Herramienta de autoría para la creación de juegos basados en puzles

L'aprenentatge basat en jocs facilita el millor enteniment de conceptes, aportant entorns estimulants on poder aprendre d'una manera diferent a l'actual. Alguns dels avantatges més destacables són, per exemple, que els jocs fomenten la capacitat dels jugadors per comunicar-se i interactuar entre si. D'altra banda també poden ajudar a pensar de manera critica quan tenenque establir vincles entre la vida virtual i la real, estimulant-los a intentar trobar la solució diferents maneres. Malgrat això, hi ha una escassetat d'eines que permetin als professors poder crear els seus propis jocs educatius.Per donar solució a aquest problema s'ha dissenyat un model conceptual que defineix els elements necessaris perquè professors puguin dissenyar els seus propis jocs educatius basats en puzles. En aquest PFC ens centrarem en el disseny i implementació d'una eina d'autoria que generi els documents d'acord amb aquest model conceptual. En concret, aquesta eina d'autorias'encarregarà de demanar la informació necessària per poder realitzar la creació del joc, de manera que qualsevol persona que tingui o no habilitats de programació, tingui una petita eina que li guiï pas a pas i li generi els arxius necessaris per a la creació d'aquests jocs. D'altra banda, donada els avantatges de l'ús d'estàndards educatius en sistemes d'e-learning, destacar queaquesta eina d'autoria és conforme a l'especificació d'IMS Learning Design (IMS LD). És per això que, com a resultat, l'eina s'encarrega d'emmagatzemar la informació necessària per després processar-la i generar els arxius corresponents a IMS LD per definir el flux d'activitats dels jocs, i els arxius corresponents al model conceptual que defineix els mecanismes de comportamentdels puzles associats a les activitats.

Plataforma d'aprenentatge basada en portlets, SCORM i QTI

Aquest TFC té com a objectiu principal dissenyar tot un conjunt d'eines que facilitin la creació i visualització de continguts/paquets d'aprenentatge reutilitzables, seguint els estàndards definits per IMS LD (IMS Learning Desing), incloent suport a documents SCORM i QTI per poder utilitzar-los en un entorn d'aprenentatge virtual basat en portlets.

Case-based learning in VTLE: An effective strategy for improving learning design

This article presents preliminary research from an instructional design perspective on the design of the case method as an integral part of pedagogy and technology. Key features and benefitsusing this teaching and learning strategy in a Virtual Teaching and Learning Environment(VTLE) are identified, taking into account the requirements of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) for a competence-based curricula design. The implications of these findings for alearning object approach exploring the possibilities of learning personalization, reusability and interoperability trough IMS LD, are also analyzed.

Los estándares educativos como herramienta de modelado de cursos que proveen adaptaciones dinámicas a los usuarios.

Resumen tomado del autor

Desarrollo de materiales didácticos desde una perspectiva basada en modelos.

