Search

There is an increasing sensitivity to the challenges posed by the language of examination papers and of instruction in scientific subjects, especially for non-native speakers of English. It has been observed that in addition to technical subject-specific vocabulary, non-technical words such as instructional verbs have been sources of difficulty, and there are indications that other "ordinary" English words cause problems. For many years the aerospace industry has striven to make its manuals understandable and unambiguous to non-native speakers, a goal shared by writers of examination papers. To achieve this, the industry uses Simplified English, a controlled language with limited vocabulary and restricted grammatical rules. While recognising the limitations of this approach, the authors considered that by testing examination papers against the rules of Simplified English, it might be possible to identify areas of potential difficulty for non-native speakers. This paper describes the results of a study which tests past examination questions using software based on AECMA Simplified English, the controlled language in established use in the British aerospace industry. The results identified many lexical items which were not in the original list of "Approved words". Some of these were technical words and others were non-technical terms which are in common use in an engineering context. However, some were potential problem sources, including implicit instructions and vague or ambiguous words. Software alerts that related to sentence structure, in particular those related to sentence complexity, indicated that some sentences had additional problems. (Contains 1 note.)

This paper presents an application of the Kalman filter in signal processing in instrumentation systems when the conditions of the environment generate a large amount of interference for the acquisition of signals from measurement systems. The unwanted interferences make important use of the instrumentation system resources and do not represent useful information under any aspect. A simulation is presented using the Matlab tool, which remarkably facilitates the information processing so that the corresponding actions are taken according to the information obtained, taking advantage of the current resources offered by the embedded systems and the required measurements are obtained with enough accuracy.

This paper addresses the problem of the formation of the self-regulation of educational activities of students studying in a technical university. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problem of the self-regulation of educational activities of students, presenting data from an experimental study of students' self-regulation. Special attention is paid to the distinction between the terms self-control and self-regulation. This paper presents data on the state of self-regulation among students studying technical specialties. The research methodology is based on the theoretical analysis of the results of scientific works, which present the main provisions on the formation of students' self-regulation. The research methods include questioning and a methodical experiment. The stages of the formation of students' self-regulation are highlighted, and the main directions of teachers' work on the formation of students' self-regulation are determined. The structure of self-regulation is described and the condition for its formation is justified using the technology of self-regulation formation. Based on the study, students' self-regulation is linked to the awareness of their professional and personal goals, as well as to the level of regulatory and reflective qualities. Personal and professional self-improvement in the process of vocational education depends on the level of the formation of regulatory and reflexive qualities.

Ion channel sensors have several applications including DNA sequencing, biothreat detection, and medical applications. Ion channel sensors mimic the selective transport mechanism of cell membranes and can detect a wide range of analytes at the molecule level. Analytes are sensed through changes in signal patterns. Papers in the literature have described different methods for ion channel signal analysis. In this paper, the authors describe a series of new graphical tools for ion channel signal analysis which can be used for research and education. The paper focuses on the utility of these tools in biosensor classes. Teaching signal processing and machine learning for ion channel sensors is challenging because of the multidisciplinary content and student backgrounds which include physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. The paper describes graphical ion channel analysis tools developed for an online simulation environment called J-DSP. The tools are integrated and assessed in a graduate bio-sensor course through computer laboratory exercises.

Recent technologies are offering the power to share and grow knowledge and ideas in unprecedented ways. The CogEx software platform was developed to take advantage of the digital world with innovative ideas to support designers work in both industrial and academic contexts. This paper presents a qualitative study on the usage of CogEx during capstone design projects in mechanical engineering. It explores its potential to eventually supersede a paper logbook. This study combines three pilot projects where 15 undergraduate students used CogEx for one semester and discussed their experience in a final interview. The focus is limited to individual usage in this study. Results support that the platform has a good potential for engineering design education by replacing the paper logbook. The "extended concept mapping" structure was efficient to organize design work, and although the "concept-knowledge" separation needs refinement, it has good potential in building designer knowledge base.

This paper investigates the effectiveness of the morphological chart method in design divergence. The literature presents the morphological chart as an engineering design method that does not particularly aim novelty, but instead gathers possible means for fulfilling the independently decomposed sub-functions of a product. On the other hand, implementations of this method in design education has shown that this method offers the possibility of design exploration for groups of interrelated sub-functions. Accordingly, this widens the solution space and encourages designers to think on the consequences of their design decisions while generating ideas, hence allowing situated design divergence to take place. The paper presents the findings of a review carried out on twelve morphological charts completed in groups, containing a total of 686 sub-solution sketches made for a pool of 21 sub-functions. The charts were reviewed as a whole in terms of group performance in idea generation for a decomposed design problem. Then the sub-solution ideas were grouped according to sub-functions and were reviewed in terms of idea content. It was seen that a background preparation with product trials, 3D exploration of product configuration, and experience in using the morphological chart method, affected the number of cells that the participants completed. Besides, several factors were found to influence the ways in which participants filled in the morphological charts. The reviews revealed eleven factors affecting design divergence using the morphological chart method, grouping under the headings of: preparations, group dynamics, boundaries of sub-functions, and interrelations of product components. In addition, thirteen strategies were identified that participants followed for idea generation using the morphological chart method, grouping under the headings of: beginning idea generation, ensuring effective idea generation, exploring ideas, diversifying ideas and representing ideas.

