Web-based education in Spanish Universities. A Comparison of Open Source E-Learning Platforms

Web-based education or „e-learning‟ has become a critical component in higher education for the last decade, replacing other distance learning methods, such as traditional computer training or correspondence learning. The number of university students who take on-line courses is continuously increasing all over the world. In Spain, nearly a 90% of the universities have an institutional e-learning platform and over 60% of the traditional on-site courses use this technology as a supplement to the traditional face-to-face classes. This new form of learning allows the disappearance of geographical barriers and enables students to schedule their own learning process, among some other advantages. On-line education is developed through specific software called „e-learning platform‟ or „virtual learning environment‟ (VLE). A considerable number of web-based tools to deliver distance courses are currently available. Open source software packages such as Moodle, Sakai, dotLRN or Dokeos are the most commonly used in the virtual campuses of Spanish universities. This paper analyzes the possibilities that virtual learning environments provide university teachers and learners and offers a technical comparison among some of the most popular e-learning learning platforms.

Diferencias entre las Actividades de Mantenimiento en los Procesos de Desarrollo Tradicional y Open Source

Antecedentes. La creciente importancia del Open Source Software (OSS) ha llevado a los investigadores a estudiar cómo los procesos OSS difieren de los procesos de la ingeniería del software tradicional. Objetivo. Determinar las diferencias y similitudes entre las actividades del proceso de mantenimiento seguido por la comunidad OSS y el establecido por el estándar IEEE 1074:2006. Método. Para conocer las actividades que conforman el proceso de desarrollo OSS realizamos un Systematic Mapping Study. Posteriormente, realizamos un emparejamiento entre las actividades del estándar IEEE 1074:2006 con las actividades del proceso OSS. Resultados. Encontramos un total de 22 estudios primarios. De estos estudios, el 73% contaba con actividades relacionadas con el proceso de mantenimiento. Conclusiones. El proceso de mantenimiento tradicional del software no encaja con lo que ocurre en la comunidad OSS. En su lugar, puede ser mejor caracterizar la dinámica general de la evolución OSS como reinvención. Esta reinvención emerge continuamente de la adaptación, aprendizaje, y mejora de las funcionalidadess y calidad del OSS. Los proyectos OSS evolucionan a través de mejoras menores donde participan tanto usuarios como desarrolladores.

Open-source mapping and services for Web-based land-cover validation

Monitoring land-cover changes on sites of conservation importance allows environmental problems to be detected, solutions to be developed and the effectiveness of actions to be assessed. However, the remoteness of many sites or a lack of resources means these data are frequently not available. Remote sensing may provide a solution, but large-scale mapping and change detection may not be appropriate, necessitating site-level assessments. These need to be easy to undertake, rapid and cheap. We present an example of a Web-based solution based on free and open-source software and standards (including PostGIS, OpenLayers, Web Map Services, Web Feature Services and GeoServer) to support assessments of land-cover change (and validation of global land-cover maps). Authorised users are provided with means to assess land-cover visually and may optionally provide uncertainty information at various levels: from a general rating of their confidence in an assessment to a quantification of the proportions of land-cover types within a reference area. Versions of this tool have been developed for the TREES-3 initiative (Simonetti, Beuchle and Eva, 2011). This monitors tropical land-cover change through ground-truthing at latitude / longitude degree confluence points, and for monitoring of change within and around Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by Birdlife International and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). In this paper we present results from the second of these applications. We also present further details on the potential use of the land-cover change assessment tool on sites of recognised conservation importance, in combination with NDVI and other time series data from the eStation (a system for receiving, processing and disseminating environmental data). We show how the tool can be used to increase the usability of earth observation data by local stakeholders and experts, and assist in evaluating the impact of protection regimes on land-cover change.

