Migrating to GraphQL: A Practical Assessment

GraphQL is a novel query language proposed by Facebook to implement Web-based APIs. In this paper, we present a practical study on migrating API clients to this new technology. First, we conduct a grey literature review to gain an in-depth understanding on the benefits and key characteristics normally associated to GraphQL by practitioners. After that, we assess such benefits in practice, by migrating seven systems to use GraphQL, instead of standard REST-based APIs. As our key result, we show that GraphQL can reduce the size of the JSON documents returned by REST APIs in 94% (in number of fields) and in 99% (in number of bytes), both median results.Comment: 11 pages. Accepted at 26th International Conference on Software Analysis, Evolution and Reengineerin

Teaching Innovation in Interdisciplinary Environments: Toward a Design Thinking Syllabus

An increasing number of universities offer user-centric innovation courses based on the principles of design thinking. Lecturers combine a plethora of design thinking elements in design thinking course syllabi and thereby adopt teaching styles that range from autonomy-supportive to structured. Using a balance between these two teaching styles seems most suitable to optimally engage students and provide guidance through the innovation process. To develop a syllabus for innovation courses, we draw on best practices currently being undertaken in universities worldwide and examine 11 design thinking syllabi from different departments (Engineering, Design, Business, and Information Systems). We identify 17 common and 18 unique elements of design thinking courses and related course materials. Based on our results, we propose a design thinking syllabus that includes suggestions for course objectives, course setup, assignment design, and team composition using a balance between autonomous-support and structural teaching styles

Obfuscation and anonymization methods for locational privacy protection : a systematic literature review

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial TechnologiesThe mobile technology development combined with the business model of a majority of application companies is posing a potential risk to individuals’ privacy. Because the industry default practice is unrestricted data collection. Although, the data collection has virtuous usage in improve services and procedures; it also undermines user’s privacy. For that reason is crucial to learn what is the privacy protection mechanism state-of-art. Privacy protection can be pursued by passing new regulation and developing preserving mechanism. Understanding in what extent the current technology is capable to protect devices or systems is important to drive the advancements in the privacy preserving field, addressing the limits and challenges to deploy mechanism with a reasonable quality of Service-QoS level. This research aims to display and discuss the current privacy preserving schemes, its capabilities, limitations and challenges

Multimedia artefacts and teaching-learning experiences relating to Summative Assessment Feedback (SAF) and student overall satisfaction

This exploratory intervention study presents a broad mapping of nursing students’ and lecturers’ opinions of different mediating multimedia artefacts (MMAs: online-written, audio and video), before and after the new artefacts introduction (intervention), about their teaching-learning experiences through Summative Assessment Feedback (SAF) effectiveness, efficiency, and transformation motives for their satisfaction. The study applied a mixed method of quasi-experimental design with an intervention, evaluated via an institution-wide student survey, followed by interviews with students and lecturers. Before the interventions, students’ unfamiliarity with audio and video artefacts in SAF leads them to prefer online-written artefact in the School. Statistical analysis of goals (variables) show that while easy access, usefulness, professionalism, mobile learning, clarity, and personalisation were the most popular for the use of online-written artefact in SAF respectively; the goals of “faster to learn, easier to remember, paying more attention and providing more information” were more popular for the video artefact. The audio artefact consistently ranked the lowest choice amongst students. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences for video artefact potential to improve student satisfaction in SAF amongst all goals. Following the MMAs’ actual use in summative OSCE assessment feedback, the students express their preference for the video artefact over online-written and audio. Lecturers suggest “seeing is believing” in OSCE assessment feedback. Therefore, visually salient online-written and video artefacts are perceived as more beneficial than audio for their students. Yet, as they propose SAF in essay types require “seeing in detail is believing”, they argue for contextualisation of different assessment types. Furthermore, video artefact in OSCE feedback provides better guidance, motivation, and important points with wider summaries, whereas online-written artefact facilitates detailed error corrections, standardisation, and justifying grades through linking rubrics. Nonetheless, these choices are affected by assessment rules, division of labour and software design elements, according to the CHAT-informed interviews with lecturers