Distant learning is developing and attracting more users due to the availability and popularity of computers and mobile devices among young and old learners alike. A lot of learning platforms provide courses and training in different fields, but lack accessibility for the visually disabled students, and cannot be optimally accessed from a handheld device, whereas mobile devices are very popular.
Microlearning based mobile application for preparation to CCNA examinationronan messi
2014 11th International Conference on Electronics, Computer and Computation (ICECCO) - Microlearning based mobile application for preparation to CCNA examination
On 1 December 2015, the final M-CARE conference was organised in Brussels, Belgium at VLEVA premises. The event “Caring for people with disabilities and older people: challenges, opportunities and (mobile/online) training solutions” focussed on the importance of good quality personal caregiving (PCG) for people with disabilities and older people. Focus was on caring in a broader perspective, and how M-CARE’s (mobile/online) training solutions can contribute to successful PCGs.
More information at:
http://mcare-project.eu/
http://twitter.com/MCareproject
http://www.facebook.com/MCareproj
This project (M-Care - 539913-LLP-1-2013-1-TR-LEONARDO-LMP) has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Microlearning based mobile application for preparation to CCNA examinationronan messi
2014 11th International Conference on Electronics, Computer and Computation (ICECCO) - Microlearning based mobile application for preparation to CCNA examination
On 1 December 2015, the final M-CARE conference was organised in Brussels, Belgium at VLEVA premises. The event “Caring for people with disabilities and older people: challenges, opportunities and (mobile/online) training solutions” focussed on the importance of good quality personal caregiving (PCG) for people with disabilities and older people. Focus was on caring in a broader perspective, and how M-CARE’s (mobile/online) training solutions can contribute to successful PCGs.
More information at:
http://mcare-project.eu/
http://twitter.com/MCareproject
http://www.facebook.com/MCareproj
This project (M-Care - 539913-LLP-1-2013-1-TR-LEONARDO-LMP) has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Intelligent learning management system startersIJERD Editor
learning management system (lms) is increasingly gaining popularity in the academic community as
a means of delivering e-learning contents. Simply placing lecture notes and videos among other contents on
lmss do not particularly train the best. This situation could be improved with intelligent tutoring systems (itss)
integration into preferred lms to make it more adaptive and effective, through enhanced student participation
and learning. This work aims, therefore, to create a starter model and a model java its integrated preferred lms.
The its integrated lms starter model was proposed through augmentation and a fluid iterative cycle of
awareness, suggestion, development, evaluation and conclusion. Known open/inexpensive, tried and tested
popular lmss were evaluated at cms matrix site, and complemented. Java its integrated moodle (preferred),
employing certain architectural framework of its integrated lms, was created following the spiral model of
software development
The design of smart notification on android gadget for academic announcementTELKOMNIKA JOURNAL
In this article, we try to design the architecture of a smart notification system using an Android gadget for academic notification in college. Academic notification in colleges now utilizes bulletin boards and online media such as websites or social media. The problem faced is the high cost and resources required to deliver the academic notification. Another problem is whether the information delivered can be right to the students who need it. We proposed the architecture of a smart notification system that can reduce the cost, and the information delivered can be right on target to the students in need.
IJRET : International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology is an international peer reviewed, online journal published by eSAT Publishing House for the enhancement of research in various disciplines of Engineering and Technology. The aim and scope of the journal is to provide an academic medium and an important reference for the advancement and dissemination of research results that support high-level learning, teaching and research in the fields of Engineering and Technology. We bring together Scientists, Academician, Field Engineers, Scholars and Students of related fields of Engineering and Technology
Panel discussion 10/4/2013. Zotero. Mendeley. EndNote. GoogleDrive. Dropbox. How to approach citation management, identify possible practice for managing your own research.
Hosted by Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning, College of Education, Michigan State University.
Report on student-faculty document sharing android projectAlamgir Hossain
This is the report for a android based project "Student-Faculty document sharing". There are two sections. One for student and another for faculty.
The project created by :
Md. Alamgir Hossain
Computer Science and Engineering
Jessore University of Science and Technology
Today, there are a huge number of software products allow you to completely automate the entire learning process. In order to match the required level of development of e-learning process, it must meet a number of characteristics.
