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A Virtual Environment for Problem-Based Learning in Software Engineering Education
... Also highlighted in the studies were the proposals to use technologies [PS62], tools [PS33], and platforms [PS36] to support the teaching and learning process in PBL, keeping students constantly active and connected, in addition to some specific learning management environments and systems for the PBL approach, focusing on activity planning, collaborative work, and continuous assessment. Study [PS66] argues: "the use of PBL-Coach makes it possible to oversee the implementation of the PBL approach. This approach is also able to cater for the needs of a learning environment that is centered on the students and aligned with a learning methodology, management processes and collaborative tools." ...
... 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. ...
... Two main types of processes have been strongly discussed in studies over the last decade: student assessment processes, under different aspects (skills and performance) [PS29], [PS41], [PS44], [PS56], [PS73], [PS78 ] [PS94]; teaching processes, aiming to support teachers and their activities [PS55], [PS98]; and learning processes, bringing more dynamism to students' activities [PS66], [PS71], [PS74]. Study [PS55] reports: "this paper proposes a tool for supporting PBL planning in Computing Education based on Backward Design Model that will lead teachers to structure their planning in order to comply with PBL processes and principles.". ...
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.
... In addition, some questionnaires were adapted to suit the purpose of the studies. For example, Bessa and Santos (2017) made adaptations from TAM (Davis, 1985) and Su and Cheng (2013) adapted from (Ely, 1983;Liu & Chu, 2010;Su et al., 2010). Primary studies Sutcliffe and Gault (2004) Fernandes and Werner (2021) Authors' questionnaire (Leary & Kowalski, 1993) Nazligul et al. (2017) Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) (Liebowitz & Pharmacopsychiatry, 1987) Nazligul et al. (2017) PQ (Witmer & Singer, 1998) Gulec et al. (2021 Questionnaire adapted Bessa and Santos (2017) and Su and Cheng (2013) Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDs) (Wolpe, 1968) Nazligul et al. (2017) TAM (Davis, 1985) Sittiyuno and Chaipah (2019) Table 11. ...
... For example, Bessa and Santos (2017) made adaptations from TAM (Davis, 1985) and Su and Cheng (2013) adapted from (Ely, 1983;Liu & Chu, 2010;Su et al., 2010). Primary studies Sutcliffe and Gault (2004) Fernandes and Werner (2021) Authors' questionnaire (Leary & Kowalski, 1993) Nazligul et al. (2017) Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) (Liebowitz & Pharmacopsychiatry, 1987) Nazligul et al. (2017) PQ (Witmer & Singer, 1998) Gulec et al. (2021 Questionnaire adapted Bessa and Santos (2017) and Su and Cheng (2013) Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDs) (Wolpe, 1968) Nazligul et al. (2017) TAM (Davis, 1985) Sittiyuno and Chaipah (2019) Table 11. Questionnaires used by primary studies ...
Context: In the Software Engineering Education (SEE) context, virtual worlds have been used in order to improve learning outcomes. However, there is a gap in the literature in order to characterize the use of the Metaverse for SEE. Objective: the objective of this work is to characterize the state-of-theart of virtual worlds in SEE and provide research opportunities and challenges to fill the limitations found. Method: we conducted a systematic literature review, and we established 8 research questions that guided the study, as well as performed data extraction. Results: we report on 17 primary studies that deal mostly with immersive experiences in SEE. The results show some limitations: few Software Engineering (SE) topics are covered; most applications simulate environments and do not explore new ways of viewing and interacting; there is no interoperability between virtual worlds; learning analysis techniques are not applied; and biometric data are not considered in the validations of the studies. Conclusion: although there are virtual worlds for SEE, the results indicate the need to develop mechanisms in order to support the integration between virtual worlds. Therefore, based on the findings of the review, we established a set of components grouped by 5 layers to enable the Metaverse for SEE through fundamental requirements. We hope that this work can motivate promising research in order to foster immersive learning experiences in SE through the Metaverse.
... In addition, some questionnaires were adapted to suit the purpose of the studies. For example, Bessa and Santos (2017) made adaptations from TAM (Davis, 1985) and Su and Cheng (2013) adapted from (Ely, 1983;Liu & Chu, 2010;Su et al., 2010). Primary studies Sutcliffe and Gault (2004) Fernandes and Werner (2021) Authors' questionnaire (Leary & Kowalski, 1993) Nazligul et al. (2017) Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) (Liebowitz & Pharmacopsychiatry, 1987) Nazligul et al. (2017) PQ (Witmer & Singer, 1998) Gulec et al. (2021 Questionnaire adapted Bessa and Santos (2017) and Su and Cheng (2013) Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDs) (Wolpe, 1968) Nazligul et al. (2017) TAM (Davis, 1985) Sittiyuno and Chaipah (2019) Table 11. ...
