Gonçalo Cruz

Development of a Mechanical Maintenance Training Simulator in OpenSimulator for F-16 Aircraft Engines

Abstract Mechanical maintenance of F-16 engines is carried out as a team effort involving 3 to 4 skilled engine technicians. This paper presents the development of a mechanical maintenance simulator for their training. This simulator aims to enable technician training to be enhanced with cooperation and context prior to the training phase with actual physical engines. We describe the requirements that were identified with the Portuguese Air Force, the overall software architecture of the system, the current stage of the prototype, and the outcomes of the first field tests with users.

Development of a mechanical maintenance training simulator in OpenSimulator for F-16 aircraft engines

Abstract Mechanical maintenance of F-16 engines is carried out as a team effort involving 3–4 skilled engine technicians, but the details of its procedures and requisites change constantly, to improve safety, optimize resources, and respond to knowledge learned from field outcomes. This provides a challenge for development of training simulators, since simulated actions risk becoming obsolete rapidly and require costly reimplementation. This paper presents the development of a 3D mechanical maintenance training simulator for this context, using a low-cost simulation platform and a software architecture that separates simulation control from simulation visualization, in view of enabling more agile adaptation of simulators. This specific simulator aims to enable technician training to be enhanced with cooperation and context prior to the training phase with actual physical engines. We provide data in support of the feasibility of this approach, describing the requirements that were identified with the Portuguese Air Force, the overall software architecture of the system, the current stage of the prototype, and the outcomes of the first field tests with users.

Adding value to the learning process by online peer review activities: towards the elaboration of a methodology to promote critical thinking in future engineers

Considering the results of research on the benefits and difficulties of peer review, this paper describes how teaching faculty, interested in endorsing the acquisition of communication and critical thinking (CT) skills among engineering students, has been implementing a learning methodology throughout online peer review activities. While introducing a new methodology, it is important to weight the advantages found and the conditions that might have restrained the activity outcomes, thereby modulating its overall efficiency. Our results show that several factors are decisive for the success of the methodology: the use of specific and detailed orientation guidelines for CT skills, the students’ training on how to deliver a meaningful feedback, the opportunity to counter-argument, the selection of good assignments’ examples, and the constant teachers monitoring of the activity. Results also tackle other aspects of the methodology such as the thinking skills evaluation tools (grades and tests) that most suit our reality. An improved methodology is proposed taking in account the encountered limitations, thus offering the possibility to other interested institutions to use/test and/or improve it.

Social networks, microblogging, virtual worlds, and Web 2.0 in the teaching of programming techniques for software engineering: A trial combining collaboration and social interaction beyond college

With the goal of lessening barriers to the learning of advanced programming techniques, we put into place a trial which required students to get involved with online communities of programmers. Using a course assignment on software architecture styles, students had study a problem, find basis for a tentative approach, and discuss it online with programmers. The expectation was that students would find motivation for their studies from both the contact with communities of programmers, and from having to study and reflect upon their problem well enough to be able to draw the interest of members of those communities. We present the strategy we used, the developments and outcomes, and ideas for further application of this approach.

Designing User Learning Experience in Virtual Worlds: The Young Europeans for Democracy Serious Application

In this paper, we present the user experience design of Young Europeans for Democracy (YED) serious application. Facing the actually need to support young citizens understanding and participation in Europe, schools have a key role on European studies integration. Accordingly to the growing opportunities of applying technology for training and education, we propose a serious application in a open-source 3D Virtual World environment solution, adopting a problem-based learning approach, role-playing dynamics and group work tasks. The main goal was to design a meaningfully user experience, increasing the students motivation and engagement for learning different knowledge on the topics of European Studies. Some preliminary results are presented, based on participatory observation within the use of the serious application.

Federation Technology and Virtual Worlds for Learning: Research Trends and Opportunities Towards Identity Federation

Currently, Virtual Worlds technology is used for educational purposes in a cross-disciplinary way. However, particularly in formal learning institutions, its widespread adoption is far from being a reality due a broad range of technological challenges. This paper addresses identity federation systems as possible solutions to some of the interoperability, security and user management problems. Our major goal is to present what systems, architectures and standards are standing out, how the research area is moving toward identity federation, and why educational institutions need to address it. We consider identity, privacy, security- assurance, and interoperability as main concerns within our analysis, in order to interconnect digital identities with physical identities, and create a unique federated identity system that can act independently from the service in use. Thus, VWs technologies will be able to scale and evolve independently without compromising users identity.