The Offset Filtration of Convex Objects

We consider offsets of a union of convex objects. We aim for a filtration, a sequence of nested simplicial complexes, that captures the topological evolution of the offsets for increasing radii. We describe methods to compute a filtration based on the Voronoi partition with respect to the given convex objects. The size of the filtration and the time complexity for computing it are proportional to the size of the Voronoi diagram and its time complexity, respectively. Our approach is inspired by alpha-complexes for point sets, but requires more involved machinery and analysis primarily since Voronoi regions of general convex objects do not form a good cover. We show by experiments that our approach results in a similarly fast and topologically more stable method for computing a filtration compared to approximating the input by a point sample

Incorporating Kahoot! in core engineering courses: student engagement and performance

Technology-enriched lessons can contribute to improving student engagement and learning in engineering courses. In this study we systematically incorporated Kahoot!, a game-based response system, in two mandatory content-intensive undergraduate engineering courses. In both courses, short quizzes were incorporated regularly at the beginning of the lesson. The questions were mostly about concepts, and students earned bonus points. At the end of the course, the students filled in an anonymous survey regarding their perceptions of the Kahoot! part of the lessons. In addition, the students’ grades in the final test were compared to their gains in the Kahoot! quizzes. We found that student satisfaction with the systematic incorporation of the Kahoot! quizzes was high in both courses. Most students were motivated to review the course content before class and about half were motivated to attend class. Most students perceived Kahoot! quizzes as contributing to their understanding of the course content. We also found a positive association between student success in the quizzes and their performance in the final exam in both courses. The frequent Kahoot! quizzes supplied continuous feedback to the students and lecturers, and the students became more engaged in the course content. Our findings indicate that technologyenriched strategies, specifically gamification techniques, contribute to increased student engagement, motivation, and performance in content-intensive engineering coursesPeer Reviewe

Morphological Analysis of the Qur’an

We present a computational system for morphological analysis and an-notation of the Qur’an, for research and teaching purposes. The system facil-itates a variety of queries on the Qur’anic text that make reference not only to the words but also to their linguistic attributes. The core of the system is a set of finite-state based rules which describe the morpho-phonological and morpho-syntactic phenomena of the Qur’anic language. Using a finite-state toolbox we apply the rules to the Qur’anic text and obtain full morphological analysis of its words. The results of the analysis are stored in an efficient database and are accessed through a graphical user interface which facili-tates the presentation of complex queries. The system is currently being used for teaching and research purposes; we exemplify its usefulness for investi-gating several morphological, syntactic, semantic and stylistic aspects of the Qur’anic text. 2