Enhancing project-based learning in software engineering lab teaching through an e-portfolio approach

Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. J. A. Macías, "Enhancing project-based learning in software engineering lab teaching through an e-portfolio approach", in IEEE Transactions on Education, 5, 4, 2012, 502 - 507Project-based learning is one of the main successful student-centered pedagogies broadly used in computing science courses. However, this approach can be insufficient when dealing with practical subjects that implicitly require many deliverables and a great deal of feedback and organizational resources. In this paper, a worked e-portfolio is presented as an approach to improve the teaching/learning and evaluation processes in project-based learning environments needing considerable resources. To validate this approach, a practical project-based software engineering course supported by a Moodle-based e-portfolio was designed and taught. The results obtained corroborated the effectiveness of the e-portfolio in practical software engineering teaching; this approach can be extended to similar subjects in other studies and/or curricula

Elektroninio portfolio taikymas vertinant pedagogo informacinių ir komunikacinių technologijų kompetenciją

Portfolio mokytojų veiklai vertinti labiausiai paplitęs JAV, Jungtinėje Karalystėje, šiomis edukacinėmis technologijomis aktyviai domisi ir Suomijos universitetai, Katalonija, Nyderlandai, kitos šalys. El. portfolio, kaip portfolio atmaina, vis labiau populiarėja, nes daugelis mokytojų veiklos rezultatų sukuriami elektroniniu formatu, o rezultatai interneto duomenų bazių sistemomis tampa nesunkiai prieinami ir valdomi. Toks įvairių šalių susidomėjimas el. portfolio technologija ir esamos internetogalimybės paskatino detaliau pažvelgti į el. portfolio perspektyvas, panagrinėti jo taikymo galimybes vertinant pedagogų IKT kompetenciją. Išnagrinėjus mokslinę literatūrą galima teigti, jog el. portfolio vertinant pedagogų IKT kompetenciją galima laikyti plačiu ir reprezentatyviu multimedijinių pedagogo IKT taikymo įrodymų archyvu. Pedagogo IKT kompetencijos vertinimo tikslai lemia du el. portfolio tipus: formuojamąjį ir suminį. Straipsnyje detaliau apžvelgiami el. portfolio rengimo modeliai, jo taikymovertinimui nauda, probleminiai aspektai. Pateikiama keletas atliktų el. portfolio taikymo bandymų. Daroma išvada jog el. portfolio gali būti taikomas pedagogo IKT kompetencijos atveju, tačiau skirtingi tikslai (suminis, formuojamasis) gali lemti nuosavybės (institucija, asmuo), požiūrio (pozityvistinis, konstruktyvistinis), naudojamos programinės įrangos (taikomosios programos, informacinės sistemos) problemas, kurios rodo, kad reikia detalesnių el. portfolio nagrinėjimų ir jis neturėtų būti taikomas praktikoje be bandomųjų ir metodologinių mokslinių tyrimų.Using e-portfolio in evaluation of educators ICT competenceVaino Brazdeikis SummaryE-portfolio in teachers’ education is used in USA, UK. Some countries (Finland, Holland) are interested in this education technology too. E-portfolio, as one of portfolio type, is more attractive because teachers are making a lot of electronic documents, Internet data base allows to access this document very easy. That reasons are the motive to look in e-portfolio more detailed and specific in some topics. Article looks on possibilities using e-portfolio in evaluation of the competence of the ICT teachers. Method of scientist literature was chosen for that work.E-portfolio in educators ICT competence could be the aim of the representative multimedia evidences for formative or summative evaluation. E-portfolio allows creating hyperlinks between fact, goal and reflection.The author looks deeper to stages of e-portfolio creation, possibilities and limitations of e-portfolio. The e-portfolio was chosen in some experimental cases.Issue that portfolio could be used for educators ICT competence was done. But different goals (formative, summative) could be reasons for different approach (positive, constructive), different software (information system, application software). It does create needs to analyze e-portfolio possibilities more deeply and to organize some pilot research project for this topic