In recent years, several innovations have emerged in the field of education, including Blended-Learning, Massive Open Online Courses, Flipped Classroom and Gamification. In particular, several investigations have highlighted the effectiveness of student response systems, or clickers, in different subjects and disciplines. Although some literature reviews have been published on this subject, none of them offer a review of a large volume of publications from a multidisciplinary approach. Similarly, in the literature there are no studies that have analyzed scientific collaborations on this subject. To respond to these concerns, we proposed the use of a bot to retrieve information from a large number of papers (1696 documents co-authored by a total of 4091 researchers) included in the Scopus database. The disciplines covered include natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural and veterinary sciences, social sciences and humanities, and the arts. The review of the literature reveals that student response systems are generally well-perceived by teachers and students in all the disciplines. Another interesting result achieved from visual data obtained using network visualization software and word clouds is that student response systems are mainly used in some disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, medicine, and nursing. It is clearly observed that the relationship between researchers from the same country is stronger than between researchers from different countries. Finally, some reflections are included on the role of student response systems in online teaching, especially regarding the changes experienced after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increasing digitisation of engineering and social practices has altered the relationship between formal schooling and development of expertise for professional engineering work. What does the development of expertise look like when knowledge is generated and shared at an accelerated pace due to shifts in technology? In this paper, I present case studies of two early career software engineers. Using methodological insights from digital ethnography, I trace their professional journeys over two decades. I empirically demonstrate how the development of engineering expertise is a continuous and perpetual endeavour and engineers learn throughout their lives (lifelong) and across all the different spaces they inhabit at any given time (lifewide). I argue for extending engineering work practices research and research in engineering education more broadly to take larger timescales of learning into account to build a comprehensive understanding of engineering expertise development.

To have software tools that facilitate the rapid development of applications and generate information systems is a requirement in a globalized world. Worldwide in the engineers training field it is basic to apply measurements and evaluations to the rapid design tools used to obtain applications faster and generate quality information systems in order to determine the best for this purpose. This paper revises MECRAD and proposes its introduction in the formation programs of engineers which is a methodology for the technical evaluation of the visual environments tools to generate information systems where this type of commercial products are evaluated using as reference basic elements of international standards. With this methodology one can evaluate and select in an effective and easy way, those tools and development platforms best suited to create applications in visual environments, in order to generate information systems with quality and sustainability. It is useful for higher education institutions, organizations, companies and system's end users, among others.

The advancement of game-based learning has encouraged many related studies, such that students could better learn curriculum by 3-dimension virtual reality. To enhance software engineering learning, this paper develops a 3D game-based learning system to assist teaching and assess the students' motivation, satisfaction and learning achievement. A quasi-experimental design is based on the ARCS Theory (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) to investigate the effectiveness of game-based learning strategy in 3-dimension virtual reality scenario. The students are randomly assigned into two groups for quasi-experimental design. In game-based learning, the curriculum content is mapped into the game to provide a scenario learning environment. After implementation of quasi-experimental design, the pre-test and post-test results shown that 3D game-based learning system with software engineering curriculum could achieve a better learning achievement and motivation than using traditional instruction. The statistical test displayed that learning motivations of students have significant impact on learning achievement, and learning achievements of students with game-based learning are better than those who use traditional face-to-face teaching. After re-checked the questionnaire, this paper finds that game-based learning challenging and attractiveness can lead to learners' curiosity and immersion in learning activity. And the results show that 80% students are satisfaction, and 83% students are confidence for the course learning after use the game-based learning system. Lastly, the research results could provide to related educators as references. (Contains 8 figures and 3 tables.)

In this paper we describe the development and refinement of "evidence rules" and "measurement models" within the "evidence model" of the "evidence-centered design" (ECD) framework in the context of the "Packet Tracer" digital learning environment of the "Cisco Networking Academy." Using "Packet Tracer" learners design, configure, and troubleshoot computer networks within an interactive interface. This leads to "product data," which result from the students' final submitted network configurations, and "process data," which are log file entries detailing how they got to the final configurations. We discuss how an iterative cycle of empirical analyses and discussions with subject-matter experts is essential for identifying and accumulating evidence about skill profiles of learners and their development. We present results from descriptive, exploratory, and confirmatory diagnostic modeling analyses for both data types, which required bringing to bear a diversity of tools from multivariate statistics, modern psychometrics, and educational data mining. We close the paper with a discussion of the implications of this work for evidence-based argumentation guided by ECD principles within digital learning environments more generally.

Imparting real world experiences in a software verification and validation (SV&V) course is often a challenge due to the lack of effective active learning tools. This pedagogical requirement is important because graduates are expected to develop software that meets rigorous quality standards in functional and application domains. Realizing the necessity the authors designed and developed 42 delivery hours of active learning tools consisting of Case Studies, Class Exercises, and Case Study Videos for use in courses that impart knowledge on SV&V topics viz. requirements engineering, software reviews, configuration management, and software testing. Four key skill areas sought after by employers, namely communication skills, applied knowledge of methods, applied knowledge of tools, and research exposure are used to drive the development funded by a National Science Foundation grant and perfected through an industry-academia partnership. In this paper, we discuss in detail the four project plans the researchers and their industry counterparts followed over the past two years in the development and eventual dissemination of the active learning tools. A "course enhancement plan" was used to drive activities related to reviewing, enhancing, and modularizing modules, identified by a gap analysis performed by focus groups comprised of industry and academic partners. The course "delivery plan" was used to drive activities related to developing content delivery strategies. An "evaluation and assessment plan" was used to drive activities related to periodically evaluating student learning and assessing the project. And finally a "course dissemination plan" is being used to drive activities related to distributing course modules and assessment reports. The tools have been shared through two workshops and other means with instructors in universities and industry partners.

