Using the Personal Competence Manager as a complementary approach to IMS Learning Design authoring

Vogten, H., Koper, R., Martens, H., & Van Bruggen, J. (2008). Using the Personal Competence Manager as a complementary approach to IMS Learning Design authoring. Interactive Learning Environments, 16(1), 83-100.In this article TENCompetence will be presented as a framework for lifelong competence development. More specifically, the relationship between the TENCompetence framework and the IMS Learning Design (LD) specification is explored. LD authoring has proven to be challenging and the toolset currently available is targeting expert users mostly working for institutions of higher educations. Furthermore these tools re-enforce a fairly rigid top-down workflow approach towards design and delivery. This approach it is not always the most suitable model in all circumstances for all practitioners. TENCompetence provides an alternative bottom-up approach to LD authoring via its first implementation: the Personal Competence Manager (PCM). Constructs such as competence profiles and competence development programmes, let users define, modify, and acquire competences they need for achieving their personal goals. We will show how the PCM provides support for these constructs and stimulates the bottom-up development of learning materials. We will also show how these concepts can be mapped towards LD. This allows the ad hoc designs of the PCM to be captured in a Unit of Learning (UOL). These UOLs can be enhanced and eventually fed back into the PCM, therewith closing the edit cycle. This editing cycle allows for a gradual integration of bottom-up ad hoc designs with more formal top-down designs introducing LD in a gentle fashion.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Course Catalog 2013-2014

2013-2014 Course Catalo

Course Catalog 2014-2015

2014-2015 Course Catalo

Reinforcement Q-Learning using OpenAI Gym

Abstract. Q-Learning is an off-policy algorithm for reinforcement learning, that can be used to find optimal policies in Markovian domains. This thesis is about how Q-Learning can be applied to a test environment in the OpenAI Gym toolkit. The utility of testing the algorithm on a problem case is to find out how well it performs as well proving the practical utility of the algorithm. This thesis starts off with a general overview of reinforcement learning as well as the Markov decision process, both of which are crucial in understanding the theoretical groundwork that Q-Learning is based on. After that we move on to discussing the Q-Learning technique itself and dissect the algorithm in detail. We also go over OpenAI Gym toolkit and how it can be used to test the algorithm’s functionality. Finally, we introduce the problem case and apply the algorithm to solve it and analyse the results. The reasoning for this thesis is the rise of reinforcement learning and its increasing relevance in the future as technological progress allows for more and more complex and sophisticated applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence

EasyCoding - methodology to support programming learning

Mestrado de dupla diplomação com o Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais – CEFET-MGThe increase in failure rate in the first programming curricular units, in engineering courses, and the school dropout growth by students shows the importance of further study on the real reasons for these episodes. When considering that this situation is amplified, in large part, by the lack of motivation and the lack of student autonomy to study programming outside the classroom context, this work proposes a methodology based on activity guides, using innovative and attractive web platforms. The proposed methodology aims to facilitate the planning of teachers’ activities and to increase students’ autonomy and motivation. For the execution of this study, we evaluated the proposed methodology with programming professors and students at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança and the Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais. In addition, we developed a system for automatic generation of activity guides which aimed assisting teachers in the creation of exercises with innovative web platforms to motivate students to study programming beyond the classroom. The obtained results allow us to demonstrate the importance of using innovative teaching methodologies, inside and outside the classroom, to encourage students to practice more programming exercises. Thus, as contributions, the proposed methodology can help combat school dropout in higher education in engineering courses, once it can help to keep the students motivated during the first programming subjects.O aumento na taxa de insucesso nas primeiras unidades curriculares de programação, nos cursos de engenharia, e o crescimento do abandono escolar por parte dos alunos mostra a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado sobre os reais motivos desses episódios. Ao considerar que essa situação é ampliada, em grande parte, pela falta de motivação e falta de autonomia do aluno para estudar programação fora do contexto da sala de aula, este trabalho propõe uma metodologia baseada em guiões de atividades, utilizando plataformas web inovadoras e atrativas. A metodologia proposta visa facilitar o planejamento das atividades dos professores e aumentar a autonomia e a motivação dos alunos. Para a execução deste estudo, avaliamos a metodologia proposta com professores e alunos de programação do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança e do Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais. Além disso, desenvolvemos um sistema para geração automática de guias de atividades, com o objetivo de auxiliar os professores na criação de exercícios com plataformas web inovadoras, para motivar os alunos a estudar programação além da sala de aula. Os resultados obtidos nos permitem demonstrar a importância do uso de metodologias inovadoras de ensino, dentro e fora da sala de aula, para incentivar os alunos a praticar mais exercícios de programação. Assim, como contribuição, a metodologia proposta pode ajudar a combater o abandono escolar no ensino superior nos cursos de engenharia, uma vez que pode ajudar a manter os alunos motivados durante as primeiras disciplinas de programação

Web-based Simulation and Training Environment for Laparoscopic Camera Calibration

Endoscopic cameras are increasingly employed in image-guidance procedures, where the video images must be registered to data from other modalities. However, such cameras are susceptible to distortions, requiring calibration before images can be used for registration, tracking and 3D reconstruction. Camera calibration is learned in a laboratory setting, where configuring and adjusting the physical setup is tedious and not necessarily conducive to learning. A centralized resource that utilizes 3D interactive components needs to be available for training on camera calibration. In this project, a web-based training environment for camera calibration is implemented called SimCAM. SimCAM was developed using the Web Graphics Library (WebGL), Open Computer Vision (OpenCV) library, and custom software components. WebGL and OpenCV were used to simulate camera distortions and the calibration task. The main contributions include the implementation and validation of SimCAM. SimCAM was validated with a content validity study, where it was found to be useful as an introduction to camera calibration. Future work involves improving the supporting material and implementing more features, such as uncertainty propogation