... For example, Bessa and Santos (2017) made adaptations from TAM (Davis, 1985) and Su and Cheng (2013) adapted from (Ely, 1983;Liu & Chu, 2010;Su et al., 2010). Primary studies Sutcliffe and Gault (2004) Fernandes and Werner (2021) Authors' questionnaire (Leary & Kowalski, 1993) Nazligul et al. (2017) Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) (Liebowitz & Pharmacopsychiatry, 1987) Nazligul et al. (2017) PQ (Witmer & Singer, 1998) Gulec et al. (2021 Questionnaire adapted Bessa and Santos (2017) and Su and Cheng (2013) Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDs) (Wolpe, 1968) Nazligul et al. (2017) TAM (Davis, 1985) Sittiyuno and Chaipah (2019) Table 11. Questionnaires used by primary studies ...
Contribution: This secondary study examines the literature on immersive learning frameworks and reviews their state of the art. Frameworks have been categorized according to their purpose. In addition, the elements that compose them were also categorized. Some gaps were identified and proposed as a research roadmap.
Background: Immersive technologies for education have been used for some years. Despite this, there are few works that aim to support the development and use of virtual environments for immersive learning. Research Questions: This systematic review has the following main research question: What is the state of the art of immersive learning frameworks? In order to answer this question, secondary research questions were defined: 1) what definitions of immersive learning were adopted in primary studies? 2) what are the types of frameworks and how do they support immersive learning? 3) what are the elements that compose the frameworks? 4) what are the methods used to validate the frameworks? Methodology: As per the systematic review guidelines, this study followed a rigorous and replicable process for collecting and analyzing data. From 1721 articles identified in the search engines, 15 were selected after the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings: Most frameworks are models that investigate the causal relationship between immersive learning factors that influence learning outcomes. Although this theoretical aspect is important for the advancement of research, the area still lacks more practical frameworks that address more technical details and support development, as well as the use of immersive virtual environments by teachers and instructors.
... In Section 2, it is described the key related work of this study. Section 3 explains the research methodology, summarizing the conception and creation of the PBL-Coach VLE, which is detailed in ref. [5]. The third DSR cycle (a case study) is presented and discussed in Section 4, with a focus on question Q3. ...
... The second cycle of assessment was carried out through a case study at a Brazilian university which took place in a course entitled "Systems Analysis and Development" and the subject-area "An Agile Methodology for Project Management," described in ref. [5]. This was offered in a part-time modality which focused on evaluating the extent to which a teaching staff and students believe that using the virtual learning environment suggested will meet the needs of PBL and also the degree to which it is usable. ...
Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) has gained widespread approval as a constructive, student‐centered approach to teaching, and learning. Advocating the use of real‐life problems to initiate and motivate the learning process, PBL is an inductive strategy promoting the understanding of new concepts as well as the development of professional skills, abilities, and attitudes. Thus, it is paramount that teachers and students implement PBL in conformity to its core principles. However, such implementation becomes a challenge, considering that PBL is fundamentally different from traditional instruction methods. Without the appropriate pedagogical and technological support, PBL's quality, effectiveness, and authenticity are at risk. In an attempt to overcome these challenges, this paper presents the PBL‐Coach Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), built upon PBL learning theories. This paper describes in detail a scientific investigation on a practical PBL implementation, driven by the quest to achieve the following goals: (i) Scaffold teachers and students in implementing the PBL method; (ii) Investigate useful and usable technological resources in the PBL process; (iii) Maintain PBL core principles for an authentic and effective learning process. As a result, three case studies are described and one is detailed to validate our investigation, consisting of a real‐world setting with clients, teachers, tutors, and students. Each case study provided a good level of evidence that PBL‐Coach, used in a real‐world, authentic setting, can promote an effective learning process through a number of carefully designed technological resources. Encouraging results motivated to evolve PBL‐Coach through Augmented and Virtual Reality components as future works.
... To provide this experience, the creation of virtual environments simulating the software development process has been explored in the literature. Bessa and Santos (2017), Mayor and López-Fernández (2021), and Ng and Tang (2012) investigated the creation of virtual environments that enabled software teams to interact with each other and manage the software development process. Gulec et al. (2021) and Rodrigues et al. (2016) aimed to facilitate the planning and personalization of software development training content for the support of educators. ...
The contemporary era has witnessed remarkable developments that seek to transform and reshape traditional software development methodologies. Notably, artificial intelligence (AI) supported software development as well as software development in virtual reality environments have gained considerable prominence. This article introduces software development strategies to examine how software developers and companies respond to this transformation. Also, an advanced decision model is developed using the alternative ranking order method accounting for two-step normalization (AROMAN) method and further analyzed with the single-valued neutrosophic set-based AROMAN technique. The single-valued neutrosophic weighted Dombi Bonferroni operator is employed in the analysis process. This research offers two case studies investigating the preferences of developers and managers in software development strategies. The first case study examines the preferences of developers, while the second focuses on the preferences of managers. In both case studies, three fundamental software development methods are presented. These include the "traditional developers approach", "AI-supported developers approach", and "mixed reality and AI-supported developers approach". These methods are ranked based on expert opinions concerning 10 criteria that influence the software development process. In both case studies, "output quality" is identified as the most influential criterion. From the perspective of software development methods, in both case studies, the "mixed reality and AI-supported developers approach" is identified as the most effective. Recommendations are provided for developers and managers. The findings also have significant implications for guiding developers and managers in making informed decisions and optimizing software development practices to align with the evolving AI and virtual reality landscape.
