Computer-assisted instructional design

Disciplines such as multimedia, 3-D animation, and video depend on a merging of creativity and technology, and students' classroom and job market success in these fields also depends on their ability to synthesize artistic and technological expertise. Today's students are well-versed in computer use, and often this facility causes them to be impatient with more traditional tools and methods. More time needs to be spent on artistic basics: rudimentary drawing techniques, the human form, and design. The introduction of computers into classrooms, often to the exclusion of courses such as music or art, are defrauding students of the opportunities to learn to apply their talents in these fields. In fields where creativity is to be fostered, students must be taught that the ideas and content of their work must precede and supersede the technological implementation of the work. (Contains 15 references.) (EF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Cet article traite de la passation graphique d'une intention et révèle, par l'intermédiaire d'expérimentations ciblées, quels composants graphiques soutiennent particulièrement bien ou mal cette passation. Les résultats suggèrent d'apporter une attention toute particulière, que l'on soit concepteur-collaborateur ou développeur d'interfaces de soutien à la collaboration distante, aux courbes dites « principales ». Celles--ci semblent effectivement être garantes d'une intention graphique potentiellement mieux transmise et mieux capturée -l'essence graphique d'une collaboration distante efficace.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence and the cognitive sciences have made it possible to develop successful intelligent computer-aided instructional systems for technical and scientific training. In addition, computer-aided design (CAD) environments that support the rapid development of such computer-based instruction have also been recently developed. The researchers tailored a particular CAD system for instruction, called the Instructional Design Environment (IDE), for use in vocational training. This project brought together a consulting team that included a successful instructor in business education, cognitive scientists, workers in teacher education, and the IDE development team. The main goals of the project were to develop an instructional design methodology that teaches software use in the context of solving realistic problems and to extend the IDE to support this methodology, which is grounded in cognitive science research and is called example-based minimalist design (EBMD). It was found that the use of IDE has several side effects: (1) IDE encourages a greater depth of analysis and planning; (2) the semiformal representation language used in IDE shapes the design process and the manner in which the designer thinks about instruction; (3) the analyses and specifications developed in IDE provide an explicit design rationale for each product; and (4) designs and design rationales developed in IDE can be easily modified and reused thus standardizing instructional development and promoting dissemination of successful design methodologies. (Contains 11 references.) (ALF) U.S. DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION Othce of Educahonai Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) C The; document has been reproduced as received Irum the petSen or organization ongmatmg C Minor changes sane been made to trnorove reproduction Quality Points of we* a opiniOnS Stated in this dOCument do not netesSanly repreSent otticiai OE RI position or POliCY

The present article examines how practices of computersupported collaborative designing may be implemented in an elementary classroom. We present a case study in which 12-year-old students engaged in architectural design under the guidance of their teacher and a professional designer. The students were engaged in all aspects of design processes, such as analysing the design of existing houses, analysing the building site, determining building volume, design facades, and floor plans; they formed seven teams, each of which had its own house to design. The data-analysis relied on the Knowledge Forum database, consisting of students' notes, pictures, sketches, and photos. The participants' quantitative contributions to the database were analyzed with Analytic ToolKit which underlies Knowledge Forum. A qualitative content analysis was performed to the KF notes produced by the student teams; a theory and data-driven approach for categorizing the content of the notes was employed. The results revealed that the student teams considered various design constraints and familiarized themselves with their own building site and regulations regarding their permitted building volume. They constructed environmental models and scale models, and made the calculations of gross floor volume; scale drawings were inserted to KF's Environmental Model view as pictures and texts. The results indicated that parallel working with conceptual (design ideas) and material artefacts (architectural models, prototypes of apartments, figures) supported one another. The intent was that involving students in modeling practices would help them build domain expertise, epistemological understanding, and skills to create and evaluate knowledge. Further, implications for designing technology-mediated collaborative design processes are discussed.