Esta tesis doctoral, enmarcada en el área de la Enseñanza Asistida por Ordenador, está relacionada con el desarrollo de materiales didácticos, para facilitar la ejecución en los procesos educativos basados en e-Learning. El objetivo general de la tesis es definir un marco conceptual para herramientas de autoría que ayuden a los profesionales encargados del desarrollo a afrontar el proceso y a obtener materiales didácticos caracterizados por su potencial de reutilización y por servir como soportes efectivo a los procesos educativos en los que serán utilizados. El método utilizado está compuesto por cinco pasos: entrada de requisitos, selección de recursos, composición, evaluación y generación de anotaciones semánticas. Estos pasos utilizan las respuestas de los desarrolladores a un conjunto de preguntas sobre los requerimientos del material que son descritos utilizando un conjunto mínimo de elementos del modelo. Los algoritmos definidos para los cinco pasos del método permiten definir guías y mecanismos pueden ayudar a los desarrolladores en la elección de cuál es el procedimiento que deben seguir durante la etapa de selección de acuerdo con sus necesidades específicas; guías y mecanismos para la agregación e integración de los recursos en la estructura del material durante la etapa de composición; mecanismos que permiten llevar a término la evaluación del material obtenido en relación con su utilidad pedagógica y la usabilidad de su interfaz, además de facilitar las labores de rediseño en aquellos casos en que dichas cualidades no sean las adecuadas para que el material sirva de soporte efectivo a un determinado proceso educativo. La capacidad del modelo para describir de forma general y clasificar los materiales fue contrastada por medio del conjunto de pruebas realizadas con una ontología basada en el modelo y un razonador. La capacidad del método para guiar el proceso de desarrollo y la adecuación de las soluciones ofrecidas a las etapas del desarrollo: selección y composición fue comprobada en el análisis de los resultados de las encuestas de evaluación de cuatro casos prácticos en los que se utilizó el método mencionado. En este estudio se han utilizado herramientas como: RELOAD [108], CopperAuthor [49], Aloha [7]y OLAT QTI Editor [90]. Estas herramientas tienen en común la implementación técnica y exitosa de los siguientes estándares o especificaciones e-Learning: IMS LD, IMS LOM, IMS QTI o ADL SCORM. El marco conceptual propuesto por esta tesis organiza y ofrece soporte para la ejecución de las diferentes etapas del desarrollo de materiales didácticos que son potencialmente reutilizables y sirven de soporte efectivo a un determinado proceso educativo. Al analizar la generalidad de la solución propuesta se observan dos posibles tipos de su aplicación: la primera, en el desarrollo de materiales didácticos en dominios de conocimientos diferentes a Ciencias de la Computación y la segunda, en la Web Semántica para el desarrollo de artefactos estructurados de cualquier dominio de aplicación. La primera forma de aplicación será posible en los siguientes dominios: Ingeniería de Computadores, Ingeniería del Software, Sistemas de Información y Tecnologías de Información puesto son disciplinas similares al domino utilizado en la solución. La segunda forma de aplicación de la solución propuesta puede ser en la Web Semántica para obtener de manera automática o semi-automática artefactos software cuyas características generales y estructura pueda ser descritas o modeladas en formato XML.

Providing pervasive learning eXperiences by combining Internet of Things and e-Learning standard

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n

Characterization of mixed waste of granite and LD slag

This study focuses on the technical feasibility of the utilization of waste from the cutting of granite to adjust the chemical composition of slag from steelworks LD, targeting the addition of clinker Portland cement. For this, chemical characterization of the waste, its mixture and fusion was performed, obtaining a CaO/SiO(2) relationship of around 0.9 to 1.2 for the steelworks slag. We selected samples of the waste, mixed, melted and cooled in water and in the oven. Samples cooled in water, after examining with X-ray difractrograms, had been predominantly amorphous. For samples cooled in the furnace, which had vitreous, there was the presence of mineralogical phases Akermanita and Gehlenita, which is considered as the ideal stage for the mineral water activity of the slag. The adjustment of the chemical composition of the slag from steel works by the addition of waste granite was efficient, transforming the waste into a product that is the same as blast furnace slag and can be used in the manufacture of cement.

Uma solução de ancoragem na rede IMS para Application Servers que têm de gerir domínios GSM

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Eletrotécnica

Automated quantitative analysis of MCC-IMS spectra

Ion Mobility Spectrometry coupled with Multi Capillary Columns (MCC -IMS) is a fast analytical technique working at atmospheric pressure with high sensitivity and selectivity making it suitable for the analysis of complex biological matrices. MCC-IMS analysis generates its information through a 3D spectrum with peaks, corresponding to each of the substances detected, providing quantitative and qualitative information. Sometimes peaks of different substances overlap, making the quantification of substances present in the biological matrices a difficult process. In the present work we use peaks of isoprene and acetone as a model for this problem. These two volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that when detected by MCC-IMS produce two overlapping peaks. In this work it’s proposed an algorithm to identify and quantify these two peaks. This algorithm uses image processing techniques to treat the spectra and to detect the position of the peaks, and then fits the data to a custom model in order to separate the peaks. Once the peaks are separated it calculates the contribution of each peak to the data.

