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

Embodied EFL reading activity: Let’s produce comics

While theories of embodied cognition have been investigated in lab experiments with proficient readers, currently no studies have applied these theories to improving reading comprehension for low-proficiency readers. Using an embodied cognition approach, this study investigated producing comics as an embodied reading activity. To compare effects on English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension of narrative texts, 71 low-proficiency tertiary EFL readers were randomly assigned to one of two collaborative post-reading activity groups: comics production or translation. Before the activities, the participants were given background knowledge instruction for the narrative texts. Reading comprehension was assessed by a true-false test, followed by a semi-structured focus group interview. The results show that the comics production group outperformed the translation group in reading comprehension. Moreover, evidence from interviews shows the comics production activity assisted low-proficiency EFL readers in constructing multimodal representations of what they read, improving the depth of their reading comprehension

Visualizing Research: Crowd Sourcing Technology for Global Understanding

This research details the results of two pilot projects that explored the use of Image-based research and a new method of collecting visual data online. With visual culture and literacy as the pretext, new understandings of the visual-textual relationship in a global context were studied. Using Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing technology, requests for drawings and video analysis were submitted to a database where members selected and completed them. The results suggest a homogenizing effect on local and cultural interpretations of imagery could be taking place globally and further maintain that Image-based research should be the primary method for investigating and informing visual, media and digital literacies

Proceedings of the 2011 Great Lakes Connections Conference : Discourse & Illumination, May 20-21, 2011, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The 2011 Great Lakes Connections Conference was a conference for all Library and Information Science (LIS) doctoral students and candidates. It was a student-focused conference that was intended to provide an opportunity for LIS doctoral students to share and exchange ideas and research. The conference was open to all LIS doctoral students, and included both works in progress and full papers. The accepted papers and works in progress were selected through a double-blind review process

D3.4: Report on educational strategy, year 2

A new way of doing education will be important to cultivate the competences needed to deal with the challenge of sustainability in agrifood and forestry systems. Overall, the new educational approach is characterised by 1) a shift from theory to phenomenon and action as the starting point for the learning process (‘experiential learning’, ‘action learning’) and 2) a shift from knowledge to competence as the focus of the educational activities. The Nextfood project aims at contributing to these shifts by facilitating according to a master manual worked out by the project (deliverable D2.2) a transition to action learning in twelve educational cases in Africa, India and Europe. Simultaneously, research is done according to an action research protocol (deliverable D2.1) on the case transition process and on effects of action learning on students and involved stakeholders. The present report on the implementation of this educational strategy in the twelve cases focus on: (1) the case development process (main challenges and supporting forces associated with implementation of the Nextfood approach) (2) the students’ experiences and learning outcomes (their development of key competences and transition to an experiential learning mode) (3) benefits of involving non-university stakeholders (their learning outcomes and contributions) The cases have collected data on the development and implementation of the intended educational activities. In a separate section of the case development reports (deliverable D2.6), the cases have been asked to report on how these data were collected, the analysis process, what the data indicate and whether there were any significant factors influencing the validity and reliability of the findings. These data form the basis for the findings reported in this document. Data on the process of implementing action learning showed that a major challenge is to build an understanding of the need for interdisciplinary, systems-oriented, selfdirected, group and peer action learning having as primary focus the training of key competences needed for sustainable development. To a varying degree this has been experienced in several cases with academic institutions, teachers, students and offcampus stakeholders involved in the education. This indicates a need for a shift in culture and mindset at several levels to remove the formal and practical obstacles identified and to create a favourable environment and motivation for a different kind of learning and assessment strategy. Although the reported challenges outnumbered the supporting forces, the latter included interest and support for systems-oriented action learning among institutions at various levels of governments and educational institutions and among individual stakeholders and commercial actors. Several scientific reports also strongly support the implementation of this approach. Data from the students’ self-assessment and information extracted from their reflection documents suggested a variable effect of action learning on the students’ selfdevelopment of key competences. Possible causal relationships have not been explored so far, but it seems likely that the extent to which the action-learning approach has been implemented in a case, plays an important role. So do probably also factors such as pre-knowledge about and motivation for action learning among teachers, students and other stakeholders involved. When it comes to students’ transition in mindset and mode of learning, there was indication that reflection was valued as a competence on which development of all the others depend, and several students praised the effect improved reflection competence had on their lives outside university. In several cases, students that came into the course with expectations to gain certain pieces of knowledge or technical skills, gradually focused less on those aspects and more on developing the core competences. Further, several cases reported increasing enthusiasm about action learning among students, but also examples of students that had the same questions after the course as they had before. The causal factors for this variability are probably similar to those mentioned above regarding competence development but were not investigated. Information about involving non-university stakeholders strongly suggests that they consider their interaction with students as useful learning opportunities enabling them to see their situation in different perspectives, that students were perceived as partners with important knowledge, and that the process of experience sharing worked in both directions. Similarly, their contributions are highly valued by course facilitators and students