Wydanie pierwsze Nakład 250 egzemplarzy 841 A2 420 594 A3 297 420 A4 210 297 Nieodzownym elementem formatu jest tabliczka umieszczona w prawym dolnym rogu rysunku. Formaty arkuszy A0, A1, A2 i A3 usytuowane są tylko poziomo, zaś A4 pionowo. Arkusz powinien mieć ramkę wykonaną linią ciągłą o grubości 0,7 mm w odległości 5 mm od linii obcięcia. Uwagi do zajęć projektowych. Na zajęcia należy przygotować arkusze formatu A3 z obramowaniem. Na arkuszu po obramowaniu należy w dolnym prawym rogu umieścić tabliczkę rysunkową.

Rafi, A., Samsudin, KA, & Ismail, A.(2006). On Improving Spatial Ability Through Computer-Mediated Engineering Drawing Instruction. Educational Technology & Society, 9 (3), 149-159. 149 ISSN 1436-4522 (online) and 1176-3647 (print).© International Forum of Educational ...

Nowadays, computer aided design (CAD) is widely used by designers. Would children learn to draw more easily and more efficiently if they were taught with computerised tools? To answer this question, we made an experiment designed to compare two methods for children to do the same drawing: the classical 'pen and paper' method and a CAD method. We asked two groups of 14 children to draw a geometrical figure: the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF). The first group drew it with a pen on a sheet of paper ('paper' group) and the second on a computer screen with CAD software ('computer' group). Two drawing conditions were studied: 'Copying' the figure and drawing from memory. Results showed that the 'computer' group was better at copying the figure but that both groups performed equally well when the figure was drawn from memory. These preliminary results suggest that using a CAD tool could help children while they copy a model, but that it does not improve their ability to draw the same figure using their own, internal model.

Resumen Este documento presenta algunas consideraciones metodológicas para desarrollar una herramienta que genere automáticamente especificaciones de procesadores difusos, las cuales puedan ser implementadas en dispositivos de hardware empotrado. La descripción de las consideraciones se hace de manera general de tal modo que serviría de guía para desarrollar herramientas de síntesis automática de procesadores difusos sobre diferentes tecnologías hardware. Como caso específico se presenta una herramienta automática para generar código en lenguaje de programación ANSI C de modelos de procesadores difusos especificados en una herramienta de alto nivel. Además, se presentan algunos resultados prácticos obtenidos por medio de esta herramienta. Palabras clave: lógica difusa, procesadores difusos, hardware difuso, diseño electrónico automático, diseño asistido por computador.

Feasibility of iterative closest point algorithm for accuracy between virtual surgical planning and orthognathic surgery outcomes Summary Purpose: to evaluate the feasibility of iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm for assessing the accuracy between virtual surgical planning (VSP) and outcomes in orthognathic surgery. Materials and Methods: VSP and results of surface mesh (SM0 and SM1) from CBCT scans of 25 patients who had been undergone bi-maxillary orthognathic surgery were converted into STLformat files and then imported to Geomagic software for semi-automatic alignment. ICP algorithm was used to calculate mean deviations (MD) and root mean square (3D error) at different calibrations of ± 2 mm (T1), ± 5 mm (T2) and ± 10 mm (T3), with workflow being performed by two evaluators. Colour maps were generated to assess the 3D congruence qualitatively. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate whether SM0 or SM1 could condition the ICP and t-tests were used to assess whether MD and 3D error values were ≤-2 mm and ≥ 2 mm. Descriptive statistics was used to assess the method's feasibility by comparing T2 to T1 and T3. Results: High intra-and inter-rater correlations supported the workflow reproducibility with the software. SM0 conditioned the ICP algorithm regarding both evaluators, and t-tests demonstrated that MD and 3D error were >-2 mm and < 2 mm. MD and 3D error at T3 were 30% higher than those at T1.