Challenges of Learning Management Systems and Current TrendsIJAEMSJORNAL
Information and communication technologies (ICT) and Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are important multifunctional tools developed for higher education institutions, but in fact, the success of these systems largely depends on a detailed understanding of the challenges and factors that influence the e-learning of their users. During the quarantine period due to Covid-19 in the world, Learning Management Systems were used worldwide in Higher Education as software or method to promote the course delivery. Since it was the first experience of many Egyptian higher education institutions with the use of the learning management systems during the pandemic, challenges were expected. This research aims to examine the challenges faced by LMS use and the factors influencing its use among teachers and students. The results of this research could help researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners from public and private universities to gather insights on the successful application and use of LMS during and after Covid19.
Application of cloud computing based on e learning teaching tooleSAT Journals
Abstract
The demand for cloud computing has pressured the development of new market offerings, representing various cloud services and
delivery models. These models significantly expand the range of available options and tasks.Cloud computing allows changes in
businesses and organizations with more choices regarding how to run infrastructures, save costs, and delegate liabilities to thirdparty
providers. It has become an integral part of technology and business models, and has forced businesses to adapt to new
technology strategies .Now Cloud computing introduces efficient scale mechanism which let the construction of E-Learning
systems to be entrusted to all suppliers and provide a new mode for E-Learning.
Keywords : Cloud Computing, E-Learning, CloudE-Learning
A Case Study on Academic Services Application Using Agile Methodology for Mob...IJRES Journal
Recently, Mobile Cloud Computing reveals many modern development areas in the Information
Technology industry. Several software engineering frameworks and methodologies have been developed to
provide solutions for deploying cloud computing resources on mobile application development. Agile
methodology is one of the most commonly used methodologies in the field. This paper presents the MCCAS a
Web and Mobile application that provide feature for the Palestinian higher education/academic institutions. An
Agile methodology was used in the development of the MCCAS but in parallel with emphasis on Cloud
computing resources deployment. Also many related issues is discussed such as how software engineering
modern methodologies (advances) influenced the development process.
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory 47 (2014) 28–45Cont.docxedgar6wallace88877
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory 47 (2014) 28–45
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / s i m p a t
Insight Maker: A general-purpose tool for web-based modeling
& simulation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2014.03.013
1569-190X/� 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
E-mail address: [email protected]
1 The exact search query used was ‘’’modeling tool’’ OR ‘‘simulation tool’’’ in the Topic field.
Scott Fortmann-Roe
University of California, Berkeley, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, United States
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Received 29 April 2013
Received in revised form 23 March 2014
Accepted 26 March 2014
Available online 14 June 2014
Keywords:
Modeling
Simulation
Web-based technologies
System Dynamics
Agent-Based Modeling
A web-based, general-purpose simulation and modeling tool is presented in this paper. The
tool, Insight Maker, has been designed to make modeling and simulation accessible to a
wider audience of users. Insight Maker integrates three general modeling approaches –
System Dynamics, Agent-Based Modeling, and imperative programming – in a unified
modeling framework. The environment provides a graphical model construction interface
that is implemented purely in client-side code that runs on users’ machines. Advanced fea-
tures, such as model scripting and an optimization tool, are also described. Insight Maker,
under development for several years, has gained significant adoption with currently more
than 20,000 registered users. In addition to detailing the tool and its guiding philosophy,
this first paper on Insight Maker describes lessons learned from the development of a com-
plex web-based simulation and modeling tool.
� 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
1. Introduction
The field of modeling and simulation tools is diverse and emergent. General-purpose modeling tools (e.g. MATLAB’s
Simulink or the Modelica language [1]) sit beside highly focused and domain-specific applications (e.g. [2] for modeling
network control systems, [3] for simulating the behavior of wireless network routing protocols, or [4] for the simulation
and control of turbines). Interest in and published works on such tools has grown over time. The ISI Web of Knowledge
reports a substantial growth in papers published on modeling or simulation tools with 299 such papers published in the span
of 1985–1989, 1482 published from 1995 to 1999, and 3727 published from 2005 to 2009.1
For end-users, simulation and modeling tools are generally designed as executables to be run on a consumer operating
system such as W.
Intelligent learning management system startersIJERD Editor
learning management system (lms) is increasingly gaining popularity in the academic community as
a means of delivering e-learning contents. Simply placing lecture notes and videos among other contents on
lmss do not particularly train the best. This situation could be improved with intelligent tutoring systems (itss)
integration into preferred lms to make it more adaptive and effective, through enhanced student participation
and learning. This work aims, therefore, to create a starter model and a model java its integrated preferred lms.
