Educational software engineering models: evaluating educational software

This paper presents the overall evaluation of the Quantitative Evaluation Framework (QEF) approach which has been applied in an operational teaching environment for the last six years. During this period we have evaluated the difference between educational software systems that were developed using the Techno Didactical Extension for Instruction/Learning Based on Computer (X-TEC) model and educational software systems using other models. The X-TEC model is used in the development of educational software in order to strengthen the potential quality of e-Learning systems. We selected the QEF approach for this evaluation to highlight the strengths and limitations of the X-TEC model. We adapted the approach in a way that the essential criteria are assessed in a pre-evaluation phase which will cover the general usage requirements. In this research project we conduct experiments with groups of students and teachers in Multimedia Information Systems classes of Oporto Polytechnic, to examine the influence of training in an instructional system design approach on their attitude to re-use this approach, and on their performances in design, using this approach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Automatic cataloguing of Web resources on a personalized taxonomy

Information overload is a major concerns retrieval systems face. Information is ubiquitous, available from many distinct sources and the main issue is to get just the right piece of information that might satisfy our specific needs. Many of these sources organize their informational resources on a given ontology. However, these ontologies are static and do not allow for personalization. This fact degrades the value of the service if there is no easy mental mapping between user specific needs and the general source ontology. Organizing informational resources according to particular needs might increase users’ satisfaction and save their time. In this paper we present a methodology to filter and organize informational resources according to users’ interests, thus granting users with a personalized edition of the resource, especially tailored towards their specific needs. We believe that this methodology may be applied in educational scenarios, where we have a repository of educational objects that are organized according to specific objectives, automatically producing specific courseware. Our experimental results confirm that it is possible to automatically personalize document resources with high precision at a reduced editor workload.This work is supported by the POSC/EIA/58367/2004/Site-o-Matic Project (Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia), FEDER e Programa de Financiamento Plurianual de Unidades de I & D. We would like to thank the Expresso newspaper for their support throughout this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quantitative evaluation framework of the X-TEC model

This paper outlines the way in which the X-TEC (Techno-Didactical Extension for Instruction/Learning Based on Computer) model is used in the development of educational software in order to strengthen the potential quality of e-Learning systems. The aim of the present paper is to describe the deployment phases of the X-TEC model and its global evaluation. For the evaluation of our educational software systems based on X_TEC model we propose a generic quantitative evaluation framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

QEF - Quantitative Evaluation Framework: evaluating educational software

In this paper we propose a Framework QEF (Quantitative Evaluation Framework) to evaluate educational software systems built with X-TEC (Techno-Didactical Extension for Instruction/Learning Based on Computer) model, in order to validate and strengthen the potential quality of eLearning systems. The Quantitative Evaluation Framework evaluates the Educational software quality on a three dimensional space. Each dimension aggregates a set of factors. A given factor is a component that represents the system performance from a particular point of view. The quality of a given system is defined in a tridimensional Cartesian quality space and measured, in percentage, relatively to a hypothetically ideal system, represented in our quality space.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

X-TEC: a new development model for educational software

In this paper we propose a new development model for Educational Software called X-TEC. It is based on the paradigms of software engineering applied to the construction of educational software. This model allows educational software developers to reduce the gap between instructional design and technical development. Our approach presents two overlapping extensions: the instructional model and the learning environment. The instructional model will be related to the instructor/educational software and the learning environment will be associated with the student/educational software. The X-TEC model promotes the interaction between these two extensions, allowing the deployment of a common development platform.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A new development model for educational software

In this paper we propose a new development model for Educational Software called X-TEC. It is based on the paradigms of software engineering applied to the construction of educational software. This model allows educational software developers to reduce the gap between instructional design and technical development. Our approach presents two overlapping extensions: the instructional model and the learning environment. The instructional model will be related to the instructor/educational software and the learning environment will be associated with the student/educational software. The X-TEC model promotes the interaction between these two extensions, allowing the deployment of a common development platform.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developing undergraduate projects in multinational teams to enhance employability