Undergraduate students in Science and Engineering programmes in Nigerian universities offer Physics as a course at one level or the other as contained in Nigeria University Commission (NUC) Basic Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS). In line with this, Al-Hikmah University offers some general Physics courses at the 100 level of some of its science-based programmes. This work carried out a preliminary investigation to get the opinions of selected 100 level students in the university regarding how Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) can promote the teaching and learning of Physics as a course. One hundred and fifty students in the first year that offer Physics were selected using random sampling technique. Out of this, a larger percentage of

Tensile membrane structures are among favorites when it comes to elegance and wealth of forms of architectural structures. While visual beauty and uniqueness are the first impressions gained by a common observer, designers of tensile membranes understand and appreciate the importance of their structural properties. Like all architectural structures, fabric membranes are also exposed to external loads. External loads cause two main outcomes when acting on tensile membrane structures. These are large deflections and rearrangement of stresses within the fabric of the membrane. While deflections are usually large enough to be visually noticeable by users and can even cause their discomfort, fabric stress is equally important and more frequently a bigger concern for the engineers.
The research presented in this paper deals with fabric stresses of barrel-vault shaped membrane structures. It builds on several previous researches with regard to methodological setup and the procedure of the numerical experiments. Compared to the existing experiments, this one introduces new variations of parameters and loads. A numerical model of typical membrane structure was created and varied in order to find out and clarify the relation between certain structural parameters and fabric stresses under external loads. Several loads were applied to the membrane independently from one another. Resulting fabric stresses were analyzed and discussed. The scientific contribution of the research is in widening the existing knowledge about barrel-vault shaped tensile membrane structures.

The increased importance of high value-added specialty chemicals has stimulated interest in the development of better design and optimization methods for batch processes. These processes have a number of particular aspects (time-dependent behavior, discrete processing and structural alternatives) which make the development of optimal designs quite difficult. Five sets of decisions must be made to design a batch process. Because the entire problem is so complex, previous workers have focused on smaller, more manageable parts of the overall problem. Much of the previous work has dealt with the optimal sizing of equipment units in order to produce a set of products in a new multiproduct batch plant with minimum capital investment. Processing conditions have generally been assumed given in the form of the product recipes and not subject to change. This thesis focuses on the design and operation of batch processes and represents a first attempt to consider process performance issues and equipment sizing decisions together in an optimization framework. Complexities introduced by using existing equipment are also included. The optimization problem consists of selecting the equipment units to use at each stage in the process and choosing values for all process operating conditions and operating times in order to optimize a suitable objective function. A problem formulation for the optimal design of a new batch process is developed. This formulation incorporates the effects of the overall multipurpose plant environment on the design of a single new process by allocating fixed costs through the use of equipment usage charges. These charges represent the opportunity cost of allocating scarce plant resources to one product rather than another. A decomposition strategy is proposed for solving the optimization problem. By partitioning the decision variables into two groups, simpler subproblems are generated. The Performance Subproblem involves optimizing the continuous variables that represent the processing conditions and operation times for a process with fixed structure. Generic performance trade-offs involving processing intensity and the distribution of performance load are identified. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear programming problem (NLP) and solved using a successive quadratic programming algorithm. Results

We have developed the concept of an abstract timing verifier that accepts plug-compatible timing models in a common framework containing the scheduling algorithms and the user interface. Depending on the design phase and the parbicular level of design representation used, the most suitable timing model can be plugged into this framework and operated in a standard way. This paper formally introduces the abstract timing model and defines the operations that need to be carried out in such models. It discusses the models used in existing commercial timing verifiers in this context and compares them against some new and modified models. It presents some guidelines for the extension of this library of timing models.

Wydanie pierwsze Nakład 250 egzemplarzy 841 A2 420 594 A3 297 420 A4 210 297 Nieodzownym elementem formatu jest tabliczka umieszczona w prawym dolnym rogu rysunku. Formaty arkuszy A0, A1, A2 i A3 usytuowane są tylko poziomo, zaś A4 pionowo. Arkusz powinien mieć ramkę wykonaną linią ciągłą o grubości 0,7 mm w odległości 5 mm od linii obcięcia. Uwagi do zajęć projektowych. Na zajęcia należy przygotować arkusze formatu A3 z obramowaniem. Na arkuszu po obramowaniu należy w dolnym prawym rogu umieścić tabliczkę rysunkową.