A new, interdisciplinary, team-taught course has been designed to educate students in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) so that they can respond to global and urgent issues concerning computer control systems in nuclear power plants. This paper discusses our experience and assessment of the interdisciplinary computer and nuclear energy course, which was developed and offered primarily to ECE students at Howard University. A unique team-teaching model utilized with ECE professors and nuclear field experts was applied to teach the two diverse subjects: computer safety and nuclear energy. The survey result from the first offering of the course showed a very positive response from the majority of the students about the team-teaching method and the knowledge acquired on the two subjects.

In this paper, we present three types of activity that we have observed during students' free exploration of a software called "Algodoo," which allows students to explore a range of physics phenomena within the same digital learning environment. We discuss how, by responding to any of the three activity types we identify in the students' use of "Algodoo," physics teachers can springboard into a range of relevant physics discussions while supporting and valuing student agency and divergent thinking. Thus, while one might not expect students' undirected use of a digital tool such as "Algodoo" to be particularly worthwhile for the physics classroom, we highlight how students are never 'far from the shore' of a productive physics discussion.

The main challenges commonly associated with acquiring practical network engineering skills are the requirements for access to specialised and up-to-date network equipment, as well as the high costs associated with obtaining and maintaining this equipment. The PT Anywhere initiative addresses these challenges by offering a mobile environment for acquiring practical knowledge and skills of network engineering. PT Anywhere facilitates learner-centred anywhere/anytime learning and offers learners access to high-quality interactive learning resources. Additionally, PT Anywhere employs Learning Analytics in order to help learners and educators in understanding and improving learning. This paper presents the learning design and software design principles driving the development of PT Anywhere, as well as the outcomes of an evaluation session conducted with members of the Cisco Networking Academy. The results of this evaluation indicate that PT Anywhere holds the potential to engage learners in different ways inside and outside of the classroom, without the need for access to specialised equipment.

The goal of this project, one of the proposals of the EPS@ISEP Spring 2014, was to develop an Aquaponics System. Over recent years Aquaponics systems have received increased attention since they contribute to reduce the strain on resources within 1st and 3rd world countries. Aquaponics is the combination of Hydroponics and Aquaculture, mimicking a natural environment in order to successfully apply and enhance the understanding of natural cycles within an indoor process. Using this knowledge of natural cycles, it was possible to create a system with capabilities similar to that of a natural environment with the support of electronics, enhancing the overall efficiency of the system. The multinational team involved in the development of this system was composed of five students from five countries and fields of study. This paper describes their solution, including the overall design, the technology involved and the benefits it can bring to the current market. The team was able to design and render the Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings of the prototype, assemble all components, successfully test the electronics and comply with the budget. Furthermore, the designed solution was supported by a product sustainability study and included a specific marketing plan. Last but not least, the students enrolled in this project obtained new multidisciplinary knowledge and increased their team work and cross-cultural communication skills.

This paper discusses the use of a free mobile engineering application (app) called Autodesk® ForceEffect™ to provide students assistance with spatial visualization of forces and more practice in solving/visualizing statics problems compared to the traditional pencil-and-paper method. ForceEffect analyzes static rigid-body systems using free-body diagrams (FBDs) and provides solutions in real time. It is a cost-free software that is available for download on the Internet. The software is supported on the iOS™, Android™, and Google Chrome™ platforms. It is easy to use and the learning curve is approximately two hours using the tutorial provided within the app. The use of ForceEffect has the ability to provide students different problem modalities (textbook, real-world, and design) to help them acquire and improve on skills that are needed to solve force equilibrium problems. Although this paper focuses on the engineering mechanics statics course, the technology discussed is also relevant to the introductory physics course.

Purpose: Integrating laboratory work into interactive engineering eLearning contents augments theory with practice while simultaneously ameliorating the apparent theory-practice gap in traditional eLearning. The purpose of this paper is to assess and recommend media that currently fulfil this desirable dual pedagogical goal. Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative approach compares the eLearner-content interactivity deriving from Mathematica's Computable Document File (CDF) application, Pearson's myLab and Lucas-Nuelle's UniTrain-I. Illustrative interactive examples written in JavaScript and Java are thereby drawn from an engineering eLearning course developed at the University of Botswana (UB). Findings: Based on its scientific rigour, wide application scope, engineering analytical depth, minimal programming requirements and cross-subject-cum-faculty application and deployment potential, the authors found the CDF to be a versatile environment for generating dynamically interactive eLearning contents. The UniTrain-I, blending a multimedia information and communication technology (ICT)-based interactive eLearner-content philosophy with practical laboratory experimentation, is recommended for meeting the paper's dual eLearning goal as the most adept framework to-date, blending dynamic interactive eLearning content with laboratory hands-on engineering experimentation. Research limitations/implications: The lack of other competing frameworks limited the considerations to only the three mentioned above. Consequently, the results are subject to review as the ongoing research advances new insights. Originality/value: The conclusions help eLearning designers plan ICT-based resources for integration into practical electrical engineering eLearning pedagogy and both CDF and UniTrain-I help dispel the prevailing apparent disquiet regarding the effectiveness of the eLearning-mediated electrical engineering pedagogy. In addition, the cited examples document an original electrical engineering eLearning course developed at the UB.

