Computer Sciences Commons^™

Patternlets — A Teaching Tool For Introducing Students To Parallel Design Patterns, Joel C. Adams

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Thanks to the ubiquity of multicore processors, today's CS students must be introduced to parallel computing or they will be ill prepared as modern software developers. Professional developers of parallel software think in terms of parallel design patterns, which are markedly different from traditional (sequential) design patterns. It follows that the more we can teach students to think in terms of parallel patterns, the more their thinking will resemble that of parallel software professionals. In this paper, we present patternlets—minimalist, scalable, syntactically correct programs, each designed to introduce students to a particular parallel design pattern. The collection currently includes 44 …

Cyber Security For Everyone: An Introductory Course For Non-Technical Majors, Marc J. Dupuis

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

In this paper, we describe the need for and development of an introductory cyber security course. The course was designed for non-technical majors with the goal of increasing cyber security hygiene for an important segment of the population—college undergraduates. While the need for degree programs that focus on educating and training individuals for occupations in the ever-growing cyber security field is critically important, the need for improved cyber security hygiene from the average everyday person is of equal importance. This paper discusses the approach used, curriculum developed, results from two runs of the course, and frames the overall structure of …

Enhancing The Learning Experience- Use Of Video Game Technology For Teaching Japanese Language, Craig A. Decampli

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Japanese language is challenging to learn, especially for native speakers of Indo- European languages. The three components of written Japanese -- Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji – include 2,136 Kanji characters, and 46 each for Katakana and Hiragana. Teaching Japanese – generally through repetition – can lead to student boredom and affect success. Research shows that video games can at least provide a more enjoyable learning experience. Despite this fact, there are a lack of video games for teaching Japanese characters. Using the Unity game engine and the C# programming language, a video game for enhancing the learning of students …

An Affordable Vr Environment, Matthew R. Petty

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Virtual Reality is a powerful technology with the ability to affect our senses in powerful ways. Traditionally used for entertainment, we argue that it can be used for educational purposes as well. In order to get virtual reality into the classroom, we must address its cost and portability, as well as improve the interaction that users experience with the virtual environment. Our solution, a Unity program installed on an iPhone and a Mac, attempts to solve these issues. A technical demo was created that functions and can be interfaced with. While this solution is a proof of concept, its consequences …

Effects Of The Use Of Leaderboards In Education, Yu-Hsien Chiu, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Gamification has been used in education to increase student motivation and performance. In this research, we are interested to examine the effect of leaderboards on student motivation by assessing the interest of students to complete optional practice questions provided to them in a course. Based on goal setting theory and cognitive evaluation theory, we hypothesize that the use of leaderboards will lead to increased student motivation. We designed a within-subject experiment where leaderboards were not provided in the first half of the semester for the optional assignments comprising practice questions but were provided in the second half of the semester …

Music Times: A Music Learning Game, Emily Woo

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Music Times is a two dimensional educational video game with the purpose of gamifying learning of musical concepts. It has elements of adventure and visual novel games, and incentivizes the player to learn music to explore new levels. It is developed in the Unity game engine, scripted in C#, and targeted for mobile devices. It has six working levels: three lesson levels and three corresponding challenge levels. Each level contains slight differences in visual and aural feel.

Playful Ai Education, Todd W. Neller

Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this talk, Neller shared how games can serve as a fun means of teaching not only game-tree search in Artificial Intelligence (AI), but also such diverse topics as constraint satisfaction, logical reasoning, planning, uncertain reasoning, machine learning, and robotics. He observed that teachers teach best when they enjoy what they share and encouraged AI educators present to teach to their unique strengths and enthusiasms.

Ai Education: Open-Access Educational Resources On Ai, Todd W. Neller

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Open-access AI educational resources are vital to the quality of the AI education we offer. Avoiding the reinvention of wheels is especially important to us because of the special challenges of AI Education. AI could be said to be “the really interesting miscellaneous pile of Computer Science”. While “artificial” is well-understood to encompass engineered artifacts, “intelligence” could be said to encompass any sufficiently difficult problem as would require an intelligent approach and yet does not fall neatly into established Computer Science subdisciplines. Thus AI consists of so many diverse topics that we would be hard-pressed to individually create quality learning …

Research Strategies For Biomedical And Health Informatics: Some Thought-Provoking And Critical Proposals To Encourage Scientific Debate On The Nature Of Good Research In Medical Informatics, Reinhold Haux, Et Al.