The its integrated lms starter model was proposed through augmentation and a fluid iterative cycle of
awareness, suggestion, development, evaluation and conclusion. Known open/inexpensive, tried and tested
popular lmss were evaluated at cms matrix site, and complemented. Java its integrated moodle (preferred),
employing certain architectural framework of its integrated lms, was created following the spiral model of
software development
The design of smart notification on android gadget for academic announcementTELKOMNIKA JOURNAL
In this article, we try to design the architecture of a smart notification system using an Android gadget for academic notification in college. Academic notification in colleges now utilizes bulletin boards and online media such as websites or social media. The problem faced is the high cost and resources required to deliver the academic notification. Another problem is whether the information delivered can be right to the students who need it. We proposed the architecture of a smart notification system that can reduce the cost, and the information delivered can be right on target to the students in need.
IJRET : International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology is an international peer reviewed, online journal published by eSAT Publishing House for the enhancement of research in various disciplines of Engineering and Technology. The aim and scope of the journal is to provide an academic medium and an important reference for the advancement and dissemination of research results that support high-level learning, teaching and research in the fields of Engineering and Technology. We bring together Scientists, Academician, Field Engineers, Scholars and Students of related fields of Engineering and Technology
Panel discussion 10/4/2013. Zotero. Mendeley. EndNote. GoogleDrive. Dropbox. How to approach citation management, identify possible practice for managing your own research.
Hosted by Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning, College of Education, Michigan State University.
Report on student-faculty document sharing android projectAlamgir Hossain
This is the report for a android based project "Student-Faculty document sharing". There are two sections. One for student and another for faculty.
The project created by :
Md. Alamgir Hossain
Computer Science and Engineering
Jessore University of Science and Technology
Today, there are a huge number of software products allow you to completely automate the entire learning process. In order to match the required level of development of e-learning process, it must meet a number of characteristics.
Challenges of Learning Management Systems and Current TrendsIJAEMSJORNAL
Information and communication technologies (ICT) and Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are important multifunctional tools developed for higher education institutions, but in fact, the success of these systems largely depends on a detailed understanding of the challenges and factors that influence the e-learning of their users. During the quarantine period due to Covid-19 in the world, Learning Management Systems were used worldwide in Higher Education as software or method to promote the course delivery. Since it was the first experience of many Egyptian higher education institutions with the use of the learning management systems during the pandemic, challenges were expected. This research aims to examine the challenges faced by LMS use and the factors influencing its use among teachers and students. The results of this research could help researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners from public and private universities to gather insights on the successful application and use of LMS during and after Covid19.
Application of cloud computing based on e learning teaching tooleSAT Journals
Abstract
The demand for cloud computing has pressured the development of new market offerings, representing various cloud services and
delivery models. These models significantly expand the range of available options and tasks.Cloud computing allows changes in
businesses and organizations with more choices regarding how to run infrastructures, save costs, and delegate liabilities to thirdparty
providers. It has become an integral part of technology and business models, and has forced businesses to adapt to new
technology strategies .Now Cloud computing introduces efficient scale mechanism which let the construction of E-Learning
systems to be entrusted to all suppliers and provide a new mode for E-Learning.
Keywords : Cloud Computing, E-Learning, CloudE-Learning
A Case Study on Academic Services Application Using Agile Methodology for Mob...IJRES Journal
Recently, Mobile Cloud Computing reveals many modern development areas in the Information
Technology industry. Several software engineering frameworks and methodologies have been developed to
provide solutions for deploying cloud computing resources on mobile application development. Agile
methodology is one of the most commonly used methodologies in the field. This paper presents the MCCAS a
Web and Mobile application that provide feature for the Palestinian higher education/academic institutions. An
Agile methodology was used in the development of the MCCAS but in parallel with emphasis on Cloud
computing resources deployment. Also many related issues is discussed such as how software engineering
modern methodologies (advances) influenced the development process.
