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Background: Effective learning in computer programming courses has been a constant challenge for university teachers and has become a relevant competence for current professionals. The literature on gamification in learning presents mixed results, mainly due to problems in instructional design and inconsistency in gamification. Studies with positive empirical results on computer programming formative activities and showing under what conditions gamification is effective still need to be included. Objectives: This study aimed to quantify the effects of gamification techniques in software tools that support computer programming learning applied to data‐structures university students. The study focused on determining whether there are differences in learning when using gamification techniques in online exercising formative activities. The effects of gamification on learning objectives with diverse complexity are studied. Methods: The study was conducted on computer engineering university students following a pretest‐intervention‐posttest design. They were divided into control and experimental groups, where both used a bank of exercises in Moodle to support learning. The experimental group considered gamification techniques, including points, leaderboards, and badges. Results and Conclusions: Gamification techniques significantly outperformed in learning gains in exercising activities without gamification. Regarding learning complexity, increasing taxonomic complexity did not negatively affect gamification learning effects. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter?: Gamification has been explored as a strategy to enhance learning motivation in various educational contexts, including computer programmingLiterature shows mixed quantitative results on learning improvements under gamification.Few studies cover formative exercises, deal with computer programming tasks, or use a LMS like Moodle.Lack of literature exploring the conditions for effective gamification use, and involving learning objective complexity. What does this paper add to the existing body of research?: Quantifies the impact of gamification techniques on learning outcomes, specifically focusing on computer‐programming in university.Provides empirical evidence on gamification significantly improving learning gains compared to non‐gamified data‐structures exercisesGamification is effective in tasks of diverse levels of taxonomic complexity, with consistent effectiveness regardless of learning difficulty. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Gamification techniques, can be used in higher education to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in computer programmingThe gamification information (e.g. points and ranking) do not require an automatic update, can be processed manually and published daily.It is effective to use gamification for learning tasks of medium‐high difficulty in Moodle on computer programming topics.It is key a thoughtful instructional design when applying gamification, ensuring alignment with learning objectives and task complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional educational system, in certain aspects, limits personalized learning. This is mainly evident in the fact that average students, who do not have any learning difficulties, are required to solve the same tasks from the same textbook in the same order. Artificial intelligence and other smart learning tools present great opportunities for implementing a personalized learning system. Our previous surveys and literature reviews also show that educators see the greatest potential in personalized education for the assimilation of artificial intelligence into education. In this context, we have developed educational software called "Learn with M.E. as Math Educator", which facilitates more personalized teaching of basic mathematical operations. This study presents the structure and operation of this application. We tested the usability of the software in several institutions. Our research target group consists of elementary school students, specifically those aged 11–15. This article provides a detailed overview of the accuracy and educational outcomes of the completed application. We evaluated the application and its effectiveness using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our research design combined elements of educational technology development and effectiveness assessment. To evaluate student performance, we employed a control group methodology. Data were analyzed by comparing test results between students using the software and those receiving traditional instruction. We examined user satisfaction through survey questionnaires. Teachers' opinions were gathered through structured interviews, and their responses were categorized using a SWOT analysis. The findings indicated that the use of the software significantly improved students' mathematics performance compared to the control group. Students provided positive feedback on the software's user interface, describing it as user-friendly and motivating. Teachers regarded the software as an effective educational tool, facilitating differentiated instruction and enhancing student engagement. The results suggest that digital educational tools, such as the developed software, can provide substantial added value in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Bildungsforschung is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article, an engineering computational method is developed for implementing the Bi-directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization algorithm by creating an interface between MATLAB and ABAQUS software packages. This interface is a topology optimization (TO) package developed for maximizing the stiffness of 2D structures subjected to a volume constraint. A source code (the main function), including four dependent functions, is generated as the optimization engine. It covers the optimization main algorithm loop and its pre-loop requirements. The dependent functions are responsible for checking background finite element analyses (FEA) in ABAQUS, obtaining necessary parameters from FEA results, conducting the sensitivity analysis and the filtering scheme, and finally, defining an updated design area for a new optimization loop. At the end of the source code, the optimality criterion is checked and results are displayed when it is satisfied. The user can define the geometry of the design area, mesh size, and boundary conditions in the ABAQUS CAE environment while no finite element codes are needed to be written. This package is developed for quadratic plane stress elements in general static problems. To validate and verify its performance, different benchmark strain energy problems are solved as examples, and results are compared to previous well-known research efforts. This TO package can be developed for frequency, non-linear, multi-material, and periodic problems by updating its sensitivity analysis section. Its 3D version can be also achieved by modifying the elemental and nodal matrices for increased degrees of freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UBUMonitor is an open-source Java desktop tool designed to analyse student interactions and grades within courses in the Moodle learning management system. Its primary goal is to assist educational researchers in making informed decisions. The application offers flexible configuration of educational datasets, enabling educational researchers to customize features of their analyses based on filters such as time, participants, e-resources, e-forums and teaching e-activities. With a modular architecture developed iteratively in Github with 35 releases, UBUMonitor has demonstrated its usability in teaching through several published use cases. This paper focuses specifically on the student clustering module, which allows customization of course activity access and grading, supports multiple clustering algorithms, and incorporates techniques for validating both the optimal number of clusters and the quality of cluster result.

