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PBLMaestro: A virtual learning environment for the implementation of problem-based learning approach in Computer education
Abstract
Teaching Computer has led to the design of an educational model that is increasingly making use of market practices linked to business corporations. Within this scenario, a practical and dynamic learning system is being fostered that allows simulations to be carried out in real contexts through problem resolution. Based on constructivist theories, PBL (Problem-Based Learning) is a teaching method that is focused on the students and its main characteristic is that it uses real-world problems to create the learning content and teach the skills required for their solution. However, the adoption of this approach is not an easy task, since it is accompanied by abrupt changes in the traditional paradigm of education, which require changes in the attitudes of the actors involved. In addition, the planning and monitoring of the PBL, involve complex activities that are difficult to manage, especially with regard to determining the quality and compliance of the processes used for problem resolution. Additionally, the Computer Science courses require working on projects provided by real clients, within a dynamic and iterative development process. This strengthens the need to introduce strategies and technologies to support the implementation and management of the method and, enable its effectiveness to be monitored In addition, it provides continuous feedback, and assesses the results generated from the evaluation of the solutions produced during the teaching-learning process. Thus, it is essential to adopt strategies that allow a better management of teaching practice, improved learning by the students and a means of validating the clients involved. From this perspective, this paper presents a virtual teaching and learning environment, called PBLMaestro, which has been designed to support the workflow of a methodology for the implementation of PBL in teaching Computer Science, called xPBL. With the aid of xPBL, it is possible to perform the management of courses using the dynamics of a cycle and series of stages to allow a better control of management processes, by linking real problems to well-defined educational goals. In the case of teacher planning, we were used elements described in xPBL methodology, aligned with educational goals defined from the Bloom Revised Taxonomy. With regard to student tracking, we used the authentic assessment model and mechanisms of Learning Analytics. Gamification strategies were included to increase engagement, retention and motivation, and push notification messages were displayed in a mobile application the PBLMaestro was validated by means of application the environment in the context of the discipline “Network Design” of Computer Science Course, and the results are analyzed in this study. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers and there was a high degree of satisfaction among the tutors, students and customers who used the service, with regard to the usability and consistency of the proposed environment as well as with its improvements and changes. Although the environment was improved in the area of computer science, it is possible that it can provide support to the STEM context with some customizations.
... Problem based learning Principles [18] Game Design elements Reference P1: A task or a problem serve as a foundation for all learning activities. ...
... [4] [10]. Since all learning activities are based on a task or a problem, we mapped scenario exposition and Goal to P1 [16] [18]. ...
... Inferring from this description that the control characteristic gives the learner a sense of ownership over the process or game. We can map these three components to P2 and P5 [18] [15]. ...
... Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) can be considered as powerful aids to education due to two reasons, the first one by improving communication and interaction between people, and the second one, for providing a powerful tool for controlling educational activities and processes [1]. VLEs can be considered as a tool to potentiate learning competences [2]- [7] based on the understanding of behavioral attitudes related with the interactions teacher-to-student and student-to-student [8]. ...
... Although, VLEs can be considered as a potential and innovative tool in education, it is confronted in practice to several issues such as: (1) the need that the learning environment should reflect a real problem and invite the learner to appropriate it [1], (2) the lack of indicators for monitoring the progress of the students in their courses [1], (3) the lack of implementation of well-defined evaluation parameters [1], (4) the difficulty for evaluating the collective and individual contributions while the students handle tasks [9], (5) the problems related with knowing what is happening within the VLE to identify conflictive user behaviors [10]- [12], (6) the need of mechanisms for tracking students' interactions with elements of the virtual world [13], [14], (7) the difficulty for keeping students engaged and motivated [15], (8) a very time-consuming teacher's supervision in the search for signs of doubt, frustration, stress or fatigue from students [15], (9) the existence of pedagogical issues that are inherent to conventional learning [16], [17], and (10) the absence of tutors with experience to guide the learning process [17], [18]. These problems raise the need to pursue the quest of mechanisms to improve the use of VLEs in education and guarantee the effective fulfilment of learning objectives [19], [20]. ...
