In recent years, the use of Augmented and Virtual Reality (ARNR) has taken a larger role within training and education of various fields, but not every individual experiences the benefits that AR and VR technology are thought to provide. The perspective taking skill of an individual may be a good indicator of the effectiveness that AR and VR training can achieve. However, we found that the tests in other research targeting small scale perspective taking are few and limited, as perspective taking is often hard to distinguish from mental rotation. Therefore, we designed and developed A Hole New Perspective, a serious game created specifically to test and train an individual’s perspective-taking ability. A Hole New Perspective focuses on the relationship between a 3D object floating in the air and a 2D hole on a moving wall. The core game mechanics consists of having the player rotate the object so that it fits in the hole, before the wall hits the object. Because players do not always have an aligned view with the hole, they have to call on their spatial perspective-taking abilities, in addition to mental rotation. We tested the game with a variety of test subjects, and compared these test results with the Perspective Taking/Spatial orientation Test. Early results have shown that performance in the game corresponds to mental rotation ability. Furthermore, there are indications that improvement in spatial ability through the game is selectively present for those with lower spatial abilities. This further substantiates the need for a more individualized approach when offering AR and VR in education. Additional training may be needed for some, but not all students. ... Read more

The sustainability of the water supply program in developing countries is influenced by many inter-linked and dynamic factors, suggesting the need to analyse the system behaviour of the water supply program. However, no study analyses factors influencing the sustainability of rural drinking water supply programs holistically, and this study aims to fill that gap. This study utilized a system dynamics approach based on a case study of a community-based rural drinking water supply program (PAMSIMAS in Bahasa) in Magelang Regency, Indonesia. Five sustainability aspects were considered in the model development and simulation: Financial, institutional, environmental, technical, and social aspects. Eight scenario analyses related to those five aspects were conducted. The causal loop diagrams suggest that the overall loop in the system is reinforcing, meaning that the improvement in one aspect will improve the overall condition of the system and deterioration in one aspect will reduce the overall condition of the system. Scenario analysis shows that external fund is critical to support the program financially, especially at the beginning of the project when the piped system is being built and water revenue is still low. Scenario and sensitivity analyses revealed that human factors, i.e., the performance of the water board and response and support from the community, positively influence the sustainability of the water supply program. Additionally, the water board plays a key role in accelerating the pipe network growth. Finally, this paper argues that visualising and simulating the causal relationship and dynamic behaviour of the rural water supply program are critical for water stakeholders to better design and implement the water supply program. ... Read more