Herramientas educativas para facilitar la adopción de la ingeniería de lenguajes software entre los desarrolladores informáticos

Históricamente, la materia de construcción de compiladores y procesadores de lenguaje es considerada por los estudiantes de ingeniería en informática como una materia difícil. Esto es debido, por una parte, a la naturaleza formal de las herramientas de especificación y diseño utilizadas, y, por otra, a la aplicación adecuada de diferentes técnicas sistemáticas de desarrollo para obtener los procesadores finales a partir de sus especificaciones. En esta tesis se aborda esta problemática en el caso particular de las gramáticas de atributos como formalismo básico de especificación. La tesis aborda, primeramente la concepción de una estrategia para facilitar la comprensión de los aspectos básicos de las especificaciones basadas en gramáticas de atributos, así como el soporte software de dicha estrategia. La estrategia propone un enfoque dirigido por problemas, en los que el alumno debe emular el proceso de evaluación semántica sobre distintos supuestos de procesamiento de frases de acuerdo con gramáticas de atributos. Para soportar dicha estrategia, se ha desarrollado un sistema denominado Evaluators, que, tomando como entrada baterías de ejercicios sobre evaluación semántica, produce automáticamente simuladores interactivos que los estudiantes pueden utilizar para resolver dichos ejercicios. El sistema proporciona, así mismo, una herramienta de autoría, que puede ser utilizada por los docentes para proporcionar los ejercicios, así como una herramienta de análisis, que permite trazar el comportamiento de los estudiantes durante la resolución de los mismos en los simuladores generados. Respecto a dichos simuladores, la herramienta es capaz de generar simulaciones de dos tipos: simuladores basados en juegos serios, y simulaciones interactivas basadas en las representaciones abstractas convencionales utilizadas en la materia. La tesis presenta, así mismo, diversos resultados de evaluación de la herramienta, tanto con estudiantes como con docentes, que evidencian la utilidad práctica de la misma. Por último, la tesis abstrae también el modelo de proceso utilizado en la construcción de la misma..

A critical analysis of technology’s impact on teacher’s views of literacy learning and teaching: A continuum of understandings

The purpose of this study was to investigate three middle school English teachers’ understandings of literacy and technology. In particular, how do they view literacy and technology learning and teaching, and how do they use (or not use) technology to enact their views of literacy in their classrooms. This narrative inquiry qualitative study consisted of three open-ended interviews, written literacy narratives, and multiple classroom observations with each participant as well as the collection of various teacher documents, such as lesson plans, presentation notes, rubrics, and student handouts. Narrative methods were used in the data analysis. Findings were organized across a continuum of literacy understandings from traditional understandings to new conceptions of literacy. Discussion and implications point to the need for an expanded definition of literacy with teachers that addresses the complexity of multiliteracies. There is also a need for extending pedagogical repertoires of teachers to recognize TPACK as a beginning to multiliteracies

A critical analysis of technology’s impact on teacher’s views of literacy learning and teaching: A continuum of understandings

The purpose of this study was to investigate three middle school English teachers’ understandings of literacy and technology. In particular, how do they view literacy and technology learning and teaching, and how do they use (or not use) technology to enact their views of literacy in their classrooms. This narrative inquiry qualitative study consisted of three open-ended interviews, written literacy narratives, and multiple classroom observations with each participant as well as the collection of various teacher documents, such as lesson plans, presentation notes, rubrics, and student handouts. Narrative methods were used in the data analysis. Findings were organized across a continuum of literacy understandings from traditional understandings to new conceptions of literacy. Discussion and implications point to the need for an expanded definition of literacy with teachers that addresses the complexity of multiliteracies. There is also a need for extending pedagogical repertoires of teachers to recognize TPACK as a beginning to multiliteracies

Proceedings ICPW'07: 2nd International Conference on the Pragmatic Web, 22-23 Oct. 2007, Tilburg: NL

Proceedings ICPW'07: 2nd International Conference on the Pragmatic Web, 22-23 Oct. 2007, Tilburg: N