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Contribution: This article features a systematic literature review with the objective of presenting a study that reflects the current scenario of research on the cognitive load theory (CLT) in the domain of teaching and learning computer programming. Background: Computer programming is a highly cognitive skill, requiring mastering multiple competencies, and recognized as being difficult to learn, for this reason, the cognitive load (CL) in the learner’s working memory emerged as an influential concept, making CLT one of the most common theories in computing education research. Research Questions: What are the approaches that relate CLT to teaching and learning computer programming? What CLT-related concepts are covered? What evidence is reported with respect to this context? Methodology: Following a formal protocol, a survey was performed for papers linking CLT to teaching and learning programming published between 2010 and 2020. The selection of papers was based on a set of criteria established to drive the selection process, including alignment with the research questions and paper quality assessment. Findings: The approaches applied in the papers are based on measuring the CL; through instructional design based on the development or use of resources or tools, a range of different pedagogy strategies and the CLT concepts. With respect to the concepts, the subjective measurement technique and worked example effect are the most commonly deployed. As far as the evidence reported, the better part is related to the worked example effect and measuring CLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution: A systematic literature review on the empirical evidence regarding the usage of programming languages for learning purposes is presented. The review analyzes different methods and tools at different educational levels and with different objectives. Background: Learning programming has gained relevance in the last decade. This is due to the massive presence of programmable elements ranging from computers to toys. Because of this, the interest of researchers on this topic has increased. Questions, such as what to use, in what educational stages to use it, the effectiveness of the method, and the focal objectives for learning programming are questions that do not have obvious answers. Research Questions: 1) What empirical evidence exists on the use of educational programming languages (EPLs)? 2) In what context is the research performed? 3) How is effectiveness reported in the literature after applying EPLs? 4) What pedagogical goals are achieved by using EPLs? Methodology: Following a formal protocol, automated searches were performed for primary studies from 2007 to 2018. A total of 62 studies were identified, of which 29 were selected and analyzed since they include some type of empirical evidence. Findings: After performing the evaluation, the results support the need for better approaches with empirical evidence when reporting research on the usage of EPLs. Some research opportunities are identified which concerns the used programming languages, the areas or stages of their application, or the need to have more empirical evidence in general and more studies in non-WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution: This study uncovered specific benefits, challenges, and facilitators to participating in undergraduate research for physically disabled students (PDSs) taken directly from students themselves. Background: Disabled students (DSs) earn bachelor’s degrees and gain employment in STEM careers at rates lower than their peers. The paradigm shift in undergraduate STEM education from lecture-based to inquiry-based learning is an opportunity to explore new options for including DSs. Little is known about designing inquiry-based learning settings for DSs. Research Question: This article seeks to increase the understanding of how to support PDSs in inquiry-based settings. Specifically, the authors documented the experiences of PDS in a summer undergraduate research program to uncover: 1) benefits they receive from participating; 2) specific challenges these students face; and 3) novel ways to facilitate participation. Methodology: The authors conducted semistructured interviews of five undergraduate PDS, who participated in a summer research program. The paper reports representative student responses across themes related to benefits, challenges, and facilitators of success in the program. Findings: The students enjoyed many benefits typically gained from undergraduate research, most notably career clarification. Additionally, the students experienced personal growth, including improved self-advocacy, increased confidence in their independence, and greater understanding of limitations. The main facilitator was the positive attitudes of research mentors. A principal challenge was the lack of knowledge about disability in peers without disabilities who participated in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing complexity of the new breed of distributed intelligent systems, such as the Internet of Things, which require a diversity of languages and protocols, can only be tamed with design and programming best practices. Interest is also growing for including the human factor, as advocated by the ambient intelligence (AmI) research field, whose focus is on transparently and intelligently supporting people. These new design methodologies are increasingly needed in the toolbox of new electronic and computer engineers, and teaching strategies should be devised that allow students to acquire a systems-level view instead of getting lost in technology-oriented approaches. This paper describes a study carried out over two academic years, in a course in AmI at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. In the course, a project-based learning approach was adopted, in which students design and prototype an AmI system, and their progress is closely monitored throughout the semester. This paper presents the learning goals and teaching strategies, analyzes the learning outcomes from the qualitative and quantitative points of view, and highlights the lessons learned in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a network security laboratory to teach data analysis for detecting TCP/IP covert channels. The laboratory is mainly designed for students of electrical engineering, but is open to students of other technical disciplines with similar background. Covert channels provide a method for leaking data from protected systems, which is a major concern for big enterprises and governments. The inclusion of covert channels in the curricula of network security students and network data analysts is therefore considered a valuable extension. In the lab exercises presented, students learn how covert channels in TCP/IP network traffic can be hidden and detected. Since the detection of covert channels requires an in-depth understanding of protocol standards and typical behavior of TCP/IP flows, the lab also provides a “playground” in which students can deepen their communication networks knowledge. Students learn how to use and interpret statistical analysis to discover abnormal patterns and footprints in network data. They are also trained to deal with noisy scenarios that increase ambiguity and uncertainty. The laboratory was first implemented during the winter semester 2014 with a class of 18 students at TU Wien, Austria. This experience showed that students consolidated the targeted skills as well as increased their interest in the topics explored. All exercises and datasets for the introduced “Network Security Advanced” lab are made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new educational simulation tool designed for the generic study of wireless networks, the Wireless Fidelity Simulator (WiFiSim), is presented in this paper. The goal of this work was to create and implement a didactic tool to improve the teaching and