Integrating DGSs and GATPs in an Adaptative and Collaborative Blended-Learning Web-Environment

The area of geometry with its very strong and appealing visual contents and its also strong and appealing connection between the visual content and its formal specification, is an area where computational tools can enhance, in a significant way, the learning environments. The dynamic geometry software systems (DGSs) can be used to explore the visual contents of geometry. This already mature tools allows an easy construction of geometric figures build from free objects and elementary constructions. The geometric automated theorem provers (GATPs) allows formal deductive reasoning about geometric constructions, extending the reasoning via concrete instances in a given model to formal deductive reasoning in a geometric theory. An adaptative and collaborative blended-learning environment where the DGS and GATP features could be fully explored would be, in our opinion a very rich and challenging learning environment for teachers and students. In this text we will describe the Web Geometry Laboratory a Web environment incorporating a DGS and a repository of geometric problems, that can be used in a synchronous and asynchronous fashion and with some adaptative and collaborative features. As future work we want to enhance the adaptative and collaborative aspects of the environment and also to incorporate a GATP, constructing a dynamic and individualised learning environment for geometry.Comment: In Proceedings THedu'11, arXiv:1202.453

Integrating Security into the Undergraduate Software Engineering Curriculum

This research included a thorough examination of the existing software assurance or what is commonly called software security knowledge, methodologies and what information security technologies is currently being recommended by the information technology community. Finally it is demonstrated how this security knowledge could be incorporated into the curriculum for undergraduate software engineering

Addressing data management training needs: a practice based approach from the UK

In this paper, we describe the current challenges to the effective management and preservation of research data in UK universities, and the response provided by the JISC Managing Research Data programme. This paper will discuss, inter alia, the findings and conclusions from data management training projects of the first iteration of the programme and how they informed the design of the second, paying particular attention to initiatives to develop and embed training materials

Evaluation of the game development process of a location-based mobile game

There is a growing interest of government bodies and NGOs in using (serious) video games in awareness campaigns. Until now, however, little was known on how to set up such a campaign so as to effectively cater to the needs of different stakeholders including the target audience. Hence designing, developing and translating a game for educational purposes whilst balancing between fun and learning is a complex process, this paper aims to evaluate this by presenting a methodological framework for involving stakeholders in the design and development of a game-based awareness campaign based on a user-centered software design methodology and assesses its effectiveness in a concrete use case: the development of the location-based mobile game City Jam. The goal was to develop a game-based road safety campaign to confront adolescents with road traffic situations with the aim to positively influence road safety attitude and behavior. Mobile technologies offer new opportunities to embed digital game based learning by in different contexts. Given the nature of the road safety campaign, a location-based game format was chosen, aiming to facilitate learning by means of an extended three-way interaction (human interaction, game and context). Different user-centered design methods were deployed throughout several phases of the game development process: In phase one (the opportunity identification) a literature review was performed to investigate relevant fields for the game’s goal. In phase two (the game concept development) expert interviews and a focus groups were conducted with relevant stakeholders and in phase three (the game concept design) co-design sessions and a focus group resulted in a game design document. In phase four (game development and testing) the beta version of City jam was developed and tested in an iterative field testing design and resulted in the final game. Results obtained throughout the game development process provided us the opportunity to evaluate several major aspects. Firstly the impact of stakeholder involvement on the different phases of the design process and the final product resulted in a game that was tailored to the preferences and needs of the target group. Secondly translating the game concept into practice, such as game elements, proposed educational game elements, were evaluated based on the usability, playability principles and social and technological aspects. Benefits and challenges of user-centered design methods are discussed and how budget constraints and differing desired outcomes of different stakeholders challenge but also enrich the process

PRISE: An Integrated Platform for Research and Teaching of Critical Embedded Systems

In this paper, we present PRISE, an integrated workbench for Research and Teaching of critical embedded systems at ISAE, the French Institute for Space and Aeronautics Engineering. PRISE is built around state-of-the-art technologies for the engineering of space and avionics systems used in Space and Avionics domain. It aims at demonstrating key aspects of critical, real-time, embedded systems used in the transport industry, but also validating new scientific contributions for the engineering of software functions. PRISE combines embedded and simulation platforms, and modeling tools. This platform is available for both research and teaching. Being built around widely used commercial and open source software; PRISE aims at being a reference platform for our teaching and research activities at ISAE

Towards a deep reinforcement learning integration into model-based systems engineering

The integration of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a promising approach that can lead to significant benefits for system designers and developers. DRL is a branch of machine learning where an agent learns to make decisions by interacting with an environment, receiving feedback in the form of rewards or punishments that indicate the quality of its actions, and adjusting its decision-making policy to maximize the cumulative reward over time. MBSE provides a structured approach to system design, which can help to clarify system requirements, identify potential issues, and improve the overall efficiency of the system development process. This model-based approach can be particularly useful for DRL, which requires a clear understanding of the system environment and objectives to develop the system’s behavior. We propose a method for integrating DRL into MBSE, where the desired system behavior is defined in a model-based representation using a modeling language to describe the relevant design components for DRL. The method's model framework is applied and evaluated to an example use case using SysML as the modeling language. This integration enables system designers to use DRL with the benefits and support of MBSE

The Automation of BIM for Project Information Formation, Creation, Verification and Validation: a Visual Programming Approach.

introduction of BIM technologies in the AEC Industry have been identified as an advantageous tool in the production of accurate Project Information. However, these technologies have also changed the dynamic of existing office structures within the Architectural Sector of the AEC Industry and introduced new technological barriers. The objective of this paper was to identify barriers present within the AEC Industry that were a result of the introduction of BIM Technologies. The Author then, through a mixed methodology, proposed a solution to these barriers in the form of an Automated Taxonomy that would allow for the Formation, Creation, Verification and Validation of Project Information in a BIM Model through a common file format single source datasets and Visual Programming Language. The Author then critically appraised this Automated Taxonomy within the Architectural Sector of AEC Industry through stakeholder interviews and 4th generation evaluation. The results of this paper found that an Automated Taxonomy, such as the one described above, could be used to accurately create BIM Model elements, and verify and validate said Model elements at a later date, publishing the results back to the single source dataset. Through the interview process, the Author came to the conclusion that such an Automated Taxonomy could be of benefit to the AEC Industry in breaking down Technological Barriers created through the introduction of complex modern BIM Technologies