... Although, VLEs can be considered as a potential and innovative tool in education, it is confronted in practice to several issues such as: (1) the need that the learning environment should reflect a real problem and invite the learner to appropriate it [1], (2) the lack of indicators for monitoring the progress of the students in their courses [1], (3) the lack of implementation of well-defined evaluation parameters [1], (4) the difficulty for evaluating the collective and individual contributions while the students handle tasks [9], (5) the problems related with knowing what is happening within the VLE to identify conflictive user behaviors [10]- [12], (6) the need of mechanisms for tracking students' interactions with elements of the virtual world [13], [14], (7) the difficulty for keeping students engaged and motivated [15], (8) a very time-consuming teacher's supervision in the search for signs of doubt, frustration, stress or fatigue from students [15], (9) the existence of pedagogical issues that are inherent to conventional learning [16], [17], and (10) the absence of tutors with experience to guide the learning process [17], [18]. These problems raise the need to pursue the quest of mechanisms to improve the use of VLEs in education and guarantee the effective fulfilment of learning objectives [19], [20]. ...
... While not much research has been carried out to gauge the impact of immersing VR technique, the feedback and assessment results from the students suggested that the overall quality of team work improved and that the students were highly motivated during the course. The research in [11] presented virtual teaching and learning environment to support the deployment of PBL in teaching "Network Design" for Computer Science. They leveraged gamification strategies in order to boost engagement, retention and motivation. ...
... To summarize, the previous literature identified many aspects where using 3D and VR technologies in engineering education can enhance learning. It can enhance the development of both spatial thinking and communication skills [18,36], improve the learning efficacy [3], increase the motivation [16], and it can support the deployment of PBL in teaching [11]. Nevertheless, the VR technology is already presented as an efficient paradigm for education [5,11,18,33]. ...
... It can enhance the development of both spatial thinking and communication skills [18,36], improve the learning efficacy [3], increase the motivation [16], and it can support the deployment of PBL in teaching [11]. Nevertheless, the VR technology is already presented as an efficient paradigm for education [5,11,18,33]. ...
Prior studies on the use of digital prototyping and virtual reality (VR) in designing as well as evaluating new products have shown that VR reduces both development time and costs whilst augmenting student motivation and creativity. The current study demonstrates that VR and 3D prototyping in the context of project-based learning (PBL) promote effective communication, increase problem solving skills, and enhance learning outcomes. VR and digital prototyping have been extensively used in industries for the purpose of product design and usability evaluation. In the context of engineering education, many research studies have attempted to explore the effect of VR on teamwork, engagement, retention, and motivation. In this paper, VR is used in conjunction with PBL in self-directed approach to design and implement a product using 3D software whilst also using virtual reality immersive CAVE display to evaluate their design. The hypothesis is that the use of VR with a project-based-learning approach to facilitate the attainment of desirable goals in the engineering design project, improved achievement of course learning outcomes and promoted effective communication. According to the research findings, VR approach significantly affected the distribution of cumulative project grades. Students’ project grades improved, particularly the implementation component. In addition, the course outcomes related to project design were better achieved in VR approach. The communication and problem-solving skills were improved in the VR approach as compared to traditional approach.
... Considering the student level, the focal point of this work, five aspects were defined: "content", considering the understanding of concepts and fundamentals of the knowledge area; "performance", interpersonal characteristics; "process", regarding the way to solve a problem; "output", considering the proposed solution and; "client satisfaction", with respect to the quality of the proposed solutions. This model has been applied to undergraduate courses in Computing in the last five years [3], [4], [5], [13], [14], [15]. ...
... In order to manage this complexity, an assessment model based on authentic assessment was defined [12]. This model has been applied in last seven years in computing courses, in both, academic and business contexts [4], [5], [12], [14], [15]. From these experiences, new challenges have been found, as discussed in section III. ...
... An effective assessment process allows both teachers and students themselves to plan educational goals, track their progress through practical activities, and make decisions that can enhance learning throughout the problem-solving process. With this motivation, the NEXT (iNnovative Educational eXperience in Technology) research group has been working with authentic assessment models, considering several levels and aspects of evaluation applied to computer teaching [4,5,14,15]. From the experiences of applying this model over more than seven years, it was perceived the need for an integrative interface, which facilitated the monitoring of student progress. ...
This Research to Practice Full Paper presents a proposal for monitoring student progress in Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The adoption of the PBL approach has been growing in computer education, where problem-solving and group work are essential. Despite the compatibility and benefits of PBL, some challenges remain, in particular, with respect to the assessment process. For an effective assessment process, it needs to be well defined and managed by both teachers and students themselves, considering that, in PBL, the students are at the center of the teaching and learning process, they are active, and self-regulating. In this context, this paper proposes an interface for student progress monitoring (a "student board") based on an authentic assessment model called PBL-SEE. Constructed using the Design Science Research (DSR) method, this interface was initially prototyped and validated by PBL specialists. The results showed a good acceptance of the student board and important recommendations for improvements.
