MARS: An Educational Environment for Multiagent Robot Simulations

Undergraduate robotics students often find it difficult to design and validate control algorithms for teams of mobile robots. This is mainly due to two reasons. First, very rarely educational laboratories are equipped with large teams of robots, which are usually expensive, bulky and difficult to manage and maintain. Second, robotics simulators often require student to spend much time to learn their use and functionalities. For this purpose, a simulator of multi-agent mobile robots named MARS has been developed within the Matlab environment, with the aim of facilitating students to simulate a wide variety of control algorithms in an easy way and without spending time for understanding a new language. Through this facility, the user is able to simulate multi-robot teams performing different tasks, from cooperative to competitive ones, by using both centralized and distributed controllers. Virtual sensors are provided to simulate real devices. A graphical user interface allows students to monitor the robots behaviour through an online animation

Examining university student satisfaction and barriers to taking online remote exams

Recent years have seen a surge in the popularity of online exams at universities, due to the greater convenience and flexibility they offer both students and institutions. Driven by the dearth of empirical data on distance learning students' satisfaction levels and the difficulties they face when taking online exams, a survey with 562 students at The Open University (UK) was conducted to gain insights into their experiences with this type of exam. Satisfaction was reported with the environment and exams, while work commitments and technical difficulties presented the greatest barriers. Gender, race and disability were also associated with different levels of satisfaction and barriers. This study adds to the increasing number of studies into online exams, demonstrating how this type of exam can still have a substantial effect on students experienced in online learning systems and technologies

Negoitation in Modernity : The BAZNAS (National Zakat Collection Agency) and the Philosophy of Zakat (Alms) Socialization in Indonesia

To pay Zakat (alms) is an obligation for a Muslim. However, this religious obligation cannot encourage Muslims in Indonesia to pay Zakat. In fact, in several cities, some Zakat organizations are established to collect the zakat. Some of them is the BAZNAS which is spread in most cities in Indonesia. In fact, this organization is a semi-government because there are some collaborations between the BAZNAS and local government in most regions. This collaboration indicates also that it tries to get benefit from the modern and established government structure. This article aims to know the BAZNAS negoitation with modernity, specifically it wants to deal with the BAZNAS zakat socialization. Using a case study, this article finds that the zakat organization like the BAZNAS Kepulauan Meranti Indonesia deals with a complicated negoitation with modernity through its zakat socialization. In fact, there is a religious understanding among Muslims there that to pay zakat is an obligation but it cannot deal with their religious awareness to pay zakat. This article identifies that disseminating the zakat payment obligation is a never ending project. The BAZNAS improves Muslim understanding about Zakat through socialization. Some socialization activities done are using modern instruments but some are not. Keywords : Zakat, BAZNAS (National Zakat Collection Agency), Socialization

Actas de las XXXIV Jornadas de Automática

Postprint (published version