LSE100 portfolio assessment pilot study

This study provides a preliminary overview of the impetus and outcomes of the LSE100 change in assessment structure. While initially evaluating student performance based on a heavily weighted final exam, LSE100 now consists of an e-portfolio assessment method that is structured to support and incentivize ongoing student learning. Based on the feedback of LSE100 teachers and administrative staff, the findings affirm the pedagogical merit of e-portfolios in driving student learning and performance. Overall, teachers suggest there are visible differences in the clarity, cohesiveness, and depth of student work when under an e-portfolio versus exam method of assessment. However, the findings highlight a number of areas for future consideration. Given LSE100 is unique in its size (with upwards of 1500 students registered at any given time), a number of process changes with regards to marking are required. Striking a balance between creativity on the part of teachers while ensuring consistency across cohorts is for example, a challenge with a course of this nature. From a technical perspective, the course evaluation has highlighted the necessity to invest in portfolio specific software (as an ideal alternative) or significantly adapt existing systems to accommodate multiple teachers and a much larger volume of student work being submitted at any given time. Overall however, the success of the LSE100 change in assessment structure is clear; it is no longer an assessment for the sake of an assessment but rather, an assessment structured to support and drive student learning

MANTICORE II: IP Network as a Service Pilots at HEAnet, NORDUnet and RedIRIS

MANTICORE II follows the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) paradigm to enable National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) and other e-infrastructure providers to enhance their service portfolio by building and piloting the deployment of tools to provide infrastructure resources and IP networks as a service to virtual research communities. MANTICORE II is carrying out the following activities: * Robust and modular implementation of IaaS management tools. * Pilot software deployment and evaluation at HEAnet, NORDUnet and RedIRIS. * Design and implement a simple yet powerful graphical interface for the IP Network Service. * Study and simulate mechanisms to implement an infrastructure marketplace. * Study business models and use cases for commercial services based on MANTICORE II principles.Postprint (published version

Online Learning for Monitoring and Evaluation: A Report Prepared for MEASURE Evaluation

Objective: MEASURE Evaluation works to increase the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) capacity of the global public health workforce and is expanding their online learning portfolio. This study aims to identify background characteristics of those who have completed MEASURE Evaluation’s first online course M&E Fundamentals; determine satisfaction with- and future interest in online M&E courses; establish accessibility and identify barriers to online learning; and provide recommendations as MEASURE Evaluation expands their online learning portfolio. Methods: An online survey was sent to 2,225 people who completed the online M&E Fundamentals course using Qulatrics survey software. Data was collected over three weeks, and results were analyzed. Results: The majority of the respondents are young professionals with some graduate education, have consistent internet access, and respond positively to future online M&E courses. Barriers were limited, but include frequent internet “time-outs”. Recommendations include developing courses at different learning levels, providing content area certificates, updating courses regularly, providing printable materials, increasing use of case studies, and developing feedback systems between students and instructors. Conclusion: MEASURE Evaluation is well positioned to increase M&E capacity globally by expanding the online learning portfolio.Master of Public Healt

PDP4XL2: Personal Development Planning for Cross-Institutional Lifelong Learning. Final Report.

This collaborative project PDP4XL2 built on the strengths and successful outcomes of PDP4Life and took as its principal focus the use of personal development planning and e-portfolios to develop and sustain favourable learner attitudes towards lifelong learning and to understand the role that technology plays in supporting that process. Project objectives included identifying student and employer attitudes to and usage of PDP and e-portfolios in the creative industries and health cares. This final report documents the outcomes of the project