... Although in this sense, it has been determined that 3D EVAs also have their drawbacks that can be evaluated to make corrections in time, these can be the followings: problems related to knowing what is happening within the virtual world to identify conflictive user behaviors [6][7][8] or tracking the students' interactions with elements of the virtual world [9,10], lack of indicators to follow up the progress of the students in the courses [11], lack of implementation of well-defined evaluation parameters [11], difficulties for evaluating the collective and individual contributions while the students handle tasks [12], difficulties for keeping students engaged and motivated [13], a very time-consuming teachers' supervision in the search for signs of doubt, frustration, stress or fatigue from students [14], pedagogical issues that are inherent to conventional learning [15,16], absence of tutors with experience to guide the learning process [16,17]. These problems raise the need to pursue the quest of mechanisms to improve the use of Virtual Worlds in education and guarantee the effective fulfillment of learning objectives [18,19]. ...
... Although in this sense, it has been determined that 3D EVAs also have their drawbacks that can be evaluated to make corrections in time, these can be the followings: problems related to knowing what is happening within the virtual world to identify conflictive user behaviors [6][7][8] or tracking the students' interactions with elements of the virtual world [9,10], lack of indicators to follow up the progress of the students in the courses [11], lack of implementation of well-defined evaluation parameters [11], difficulties for evaluating the collective and individual contributions while the students handle tasks [12], difficulties for keeping students engaged and motivated [13], a very time-consuming teachers' supervision in the search for signs of doubt, frustration, stress or fatigue from students [14], pedagogical issues that are inherent to conventional learning [15,16], absence of tutors with experience to guide the learning process [16,17]. These problems raise the need to pursue the quest of mechanisms to improve the use of Virtual Worlds in education and guarantee the effective fulfillment of learning objectives [18,19]. ...
Virtual Learning Environments are innovative platforms that gain strength and relevance as an alternative to traditional education. In this case study, we have implemented an Open Simulator platform in three dimensions, where it is intended that students can achieve a certain degree of skill through training between 2 levels; the first level can be freely deployed through the designed laboratories and implemented within the infrastructure, on the other hand, at the second level, users will be able to solve the challenges that arise within the field of structured cabling. To validate this Virtual Learning Environment, the methodology named: Technologies Acceptance Model methodology has been used, which is based on two factors of influence of the user: the user’s perception of usefulness and the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance. At the end of this work, the results are exposed to obtain the results.KeywordsVirtual Learning EnvironmentsVirtual worldsOpenSim platformEducational platform
... When that environment is a virtual learning platform, it allows students to remain immersed in practices, facilitating communication between the whole group and the exchange of feedback between all involved in a much more agile and continuous way. It is also worth mentioning the concern of some studies with specialized learning environments in PBL [PS3], [PS4], [PS61], [PS66], [PS94], which incorporate collaborative methodologies and facilitate the dynamics of the method, reducing the effort of the pedagogical team in the configuration of generalpurpose environments. ...
... Considering the effort required to implement PBL and the need to use environments to improve this point, many studies have recommended the use of virtual environments [PS7], [PS25], [PS66], [PS72], learning management systems [PS61], tools [PS33], and technologies to facilitate student collaboration, communication, content sharing, and interactive resolution task [PS31], [PS42]. In addition, studies have also recommended the use of tutorials, software artifacts, and subject integration to facilitate the use of content as support for problem solving. ...
Contribution: This article adds to the results of previous systematic mapping study by addressing a more ample context of problem-based learning (PBL) in computing education. Background: PBL is defined as an instructional method of constructivist teaching that uses real problems as a motivating element for learning. Although PBL was born in medical education, it has been used in computing education to facilitate the students' engagement and learning capacity, contributing to developing skills, such as teamwork, holistic vision, critical thinking, and solving problem. Considering that approach much more descriptive than prescriptive, it favors the implementation of diverse methodologies on its behalf.
... Even though the use of Virtual Worlds in education has become almost ubiquitous, it is confronted in practice to several issues such: problems related with knowing what is happening within the virtual world to identify conflictive user behaviours [7][8][9] or tracking the students' interactions with elements of the virtual world [10,11], lack of indicators to follow up the progress of the students in the courses [12], lack of implementation of well-defined evaluation parameters [12], difficulties for evaluating the collective and individual contributions while the students handle tasks [13], difficulties for keeping students engaged and motivated [14], a very time-consuming teachers' supervision in the search for signs of doubt, frustration, stress or fatigue from students [15], pedagogical issues that are inherent to conventional learning [16,17], absence of tutors with experience to guide the learning process [17,18]. These problems raise the need to pursue the quest of mechanisms to improve the use of Virtual Worlds in education and guarantee the effective fulfilment of learning objectives [19,20]. ...