Preliminary CAD design or CAD drafting is a design stage that involves the creation of digital sketches with the help of specialized software tools that define the basic geometric shape and dimensions of an aircraft, digital sketches that can underpin the detailed design approaches of the aircraft's constructive elements. The paper presents both a general theoretical approach about CAD tools and an analysis of the realization stages of a series of 3D aircraft concepts using freeware tools. Initial geometric definition can cover CAD design requirements for parametric initial levels with relevant and useful numerical data export functions for possible software post-processing steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding methods to teach sorting algorithms is a challenge for most Computer Science teachers, but also for students who are open to learn and search for information. Because nowadays students are very receptive to educational software, we want to introduce our instrument named ALSort – a software designed for teachers and students interested in the instructional process of sorting algorithms. ALSort is an educational software based on gamification and modelling. It is built on six stages of challenges related to the six levels of learning from the Revised Bloom Taxonomy and the version from this paper is a prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph theory is a common topic that is introduced as part of the curricula of computing courses such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology and Software Engineering. Understanding graphs is fundamental for solving many real-world problems, such as network routing, social network analysis, and circuit design; however, many students struggle to grasp the concepts of graph theory, as they often have difficulties in visualising and manipulating graphs. To overcome these difficulties, educational software can be used to aid in the teaching and learning of graph theory. This work focuses on the development of a Java system for graph visualisation and computation, called MaGraDa (Graphs for Discrete Mathematics), that can help both students and teachers of undergraduate or high school courses that include concepts and algorithms related to graphs. A survey on the use of this tool was conducted to explore the satisfaction level of students on a Discrete Mathematics course taken as part of a Computer Engineering degree at the University of Alicante (Spain). An analysis of the results showed that this educational software had the potential to enhance students' understanding of graph theory and could enable them to apply these concepts to solve practical problems in the field of computer science. In addition, it was shown to facilitate self-learning and to have a significant impact on their academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to evaluate a didactic application, designed as progressive support of language and communication in children with disabilities of the nursery, elementary and secondary school by the integration of augmented reality and animated three-dimensional objects. The application was programmed on a mobile device in the form of a children’s story. The evaluation instrument incorporated variables associated with visual and auditory capacity, attention, concentration, imagination, and vocabulary, measured by a scale of 1 to 10. A higher degree of learning was found in variables associated with vocabulary, visual and auditory capacity in elementary and secondary school children; and in attention and imagination in nursery children, which were associated with children’s prior knowledge in the manipulation of mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advances have had a significant impact on education, leading to increased attention on the development of digital skills in university students. The objective of this article was to conduct a review of current literature related to educational innovations aimed at promoting digital competencies in university students, in order to identify current approaches and provide a comprehensive and updated insight into the topic. This research is qualitative, applied, and bibliographic in nature, with a descriptive scope, under a non-experimental, cross-sectional design that employs the analytical-synthetic method. The main findings highlight that educational software, educational platforms, and social networks can be valuable tools that benefit students in their learning and acquisition of competencies in various fields, as long as they are used responsibly, critically, and as a complement to face-to-face teaching.