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Medical informatics, or biomedical and health informatics (BMHI), has become an established scientific discipline. In all such disciplines there is a certain inertia to persist in focusing on well-established research areas and to hold on to well-known research methodologies rather than adopting new ones, which may be more appropriate. To search for answers to the following questions: What are research fields in informatics, which are not being currently adequately addressed, and which methodological approaches might be insufficiently used? Do we know about reasons? What could be consequences of change for research and for education? Outstanding informatics scientists were invited to …

A Semi-Automatic Grading Experience For Digital Ink Quizzes, Brooke Ellen Rhees

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers who want to assess student learning and provide quality feedback are faced with a challenge when trying to grade assignments quickly. There is currently no system which will provide both a fast-to-grade quiz and a rich testing experience. Previous attempts to speed up grading time include NLP-based text analysis to automate grading and scanning in documents for manual grading with recyclable feedback. However, automated NLP systems all focus solely on text-based problems, and manual grading is still linear in the number of students. Machine learning algorithms exist which can interactively train a computer quickly classify digital ink strokes. We …

Planning And Implementing A Successful Nsa-Nsf Gencyber Summer Cyber Academy, Bryson R. Payne, Tamirat Abegaz, Keith Antonia

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The GenCyber program is jointly sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help faculty and cybersecurity experts provide summer cybersecurity camp experiences for K-12 students and teachers. The main objective of the program is to attract, educate, and motivate a new generation of young men and women to help address the nationwide shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. The curriculum is flexible and centers on ten cybersecurity first principles. Currently, GenCyber provides cyber camp options for three types of audiences: students, teachers, and a combination of both teachers and students. In 2016, over 120 …

Bgsu Minecraft Initiative Website, Jacob Gusching

Honors Projects

A website for the BGSU Minecraft Initiative, a program that uses Minecraft as an educational tool to engage younger students to learn. This website is a communication tool to showcase the work of BGSU students and to spread the knowledge and lesson to plans to interested parties.

Students' Explanations In Complex Learning Of Disciplinary Programming, Camilo Vieira

Open Access Dissertations

Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) has been denominated as the third pillar of science and as a set of important skills to solve the problems of a global society. Along with the theoretical and the experimental approaches, computation offers a third alternative to solve complex problems that require processing large amounts of data, or representing complex phenomena that are not easy to experiment with. Despite the relevance of CSE, current professionals and scientists are not well prepared to take advantage of this set of tools and methods. Computation is usually taught in an isolated way from engineering disciplines, and therefore, …

Lightcraft Previzion In Distance Education, Perry L. Cox

Open Access Theses

Visual Effects has continued to progress at an astonishing rate and green screen technology can be seen in all aspects of the video industry from Hollywood blockbusters down to training videos and distance education.

As video technology has increased, so has the quality and capability of distance education. Purdue University has set itself to be at the forefront of distance education. This study looked to evaluate Purdue's investment in the Lightcraft Technology's Previzion system and its impact on distance education at Purdue. There were 65 initial participants and this study compared the impact of two separate videos on their learning. …

Using Machine Learning To Predict Student Achievement On The State Of Texas Assessment Of Academic Readiness Examination In Charter Schools, Christopher D. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research and develop a way to use machine learning algorithms (MLAs) to predict student achievement on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR), specifically in the charter school setting. Charter schools have the disadvantage of a constant influx in students, so providing historical student data in order to analyze trends proves difficult. This study expands on previous research done on students in secondary and post-secondary school and determining features that indicate success in these settings. The data used is from the district of IDEA Public Schools who focuses on providing education …

Traditional Mathematics And New Methods Of Teaching Through Programming Together With Students, Robert Kosova, Teuta Thanasi, Lindita Mukli, Loreta Nakuçi Pëllumbi

