A workshop on the gathering of information for problem formulation

Issued as Quarterly progress reports no. [1-5], Proceedings and Final contract report, Project no. G-36-651Papers presented at the Workshop/Symposium on Human Computer Interaction, March 26 and 27, 1981, Atlanta, G

Proceedings of the 1993 Conference on Intelligent Computer-Aided Training and Virtual Environment Technology

The volume 2 proceedings from the 1993 Conference on Intelligent Computer-Aided Training and Virtual Environment Technology are presented. Topics discussed include intelligent computer assisted training (ICAT) systems architectures, ICAT educational and medical applications, virtual environment (VE) training and assessment, human factors engineering and VE, ICAT theory and natural language processing, ICAT military applications, VE engineering applications, ICAT knowledge acquisition processes and applications, and ICAT aerospace applications

An integrated environment for problem solving and program development

A framework for an integrated problem solving and program development environment that addresses the needs of students learning programming is proposed. Several objectives have been accomplished: defining the tasks required for program development and a literature review to determine the actual difficulties involved in learning those tasks. A comprehensive Study of environments and tools developed to support the learning of problem solving and programming was then performed, covering programming environments, debugging aids, intelligent tutoring systems, and intelligent programming environments. This was followed by a careful analysis and critique of these systems, which uncovered the limitations that have prevented them from accomplishing their goals. Next, an extensive study of problem solving methodologies developed in this century was carried out and a common model for problem solving was produced. The tasks of program development were then integrated with the common model for problem solving. Then, the cognitive activities required for problem solving and program development were identified and also integrated with the common model to form a Dual Common Model for problem Solving and Program Development. This dual common model was then used to define the functional specifications for a problem solving and program development environment which was designed, implemented, tested, and integrated into the curriculum. The development of the new environment for learning problem solving and programming was followed by the planning of a cognitively oriented assessment method and the development of related instruments to evaluate the process and the product of problem solving. A detailed statistical experiment to study the effect of this environment on students\u27 problem solving and program development skills, including system testing by protocol analysis, and performance evaluation of students based on research hypotheses and questions, was also designed, implemented and the result reported

Nova combinação de hardware e de software para veículos de desporto automóvel baseada no processamento directo de funções gráficas