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory 47 (2014) 28–45Cont.docxedgar6wallace88877
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory 47 (2014) 28–45
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / s i m p a t
Insight Maker: A general-purpose tool for web-based modeling
& simulation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2014.03.013
1569-190X/� 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
E-mail address: [email protected]
1 The exact search query used was ‘’’modeling tool’’ OR ‘‘simulation tool’’’ in the Topic field.
Scott Fortmann-Roe
University of California, Berkeley, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, United States
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Received 29 April 2013
Received in revised form 23 March 2014
Accepted 26 March 2014
Available online 14 June 2014
Keywords:
Modeling
Simulation
Web-based technologies
System Dynamics
Agent-Based Modeling
A web-based, general-purpose simulation and modeling tool is presented in this paper. The
tool, Insight Maker, has been designed to make modeling and simulation accessible to a
wider audience of users. Insight Maker integrates three general modeling approaches –
System Dynamics, Agent-Based Modeling, and imperative programming – in a unified
modeling framework. The environment provides a graphical model construction interface
that is implemented purely in client-side code that runs on users’ machines. Advanced fea-
tures, such as model scripting and an optimization tool, are also described. Insight Maker,
under development for several years, has gained significant adoption with currently more
than 20,000 registered users. In addition to detailing the tool and its guiding philosophy,
this first paper on Insight Maker describes lessons learned from the development of a com-
plex web-based simulation and modeling tool.
� 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
1. Introduction
The field of modeling and simulation tools is diverse and emergent. General-purpose modeling tools (e.g. MATLAB’s
Simulink or the Modelica language [1]) sit beside highly focused and domain-specific applications (e.g. [2] for modeling
network control systems, [3] for simulating the behavior of wireless network routing protocols, or [4] for the simulation
and control of turbines). Interest in and published works on such tools has grown over time. The ISI Web of Knowledge
reports a substantial growth in papers published on modeling or simulation tools with 299 such papers published in the span
of 1985–1989, 1482 published from 1995 to 1999, and 3727 published from 2005 to 2009.1
For end-users, simulation and modeling tools are generally designed as executables to be run on a consumer operating
system such as W.
Alt. GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using ...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Le nuove frontiere dell'AI nell'RPA con UiPath Autopilot™UiPathCommunity
In questo evento online gratuito, organizzato dalla Community Italiana di UiPath, potrai esplorare le nuove funzionalità di Autopilot, il tool che integra l'Intelligenza Artificiale nei processi di sviluppo e utilizzo delle Automazioni.
📕 Vedremo insieme alcuni esempi dell'utilizzo di Autopilot in diversi tool della Suite UiPath:
Autopilot per Studio Web
Autopilot per Studio
Autopilot per Apps
Clipboard AI
GenAI applicata alla Document Understanding
👨🏫👨💻 Speakers:
Stefano Negro, UiPath MVPx3, RPA Tech Lead @ BSP Consultant
Flavio Martinelli, UiPath MVP 2023, Technical Account Manager @UiPath
Andrei Tasca, RPA Solutions Team Lead @NTT Data
zkStudyClub - Reef: Fast Succinct Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Regex ProofsAlex Pruden
This paper presents Reef, a system for generating publicly verifiable succinct non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs that a committed document matches or does not match a regular expression. We describe applications such as proving the strength of passwords, the provenance of email despite redactions, the validity of oblivious DNS queries, and the existence of mutations in DNA. Reef supports the Perl Compatible Regular Expression syntax, including wildcards, alternation, ranges, capture groups, Kleene star, negations, and lookarounds. Reef introduces a new type of automata, Skipping Alternating Finite Automata (SAFA), that skips irrelevant parts of a document when producing proofs without undermining soundness, and instantiates SAFA with a lookup argument. Our experimental evaluation confirms that Reef can generate proofs for documents with 32M characters; the proofs are small and cheap to verify (under a second).
Paper: https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1886
SAP Sapphire 2024 - ASUG301 building better apps with SAP Fiori.pdfPeter Spielvogel
Building better applications for business users with SAP Fiori.
