Improving Soft Skills through an Interdisciplinary Approach in a Realistic Context between Education and CS Students in an HCI Course

Maximiliano Paredes-Velasco; Mónica Arnal-Palacián; Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes; Mercedes Martín-Lope. 2023. IEEE Transactions on Education, accepted

Abstract:Contribution: Prior studies on pedagogical methodologies to acquire soft skills have shown that developing collaborative tasks produces positive impact in students’ abilities. In this article, a pedagogical approach based on interdisciplinary practice and realistic problems is proposed to improve students’ teamwork skills. Background: Traditionally, soft skill acquisition has received scarce attention in high education curricula. Consequently, students finish their studies without having developed important competencies, such as communication, conflict resolution and teamwork skills. Intended Outcomes: Students who follow a realistic interdisciplinary approach improve both their soft and hard skills compared to students who follow a traditional collaborative pedagogical methodology. Through the approach proposed, students progress in completing tasks, participating in the team, collaborating in the organization, accepting agreements and taking into account the others’ points of view. Application Design: The experience involved students from two different disciplines, prospective computer science engineers and preservice teachers. They worked together to design an educational application that required prospective engineers to apply Human–Computer Interaction fundamentals. A quasi-experimental study was performed using either knowledge tests or self-assessment pre-post-tests, both subsequently analyzed using quantitative methods. Findings: 1) the prospective CS engineers who followed the interdisciplinary realistic practice approach achieved better learning outcomes than those who did not; 2) the educational context affects teamwork skill development; and 3) students improved their ability to work and participate in the team after the experience.

Self-archived version from URJC's institutional open repository: download PDF.

Increasing students’ responsibility and learning outcomes using partial Flipped Classroom in a Language Processors course

Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes. 2020. IEEE Access, 8, 211211-211223

Abstract: More than twenty years have passed since the term Flipped Classroom was coined. Despite of the increasing interest in this teaching methodology, fields like Computer Science still need more research in order to judge the impact of this methodology in the learning process. This work presents a comparative study between traditional lectures and a partial application of the Flipped Classroom methodology in the subject Language Processors of a Computer Science degree. The study involved 158 students during two weeks and focused on practical contents of the subject. The results show that students in the Flipped Classroom group were more responsible of their learning process, consequently they got significant better learning outcomes either during or at the end of the learning process. Students’ satisfaction was highly positive as well. This work increases the amount of experiments about Flipped Classroom within the field of Computer Science. In addition, this work serves as an example of how to begin the transition from traditional lectures to the Flipped Classroom methodology.

Self-archived version from URJC's institutional open repository: download PDF.

Educational Impact of Syntax Directed Translation Visualization, a Preliminary Study

Damián Nicolalde-Rodríguez & Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes. 2018. 2018 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC), Lisbon, Portugal, 1 - 4 October 2018.

Abstract: This work studies the effect of using software visualization to teach syntax directed translation, a complex topic within compiler subjects. A trial was conducted with 34 students using LISA as the visualization tool. It was divided in two phases. Firstly, student’s experience during compilers construction labs was studied, comparing LISA versus CUP. All participants used both tools and answered a questionnaire. LISA was scored as more motivational and easier to use. Moreover, key theoretical concepts were better identified with LISA. Secondly, a typical lecture (control group) was compared against a lecture using LISA (treatment group). Students were randomly distributed between both groups and answered a knowledge test following the lectures. Results showed that the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. However, areas for improvement have been detected even in the treatment group. These improvements could be addressed by enhancing the visualization tool with features to increase student engagement..

Investigating the effect of realistic projects on students' motivation, the case of Human-Computer interaction course

Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes, Maximiliano Paredes-Velasco. Computers in Human Behavior 72 (2017) 692-700. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.020

Abstract: The aim of this study is to test the effect of a concrete way to use practical exercises in a human-computer interaction course. Our approach is focused on lab sessions, replacing typical concrete exercises with realistic projects based on collaborative work, long term duration (the whole course instead of concrete labs) and multidisciplinary design interacting with real end-users. The realistic projects approach supports the practice of theoretical concepts together with professional skills development, e.g. social skills needed to interact with end-user without technical background. In order to assess this approach we have conducted a comparative study with three different groups involving 133 students. Two groups followed the realistic projects approach, the difference between them was end-users recruitment. End-users were recruited by teachers in one group and by the students in the other. The third group followed the typical approach. Our comparative study is based on students' motivation. We have chosen the Situational Motivation Scale as the measurement instrument. Results show that, independently from the end-user recruitment, students involved in realistic projects are significantly more motivated than students involved in the general approach. Thus, students involved in realistic projects perceive that these activities are useful or important for them.

