Using Technology to Deliver Distance Education in Computer Science*

During the past few years, four distance education courses in computer science were designed, developed, and delivered at Université Laval. These courses make use of thirteen 30-minute television programs that form an integral part of the teaching and learning content. Each television program was rigorously designed for its role in the corresponding course. One of these courses is discussed in this paper. Data taken from distance and on-campus students are used to address the following question: Does delivery mode (full television-based distance education, partial television-based distance education, in-class education) affect learning? The main result of this study is that there was no significant difference in effectiveness of the distance learning approach compared to more traditional approaches.     

Do Non‐Computer Science Students Need to Program?*

Should non‐CS majors learn to program? While the 1999 National Academy of Sciences report “Being Fluent with Information Technology”1 advocates teaching programming as part of the CS‐0 experience, we challenge the assumptions upon which this recommendation rests. Our extensive review of the NECC and SIGCSE conference proceedings from 1979 to 1998 clearly shows a decline in the number of articles in which programming is taught in CS‐0 courses. Furthermore, based upon learning theory literature, we argue that conceptual understanding of computing can be acquired without learning to program. Finally, we describe our criterion‐referenced, mastery‐model course that currently enrolls approximately 2000 students per semester for a computing future that is constantly changing. Interpretation of the loadings of the discriminant analysis functions provides evidence that the students are developing conceptual understanding, rather than simply acquiring discrete skills.     

No Universal Constants: Journeys of Women in Engineering and Computer Science*

This paper describes lessons from stories of thirty-six women in engineering and six women in computer science narrated in our book on journeys of women in science and engineering.¹ These stories underscore the various factors that have been described in the literature as reasons women choose and stay in engineering. This paper discusses several of these factors. Students who reach college are a select group who have overcome the early barriers and are set on a potential track to becoming engineers. The experiences of these women as narrated in the book point to some of the positive and negative factors in the formative stages of their lives. Albert Bandura's model of perceived self-efficacy is a theoretical framework that may be useful in exploring ways of teaching and advising in engineering schools to better meet the needs of the increasingly diverse student population. This framework is discussed briefly, and its components illustrated by examples from the stories. As college advisors and teachers, we need to reaffirm the methods and thinking students have evolved, but which may be challenged by the system based on a “normative student” model.     

The Effect of an Entrepreneurship Program on GPA and Retention*

There is a small but growing body of evidence that entrepreneurship programs add value to students, the degree programs in which they are housed, and the institutions that host them. The Engineering Entrepreneurs Program at North Carolina State University, a program in which undergraduate students participate in design teams formed around technology start‐up company themes, was started with funding from the NSF‐sponsored SUCCEED (Southeastern Universities and Colleges Coalition for Engineering Education) Coalition primarily to improve the confidence and retention of engineering students. Multiple assessment approaches including surveys, focus groups, interviews, longitudinal assessment of retention and academic performance, and anecdotal evidence triangulate on the success of this program at meeting its primary objectives and others. Particularly, the longitudinal study revealed that program participants had higher engineering retention rates (70 percent vs. 51 percent) and GPAs (3.08 vs. 2.83) than a matched set of non‐participants. The program and its rigorous assessment serve as models for the engineering entrepreneurship community.     

The Internationalization of an Undergraduate Program Using Reciprocal Distance Education*

The design and construction industries in the United States have become increasingly global and multidisciplinary over the last two decades. This emphasis will continue to expand even more rapidly in the near future. Undergraduate classes must be designed to reflect this tendency and introduce students to the tools and cultural diversity needed to compete in this environment in the future. This paper presents a model containing three distinct components for adding an international dimension to Architectural and Construction Science programs at Texas A&M University. The three components require varying degrees of commitment to an international dimension. The components are: 1) Insertion of an International Dimension at the Syllabus Level, 2) Integration of an International Dimension at the Curricular Level, and 3) Immersion in a Foreign Instructional Environment. The insertion and integrated components rely on the Internet and videoconferencing technology. These two components have come to be known as the “Reciprocal Distance Education Model.” The third component of the model is a blend of traditional study abroad programs with international internships and reciprocal student exchange programs.     