The present article examines how practices of computersupported collaborative designing may be implemented in an elementary classroom. We present a case study in which 12-year-old students engaged in architectural design under the guidance of their teacher and a professional designer. The students were engaged in all aspects of design processes, such as analysing the design of existing houses, analysing the building site, determining building volume, design facades, and floor plans; they formed seven teams, each of which had its own house to design. The data-analysis relied on the Knowledge Forum database, consisting of students' notes, pictures, sketches, and photos. The participants' quantitative contributions to the database were analyzed with Analytic ToolKit which underlies Knowledge Forum. A qualitative content analysis was performed to the KF notes produced by the student teams; a theory and data-driven approach for categorizing the content of the notes was employed. The results revealed that the student teams considered various design constraints and familiarized themselves with their own building site and regulations regarding their permitted building volume. They constructed environmental models and scale models, and made the calculations of gross floor volume; scale drawings were inserted to KF's Environmental Model view as pictures and texts. The results indicated that parallel working with conceptual (design ideas) and material artefacts (architectural models, prototypes of apartments, figures) supported one another. The intent was that involving students in modeling practices would help them build domain expertise, epistemological understanding, and skills to create and evaluate knowledge. Further, implications for designing technology-mediated collaborative design processes are discussed.

Global por Satélite, do inglês Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) alcancem atualmente alta precisão ao processar sua localização geográfica sob condições de Linha de Visada, do inglês Line of Sight (LoS), a interferência por componentes multipercurso e ruído pode degradar consideravelmente a precisão. A fim de atenuar a interferência dos multipercursos, receptores baseados em múltiplas antenas são necessários. Neste contexto, abordagens tensoriais baseadas em modelos de Análise de Fatores Paralelos, do inglês Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC), têm sido propostas na literatura, proporcionando umótimo desempenho. Como essas técnicas são baseadas em subespaços, considerando um cenário de rastreamento em tempo real, o cálculo de uma Decomposição em Valores Singulares (SVD) a cada nova amostra implica em uma complexidade computacional elevada, principalmente para sistemas que requerem o processamento em tempo real. Portanto, uma alternativa para reduzir o tempo de computação de estimativas de subespacos tem sido o desenvolvimento de algoritmos de rastreamento de subespaço. Este trabalho propõe o emprego de dois esquemas de rastreamento de subespaços para fornecer uma redução no desempenho computacional geral das técnicas de estimativa de atraso de tempo baseadas em tensores. Palavras-Chave-Receptores GNSS. Arranjo Linear Uniforme. Estimação do atraso de tempo. Estimação de subespaço.

Figure 1: (a) Un dessin d'architecte (étude utilisateur), (b) un dessin réalisé avec notre système et (c) son interprétation 2D. RESUME Cet article présente une interface de dessin en perspective pour la modélisation 3D créative : Svalabard. Partant du constat d'inadéquation entre le savoir-faire des créateurs et les outils actuels, nous proposons un système de dessin libre, métaphore d'une table à dessin. L'interaction et les outils proposés sont dérivés des habitudes de travail des concepteurs (dessin multi calques, association des interactions avec des périphériques spécifiques). Svalabard intègre en particulier des filtres d'analyse sous-jacents, issus d'une étude utilisateur dans le domaine architectural. Ils permettent de détecter en temps réel le contexte courant du dessin afin d'adapter l'interaction et d'épurer le dessin. Ils produisent finalement une représentation structurée des volumes 3D dessinés.

Resumo. O algoritmo adaptativo de norma ℓp continuamente mista apresenta por vantagens tanto a robustez a ruído impulsivo quanto a implementação automática de uma estratégia de passo de aprendizagem variante no tempo. Devido à extrema não-linearidade envolvida na equação de atualização do algoritmo, até o presente momento não há um modelo estocástico disponível na literatura capaz de prever seu desempenho assintótico. Este artigo desenvolve um modelo estocástico inédito, baseado em argumentos de conservação de energia e de uma aproximação por uma função linear por partes, que dá origem a uma equação analítica em ponto fixo, cuja solução permite estimar o desempenho em regime permanente deste importante algoritmo.