• What is SAP Fiori and why it matters to you
• How a better user experience drives measurable business benefits
• How to get started with SAP Fiori today
• How SAP Fiori elements accelerates application development
• How SAP Build Code includes SAP Fiori tools and other generative artificial intelligence capabilities
• How SAP Fiori paves the way for using AI in SAP apps
A tale of scale & speed: How the US Navy is enabling software delivery from l...sonjaschweigert1
Rapid and secure feature delivery is a goal across every application team and every branch of the DoD. The Navy’s DevSecOps platform, Party Barge, has achieved:
- Reduction in onboarding time from 5 weeks to 1 day
- Improved developer experience and productivity through actionable findings and reduction of false positives
- Maintenance of superior security standards and inherent policy enforcement with Authorization to Operate (ATO)
Development teams can ship efficiently and ensure applications are cyber ready for Navy Authorizing Officials (AOs). In this webinar, Sigma Defense and Anchore will give attendees a look behind the scenes and demo secure pipeline automation and security artifacts that speed up application ATO and time to production.
We will cover:
- How to remove silos in DevSecOps
- How to build efficient development pipeline roles and component templates
- How to deliver security artifacts that matter for ATO’s (SBOMs, vulnerability reports, and policy evidence)
- How to streamline operations with automated policy checks on container images
The Metaverse and AI: how can decision-makers harness the Metaverse for their...Jen Stirrup
The Metaverse is popularized in science fiction, and now it is becoming closer to being a part of our daily lives through the use of social media and shopping companies. How can businesses survive in a world where Artificial Intelligence is becoming the present as well as the future of technology, and how does the Metaverse fit into business strategy when futurist ideas are developing into reality at accelerated rates? How do we do this when our data isn't up to scratch? How can we move towards success with our data so we are set up for the Metaverse when it arrives?
How can you help your company evolve, adapt, and succeed using Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse to stay ahead of the competition? What are the potential issues, complications, and benefits that these technologies could bring to us and our organizations? In this session, Jen Stirrup will explain how to start thinking about these technologies as an organisation.
Enhancing Performance with Globus and the Science DMZGlobus
ESnet has led the way in helping national facilities—and many other institutions in the research community—configure Science DMZs and troubleshoot network issues to maximize data transfer performance. In this talk we will present a summary of approaches and tips for getting the most out of your network infrastructure using Globus Connect Server.
1. A MODEL DRIVEN ACCESSIBLE M-LEARNING
PLATFORM
Majdi Soufi 1
, Nizar Mejdoub 1
, Amina Bouraoui 1,2*
1
UR Evaluation et Santé, Faculté de Médecine, 15 rue Djebel Akhdhar - La Rabta - 1007 Tunis,
Tunisia
2
Institut Supérieur des Technologies Médicales, 9 Bd Dr Zouheir Safi-1006 Tunis, Tunisia
2
email : hannibal.a@topnet.tn; phone : +21698200097
ABSTRACT
Distant learning is developing and attracting more users due to the availability and popularity
of computers and mobile devices among young and old learners alike. A lot of learning
platforms provide courses and training in different fields, but lack accessibility for the
visually disabled students, and cannot be optimally accessed from a handheld device, whereas
mobile devices are very popular.
Therefore, we developed a new learning platform accessible from a desktop/laptop computer,
or a wireless/handheld (W/H) device. To facilitate access for the visually disabled users we
developed a speech synthesis web service.
KEYWORDS: model driven engineering, mobile learning, accessibility
INTRODUCTION
The project consists in three independent parts:
− A platform allowing students to connect via their mobile equipment, study, review courses
content, answer their messages, answer quizzes, ...etc. Each student evolves inside a
community of teachers, tutors and fellow students. The platform can be accessed from a
desktop, a laptop computer and from a W/H device. Plasticity allows the interface to adapt
automatically to the used device;
− An editor of accessible mobile content which creates courses in accordance with the W3C
recommendations for accessible web content and mobile content which respect the
WCAG1.0 accessibility standard, and the e-learning standards we adapted to m-learning.
The courses and quizzes are designed very simply, indeed a W/H device must not be
overloaded with information;
2. − The third part of the project consists in a screen reader web service that allows the learner
to have his page contents read.
Before describing each part of the project in the following paragraphs, we will start by
presenting the model driven engineering approach we used for conceptual purposes.
CONCEPTUAL MODELING
The model driven approach
We used a model driven methodology for our work to facilitate the generation of code which
can be maintained and modified easily, when a new technology, platform, or standards
appear. We based our work on the Model Driven Architecture proposed by the OMG [1]. This
approach encourages separation of concerns between system functionalities and
implementation technologies. High level models describe the system functionalities: the
learning platform, the pedagogical mobile content, the speech synthesis, the web service, and
the accessibility features. These models are thereafter transformed using conversion rules to
obtain the target platforms specific models. Finally these latter models are used to generate
the system source code.
