Imran A. Zualkernan

A Mobile GPRS-Sensors Array for Air Pollution Monitoring

An online GPRS-Sensors Array for air pollution monitoring has been designed, implemented, and tested. The proposed system consists of a Mobile Data-Acquisition Unit (Mobile-DAQ) and a fixed Internet-Enabled Pollution Monitoring Server (Pollution-Server). The Mobile-DAQ unit integrates a single-chip microcontroller, air pollution sensors array, a General Packet Radio Service Modem (GPRS-Modem), and a Global Positioning System Module (GPS-Module). The Pollution-Server is a high-end personal computer application server with Internet connectivity. The Mobile-DAQ unit gathers air pollutants levels (CO, NO2, and SO2), and packs them in a frame with the GPS physical location, time, and date. The frame is subsequently uploaded to the GPRS-Modem and transmitted to the Pollution-Server via the public mobile network. A database server is attached to the Pollution-Server for storing the pollutants level for further usage by various clients such as environment protection agencies, vehicles registration authorities, and tourist and insurance companies. The Pollution-Server is interfaced to Google Maps to display real-time pollutants levels and locations in large metropolitan areas. The system was successfully tested in the city of Sharjah, UAE. The system reports real-time pollutants level and their location on a 24-h/7-day basis.

A Simple Instrument to Measure IT-Business Alignment Maturity

Abstract The challenge of aligning Information Technology (IT) to business has often been cited as a key issue by IT executives. This paper presents a simple, flexible, and easy-to-use instrument that measures the alignment maturity between business and IT and identifies major gaps. The proposed instrument is based on Luftmans “Strategy Alignment Maturity Model” (SAMM); it directly encodes all attributes of SAMM alignment areas using a unidimensional framework. The instrument supports multiple levels of analysis with minimum assumptions about data using non-parametric statistical tools. In addition, the instrument provides an aggregation procedure to summarize the alignment maturity level for high-level executives. The instrument can also be customized to incorporate the contextual parameters of a company. In addition to the development of the instrument, this paper also shows how this instrument was applied to assess the alignment maturity level between IT and business in a rapidly growing company that had recently been publicly listed. The instrument was successful in identifying six major gaps for the company across the various alignment areas. These gaps were benchmarking, business metrics, strategic business planning, inter / intra organizational learning, architectural integration, and the impact of IT on business processes.

Learning Styles of Computer Programming Students: A Middle Eastern and American Comparison

Although there are many studies addressing the relationship of learning style to outcomes in engineering courses, few have attempted direct cross-cultural comparisons. This study investigates similarities and differences in the learning styles of computer science and engineering students at a Middle Eastern institution and an American university in the Midwestern United States. Comparative data on student learning style profiles and course outcomes suggest that, despite vast cultural differences, strong similarities exist between learning styles of these students. Seemingly, a consistent pattern in how these students learn across cultures also exists. These findings have significant implications for the creation of globally effective teaching materials

InfoPods: Zigbee-based remote information monitoring devices for smart-homes

Recent developments in ad-hoc wireless networks, single-chip embedded systems and the wide-spread availability of Internet in homes has made it possible to remotely monitor status of external data sources and home appliances using small, independent wireless devices. This paper presents an open-architecture and an implementation of such a system called the IPnfopods System. This architecture is based on a Zigbee-based controller. The architecture allows multiple family members to simultaneously monitor their home appliances as well as external Internet resources using cheap, stand-alone hand-held mobile wireless devices. The proposed architecture can be easily integrated with existing smart-home systems. The architecture is implemented and demonstrated in the context of an existing Java-based smarthome architecture.

