Semantic Web Technologies for the Integration of Learning Tools and Context-Aware Educational Services

Abstract. One of the main software engineers ’ competencies, solving software problems, is most effectively acquired through an active examination of learn-ing resources and work on real-world examples in small development teams. This obviously indicates a need for an integration of several existing learning tools and systems in a common collaborative learning environment, as well as advanced educational services that provide students with right in time advice about learning resources and possible collaboration partners. In this paper, we present how we developed and applied a common ontological foundation for the integration of different existing learning tools and systems in a common learning environment called DEPTHS (Design Patterns Teaching Help System). In addition, we present a set of educational services that leverages semantic rich representation of learning resources and students ’ interaction data to recom-mend resource relevant for students ’ current learning context

Formal foundation for pattern-based modelling

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00593-0_19Proceedings of 12th International Conference, FASE 2009, Held as Part of the Joint European Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2009, York, UK, March 22-29, 2009.We present a new visual and formal approach to the specification of patterns, supporting pattern analysis and pattern-based model completion. The approach is based on graphs, morphisms and operations from category theory and exploits triple graphs to annotate model elements with pattern roles. Novel in our proposal is the possibility of describing (nested) variable submodels, as well as inter-pattern synchronization across several diagrams (e.g. class and sequence diagrams for UML design patterns). We illustrate the approach on UML design patterns, and discuss its generality and applicability on different types of patterns, e.g. workflow patterns using Coloured Petri nets.Work supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, projects METEORIC (TIN 2008-02081) and MODUWEB (TIN 2006-09678). We thank the referees for their insightful and detailed comment