Pre-print open access version: https://eciencia.urjc.es/handle/10115/16528

Motivación de Estudiantes en la Asignatura de Interacción Persona-Ordenador con Prácticas Realistas

Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes y Maximiliano Paredes Velasco. 2015. Actas del III CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL SOBRE APRENDIZAJE, INNOVACIÓN Y COMPETITIVIDAD. CINAIC 2015. Ángel Fidalgo Blanco y Marisa Sein-Echaluce Lacleta (eds.) pp 726-731 Ed. Fundación Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, España, 14 - 16 Octubre 2015.

Resumen: Esta contribución describe la implementación de prácticas basadas en la resolución de casos reales en la asignatura de Interacción Persona-Ordenador. La experiencia es multidisciplinar, donde estudiantes de Grados de Educación Infantil y Primaria han asumido el papel de usuarios finales (usuarios, de ahora en adelante), mientras que los estudiantes de Interacción Persona-Ordenador (diseñadores, de ahora en adelante) han trabajado en el diseño de una interfaz con fines educativos. La experiencia de los alumnos se realiza bajo un enfoque pedagógico colaborativo. En este escenario de aprendizaje activo es muy importante la motivación que presenta el alumno para su implicación y participación en la actividad. El objetivo de esta experiencia es doble. Por un lado evaluar mediante instrumentos validados el grado de motivación que genera en los alumnos la realización de la actividad práctica con esta pedagogía colaborativa multidisciplinar. Por otro lado se quiere comparar el grado de motivación en los alumnos que tiene esta metodología colaborativa multidisciplinar respecto a otras dos metodologías: una variante de la anterior y otra más clásica. Los resultados indican una mejora significativa en la motivación de los grupos de la metodología presentada con respecto a la clásica.

Palabras clave: Role-playing, Experiencia multi-disciplinar, Interacción persona-ordenador

Students’ Motivation in the Subject of Human Computer Interaction with Realistic Projects

Abstract: This contribution describes the use of a project based learning methodology within the subject Human-Computer Interaction. The experience is multidisciplinary because two types of students are involved. Students enrolled in Kindergarten and Elementary Education degrees, which have assumed the role of end users, and students enrolled in Human-Computer Interaction, which have produced the design of an interface for educational purposes, assuming the role of designers. This experience follows a collaborative teaching approach. In this active learning scenario, the students’ motivation has an important effect on their involvement and participation in the activity. The objective of this experience is twofold. On the one hand, we wanted to assess, using validated instruments, the degree of motivation generated in students while working on the project activity with this multidisciplinary collaborative pedagogy. On the other hand, we wanted to compare the degree of motivation produced by this methodology with two other approaches: a variant of the above and other more classical. The results show a significant improvement in the motivation of the groups of the methodology presented in relation to classical one.

Keywords: Role-playing, Multidisciplinary experience, Human-computer interaction

Student activity and profile datasets from an online video-based collaborative learning experience

Estefanía Martín, Manuel Gértrudix, Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes and Pablo A. Haya. 2015. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), pag 1467-8535. doi:10.1111/bjet.12318

Abstract: This paper describes two datasets extracted from a video-based educational experience using a social and collaborative platform. The length of the trial was 3 months. It involved 111 students from two different courses. Twenty-nine came from Computer Engineering (CE) course and 82 from Media and Communication (M&C) course. They were organised into nine interdisciplinary groups. Each group included three or four CE students and eight or nine M&C students. An additional group filmed the making of. This group has only M&C students. Four teachers supervised the trial. The total number of meaningful events was 2984.

