IEEE Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologias del Aprendizaje

Although several definitions of gamification can be found in the literature, they all have in common certain aspects: the application of strategies, models, dynamics, mechanics, and elements of the games in other contexts than games, and the objective of producing a playful experience that fosters motivation, involvement, and fun. In this paper, our approach gamifying the learning process of a sub... View full abstract»

We developed a proposal of a usability evaluation by the experts of a learning management system (LMS). The instrument is designed on the basis of the general criteria for the heuristic evaluation proposed by Nielsen, as well as on international standards, guides, and recommendations for software quality (ISO 9241 and ISO 9126). We present the results from applying the usability evaluation instrum... View full abstract»

The task of choosing an authoring tool for creating digital instructional materials is becoming complex, since the amount of possibilities is daily increasing. In this sense, this paper presents the development and the evaluation of an authoring tool taxonomy made in compliance with the ANSI/NISO Z39.19 international standard. The taxonomy was classified over 400 tools and was published on a Web s... View full abstract»

The global economic crisis makes it necessary to increase business competitiveness. Lean is a manufacturing philosophy that deserves the attention of employers and their employees, since its objectives are to increase productivity, reduce waste, and optimize available resources. The 5S method is a lean tool that can improve productivity by improving the organization of the workplace. A brief surve... View full abstract»

This paper describes the experience during the execution of a project that applied the project-based learning (PBL) methodology for teaching an undergraduate course on image processing at the Universidad de los Llanos. During this project, the learners, the students of electronics engineering and computer science, were able to complement their lectures, process and manipulate images, and build the... View full abstract»

This paper describes a learning activity on computational thinking in ethics classroom with compulsory secondary school students (14-16 years old). It is based on the assumption that computational thinking (or better “logical thinking”) is applicable not only to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects but to any other field in education, and it is particularly suit... View full abstract»

This paper discusses how Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) users learn and participate in cooperative environments that promote learning communities within external hypermedia environments, such as the social networks. In order to develop this paper, researchers analyzed the interaction of users enrolled in a course developed under the iMOOC platform, which is based on concepts like connectivism, ... View full abstract»

This paper proposes to apply data mining techniques to predict school failure and dropout. We use real data on 670 middle-school students from Zacatecas, México, and employ white-box classification methods, such as induction rules and decision trees. Experiments attempt to improve their accuracy for predicting which students might fail or dropout by first, using all the available attribute... View full abstract»

Interest in studying computer science has been extended to children. However, it is unclear which educational method should be used. Teachers need help to tackle this task. Therefore, this paper proposes using metaphors, such as recipe/program (and sequence), pantry/memory, and boxes/variables. It also illustrates the possibility of applying these metaphors to any resource available to the teacher... View full abstract»

This paper describes how an educational digital material supports the improvement of skills in the development of algorithms within math problems, which belong to a part of an operative computational thinking, in students of the subject logic programming. This paper reflects how students lack the fundamentals of math and the algorithmic thinking which is required to solve the problems established ... View full abstract»

In this paper, we propose the utilization of augmented reality (AR) in a smart classroom (SaCI). The architecture of a SaCI has been proposed in a previous work, based on the paradigm of multi-agent systems. In this paper, we propose an agent that provides services of AR to display and design, among other things, augmented scenarios. In addition, we define an experimental real environment in SaCI ... View full abstract»

This paper presents an experiment in which visual programming environments have been used in programming courses aiming at helping students to acquire the competencies of a course on object-oriented programming. This paper is centered on the analysis of the acceptance by the students of this type of environment, as well as its effect on the motivation of the students. The results obtained show dif... View full abstract»

Computational thinking is a cognitive process that allows generating solutions to problems through the use of skills, such as abstraction, decomposition, and algorithmic design. This paper presents the proposal to evaluate computational thinking of new students to relate knowledge indicated in the subject methodology of programming and to offer an initial environment of learning. This paper descri... View full abstract»

Peer assessment is a form of collaborative learning in which students evaluate learning products prepared by other students. We present the results of an analysis of the assessment of oral presentations by students. A group of students solves a problem, writes a document with the solution, and makes an oral presentation in class to other students. Another group assesses the written document and or... View full abstract»

Introductory programming modules are challenging for both the lecturers and students. In previous works, the authors have introduced educational innovations to mitigate these challenges and facilitate learning. This paper presents a further step forward, proposing a learning process enriched with formative feedback. To this end, visual programming environments and educational robots are combined a... View full abstract»

This paper describes the development of courses in the field of digital design that use Arduino boards as their main platforms. Arduino offers an intuitive development environment and multiple hardware and software resources that allow rapid development of microcontroller-based projects. However, due to the vast amount of information available, students were losing the capability to design their o... View full abstract»

