Daniel Galan

Bio: Daniel Galan is an academic researcher from National University of Distance Education. The author has contributed to research in topics: Scripting language & Simulation language. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 22 publications receiving 376 citations. Previous affiliations of Daniel Galan include Technical University of Madrid.

Virtual and remote labs in education

Abstract: Laboratory experimentation plays an essential role in engineering and scientific education. Virtual and remote labs reduce the costs associated with conventional hands-on labs due to their required equipment, space, and maintenance staff. Furthermore, they provide additional benefits such as supporting distance learning, improving lab accessibility to handicapped people, and increasing safety for dangerous experimentation. This paper analyzes the literature on virtual and remote labs from its beginnings to 2015, identifying the most influential publications, the most researched topics, and how the interest in those topics has evolved along the way. To do so, bibliographical data gathered from ISI Web of Science, Scopus and GRC2014 have been examined using two prominent bibliometric approaches: science mapping and performance analysis. Display Omitted Laboratory experimentation plays an essential role in engineering and sci-entific education.Virtual and remote labs are emerging as a valuable alternative to conven-tional hands-on labs.This paper analyzes the literature on virtual and remote labs from 1993 to 2015.4405 records retrieved from ISI Web of Science, Scopus and GRC2014 are processed.Two bibliometric approaches are applied: performance analysis and science mapping.

Open-Source Hardware in Education: A Systematic Mapping Study

Abstract: The open-source hardware movement is becoming increasingly popular due to the emergence of successful low-cost technologies, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and thanks to the community of makers that actively share their creations to be freely studied, modified, and re-distributed. Numerous authors have proposed distinct ways to seize this approach for accomplishing a variety of learning goals: enabling scholars to explore scientific concepts, promoting students’ creativity, helping them to be more fluent and expressive with new technologies, and so on. This paper reports a systematic mapping study that overviews the literature on open-source hardware in education by analyzing and classifying 676 publications. The results of our work provide: 1) guidance on the published material (identifying the most relevant papers, publication sources, institutions, and countries); 2) information about the pedagogical uses of open-source hardware (showing its main educational goals, stages, and topics where it is principally applied); and 3) directions for future research.

Automated Assessment of Computer Programming Practices: The 8-Years UNED Experience

Abstract: The increasing popularity of distance education poses exciting new challenges. In particular, current pedagogical paradigms, such as competency-based education, require students' continuous evaluation. That is, to master skills, students need to receive constant feedback to guide their experimentation processes. However, teaching teams are usually under-dimensioned to support the large number of students that online courses usually have. This paper presents the approach we have adopted at the National University of Distance Education to overcome this problem for the case of computer programming practices, which complements human evaluation with an automatic assessment system. The paper describes our system and reports its benefits with an empirical study from 2011 to 2018 that involved 14,944 students.

Customized Online Laboratory Experiments: A General Tool and Its Application to the Furuta Inverted Pendulum [Focus on Education]

Abstract: Because of online laboratories (labs), students can perform experimental activities from their mobile devices and/or computers. This article proposes an experimentation environment (EE) that extends the capabilities of interactive online labs with scripting language support. Thus, control engineering students can specify complex experiments, avoid routine tasks, and empirically test controllers they made themselves.

Geomatics applied to dam safety DGPS real time monitoring

Abstract: New advances in geomatics and communications technologies are enabling the development of Automated Auscultation System for structure monitoring. In particular, Differential GPS (DGPS) technique allows real-time monitoring of structures with millimetre accuracy after an appropriate mathematical treatment. The results of real-time DGPS monitoring of a pilot dam over 15 months are presented and compared with the results of pendulums and angular collimation. DGPS monitoring was established to control two points at the top of the dam with reference to an external and stable station. Communications were critical, evolving from initial GPRS connections to more reliable ASDL line in the last months. Real-time DGPS positions were filtered to reach millimetric accuracy through Kalman filter. Two configurations of the filter were tested, one more adapted to predictable and uniform velocity deformations (low frequency) and another more suitable for sudden and large movements (high frequency). Root mean square errors were calculated taking pendulums as a reference. Results show that both DGPS and angular collimation allow monitoring with millimetric accuracy. In the last period, where communications with processing server were stable, a global accuracy of 1.44 and 1.86 mm was reached for real-time DGPS monitoring. RINEX post-processing yielded millimetric results, validating real-time observations. We can affirm that the DGPS system is very useful for dam auscultation and safety as it detects adequately absolute deformations, being a complement to existing methods which should be considered in new safety plans.

Application and theory gaps during the rise of Artificial Intelligence in Education

Abstract: Considering the increasing importance of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) and the absence of a comprehensive review on it, this research aims to conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of influential AIEd studies. We analyzed 45 articles in terms of annual distribution, leading journals, institutions, countries/regions, the most frequently used terms, as well as theories and technologies adopted. We also evaluated definitions of AIEd from broad and narrow perspectives and clarified the relationship among AIEd, Educational Data Mining, Computer-Based Education, and Learning Analytics. Results indicated that: 1) there was a continuingly increasing interest in and impact of AIEd research; 2) little work had been conducted to bring deep learning technologies into educational contexts; 3) traditional AI technologies, such as natural language processing were commonly adopted in educational contexts, while more advanced techniques were rarely adopted, 4) there was a lack of studies that both employ AI technologies and engage deeply with educational theories. Findings suggested scholars to 1) seek the potential of applying AI in physical classroom settings; 2) spare efforts to recognize detailed entailment relationships between learners’ answers and the desired conceptual understanding within intelligent tutoring systems; 3) pay more attention to the adoption of advanced deep learning algorithms such as generative adversarial network and deep neural network; 4) seek the potential of NLP in promoting precision or personalized education; 5) combine biomedical detection and imaging technologies such as electroencephalogram, and target at issues regarding learners’ during the learning process; and 6) closely incorporate the application of AI technologies with educational theories.

Soft Robotics: Academic Insights and Perspectives Through Bibliometric Analysis.

Abstract: Soft robotics is of growing interest in the robot community as well as in public media, and there is an increase in the quality and quantity of publications related to this topic. To formally elaborate this growth, we have used a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the publications in the field from 1990 to 2017 based on the Science Citation Index Expanded database. We present a detailed overview and discussion based on keywords, citation, h-index, year, journal, institution, country, author, and review articles. The results show that the United States takes the leading position in this research field, followed by China and Italy. Harvard University has the most publications, high average number of citations per publication and the highest h-index. IEEE Transactions on Robotics ranks first among the top 20 academic journals publishing articles related to this field, whereas Soft Robotics holds the top position in journals categorized with "ROBOTICS." Actuator, fabrication, control, material, sensing, simulation, bionics, stiffness, modeling, power, motion, and application are the hot topics of soft robotics. Smart materials, bionics, morphological computation, and embodiment control are expected to contribute to this field in the future. Application and commercialization appear to be the initial driving force and final goal for soft robots.