650 research outputs found
Using eye gaze data to explore student interactions with tutorial dialogues in a substep-based tutor
No full textLecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence 9112We used eye gaze data to investigate student interactions with tutorial dialogues in EER-Tutor. The results show that tutorial dialogues are effective as they enable students to correct their mistakes. However, some students do not take advantage of opportunities to reflect on what they have learnt. We identify several possible improvements to EER-Tutor, as well as future directions of work on using eye-tracking for on-line adaptation.Amali Weerasinghe, Myse Elmadani, and Antonija Mitrovi
UML-IT: an ITS to teach multiple modelling tasks
No full textModelling software systems using Unified Modelling Language (UML) is a core skill expected from a software engineer. This involves modelling a software system using multiple diagrams. Students find it very difficult to develop this skill due to the open-ended nature of this task: the final outcome is defined in abstract terms but there is no well-defined procedure to achieve the outcome. Students also find it difficult to understand the different modelling conventions used to represent multiple perspectives of a particular system and the consistencies need to be maintained between these diagrams. We believe an ITS that teaches these multiple modelling tasks will be able to support learners to develop the skill of UML modeling efficiently and effectively.Amali Weerasinghe and Bernard Evan
Exploring student interactions with tutorial dialogues in a substep-based tutor
No full textUnderstanding students’ interactions with Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) allows us to improve the system as well as our pedagogical practices. Engaging students in tutorial dialogues is one of the strategies used by ITSs, which has been proven to improve learning significantly. This paper presents preliminary findings of a project that investigates how students interact with the tutorial dialogues in EER-Tutor using interaction videos in addition to eye-gaze data. We discuss some frequent misconceptions and behaviors student exhibited. Students usually focus on correcting one error at a time and then immediately submit their solutions to get feedback, thus not taking advantage of opportunities to reflect on what they have learnt. Based on the results, we identify several future directions of work on using eye-tracking for on-line adaptation.Myse Elmadanu, Amali Weerasinghe & Antonija Mitrovi
How should SE be supported - during problem solving or separately?
No full textPart 10: Workshop on Self-Regulated Learning in Educational Technologies: Supporting, modeling, evaluating, and fostering metacognition with computer-based learning environments (SRL@ET)Self-explanation (SE) has proven to be an effective meta-cognitive strategy. However, some performance-oriented students tend to not take advantage of the SE opportunities provided as they are seen as extra work that does not directly contribute to problem solving. We focus on approaches that can be used to motivate such students to take advantage of SE support. As a first step, we analysed SE support provided in some systems and discuss their limitations. We also outline a study that compares the two approaches: separating SE support from problem solving versus interleaving the two.Amali Weerasinghe, Amir Shareghi Najar, Antonija Mitrovi
Supporting self-directed learning skills in learning management systems
No full textThis project aims to develop support for self-directed learning in Moodle by incorporating opportunities for reflection and self-assessment for learners. We will develop a module that will track a learner's progress and represent it in terms of important concepts taught within a course. The resulting student model will enable the sys- tem to recommend activities suited to the learner's needs and abilities. Students will be able to inspect his/her stu- dent model, which promotes reflection and deep learning. The introduction of adaptive self-directed learning capa- bilities will pave the way for the next generation of learning management systems, as currently their focus is limited to managing learning resources.Amali Weerasinghe, Antonija Mitrovic, Moffat Mathews, Jay Holland, Myse Elmadan
A study of code design skills in novice programmers using the SOLO taxonomy
No full text12th International Computing Education Research ConferenceThere is a wealth of literature dealing with the difficulties of novice programmers with basic programming constructs such as variables, assignment and conditionals. In this paper we extend the study to two other core CS1 topics: loops and vectors (represented as single dimensional arrays). By the end of their first semester of instruction, students are expected to have acquired both the ability to reproduce given syntactic structure and basic design skills that allow them to write small pieces of code that extend, modify or combine in new ways the basic programming constructs.This work presents an evaluation framework that uses the SOLO taxonomy to assess programming questions' complexity. Our framework extends SOLO by using the term "building block" as an adaptable parameter that explicitly defines the student's ability to increasingly write more complex pieces of code. The granularity of a "building block" is determined by the amount of programming practice students have carried out up to that point. The analysis of final exam answers using this framework allows us to quantify the progress made by one cohort of novice programmers in the mastery of basic design skills and to study correlations between mastery of these skills and overall course performance. Furthermore, we identify common errors that illustrate the challenges students face when trying to combine programming constructs in non-trivial ways.Cruz Izu, Amali Weerasinghe, Cheryl Pop
Effective use of online professional networks for knowledge sharing in Sri Lankan software industry
No full textKnowledge is a key assest ofthe software development companies. Software comapanies are
considered as knowledge intensive companies.The software industry is dependent to a great
extent on intellectual capital, as opposed to physical capital in order to compete in this
competitive industry. Knowledge can be categerozied as either tacit or explicit knowldege.
Capturing knowledge is more crtical and knowledge sharing will aid for such activities.