Sistemes integrats de gestió (Integrated Management Systems - IMS): Anàlisi empíric a les empreses de Catalunya

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada al Auditing and Integration of Management Systems Research Laboratory de la Universitat d’Alberta, Canadà, des de maig fins a setembre del 2007. Aquest centre porta a terme recerca de caire teòrica i bàsica aplicada a l’assegurament de la qualitat, i més concretament a l’estandardització i integració de sistemes de gestió. En primer lloc, s’han analitzat les dades obtingudes en l’estudi empíric descriptiu realitzat a Catalunya durant l’any 2005, focalitzat en els estàndards de gestió més utilitzats per les empreses catalanes, en que s’hi incloïen les normes ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OSHAS 18001 així com els nous estàndards de suport de la sèrie ISO 10000. En segon terme, i a partir d’aquest anàlisis previ, s’ha iniciat el disseny d’una metodologia flexible per a la integració dels sistemes de gestió basats en estàndards internacionals.

Decay of linkage disequilibrium within genes across HGDP-CEPH human samples: most population isolates do not show increased LD

Background: It is well known that the pattern of linkage disequilibrium varies between human populations, with remarkable geographical stratification. Indirect association studies routinely exploit linkage disequilibrium around genes, particularly in isolated populations where it is assumed to be higher. Here, we explore both the amount and the decay of linkage disequilibrium with physical distance along 211 gene regions, most of them related to complex diseases, across 39 HGDP-CEPH population samples, focusing particularly on the populations defined as isolates. Within each gene region and population we use r2 between all possible single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) pairs as a measure of linkage disequilibrium and focus on the proportion of SNP pairs with r2 greater than 0.8.Results: Although the average r2 was found to be significantly different both between and within continental regions, a much higher proportion of r2 variance could be attributed to differences between continental regions (2.8% vs. 0.5%, respectively). Similarly, while the proportion of SNP pairs with r2 > 0.8 was significantly different across continents for all distance classes, it was generally much more homogenous within continents, except in the case of Africa and the Americas. The only isolated populations with consistently higher LD in all distance classes with respect to their continent are the Kalash (Central South Asia) and the Surui (America). Moreover, isolated populations showed only slightly higher proportions of SNP pairs with r2 > 0.8 per gene region than non-isolated populations in the same continent. Thus, the number of SNPs in isolated populations that need to be genotyped may be only slightly less than in non-isolates. Conclusion: The "isolated population" label by itself does not guarantee a greater genotyping efficiency in association studies, and properties other than increased linkage disequilibrium may make these populations interesting in genetic epidemiology.

A multicase study for the evaluation of a pattern-based visual design process for collaborative learning

Collage is a pattern-based visual design authoring tool for the creation of collaborative learning scripts computationally modelled with IMS Learning Design (LD). The pattern-based visual approach aims to provide teachers with design ideas that are based on broadly accepted practices. Besides, it seeks hiding the LD notation so that teachers can easily create their own designs. The use of visual representations supports both the understanding of the design ideas and the usability of the authoring tool. This paper presents a multicase study comprising three different cases that evaluate the approach from different perspectives. The first case includes workshops where teachers use Collage. A second case implies the design of a scenario proposed by a third-party using related approaches. The third case analyzes a situation where students follow a design created with Collage. The cross-case analysis provides a global understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the pattern-based visual design approach.