... In addition, some questionnaires were adapted to suit the purpose of the studies. For example, [PS2] made adaptations from TAM [9] and [PS15] adapted from [15,35,52]. ...
Context: In the Software Engineering Education (SEE) context, virtual worlds have been used in order to improve learning outcomes. However, there is a gap in the literature in order to characterize the use of the Metaverse for SEE. Objective: the objective of this work is to characterize the state-of-the-art of virtual worlds in SEE, provide a research agenda to fill the limitations found, and propose an architecture of the Metaverse for SEE. Method: we conducted a systematic literature review, and we established 8 research questions that guided the study, as well as performed data extraction. Results: we report on 17 primary studies that deal mostly with immersive experiences in SEE. The results show some limitations: few SE topics are covered; most applications simulate environments and do not explore new ways of viewing and interacting; there is no interoperability between virtual worlds; learning analysis techniques are not applied; and biometric data are not considered in the validations of the studies. Conclusion: although there are virtual worlds for SEE, the results indicate the need to develop mechanisms in order to support the integration between virtual worlds. Therefore, based on the findings of the review, we propose an architecture of the Metaverse for SEE (MetaSEE). We hope that this work can motivate promising research in order to foster immersive learning experiences SE in the Metaverse.
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.
During the last 40 years, problem- and project-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted in engineering education because of its expected effectiveness in developing students’ professional knowledge and transferable skills. With a growing number of PBL researches and practices in engineering education, systematic or meta-analysis reviews were conducted regarding the definitions, history and development of PBL, and benefits for student learning outcomes. However, challenges in PBL implementation was little addressed in the current review works, and even less attention has been paid on how these challenges in implementation are related to the diverse PBL practices. This paper reviewed 108 research articles to explore the levels at which the currently reported PBL practice is being implemented, and what challenges in PBL practices are being addressed. This research illustrates the variety of PBL implementation at the course level, cross-course level, curriculum level, and project level. Across these four levels, similar challenges are reported at the individual level for teachers and students, as well as at the institutional level and the culture level. Recommendations on future research directions for engineering educational researchers and suggestions for engineering faculty and staff are proposed to optimise PBL curriculum design and inform future PBL implementation.
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.
In computing courses, the teaching and learning approach normally emphasizes theoretical knowledge at the expense of practical knowledge. The major disadvantages of this approach are learners' lack of motivation during class and their quickly forgetting the knowledge they have acquired. With a view to overcoming these difficulties, Problem Based Learning (PBL), an institutional method of teaching, has been applied to teaching computing disciplines. Despite the growth of the practice of PBL in various disciplines of Computing, there is little evidence of its specific characteristics in this area, the effectiveness of different PBL methodological approaches, or of benefits and challenges encountered. In this context, this paper presents a systematic mapping study in order to identify studies which involve best practices when using the PBL method in Computing between 1997 and 2011, answering five research questions: “What are the main characteristics of PBL that support teaching in Computing?”; “What are the criteria for applying PBL effectively in this area?”; “How is the PBL methodology applied?”, “What are the advantages and benefits of applying PBL in Computing?” and, finally, “What are the main challenges about learning in PBL in Computing?”.
e-Learning implementation is an area in progress that continues to evolve with time and further research. Researchers in the field argue that e-Learning is still in its infancy, resulting into numerous implementation strategies across a wide e-Learning spectrum. This paper explores the e-Learning state of art. It provides a general overview of the learning process, evaluates some current implementation trends pointing out a range of frameworks and strategies used in the past decade. It further looks at the changes created by the adoption of e-Learning within the higher education process. This is followed by an identification of emerging issues from which two problems are identified; 1) the limited uptake of technology as an instruction delivery method; and 2) the ineffective use of technology to support learning. In respect to this, future research should therefore seek to further investigate these aspects and to explore suitable approaches for effective implementation of e-Learning to support learning. Not the least in higher education contexts.
The problem-based learning (PBL) approach has been successfully applied to teaching software engineering thanks to its principles of group work, learning by solving real problems, and learning environments that match the market realities. However, the lack of well-defined methodologies and processes for implementing the PBL approach represents a major challenge. The approach requires great flexibility and dynamism from all involved, whether in mapping content, in teacher performance, or laying out the process of how learners should go about solving problems. This paper suggests that management processes can help in implementing PBL throughout its life cycle (planning, implementation, monitoring, and enhancement), and proposes an assessment model called PBL-SEE for use in software engineering education (SEE). Two examples of its use are provided. The results show how the model can be applied and how the resulting information can be used to make the PBL initiatives "authentic," in that they bring the reality of the labor market to the learning environment, while keeping to PBL principles.
This report updates an earlier JISC report by the same authors entitled A Framework for the Pedagogical Evaluation of Virtual Learning Environments (1999). That report can be found online at: [http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/jtap-041.doc]
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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