Doutoramento em Engenharia EletrónicaThe main motivation for the work presented here began with previously conducted experiments with a programming concept at the time named "Macro". These experiments led to the conviction that it would be possible to build a system of engine control from scratch, which could eliminate many of the current problems of engine management systems in a direct and intrinsic way. It was also hoped that it would minimize the full range of software and hardware needed to make a final and fully functional system. Initially, this paper proposes to make a comprehensive survey of the state of the art in the specific area of software and corresponding hardware of automotive tools and automotive ECUs. Problems arising from such software will be identified, and it will be clear that practically all of these problems stem directly or indirectly from the fact that we continue to make comprehensive use of extremely long and complex "tool chains". Similarly, in the hardware, it will be argued that the problems stem from the extreme complexity and inter-dependency inside processor architectures. The conclusions are presented through an extensive list of "pitfalls" which will be thoroughly enumerated, identified and characterized. Solutions will also be proposed for the various current issues and for the implementation of these same solutions. All this final work will be part of a "proof-of-concept" system called "ECU2010". The central element of this system is the before mentioned "Macro" concept, which is an graphical block representing one of many operations required in a automotive system having arithmetic, logic, filtering, integration, multiplexing functions among others. The end result of the proposed work is a single tool, fully integrated, enabling the development and management of the entire system in one simple visual interface. Part of the presented result relies on a hardware platform fully adapted to the software, as well as enabling high flexibility and scalability in addition to using exactly the same technology for ECU, data logger and peripherals alike. Current systems rely on a mostly evolutionary path, only allowing online calibration of parameters, but never the online alteration of their own automotive functionality algorithms. By contrast, the system developed and described in this thesis had the advantage of following a "clean-slate" approach, whereby everything could be rethought globally. In the end, out of all the system characteristics, "LIVE-Prototyping" is the most relevant feature, allowing the adjustment of automotive algorithms (eg. Injection, ignition, lambda control, etc.) 100% online, keeping the engine constantly working, without ever having to stop or reboot to make such changes. This consequently eliminates any "turnaround delay" typically present in current automotive systems, thereby enhancing the efficiency and handling of such systems.A principal motivação para o trabalho que conduziu a esta tese residiu na constatação de que os actuais métodos de modelação de centralinas automóveis conduzem a significativos problemas de desenvolvimento e manutenção. Como resultado dessa constatação, o objectivo deste trabalho centrou-se no desenvolvimento de um conceito de arquitectura que rompe radicalmente com os modelos state-of-the-art e que assenta num conjunto de conceitos que vieram a ser designados de "Macro" e "Celular ECU". Com este modelo pretendeu-se simultaneamente minimizar a panóplia de software e de hardware necessários à obtenção de uma sistema funcional final. Inicialmente, esta tese propõem-se fazer um levantamento exaustivo do estado da arte na área específica do software e correspondente hardware das ferramentas e centralinas automóveis. Os problemas decorrentes de tal software serão identificados e, dessa identificação deverá ficar claro, que praticamente todos esses problemas têm origem directa ou indirecta no facto de se continuar a fazer um uso exaustivo de "tool chains" extremamente compridas e complexas. De forma semelhante, no hardware, os problemas têm origem na extrema complexidade e inter-dependência das arquitecturas dos processadores. As consequências distribuem-se por uma extensa lista de "pitfalls" que também serão exaustivamente enumeradas, identificadas e caracterizadas. São ainda propostas soluções para os diversos problemas actuais e correspondentes implementações dessas mesmas soluções. Todo este trabalho final faz parte de um sistema "proof-of-concept" designado "ECU2010". O elemento central deste sistema é o já referido conceito de “Macro”, que consiste num bloco gráfico que representa uma de muitas operações necessárias num sistema automóvel, como sejam funções aritméticas, lógicas, de filtragem, de integração, de multiplexagem, entre outras. O resultado final do trabalho proposto assenta numa única ferramenta, totalmente integrada que permite o desenvolvimento e gestão de todo o sistema de forma simples numa única interface visual. Parte do resultado apresentado assenta numa plataforma hardware totalmente adaptada ao software, bem como na elevada flexibilidade e escalabilidade, para além de permitir a utilização de exactamente a mesma tecnologia quer para a centralina, como para o datalogger e para os periféricos. Os sistemas actuais assentam num percurso maioritariamente evolutivo, apenas permitindo a calibração online de parâmetros, mas nunca a alteração online dos próprios algoritmos das funcionalidades automóveis. Pelo contrário, o sistema desenvolvido e descrito nesta tese apresenta a vantagem de seguir um "clean-slate approach", pelo que tudo pode ser globalmente repensado. No final e para além de todas as restantes características, o “LIVE-PROTOTYPING” é a funcionalidade mais relevante, ao permitir alterar algoritmos automóveis (ex: injecção, ignição, controlo lambda, etc.) de forma 100% online, mantendo o motor constantemente a trabalhar e sem nunca ter de o parar ou re-arrancar para efectuar tais alterações. Isto elimina consequentemente qualquer "turnaround delay" tipicamente presente em qualquer sistema automóvel actual, aumentando de forma significativa a eficiência global do sistema e da sua utilização

Evaluation of the development and application of multimedia computer assisted learning in Higher Education.