... Even though the use of Virtual Worlds in education has become almost ubiquitous, it is confronted in practice to several issues such: problems related with knowing what is happening within the virtual world to identify conflictive user behaviours [7][8][9] or tracking the students' interactions with elements of the virtual world [10,11], lack of indicators to follow up the progress of the students in the courses [12], lack of implementation of well-defined evaluation parameters [12], difficulties for evaluating the collective and individual contributions while the students handle tasks [13], difficulties for keeping students engaged and motivated [14], a very time-consuming teachers' supervision in the search for signs of doubt, frustration, stress or fatigue from students [15], pedagogical issues that are inherent to conventional learning [16,17], absence of tutors with experience to guide the learning process [17,18]. These problems raise the need to pursue the quest of mechanisms to improve the use of Virtual Worlds in education and guarantee the effective fulfilment of learning objectives [19,20]. ...
The use of Virtual Worlds in Education is becoming an innovative alternative to traditional education. However, these solutions are confronted to several issues such as: lack of indicators to follow up the students’ progress, lack of well-defined evaluation parameters, difficulties for evaluating collective and individual contributions, difficulties for keeping students engaged and motivated, a very time-consuming teachers’ supervision, and the absence of tutors for guiding the learning process, among others. In this review, we explore and describe academic contributions focused on the application of Learning Analytics to improve Virtual Worlds in Education from three perspectives: Personalized Learning, Adaptive Learning and Educational Intervention. Our results highlight that most of the research focus on support decisions whose nature concerns operational non-real-time issues. Additionally, almost all the contributions focus in solving only a few issues, but none of them offer a holistic framework that could be used by teachers or pedagogical personnel for decision making.
... This paper reports a second round of PBL-Maestro tests, for the same course. The first can be observed in [15]. In this work we are giving a greater emphasis on the evaluation process, client participation and the laboratory environment with the use of real equipment. ...
... This section examines PBL-Maestro, a Learning Management System that was developed based on the xPBL methodology. Details of the analytical stages of the project, implementation and software architecture, can be found in [15]. In this article, stress is laid on their applicability in the teaching/learning process included in this approach, with an emphasis being given to the main environments. ...
The area of Computer Networks requires an educational model based on real market practices that can provide students with consistent technological training. However, it should be noted that a Network Project is subject to a wide range of restrictions (such as time constraints, budgeting, and the use of other necessary resources) which means there is a need to work with real cases and in the presence of a client. The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of the application of PBL‐Maestro in the area of Network Design. PBL‐Maestro consists of a LMS (Learning Management System) that has been designed to underpin a methodological workflow for implementing PBL (Problem‐Based Learning) in the teaching of Computing, called xPBL, which provides support for Authentic Assessment. By taking xPBL as a benchmark, the course management can be carried out by following the dynamics of the cycle and stages. The topics was taught in an entirely ̈hands‐on̈ format with the use of real equipment installed inside the classroom, and it included situations and problems arising from real circumstances. Clients took part in the whole process and took on the responsibility of making requests, monitoring, guiding, and evaluating the development of the problem solution, together with the teacher. In addition, the fact that they were immersed in a practical environment and could make use of the devices employed in companies enabled them to solve problems when requested, with more facility and assertiveness. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with the users who used the LMS.
... From this motivation, this paper describes a case study of an Enterprise Management Systems (EMS) course, part of an undergraduate course in Information Systems (IS). In order to align the purpose of this course to labour market demands, we chose to adopt the Problem-Based Learning approach (PBL), considering its increasing popularity in this area (Martin, 2005), (Tuohi, 2007), (Peng, 2010), (Zaharias, 2012), (Oliveira, Santos and Garcia, 2013), (Panwong, 2014), (Santos, Figueiredo and Wanderley, 2013), (Santos, Furtado and Lins, 2014), (Santos, Alexandre and Rodrigues, 2015). ...
... As points of improvement for the Framework, we highlight the need to use information technology to support their models, as well as a more procedural view of their implementation. These initiatives are being developed by the authors of this work, from the proposal of a PBL planning tool based on canvas and instructional cards (Alexandre and Santos, 2018); a Learning Management System (LMS) to conduct the evaluations of the PBL-Test model (Oliveira and Santos, 2016) and; a website as a guide to support the application of the Framework, allowing the access to its artifacts and systems. ...