The traditional educational system, in certain aspects, limits personalized learning. This is mainly evident in the fact that average students, who do not have any learning difficulties, are required to solve the same tasks from the same textbook in the same order. Artificial intelligence and other smart learning tools present great opportunities for implementing a personalized learning system. Our previous surveys and literature reviews also show that educators see the greatest potential in personalized education for the assimilation of artificial intelligence into education. In this context, we have developed educational software called “Learn with M.E. as Math Educator”, which facilitates more personalized teaching of basic mathematical operations. This study presents the structure and operation of this application. We tested the usability of the software in several institutions. Our research target group consists of elementary school students, specifically those aged 11–15. This article provides a detailed overview of the accuracy and educational outcomes of the completed application. We evaluated the application and its effectiveness using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our research design combined elements of educational technology development and effectiveness assessment. To evaluate student performance, we employed a control group methodology. Data were analyzed by comparing test results between students using the software and those receiving traditional instruction. We examined user satisfaction through survey questionnaires. Teachers’ opinions were gathered through structured interviews, and their responses were categorized using a SWOT analysis. The findings indicated that the use of the software significantly improved students’ mathematics performance compared to the control group. Students provided positive feedback on the software’s user interface, describing it as user-friendly and motivating. Teachers regarded the software as an effective educational tool, facilitating differentiated instruction and enhancing student engagement. The results suggest that digital educational tools, such as the developed software, can provide substantial added value in education.

Technological advances have had a significant impact on education, leading to increased attention on the development of digital skills in university students. The objective of this article was to conduct a review of current literature related to educational innovations aimed at promoting digital competencies in university students, in order to identify current approaches and provide a comprehensive and updated insight into the topic. This research is qualitative, applied, and bibliographic in nature, with a descriptive scope, under a non-experimental, cross-sectional design that employs the analytical-synthetic method. The main findings highlight that educational software, educational platforms, and social networks can be valuable tools that benefit students in their learning and acquisition of competencies in various fields, as long as they are used responsibly, critically, and as a complement to face-to-face teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, the process of teaching programming has been considered challenging for students due to reasons such as a lack of proper preparation, insufficient educational resources, and a lack of digital tools to assist key stakeholders (teachers and students) in solving the problems that arise in the teaching and learning process. Consequently, professionals in the field of Computing, equipped to develop software used to create intelligent solutions to meet the needs of current society, are increasingly in demand. To study the impact of using educational software in introductory Programming Logic teaching, a qualitative study was conducted at the Nzenzu Estrela Private Higher Institute (ISPNE) in Uíge, Angola. Using the VisuAlg software with a group of 67 students over 16 classes, the students' adoption of the software and their progress in learning were analyzed. The results obtained at the end of the evaluation showed that 92.54% of the students had a positive perception of learning Programming Logic using this instructional resource, stimulating students' interest in the programming field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Complutense de Educación is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents the results of the implementation of the educational software Sistproy in the learning of university students in the formulation of research projects. A sample of 39 Electrical Engineering students from the Continental University was used, divided into an experimental group and a control group. It is concluded that the use of the software improves students' learning and their ability to develop thesis projects. The article discusses the functionality, advantages, and disadvantages of using educational software in the educational context, and highlights the importance of it being a didactic and flexible tool. Additionally, it is mentioned that the proper integration of ICT in education can improve the teaching-learning process. [Extracted from the article]

The extensive pool of content within educational software platforms can often overwhelm learners, leaving them uncertain about what materials to engage with. In this context, recommender systems offer significant support by customizing the content delivered to learners, alleviating the confusion and enhancing the learning experience. To this end, this paper presents a novel approach for recommending adequate educational content to learners via the use of knowledge graphs. In our approach, the knowledge graph encompasses learners, educational entities, and relationships among them, creating an interconnected framework that drives personalized e-learning content recommendations. Moreover, the presented knowledge graph has been enriched with contextual signals referring to various learners' characteristics, such as prior knowledge level, learning style, and current learning goals. To refine the recommendation process, the cosine similarity technique was employed to quantify the likeness between a learner's preferences