This thesis deals with approaches to the evaluation of multimedia computer assisted learning in higher education. The thesis is presented in two parts. The first part consists mainly of a literature based review of the rationale and methods employed in the development of multimedia CAL systems focusing on the ability of such systems to deliver a variety of pedagogic aims and objectives which the literature on the subject generally attributes to them. This was done in order to identify and examine the important features which should be incorporated in the effective evaluation of such systems. 1) the pedagogical basis of multimedia learning environments with particular reference to the mechanism by which they claim to encourage an approach to learning which facilitates 'deep' rather than 'shallow' learning' (Chapters 3 and 4); 2) the basis on which multimedia CAL systems claim to provide interactive learning environments which allow the teaching materials to be tailored by learners to accommodate their own individual preferences for adopting particular learning strategies. In particular this focused on the importance of individual learning styles and learners' degree of computer confidence (Chapter 5); 3) the institutional/delivery factors which must be understood to explain fully the context in which evaluations are carried out and which may have important effects on the outcomes of evaluation (Chapter 6). This literature review, together with a practical survey of a range of existing CAL courseware and an e-mail survey of CAL developers provides the basis for presenting an approach to evaluation which differentiates systems on the basis of the pedagogic approach they adopt and the context in which they are implemented. Finally, a critical review of existing evaluation methods was undertaken and important elements within these methods were incorporated into a new framework for evaluation. The framework provides a tool for determining an evaluation strategy that encompasses all stages of development, formative and summative evaluation of CAL courseware. Evaluation is based on the explicit aims and objectives of the courseware being provided and is moderated by contextual factors that define the pedagogical approach being taken, any individual learner differences that must be taken into account, and the institutional/delivery context within which the courseware is used. An analysis of the implications of the framework when formulating an evaluation strategy demonstrates weaknesses in the assessment instruments currently being used in evaluation studies - particularly for providing reliable measures of 'learning effect' as part of summative evaluation and also with respect to accurate quantification of costs associated with development and use of CAL courseware. The second part of the thesis tests the framework. The approach taken was to develop and formatively and summatively assess a multimedia CAL system used to teach parts of a course on bibliographic classification to students at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Qualitative and quantitative tests to accomplish this are described and the result of statistical analyses of learner performance when using the system are presented. This empirical study provides further insights into the practical problems involved in developing and evaluating a multimedia CAL system and in particular highlights: 1) the influence which individual learning style (as measured by the Gregorc Style Delineator) has on student performance in a context in which postgraduate students were required to use the CAL courseware rather than attend lectures - results indicate that CAL does not serve all learners equally; 2) the importance of the delivery context in a study in which undergraduate students were provided with CAL materials to supplement the delivery of their course. The evaluation framework was found to be a robust framework for developing and testing didactic teaching packages which were developed in the context of improving the quality of the teaching and learning of bibliographic classification to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Recommendations are provided for future research based on using the framework to explore other contexts in which courseware is developed and implemented

Old Meets New: Media in Education – Proceedings of the 61st International Council for Educational Media and the XIII International Symposium on Computers in Education (ICEM&SIIE'2011) Joint Conference

A conferência ICEM&SIIE'2011 foi organizada pela Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal) – membro do European Consortium of Innovative Universities – e pretendeu reunir investigadores, professores e outros profissionais, a nível nacional e internacional, em torno de um tema aglutinador que pretendeu despoletar e colocar a tónica da discussão na dualidade ―old/new‖, ou seja, os participantes foram convidados a discutir: - os media na educação em ambas as perspetivas, mais tradicionais ou modernas, com incidência numas ou noutras ou, ainda, numa perspetiva comparativa; - a conjugação, adaptação e adoção dos media consoante os contextos e objetivos de utilização; - o que os media implicam em termos de tecnologia, barreiras profissionais e /ou sociais; - a relação custo-benefício da utilização dos media em contexto de aprendizagem; - os media em função dos diversos contextos educativos e dos perfis de aprendizagem dos alunos. Para a conferência foram selecionados 76 artigos organizados em 15 sessões paralelas, 13 posters e 9 workshops. A conferência caracterizou-se pelo caráter internacional dos contributos, reunindo 38 artigos em português, 32 em língua inglesa e 6 em espanhol. Estas atas encontram-se organizadas de acordo com o programa da conferência. Em primeiro lugar incluem-se os artigos (full paper e short paper) por sessão, seguem-se os posters e, finalmente, o resumo relativo aos workshops.The ICEM&SIIE'2011 conference was organised by the University of Aveiro (Portugal) – a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities – and aimed at gathering researchers, teachers and other professionals, at national and international level, around a focal topic that might trigger and centre the discussion on the ―old/new‖ duality of media in education. Participants were invited to discuss: - old and new media in education, in isolation or comparatively; - how old and new media in education can be combined, adopted and adapted; - what old and new media in education imply in terms of technological, professional and social barriers; - what cost-benefit relationships old and new media in education entail; - how to compare old and new media in education given their particular educational contexts and the students' learning profiles. 76 papers were selected and organised in 15 paralel sessions, 13 posters and 9 workshops. The conference is characterized by the international character of contributions, gathering 38 papers in Portuguese, 32 in English and 6 in Spanish. These procedings are organised according to the programme of the conference. First we find the full and short papers, per session, then posters and finally the abstracts for the workshops