The dynamism of the global economy and its growing dependence on Information Technology, more complex and integrated, has required a transformation in the education of software professionals with the focus on the development of skills such as teamwork, real practice of problem-solving, managerial profile and analysis of solutions. In this context, the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach falls as a glove for the training of professionals in these competencies. From this motivation, this paper describes the application of the PBL approach in an Information Systems course. Aiming the effectiveness of this approach, the Framework described in (Santos and Rodrigues, 2016) was applied, which proposes tools for the planning, execution, monitoring, and improvements of PBL. The results showed the suitability of the Framework for this purpose, describing how it was applied and how the PBL can be managed, besides emphasizing main benefits and improvement points from this application.
... Oliveira and Santos (2016) present a virtual teaching and learning environment, called PBLMaestro, which has been designed to support the workflow of a methodology for the implementation of PBL in teaching Computer Science (called xPBL) [18]. The tool proved to be suitable for xPBL processes, with promising results on regarding the difficulties for adoption of PBL in classroom. ...
... As a student-centered approach, the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method allows an active and collaborative attitude of students during problem-solving, promoting multiple learning and allowing interpersonal aspects as well be developed and/or improved. Because of this, there is a need to develop an appropriate assessment, in all of these aspects, as implemented in the context of computer courses, the PBL offers students problems of complexity similar to real [3]. ...
This a Research Full Paper. The requirements of Software Engineering need a learning environment that is not only practical but true to the reality of the market. As a student-centered approach, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) enables students to be collaborative and attitude-oriented during problem-solving. Despite this, PBL has its cultural challenges. Thus, this work intends to better understand how the students learn and behave through student meaningful learning profiles and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Based on the principle that these students participate or participated in a discipline that used the PBL method and are students of a course in the Computer Science area. In this context, this article proposes a descriptive study to make initial analyses and kick start the research. Based on this study and its early results, we can conclude that learning dimensions require greater stimulation and it was identified an initial relationship between personality profiles and meaningful learning profiles.
STEM je pojam koji dolazi iz engleskog jezika, a predstavlja akronim nastao od engleskih riječi: Science, Technology, Engineering i Mathematics. Sukladno tome, STEM obrazovanje je interdisciplinarno obrazovanje koje obuhvaća četiri područja: prirodne znanosti, informatiku, inženjerstvo i matematiku. S obzirom na svoju interdisciplinarnost, određeni problem rješava se korištenjem znanja iz sva četiri područja. Igrifikacija je pristup učenju koji koristi elemente igre (značke, bodovi, ljestvice uspješnosti) s ciljem povećanja motivacije i angažiranosti učenika. Oba pojma, i STEM i igrifikacija, u posljednjih nekoliko godina u čestom su fokusu istraživača. Nedostatak kadrova iz područja STEM-a traži inovativne pristupe kako bi se povećala motivacija učenika za bavljenjem STEM područjem. Uporaba igrifikacije mogla bi poslužiti kao izvrstan alat u tom procesu. Stoga je svrha ovog rada dati sustavan pregled literature u kojoj se koristila igrifikacija u STEM području, objavljene između 2016. i 2021. godine.
In cybersecurity, a vulnerability is any software or hardware failure that compromises the information’s integrity, availability, or confidentiality. Nowadays, the number of vulnerabilities is increasing exponentially. The early detection, analysis, and efficient treatment of vulnerabilities constitute significant challenges for organizations, as they are arduous and expensive processes. This study aims to thoroughly and systematically research the approaches, techniques, and tools used in implementing vulnerability detection and scanning systems. We conduct a systematic literature review based on the methodological guide of Barbara Kitchenham to carry out a synthesis of the evidence available in primary studies in the last five years. The results show that studies evaluate the efficiency and complexity of the development process for vulnerability detection through a combination of methods, techniques, tools, and metrics. Moreover, this study serves as a baseline for establishing a new development process proposal to benefit organizations planning to create custom vulnerability detection systems. Finally, current challenges are highlighted, and future research directions for addressing them are explored.