UBT International Conference

We are used to the traditional methods of teaching mathematics. The textbook, the blackboard and a chalk have been for centuries a wonderful part of teaching. And, they always will be. Traditional teaching methods of mathematics are a wonderful legacy of our educational system that have educated generations of teachers, engineers, administrators, managers, leaders, and economists. American universities websites, the video- lectures of the best professors of well-known disciplines such as statistics, operational research, number theory, algebra, game theory, show impressing large blackboards, all over the auditor's walls. We always will need and admire traditional mathematics. But, beyond the lessons, …

Some Issues In The Testing Of Computer Simulation Models, David J. Murray-Smith

UBT International Conference

The testing of simulation models has much in common with testing processes in other types of application involving software development. However, there are also important differences associated with the fact that simulation model testing involves two distinct aspects, which are known as verification and validation. Model validation is concerned with investigation of modelling errors and model limitations while verification involves checking that the simulation program is an accurate representation of the mathematical and logical structure of the underlying model. Success in model validation depends upon the availability of detailed information about all aspects of the system being modelled. It also …

Creating And Automatically Grading Annotated Questions, Alicia Crowder Wood

Theses and Dissertations

We have created a question type that allows teachers to easily create questions, helps provide an intuitive user experience for students to take questions, and reduces the time it currently takes teachers to grade and provide feedback to students. This question type, or an "annotated" question, will allow teachers to test students' knowledge in a particular subject area by having students "annotate" or mark text and video sources to answer questions. Through user testing we determined that overall the interface and the implemented system decrease the time it would take a teacher to grade annotated quiz questions. However, there are …

A Usability Assessment For A Career Planning Educational Video Game, Jiaqi Wang

Open Access Theses

This study focused on the design, implementation and usability assessment of an educational 2D iPad job matching game The Place You’ll Go (TPYG), which meant for matching student skill sets with career profiles. The development of the game is conducted in collaboration with Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management and Polytech Institute. A total of 7 subjects, as high school teachers, participated in the usability study. TPYG as one possible solution for job matching data visualization, did not provide players with a good experience. However, conclusions and findings can be used in similar education game development. Based on survey and …

Towards Building A Computer-Aided Accreditation System, Emmanuel Alejandro Santillana Fayett

Theses and Dissertations

Accreditation is a big subject. What is accreditation? Why should it matter to us? How many types of accreditation can an institution have? Is the government involved? What issues are present? How can we improve the accreditation process? All these questions will be covered in this paper. In addition, I will build towards a software that will apply the most important points in this paper, like applying the mission, objectives, and outcomes expected from the students in the form of a syllabus. This will help the faculty with the accreditation process and will help the students know what is expected …

Examining Bridges Between Informal And Formal Learning Environments: A Sequential Mixed Method Design, Dagen L. Valentine

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this sequential mixed method study was to identify schools implementing a technology-based engineering design intervention in a way that connects or bridges formal learning environments of the school-day to informal learning environments such as afterschool programs. Further, this study investigated educators’ decisions that enabled or facilitated bridging between formal and informal learning environments. This cooperation and/or linking between informal and formal learning time is bridging. Participants included public schools (n=16) in Eastern Nebraska that incorporated the Nebraska Wearables Technology (WearTec) program at their school, club or Out-of-School-Time program during the 2015-2016 school year. Three of the schools …

Impact Of Visualization On Engineers – A Survey, Dhaval Kashyap Shah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in data. Numerous research and technologies have been proposed and developed in the field of Visualization to cope with the associated data analytics. Despite these new technologies, the pace of people’s capacity to perform data analysis has not kept pace with the requirement. Past literature has hinted as to various reasons behind this disparity. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate specifically the usage of Visualization in the field of engineering. We conducted the research with the help of a survey identifying the places where Visualization educational shortcomings may …

Visual Code: Breaking The Binary, Jacob Johannesen, Andrew Adriance

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This project seeks to create an accessible programming language that is more visually based. Although some solutions exist, namely MIT’s Scratch, nothing has caught up to the mobile age. This proj- ect aims to reframe creating a game or app into the context of tell- ing a story, putting character creation first. By researching sto- ry-telling and how people learn, and by applying technical and user interface design knowledge, this project intends to deliver a soft- ware solution that opens introductory coding education to more people.

