Some Properties of Metric Spaces

The study of metric spaces is closely related to the study of topology in that the study of metric spaces concerns itself, also, with sets of points and with a limit point concept based on a function which gives a "distance" between two points. In some topological spaces it is possible to define a distance function between points in such a way that a limit point of a set in the topological sense is also a limit point of the same set in a metric sense. In such a case the topological space is "metrizable". The real numbers with its usual topology is an example of a topological space which is metrizable, the distance function being the absolute value of the difference of two real numbers. Chapters II and III of this thesis attempt to classify, to a certain extent, what type of topological space is metrizable. Chapters IV and V deal with several properties of metric spaces and certain functions of metric spaces, respectively

Dynamics of collaborative work in global software development environment.

This study aims to explore the dynamics of collaborative work in global software development projects. The study explored the nature of collaboration, the patterns of collaborative behaviors in different tasks in computer science, and the impact of the tasks to the collaboration among students. Four different collaborative software development tasks were assigned to the globally distributes teams. The study used data from 230 students from five universities, namely Atilim University (Turkey), Middle East Technical University (Turkey), Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (Panama), University of North Texas (US), and Middlesex University (UK). The findings involve the recommendations for building effective collaborative working environments and guidelines for building collaborative virtual communities

Exploring collaboration patterns among global software development teams.

This study examines communication behaviors in global software student teams. The authors of the paper characterize the types of communication behaviors that occur when student teams are engaged in a software development project. The authors present findings from a one-semester study that examined factors contributing to successful distributed programming interactions among students enrolled at the University of Atilim (Turkey), Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, University of North Texas, and Middlesex University (UK). Using content and cluster analyses techniques, we identified distinct patterns of collaboration and examined how these patterns were associated with task, culture, GPA, and performance of collaborative teams. Our results suggest that communication patterns among global software learners may be related to task type, culture and GPA. It is hoped that these findings will lead to the development of new strategies for improving communication among global software teams

Using data analytics for collaboration patterns in distributed software team simulations: the role of dashboards in visualizing global software development patterns

This paper discusses how previous work on global software development learning teams is extended with the introduction of data analytics. The work is based on several years of studying student teams working in distributed software team simulations. The scope of this paper is twofold. First it demonstrates how data analytics can be used for the analysis of collaboration between members of distributed software teams. Second it describes the development of a dashboard to be used for the visualization of various types of information in relation to Global Software Development (GSD). Due to the nature of this work, and the need for continuous pilot studies, simulations of distributed software teams have been created with the participation of learners from a number of institutions. This paper discusses two pilot studies with the participation of six institutions from two different countries

Creating smarter teaching and training environments: innovative set-up for collaborative hybrid learning

This paper brings together previous work from a number of research projects and teaching initiatives in an effort to introduce good practice in setting up supportive environments for collaborative learning. The paper discusses prior use of social media in learning support, the role of dashboards for learning analytics in Global Software Development training, the use of optical head-mounted displays for feedback and the use of NodeXl visualization in managing distributed teams. The scope of the paper is to provide a structured approach in organizing the creation of smarter teaching and training environments and explore ways to coordinate learning scenarios with the use of various techniques. The paper also discusses challenges from integrating multiple innovative features in educational contexts. Finally the paper attempts to investigate the use of smart laboratories in establishing additional learning support and gather primary data from blended and hybrid learning pilot studies

Scene-Based Spectral Response Function Shape Discernibility for the APEX Imaging Spectrometer

Abstract-Scene-based spectrometer calibration is becoming increasingly interesting due to the decreasing cost of computing resources as compared with laboratory calibration costs. Three of the most important instrument parameters needed for deriving surface reflectance products are per-band bandwidths, i.e., full-width at half-maximum, band centers, and spectral response function (SRF) shape. Methods for scene-based bandwidth and band center retrieval based on curve matching in the spectral regions near well-known solar and atmospheric absorption features have been investigated with satisfying results. The goal of this work is to establish the feasibility of per-band SRF shape discernibility. To this end, at-sensor radiances in multiple application configurations have been modeled using Moderate-Resolution Atmospheric Transmission (MODTRAN) 4 configured for the currently being built Airborne Prism Experiment (APEX) imaging spectrometer in its unbinned configuration (i.e., optimized for spectral resolution). To establish SRF shape discernment feasibility, per-band MODTRAN 4 spectral "filter response function" files have been generated for five common theoretical shapes using APEX nominal bandwidth and band center specifications and are provided as MODTRAN 4 input for the instrument model. In several application configurations, the typically used Gaussian SRF is used as reference and compared with radiances resulting from hypothetical instruments based on the four other shapes to detect differences in selected spectral subsets or "windows" near well-known Fraunhofer features. A relative root-mean-square metric is used to show that discernment in some cases is directly feasible, and in others, feasible if noise reduction techniques (e.g., along-track averaging of homogeneous targets) are possible

The Challenges of International Computer-Supported Collaboration

This paper discusses results of a study analyzing how cultural factors affect the performance of distributed collaborative learning teams. Participants in the study included computer science students from the University of North Texas and students from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. The results indicate that a team's cultural attributes are a significant predictor of its performance on programming projects. Cultural attributes most strongly correlated to group performance were those associated with attitudes about organizational hierarchy, organizational harmony, trade-offs between future and current needs, and beliefs about the influence individuals have on their fate. The type of programming task affected the strength of the relationship between culture and performance. These results may provide distance-learning programs a way to identify at-risk work teams

A Case Study of Student Software Using Computer-Supported Software

This article discusses a case study of an on-going project to investigate how the performance of global software teams may be affected by cultural factors. Participants in the study included computer science students from the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas and students from the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. Students were divided into culturally diverse work-teams and assigned collaborative software development projects. Cultural distinctions between work-teams were based upon the students' responses to the Cultural Perspectives Questionnaire (CPQ) developed by Maznevski, et al. [12]. Completed projects were evaluated with respect to several criteria, such as whether objectives were met, design efficiency and documentation completeness. Results from the study indicate that a work-team's cultural composition is a predictor of a work-team's performance. These and other questions are being addressed in our next round of studies

Texas Business Review, December 1993

Race or Ethnicity of Householder by Household Income, 1979 and 1989; The Demographic Heart of Texas, 1850-1990Bureau of Business Researc