Developing a Framework and Pedagogies for the Delivery of Remote Accessible Laboratory Systems in Science and Engineering

The teaching and learning methods applied to the in-person classroom are not entirely capable of addressing the requirements for an online laboratory environment. The aim of the study is to create the pedagogies for remote laboratories. Therefore, a test environment was developed and user observations were captured over four years. This research proposed an educational framework for online science and engineering laboratory and summarized the most significant aspects to be included in the laboratory design

Using Bloom\u27s and Webb\u27s Taxonomies to Integrate Emerging Cybersecurity Topics into a Computic Curriculum

Recent high profile hackings have cost companies millions of dollars resulting in an increasing priority to protect government and business data. Universities are under increased pressure to produce graduates with better security knowledge and skills, particularly emerging cybersecurity skills. Although accredited undergraduate computing programs recognize the need to solve this problem, these computing programs are constrained by accreditation standards and have limited ability to modify their curricula. This paper discusses a case study on how one Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited undergraduate IT program created a strategy to continue to teach existing security-related topics as well as emerging cybersecurity topics within its IT curriculum without increasing credit requirements. The faculty developed an IT Security-related and Cybersecurity Curriculum Taxonomy to identify strategies to move security-related topics taught in the higher level courses to lower and intermediate courses. Thus emerging cybersecurity topics could be added to high-level courses. The faculty also created the IT Student Learning (Security-related) Taxonomy by combining Bloom’s Taxonomy’s six levels of thinking with Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Model. This student learning taxonomy enabled the faculty to review the student learning outcomes for each of the existing security-related core topics and develop new ones for the emerging cybersecurity topics. Challenges, benefits, and application of this strategy to other disciplines are discussed

A Framework Architecture for Student Learning in Distributed Embedded Systems

Academic courses focused on individual microcomputers or client/server applications are no longer sufficient for students to develop knowledge in embedded systems. Current and near-term industrial systems employ multiple interacting components and new network and security approaches; hence, academic preparation requires teaching students to develop realistic projects comparable to these real-world products. However, the complexity, breadth, and technical variations of these real-world products are difficult to reproduce in the classroom. This paper outlines preliminary work on a framework architecture suitable for academic teaching of modern embedded systems including the Internet of Things. It defines four layers, two of which are at the edges of the network, and not adequately covered in academia. For each layer of the architecture, specific technology and suitable devices are identified. Desired academic outcomes for courses using projects based on the architecture are identified. Feedback and comparison is sought on how effective student course and research activities based on the framework will be to real-world embedded systems developers

Effects of Real-World Experiences in Active Learning (R.E.A.L.) Applied in an Information Systems Data Communication and Networking Course

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of Real-World Experiences in Active Learning (R.E.A.L.) impacted student learning outcomes in an undergraduate information systems (IS) data communication and networking course. A quasi-experimental, quantitative approach was used to investigate whether the R.E.A.L. treatments, used as active learning strategies, significantly impacted student performance, short-term retention, long-term retention, and student engagement. The data collection was completed in one semester. Participants were students enrolled in an IS data communication and networking course during the Fall 2019 semester. The students, enrolled in the two sections of the course, were taught using a crossover design where each student received eight treatments. The researcher of the study served as the instructor for both sections. The research question and four hypotheses were analyzed using repeated measures MANCOVA and multi-level modeling (MLM). After a statistical analysis of the direct effects of the R.E.A.L. treatments on student performance, short term retention, long term retention, and engagement, none of the four hypotheses were fully supported. The results indicated that the R.E.A.L. xiii treatments did not significantly impact the student learning outcomes from the course. Research findings partially supported hypothesis H1 indicating that age, ethnicity, and major have some influence on students’ performance and age may have some influence on short-term retention. Statistically significant results were obtained for the H1a Network treatment (F(1,28) = 6.033, p = 0.021, partial η2 = 0.177), meaning that the mean for the H1a Network treatment (M = 90.842) was significantly different than the lecture mean (M = 75.533). The H1b Handshake treatment (F(1,28) = 15.405, p = .001, partial η2 = 0.355) and the H1c Wireless treatment (F(1,28) = 11.385, p = .002, partial η2 = 0.289) produced results in the reverse direction of what was hypothesized, meaning that the mean for the H1b Handshake treatment (M = 49.800) and the H1c Wireless treatment (M = 86.842) were significantly lower than the lecture means for both hypothesis tests. Research findings partially supported hypothesis H2 indicating that age may have influence on short-term retention. Statistically significant results were obtained for the H2e Network speed treatment (F(1,28) = 5.709, p = 0.024, partial η2 = 0.164) and H2f Network management treatment (F(1,28) = 5.654, p = 0.024, partial η2 = 0.163). However, findings from the MLM post hoc tests of direct, interaction, and indirect effects did show some areas for future work in certain demographics, especially gender and ethnicity. Findings of the study were not shown to be significant however, the post hoc testing revealed areas where future work could be beneficial

The Industry and Policy Context for Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion:Market Analysis, Future Prospects and Key Challenges in Videogames, Serious Games and Gamification

The effective use of digital games for empowerment and social inclusion (DGEI) of people and communities at risk of exclusion will be shaped by, and may influence the development of a range of sectors that supply products, services, technology and research. The principal industries that would appear to be implicated are the 'videogames' industry, and an emerging 'serious games' industry. The videogames industry is an ecosystem of developers, publishers and other service providers drawn from the interactive media, software and broader ICT industry that services the mainstream leisure market in games, The 'serious games' industry is a rather fragmented and growing network of firms, users, research and policy makers from a variety of sectors. This emerging industry is are trying to develop knowledge, products, services and a market for the use of digital games, and products inspired by digital games, for a range of non-leisure applications. This report provides a summary of the state of play of these industries, their trajectories and the challenges they face. It also analyses the contribution they could make to exploiting digital games for empowerment and social inclusion. Finally, it explores existing policy towards activities in these industries and markets, and draws conclusions as to the future policy relevance of engaging with them to support innovation and uptake of effective digital game-based approaches to empowerment and social inclusion.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Outcome-Based Engineering Education: A Global Report of International OBE Accreditation and Assessment Practices

Outcome-based education (OBE) is a paradigm in which instructional and assessment/ evaluation are explicitly designed for ensuring the attainment and mastery of predefined learning outcomes. OBE is now the underlying paradigm followed by global accreditation efforts such as the Washington Accord (ratified in 1989). The shift to OBE is so pronounced that some education experts identify the shift to outcome-based education and accreditation as one of the top 5 major changes of the last 100 years. OBE is starkly different from the previous content-based educational approaches in shifting the aim from covering the content to a student-centric mastery that is driven by exit-outcomes and educational objectives. And while OBE is often criticized for straitjacketing education, and resisted by hesitant faculty members suspecting additional burden, studies show that the OBE movement, on the whole, has helped in improving the educational standards and outcomes by helping ensure proper planning of curriculum and assessment and their alignment with the program objectives and desired outcomes. OBE is also flexible in the sense that it does not dictate the choice of specific education strategies or teaching methods. New OBE schemes have also diversified in response to early misgiving about OBE (related to excessive paperwork, and bean-counting-like auditing) and now admit diverse types of evidence (including qualitative and quantitative, formative and summative, formal and informal assessments). In this paper, we present—as a geographically dispersed set of academics from Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia—a global international perspective on OBE accreditation standards, practices, and attitudes. We will trace the historical development leading to the great shift to OBE in recent times and also synthesize insights from our diverse transnational experience in meeting accreditation requirements in different countries