The methodology used in this study was action-research and the considered activity is been applied successfully for at least five years to undergraduate and to master classes for Industrial Engineering students in Brazil. It showed a significant result in both cases, providing the basis for the deepening in the subject in further lessons. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to present this didactic activity that uses a statistical software to introduce the subject Design of Experiments (DoE) starting from a simple process of everyday life. Despite DoE in Brazil being emphasized in Industrial Engineering, this issue is extremely relevant in all areas of research where there is experimentation. The activity's idea was to make students able to interact and understand the concepts of planning and optimizing experiments in a natural and intuitive way by following seven steps proposed in the literature: 1. Recognition and statement of the problem, 2. Choice of factors, levels, and ranges, 3. Selection of the response variable, 4. Choice of experimental design, 5. Conduction of experiment, 6. Statistical data analysis, and 7. Conclusions and recommendations. In order to confirm and strengthen the learning process, some exercises are then offered to students. To ensure the effectiveness, the exercises were designed based on the new version of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, also called Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. These proposed exercises discuss the content at all levels of the cognitive domain.

Reflective of current trends in industry, engineering design professionals are expected to have knowledge of 3D modeling software. Responding to this need, engineering curricula seek to effectively prepare students for the workforce by requiring instruction in the use of 3D parametric solid modeling. Recent literature contains many examples that learning this type of software involves three types of knowledge: declarative command knowledge of the software, specific procedural command knowledge of the software, and most importantly for engineering design students, strategic knowledge of the software. Engineering design faculty, to be successful, should seek to implement teaching strategies and instructional practices that promote strategic thinking. However, current assessment of student success is often based on the inspection of the product of the modeling effort rather than the strategic thinking of the student during the construction process. This paper considers the impact of three instructional strategies on first year engineering design students' strategic thinking when using a 3D parametric modeling software package. Findings appear to suggest that 1) expertly modeling the design construction process may improve student confidence related to using CAD software, but does not impact student ability or proficiency with the software; 2) object construction is more effective at supporting the development of declarative command knowledge related to CAD software than engaging with and completing software tutorials; 3) Engaging with and completing the software tutorials supports the development of procedural command knowledge more effectively than constructing a design object and; 4) constructing a design object supports the development of strategic use of the software more effectively than expertly guided modeled design processes.

Game-based learning (GBL) combines pedagogy and interactive entertainment to create a virtual learning environment in an effort to motivate and regain the interest of a new generation of "digital native" learners. However, this approach is impeded by the limited availability of suitable "serious" games and high-level design tools to enable domain experts to develop or customise serious games. Model Driven Engineering (MDE) goes some way to provide the techniques required to generate a wide variety of interoperable serious games software solutions whilst encapsulating and shielding the technicality of the full software development process. In this paper, we present our Game Technology Model (GTM) which models serious game software in a manner independent of any hardware or operating platform specifications for use in our Model Driven Serious Game Development Framework. (Contains 16 figures.)

Considering that the course group regarding theory and design of mechanisms is characterized by strong engineering application background and the students generally feel very boring and tedious during the learning process, some teaching reforms for the theory and design of mechanisms are carried out to improve the teaching effectiveness in this paper. Taking the engineering cases as the teaching objectives, we combine the course contents with the engineering background. Moreover, in order to help the students understand the knowledge difficulty and improve the design capacity of the mechanisms and machines, the MATLAB technology is introduced into the theoretical teaching to provide assisted analysis. At the same time, the MATLAB is also introduced into the practical teaching to provide theoretical guidance. The teaching effect shows that MATLAB-based teaching reform under the engineering application can deepen the understandings of course contents for students, improve the interest in learning, strengthen the design capacity and develop the innovation ability.

This research examines the frameworks used by Computer Science and Information Systems students at the conclusion of their first semester of study of Software Engineering. A questionnaire listing 64 Software Engineering concepts was given to students upon completion of their first Software Engineering course. This survey was given to samples of students at three universities. To identify which topics were most important, students were asked to rate each concept on a ten-point scale. From their responses, we calculated the average perceived importance for each concept. This paper analyzes the results of this survey for the three student samples. We then compare the student ratings with word frequencies exhibited by authors of Software Engineering textbooks. In this way, we show how student frameworks relate to frameworks presented by Software Engineering authors.

In teaching software engineering, it is often interesting to introduce real life scenarios for students to experience and to learn how to collect information from respective clients. The ideal arrangement is to have some real clients willing to spend time to provide their ideas of a target system through interviews. However, this arrangement cannot be scaled up as it demands too much resource. Starting from 2008, we have used Second Life (SL) to create a virtual company, named SVG Corporation, which has multiple departments so as to simulate the real-world business environment. The development of this fictitious company not only provides a new experience in requirement collection to students, but also lowers the working effort of our colleagues in acting as external business clients. Students can practice their communication and fact finding skills during visits in the departments and interviews with the virtual "staff." The company has been used to support 2 subjects, Human Computer Interface and Foundations of Database Systems. The presence of SL acts as an online platform for students to access and acquire user requirements from staff (AI robots) of a virtual company, through a series of interviews, for system development. The roles of SL are twofold: to reduce the operational overheads in the project administration and to allow students to gain more hands-on experiences through working on a simulated real-life business cases. Hence, student could learn how to apply their knowledge and understand the software development process in the real business world. In this paper, we would like to report our experience and results of using SL in the software engineering student projects. Furthermore, the problems and the difficulties encountered during project period will be discussed for future enhancement. (Contains 11 figures and 3 tables.)