This paper presents the status of the VINCI engine development program as of mid-2002. The VINCI engine will power the Ariane 5 ESC-B upper stage and contributes to provide a 12-ton payload capability in geostationary transfer orbit to the Ariane 5 launch system. The multiple firing capability also broadens the array of possible missions. The VINCI engine is a cryogenic expander cycle engine combining the required features of this cycle, i.e. high performance chamber cooling and high performance hydrogen turbopump, with proven design concepts based on the accumulated experience from previous European cryogenic engines from HM7 to Vulcain 2. High performance along with a constant focus on reliability, low cost and simplicity of architecture are the design goals of the VINCI program. The paper recalls the engine design rationale using design-to-cost methods. The paper highlights the major achievements of the program over the 2001-2002 period, i.e. the completion of the engine detailed design, the manufacturing of the first subsystems, the first component and subsystem tests. The ESC-B and VINCI developments are programs of the European Space Agency (ESA) whose management has been delegated to Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French Space Agency.

Universal design process is a multi-constraint task due to many user requirements and the complexities caused by the interaction of the requirements in developing design solutions. Since all universal design requirements cannot be equally satisfied, a designer must determine the relative importance and implementation order of each requirement. Prioritisation of requirements is needed, not just to ignore the least important but also to guide designers while coping with dependencies, conflicts and trade-offs between multi-attribute requirements simultaneously. Thus, this study proposes a priority-based approach for satisfying diverse users' needs, capabilities and expectations in a design process conducted in a computer environment. The planning game technique and the analytic hierarchy process technique using a cost-value approach are the two techniques that are applied in prioritising the diverse requirements. The derived priority information is incorporated into a CAD interface with a developed plug-in tool. A universal kitchen design is chosen as a case study for the priority-based approach. The results of the acceptability studies indicate that the proposed plug-in tool is found useful, understandable, efficient, helpful and satisfactory in universal design process and can be developed for various architectural design applications.

Cet article traite de la passation graphique d'une intention et révèle, par l'intermédiaire d'expérimentations ciblées, quels composants graphiques soutiennent particulièrement bien ou mal cette passation. Les résultats suggèrent d'apporter une attention toute particulière, que l'on soit concepteurcollaborateur ou développeur d'interfaces de soutien à la collaboration distante, aux courbes dites « principales ». Celles-ci semblent effectivement être garantes d'une intention graphique potentiellement mieux transmise et mieux capturée-l'essence graphique d'une collaboration distante efficace.

Cet article traite de la passation graphique d'une intention et révèle, par l'intermédiaire d'expérimentations ciblées, quels composants graphiques soutiennent particulièrement bien ou mal cette passation. Les résultats suggèrent d'apporter une attention toute particulière, que l'on soit concepteur-collaborateur ou développeur d'interfaces de soutien à la collaboration distante, aux courbes dites « principales ». Celles-ci semblent effectivement être garantes d'une intention graphique potentiellement mieux transmise et mieux capturée-l'essence graphique d'une collaboration distante efficace.

Ce projet s'intéresse à la place que tient aujourd'hui l'esquisse et les représentations 3D au sein du processus de conception, et plus particulièrement au sein des phases amont de la création chez les designers de produit. La question posée est la pertinence de l'esquisse au sein du système global des représentations externes et sa place actuelle dans le monde des possibles offerts par la CAO. La finalité de la recherche est l'objectivation d'un concept IHM pouvant effectivement et efficacement supporter les designers en phase créative.

En el presente Trabajo Final de Master se diseña un Algoritmo Genético que obtendrá la mejor configuración de cámaras para un modelo CAD que representa un sistema de visión artificial con múltiples cámaras fijas que observa un objeto fijo. Lo que se pretende es que cada cámara en el CAD visualice el objeto con la misma perspectiva en que se visualiza el objeto real. Las pruebas y desarrollos aquí presentados se realizaron dentro del proyecto del Túnel