and the attributes of educational entities within the knowledge graph. The above methodology was incorporated in an intelligent tutoring system for learning the programming language Java to recommend content to learners. The software was evaluated with highly promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of spontaneous tail coiling (STC) in zebrafish embryos is a functional parameter that allows the study of motor development. It has recently gained relevance as a biomarker to assess the neurotoxicity of environmental substances. Its practicability in the laboratory makes it an excellent pedagogical tool for promoting students' inquiry skills. However, the time and cost of materials and facilities limit their usage in undergraduate laboratories. This study presents the design of a computer-based educational module called ZebraSTMe, which is based on a tail coiling assay and aims to improve science process skills in undergraduate students by connecting them to relevant and novel content. We evaluate students' perception of learning, the quality of materials used, and the knowledge gained. Our results show that students perceived an improvement in their statistical analysis, representation, and discussion of experimental data. Additionally, the students evaluated the quality and ease of use of the materials and provided feedback for revision. A thematic analysis of the opinions revealed that the module activities promoted students' reflection on their professional strengths and weaknesses. NEW & NOTEWORTHY ZebraSTMe is a novel computer-based educational module that utilizes spontaneous tail coiling analysis in zebrafish embryos to enhance undergraduate students' scientific inquiry skills. By addressing the challenges of time, cost, and laboratory resources, the module improves students' science process skills and promotes reflection on their professional strengths and weaknesses. The innovative ZebraSTMe exemplifies the potential of integrating cutting-edge research topics into undergraduate education, leading to more engaging and effective learning experiences in physiology and other scientific disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of implementing a new Arabic language learning software Test Survey for Students (TSFS) developed by the researchers and marketed as brain training software for primary students on language skills using Science, Technology, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects. The teaching of Arabic language via computer-assisted language learning (CALL) takes place for the first time in Qatari schools specifically for primary students. The researchers included a theoretical analysis of current trends in CALL and Arabic language skills. Reading skills, learning word and sentence skills, and dictation skills were the three Arabic basic skills tested to measure the effectiveness of developing these skills and improve achievement for third-grade students using CALL in STEAM subjects. Mixed models analyzed using the statistical software for social sciences suggest that teaching Arabic language skills with STEAM topics using educational software is effective and has a promising potential to be extended to the whole of middle east and north Africa region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of signal demodulation processes using superheterodyne receivers is of great importance in the field of telecommunications. Superheterodyne receivers receive the current focus of many scientists in a wide variety of applications. This topic is part of the syllabus of the Communication Theory course at the School of Telecommunications of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Spain. The authors found that the academic performance of the students had not been entirely satisfactory in recent years. This situation was aggravated during the COVID-19 lockdown. Students had to reinforce their knowledge independently at home, despite the support provided by teachers. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is a noticeable lack of educational tools in this area; of those that are available, they exhibit a mismatch with the specific needs of this subject. This manuscript shows how the design of the educational software tool DOSHER, tailored to enhance the understanding of superheterodyne receivers, successfully alleviated the aforementioned drawbacks. DOSHER was designed, developed, and applied during the 2020–2021 academic year (during the COVID-19 lockdown). The results show that students were not only very satisfied with its use, but they also improved their marks. Analysis of students' academic performance in the year of DOSHER implementation showed an average improvement in their marks of between 9–12% compared with previous years. In 2021–2022, when DOSHER was fully operational from the start, the improvement in terms of pass rate (31%) at the first mid-term was significant compared to previous years (<20%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of mobile devices into different sectors of society is an increasingly common process; however, their integration as part of medical monitoring for treatments carried out at home is still new, especially their application to the motor development of premature children. This work determines the elements that a mobile application must have to support a hospital-home intervention program aimed at improving motor development in premature infants. The application is designed to work in Android and iOS platforms for mobile devices and to support the hospital-home strategy developed at the Universidad de La Sabana. In this study, an evolutionary device was created, developed and validated along with itsUnity3D tool. The result is an intuitive application that allows parents to strengthen the motor development of their children through a series of 10 exercises designed to stimulate the baby. It consists of a registry of babies, fundamentals, exercise modules and follow-up procedures. The conclusions indicate that although the application is intuitive, some parents have difficulty accessing a mobile device, so it is necessary to create a web version of the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]