2,322 research outputs found
App creation in schools for different curricula subjects - lesson learned
The next generation of jobs will be characterized by an increased demand for
people with computational and problem solving skills. In Austria, computer
science topics are underrepresented in school curricula hence teaching time for
these topics is limited. From primary through secondary school, only a few
opportunities exist for young students to explore programming. Furthermore,
today's teachers are rarely trained in computer science, which impairs their
potential to motivate students in these courses. Within the "No One Left
Behind" (NOLB) project, teachers were supported to guide and assist their
students in their learning processes by constructing ideas through game making.
Thus, students created games that referred to different subject areas by using
the programming tool Pocket Code, an app developed at Graz University of
Technology (TU-Graz). This tool helps students to take control of their own
education, becoming more engaged, interested, and empowered as a result. To
ensure an optimal integration of the app in diverse subjects the different
backgrounds (technical and non-technical) of teachers must be considered as
well. First, teachers were supported to use Pocket Code in the different
subjects in school within the feasibility study of the project. Observed
challenges and difficulties using the app have been gathered. Second, we
conducted interviews with teachers and students to underpin our onsite
observations. As a result, it was possible to validate Pocket Codes' potential
to be used in a diverse range of subjects. Third, we focused especially on
those teachers who were not technically trained to provide them with a
framework for Pocket Code units, e.g., with the help of structured lesson plans
and predefined templates.Comment: 10 pages, 5 tables EduLearn 201
Ballistic propagation of density correlations and excess wall forces in quenched granular media
We investigate a granular gas in a shaken quasi-two-dimensional box in
molecular dynamics computer simulations. After a sudden change (quench) of the
shaking amplitude, transient density correlations are observed orders of
magnitude beyond the steady-state correlation length scale. Propagation of the
correlations is ballistic, in contrast to recently investigated quenches of
Brownian particles that show diffusive propagation [Rohwer et al., Phys. Rev.
Lett., 118, 015702 (2017), Rohwer et al., Phys. Rev. E, 97, 032125 (2018)]. At
sufficiently strong cooling of the fluid the effect is overlaid by clustering
instability of the homogeneous cooling state with different scaling behavior.
We are able to identify different quench regimes. In each regime correlations
exhibit remarkably universal position dependence. In simulations performed with
side walls we find confinement effects for temperature and pressure in
steady-state simulations, and an additional transient wall pressure
contribution upon changing the shaking amplitude. The transient contribution is
ascribed to enhanced relaxation of the fluid in the presence of walls. From
incompatible scaling behavior we conclude that the observed effects with and
without side walls constitute distinct phenomena.Comment: 12 pages 11 figure
Efficacy of recommended drugs against soil transmitted helminths: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Objective To evaluate efficacies of anthelmintic drugs against soil transmitted helminths in terms of cure rates and egg reduction rates.Design Systematic review and network meta-analysis.Data Sources PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, the Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, and the World Health Organization library database from 1960 until 31 December 2016.Study selection Randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of a single dose regimen of albendazole, mebendazole, levamisole, and pyrantel pamoate against Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) and Trichuris trichiura. The primary outcomes included cure rates analysed by network meta-analysis with mixed logistic regression models and egg reduction rates with mixed linear models.Results 55 and 46 randomised controlled trials were included in the analysis of cure rates and egg reduction rates, respectively. All drugs were highly efficacious against A lumbricoides Albendazole showed the highest efficacy against hookworm infections with a cure rate of 79.5% (95% confidence interval 71.5% to 85.6%) and an egg reduction rate of 89.6% (81.9% to 97.3%). All drugs had low efficacy against T trichiura, with mebendazole showing the highest cure rate of 42.1% (25.9% to 60.2%) and egg reduction rate of 66.0% (54.6% to 77.3%). Estimates for the years 1995 and 2015 showed significant reductions in efficacy of albendazole against T trichiura: by 2015 the egg reduction rates fell from 72.6% (53.7% to 91.5%) to 43.4% (23.5% to 63.3%; P=0.049) and the cure rates fell from 38.6% (26.2% to 52.7%) to 16.4 (7.7% to 31.3%; P=0.027).Conclusions All four currently recommended drugs show limitations in their efficacy profile. While only albendazole showed good efficacy against hookworm infection, all drugs had low efficacy against T trichiura The decrease in efficacy of albendazole against T trichiura over the past two decades is of concern. The findings indicate the need for strengthening efforts to develop new drug treatments, with a particular focus on drugs against T trichiura
Calculation of the Electric Field below Hybrid Overhead Lines
The demand for increased transmission capacities in Germany will be covered in part by high voltage direct current (HVDC) lines. In order to reduce the need for new corridors, hybrid systems with AC and DC circuits together on the same tower are planned. Therefore, the characteristics of such arrangements need to be studied. In the first part of this paper, electromagnetic coupling mechanisms between overhead lines are summarized. Next, the method of image charges as a way to calculate the electric field around overhead lines is presented. The method is then used to analyze the electric field on ground level below three different hybrid line configurations
Engaging Students in Open Source: Establishing FOSS Development at a University
Open source is widely used for educational purposes in higher education around the world. While many educators use open source resources for teaching, there seems to be few contributions to such projects of students as part of their university courses. In this work we present our experience on establishing open source development from student contributors as part of their university curriculum. Since 2010 more than 300 students from Graz University of Technology have been involved in the presented Catrobat project and have gained knowledge about agile software development as well as several related domains, e.g., project management, marketing, or graphical design. In this paper we provide detailed insights into the project’s organization and evaluate in a study how students feel in this setting. As we conclude, bringing open source to university courses is an effective practical approach based on social learning and provides benefits for students and researchers
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