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Informatics as a particular field of education
283-294Views:35Informatics education can be discussed at various levels. There is informatics education at the university, there is professional informatics training and there is public informatics education. In the following article we are going to deal with the latter, that is we are going to discuss what areas of informatics should be introduced to students within the frame of the informatics subject in primary and secondary education.
Knowledge in connection with informatics can be grouped from different points of view. We consider the following points to be acceptable: according to scopes of knowledge. [1, 2] -
Teaching Java programming using case studies
245-256Views:7The paper deals with the technical background and the pedagogical issues of a specific implementation for the collection, assessment and archiving of the students' assignments written in Java. The implemented system automatically applies object-oriented metrics on the collected works in order to measure the characteristic features of the assignments. Tutors use these results for the detection of plagiarisms and for the selection of outstanding works. The paper interprets the measured values within a real Java course held in the 3rd term of the Informatics bachelor study programme at the technical university. Students have several case studies devoted to the simulation of the ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) at disposal. We conclude that the access to the analyzed pool of case studies, blended with the Sun Learning Connection license from the Sun Microsystems, Inc., is an effective way of teaching programming in Java. -
Delusions in informatics education
151-161Views:23In the following article our intention is to try to introduce the negative ideas that exist today in Hungary regarding informatics education within the secondary education system. [Zs] As far as we know, these delusions are characteristic of not only Hungary, but we believe that we should look for our own mistakes, that is why we refer to Hungarian examples.
We have examined the informatic knowledge taught in the first 10 years of secondary education, the possible curriculum of the general informatics subject.
To reach our aim, first we have to deviate a bit from our original topic, because without this, it would be more difficult to understand the core subject of the article. In the deviation we will explain what is called informatics, what is called informatics subject. Then we will deal with the main topic and in the summary we will explain what we believe is the aim of general informatics education. -
Lehre der Trigonometrie anhand realistischer Aufgaben im Online-Unterricht
87-105Views:108The aim of our study was to explore the effects of the active use of realistic exercises in the field of trigonometry. We taught a group of 14 pupils, who were in grade 11. The most of them told us they did not plan mathematics-related studies in the future. We included realistic exercises into our teaching plan, which covered the fields of scalar product, as well as the sine and cosine theorems. Our teaching experiment was done within the framework of online teaching. Effects on the motivation, performance and results of the students were taken into consideration. We also attempted to examine the effects of online teaching on motivation and whether the use of realistic exercises is worthwhile in an online classroom environment. Performance of the students showed a tendency of improvement when they were dealing with the material through realistic exercises even despite the teaching happened online.
Subject Classification: 97C70, 97D40, 97G60
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Shall we use one more representation? Suggestions about establishing the notion of recursion in teaching informatics in primary schools
209-229Views:27Among the most prominent developmental tasks of primary school education one finds increasing pupils' cognitive capacity with especial regard to observing, interpreting, coding and proving skills, which form an integral part of information and communication culture.
Info-technology (problem solving with the tools and methods of informatics), a subject matter within informatics, provides outstanding opportunities to reach the aims outlined above.
This study presents methodological ideas related to the subfield Algorithmization and data modelling of Info-technology. More specifically, it presents teaching methods to be applied while establishing the notion of recursion in grades 3–8 of primary education, and at the same time it also focuses on various realization possibilities of the prominent developmental tasks mentioned above. -
Teaching XML
317-335Views:31The author has been teaching XML at the Faculty of Informatics, University of Debrecen since the end of the nineties. This paper gives an overview of XML technology from an educators viewpoint that is based on the experience that the author has gained teaching XML over the years. A detailed description of the XML course is provided. Methodological issues are also discussed. -
New style in teaching word processing
417-426Views:31Teaching word processing is confined to looking through some menus and showing some functions of a word processor program, although technology presents just a small part of forming layouts. This fact causes that people who are writing documents spend a lot of time by trying to form, e.g., title pages or inner pages.
The present paper deals with a design of an online course on word processing that fits better the needs of many users. The online course is designed for teaching (LA)TEX by leading the students to the technical issues of the typesetting system through layout and grammar rules: demonstrates the most important basic recommendations of typography and grammar rules through samples, and shows how to program the currently displayed layout in the (LA)TEX programming languages. This methodology suits better the common working habit, and can be a useful help in word processing documents. -
Teaching sorting in ICT
101-117Views:30This article is aimed at considering how an algorithmic problem – more precisely a sorting problem – can be used in an informatics class in primary and secondary education to make students mobilize the largest possible amount of their intellectual skills in the problem solving process. We will be outlining a method which essentially forces students to utilize their mathematical knowledge besides algorithmization in order to provide an efficient solution. What is more, they are expected to use efficiently a tool that has so far not been associated with creative thinking. Sorting is meant to be just an example, through which our thoughts can easily be demonstrated, but – of course the method of education outlined can be linked to several other algorithmic problems, as well. -
Computer cooking vs. problem solving
35-58Views:66Computer cooking is a task-related phenomenon where students (end-users) must blindly follow a long list of orders without any connection to the content of the problem, if there is any. Despite its low efficacy, this method is widely used and accepted in informatics both in the learning-teaching process and testing. The National Base Curriculum 2020 in Hungary is in complete accordance with the ‘Informatics Reference Framework for Schools’, but the course books hardly use the latest results of computer education research. The present paper provides examples of how the results of computer education research can be integrated into teaching-learning materials and classroom practices and discusses the effectiveness and consequences of the different solutions, where tool-centred approaches are compared to problem-focused solutions.
