifying rote tasks that require monotonous practice. By defining our own understanding of what musicianship is and creating a custom framework for assessment through the use of existing curriculum, we have chosen specific areas which require the most rote learning and are critical to developing motor skills and to building an understanding of music; these include learning and practicing scales, keeping in time with tempo and the basics of hand coordination and fingering styles. Existing solutions that attempt to resolve the issue of high drop off rates observed with beginner instrument learners use elements of gamification in order to enrich their learning experiences and also help increase motivation. These approaches do work but in most cases they offer short term solutions; a key issue is retaining users over long periods of time and ensuring that they practice consistently and regularly. We developed solutions which offer a way for learners to practice in an engaging and entertaining way, with the intention to reduce the drop-off rates and lower the barrier for entry to learning piano/keyboard.

The term 'aesthetic experience' corresponds to the inner state of a person exposed to form and content of artistic objects. Exploring certain aesthetic values of artistic objects, as well as interpreting the aesthetic experience of people when exposed to art can contribute towards understanding (a) art and (b) people's affective reactions to artwork. Focusing on different types of artistic content, such as movies, music, urban art and other artwork, the goal of this workshop is to enhance the interdisciplinary collaboration between affective computing and aesthetics researchers.