Zurinahni Zainol

A Framework of an Automatic Assessment System for Learning Programming

Automatic assessment system is a system that will evaluate assignment submitted automatically by the students with the minimum input from human. Studies show that existing works handled only one or two programming languages. They are web-based platform, using marking scheme and strategy, are embedded in the learning management system and provides graphics user interface. This paper presents a proposed framework of an Automatic Assessment System for learning object oriented programming language. We initiate the research by first conducting survey, which investigates the needs of the system in the department. The survey was conducted on two main groups, which are the first year programming students and the lecturers who have experience in teaching programming. The results from the survey show that the Assessment system can help students in learning programming language as well as reduce the lecturers’ workload. We proposed a framework for Automatic Assessment system, which consists of five modules. The modules are teaching module to help students learn and submit program code; real time detector module to show existing error and supply hints to solve problem; marking module to compile, mark, execute, and pre-set evaluation criteria; analysis and reporting module to give instant feedback and social module for interactions between the users.

XML Documents Normalization Using GN-DTD

Designing a well-structured XML document is important for the sake of readability, maintainability and more importantly to avoid both data redundancies and update anomalies. This paper proposes to improve and simplify XML structural design using a normalization process. To achieve this, Graphical Notation for Document Type Definition GN-DTD is used to describe the structure of XML document at the schema level. Multiple levels of normal forms for GN-DTD are proposed and the corresponding normalization rules to transform from poorly designed into well-designed XML documents. A case study is presented to show the application of these normal forms and normalization algorithm.

GN-DTD: Graphical Notations for Describing XML Documents

This paper presents a graphical approach to model XML documents based on a Data Type Documentation called Graphical Notations-Data Type Documentation (GN-DTD). GN-DTD allows us to capture syntax and semantic of XML documents in a simple way but precise. Using various notations, the important features of XML documents such as elements, attributes, relationship, hierarchical structure, cardinality, sequence and disjunction between elements or attribute are visualize clearly at the schema level. We believe, by having GN-DTD as tool, helps the user to arrange the content of XML documents in order to give a better undertanding of DTD structures, to improve XML design and normalization process. In this paper we presented also the transformation rules to convert from GN-DTD to DTD.

M-Umrah: An Android-Based Application to Help Pilgrims in Performing Umrah

Performing hajj and umrah is one of the five pillars of Islam. The ritual involves many rules and procedures, and to remember all these rules and procedures usually poses a problem for pilgrims. The advancement of IT can provide a solution to the problem mentioned above. Hence, we apply the Internet and smart phone technologies to develop the M - Umrah application for users. The target users of this application are the Malaysian hajj and umrah pilgrims. This application provides a step-by-step guide to performing umrah, starting from preparation at home up until the pilgrimage is completed. The application was developed on the Android platform, and the first version of the application has been released to the market. Up until this point, more than ten thousand users all around the world have downloaded the application.

Flowgraph models for estimating total time of authentication process in RFID system

Abstract In this paper, we have proposed how to estimate total time required for an authentication process in RFID system which involves a single RFID reader, a server and two RFID tags coexistence by using flowgraph model. In our proposed work, flowgraph model is recommended to use with saddlepoint approximation to estimate total time required by a RFID reader to complete its authentication task. In real world applications of RFID system, server is required to handle multiple RFID readers at the same time in order to have better coverage area of receiving data. Thus, each RFID reader accessed time to server should be limited to certain of time else it will cause network congestion on server. By knowing actual total time required by a single RFID reader to complete its authentication task with specific number of existence RFID tags, administrator can configure on server when it should terminate verification process and start new authentication event with other RFID readers. This will help server to automatically establish a new communication event with other RFID readers when there is no response from existing RFID reader after certain of time. The data analysis model which we have used to represent each task of authentication process in RFID system is known as semi-Markov model. Based on the flowgraph models presented on our paper, information such as moment generating function for each authentication process in RFID system and probability of transition to next authentication task in RFID system are available.

Face feature extraction using Bayesian network

Face recognition is highly dependent on two stages that are image preprocessing and classification. Methods for feature extraction and classification have been investigated. Through the investigations a method that uses Bayesian Network for feature extraction and Backpropagation algorithm for classification has been proposed. A prototype of the system was implemented and experiments were carried out. Different set of parameters were used for each experiment. Parameters involved were the learning rate, momentum rate and the number of training cycle. Results were satisfactory. The most outstanding performance shows that 78% successful recognition has been achieved with the feature extraction process and 70% without the feature extraction process.

Mobile Agile Peer Assisted Learning

Student have difficulties in understanding programming concepts because they find learning programming and coding is difficult. Several approaches have been proposed to help students with the process of learning programming. In this paper we proposed Mobile Agile Peer Assisted Learning (M-APAL), a mobile system designed to assist students in managing and completing programming assignments/tasks given by lecturer. Besides that, it also helps students in learning introductory programming C++ with their peers. M-APAL is designed using both peer learning concept and agile methodology approach i.e SCRUM. It is implemented on Android mobile application. The language used is HTML5, CSS3, AngularJS, and JavaScript. The prototype of the application is successfully tested on first year students from the School of Computer Sciences and we found that the application helps the student to learn better with their peers using this platform.

Collaborative Learning Environment with Think-Pair-Share Method and Learning Tools for Learning Arabic Online

Many Muslims whose mother tongues are not Arabic find it difficult to comprehend the messages and meanings of the Quran although they can recite and memorize the verses of the Quran. The existence of many Arabic language centers provides the help needed for this Muslims. However for fulltime working adults, these facilities did not cater for their unpredictable free time. This paper describes a framework for Collaborative Online Arabic Learning software towards understanding Quran (COAL-UQ). The objectives of COAL-UQ are to provide users an online tools for learning Arabic anytime and anywhere, to ease the non-Arabic speakers in understanding the messages and meanings of the Quran and to exploit existing learning tools for learning a new language. We implement the Think-Pair-Share method introduced by Lyman in 1981 in the collaborative software. The software also integrates other online learning tools and utilizes the tools to realize the Think-Pair-Share method. We provide video conferencing tools so users can have face-to-face interactions with human tutor. This is very important in learning Arabic especially to understand the messages and meanings of the Quran.

Duplicate Detection for Protein Data Using Simple Close Algorithm

Due to the exploratory nature of biological database commercial and publicly, they are invited some drawback such as inaccurate, incomplete, duplicate and outdated of the genome data. Some work must be done to maintain quality data in genome data. Our objective in this paper is to provide a duplicate detection framework which focus on duplicate records in a real world Mice data protein database using simple close algorithm (SCA). SCA is an enhancement of work where they used a priori algorithm to generate the rule. In our approach we used matrix structure to represent data in a database. We implement SCA using Java programming language on 1.4 GHz Pentium 4 PC machine. As a result we show SCA can produces less duplicate rule (non-redundant) than a priori without loss of information and also improves the execution time