Subject Classification: 94-01
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Numerical mathematics with GeoGebra in high school
363-378Views:41We have prepared a suite of motivational examples which illustrate numerical methods for equation solving. Fixed point iteration, Newton's method, secant method and regula falsi method are implemented as GeoGebra tools. Our experience in teaching of numerical mathematics in "Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj" high school in Novi Sad is presented. We have tested pupil proficiency in numerical equation solving with and without use of a computer and the results are presented. -
Group Work at High School According to the Method of Tamás Varga
167-176Views:78The aim of our research is to develop students’ logical thinking. For this reason, Hungarian mathematics teachers need to be encouraged to try new methods which induce greater student involvement. Research all over the world prove that self-instruction or self-verbalizing has high effect on the learning process. This was one of the key elements of Tamás Varga’s experiment in high school. In our classroom experiments we are using a special cooperative method from Kagan among 14-18 years old students, called Sage and Scribe structure. We are looking for the answers to the following question: Does this method make mathematics lessons more enjoyable and more comfortable for students? Furthermore, we assume this structure could open the gate toward other collaborative and cooperative teaching technics.
Subject Classification: 97D40
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Methods of teaching programming
247-257Views:47Programming methodology is one of the oldest fields of IS education, and thus various methods have evolved for its teaching. While some of them could be used effectively in primary or secondary education, others are more suited for students in higher education. The methods themselves determine the structure and curricula of courses such as Programming methodology, Data types and algorithms, Programming technology. -
Teaching multiparadigm programming based on object-oriented experiences
171-182Views:25Multiparadigm programming is an emerging practice in computer technology. Co-existence of object-oriented, generic and functional techniques can better handle variability of projects. The present paper gives an overview of teaching multiparadigm programming approach through typical language concepts, tools in higher education. Students learning multiparadigm-oriented subjects would gain considerable expertise, which is highly needed by the industrial side in large-scale application development. -
Experiences using CAS and multimedia int teaching vectorcalculus
363-382Views:31The development of informatics brings new opportunities that need reevaluating of the teaching concepts. For this reason we have performed a comprehensive educational development for engineering students. Our main goals were to work out a new educational strategy, to develop the needed package of the subject material, to introduce the strategy in the practice, to analyze and evaluate the experiences. In the developed and adapted teaching-learning strategy the teacher is the organizer, designer and the manager of the process. In this paper we summarize the concepts, the results and experiences of the 3-years-long development. -
Implementation opportunities of the Moodle learning management system in virtual environment the Sloodle project
275-293Views:30Using e-learning was firstly appeared in companies' sphere. It should be very useful if learning management systems were applied. Nowadays e-learning is used in different fields and gives useful informations in case of basics and its knowledge. It is essential to know the arranging technics and applicated handling methods of some supporting learning management systems of e-learning. The Moodle is the best-known learning management system.
The Second Life is one of the virtual environments which is useful in learning-teaching methods that is used in most educational institute all over the world. Sloodle is an open source project which connects the Second Life with Moodle learning management system. Sloodle is a kind of "bridge" in which different kind of activities and registering and provided in both Moodle and Second Life.
In our department, University of Debrecen Health Faculty of Nyíregyháza ILIAS learning management system has operated since February, 2008. In the interest of higher level education we decided to use and made available some courses through Moodle learning management system.
Some tools of Sloodle will be presented in our article. It will be the first study for our research in which we would use the Moodle learning management system, the virtual environment of Second Life and the project of Sloodle itself. Our article will contain the starting details and its statistical confirmation of our Sloodle project. We like to demonstrate that the results of the Sloodle-aided group are significantly better than the results of the control group in the most cases. -
Teaching model-based testing
1-17Views:1205Different testing methodologies should play an important role in the education of informatics. In the model-based testing (MBT) approach, the specification of the system is described with a formal model. This model can be used to revise the correctness of the specification and as a starting point for automatic test generation. The main problem with MBT is however, that there is a huge gap between theory and practice and that this approach has a high learning curve. To cope with these problems, current paper shows, how the MBT approach can be introduced to students through a small scale example.
Subject Classification: P50
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Teaching reliability theory with the Computer Algebra System Maxima
45-75Views:31The use of the Computer Algebra System Maxima as a teaching aid in an MSc module in Reliability Theory is described here. Extracts from student handouts are used to show how the ideas in Reliability Theory are developed and how they are intertwined with their applications implemented in Maxima. Three themes from the lectures are used to illustrate this: (1) Normal Approximations, (2) Markov Modelling, (3) Laplace Transform Techniques.