p>Atualmente, o ensino de disciplinas ligadas à Computação é fundamental nas mais diversas áreas do conhecimento. No entanto, é possível observar que os estudantes apresentam muitas dificuldades, especialmente em programação. Dentre as tentativas para superá-las, pode-se destacar a utilização de competições de programação, estratégias de gamificação, e Metodologias Ativas de Aprendizagem, como a Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas (ABP). Este trabalho apresenta a ferramenta C073, desenvolvida para auxiliar tanto docentes quanto discentes na utilização da metodologia ABP em disciplinas de programação de computadores. O C073 é um juiz online, uma plataforma que permite aos usuários submeter programas para tentar solucionar um dos problemas do banco, corrigindo-os automaticamente. Um dos seus diferenciais é o módulo de cursos, no qual os docentes podem adicionar conteúdos e exercícios próprios ou da plataforma. Além disto, o C073 foi concebido explicitamente como ferramenta de apoio à ABP, e oferece opções eficazes para desafiar os problemas mais comuns enfrentados no processo de ensino-aprendizagem em programação, propiciando um acompanhamento mais eficiente e próximo do desempenho dos estudantes, uma maior contextualização para os exercícios propostos e um feedback rápido e preciso.</p
This Research Full Paper presents an overview of student assessment proposals for Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Computing Education. Computing teaching has many challenges, as it requires different skills from students, often subjective and difficult to assess. In fact, technical knowledge alone is not enough to fully understand what is being taught, but the interpretive and logical skills to deal with practical problems and non-technical skills such as group work, creativity, critical vision, ability to cooperate and communicate. Active learning methodologies as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) have been used to dealing with such challenges, broadly developing technical and non-techniques skills in students. However, despite the benefits of PBL, the student assessment process is one of the points that present its own adversities and, therefore, an aspect that deserves greater attention. To better understand the nuances of this process and how it can contribute to the teaching and learning process based on PBL, this study aimed to investigate primary studies in the last two decades, seeking answers to the following research questions: RQ1) What assessment models are being used?; RQ2) Which aspects are evaluated?; RQ3) What criteria and media have been defined?; RQ4) Who gets involved in the assessment process?; RQ5) What is the ideal frequency to conduct the evaluations?; RQ6) What can these models reveal? As a research method, this study used the Systematic Literature Review method proposed by Kitchenham. As main conclusions, it was possible to identify that: generally, computing education based on PBL occurs at the undergraduate level, having as main educational objective the teaching of technical content; in practice, the need for a diverse teaching team is not reflected, the traditional student-teacher remains; to evaluate students, it is necessary to consider several aspects, technical and non-technical, defining specific criteria for each one of them; the main benefits for students are related to changes in behavior, development of soft skills and better absorption of technical knowledge; as main challenges for students, the difficulty to understand the nuances of the proposed problem and to be the main responsible for devising a solution for it without the figure of a teacher to give a clear definition of how to do it stands out.
This paper discusses the benefits of using games on students’ engagement and learning acquisition. Then, the paper describes the teacher’s role as key stakeholder in gamification design. The paper uses an extensive literature review and discusses 23 existing gamification design frameworks and approaches, which have been investigated and grouped into four categories namely Pedagogical context; Scenario based; High-level approach and Gamification elements guidance. Although, some of the frameworks could fit in more than one category, they have been placed in the most representative one. The paper then suggests and discusses five frameworks and provides a comparative review. Finally, the paper closes with a critical review of existing gamification design frameworks used in the educational context to explore current practices and find the barriers and challenges that hinder teachers’ integration in the design process.
Gamification is the use of game elements in domains other than games. Gamification use is often suggested for difficult activities because it enhances users’ engagement and motivation level. Due to such benefits, the use of gamification is also proposed in education environments to improve students’ performance, engagement, and satisfaction. Computer science in higher education is a tough area of study and thus needs to utilize various already explored benefits of gamification. This research develops an empirical study to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification in teaching computer science in higher education. Along with the learning outcomes, the effect of group size on students’ satisfaction level is also measured. Furthermore, the impact of gamification over time is analyzed throughout a semester to observe its effectiveness as a long-term learning technique. The analysis, covering both learning outcome and students’ satisfaction, suggests that gamification is an effective tool to teach tough courses at higher education level; however, group size should be taken into account for optimal classroom size and better learning experience.
The Software Engineering sector has been demanding an education model that targets real market practices more and more exactly. This includes bearing in mind that, in the market, a software project is subject to numerous restrictions of time, budget and other resources required for its development. In this context, this article describes the application of a learning methodology based on problems, called xPBL. This methodology consists of elements that enable a learning environment to be built that in its essence is practical and contains real learning, and that ensure that this is supported by processes that make it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the PBL approach from various perspectives: namely, the student's, the teacher's and that of the methodological approach itself. Based on this case study, evidence of the applicability of xPBL is demonstrated as is how the behavior should be understood of all stakeholders involved in the process of teaching and learning in one of the most complex disciplines of Software Engineering.
