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$\text{DMRadio-}{\mathrm{m}}^3$is an experimental search for dark matter axions. It uses a solenoidal dc magnetic field to convert an axion dark-matter signal to an ac electromagnetic response in a coaxial copper pickup. The current induced by this axion signal is measured by dc SQUIDs. $\text{DMRadio-}{\mathrm{m}}^3$is designed to be sensitive to Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov (KSVZ) and Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnisky (DFSZ) QCD axion models in the 10–200 MHz ( $41\mathrm{neV}/c^2–0.83\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{eV}/c^2$) range, and to axions with $g_{a\gamma \gamma }=g_{a\gamma \gamma ,\mathrm{DFSZ}}\left(30\mathrm{MHz}\right)=1.87\times {10}^{-17}{\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$over 5–30 MHz as an extended goal. In this work, we present the electromagnetic modeling of the response of the experiment to an axion signal over the full frequency range of $\text{DMRadio-}{\mathrm{m}}^3$, which extends from the low-frequency, lumped-element limit to a regime where the axion Compton wavelength is only a factor of 2 larger than the detector size. With these results, we determine the live time and sensitivity of the experiment. The primary science goal of sensitivity to DFSZ axions across 30–200 MHz can be achieved with a $3\sigma$live scan time of 2.9 years. 

As a gamification element, virtual currency (VC) stands for rewards that can be exchanged for virtual or real goods. While some forms of reward-based gamification have been studied extensively, the exploration of the impact of VC on learners is relatively scarce. In particular, there is a lack of studies investigating its effects in different learning contexts. Since VC can evoke perception of benefits with positive impact on course outcomes, it may be experienced as an extrinsic incentive. On the other hand, VC can promote internalized motivation when awarded for accomplishment of certain challenges. To bridge this gap we are conducting a longitudinal study on the impact of VC on student motivation and engagement in different contexts and with different types of learners. The goal of this paper is to empirically investigate whether and how VC can improve the engagement in out-of-class practicing of a certain population of learners in a gamified Discrete Structures course. The study demonstrated a strong positive impact of VC on learners’ engagement however VC exhibited no significant impact on students’ academic performance and intrinsic motivation. 

Gamification is increasingly advocated as a solution to motivational challenges across learning activities. However, given a particular learning activity, the question of how to choose relevant motivational affordances and how to incorporate them within the activity in order to evoke the desired motivational effect remains an open problem. To address this gap, we propose an activity-centered design framework for gamifying learning activities. The framework is driven by the motivational factors associated with the activity to be gamified and implies identifying potential motivators and demotivators with the intent to guide the selection of relevant motivational affordances. The purpose is to enable a gameful experience by choosing motivational affordances that are in congruence with the motivators while curbing the effect of demotivators. The application of the framework is illustrated by a case study complemented by an empirical evaluation. 

The BICEP/Keck (BK) series of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiments has, over the past decade and a half, produced a series of field-leading constraints on cosmic inflation via measurements of the “B-mode” polarization of the CMB. Primordial B modes are directly tied to the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves (PGW), their strength parameterized by the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r, and thus the energy scale of inflation. Having set the most sensitive constraints to-date on r, σ(r) = 0.009 (r0.05 < 0.036, 95% C.L.) using data through the 2018 observing season (“BK18”), the BICEP/Keck program has continued to improve its dataset in the years since. We give a brief overview of the BK program and the “BK18” result before discussing the program’s ongoing efforts, including the deployment and performance of the Keck Array’s successor instrument, BICEP Array, improvements to data processing and internal consistency testing, new techniques such as delensing, and how those will ultimately serve to allow BK reach σ(r) ≲ 0.003 using data through the 2027 observing season. 

Gamifying learning is a challenging task assuming holistic thinking about the learning experience rather than focusing on specific game elements. Part of the challenges in this task stem from the fact that gamification represents a class of systems combining utilitarian and hedonic benefits. In addition, there is a lack of appropriate tools supporting gamification of learning. To bridge this gap, we developed OneUp, a course gamification platform. This paper examines the challenges associated with gamifying learning along with OneUp’s support for overcoming them. It also presents a preliminary study of the impact of utilitarian and hedonic values in the context of a gamified Data Structures course.