A quality management based on the Quality Model life cycle

Managing quality is a hard and expensive task that involves the execution and control of processes and techniques. For a good quality management, it is important to know the current state and the objective to be achieved. It is essential to take into account with a Quality Model that specifies the purposes of managing quality. QuEF (Quality Evaluation Framework) is a framework to manage quality in MDWE (Model-driven Web Engineering). This paper suggests managing quality but pointing out the Quality Model life cycle. The purpose is to converge toward a quality continuous improvement by means of reducing effort and time.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2010-20057-C03-02Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN 2010-12312-EJunta de Andalucía TIC-578

The Internet Implementation of the Hierarchical Aggregate Assessment Process with the “Cluster” Wi-Fi E-Learning and EAssessment Application — A Particular Case of Teamwork Assessment

A Wi-Fi e-learning and e-assessment Internet application named “Cluster” was developed in the context of a research project concerning the implementation of a teamwork assessment mobile application able to assess teams with several levels of hierarchy. Usually, teamwork assessment software and Internet applications for several hierarchy level teams are included in the field of Management Information Systems (MIS). However, some assessment tasks in teams with several levels of hierarchy and assessment may be performed in an educational context, and the existing applications for the assessment and evaluation of teams with several levels of hierarchy are not applications dedicated to the assessment of students in an educational context. The “Cluster” application is able to present the course material, to train the students in teams as well as to present individual and team assessment tasks. The application’s special functionalities enable it to assess the teams at several levels of hierarchy, which constitute the hierarchical aggregate assessment process. In effect, the members of the teams may have appointments of team member, team leader and team administrator that supervises team leaders. This application can therefore evaluate simultaneously different knowledge and skills in the same assessment task based on the hierarchical position of the team member. The summative evaluation of the application consists of work to submit as well as objective examinations in HTML format, while the formative evaluation is composed of assessment grid computer forms of self-assessment and peer assessment. The application contains two mutually exclusive modes, the assessor mode and the student mode. The assessor mode allows the teacher to create courses, manage students, form the teams and also assess the students and the teams in a summative manner. The student mode allows the students to follow courses, write exams, submit homework, perform in teams and submit self- and peers formative assessment. The theoretical consideration of the project establishes the link between hierarchical aggregate assessment applications and management information systems (MIS). The application is an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) management system in the competency-based learning and an Internet test administration system in the mastery learning approach. The aim of the chapter is to introduce the reader to the field of hierarchical aggregate assessment and to show how to implement complex assessment tasks with several levels of hierarchy into an Internet software application

Software component testing : a standard and the effectiveness of techniques

This portfolio comprises two projects linked by the theme of software component testing, which is also often referred to as module or unit testing. One project covers its standardisation, while the other considers the analysis and evaluation of the application of selected testing techniques to an existing avionics system. The evaluation is based on empirical data obtained from fault reports relating to the avionics system. The standardisation project is based on the development of the BC BSI Software Component Testing Standard and the BCS/BSI Glossary of terms used in software testing, which are both included in the portfolio. The papers included for this project consider both those issues concerned with the adopted development process and the resolution of technical matters concerning the definition of the testing techniques and their associated measures. The test effectiveness project documents a retrospective analysis of an operational avionics system to determine the relative effectiveness of several software component testing techniques. The methodology differs from that used in other test effectiveness experiments in that it considers every possible set of inputs that are required to satisfy a testing technique rather than arbitrarily chosen values from within this set. The three papers present the experimental methodology used, intermediate results from a failure analysis of the studied system, and the test effectiveness results for ten testing techniques, definitions for which were taken from the BCS BSI Software Component Testing Standard. The creation of the two standards has filled a gap in both the national and international software testing standards arenas. Their production required an in-depth knowledge of software component testing techniques, the identification and use of a development process, and the negotiation of the standardisation process at a national level. The knowledge gained during this process has been disseminated by the author in the papers included as part of this portfolio. The investigation of test effectiveness has introduced a new methodology for determining the test effectiveness of software component testing techniques by means of a retrospective analysis and so provided a new set of data that can be added to the body of empirical data on software component testing effectiveness