Adilson Vahldick

A review of games designed to improve introductory computer programming competencies

Learning computer programming is not simple for many students. They have to develop several complex skills to be able to understand programs and, more important, to create programs that solve problems. This means it is important that students have a high motivation level, so that they engage in that work and do not get frustrated with the natural errors they will make in this process. Digital games are often used in educational contexts to attract and retain students. In literature and on the web, we can find many games related strategies that aim to support learning in introductory computer programming courses. One of these strategies is the using games approach: asking students to play games that include problems that must be solved in order to progress. This paper presents a list of 40 games classified by type and highlights the skills and topics supported by them. We hope this work helps teachers to choose games as part of their teaching strategies, as alternative or complementary exercises to their students.

Estudo sobre Padrões de Objetos de Aprendizagem para Compartilhamento na Rede LOP2P

Este artigo discute a colaboracao entre estudantes na internet e a troca de conhecimento por meio desse canal de comunicacao. Propoe uma metodologia que visa potencializar as relacoes entre os usuarios de uma rede educacional situada num contexto especifico. Tal metodo tem como fundamento as teorias do contexto e a analise de redes sociais (ARS), para promover um mapeamento das redes estudadas.Refletir sobre curriculo escolar formal e comunidades de aprendizagem como metafora das TIC dinamizam os caminhos empiricos, construcoes criticas e aprofundamento da difusao do conhecimento como parte do processo de humanizacao/ tecnologizacao do homem. Oriundos de processos e movimentos contemporâneos, a consolidacao de ambientes computacionais nas escolas potencializa a construcao do conhecimento e a socializacao de praticas pedagogicas inovadoras. Esta investigacao assume as situacoes especificas curriculares, procura descobrir o que existe de mais essencial e caracteristico, partindo do conhecimento de curriculo e suas bases teoricas tradicionais, para a construcao da discussao sobre um curriculo em rede associada a instrumentalizacao das comunidades de aprendizagem.O sistema Moodle constitui-se atualmente numa das mais importantes ferramentas de apoio a cursos na Web. Apesar disto, seu modelo apresenta algumas deficiencias para uma estruturacao hierarquica e compartilhamento de materiais digitais entre disciplinas e turmas do seu ambiente virtual. Este artigo apresenta um estudo sobre a arquitetura central do Moodle, propondo a definicao de um novo nucleo, visando o aprimoramento destas caracteristicas.Estudo descritivo, qualitativo, com estudantes da 3a serie de Graduacao em Enfermagem de uma Universidade Publica de Sao Paulo, SP. Os participantes construiram Mapas Conceituais, por meio do software Cmap Tools®. Os dados foram coletados em um Grupo Focal e todos os sujeitos indicaram que o uso do software facilita e garante a organizacao, visualizacao e correlacao dos dados, porem houve dificuldades iniciais relacionadas ao manejo das ferramentas. Conclui-se, que o software Cmap Tools® favoreceu a construcao dos MC por seus recursos de formatacao, porem estrategias de orientacao deveriam ser implantadas. Como resultado, desenvolveu-se um manual para o uso do software Cmap Tool® em video Podcasting.Ha poucas iniciativas com respeito aos ambientes de virtuais para a divulgacao de materiais curriculares sobre modelagem matematica. Esses ambientes oferecem acesso as praticas pedagogicas em modelagem. Este trabalho apresenta um sistema Web para hospedar atividades de modelagem e materiais multimidia para descrever o desenvolvimento do ambiente de modelagem em sala de aula e apoiar outros professores na implementacao em suas praticas pedagogicas.A composicao e sequenciamento de Objetos de Aprendizagem sao discutidas neste trabalho a partir da representacao da estrutura conceitual de um dominio em termos das suas relacoes de dependencia. A composicao de Objetos de Aprendizagem e modelada a partir da estrutura narrativa de um discurso considerando-se os aspetos formais dos planos do conteudo e de expressao. O aspecto formal do conteudo da composicao e dado pelas pelos conceitos e seus relacionamentos e forma da expressao corresponde aos tipos de signos definidos pelo LOM. A estrutura da composicao obtida independe do tipo de midia utilizado e o modelo adequa-se as propostas de composicao adaptativas tanto do ponto de vista do meio como das disponibilidades de conexao.

Aplicação das Técnicas de Projeto Instrucional 4C/ID na Produção de Objetos de Aprendizagem em Conformidade com o SCORM Usando um Software Livre como Ferramenta de Autoria

Esse artigo apresenta um estudo de caso de confeccao de material instrucional para um curso ilustrando as possibilidades de sequenciamento das atividades com a especificacao SCORM. Para autoria desse curso foi utilizada a ferramenta MOS Solo, e baseado no metodo 4C/ID para o projeto instrucional do conteudo.

FuzzyStudio: A Web Tool for Modeling and Simulation of Fuzzy Systems

The study of Fuzzy Logic in higher education is hampered by the limited time devoted to it, since it is frequently embedded into a discipline along with other topics. In spite of their potential for application in several areas of knowledge, such as education, administration and engineering, teaching Fuzzy Logic is also restricted by the absence of an environment to easily develop fuzzy systems. This work deals with the development of a tool for modelling and simulating fuzzy systems. The tool aims to facilitate the fuzzy systems building process. As an important feature, an execution environment to the model has been developed. This feature improves graphical execution, FCL standard code generation and Java code generation. Furthermore, the tool enables collaborative work, allowing that more than one user simultaneously work on the same project. By now, tool supports Mamdani-type fuzzy systems and its implementation is exploited with the jFuzzyLogic library. The tool was used in a class of Artificial Intelligence in the Santa Catarina State University. In the opportunity, the students performed exercises on the platform and also delivered a work proposed by the professor. After that it was conducted a survey with those students in order to evaluate the facility of using the software. The system showed to be efficient and simple for the construction of fuzzy systems as well as for the simulation and generation of fuzzy artifacts. So, it can be applied in an academic environment to practice fuzzy theories, as well as in the commercial context, in the construction of intelligent solutions that use Fuzzy Logic.

Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment through a Learning Analytics Model in a Casual Serious Game for Computer Programming Learning

Teachers have used games as a support tool to engage students in learning tasks. As they often record student’s performance as learning progresses, it is interesting and useful to discuss how that information can be used to assess learning and to improve the learning experience. For instance, teachers can use that information to give personalized attention in classes and the game can use it to provide challenges of the “right” difficulty. In computer programming learning, games can provide an alternative way to introduce concepts and, mainly, to practice them. This paper proposes a model to identify the students’ progress considering their performance in programming tasks. The model is demonstrated by an implementation in a casual computer programming serious game. We illustrate how this game could use this model to personalize its challenges.

Learning Analytics Model in a Casual Serious Game for Computer Programming Learning

Games have been used by teachers as a support tool to engage students in learning tasks. As they often record student’s performance as learning progresses, it interesting and useful to discuss how that information can be used to assess learning and to improve the learning experience. For instance, teachers can use that information to give personalized attention in classes. In computer programming learning, games can provide an alternative way to introduce concepts and, mainly, to practice them. This paper proposes a model to identify the students’ progress considering their performance in programming tasks. The model is demonstrated by an implementation in a casual computer programming serious game.