Literacy development is an essential process for special education needs children. Otherwise, they will have additional difficulties in their daily life activities and hence their social inclusion. It is a big challenge for parents and teachers, but it is easier if the process begins since childhood. In this paper, we present Tic@ula, a virtual repository for creating, centralizing, and sharing le... View full abstract»

The traditional teaching-learning processes used by Chilean universities are changing. This document describes two innovative strategies applied to teach software engineering (SE) at two universities in Chile. Teaching experiences are part of our ongoing effort to improve the current teaching-learning strategies of SE in the mentioned universities. In this paper, we describe our teaching experienc... View full abstract»

The traditional teaching-learning processes used by Chilean universities are changing. This document describes two innovative strategies applied to teach software engineering (SE) at two universities in Chile. Teaching experiences are part of our ongoing effort to improve the current teaching-learning strategies of SE in the mentioned universities. In this paper, we describe our teaching experienc... View full abstract»

The platform contains a functions generator, a multichannel oscilloscope, and a spectrum analyser. A preparatory virtual laboratory is available to the students in addition to the traditional one so that they are encouraged not just to follow the theory but to try some practical exercises. In this way practical sessions in laboratories developed during the academic year can be supplemented by elec... View full abstract»

As result of the discussions maintained at the panel session on Software Development for e-Learning of the third workshop on software engineering for e-Learning (ISELEAR'12), several points of view emerged regarding the conception, development, and maintenance of e-Learning solutions. This paper summarizes and confronts these points of view: 1) automated approaches; 2) combination of different met... View full abstract»

For the current engineering degrees, it is necessary to design a monitoring process in order to supervise the subject called “Final Degree Project.” This method must be able to manage and evaluate the process of completing the project and submitting the documentation. This paper describes the design of an adaptive method and how to put this mechanism into practice using the learning ... View full abstract»

Mobile learning is a reality. However, ubiquitous learning approaches are not at a full level of maturity, much of these approaches lacking proposals aiming to provide its practical use. This paper presents an architecture for ubiquitous learning, which employs the paradigm of ontology-based data access (OBDA) for solving problems related to data integration and access of data sources in complex s... View full abstract»

More than ever, the economic globalization is creating the need to increase business competitiveness. Lean manufacturing is a management philosophy oriented to the elimination of activities that do not create any type of value and are thus considered a waste. One of the main differences from other management philosophies is the shop-floor focus and the operators' involvement. Therefore, the traini... View full abstract»

This paper describes a robotics summer camp that was held at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla Campus (UPR-Aguadilla) during the summer of 2015. This camp gave high school students the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, in a university setting, in the building and programing of robots. The main contribution of this paper is the evaluation of the camp's influence on student enrol... View full abstract»

Multi-agency crisis management represents one of the most complex real-world situations, requiring rapid negotiation and decision-making under extreme pressure. However, the training provided to Gold Commanders (strategic planners) typically lacks the stress of a real crisis, while research tells us that behavior and decision-making are significantly affected by stress. It is, therefore, vital tha... View full abstract»

This paper is about the “Internet-based performance support systems with educational elements” model. The theoretical foundations and characteristics are analyzed together with their application being to check the model's effectiveness by means of a mixed research approach with university students. Measuring instruments consisted of questionnaires on attitude about learning through t... View full abstract»

This paper aims to evaluate the Wiki tool on Moodle, according to student performance. Research was conducted with students who were using the virtual learning environment, in which they had engaged in the construction of a collaborative text, showing the importance/consequences of the use of information technologies and communication, in small and medium enterprises in the region of Sant'Ana do L... View full abstract»

Combining learning objects are a challenging topic because of its direct application to curriculum generation, tailored to the students' profiles and preferences. Intelligent planning allows us to adapt learning routes (i.e., sequences of learning objects), thus highly improving the personalization of contents, the pedagogical requirements, and specific necessities of each student. This paper pres... View full abstract»

This paper presents the results of applying an educational data mining approach to model academic attrition (loss of academic status) at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Two data mining models were defined to analyze the academic and nonacademic data; the models use two classification techniques, naïve Bayes and a decision tree classifier, in order to acquire a better understanding of... View full abstract»

The application of the information and communication technologies to teaching and learning processes is linked to the development of new tools and services that can help students and teachers. Learning platforms are a clear example of this. They are very popular tools in eLearning contexts and provide different types of learning applications and services. In addition, these environments also regis... View full abstract»

This paper deals with the problem of the small number of women who enroll in technical studies or work in technological enterprises. Although we have focused on initiatives that have been launched in Spain, we have also included several studies from around the world, which try to encourage women into engineering. Once we have reviewed these proposals and confirmed that they have not resulted in a ... View full abstract»

In order to properly address the issues of today's global world, the importance of engineering students acquiring leadership and professional skills has increased tremendously. In fact, leadership is one of the basic pillars for global economic development. By immersing oneself in an engineering organization or honor society, one learns to cultivate a team-work mentality that will be invaluable in... View full abstract»