A significant body of research identifies a large number of team composition characteristics that affect the success of individuals and teams in cooperative learning and project-based team environments. Controlling these factors when assigning students to teams should result in improved learning experiences. However, it is very difficult for instructors to consider more than a few criteria when assigning teams, particularly in large classes. As a result, most instructors allow students to self-select teams, randomly assign teams, or, at best, balance teams on a very limited number of criteria. This paper describes the design of "Team-Maker," a web-based software tool that surveys students about criteria that instructors want to use when creating teams and uses a max-min heuristic to determine team assignments based on distribution criteria specified by the instructor. The "Team-Maker" system was validated by comparing the team assignments generated by the "Team-Maker" software to assignments made by experienced faculty members using the same criteria. This validation experiment showed that "Team-Maker" consistently met the specified criteria more closely than the faculty members. We suggest that "Team-Maker" can be used in combination with the "Comprehensive Assessment of Team-Member Effectiveness" ("CATME") peer evaluation instrument to form a powerful faculty support system for team-based and cooperative learning and for a variety of research purposes. Internet access to both the "Team-Maker" and "CATME" systems is freely available to college faculty in all disciplines by selecting the "request faculty account" button at https://www.catme.org.

In this paper, we summarize our experiences from teaching a course in humanoid robotics at Chalmers University of Technology in Goteborg, Sweden. We describe the robotic platform used in the course and we propose the use of a custom-built robot consisting of standard electronic and mechanical components. In our experience, by using standard components, the students obtain a deeper understanding of robotics hardware than would be possible with the use of (some) commercially available robot kits such as e.g. Boe-Bot or Lego Mindstorms. Furthermore, we propose a division between time spent on teaching the theoretical background and time spent on robot assembly and programming, which, in our view, provides the optimal balance between theory and practical work. Summarizing briefly, for a seven-week course, we propose two weeks of theoretical background lectures, followed by five weeks of practical work, in which each practical session starts with a brief theory demonstration. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

Plasma protein binding measurements are an important aspect of pharmacology and drug development. Therefore, performing these measurements can provide a valuable and highly practical learning experience for students across many scientific disciplines. Here, we describe the design and characterization of a 3D-printed device capable of performing equilibrium dialysis in order to measure the binding affinity between a fluorescent ligand and a common plasma protein. The device is designed for laboratory automation, having dimensions identical to those of a standard 96-well plate, allowing it to be placed into a plate reader for direct fluorescence quantitation of free ligand. Traditional equilibrium dialysis experiments initially require 5-14 h of user attention; however, a "hands-free" approach is enabled by the technology in this paper, allowing the user to set up the device in a 1 h time period and return the next day for data analysis. Here, we include instructions for measuring and calculating the ligand-receptor binding affinity of fluorescein to albumin with comparisons to values previously reported in the literature. While the described experiment is used for a protein/ligand binding event, the device can also be easily adapted to a simple small molecule diffusion study. As such, the experiment includes aspects of importance for engineering (design), chemistry (diffusion), and biochemistry (binding) students. The design files (.stl files) for the device are included in the Supporting Information so that others may use or modify them.

This paper investigates iteration and fixation in design by mining digital footprints left by designers. High school students used computer-aided design software to create buildings in an urban area, with the goal of applying passive solar design techniques to ensure optimal solar gains of the buildings throughout a year. Students were required to complete three different designs. Fine-grained data including design actions, intermediate artifacts, and reflection notes were logged. Computational analytics programs were developed to mine the logs through three indicators: (a) frequency of the action of using energy analysis tools; (b) solar performance of the final designs; and (c) difference in solar performance between the prototype and final designs. Triangulating results from the indicators suggests three types of iteration--efficacious, inadequate and ineffective. Over half of the participants were detected as being efficacious iterative during the first design and becoming more and more fixated toward the end of the project, which resonates with previous findings on fixation effect among college students and professional designers. Overall the results demonstrate the power of applying computational analytics to investigate complex design processes. Findings from this work shed light on how to quantitatively assess and research student performance and processes during design projects.

Systems dynamics and automatic control is classified as one of the toughest courses in the college of engineering at Qassim University according to the statistical analysis of the final grades. This motivated us to think about a new approach to teach this course by extending the design term project to include experimental part beside the theoretical analysis. This approach has become feasible due to the publicity of the low-cost microcontrollers such as the Arduino in the recent years. In this paper, we present our experience in conducting Arduino-based projects and how we used them to support the teaching of all the automatic control subjects in the course such as the mathematical modelling, the stability analysis, the controller design and the implementation of the PID controller. It was found that the new approach improves the attention and the overall performance of the students in the course which was reflected in the students' marks in the quizzes and exams. Moreover, it motivated the students to be creative by utilising the control theory to design new systems that can be useful for their local community.

Complexity measures are mainly used to estimate vital information about reliability and maintainability of software systems from regular analysis of the source code. Such measures also provide constant feedback during a software project to assist the control of the development procedure. There exist several models to classify a software product's quality. These models often include different measures and on their basis it is established a degree to which the product satisfy each quality attribute. Each model can have a different set of attributes at the highest level of classification, and also, the attributes can be defined differently at all levels. Actually, more and more activities are based on computer programs and they become highly dependent on their quality. In principle, everyone agrees that quality is important, but few agree on what quality is. In this paper, we will present the most important models and standards for measuring software quality. Afterwards, we will give some metrics for software complexity and we will explain its relationship with the quality.