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the nature of curriculum in collegelevel interior design programs, explore computer-aided design's (CAD) place in these curricula, and examine pedagogy used to teach CAD in these programs. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to better understand (a) the nature of college-level interior design programs with regard to curricular conceptions, (b) how interior design programs integrate CAD into the curriculum, and (c) how interior design instructors adopt and integrate CAD into their teaching practices. A qualitative research methodology using case study design was used. Data at two college-level interior design programs were collected using document analysis and interviews with six interior design instructors, three from each institution. Previous studies (Hill & Anning, 2001b) examined and identified how other design fields such as graphic, engineering, architectural, and apparel design practice the design process. However, there is little research found on how interior designers practice design and their profession, or how they use CAD in design. Therefore, this research contributes to the literature on how interior design professionals design using CAD programs and more specifically how they incorporate AutoCAD software in their professional design practice and in their teaching of interior design curriculum. Findings revealed that participants referred to their own professional practice to conceptualize and teach the design process. The phases of the design process described by each instructor were context-specific to a design project and their use of CAD in the design process depended on their preferences, skills, abilities, and the context of their professional practice. Findings also revealed that CAD is an important tool in the field of interior design. Even though CAD may inhibit an interior design students' creativity, it can save time, document I offer my utmost gratitude to Dr. Ann Marie Hill. Her support and great patience helped me overcome any obstacle in the completion of this research work. Without her advice and continuous assistance, this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you for being a wonderful supervisor, advisor, and mentor. I would also like to thank my committee member, Dr. Richard Reeve. His input, vast knowledge, and attention to detail gave me the inspiration to finish a refined thesis. I was very fortunate to work with two amazing professors who guided me through an unforgettable learning experience. Lastly, I want to thank my dearly loved treasures: Mom, Khulud, Aref, Lamya, Noor, Irina, Ghadeer, and Wael who were there for me when I needed to talk, laugh, and cry. Their love and incessant moral support made my two years of thesis work a pleasant journey. v Dedications I dedicate my work to the memory of my father. Even though you are far away, yet you are still very close. You will always be my hero.

Classroom experiments are becoming increasingly popular as active-learning exercises for courses in economics. There are many situations where technology is needed to facilitate the effective use of classroom experiments. This article examines how computers and wireless handheld devices are being used to enhance the flexibility of classroom experiments and expand their usability to larger classes. Evidence on learning gains from the use of computer-assisted experiments in the classroom is also reported.

Nowadays, computer aided design (CAD) is widely used by designers. Would children learn to draw more easily and more efficiently if they were taught with computerised tools? To answer this question, we made an experiment designed to compare two methods for children to do the same drawing: the classical 'pen and paper' method and a CAD method. We asked two groups of 14 children to draw a geometrical figure: the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF). The first group drew it with a pen on a sheet of paper ('paper' group) and the second on a computer screen with CAD software ('computer' group). Two drawing conditions were studied: 'Copying' the figure and drawing from memory. Results showed that the 'computer' group was better at copying the figure but that both groups performed equally well when the figure was drawn from memory. These preliminary results suggest that using a CAD tool could help children while they copy a model, but that it does not improve their ability to draw the same figure using their own, internal model.

Orientador: Hugo Enrique Hernandez FigueroaTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: Este trabalho, tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de novas técnicas, para análise de regime permanente não-autonoma de circuitos de alta-velocidade não-lineares em grande-escala. Para tal, é proposto um novo método do balanço harmônico (BH) fundamentado em uma eficiente metodologia de decomposição multi-níveis, que subdivide um circuito não-linear em grande escala em uma estrutura hierarquica de super-redes (SuRs) esparsamente interconectadas. Mais precisamente, em cada nível de hierarquia, o circuito é composto por SuRs intermediárias, SuRs de fundo, e redes de conexão (RCs). As SuRs de fundo são decompostas em um aglomerado de subredes não-lineares (SRNs) correspondendo a dispositivos semicondutores, que por sua vez, estão envolvidos por uma sub-rede linear (SRL). A equação de estado e de sonda das SuRs de fundo foram obtidas uti...

This study seeks to understand the value simulation-based learning (SBL) added to the learning of Machining Technology in a 15-week core subject course offered to university students. The research questions were: (1) How did SBL enhance classroom learning? (2) How did SBL help participants in their test? (3) How did SBL prepare participants for workshop practice? The findings suggest that SBL enlivened the learning of Machining Technology, and promoted autonomous and mastery learning. SBL made a deep impression on the participants' visual experience, helping them remember the machine processes. SBL also helped learners to conceptualize their answers and provided them with opportunities to become familiar with the conventional machines before workshop practice. An infusion of SBL has the potential to add value to the learning of Machining Technology.