Internet of things (IoT) security: Current status, challenges and prospective measures

The paper presents a survey and analysis on the current status and concerns of Internet of things (IoT) security. The IoT framework aspires to connect anyone with anything at anywhere. IoT typically has a three layers architecture consisting of Perception, Network, and Application layers. A number of security principles should be enforced at each layer to achieve a secure IoT realization. The future of IoT framework can only be ensured if the security issues associated with it are addressed and resolved. Many researchers have attempted to address the security concerns specific to IoT layers and devices by implementing corresponding countermeasures. This paper presents an overview of security principles, technological and security challenges, proposed countermeasures, and the future directions for securing the IoT.

Using Soloman-Felder Learning Style Index to Evaluate Pedagogical Resources for Introductory Programming Classes

Soloman-Felder learning style index has been applied extensively in programming classes to ascertain the learning styles of students. This paper presents an approach showing how learning styles of students can be used to evaluate pedagogical resources. In specific, learning style can be used to help determine an appropriate textbook and an appropriate mixture of additional pedagogical devices such as virtual labs or clickers. An example from a first undergraduate programming course is used to illustrate the approach.

GRPS-based distributed home-monitoring using internet-based geographical information system

Recent developments in publically available web-based Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and the availability of low-cost integrated General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Global Positioning Systems (GPS) modem have enabled the development of embedded stand-alone home monitoring systems. This paper presents the design, implementation and testing of a home-monitoring system that utilizes online Map from a GIS in conjunction with the readily available public satellite-based GPS, and GPRS mobile networks. In addition to detecting intruders, the system allows a home owner to remotely monitor various critical home sensors status including those tied to fire, flooding, and gas leaks. Home owners can monitor their homes via their mobile phone or by using the Internet. This system can also be utilized by security firms, civil defense organizations and municipalities to continuously monitor and locate troublesome spots in residential neighborhoods and compounds using free GIS Maps1.

An Architecture for Dynamic Generation of QTI 2.1 Assessments for Mobile Devices Using Flash Lite

With the advent of m-learning, efficient rendition of XML-based assessments such as the QTIv2.1 is increasingly important. However, XML processing requires significant resources on resource-limited mobile devices. This paper presents an approach and architecture that bypass this problem by automatically generating self-contained Flash-Lite assessments from QTIv2.1 packages. A specialized object model of the QTIv2.1 is used in conjunction with open-source tools to generate assessments that are approximately five times smaller than those manually generated using macromedia learning interactions.

ZigBee-based irrigation system for home gardens

Single-chip microcontrollers equipped with wireless transceivers are gaining popularity in smart home automation because of their built-in resources, low power consumption, size, affordability and durability. Research and development professionals are seizing the opportunity to design and integrate more functions and services for smart home monitoring and control systems utilizing such microcontrollers. This paper presents a wireless irrigation system for a smart home garden that can be integrated with existing smart home control systems. The system consists of slave nodes and a master station each of which is equipped with a wireless microcontroller. Each slave node is equipped with a temperature sensor, a soil-moister sensor, a water valve, a microcontroller and a zigbee transceiver. The slave microcontroller reads and frames the surrounding temperature of the gardens grass and trees along with soil moisture. Then, the frame is forwarded to the master station via a zigbee ad-hoc network. The master station has an embedded fuzzy logic irrigation algorithm to water the grass and trees based on a set of rules. A home web-server is interfaced with the master station for remote access monitoring and operation. The proposed system can be operated as a stand-alone unit or can be integrated with existing home automation systems.

InfoCoral: Open-Source Hardware for Low-Cost, High-Density Concurrent Simple Response Ubiquitous Systems

A Clicker or a wireless student response system is an example of a high density simple response ubiquitous system that processes real-time simple responses from a large number of students in a controlled environment like a classroom. Currently such systems are expensive and use proprietary hardware which makes it difficult to extend them for novel learning scenarios. This paper presents the design and implementation of a hybrid low-cost open-source hardware platform called Info Coral that uses the 1-Wire wired protocol in conjunction with Bluetooth or a Zigbee wireless interface. The hardware also employs the open-source Arduino software for ease of programming and customization. A Case study of applying this platform to build a low-cost clicker system for a K-12 classroom is also presented.