There are three basic concepts in the MDA (Model Driven Architecture) approach: meta-
models, models and transformation engines.
Meta-models and models
Meta-models are used to furnish the basic concepts that will be used to describe models. The
OMG encourages the use of MOF (Meta Object Facility) [2] meta-language to create meta-
models.
Models are used to describe the system functionalities whether they are high level
descriptions or low level technical descriptions, UML models can be used at this level based
on the UML meta-model described in MOF.
There are three types of models in the MDA approach:
- the Computation Independent Model (CIM): describes the application specification and
requirements. UML use cases can be used for this model;
- the Platform Independent Model (PIM): describes the system domain concepts without
considering any platform details, UML diagrams can also be used in this part;
- the Platform Specific Model (PSM): describes the platform for which the system will be
implemented, this model can also be a UML diagram conform to a UML profile; the PSM is
converted to the system source code for the targeted platform such as Java, .Net,...etc.
Transformation engines
They are based on corresponding rules between meta-models defined manually by an expert
user, they are used to transform a model to another, or a model to source code. For example a
3. PIM can be converted to a PSM, a PSM to another PSM, a PSM to a PIM (in case of a reverse
engineering process), or a PSM to Java code. Matching rules are proposed and the
transformation from a PIM to a PSM for instance is based on these rules and executed
automatically by a transformation engine (a program which applies the transformation
between model concepts). The OMG encourages the use of QVT (Query View
Transformation) [3] standard to write transformations.
As models in the MDA approach have to be compliant with meta-models, the matching rules
for the mapping model are based on matching correspondences between the meta-models
concepts.
The transformation can be automated for better results, for example if we find a way to
specify matching rules automatically instead of manually this will lead to better and faster
results [4,5]. But we cannot prevent the user from interfering in the matching process, and this
makes it more reliable. For this purpose we are studying the matching techniques in the field
of model driven engineering [4, 5].
The advantages of this approach are the following:
- The platform independent model can be modified each time we want to modify the system
functionalities. Starting from a single PIM we can obtain by transformation different PSMs
for different target platforms;
- The platform specific model can be converted to many targeted platforms if we are able to
define technical details of these platforms inside models, or each time a new platform
emerges;
- The sustainability of specification models, and the possibility to reuse existing models.
THE LEARNING PLATFORM
We have designed a learning platform that allows teachers and students to access courses and
quizzes and share them with each other. The students can access the platform via a PC or a
mobile phone connected to the Internet, they can choose courses, answer quizzes regardless of
where they are. The students and teachers evolve inside a community of friends who can be
either teachers, tutors or students.
We based our idea on popular social networks that are very appreciated by large and different
communities.
Each registered member has a profile page with basic info and activities. A member can have
friends inside a community, and can follow their activities.
The platform functionalities
The first goal of the platform is the connection of registered members for learning objectives.
Besides the users can also send emails, generate PDF files for the available courses or
quizzes, search for friends, look at the recent activities and feeds shared by the community,
4. search for lessons or activities using keywords,...etc. All these functionalities are offered
inside a simple interface with the most important feeds in the home page (Fig.1).
Figure 1 - The platform home page on Mobile device and PC
Design principles
-Simplicity: the interface is not overloaded with extra information, which makes it light and
easily mastered by users with different skills, and also easily accessible form a W/H device.
Indeed we have to consider the different mobile limitations such as screen sizes, memory and
CPU capacities, connection limitations ...etc.
-Accessibility: the platform is designed with accessibility features; we applied the W3C
standards in order to make it accessible to different categories of users using a
PC/Laptop/W/H device. For this reason we adapted both guidelines for mobile development
[6, 7] and standards for accessibility using the WCAG [8] and ATAG guidelines [9].
-Plasticity: the platform is accessible via computers or W/H mobile devices. Indeed when
connecting using a mobile device, the platform automatically adapts its interface to fit the
mobile characteristics, such as the screen size. We use the “user-agent” component of the
browser which indicates if the user connects via a PC or another device. In this latter case, we
have to know which kind of mobile it is. We ask the WURFL API [10] to know the device
capacities (size, technology...etc.). Thereafter we use WALL [11] which provides different
mobile technologies adapted to the device capabilities. Figure 2 illustrates the plasticity
principle and the technologies involved.