Abstract: The need for applications that are developed especially for Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) has been growing rapidly in the recent years. These applications are often a prerequisite for research and have to be evolved and maintained for considerable periods of time. However, CSE researchers have traditionally put focus on achieving better computational performance and results rather than the software’s comprehensibility, maintainability and extensibility. This paper first presents two case studies on two different CSE research projects, where common and specific problems are identified. Second we propose solutions that intend to apply software engineering methodologies and tools to improve the CSE research software development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While highly cohesive groups are potentially advantageous they are also often correlated with the emergence of knowledge and information silos based around those same functional or occupational clusters. Consequently, an essential challenge for engineering organisations wishing to overcome informational silos is to implement mechanisms that facilitate, encourage and sustain interactions between otherwise disconnected groups. This paper acts as a primer for those seeking to gain an understanding of the design, functionality and utility of a suite of software tools generically termed social media technologies in the context of optimising the management of tacit engineering knowledge. Underpinned by knowledge management theory and using detailed case examples, this paper explores how social media technologies achieve such goals, allowing for the transfer of knowledge by tapping into the tacit and explicit knowledge of disparate groups in complex engineering environments. (Contains 3 tables.)

Teaching electrical and computer software engineers how to configure network services normally requires the detailed presentation of many configuration commands and their numerous parameters. Students tend to find it difficult to maintain acceptable levels of motivation. In many cases, this results in their not attending classes and not dedicating enough time to acquire the required competencies. This paper describes a successful experiment that was able to improve student class attendance, performance, and motivational patterns by using mobile devices in class to provide students with contextualized learning pills. A learning pill is a simple exercise that summarizes some of the key concepts explained in class and promotes reflection and self-study. Each student attending a particular lecture or laboratory session automatically receives a learning pill on his or her mobile phone just after the related concept has been presented. This paper details the scenario used in the experiment and analyzes the performance and motivational patterns of 170 students at the Higher Polytechnic School, Carlos III University of Madrid, Leganes, Spain. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

In this paper, an undergraduate capstone course in software engineering is described that not only exposes students to agile software development, but also makes it possible to observe the behavior of developers using Scrum for the first time. The course requires students to work as Scrum Teams, responsible for the implementation of a set of user stories defined by a project domain expert playing the role of the Product Owner. During the course, data on project management activities are collected in order to analyze the amount of work completed, compliance with the release and iteration plans, productivity, ability in effort estimation, and the like. The paper discusses the achievement of teaching goals and provides empirical evaluation of students' progress in estimation and planning skills. A summary of lessons learned and recommendations is given, reflecting the issues to be considered when teaching courses in agile software development. Surveys of students have shown that they were overwhelmingly positive about the course, indicating that the course fully met or even exceeded their expectations. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

The issue of plagiarism is discussed in the context of university education in disciplines related to computing. The focus is therefore mainly on software plagiarism. First, however, a case is made for the claim that the most important reason that plagiarism cannot be tolerated lies in the essence of the concept of a university as it is rooted in the Western cultural tradition. The main contribution of this paper is in providing firsthand insight into students' views on some of the delicate questions related to student plagiarism. However, this paper presents views from both sides of the question, including the views of staff members. This paper is quite unique in that it is coauthored by students who provide independent comments and recommendations. (Contains 5 figures.)

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the challenge for the classical idea of professionalism in understanding the Chinese software engineering industry after giving a close insight into the development of this industry as well as individual engineers with a psycho-societal perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The study starts with the general review of the sociological concept of profession, professional and specialization of knowledge. Together with revealing the critical challenge from the empirical field of software engineering industry regarding its professionalization, a critique of the neglect of subjective agency in classical conception of professionalism in sociology theory and methodology is set out. Findings: A case study with interpretation of the subject's continuously developing identification with their specialization in knowledge and occupation from their narration of career experience reveals the dynamics in this development process relating to individual, social practice and societal factors. Originality/value: This paper contributes to empirical research of analyzing the professionalization process of software engineering and software engineers in relation to the concept of professionalism, and it contributes theoretically by discussing the challenge of this process to the development of professionalism within this highly knowledge-based industry in a Chinese societal context. (Contains 6 figures and 2 notes.)

Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of testing and analysing a system or a device in order to identify, understand and document its functionality. RE is an efficient tool in industrial benchmarking where competitors' products are dissected and evaluated for performance and costs. RE can play an important role in the re-configuration and redesign of legacy and/or undocumented systems. It can also play a key role in helping students understand engineering products. This paper presents the Philadelphia University experience in constructing a RE course and integrating it within the engineering curricula. This paper can be used as a guide to other universities that wish to introduce RE to their curricula. The information provided in this paper covers the RE methodology for a system level, as well as mechanical, electronics and software levels. Finally, samples of student projects are presented in order to show the learning capabilities provided throughout the course. (Contains 4 tables and 6 figures.)

Making the students understand the theoretical concepts of digital logic design concepts is one of the major issues faced by the academics, therefore the teachers have tried different techniques to link the theoretical information to the practical knowledge. Use of software simulations is a technique for learning and practice that can be applied to many different disciplines. Experimentation of different computer hardware components/integrated circuits with the use of the simulators enhances the student learning. The simulators can be rather simplistic or quite complex. This paper reports our evaluation of different simulators available for use in the higher education institutions. We also provide the experience of incorporating some selected tools in teaching introductory courses in computer systems. We justified the effectiveness of incorporating the simulators into the computer system courses by use of student survey and final grade results.