In order to exploit the benefits of PBL and mitigate the risk of failure when implementing it, the NEXT (iNnovative Educational eXperience in Technology) research group has been working on methods and tools focused on managing the PBL approach as applied to Computing. In this context, this article proposes a teaching and learning methodology based on PBL, called xPBL, consisting of elements that reinforce PBL principles, namely: real and relevant problems; a practical environment; an innovative and flexible curriculum; an authentic assessment process; close monitoring by technical tutors and process tutors, and finally, professional practitioners as teachers and tutors. Based on these elements, the paper describes the design of a PBL approach for a Design course, grounded on acquired knowledge of Design content and past PBL experiences in Software Engineering courses. This approach provides an insightful guide to implementing PBL from xPBL methodology, and provides instruments based on management techniques such as 5W2H (what, why, who, when, where, how and how much) and the production of artifacts to support the conception process of courses based on PBL.
The growing presence of the software in the products and services consumed daily by the society demands a level of completely dependent quality not only of technology, but of its development process and of the involved professionals. By focusing on the professionals responsible for quality assurance, as the Test Engineer, the skills and competences of these need to be developed on basis of a vision very critical and detailed of the problem. The Test Engineer needs to be an "explorer" of the solution, discovering hidden bugs and looking to elimination of defects of the applications. In this context, this article proposes an approach of teaching focuses on training of “test” discipline that make use of problem-based learning to develop real skills required, supported by processes of planning and continuous assessment, in a computer aided software factory. To prove the applicability of this proposal, an empirical study was developed with positive results in teaching the discipline of “exploratory testing”.
Este estudo teve por objetivo implementar mudanças na disciplina de Parasitologia e Micologia Médica do curso de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), que sempre foi oferecida na modalidade presencial. O estudo foi realizado de março a julho de 2009 com os alunos do primeiro semestre do primeiro ano do curso de Medicina. A mudança consistiu em utilizar parte do ensino a distância (EAD) com aplicação do método de ensino ABP, no ambiente virtual Moodle, disponível na instituição. Os resultados deste estudo apontam que a utilização do EAD e os recursos de ABP como complemento do ensino presencial de graduação nos cursos da área da saúde podem se tornar efetivos para a formação profissional.
The continuous growth of the use of Information and Communication Technology in different sectors of the market calls out for software professionals with the qualifications needed to solve complex and diverse problems. Innovative teaching methodologies, such as the "Software Internship" model and PBL teaching approaches that are learner-centered and focus on bringing market reality to the learning environment, have been developed and implemented with a view to meeting this demand. However, the effectiveness of these methods cannot always be satisfactorily proved. Prompted by this, this paper proposes a model for assessing students based on real market practices while preserving the authenticity of the learning environment. To evaluate this model, a case study on skills training for software specialists for the Telecom market is discussed, and presents important results that show the applicability of the proposed model for teaching Software Engineering.
The increasing application of student-centered teaching approaches to solve real problems, driven by the market´s demand for professionals with better skills, has prompted the use of PBL in different areas, including in Computing. However, since this represents a paradigm shift in education, its implementation is not always well understood, which adversely affects its effectiveness. Within this context, this paper puts forward a model for assessing the maturity of teaching processes under the PBL approach, the PBL-Test, with a view to identifying points for improvement. The concept of maturity is defined in terms of teaching processes adhering to PBL principles, taken from an analysis of the following authors: Savery & Duffy (1995), Barrows (2001) Peterson (1997) and Alessio (2004). With a view to validating the applicability of the model, an empirical study was conducted by applying the PBL-Test to three skills in the Computing area. Results showed that although the model has shown it needs further enhancement, it has already been possible to identify improvements in PBL teaching processes that clearly affect the effectiveness of the approach.
This article presents GISMO, a novel, open source, graphic student-tracking tool integrated into Moodle. GISMO repre- sents a further step in information visualization applied to education, and also a novelty in the field of learning manage- ment systems applications. The visualizations of the tool, its uses and the benefits it can bring are illustrated through a detailed case study of an online course. GISMO provides visualizations of behavioral, cognitive and social data from the course, allowing constant monitoring of students' activi- ties, engagement and learning outcomes.
Many graduate and professional programs include Problem Based Learning (PBL) as a mainstay in their curricula. For many undergraduate students, this is a change from a teacher-centered to a student-centered learning method. This study was undertaken to learn about perceptions and test performances of college students (N=116) enrolled in liberal education classes when PBL is used vs. traditional teaching methods. Results indicated students perceived traditional teacher-centered learning more favorably than student-centered PBL. Nevertheless, test scores were similar. Negative student perceptions about learning in PBL classes did not support either teacher observations of learning activity in the classroom or compromised test performances.