5. -Security: to minimize the risk of hacking we use scripting to avoid attacks of the type XSS
and SQL injection and the protocol HTTPS and SSL to exchange data between the user and
the web server.
Figure 2 - The plasticity principle illustrated
THE CONTENT EDITOR
We give the opportunity to teachers to create lessons and quizzes online or offline using two
kinds of content editors.
The platform provides an integrated WYSIWYG editor to edit web pages which offers the
classic functions of word processors. Its two main advantages are ease of use and immediate
observation of the graphics rendering. This editor prevents from the use of an external content
editor, and is based on Ckeditor a free and open source application which supports WAA-AA
and WCAG 1.0 accessibility standard. This tool is fully keyboard navigable and can be used
with screen readers (Fig.3).
With this tool every teacher can create a course and publish it directly in his/her network. The
courses are designed as a collection of chapters; the teacher can create, edit, modify, and
delete a chapter. The editor checks the accessibility standards of W3C in real time. For
instance, if the teacher omits to give an alternative text for a figure or a table, the content
editor will warn her/him.
The teacher also has a quiz generator to create evaluation tests for students. The quizzes have
general information and questions/answers saved as XML documents into the database.
6. Figure 3 - An example of lesson creation using the platform integrated editor
An independent content editor is now being developed to provide a second alternative for
teachers who want to have more options and use a more sophisticated tool to create their
courses and activities. This editor must be used offline or online from a computer. It is not
light enough to be accessed from a W/H device and its functionalities are numerous and
complex for a mobile use. We adapted e-learning norms and standards to m-learning. The
courses and activities are created for mobile purposes to improve the user experience of
usability. The pedagogic contents are accessible to be read by the text to speech web service.
THE SCREEN READER
Access to mobile devices can be a challenge for visually handicapped users. Designing an
application with accessibility features is not sufficient to guarantee the access from a mobile
device due to the lack of assistive technologies for this kind of devices. In case the user
connects from a PC or a laptop he/she has to be able to access the content using assistive
technologies. In the case the user logs in using a mobile device this can be more difficult to
achieve.
Developing a text to speech web service is an added value for our work. Web services are
applications accessible from the Internet. The web service will act as a screen reader or a text
to speech browser. The user presses a phone key; this will send a text message to the web
server containing the web service. The web service will split the text in syllables and convert
each one to audio form. The next step is to merge the audio files into a single one and send it
back to the source (Fig.4).
7. Figure 4- Illustration of the TTS web service process
The conceptual part of this work is detailed hereafter: we designed the text to speech and the
web service meta-models compliant with the UML meta-model. The two meta-models are
used to describe two PIMs, which are merged to describe a single PIM [12] of text to speech
web service. This latter is converted to a target platform (PSM), for instance Java, as the
majority of mobile devices are based on Java environments. The Java Profile is used as a
meta-model for the target platform PSM.
CONCLUSION
In this paper we have presented our work consisting in studying and developing a new m-
learning platform accessible for visually handicapped users. The work has been developed in
three independent parts, an m-learning platform, a content editor of accessible courses and
activities and a French text to speech web service. It will be used by the Virtual University of
Tunis for registered members (students and teachers/tutors) to encourage mobile learning.
The conceptual part of our work is based on model driven engineering, which facilitates the
separation of concerns and guarantees abstract models that are modified only if functionalities
evolve. Target platforms for code generation can be added when needed, so we can respond to
the great variety of mobile operating systems without developing a new application each time.
Our goal is to provide an accessible Learning and Content Management System especially
dedicated for mobile or W/H equipment use. The perspectives of this work are numerous:
- improvements of the speech web service, for example we have to consider multilingual
aspect for language learning; in the future we would also like to use this web service to read
any information on the mobile device;
8. - we want to consider difficulties encountered by a large number of users to maintain a
constant or a free connection to the Internet. With the actual platform, users can generate PDF
files of lessons. In the future we want a lightweight version of the platform to be
downloadable to act as a client side application [13], without the obligation of an Internet
connection;
- automation of the correspondences rules between models for faster and better results and to
facilitate the source code generation process for different platforms and operating systems.
- in the near future we plan to conduct tests with students enrolled in the Virtual University of
Tunis.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Authors would like to thank the Virtual University of Tunis (UVT) and its president Pr
Houcine Chebli for his support.
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