This paper suggests a pedagogical approach to teaching the subject of behavioral modeling of switch-mode power electronics systems through simulation by general-purpose electronic circuit simulators. The methodology is oriented toward electrical engineering (EE) students at the undergraduate level, enrolled in courses such as "Power Electronics," "Industrial Electronics," or the like. The proposed approach is demonstrated by simulation example of a realistic active power factor corrector (APFC) system. The paper discusses the derivation of PSPICE/ORCAD-compatible behavioral models, their software implementation, and fast time domain, frequency domain, and stability analysis simulation techniques suitable for virtual study of complex nonlinear feedback systems. Some "tricks of the trade" are also suggested. The paper can be helpful to instructors of a "Virtual Power Electronics Laboratory" course wanting to conduct a software experiment on a PFC system. (Contains 7 figures.)

This paper suggests a pedagogical approach to teaching the subject of average modeling of PWM switch-mode power electronics systems through simulation by general-purpose electronic circuit simulators. The paper discusses the derivation of PSPICE/ORCAD-compatible average models of the switch-mode power stages, their software implementation, and fast time-domain, frequency-domain, and stability analysis simulation techniques suitable for virtual study of complex switch-mode feedback systems. The proposed approach is demonstrated by a simulation example. The methodology is oriented toward Electrical Engineering students at the undergraduate level, enrolled in courses such as "Power Electronics," "Industrial Electronics," or the like. The paper can be helpful to instructors of a "Virtual Power Electronics Laboratory" course wanting to conduct a software experiment on dynamics of switch-mode power converter systems. Engineers and scientists approaching the task of simulation of switch-mode systems can also find the suggested technique useful. (Contains 13 figures.)

This paper proposes a new model for team building, which enables teachers to build coherent teams rapidly and fairly for the term projects of software engineering courses. Moreover, the model can also be used to build teams for any type of project, if the team member candidates are students, or if they are inexperienced on a certain subject. The proposed model takes students' preferences and the teacher's considerations into account when a team building process is required for any type of course. In addition, this paper investigates how team building models (RandomM: teams are built with randomly selected students; TeacherM: teacher selects the members for each team; StudentsM: students build their own teams and the proposed model) affect team performance and how gender differences affect project activities and team performance. A three-year (five semesters) teaching experiment was performed with the participation of 248 male and 79 female university students and a total of 67 software project teams. Two different One-way ANOVA tests were applied on the experimental data, and the results indicated that the proposed model was better than RandomM, TeacherM and StudentsM models in terms of project grades, and the effect of gender differences on the teams' performance and project activities was negligible. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)

This paper presents a computerized tool support, the Meetings-Flow Project Collaboration System (MFS), for designing, directing and sustaining the collaborative teamwork required in senior projects in software engineering (SE) education. Among many schools' SE curricula, senior projects serve as a capstone course that provides comprehensive training in collaborative project development. With the focus on collaboration training, instructors of senior projects often address issues that include how to encourage collaboration and ensure that collaborative efforts are sustained throughout the project's development. In order to help resolve these issues, the MFS takes a holistic approach. The meetings-flow concept that undergirds the MFS introduces a novel macro-level and meeting-oriented group process to guide the proceeding of the project's collaborative work. The design of the MFS facilitates a computerized environment that helps to institutionalize and monitor such a group process. In introducing the MFS, we focus initially on the elaboration of the concept and design, after which we present and validate the system implementation and usage. We also evaluate the MFS and receive a positive result with respect to the educational issues raised in this paper. Finally, we comparatively summarize the MFS to discuss its values and the role it plays in CSCL (computer supported collaborative learning) and PBL (project-based learning) of SE education. (Contains 2 tables and 12 figures.)

The rapid development in Internet technology and its big popularity has led some universities around the world to incorporate web-based learning in some of their programmes. The present paper introduces a comprehensive survey of the publications about using remote laboratories in electrical engineering education. Remote laboratories are web-based, real-time laboratories that enable students to measure and control the measurements remotely in their own time. The survey highlights the features of many recent remote laboratories and demonstrates the software and networking technologies used. The paper provides a comprehensive overview on several aspects related to remote laboratories development. The paper concentrates on the publications appearing during the last decade. The review is arranged according to the area of specialisation, then chronologically.

A highly important part of software engineering education is requirements collection and analysis which is one of the initial stages of the Database Application Lifecycle and arguably the most important stage of the Software Development Lifecycle. No other conceptual work is as difficult to rectify at a later stage or as damaging to the overall system if performed incorrectly. As software engineering is a field with a reputation for producing graduates who are inappropriately prepared for applying their skills in real life software engineering scenarios, it suggests that traditional educational techniques such as role-play, live-through case studies and paper-based case studies are insufficient preparation and that other approaches are required. To attempt to combat this problem we have developed a games-based learning application to teach requirements collection and analysis at tertiary education level as games-based learning is seen as a highly motivating, engaging form of media and is a rapidly expanding field. This paper will describe the evaluation of the requirements collection and analysis game particularly from a pedagogical perspective. The game will be compared to traditional methods of software engineering education using a pre-test/post-test, control group/experimental group design to assess if the game can act as a suitable supplement to traditional techniques and assess if it can potentially overcome shortcomings. The game will be evaluated in five separate experiments at tertiary education level. (Contains 11 tables and 2 figures.)