This research invetigates how IT professtionals in Sri Lankan Software Industry use their
online professtional networks for knowledge sharing behaviour. After the rising of 2.0
technologies, online participations have increased tremendously among the knowldege
workers. The success of the online professtional networks depends on the participation,
engagement and social interaction of peers, which leads to knowldege sharing. Without
frequent interaction and persistent interaction, it is uncertain whether knowldege sharing can
take place. Online professtional networking provides a shared work place that allow peer
workes to interact with each other, provides transparent discussion forums and continues
exposure to best practices and learning by observations. Online networks provide centalized
meeting places for community building.
The literature mainly discusses the theroies and concepts used for knowdege sharing through
online communities. Mainly four theories are described in the litrature part i.e Social Capital
Theory, Social Cognative Theory, Social Exchange Theory and Habitual Domain Theory.
Based on these theories, main dimensions were indetified for knowledge sharing behaviour
through online virtual communities. The Conceptual Model was derived from these factors
for determining the quality and quantity ofthe shared knowledge through online professtional
networks.
Infonnation was gathered by distributing questionnaires over a target population of 370. All
questionnaires were based on the theories and concepts discussed under chapter 2. Factors
related to virtual communities were identified as independent variables and knowledge
sharing behavior was identified as dependent variables. Data obtained from each of the
research instruments was then statistically analyzed. The Pearson Correlation analysis
showed there are positive relationships between social interaction ties, identification, self
related experience, personal and community related expectation, norm of reciprocity, trust
and privacy with the knowledge sharing behavior in the online professional communities and
there was a negative relationship with the organizational level support
Kasabach–Merritt syndrome in an infant successfully treated with a combination of propranolol and methotrexate
No full textKasabach Merritt syndrome is a rare childhood vascular tumour,which develops bleeding as an acute complication. The underlying tumour is either a Kaposiform haemangioendothelioma or a tufted angioma. Tumour associated platelet trapping, activation and concomitant fibrinolysis leads to bleeding. Herein we report a case with Kasabach Merritt syndrome initially treated with a combination of drugs but subsequently successfully managed with Methotrexate
Application of the asymmetric [C+NC+CC] coupling reaction to synthesis
No full textThesis (Ph.D.), Department of Chemistry, Washington State UniversityThe asymmetric [C+NC+CC] coupling reaction provides stereoselective access to highly functionalized pyrrolidine rings. The hallmark of this azomethine ylide cycloaddition cascade is the ability to successfully employ enolizable and á-chiral aldehydes without undesired enamine formation or á-epimerization. So far, this powerful methodology has been successfully applied to three biologically active target molecules, cyanocycline A, A-315675 and kaitocephalin.Cyanocycline A is a unique small molecule inhibitor of cell migration which could be used to develop small moleculer anticancer drugs. The key complexity-building reaction in the synthesis of cyanocycline A uses the AgI catalyzed endo-selective [C+NC+CC] coupling reaction to provide the target's highly functionalized pyrrolidine ring. The multicomponent reaction-based strategy reduces the number of steps previously needed to assemble this complex molecule by one-third. Neuramidase inhibitor A-315675 is a novel anti-viral drug developed at Abbott Laboratories. This compound exhibits superior activity against certain influenza virus strains when compared to Oseltamivir (Tamiflu). An efficient asymmetric synthesis of A-315675 was accomplished. The fully-functionalized pyrrolidine ring was assembled via a Cu(I) catalyed exo-selective asymmetric [C+NC+CC] coupling reaction. Subsequent steps involved a Fukuyama thioester reduction and (Z)-selective Wittig olefination.Kaitocephalin is an amino acid-based natural product originally isolated from the fungus Eupenicillium shearii. This compound is the first naturally occurring glutamate receptor antagonist and displays different affinity for subtypes of ionotropic glutamic acid receptors. The highly substituted pyrrolidine ring was assembled via an endo-selective asymmetric [C+NC+CC] coupling reaction. An efficient formal total synthesis of the target molecule was completed in 13 steps starting from aspartic acid.Department of Chemistry, Washington State Universit
Effect of synthetic C-terminal fragments of hGH on insulin release by isolated islets.
No full text Synthetic fragments representing the C-terminal end of the growth hormone molecule have been tested for their direct in vitro effects on insulin release by isolated rat islets of Langerhans. hGH 177-191 caused a dose-related potentiation of glucose-induced insulin release, whereas the peptide by itself caused no stimulation of insulin release from the islets. The rate curves constructed for insulin secretion as a function of extracellular glucose concentration showed that the Km for glucose is not altered in the presence of the peptide, but that the Vmax of secretion is increased. Significant potentiation of insulin release by the peptide was seen only at high extracellular concentrations of glucose. Measurement of cAMP levels in islets showed that the peptide caused no significant alteration of cAMP levels while still potentiating insulin release. It was therefore concluded that the mechanism of potentiation of insulin release by the peptide may be independent of the changes in cAMP levels in islets. hGH 172-191, too, caused potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin release from islets, whereas hGH 179-191 was not active in this report. </jats:p
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