Using the Affinity Research Group Model to Involve Undergraduate Students in Computer Science Research*

The Affinity Research Group model is an attractive vehicle for involving undergraduates in research, retaining them, and fostering their interest in higher education. Using this model, students are given opportunities to develop, employ, and integrate knowledge and skills required for research with knowledge and skills required for cooperative work. Potential adopters of the model often inquire about the feasibility of applying the model in a field like computer science, in which it often is the case that a student must have a solid academic foundation in order to be involved in research. This paper addresses this question by illustrating how the model has been applied to computer science research projects that involve students with different skill levels and experience. In particular, the paper presents example structured tasks and related activities that demonstrate how students develop domain expertise, gain an understanding and appreciation of the research process and its practice, and acquire technical, team, communication, problem‐solving, and higher‐level thinking skills.     

Progressing from Small Group Work to Cooperative Learning: A Case Study from Computer Science*

Although the industrial partners of academe are unanimous in their desire to hire engineering graduates who are experienced in working productively in small groups, implementing small group work in a computer science class can be difficult. The obvious assignment, a group programming project, proved to be a poor choice when implemented in my computer graphics class. An examination of the literature in this area shows that a group programming project has many features in common with a group term paper, the assignment that has been uniquely identified as the worst choice for small group work. Fortunately, there are better choices for cooperative learning in computer science. Assignments with “the three S's“: Same problem, Specific choice, and Simultaneous reporting of group choices, work well. This was implemented in my class by having students work multiple choice quizzes designed to require high level learning skills. Quizzes were first worked by individuals, then by small groups. The small group answers are then compared and discussed in class. This generates the type of interaction between the professor and students which creates positive cooperative learning experiences. Promising results have been seen with this method, from both the student and the professor's perspective.     

计算机在材料科学中的应用

阐述了计算机在材料科学领域中几个主要方面的应用,旨在推动计算机在材料科学中的应用和发展。     

Effective Transfer of Computer Graphics to Video Format

Abstract A course in computational fluid dynamics provides nearly unlimited opportunities for intensive use of computer graphics. Possibilities include in-class demonstrations of fundamental numerical principles and of various applications by the instructor, as well as use by students in homework assignments. In addition, graphical material on videotape is readily available from government and other laboratories. In this paper we report on the delivery of such a computer graphics-enhanced course live over television to students at multiple remote sites. Steps taken to enhance the presentation of computer graphics on television and to ease use by individual students at many widely scattered sites are reviewed in detail.     

基于层次分析和灰色理论的产品方案选择

目的解决多个评价指标在方案评价中的相互影响性。方法以电吹风为例,建立了多层次关联模型,采用层次分析法确定各层及相关指标的权重,运用灰色系统相关理论确定灰色关联系数矩阵,计算各方案的最终关联度,以此作为准则来综合评价方案的优劣。结果利用此方法,实现了对电吹风方案的综合评价。结论此方法可以定量地反映系统各个因素之间的相互作用、相互依赖关系,能全面地对设计方案的指标进行综合比较,并验证其在产品方案选择中的可行性。     

薄膜膜系计算的计算机程序设计

根据膜堆的特征矩阵,求出单层膜的光学导纳,在单层膜的基础上,进行层层递推,叠加起来,求出膜块的等交内,计算振幅反射系数,最后求出整个膜系的反射率、透射率。     

药品冷链监控系统数据传输程序设计

目的基于无线射频识别(RFID)技术的药品冷链监控系统数据传输程序设计。方法首先解决监控对象的温湿度信息采集和分布式多标签数据读取的冲突问题,然后解决数据由传感器经读写器、车载GPRS模块至中心服务器的数据传输通讯问题。结果基于UDP网络传输协议平台,设计开发了CRC校验码和防冲突算法通讯接口程序。结论实现了数据采集传输的实时性、完整性和准确性,为进一步开发冷链监控系统奠定了基础。     

石油化工类容器支腿下料计算机程序

介绍运用计算机对石油化工类容器设备支腿的下料、划线、放样过程,用计算机下料代替手工下料有利于减少误差和差错,而且节省了人力和时间.     