Purpose: The design, construction and deployment of a large virtual campus are a complex issue. Present virtual campuses are made of several software applications that complement e-learning platforms. In order to develop and maintain such virtual campuses, a complex software engineering infrastructure is needed. This paper aims to analyse the software engineering infrastructure in the virtual campus deployed at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Design/methodology/approach: The software engineering infrastructure is analysed from three perspectives: process model; programming language and computer-aided software engineering tools and design patterns and architecture. Findings: Software engineering infrastructure is a key issue in virtual campuses. Originality/value: The value of the paper is to make our experience available to a wider audience so that organisations interested in the deployment of a large virtual campus can take advantage of our work. (Contains 6 figures.)

This paper explores the concept of apprenticeship in the context of the professional formation of knowledge workers. It draws on evidence from research conducted in two knowledge intensive organizations: a research-intensive, elite university; and a "cutting edge" software engineering company. In the former, we investigated the learning environments of contract researchers, whilst in the latter, we focused on the learning environments of software engineers. Both organisations have "global" reach in that they operate within international marketplaces and see themselves as international players. The paper asks to what extent the important role of maturation with regard to the formation of expertise is being undermined by the pressurised nature of contemporary workplaces (in both the public and private sectors). It argues that conceiving the professional formation of knowledge workers as apprenticeship provides a way forward to improve the way employers construct and support that formation.

The development of collaborative Web applications does not follow a software engineering methodology. This is because when university students study Web applications in general, and collaborative Web portals in particular, they are not being trained in the use of software engineering techniques to develop collaborative Web portals. This paper presents a strategy for teaching collaborative Web portals based on reverse engineering and reuse mechanisms to engineer the collaborative Web portals' development. This strategy was successfully used in a final-year course of a Computer Science program at Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain. Its use has demonstrated an improvement in the maintainability of the Web projects developed as well as a decrease in the number of failures during the test phase. This is a very important step toward the engineering of Web applications. The students' grades for the same subject, with the same content and lecturers, also improved compared to those from previous years. The strategy, the details of its use, the results obtained after analyzing the projects the students developed, and their final grades are described in this paper. (Contains 15 figures and 11 tables.)

Technology-mediated education or e-learning is growing globally both in scale and delivery capacity due to the large diffusion of the ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) in general and the web technologies in particular. This statement has not yet been fully supported by research, especially in developing countries such as Algeria. The purpose of this paper was to identify directions for addressing the needs of academics in higher education institutions in Algeria in order to adopt the e-learning approach as a strategy to improve quality of education. The paper will report results of an empirical study that measures the readiness of the Algerian higher education institutions towards the implementation of ICT in the educational process and the attitudes of faculty members towards the application of the e-learning approach in engineering education. Three main objectives were targeted, namely: (a) to provide an initial evaluation of faculty members' attitudes and perceptions towards web-based education; (b) reporting on their perceived requirements for implementing e-learning in university courses; (c) providing an initial input for a collaborative process of developing an institutional strategy for e-learning. Statistical analysis of the survey results indicates that the Algerian higher education institution, which adopted the Licence-Master and Doctorate educational system, is facing a big challenge to take advantage of emerging technological innovations and the advent of e-learning to further develop its teaching programmes and to enhance the quality of education in engineering fields. The successful implementation of this modern approach is shown to depend largely on a set of critical success factors that would include: The extent to which the institution will adopt a formal and official e-learning strategy. The extent to which faculty members will adhere and adopt this strategy and develop ownership of the various measures in the context of their teaching and research responsibilities. The extent to which the university will offer adequate support in terms of training, software platform administration, online resource development and impact monitoring and assessment. (Contains 4 tables and 11 figures.)

Participatory design (PD), or the collaboration between software engineers and end users throughout the design process, may help improve CALL design practices. In this case study, four ESL learners, a software designer, and a language teacher created and evaluated a series of paper prototypes concerning help options in computer-based second language listening environments in four 1-hour sessions. Qualitative data was analyzed to produce themes that included location, sequence, type, and click-through. The paper concludes by discussing how PD was incorporated in the project, the results of this integration, and suggestions for future implementations in CALL. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify how undergraduate engineering students differ in their perception about software services companies in India based on variables like gender, locations of the college and branches of engineering. Design/methodology/approach: Data obtained from 560 undergraduate engineering students who had the opportunity to have multiple job offers from four major Indian software services companies through campus recruitment drives were analyzed. Chi-square test, cross tabulation and multi-nominal regressions were performed to test hypotheses. Findings: Decisions of engineering students with respect to their first-career choice are mostly influenced by intrinsic reasons than extrinsic or interpersonal reasons. While male students are greatly influenced by intrinsic reasons, female students are more influenced by extrinsic reasons. Students belonging to different locations and different branches of engineering have varying reasons for accepting a job offer. Research limitations/implications: Findings of this paper cannot be generalized as it involves students from only three engineering colleges in south India. A survey involving students from different strata across India would enable scholars to capture more insight into the perceptions of engineering students towards the Indian software services industry. Practical implications: Knowledge about the perceptions of engineering graduates towards software services companies in India based on gender, location of the college and the branch of engineering to which students belong, can help human resource managers, entrepreneurs in software services industry and career counselors to strategize human resource practices. Originality/value: Many studies have been conducted to identify what employers expect from engineering graduates whereas there is a dearth of articles that investigate perceptions of engineering students with respect to their first-career choice. This study conducts this bottom-up approach wherein different expectations of prospective employees are analysed. (Contains 8 tables.)