A problem for educators and the developers of interactive multimedia is the apparent incongruity between the demands of authentic assessment and the deliverables of computer‐based assessment. Lecturers wishing to use interactive multimedia are commonly limited to assessment using multiple choice tests which are easily marked by the computer.This article describes seven defining characteristics of authentic assessment which have been operationalized in a learning environment employing interactive multimedia. The article describes the multimedia program and its implementation with a class of pre‐service teachers. The implication of these findings for educational practice are that authentic assessment can be used within interactive multimedia learning environments, albeit not totally contained within the software itself. The qualitative study reported here showed that students responded favourably to the elements of authentic assessment; that they had a good understanding of the content of the interactive multimedia program; and that the assessment was corroborated by observation of teaching strategies used by the students in their teaching practice.
Usability does not exist in any absolute sense; it can only be defined with reference to particular contexts. This, in turn, means that there are no absolute measures of usability, since, if the usability of an artefact is defined by the context in which that artefact is used, measures of usability must of necessity be defined by that context too. Despite this, there is a need for broad general measures which can be used to compare usability across a range of contexts. In addition, there is a need for "quick and dirty" methods to allow low cost assessments of usability in industrial systems evaluation. This chapter describes the System Usability Scale (SUS) a reliable, low-cost usability scale that can be used for global assessments of systems usability.
This study investigated how the online problem based learning (PBL) approach employed in an online learning environment influenced undergraduate students’ critical thinking skills (CTS) and content knowledge acquisition. The pretest–posttest control group design was used in the study. The subjects included the students who were enrolled at the Department of Primary School Mathematics Teaching in Anadolu University Education Faculty. Subjects attended to Computer II course in 2008 spring. Experiment group attended the online PBL course whereas the control group attended the online instructor-led course. Each group consisted of 20 students. Data collection tools consisted of a multiple choice content knowledge acquisition scale and the Watson–Glaser critical thinking skills test. The results of two-way mixed design ANOVA indicated that learning in the online PBL group did not have a significant effect on the content knowledge acquisition scores. It was also revealed that learning in the online PBL group had a significant effect on increasing the critical thinking skills.
The Information Communication and Technology - ICT industry is facing a market of constant changes and challenges. These characteristics demand the ICT professionals to have a wide vision of the problem, rather than just knowledge on the technology. In this context, the objective of this article is to propose an innovative pedagogical methodology based on PBL (problem based learning) to improve the learning effectiveness in software engineering, through the implementation of software factories, where students can work together to solve real problems. This methodology is running in a graduate course in software engineering managed by CESAR, a research institute with experience in the development of innovative software. Some important results about this course are presented and discussed in this paper.
Recently, there is an increasing interest in learning analytics in Technology-Enhanced Learning TEL. Generally, learning analytics deals with the development of methods that harness educational datasets to support the learning process. Learning analytics LA is a multi-disciplinary field involving machine learning, artificial intelligence, information retrieval, statistics and visualisation. LA is also a field in which several related areas of research in TEL converge. These include academic analytics, action analytics and educational data mining. In this paper, we investigate the connections between LA and these related fields. We describe a reference model for LA based on four dimensions, namely data and environments what?, stakeholders who?, objectives why? and methods how?. We then review recent publications on LA and its related fields and map them to the four dimensions of the reference model. Furthermore, we identify various challenges and research opportunities in the area of LA in relation to each dimension.
The Social Networks Adapting Pedagogical Practice (SNAPP) tool was developed to provide instructors with the capacity to visualise the evolution of participant relationships within discussions forums. Providing forum facilitators with access to these forms of data visualisations and social network metrics in 'real-time', allows emergent interaction patterns to be analysed and interventions to be undertaken as required. SNAPP essentially serves as an interaction diagnostic tool that assists in bringing the affordances of 'real-time' social network analysis to fruition. This paper details the functional features included in SNAPP 2.0 and how they relate to learning activity intent and participant monitoring. SNAPP 2.0 includes the ability to view the evolution of participant interaction over time and annotate key events that occur along this timeline. This feature is useful in terms of monitoring network evolution and evaluating the impact of intervention strategies on student engagement and connectivity. SNAPP currently supports discussion forums found in popular commercial and open source Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn and Moodle and works in both Internet Explorer and Firefox.
this paper is to provide a clear link between the theoretical principles of constructivism and the practice of instructional design and the practice of teaching. We will begin with a basic characterization of constructivism identifying what we believe to be the central principles in learning and understanding. We will then identify and elaborate on eight instructional principles for the design of a constructivist learning environment. Finally, we will exam what we consider to be one of the best exemplars of a constructivist learning environment -- Problem Based Learning as described by Barrows (1985, 1986, 1992) at the Southern Illinois University Medical School and at the Problem Based Learning Institute for high school teachers .
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