Social Customer Relationship Management In Higher Education, Victorian A. Farnsworth

Open Access Theses

Customer Relationship Management is a concept that has become a requirement for any successful entity to attract and retain desired constituents. It is a set of processes and tools that help track, analyze, and act upon customer related data. Over the last decade, the toolsets have evolved to include social media as another source of information and connection. Nowhere is this information and connection more important than in higher education where globalization and tighter budgets have created a competitive market. This research evaluated the use of this most recent social toolset and its effectiveness in a higher education institution, all …

Enhancing The Campus Experience: Helping International Students To Adapt To North American Campus Life, Qiaoying Wang

Open Access Theses

This thesis investigates how culture adaption topic can be applied to a design solution by enhancing international students experience on North American campus. Each year more than half a million international students enroll in American colleges and universities. Many will spend several years on a campus working toward their degree. Most of them arrive with clear academic goals, but they may have no clue what their social lives will be like. In that case, a common phenomenon that most of the international students need to get along with is called “Culture Shock”, which involves culture and academic adapting difficulties, limited …

Guest Editors' Introduction: Research On Equity And Sustained Participation In Engineering, Computing, And Technology, Tiffany Barnes, Jamie Payton, George K. Thiruvathukal, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer, Jeff Forbes

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The guest editors introduce best papers on broadening participation in computing from the RESPECT'15 conference. The five articles presented here are part one of a two-part series representing research on broadening participation in computing at all levels of education: from K-12 schools through graduate school, with a focus on diversity with regard to gender, race, and ethnicity.

The Need For Research In Broadening Participation, Tiffany Barnes, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Underrepresentation in computing is a global problem, marked by a disturbing lack of access to computing resources and education among people underrepresented by race, ethnicity, gender, income, disability, and sexual-orientation status. It is urgent that we address this divide between those with and without the knowledge to create computational artifacts or even basic functional literacy. Important alliances for broadening participation (BP) are catalyzing efforts to engage more people in computing, but they are not enough. We need solid research as well.

Educational Methods For Inverted-Lecture Computer Science And Engineering Classrooms To Overcome Common Barriers To Stem Student Success, Kathleen Timmerman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

New educational pedagogies are emerging in an effort to increase the number of new engineers available to enter the workforce in the coming years. One of the re-occurring themes in these pedagogies is variations of the flipped classroom. Often the additional classroom time gained from flipping is used to reinforce learning objectives. It is hypothesized that it might be more beneficial to students if a portion of that time is used to address common non-cognitive barriers that prevent students from succeeding in the major. In a freshman Introductory Computer Science course, three different pedagogies are compared: a hybrid lecture-active learning …

Moocs And The Online Delivery Of Business Education: What's New? What's Not? What Now?, Jonathan W. Whitaker, J. Randolph New, R. Duane Ireland

Management Faculty Publications

Although the past 2 decades have produced much promise (and accompanying research) on the use of information technology (IT) in business school courses, it is not entirely clear whether IT has truly "transformed" management education. There are compelling arguments on both sides. On one hand, advocates for the transformative role of IT can point to several success stories. On the other hand, skeptics of the role of IT in management education can also point to support for their view. This lack of consensus has led researchers in Academy of Management Learning & Education to call for scholars to confront the …

Blended Learning For Faculty Professional Development Incorporating Knowledge Management Principles, Julie E. Hewitt

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Adjunct faculty comprise a large percentage of part-time faculty for many colleges and universities today. Adjunct faculty are hired because they are experts in their content areas; however, this does not guarantee that they are skilled in effective classroom management. These instructors can become bewildered and frustrated because they lack the knowledge and skills that are needed to run an effective classroom.

While educational organizations have adopted blended learning environments as an effective delivery method for their students, this method has not gained much traction as a way to deliver instruction to their own employees. Thus, there are opportunities to …