A collaborative citizen science platform for real-time volunteer computing and games

Volunteer computing (VC) or distributed computing projects are common in the citizen cyberscience (CCS) community and present extensive opportunities for scientists to make use of computing power donated by volunteers to undertake large-scale scientific computing tasks. Volunteer computing is generally a non-interactive process for those contributing computing resources to a project whereas volunteer thinking (VT) or distributed thinking, which allows volunteers to participate interactively in citizen cyberscience projects to solve human computation tasks. In this paper we describe the integration of three tools, the Virtual Atom Smasher (VAS) game developed by CERN, LiveQ, a job distribution middleware, and CitizenGrid, an online platform for hosting and providing computation to CCS projects. This integration demonstrates the combining of volunteer computing and volunteer thinking to help address the scientific and educational goals of games like VAS. The paper introduces the three tools and provides details of the integration process along with further potential usage scenarios for the resulting platform.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure

The Group Methodology of Using Cloud Technologies in the Training of Future Computer Science Teachers

The development of cloud computing resources and their implementation in university education require an increase in the ICT-competence of future computer science teachers. The article considers the use of project method as an effective tool of encouraging students’ cooperation while solving practical problems and as a means of developing their essential professional skills. The following pedagogical approaches and techniques were used: partnership of group members, development of group work skills, heterogeneous grouping, combined use of individual and peer assessment, teacher’s monitoring of the students’ work, focus on the task and group work skills, chance for every member to be a leader, essential feedback. The authors suggest using private and public cloud technologies to support the implementation of group methodology in the teaching process. One of such technologies is academic cloud based on the Apache CloudStack platform. This cloud environment is deployed in Physics and Mathematics Department of Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University. The suggested method has been verified experimentally by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test

Холістичний підхід до підготовки ІКТ-компетентних педагогічних кадрів

The article intends to explore and estimate the possible pedagogical advantages and potential of cloud computing technology application with aim to increase organizational level, availability and quality of ICT-based learning tools and re-sources. Holistic model of a specialist is proposed and the problems of development of a system of methodological and technological support for elaboration of cloud-based learning environment of educational institution are considered.Cтаття присвячена аналізу і оцінці можливих педагогічних переваг і потенціалу застосування технології хмарних обчислень з метою підвищення організаційного рівня, доступності і якості засобів та ресурсів ІКТ-орієнтованого навчання. Запропонована холістична модель фахівця та висвітлено проблеми розвитку системи методичного та технологічного підтримування процесів розгортання хмаро-орієнтованого навчального середовища освітньої установи