It is argued that Maxima is a good tool for the task, since: it is fairly easy to learn & use; it is well documented; it has extensive facilities; it is available for any operating system; and, finally, it can be freely downloaded from the Web. Maxima proves to be a useful tool even for Reliability research for certain tasks. This latter feature provides a seamless link from teaching to research – an important feature in postgraduate education. -
Teaching performance testing
17-33Views:92Performance testing plays a vital role in the verification of large scale software systems. It is used for testing the speed, responsiveness, capacity and stability of the investigated system. However, despite the significance of this topic, the effort invested in teaching performance testing in Computer Science is insufficient. The current paper shows, how the fundamentals of performance testing can be demonstrated to students both from a theoretical and a practical viewpoint through step-by-step practical examples that are used in the industry. It is also discussed how a basic toolchain can be set up for performance tests using only free tools. With the presented examples, the reader will be able to take first steps in the performance testing area.
Subject Classification: 68M15
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Teachers and the interactive whiteboards
281-298Views:27The spread of IWB (Interactive WhiteBoard) around the world changes, reforms and modernizes the traditional teaching methods. We can find these new ICT devices in more and more schools in Hungary as well and the use of it is getting widespread in everyday teaching. The teachers have the greatest role in the proper use of IWB during the lessons and they are also responsible for providing students with creative and motivating tasks lesson by lesson. In the following research, the advantages of the IWB are highlighted, the difficulties of its usage and the teachers' attitude towards the new ICT devices by asking 205 teachers from different primary and secondary schools. The results are mainly based on questionnaires. -
Young women's barriers to choose IT and methods to overcome them - A case study from Hungary
77-101Views:175Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women are obstructed from entering and remaining in IT by a broad range of social, educational, and labor market factors. In our paper, we would like to analyze the main barriers girls face in choosing IT, while also proposing potential methods to help them overcome these obstacles. In the second part of the paper, we will present a case study to illustrate in detail how the combination of the above methods can be put into practice to address and tackle the complex set of barriers girls face. We will first introduce a Hungarian annual program, Girls' Day ("Lányok napja"), specifically aimed to promote STEM to girls, then we will present two specific events organized for the 2020 edition of the program and designed with the above principles in mind. The interactive presentation, exposing girls to female role models of the field in a gamified way, and a game development exercise, building Scratch programming skills, have attempted to provide young women both with positive perspectives and experiences in IT, which are instrumental in helping them to surmount entrenched obstacles and raise their interest in the field.
Subject Classification: 97P10, 97U30
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The "Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science" Journal logo's mathematical background
55-65Views:3In the present contribution we give an elementary technology for drawing the geodesics, paracycles and hypercycles on the pseudosphere. -
A didactic analysis of merge sort
195-210Views:22Due to technical difficulties, educators teaching merge sort often avoid the analysis of the cost in the general and average cases. Using basic discrete mathematics, elementary real analysis and mathematical induction, we propose a self-contained derivation of bounds αn log_2 n + βn + γ in all cases. Independent of any programming language or pseudo-code, supported by intuitive figures, it is suitable for informatics students interested in the analysis of algorithms. It is also a good exercise in showing that induction allows us to actually discover constants, instead of simply checking them a posteriori. -
Teaching agile operation and leadership through linked university courses
1-32Views:100Agile software development methods, especially Scrum, are commonly used in software development companies. For this reason, our goal was that our undergraduate students gain experience as Scrum development team members and our master's students as agile leaders. To this end, we had redesigned and linked an undergraduate and a master's course, and launched the new course in the spring of 2021. The success of our approach was confirmed by a questionnaire survey of 86 undergraduate and 27 master's students. A/B testing was also performed. Our approach is a novelty compared to solutions where the Scrum Master is a course member, an instructor, or a university employee. In addition to being resource-efficient, it also offers master's students an unparalleled opportunity to develop agile leadership skills.
Subject Classification: 97U50
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Mathematical gems of Debrecen old mathematical textbooks from the 16-18th centuries
73-110Views:29In the Great Library of the Debrecen Reformed College (Hungary) we find a lot of old mathematical textbooks. We present: Arithmetic of Debrecen (1577), Maróthi's Arithmetic (1743), Hatvani's introductio (1757), Karacs's Figurae Geometricae (1788), Segner's Anfangsgründe (1764) and Mayer's Mathematischer Atlas (1745). These old mathematical textbooks let us know facts about real life of the 16-18th centuries, the contemporary level of sciences, learning and teaching methods. They are rich sources of motivation in the teaching of mathematics. -
Expressiveness of programming languages and environments: a comparative study
111-141Views:31In written and oral communication tools, the support of the understanding of our message have an important role: we can increase the expressiveness and the level of understanding of our topic by approaching it in several ways, i.e. in written methods by highlighting the important parts; in oral by changing tone and other elements of non-verbal communication. In this paper programming languages and developing environments are compared with each other in terms of their methods and their level of support to the solution of programming tasks.
There is a need to have these tools in programming and, of course, in teaching programming. What are the factors that define the distinctness and the legibility of a program? What are the basic principles which give an instrument in programmers' and students' hands in order to create a properly working program from already existing algorithms in the most efficient way? We search for the answers to these questions in this paper.