Age Structures of Scientific Collaboration in Chinese Computer Science

Scientometrics - This paper is a scientometric study of the age structure of scientific collaboration in Chinese computer science. Analysis reveals some special age structures in scientific...     

计算机辅助质量控制中显著性检验的程序实现研究

随着计算机辅助质量控制系统的发展,显著性检验作为质量管理和质量控制中的必备工具,也面临着程序化的问题。针对这一问题,本文分析了显著性检验程序化的关键性问题,并以Ｆ检验为例作了具体的剖析和程序实现,提出用数值积分、进退法与二分法相结合的数值方法来解决这一关键问题,通过实例验证与分析,获得了较好的解答。     

The Role of Undergraduate Honors Theses in a Computer Engineering Program

This paper is the result of a 7-year long experiment that I had initiated in 1989 as an attempt to integrate the tradition of undergraduate honors research at Brown University with the emerging ABET requirement of engineering design in the computer engineering program. The paper presents the philosophical principles, the underlying assumptions and goals of the experiment, and the character of the experiences learned at the conclusion of the experiment. The experiment involves a total of 17 students between 1989 and 1995, all of whom successfully complete their honors thesis. Most of the theses have been published in refereed conferences and journals, reflecting the quality of the work and the fundamental nature of the concepts learned by the graduating seniors. The experiment demonstrates a feasible approach to achieving ABET's goal of developing student creativity within the framework of the current faculty reward structure. The students emerge as self-confident and highly creative individuals, capable of critical, analytical thinking, and appreciative of the depth of knowledge. Key experiences that I had gained include the realization that every student, regardless of their prior grades in conventional courses, holds unlimited potential. This experiment witnesses the development of an amazingly sincere motivation and superior commitment when the advisor demonstrates genuine belief in students' capabilities and expresses gratitude to them for the value of their work and for the opportunity to collaborate. The significance of the experiment is reinforced by an independent 1993 survey of the Brown engineering alumni, who had graduated between 1983 and 1991.     

一种未知表面活性剂产品的成分剖析

未知物剖析是一种利用多种分析手段,对样品的表面、形态、结构等各方面进行综合定性定量分析的方法,该文通过一种未知表面活性剂产品的具体剖析方案的设计与数据分析,确定该表面活性剂的主要成分。利用液相色谱-质谱联用仪(LC-MS),结合傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(IR)、扫描电子显微镜X-射线能谱仪(SEM-EDS)、气相色谱质谱联用仪(GC-MS)、气相色谱仪(GC)等对该产品的成分进行剖析;并通过对测试结果的综合分析,确定该表面活性剂的主要成分为阴离子型表面活性剂和非离子型表面活性剂,其中阴离子型表面活性剂为十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)和十二烷基脂肪醇聚氧乙烯醚硫酸钠(AES),非离子型表面活性剂为脂肪醇聚氧乙烯醚(AEO)和烷基糖苷。该表面活性剂的固含量约为57.0%,其溶剂为水(33.2%)和乙醇(8.7%)。实验证明该方法可为同类产品的剖析提供思路。     

A profile analysis of the top Brazilian Computer Science graduate programs

Analyzing the research productivity of a country, an academic institution or even a single research group contributes to understand how science evolves and discovers new research perspectives, since such efforts usually reveal key aspects that can be improved, avoided or even applied to other contexts. In this article, we present a detailed analysis of the top Brazilian Computer Science graduate programs. The analysis involves profile data on faculty members (e.g., career length and number of mentored students) and on the quality of their research efforts, assessed using the quality of their publications and collaboration patterns. The objective is to uncover factors that explain the strengths and weaknesses of graduate programs. Results show that the highest ranked programs include more experienced faculty members, who have mentored more Ph.D. students. We also show that programs target distinct publication venues, with the best ranked ones focusing on higher quality conferences and journals. By analyzing collaboration patterns, we show that intra-program relationships occur quite naturally whereas inter-program ones are still very incipient.