Online Learning and Experimentation via Interactive Learning Resources

Recent trends in online learning like Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OERs) are changing the landscape in the education sector by allowing learners to self-regulate their learning and providing them with an abundant amount of free learning materials. This paper presents FORGE, a new European initiative for online learning and experimentation via interactive learning resources. FORGE provides learners and educators with access to world- class facilities and high quality learning materials, thus enabling them to carry out experiments on e.g. new Internet protocols. In turn, this supports constructivist and self-regulated learning approaches, through the use of interactive learning resources, such as eBooks

Automated Rule-Based Selection and Instantiation of Layout Templates for Widget-Based Microsites

Veebi avatud arhitektuuron loonud soodsa pinnase veebisolevate andmete kasutamiseks nii keerulisemates kui lihtsamates veebirakendustes. Andmete kogumise ja visualiseerimise lihtsustamiseks lihtsates veebirakendustes on loodud hulganisti tööriistu, mille seas on ka mashup'ide loomise tööriistad. Olemasolevate tööriistadega kõrge kasutatavusega mashup veebilehe loomine võib aga paraku olla keerukas, kuna nõuab erinevate tehnoloogiate ning programmeerimiskeelte tundmist, rääkimata kasutatavuse juhtnööridega kursisolemist. Kuigi osad mashup'ide platvormid, a'la OpenAjax Hub, lihtsustavad olemasolevate komponentide kombineerimist, on lahendamata probleemiks siiani nende rakenduste kasutatavus. Käesolev magistritöö kirjeldab reeglipõhist lahendust andmete visualiseerimise vidinate jaoks sobiva veebilehe malli automaatseks valimiseks vastavalt enimlevinud veebilehtede kasutatavuse juhtnööridele. Selleks laetakse vidinate ning struktuurimallide kirjeldused koos kasutatavuse juhtnööridest saadud reeglitega reeglimootorisse ning kasutatakse reeglimootorit ekspertsüsteemina, mis soovitab sobivamaid malle vastavalt etteantud vidinate komplektile. Lahenduse reeglipõhine ülesehitus võimaldab uute vidinate ning mallide lisandumisel või juhtnööride muutumisel operatiivselt reageerida nendele muutustele reeglibaasi täiendamise kaudu. Väljapakutud lahendus realiseeriti käesoleva töö raames Auto Microsite rakendusena, mis koosneb serveri- ning kliendipoolsest osast. Serveri poolel toimub reeglite abil vidinate komplekti visualiseerimiseks sobiva malli valimine kasutades OO jDREW RuleML reeglimootorit ning rakenduse paketeerimiseks koodi genereerimine. Kliendi poolel kasutatakse OpenAjax Hub raamistikkuvidinate turvaliseks eraldamiseks ning omavahel suhtlemapanemisel. Samuti on kliendi poolel lahendatud genereeritud veebilehe vastavusse viimine brauseri võimalustega. Katsetamaks Auto Microsite rakendust praktikas loodi seda kasutades realisatsioonid kahele lihtsale stsenaariumile. Esimesel juhul viusaliseeriti Euroopa 1997-2008 tööjõukulude (Hourly labour costs in Euros (European Union 1997-2008) ing. k.) andmeid kaardi, tabeli, kokkuvõtte ja menüü vidinatega. Teisel juhul kasutati lisaks andmete visualiseerimise vidinatele ka väliseid andmeallikaid, mis olid realiseeritud mittevisuaalsete vidinatena. Saadud andmed visualiseeriti kahe tabeli ning ühe kaardi vidinaga. Näidisveebilehtede loomise tulemusena järeldub, et rakendus sobib lihtsate veebilehtede loomiseks. Lisaks on võimalik lahendust täiendada keerukamate veebirakenduste automaatseks loomiseks läbi vastavate mallide ning reeglite lisamise.This thesis proposes a rule-based widget and layout template matchmaking solution for widget-based microsites. The solution takes as an input a set of widget descriptions and a set of layout templates with widget placeholders and returns a microsite, where the most suitable template has been instantiated with corresponding widgets. Matchmaking is based on applying a rule engine to metadata of widgets and placeholders about their content categories and dimensions,. Additional usability rules are used to further improve the results with respect to commonly accepted usability guidelines. Such a solution makes it possible to modularly enhance the usability results in the future simply by adding new usability rules and layout templates. Furthermore, the solution can be applied in mashup creation tools for layout selection. The proposed solution has been implemented and is called Auto Microsite in this thesis. The system consists of a server-side and a client-side component. The server-side component matches widgets with layout template placeholders according to the given rules by using the OO jDREW RuleML engine. The client-side is responsible for presenting the mashup appropriately for the client device. The latter is based on OpenAjax Hub 2.0 framework, which enables secure sandboxing and communication of widgets in the generated microsite. Furthermore, OpenAjax Metadata 1.0 specification is used in this thesis to package the widgets such that they could be easily reused. In order to evaluate the Auto Microsite system in practice two proof of concept (PoC) scenarios were implemented. The first scenario visualized "Hourly labour costs in Euros (European Union 1997-2008)" data using widgets for a map, a table and a summary. In the second scenario, also data was queried through a SOAP service and a Web site. In the scenario data was visualized using two table widgets and a map widget. The SOAP service and queries to the Web site were packaged as non-visual widgets to fit the framework. The POCs demonstrate that the Auto Microsite system is able to construct widget-based microsites. Furthermore, the framework is capable of constructing also more complex Web applications, with several pages and more content widgets, by adding new rules and templates

