Computer Engineering Commons^™

Designing Asynchronous Online Discussion Environments: Recent Progress And Possible Future Directions, Fei Gao, Tianyi Zhang, Teresa Franklin

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Asynchronous online discussion environments are important platforms to support learning. Research suggests, however, threaded forums, one of the most popular asynchronous discussion environments, do not often foster productive online discussions naturally. This paper explores how certain properties of threaded forums have affected or constrained the quality of discussions, and argues that developing alternative discussion environments is highly needed to offer better support for asynchronous online communication. Using the Productive Discussion Model developed by Gao, Wang & Sun (2009), we analyzed current work on four types of asynchronous discussion environments that have been developed and researched: constrained environments, visualized environments, anchored …

Top-Ten It Issues, 2013: Welcome To The Connected Age, Susan Grajek, David Rotman

Administrative Personnel Publications

No abstract provided.

Case Study Of Using A Social Annotation Tool To Support Collaboratively Learning, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study was to understand student interaction and learning supported by a collaboratively social annotation tool — Diigo. The researcher examined through a case study how students participated and interacted when learning an online text with the social annotation tool — Diigo, and how they perceived their experience. The findings suggested that students participated actively in the collaborative learning activity and were engaged in a variety of behaviors including self-reflection, elaboration, internalization, and showing support. Although students generally had a moderately positive attitude toward using the social annotation tool for collaborative learning, a few problems were identified. …

Examining Student Participation In Three Learning Activities Supported By Social Annotation Tools, Tian Luo, Fei Gao, Kathryn S. Hoff

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Social annotation (SA) allows learners to highlight and comment on Web pages and share annotations with each other online. Despite its potential in promoting collaborative learning, examining how to integrate it into educational settings has not been fully studied. The purpose of the study is to examine student participation in three different SA-based online activities: (1) peer review, (2) annotated discussion, and (3) collaborative reading. Students participated in all three SA-based activities and took a survey at the end reporting the effectiveness of these activities. The analysis of students’ annotations and their survey responses suggested that although participants perceived the …

The Evolution Of Successful Service-Learning Courses In The Computing Curriculum: From Infancy To Innovation, Jean F. Coppola Phd, Susan Feather-Gannon, Catharina Daniels, Nancy Lynch Hale, Pauline Mosley

Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship

The purpose of this paper is to relate the evolution of successful service-learning courses in a school of computer science and information systems spanning over a 20-year period. The authors share their experiences in developing technology-based service-learning courses for both majors and non-majors. Most recently, these courses have enabled undergraduate first-year students to be exposed to exciting technologies, such as robotics and mobile app development. The challenges, benefits, and lessons learned are discussed.

Substantive Collaboration: Are We Ready To Lead?, Mark Askren

Information Technology Services: Publications

Although MOOCs have received the most attention in higher education this year, another issue is affecting colleges and universities and the IT community on a much broader scale: the perception that the higher education business model is “broken.” This isn’t an IT problem by definition, but IT leaders have not contributed effectively to a solution. At least not yet. So what can we, as IT leaders, do individually and collectively to change the outcome? The answer is clear. We have to collaborate. Substantially. And in ways that are far-reaching and very challenging. We have to change our core processes and …

Patterns For Success: Women In Technology: Analyzing Top Technical Women For Repeated Mindsets, Life Experiences, And Career Navigation, Julie L. Gill

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss and discover why some women are so successful in the computing fields when public opinion continues to hold that computing is not a women’s field because there are so few women in computing. The roots for this shortage begin in theAmerican educational system, “Nationwide only about 20 percent of the bachelor's degrees incomputer science go to women,” according to a November 11, 2011 NPR story titled “Addressing the Shortage of Women in Silicon Valley”. This shortage is well noted and heavily researched, Plausible solutions have been proposed and it is critically important …

Integrating Robotics Into First-Year Experience Courses, Tyson S. Hall, P. Willard Munger

Faculty Works

Robotics are a popular component of many introductory engineering and computer science courses. At Southern Adventist University, the School of Computing faculty decided to integrate robotics into a discipline-specific section of the University’s first-year experience course. The integration of robotics into a first-year experience course has created a hands-on introduction to college life within the Computing discipline while introducing students to the problem-solving process. This paper will introduce a very low-cost robotic platform kit ($50-75) that has been developed for the first-year experience course. Student assessment data from the first offering of this course with the SouthernBot 2.0 kit shows …

Investigations Into Library Web Scale Discovery Services, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Publications

Web scale discovery services for libraries provide deep discovery to a library’s local and licensed content, and represent an evolution, perhaps a revolution, for end user information discovery as pertains to library collections. This article frames the topic of Web scale discovery, and begins by illuminating Web scale discovery from an academic library’s perspective – that is, the internal perspective seeking widespread staff participation in the discovery conversation. This included the creation of a Discovery Task Force, a group which educated library staff, conducted internal staff surveys, and gathered observations from early adopters. The article next addresses the substantial research …

Education On Conceptual Modeling For Simulation- Beyond The Craft: A Summary Of A Recent Expert Panel Discussion, Durk-Jouke Van Der Zee, Andreas Tolk, Mike Pidd, Kathy Kotiadis, Antuela A. Tako

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ua3/9/2 I.T. Division Annual Report + Tactical Plan, Wku Information Technology

WKU Archives Records

Annual report of WKU Information Technology Division submitted to WKU President Gary Ransdell. Report is housed in UA3/9/2 Subject Files.