Open Source Information Technologies Approach for Moddeling of Ankle-Foot Orthosis

Computer modeling is a perspective method for optimal design of prosthesis and orthoses. The study is oriented to develop modular ankle foot orthosis (MAFO) to assist the very frequently observed gait abnormalities relating the human ankle-foot complex using CAD modeling. The main goal is to assist the ankle- foot flexors and extensors during the gait cycle (stance and swing) using torsion spring. Utilizing 3D modeling and animating open source software (Blender 3D), it is possible to generate artificially different kind of normal and abnormal gaits and investigate and adjust the assistive modular spring driven ankle foot orthosis.

Preserving Cultural Heritage Using Open Source Collection Management Tools

Open source software (OSS) popularity is growing steadily and many OSS systems could be used to preserve cultural heritage objects. Such solutions give the opportunity to organizations to afford the development of a digital collection. This paper focuses on reviewing two OSS tools, CollectionSpace and the Open Video Digital Library Toolkit and discuss on how these could be used for organizing digital replicas of cultural objects. The features of the software are presented and some examples are given.

Open source data sensing software for ultrasonic non-invasive temperature estimation

In this paper, an open source solution for measurement of temperature and ultrasonic signals (RF-lines) is proposed. This software is an alternative to the expensive commercial data acquisition software, enabling the user to tune applications to particular acquisition architectures. The collected ultrasonic and temperature signals were used for non-invasive temperature estimation using neural networks. The existence of precise temperature estimators is an essential point aiming at the secure and effective applica tion of thermal therapies in humans. If such estimators exist then effective controllers could be developed for the therapeutic instrumentation. In previous works the time-shift between RF-lines echoes were extracted, and used for creation of neural networks estimators. The obtained estimators successfully represent the temperature in the time-space domain, achieving a maximum absolute error inferior to the threshold value defined for hyperthermia/diathermia applications.

Uma proposta de desenvolvimento de laboratório remoto de automação e acionamento de máquinas elétricas para uso didático, utilizando software open source

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Project-based learning using robots with open-source hardware and software

[EN]One of the main issues of the current education system is the lack of student motivation. This aspect together with the permanent change that the Information and Communications Technologies involve represents a major challenge for the teacher: to continuously update contents and to keep awake the student’s interest. A tremendously useful tool in classrooms consists on the integration of projects with participative and collaborative dynamics, where the teacher acts mainly as a guidance to the student activity instead of being a mere knowledge and evaluation transmitter. As a specific example of project based learning, the EDUROVs project consists on building an economic underwater robot using low cost materials, but allowing the integration and programming of many accessories and sensors with minimum budget using opensource hardware and software.

Construcción de repositorios institucionales open source con Software Greenstone

Se aborda la construcción de repositorios institucionales open source con Software Greenstone. Se realiza un recorrido teórico y otro modélico desarrollando en él una aplicación práctica. El primer recorrido, que constituye el marco teórico, comprende una descripción, de: la filosofía open access (acceso abierto) y open source (código abierto) para la creación de repositorios institucionales. También abarca en líneas generales las temáticas relacionadas al protocolo OAI, el marco legal en lo que hace a la propiedad intelectual, las licencias y una aproximación a los metadatos. En el mismo recorrido se abordan aspectos teóricos de los repositorios institucionales: acepciones, beneficios, tipos, componentes intervinientes, herramientas open source para la creación de repositorios, descripción de las herramientas y finalmente, la descripción ampliada del Software Greenstone; elegido para el desarrollo modélico del repositorio institucional colocado en un demostrativo digital. El segundo recorrido, correspondiente al desarrollo modélico, incluye por un lado el modelo en sí del repositorio con el Software Greenstone; detallándose aquí uno a uno los componentes que lo conforman. Es el insumo teórico-práctico para el diseño -paso a paso- del repositorio institucional. Por otro lado, se incluye el resultado de la modelización, es decir el repositorio creado, el cual es exportado en entorno web a un soporte digital para su visibilización. El diseño del repositorio, paso a paso, constituye el núcleo sustantivo de aportes de este trabajo de tesina