learning of computer networks by means of two complementary strategies: simulating the behavior and performance of communication protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 standard widely studied in networking courses, and providing with improved scope and realism for students engaged in wireless network design and modeling. The educational interest of this tool lies in the realism of the simulation, which provides a high level of interactivity and visual information through a highly configurable graphic user interface, as well as highly intuitive and easy-to-interpret graphic results. This educational tool was tested by computer networking teachers, students, and professionals. The experience demonstrated the effectiveness of the software and resulted in a significant improvement in the students' practical work, leading to enhanced learning and consolidation of theoretical concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer networks courses are hard to teach as there are many details in the protocols and techniques involved that are difficult to grasp. Employing programming assignments as part of the course helps students to obtain a better understanding and gain further insight into the theoretical lectures. In this paper, the Partov simulation engine and experience using this engine in a computer networks course are discussed. Since 2009, various programming assignments based on the Partov system have been set to help students in their learning process. Student feedback has been very good; this has been quantified in two surveys in which a majority of students expressed their satisfaction with this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Automation of power systems is gaining momentum across the world, and there is a need to expose graduate and undergraduate students to the latest developments in hardware, software, and related protocols for power automation. This paper presents the design, development, and commissioning of an automation lab to facilitate the understanding of substation automation (SA). The laboratory has relay intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) that support IEC 61850 protocol, a universal secondary test kit for testing the relays, a protocol converter that can be programmed and can handle a large number of power automation protocols, a Global Positioning Systems (GPS) clock for time synchronization, and all related software. In this paper, the retrofitting of the latest relay IEDs with the existing control center software has been demonstrated. The commissioning process and the experimental setup of the SA laboratory have also been described. A post-training evaluation emphasizes that the student learning experience is helping students to gain a better understanding of the theory and to have better career prospects in power automation. The SA laboratory, which demonstrates all aspects of substation automation, is being used extensively for research and training in this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid evolution of System-on-Chip (SoC) challenges academic curricula to keep pace with multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary system thinking. This paper presents a curricular prototype that cuts across artificial course boundaries and provides a meaningful exploration of diverse facets of SoC design. Specifically, experimental contents of a digital flow SoC product design—a simplified Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP) stack—are systematically developed and implemented in the series of courses that comprise the Digital Design track of the Rowan Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) curriculum. The System-on-Chip project and its progressively more complex laboratory modules are described and discussed. Its implementation in the existing ECE curriculum is also presented along with the assessment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching computing students about the importance of evidence and about the use of empirical methods for evaluating computing technologies can be difficult, especially within dual honors undergraduate degree programs. The aims of this study were to explore the effectiveness of second-year undergraduate computing students in carrying out a systematic literature review and to identify the elements of the process that the students found most difficult. A multicase case study of students carrying out an assignment to perform a systematic literature review (SLR) was undertaken. Students worked in groups and were studying across a range of computing programs. Data was collected from three sources: student grades, the comments made by the teaching staff on the submitted reports, and a debriefing questionnaire. All of the groups successfully completed the assignment. Results on which parts of the process were the most difficult were mixed, although much of the evidence suggests that the students found the conduct phase more problematic than the planning phase. It can be concluded that undergraduates can do SLRs, but the task is clearly quite challenging and time-consuming. SLRs are well suited to being undertaken by groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution: In a context where hands-on courses are biased toward specific technologies, a novel creativity-provoking instructional approach for networking undergraduate courses is successfully applied following action research principles and active and creative learning techniques. Background: Extensive engineering-oriented networking courses have been proposed with a strong focus on specific protocol solutions. At the same time, the amount and complexity of techniques is notably increasing with the advent of the Future Internet. As a result, the curricula looses focus on the fundamentals of networking algorithms. Intended Outcomes: We address algorithmic learning in networking for computer sciences, where students are expected to 1) create; 2) develop; 3) analyze; and 4) compare algorithms and processes regardless of protocol-specific technologies. At least 70% of the students are expected to meet this goal while enhancing their engagement and motivation in a time-constrained course schedule. Application Design: To achieve 1) and 2), we instrument an active experimental strategy, while objectives 3) and 4) are tackled with creative learning techniques, both applied in an action research framework. The approach is supported by state-of-the-art networking application interfaces and simulators. Furthermore, a blended and game learning component favors the engagement via comparison and competition of students’ project metrics. Findings: The experiment is carried out by professors of the Computer Science Bachelor’s degree taught in FAMAF. Results show that the applied methodology met the intended outcomes, and improved by 7% in a two-year cycle. Furthermore, the approach was very well received based on student’s feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NetFPGA platform enables students and researchers to build high-performance networking systems using field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware. A new version of the NetFPGA platform has been developed and is available for use by the academic community. The NetFPGA platform has modular interfaces that enable development of complex hardware designs by integration of simple building blocks. FPGA logic is used to implement the core data processing functions while software running on an attached host computer or embedded cores within the device implement control functions. Reference designs and component libraries have been developed for the CS344 course at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, and taught at a series of tutorials held in the United States, United Kingdom, India, China, Australia, and Europe. The open-source Verilog, C, Perl, and Java reference design is available for download from the project website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]