Engaging students in creative learning tasks with social networks and video-based learning

Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes, Isidoro Hernán, Estefanía Martín. 2014. 2014 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference Proceedings, pp 1364-1371, Madrid, Spain, 22 - 25 October 2014.

Abstract: Video-based learning is a widely used approach for teaching. This paper investigates how this approach could be improved with other well known methodology: computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL). The integration of both approaches results in a creative and engaging educational activity, collaborative film-making. This task is supported by a platform developed as a social network. During the design of the platform, opinions of teachers and students were taken into account. Both, teachers and students, agreed that this approach helps students to understand threshold concepts. In addition, students identified useful facilities in the platform like group private workspaces or commenting tools. Students’ satisfaction was high, in fact they recommend the use of this approach in more subjects.

Increasing Adoption of Smart Learning Content for Computer Science Education

Peter Brusilovsky, Stephen Edwards, Amruth Kumar, Lauri Malmi, Luciana Benotti, Duane Buck, Petri Ihantola, Rikki Prince, Teemu Sirkiä, Sergey Sosnovsky, Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes, Arto Vihavainen, Michael Wollowski. Working groups reports at ACM ITiCSE - Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Conference 2014.

Abstract: Computer science educators are increasingly using interactive learning content to enrich and enhance the pedagogy of their courses. A plethora of such learning content, specifically designed for computer science education, such as visualization, simulation, and web-based environments for learning programming, are now available for various courses. We call such content smart learning content. However, such learning content is seldom used outside its host site despite the benefits it could offer to learners everywhere. In this paper, we investigate the factors that impede dissemination of such content among the wider computer science education community. To accomplish this we surveyed educators, existing tools and recent research literature to identify the current state of the art and analyzed the characteristics of a large number of smart learning content examples along canonical dimensions. In our analysis we focused on examining the technical issues that must be resolved to support finding, integrating and customizing smart learning content in computer science courses. Finally, we propose a new architecture for hosting, integrating and disseminating smart learning content and discuss how it could be implemented based on existing protocols and standards.

Improving Students’ Performance with Visualization of Error Recovery Strategies in Syntax Analysis

J. Urquiza-Fuentes, F.J. Almeida-Martínez, A. Pérez-Carrasco, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide. Journal of Research and Practice in Information Technology, Vol. 45, No. 3/4, August 2013, Pages 237-250

Abstract. Visualization technologies can be used to enhance teaching materials. This work is focused on a complex aspect of syntax analysis, syntax error recovery strategies. Compiler visualization is not a new research field, but the authors have not found any visualization tool dealing with this topic. We have enhanced a parser visualization tool called VAST to produce educational visualizations regarding syntax error recovery strategies. We have evaluated the enhanced version of VAST and its visualizations about syntax error recovery strategies. We have detected that students who used the enhanced tool improved their performance developing syntax specifications with error recovery. Consequently, these students significantly improved their learning outcomes regarding error recovery exercises.

Towards the Effective Use of Educational Program Animations: the Roles of Student's Engagement and Topic Complexity

J. Urquiza-Fuentes, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide. Computers & Education, 67, September 2013, Pages 178-192

Abstract. Programming is one of the most complex subjects in computer science degrees. Program visualization is one of the approaches adopted to make programming concepts more accessible to students. In this work we study the educational impact of an active and highly engaging approach, namely the construction of program animations by students. We systematically compared this approach with two instructional scenarios, based on viewing animations and on the traditional instruction without systematic use of animations. A general conclusion of this work is that animations actually improve learning in terms of some educational aspects: short-term and long-term knowledge acquisition, and drop-out rates. Short-term improvements depend on the complexity level of the topic: while there is no impact for simple topics, there is a learning improvement in complex topics using the viewing and constructing approaches, and there is a learning improvement for highly complex topics using the viewing approach. In the long-term, drop-out rates were significantly decreased for students involved in the two most engaging approaches. In addition, both animation viewing and animation construction improved students' passing-rate in the term exam. Nevertheless, we were unable to prove in the long term that students involved in construction tasks yielded higher grades than those involved in viewing tasks.