Our society is experiencing sudden changes in work organization in part due to the growing ease with which people can collaborate. Many successful cases of peer-to-peer models of organization arise and assume leading positions in world economy replacing, in many cases, the traditional hierarchical organization. People are evolving and interacting within heterogeneous teams composed by members from many different cultural groups and with distinct skills and backgrounds. Modern economy requires engineers to excel in collaborative and communication skills at an international setting. However, these competences are not usually addressed in most engineering curricula. We believe that in such a demanding and culturally diverse environment as the labour market is today, it is essential to promote team work and communication skills at an international and intercultural level. In the Multinational Undergraduate Team Work course, MUTW, students develop their capstone project as members of an international team while working at their home institutions. MUTW projects are to be developed by teams of final-year-undergraduate students from a multinational group of higher education institutions working to solve some engineering problem. Team members are geographically spread to assure heterogeneous teams and to promote international cooperation. This paradigm can be applied in any project/internship course unit. The results from the first edition are very encouraging supporting our initial hypothesis that MUTW significantly promotes students soft skills without requiring any change to prior degree curricula.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Virtual sign translator

In this paper authors present the overall study that includes the model developed (VS Model) and the experiences performed, with an automatic bidirectional sign language translator, between written and sign language, which is being supervised by the research group GILT (Graphics, interaction & learning technologies) under the frame of a national project called Virtual Sign (VS project). This project aims to develop and evaluate a model that facilitates access for the deaf and hearing impaired to digital content - in particular the educational content and learning objects - creating the conditions for greater social inclusion of deaf and hearing impaired people. Access to digital content will be supported by an automatic translator between Portuguese Writing (LEP) and Portuguese Sign Language (LGP) supported by an interaction model.FCT - Projeto VirtualSign - Ref. PTDC/CPE-CED/121878/201

Using games to make the process of learning sign language enjoyable and interactive

Conferência realizada em Wellington, na Nova Zelândia, de 8-10 de dezembro de 2014The work presented in this paper consists in the development of a game to make the process of learning sign language enjoyable and interactive. In this game the player controls a character that interacts with various objects and non-player characters with the aim of collecting several gestures from the Portuguese Sign Language. This interaction is supported by data gloves and Kinect. These gestures can then be represented by the character. This allows the user to visualize and learn or train the various existing gestures. To improve the interactivity and to make the game more interesting and motivating, several checkpoints were placed along game levels. This will provide the players a chance to test the knowledge they have acquired so far on the checkpoints by performing the signs using Kinect. A High Scores system was also created as well as a history to ensure that the game is a continuous motivating process as well as a learning process

Virtual sign : a real time bidirectional translator of portuguese sign language

Promoting equity, equal opportunities to all and social inclusion of people with disabilities is a concern of modern societies at large and a key topic in the agenda of European Higher Education. Despite all the progress, we cannot ignore the fact that the conditions provided by the society for the deaf are still far from being perfect. The communication with deaf by means of written text is not as efficient as it might seem at first. In fact, there is a very deep gap between sign language and spoken/written language. The vocabulary, the sentence construction and the grammatical rules are quite different among these two worlds. These facts bring significant difficulties in reading and understanding the meaning of text for deaf people and, on the other hand, make it quite difficult for people with no hearing disabilities to understand sign language. The deployment of tools to assist the daily communication, in schools, in public services, in museums and other, between deaf people and the rest may be a significant contribution to the social inclusion of the deaf community. The work described in this paper addresses the development of a bidirectional translator between Portuguese Sign Language and Portuguese text. The translator from sign language to text resorts to two devices, namely the Microsoft Kinect and 5DT Sensor Gloves in order to gather data about the motion and shape of the hands. The hands configurations are classified using Support Vector Machines. The classification of the movement and orientation of the hands are achieved through the use of Dynamic Time Warping algorithm. The translator exhibits a precision higher than 90%. In the other direction, the translation of Portuguese text to Portuguese Sign Language is supported by a 3D avatar which interprets the entered text and performs the corresponding animations