Integració de googlemaps i qüestionaris IMS QTI

La utilització de mapes a l'ensenyament de la geografia esdevé de capitalimportància. En concret, els mapes també són sovint utilitzats en el procésd'avaluació dels alumnes. En aquest projecte es proposa una aproximació quedesenvolupa un middleware per a connectar un motor que genera qüestionaris ipreguntes definits segons l'especificació IMS QTI (APIS), amb un servei que ensproporciona mapes (GoogleMaps). La finalitat és aconseguir que treballin demanera conjunta, introduint els mínims canvis al motor. S'han modelat algunesinteraccions contemplades a l'especificació, a més d'obrir noves formesd'interacció més naturals i intuïtives. L'aproximació és genèrica, i es podriafàcilment estendre per a altres serveis externs.

Decay of linkage disequilibrium within genes across HGDP-CEPH human samples: most population isolates do not show increased LD

Background It is well known that the pattern of linkage disequilibrium varies between human populations, with remarkable geographical stratification. Indirect association studies routinely exploit linkage disequilibrium around genes, particularly in isolated populations where it is assumed to be higher. Here, we explore both the amount and the decay of linkage disequilibrium with physical distance along 211 gene regions, most of them related to complex diseases, across 39 HGDP-CEPH population samples, focusing particularly on the populations defined as isolates. Within each gene region and population we use r2 between all possible single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) pairs as a measure of linkage disequilibrium and focus on the proportion of SNP pairs with r2 greater than 0.8. Results Although the average r2 was found to be significantly different both between and within continental regions, a much higher proportion of r2 variance could be attributed to differences between continental regions (2.8% vs. 0.5%, respectively). Similarly, while the proportion of SNP pairs with r2 > 0.8 was significantly different across continents for all distance classes, it was generally much more homogenous within continents, except in the case of Africa and the Americas. The only isolated populations with consistently higher LD in all distance classes with respect to their continent are the Kalash (Central South Asia) and the Surui (America). Moreover, isolated populations showed only slightly higher proportions of SNP pairs with r2 > 0.8 per gene region than non-isolated populations in the same continent. Thus, the number of SNPs in isolated populations that need to be genotyped may be only slightly less than in non-isolates. Conclusion The 'isolated population' label by itself does not guarantee a greater genotyping efficiency in association studies, and properties other than increased linkage disequilibrium may make these populations interesting in genetic epidemiology.

Determination of chlorophenols from water by solid phase microextraction - ion mobility spectrometry (SPME-IMS)

Chlorophenols have been classified as possible carcinogens for humans. Chlorophenols have been used as pesticides and wood preservatives. In Finland, during 1930 – 1980s, saw mills used KY-5 wood preservative that contained 2,4,6-TCP, 2,3,4,6-TeCP and PCP. Especially in Finland chlorophenols have entered the environment by leaking from contaminated grounds of old saw mills. Although chlorophenol concentrations found in environment do not cause acute concern, long term exposure can increase the risk of cancer. SPME is relatively cheap and simple sampling method, in which the sample extraction and concentration are performed in a single step. Solvents are not required in SPME. IMS is based on the detection of sample ion drift times. Based on the drift times, reduced mobilities are calculated, which are comparable despite the measurement conditions. SPME-IMS coupling has not been used earlier in the determination of chlorophenols from water samples. The scope of this work was to study, if SPME-IMS system is suitable for detecting chloro-phenols from water samples. The aim was to determine the most optimal extraction condi-tions, which were then applied to real water samples. Following detection limits were deter-mined: 2,4,6-TCP: 0.33 mg/l; 2,3,4,6-TeCP: 0.63 mg/l and PCP: 1.63 mg/l. Detection limits were high compared to the highest possible chlorophenol concentration that is allowed in Finnish drinking water, 10 μg/l. Detected concentrations from water sample differed from verified concentrations in the case of 2,3,4,6-TeCP by 4.6 % and in the case of 2,4,6-TCP by 48.4 %. Based on the results it can be said that SPME-IMS setup is suitable for preliminary analysis of mg/l chlorophenol concentrations from water samples.