An Introduction to Programming for Bioscientists: A Python-based Primer

Computing has revolutionized the biological sciences over the past several decades, such that virtually all contemporary research in the biosciences utilizes computer programs. The computational advances have come on many fronts, spurred by fundamental developments in hardware, software, and algorithms. These advances have influenced, and even engendered, a phenomenal array of bioscience fields, including molecular evolution and bioinformatics; genome-, proteome-, transcriptome- and metabolome-wide experimental studies; structural genomics; and atomistic simulations of cellular-scale molecular assemblies as large as ribosomes and intact viruses. In short, much of post-genomic biology is increasingly becoming a form of computational biology. The ability to design and write computer programs is among the most indispensable skills that a modern researcher can cultivate. Python has become a popular programming language in the biosciences, largely because (i) its straightforward semantics and clean syntax make it a readily accessible first language; (ii) it is expressive and well-suited to object-oriented programming, as well as other modern paradigms; and (iii) the many available libraries and third-party toolkits extend the functionality of the core language into virtually every biological domain (sequence and structure analyses, phylogenomics, workflow management systems, etc.). This primer offers a basic introduction to coding, via Python, and it includes concrete examples and exercises to illustrate the language's usage and capabilities; the main text culminates with a final project in structural bioinformatics. A suite of Supplemental Chapters is also provided. Starting with basic concepts, such as that of a 'variable', the Chapters methodically advance the reader to the point of writing a graphical user interface to compute the Hamming distance between two DNA sequences.Comment: 65 pages total, including 45 pages text, 3 figures, 4 tables, numerous exercises, and 19 pages of Supporting Information; currently in press at PLOS Computational Biolog

Montessori Green School Initiative Mapping Project

The Montessori Green School Initiative Mapping Project, carried out for the Montessori School in Redlands, is one part of the Green School Initiative, which integrates efforts to reduce the school’s ecological footprint, helps create a healthier school environment, and gets the community thinking about solutions to sustainability problems. This mapping project is important because it helps the students in visualizing concepts via maps, which is a good way to involve children early in map reading skills and environmental awareness. This helps perpetuate the ecological movement of saving the planet. The Montessori School’s primary problem was the inability for the faculty, students, and parents to visualize the school’s twenty-six acres of data geographically. The school needed help implementing the initiative strategically, so analysis was an important part of their conservation objective and in determining and implementing some of the key areas of the Montessori’s Green School Initiative (GSI). The client required a system that combined environmental education with mapping and analysis techniques, while utilizing geographic information system (GIS) over the web. The categorized trees, campus, and usage data, as well as the carpool and “Safe Bike Bus” maps, supply their website with the information they need to help the environment. The resultant is the ability to edit the tree characteristics (category, type, size, health, diameter, and mineral deficiency), and the ability to update and analyze their utility and usage data over a web-based GIS system

Design and Development of Widgets for a Corporate Security Application

Aquest projecte es lliura com a Treball Final del Grau d'Enginyeria Informàtica de la Facultat d'Informàtica de Barcelona. L'objectiu és posar en pràctica els coneixements adquirits durant l'especialitat d'enginyeria del Software. El projecte consisteix a dissenyar i desenvolupar widgets per a una aplicació móvil corporativa de seguretat que permet als usuaris interaccionar amb una de les funcionalitats principals de la aplicació, sempre mantenint la perspectiva de la seguretat i la usabilitat.This project is delivered as the Bachelor Thesis of the Informatics Engineering Degree of the Barcelona Faculty of Computer Science. The objective is to put into practice the knowledge acquired during the Software engineering specialty. The project consists of designing and developing widgets for a corporate security mobile application that allows users to interact with one of the main functionalities of the application, always maintaining the perspective of security and usability