Use Of Mobile Phone Computing For Development Of Student 21st Century Skills, Susan M. Merritt, R. Lara Lee

Cornerstone 2 Reports : Community Outreach and Empowerment Through Service Learning and Volunteerism

Mobile phone computing enables immediate capture and transfer of data, images, notes and experiences from the field to a repository where retrieval, analysis, edits, aggregation, and further development are possible. Immediate findings and later results can be shared on the Web with local and global communities, and development of integrated service learning projects in concert with underserved communities is possible using this mode of information gathering and sharing.

Mobile phone computing incorporates moments when participants build tomorrow's skills while addressing today's learning goals. Use of digital tools and supporting resources bring real world problems into focus. Mobile phone computing enables …

Graduate Curricula In Software Engineering And Software Assurance: Need And Recommendations, T. B. Hilburn, Andrew J. Kornecki

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

In discussions about the development and use of computer systems and software products, the term “professional software engineer” is used repeatedly. In the last two decades there has been significant effort devoted to enhancing and advancing the state of professional software engineering (SwE) – new software engineering processes, methods, tools, and practices; creation of a software engineering body of knowledge [1]; development of a code of ethics and professional conduct [2], and software certification and licensing programs [3] . In 1989 the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University published a landmark report on graduate education in software engineering …

M&S Body Of Knowledge: Progress Report And Look Ahead, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Forty Years Of Movie Hacking: Considering The Potential Implications Of The Popular Media Representation Of Computer Hackers From 1968 To 2008, Damian Gordon

Articles

Increasingly movies are being produced which feature plots that incorporate elements of computer security and hacking, and cumulatively these movies are creating a public perception as to the nature of computer security. This research examines movies that feature hackers (and hacking) to identify if any common themes emerge from these movies in their representation of these issues. To achieve this, first a corpus of hacking movies is created, and then using a qualitative data analysis technique, guidelines are developed which distinguish those movies that actually have the potential to create a perception with the general public. The resultant dataset is …

Comparing Role-Playing Activities In Second Life And Face-To-Face Environments, Fei Gao, Jeongmin J. Noh, Matthew J. Koehler

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This study compared student performances in role-playing activities in both a face-to-face (FTF) environment and a virtual 3D environment, Second Life (SL). We found that students produced a similar amount of communication in the two environments, but the communication styles were different. In SL role-playing activities, students took more conversational turns, but have shorter exchanges compared to the FTF environment. Students generated an equal amount of topic-related concepts in the two environments. They also reported role-playing activities in SL as more interesting and less formal. The educational implications for this study are discussed.

100 Ways You Can Use Google (Besides Searching), Marziah Karch

SIDLIT Conference Proceedings

Google has dozens of tools for educators and students. Learn how to make forms that feed into spreadsheets, blogs, social networks, websites, collaborative documents, videos, and more. During economic downturns it's more important than ever to make sure you and your students are utilizing free tools for collaborative learning and communication.

Where Does Your Institution Stand?, Wendell Brase, Mark Askren

Information Technology Services: Publications

Media coverage of sustainability and "green" issues is hard to ignore these days. But less clear is a specific understanding of what this agenda means within higher ed IT organizations. For starters, it's useful to self-assess whether your campus is a leading innovator on all things "green" or satisfied to remain inconspicuous in the middle of the pack. If your institution is trailing but wants to assert a leadership role in environmental stewardship, you need to get engaged to understand what it will take to catch up and how IT can be a leader, not just a contributor, to such …

New Model Of Productive Online Discussion And Its Implications For Research And Instruction, Fei Gao, Charles Xiaoxue Wang, Yanling Sun

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

We develop a new model of productive online discussion based on a brief review of research literature on online discussion. As compared to previous discussion models, the new model provides a more systematic and comprehensive framework to understand how learning occurs through online discussion. Based on the new model, we propose several directions for research on improving the quality of online discussion and learning.

Building A Blog From Scratch, Jonathan Bacon

SIDLIT Conference Proceedings

The presenter takes the audience step-by-step through the creation of a Weblog, a tool which can be used for distance education.