More than a decade has passed since the introduction of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) within schools in Africa. Computer-assisted instruction has enhanced teaching and learning at all levels of education in Africa. However, many aspects of the issues facing CAI implementation, as well as its effects on students&#39; performance in the history classroom are unclear. This necessitated the systematic review into two aspects. Firstly, the effects of CAI on students&#39; performance in the teaching and learning of history in Africa, and secondly, the various challenges facing CAI&#39;s implementation in Africa. Furthermore, to facilitate future research, the researchers summarised several research methodologies used in the studies reviewed. The results from a systematic review of 11 studies revealed that CAI has a positive effect on students&#39; academic performance in history. The challenges to CAI implementation that were identified included: a lack of funding, training of teach...

Materials testing is often the last step in the manufacturing process. Yet quality cannot be put in after the fact since it is the result of both the materials and the process. In forming materials, it’s helpful to understand their properties in order to better predict the manufacturing outcome. For stamping and forming operations and for many products it is also helpful to have a profile of the material in order to detect variations in materials from suppliers over time.

This study investigates the effectiveness of concept mapping in chemistry education among secondary school students in Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria. It also examines the challenges of using concept mapping as a teaching method. The quasi-experimental method was employed and a total of 53 participants in the experimental group and 31 in the control group were selected using multistage sampling techniques. The research tool used contains a problem-solving achievement test in radioactivity and also items on the challenges to concept mapping. Results revealed that concept mapping is an effective learning strategy that can significantly improve students' comprehension and retention of knowledge in Chemistry. However, to maximize its effectiveness, teachers need to provide proper guidance and support to students, create a conducive learning environment, and ensure that there is an adequate feedback mechanism in place. Additionally, adequate training and support are required to use concept mapping effectively as a teaching tool.

Palabras clave: diseño asistido por ordenador, ingeniería asistida por ordenador, fabricación asistida por ordenador, simulación de procesos de construcción, arquitectura, ingeniería, construcción. Fecha de recepción: 11-XI-05 Fecha de aceptación: 20-XII-06 Alfredo del Caño (*) , Mª Pilar de la Cruz (*) , Luis Solano (**) Diseño, ingeniería, fabricación y ejecución asistidos por ordenador en la construcción: evolución y desafíos a futuro Computer-aided design, engineering, manufacturing and construction: evolution and future challenges

Palabras clave: diseño asistido por ordenador, ingeniería asistida por ordenador, fabricación asistida por ordenador, simulación de procesos de construcción, arquitectura, ingeniería, construcción. Fecha de recepción: 11-XI-05 Fecha de aceptación: 20-XII-06 Alfredo del Caño (*) , Mª Pilar de la Cruz (*) , Luis Solano (**) Diseño, ingeniería, fabricación y ejecución asistidos por ordenador en la construcción: evolución y desafíos a futuro Computer-aided design, engineering, manufacturing and construction: evolution and future challenges

At most Universities throughout the world Computer Aided Design is taught using commercial programs more suitable for business and industry than for teaching. This led us to write our own design program (GIcad) starting from the best-known standards on the market, but always avoiding unnecessary commands in the first steps of the learning process. GIcad constitutes a tool with a multitude of help messages to facilitate student self-training, it is very intuitive and has an attractive and dynamic graphic interface with a design that does not put off the beginner with a lot of options and commands. For three years-and with the collaboration of over 400 students in the first year of their course-we have been carrying out trials, experiments and tests of all kinds with GIcad and other commercial programs. The statistical analysis of the results obtained in the surveys show us that the personal preferences of the students and their learning times are very similar with both GIcad and commercial programs. But have we achieved our objective of dethroning the commercial programs? We can deduce that the students are aware of the importance of mastering the commercial programs they will encounter at work. Nevertheless, a large percentage of them prefer to consolidate the theoretical concepts and acquired practice with a program specifically written for that purpose and developed by our department. This program allows the students to indirectly learn the basis of CAD, so that the subsequent use of commercial tools poses no difficulty.