This paper investigates the use of learning management systems as tools constituting student's personal learning environments in the degree of informatics applied to education in the National University of Chimborazo-Ecuador. The main result of this paper is that there is an increasing number of courses that rely on virtual classrooms, but learning occurs both in and out of these learning environm... View full abstract»

Over the past few decades, there has been a movement to try to incorporate active learning techniques into traditional university classes. The main idea is that traditional classroom learning is very passive with the professor lecturing and the students listening. Active learning tries to engage students with a variety of techniques, which are mainly variations of traditional teaching techniques. ... View full abstract»

Learning how to program in early age helps children to develop some capabilities as logical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Incorporating robotics in programming children can help to learn in a concrete and funny way, collaborating with each other. The research project presented in this paper describes the first prototype that implements a programming environment for robots using mobile... View full abstract»

One way to improve the education of our students is to promote the creation of mass collaborative projects. These projects, also seen as learning products, would also help to better scale our learning experiences (massive open online courses) and generate collective value from the hours and cognitive efforts invested doing academic work. However, the complexities to assess those projects are chall... View full abstract»

The use of online self-assessed questionnaires Wirisquizzes as formative assessment tool is an increasingly widespread practice in a variety of subjects in higher education. Some previous studies have examined the impact of such questionnaires on learning outcomes in classroom environments or hybrid teaching. This paper presents an exploratory study that proves that in a course of mathematical ana... View full abstract»

This paper presents the analysis of recent research on mobile learning and usability areas, applying a systematic mapping study. The aim is to understand the tendencies and needs in the m-learning field. The results demonstrate that research in the area has grown significantly since 2013, and we identify a necessity when we see that not all the m-learning applications have used usability tests; we... View full abstract»

This paper reports on two noticeable approaches to digitalizing and globalizing engineering by applying information and communication technologies (ICTs) to engineering education. In the first approach, a new European and interinstitutional online master's degree program was developed and prepared among five different institutions from four different European countries via an online-distributed pl... View full abstract»

The process of learning correct pronunciation can greatly benefit from the twin disciplines of information visualization (InfoVis) and human-computer interaction (HCI). HCI concerns with design, evaluation, and implementation for the ease of use of users, while InfoVis is responsible for representing multidimensional data in a specific information context. The two disciplines can, therefore, compl... View full abstract»

This paper describes the development of an integrated virtual/remote lab for teaching induction motor starting methods used in the Civil Engineering School at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. View full abstract»

Remote laboratories are software and hardware tools that allow students to remotely access real equipment located in universities. The integration of remote laboratories in learning tools (learning management systems, content management systems, or personal learning environments) has been achieved to integrate remote laboratories as part of the learning curricula. A cross-institutional initiative ... View full abstract»

Typically, undergraduate engineering courses include the development of a final project, which integrates the main concepts studied during the term. Although these projects devise some relevant academic advantages, since the students can apply the theoretical knowledge into practice, they still have important shortcomings: 1) projects are constrained to artificial scenarios not linked to real-worl... View full abstract»

Video games can be considered constructivist instructional materials because of their potential to promote student-centered opportunities in the classroom. Since the emergence of this educational trend, called digital game-based learning, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect that learning or recreational video games have had on learners and on their mastery of learning object... View full abstract»

To improve the professor time management, a study using optical mark recognition has been carried out. A free software package [automultiple choice (AMC)] and low-cost software (GEXCAT) has been tested on the evaluation of several groups of UPM students. This paper is the beginning of a UPM educational innovation project. As a result of the experience, both softwares are analyzed to develop in the... View full abstract»

Bachelor and master's qualifications include assignments that involve the preparation of final projects. Their underlying pedagogical model is often based on final or end-of-course projects, which carry a high number of ECTS credits (12 or more), to be completed over one semester. Each project, which simulates a real life professional situation, is completed by an individual student or a group of ... View full abstract»

The classic didactic approach that has been applied in the classroom for learning algorithms focuses on the use of lectures combined with practical exercises. In our approach, we propose a novel way for learning algorithms through interactive and collaborative experimentation. Furthermore, as far as we know, there are no existing studies that analyze the relationships that these approaches may hav... View full abstract»

The development and the use of learning environments, coupled with the evolution of mobile computing, have contributed significantly to the establishment of a new learning modality known as mobile learning (m-learning). In this new scenario, the educational environments, despite having many benefits and facilities with regard to teaching and learning, have problems and challenges that need to be a... View full abstract»

This paper describes activities based in active methodologies conducted during calculus lessons. The objective of these activities was to insert the technical content in the routine of the students, which helps to associate the subject with the concept and allows the students to make their own contributions and reach higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. A project was created and applied on two diffe... View full abstract»