Technology-Aided Participative Methods In Environmental Assessment: An International Perspective, Ainhoa Gonzalez, Alan Gilmer, Ronan Foley, John Sweeney, John Fry

Articles

Provisions for citizen involvement in the assessment of potential environmental effects of certain plans, programmes and projects are present in current legislation. An international survey revealed that public participation is common practice in European and some other countries worldwide. However, a number of issues are observed to affect public involvement in EIA/SEA processes and expert opinion differs when evaluating the effectiveness of existing participative methods. Results suggest that technology-aided methods can improve traditional participation processes. In particular, GIS has the potential to increase community knowledge and enhance involvement by communicating information more effectively. Variable accessibility to technology and data quality …

The Videoconferencing Classroom: What Do Students Think?, Dr. Anthony Mark Doggett

Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences Faculty Publications

The advantages of video conferencing in educational institutions are well documented. Scholarly literature has indicated that videoconferencing technology reduces time and costs between remote locations, fill gaps in teaching services, increases training productivity, enables meetings that would not be possible due to prohibitive travel costs, and improves access to learning (Martin, 2005; Rose, Furner, Hall, Montgomery, Katsavras, & Clarke, 2000; Townes-Young & Ewing, 2005; West, 1999). However, there are few studies that analyze the effectiveness of videoconferencing from the student’s perspective. Videoconferencing technology is often touted as a method to connect with previously inaccessible student populations, but does it adequately …

Experiences Teaching Website Engagibility To Computer Science Students., Pan Liqiang, Bryan Duggan, Ronan Fitzpatrick

Conference papers

In the second year of our degree program, DT228 students study a subject called Web Development. In this paper we describe our studio classroom based teaching approach to this subject and explain how using this approach has enabled us to expand the scope of the course to include the important concept of website engagibility. We present a summary of current theories on website engagibility and explain how we incorporated these theories into the course. We further describe an experiment which we carried out in order to encourage students to reflect on website engagibility and incorporate it into their continuous assessments.

Guidelines For The Development Of Computer-Based Instruction Modules For Science And Engineering, Jessica R. Lux, Barry D. Davidson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - All Scholarship

The design and development of a prototype computer-based instruction (CBI) module is described. The module covers introductory structural analysis techniques and demonstrates the practicality of CBI for undergraduate engineering education. The module’s generic learning objectives are used to develop a set of guiding principles for CBI development. Choice of authoring software and the module architecture are presented, followed by the details of the user interface, logic, and screen layout. The module design and software development process outlined here are easily extended to computer-based tutorials that present problem solving methods for engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences.

Integrating Security Into The Curriculum, Cynthia E. Irvine, Shiu-Kai Chin, Deborah Frincke

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - All Scholarship

The number of skilled practitioners of computer security who are able to address the complexities of modern technology and are familiar with successful approaches to system security is very small. People want security but are faced with two difficulties. First, they do not know how to achieve it in the context of their enterprises. They may not even know of a way to translate organizational procedures into policies, much less implement a set of mechanisms to enforce those policies. Second, they have no way of knowing whether their chosen mechanisms are effective. The recent US Presidential Commission on Critical Infrastructure …

Ua3/9/2 Information Technology Summary Report, Wku Information Technology

WKU Archives Records

Report of the WKU Information Technology Division to the president regarding operations from 1991 through 1997.

Assessment Methods For Virtual Laboratories In Civil Engineering Technology, Carol L. Considine, Vernon W. Lewis Jr.

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Old Dominion University has developed an extensive distance learning system that includes 40 remote sites. A majority of the sites are located at community colleges. There are 30 sites in Virginia, three sites in North Carolina, one site in Washington State and one site in Arizona. In addition, there are four sites at Higher Education Centers in Virginia and one site at a local industrial facility. The Civil Engineering Technology curriculum requires three laboratory courses, which are a challenge in the distance learning environment because of the lack of laboratory equipment and computers at the broadcast sites. The three courses …

Finding The Way : Navigation In Hypermedia, Janet Marsh Pine

Graduate Research Papers

If navigation is recognized as a fundamental problem experienced by hypermedia users, then navigation merits further investigation. This review will identify observed navigational problems, suspected causes, and proposed solutions. To investigate the problem, it is necessary to examine methods used to sequence hypermedia components and to identify the various schemes used for navigation.

Information resulting from the review of literature will serve as the basis for a project evaluating current multimedia software packages designed to develop reading skills. The findings will also provide the media specialist or professional educator with a framework for evaluation and subsequent utilization of multimedia learning …

Ua3/8/5 Application For Cause Award For Excellence In Campus Networking, Wku President's Office-Meredith

WKU Archives Records

Application for CAUSE award for excellence in campus networking gives details about the first WKU computer network.

Ua8 Information Technology Update, Wku Information Technology

WKU Archives Records

Newsletter created by and about WKU Information Technology.