More than a decade has passed since the introduction of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) within schools in Africa. Computer-assisted instruction has enhanced teaching and learning at all levels of education in Africa. However, many aspects of the issues facing CAI implementation, as well as its effects on students&#39; performance in the history classroom are unclear. This necessitated the systematic review into two aspects. Firstly, the effects of CAI on students&#39; performance in the teaching and learning of history in Africa, and secondly, the various challenges facing CAI&#39;s implementation in Africa. Furthermore, to facilitate future research, the researchers summarised several research methodologies used in the studies reviewed. The results from a systematic review of 11 studies revealed that CAI has a positive effect on students&#39; academic performance in history. The challenges to CAI implementation that were identified included: a lack of funding, training of teach...

Two experiences based on the use of computer tools for teaching courses about the design and analysis of plastic pieces and molds are presented. The purpose is to offer students the opportunity to handle softwares by combining knowledge about plastics, metals, processing, mechanizing, marketing, stresses, costs, and design.ß2005 Wiley Periodicals,

In this work, bendability evaluation of three sheet metals, a galvanized steel (JAC780Y), a stainless steel (SUS304) and a cold rolled steel (SPCC) was precisely investigated using an acoustic emission (AE) technique. A three-point bending test, with three different punch plate radii, was performed to evaluate the formability of the metal sheets in bending and hemming processes. Bending force-displacement curves were derived from the results of the tests and were correlated with AE features (Root Mean Square and Peak-to-Peak) that were extracted from data obtained during those tests. These correlations showed for the first time that AE techniques could be used to detect an intercrystalline fracture from bending behavior and also to evaluate the bendability of the given materials.

Generalisation is one of the most important performance evaluation criteria for artificial learning systems. An increasing amount of research has recently concentrated on the robustness or generalisation ability of the programs evolved using Genetic Programming (GP). While some of these researchers report on the brittleness of the solutions evolved, some others propose methods of promoting robustness/generalisation. In this paper, a review of research on generalisation in GP and problems with brittleness of solutions produced by GP is presented. Also, a brief overview of several new methods promoting robustness/generalisation of the solutions produced by GP are presented.

This chapter illustrates the potential of genetic programming (GP) in the field of macro mechanical modeling, addressing the problene1 of identification of a mechanical model for a material. Two kinds of models are considered. One-dimensional dynamic models are rep resented via symbolic formulations termed •rheological models, which are directly evolved by GP. Three-dimensional static models of byperelastic materials are expressed in terms of strain energy functions. A model is rated. based on the distance between the behavior predicted by the model, and the actual behavior of the material given by a set of me chanical experiments. The choice of GP is n: totivated by strong arguments, relying on the tree-structure of rheological models in the fi:rst case, and on the need for first and second order derivatives in the second case. Key issues are the exploration of viable individuals only, and the use of Gaussian mutations to optimize numerical constants.

More than a decade has passed since the introduction of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) within schools in Africa. Computer-assisted instruction has enhanced teaching and learning at all levels of education in Africa. However, many aspects of the issues facing CAI implementation, as well as its effects on students&#39; performance in the history classroom are unclear. This necessitated the systematic review into two aspects. Firstly, the effects of CAI on students&#39; performance in the teaching and learning of history in Africa, and secondly, the various challenges facing CAI&#39;s implementation in Africa. Furthermore, to facilitate future research, the researchers summarised several research methodologies used in the studies reviewed. The results from a systematic review of 11 studies revealed that CAI has a positive effect on students&#39; academic performance in history. The challenges to CAI implementation that were identified included: a lack of funding, training of teach...

Less and less time is being dedicated to Descriptive Geometry in Technical Careers. For that reason, a multimedia application that allows us improve and optimize the teachingÀlearning process in the resolution of typical problems of this subject has been designed. Easy of use, interactiveness or efficiency are characteristics that can be related to this application. In this article, we describe the more important aspects of the developed Multimedia Trainer, as well as the results obtained in an experience with students with the purpose of evaluating its possibilities of use. ß2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.