Construcción de repositorios institucionales open source con Software Greenstone

Se aborda la construcción de repositorios institucionales open source con Software Greenstone. Se realiza un recorrido teórico y otro modélico desarrollando en él una aplicación práctica. El primer recorrido, que constituye el marco teórico, comprende una descripción, de: la filosofía open access (acceso abierto) y open source (código abierto) para la creación de repositorios institucionales. También abarca en líneas generales las temáticas relacionadas al protocolo OAI, el marco legal en lo que hace a la propiedad intelectual, las licencias y una aproximación a los metadatos. En el mismo recorrido se abordan aspectos teóricos de los repositorios institucionales: acepciones, beneficios, tipos, componentes intervinientes, herramientas open source para la creación de repositorios, descripción de las herramientas y finalmente, la descripción ampliada del Software Greenstone; elegido para el desarrollo modélico del repositorio institucional colocado en un demostrativo digital. El segundo recorrido, correspondiente al desarrollo modélico, incluye por un lado el modelo en sí del repositorio con el Software Greenstone; detallándose aquí uno a uno los componentes que lo conforman. Es el insumo teórico-práctico para el diseño -paso a paso- del repositorio institucional. Por otro lado, se incluye el resultado de la modelización, es decir el repositorio creado, el cual es exportado en entorno web a un soporte digital para su visibilización. El diseño del repositorio, paso a paso, constituye el núcleo sustantivo de aportes de este trabajo de tesina

Intensive Metrics for the Study of the Evolution of Open Source Projects: Case Studies from Apache Software Foundation Projects

Based on the empirical evidence that the ratio of email messages in public mailing lists to versioning system commits has remained relatively constant along the history of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), this paper has as goal to study what can be inferred from such a metric for projects of the ASF. We have found that the metric seems to be an intensive metric as it is independent of the size of the project, its activity, or the number of developers, and remains relatively independent of the technology or functional area of the project. Our analysis provides evidence that the metric is related to the technical effervescence and popularity of project, and as such can be a good candidate to measure its healthy evolution. Other, similar metrics -like the ratio of developer messages to commits and the ratio of issue tracker messages to commits- are studied for several projects as well, in order to see if they have similar characteristics.

Modelação espacial do potencial de produção apícola utilizando software open source

Modelação espacial do potencial de produção apícola utilizando software open source.

Open Source Enterprise Systems: Towards a Viable Alternative

Enterprise systems are located within the antinomy of appearing as generic product, while being means of multiple integrations for the user through configuration and customisation. Technological and organisational integrations are defined by architectures and standardised interfaces. Until recently, technological integration of enterprise systems has been supported largely by monolithic architectures that were designed, and maintained by the respective developers. From a technical perspective, this approach had been challenged by the suggestion of component-based enterprise systems that would allow for a more user-focused system through strict modularisation. Lately, the product nature of software as proprietary item has been questioned through the rapid increase of open source programs that are being used in business computing in general, and also within the overall portfolio that makes up enterprise systems. This suggests the potential for altered technological and commercial constellations for the design of enterprise systems, which are presented in different scenarios. The technological and commercial decomposition of enterprise software and systems may also address some concerns emerging from the users’ experience of those systems, and which may have arisen from their proprietary or product nature.

Open source [Editorial]

This special issue of the Journal of Music, Technology & Education is intended to examine ‘open source’ practices in software development and philosophical ideas as they might apply to music education. Through six different articles, the issue seeks to examine ideas on a continuum from notions of communal creativity in the shared development of ideas and systems to examining how open source technologies can be utilized within the context of music education. The idea for this special issue grew from a symposium on the same topic at the 2011 International Conference for Research in Music Education (RIME) held biennially at the University of Exeter where the editors for this edition first met. The need to continue the discussion of the issues raised at that symposium was recognized, and the editors of JMTE graciously agreed to our preparation of this special issue.