Improving Compilers Education through Symbol Tables Animations

J. Urquiza-Fuentes, F. Manso, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide, M. Rubio-Sánchez. 16th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE) 2011, Pages 203-207
Abstract. This paper presents the evaluation of an educational tool focused on the visualization of the symbol table in the context of a compiler course. In a first evaluation we used simulation exercises and tested basic concepts of symbol tables. We detected efficiency improvements, students who used the tool completed the exercises with the same grading and significantly faster than the students who did not use the tool. In addition students' opinion was positive. In a second evaluation we used more active tasks, and tested students' skills on writing parser specifications regarding symbol table management. We have detected significant improvements. Students who used the tool outperformed those who did not use the tool in a 22%.

Syntax Trees Visualization in Language Processing Courses

F.J. Almeida-Martínez, J. Urquiza-Fuentes. Ninth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT) 2009, Pages 597-601

Abstract. This paper describes the educational tool VAST. We designed VAST to be used in compiler and language processing courses. The current version allows generating and visualizing syntax trees and their construction process. The main advantages of VAST follow: it is designed to be as independent from the parser generator as possible, it allows students to visualize the behaviour of parsers they develop, and it has an interface designed to easily handle huge syntax trees. We describe different ways of using VAST in educational settings as well as a usability evaluation.

Visualization of Syntax Trees for Language Processing Courses

F.J. Almeida-Martínez, J. Urquiza-Fuentes, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide. Journal of Universal Computer Science 15(7), 2009, Pages 1546-1561 

Abstract. This article describes the educational tool VAST. We designed VAST to be used in compiler and language processing courses. The current version allows generat- ing and visualizing syntax trees and their construction process. The main advantages of VAST follow: it is designed to be as independent from the parser generator as possible, it allows students to visualize the behavior of parsers they develop, and it has an inter- face designed to easily handle huge syntax trees. Finally, we describe two satisfactory preliminary evaluations from the usability and educational points of view.

An approach to effortless construction of program animations

J.A. Velázquez-Iturbide and C. Pareja-Flores and J. Urquiza-Fuentes. Computers & Education 50(1), January 2008, Pages 179-192

Abstract. Program animation systems have not been as widely adopted by computer science educators as we might expect from the firm belief that they can help in enhancing computer science education. One of the most notable obstacles to their adoption is the considerable effort that the production of program animations represents for the instructor. We present here an approach to reduce such a workload based on the automatic generation of visualizations and animations. The user may customize them in a user-friendly way to construct more expressive program animations. These operations are carried out by means of a user-friendly manipulation based on the metaphor of office documents. We have applied this approach to the functional paradigm by extending the WinHIPE programming environment. Finally, we report on the successful results of an evaluation performed to measure its ease of use.

A Framework for the Automatic Generation of Algorithm Animations Based on Design Techniques

L. Fernández-Muñoz, A. Pérez-Carrasco, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide, J. Urquiza-Fuentes. In Second European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL), 2007, Pages 475-480.

Abstract. A novel approach to algorithm animation consists in displaying algorithms based on their design technique. In this paper, we describe a framework to generate these animations without effort from the instructor. We describe a preprocessing phase that modifies the source code of the algorithm to visualize. When the transformed code is executed, a trace is stored and then used to generate an animation. We also describe the architecture of the animation subsystem. Finally, we outline the main features of SRec, a system that we have built to illustrate the feasibility of this approach. It is aimed at visualizing multiple views of recursion, namely traces, the control stack and activation trees.

An Evaluation of the Effortless Approach to Build Algorithm Animations with WinHIPE

J. Urquiza-Fuentes, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide. Electr. Notes Theor. Comput. Sci. 178, 2007, Pages 3-13 

Abstract. The use of algorithm visualizations in computer science education is not a new thing. Although there is a firm belief that graphical representations of algorithms are learning aids, empirical studies show that what is important is what the students do with the animations rather than what they see in them. In this paper we compare to kinds of interaction: viewing animations vs constructing animations. We have conducted a controlled experiment where a group of students (n=15) had to study an algorithm and complete a knowledge test about it and a subjective opinion questionnaire. Students were randomly divided in constructing and viewing groups. Results have been measured by means of learning outcomes, efficiency issues and student's subjective opinion. Results significantly evidence that builders obtained better results than viewers.