Open University of Catalonia

About: Open University of Catalonia is a education organization based out in Barcelona, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Higher education. The organization has 1943 authors who have published 4646 publications receiving 64200 citations. The organization is also known as: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya & UOC.

Modelling students' flow experiences in an online learning environment

Abstract: This paper aims to clarify and characterize the role of flow in student's behavioural processes in virtual learning environments. To this end, an integral model of flow in e-learning environments is proposed and tested. The empirical part of the research was based on both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The former consisted of seven in-depth interviews carried out with experts in e-learning environments and two different groups. The latter consisted of an online survey resulting in a sample of 2574 valid questionnaires. The theoretical model was tested and validated using the standard methodological procedure based on exploratory and confirmatory analyses. The results indicate that time distortions and focused attention are the most important direct antecedents of flow. The challenges posed by the environment were revealed as the main indirect conditioner of the experience, but other factors, such as personalization (a new variable not considered in previous flow studies in the e-learning context), were also found to be significant. In short, this papers sheds light on the processes of online browsing and, thus, on a more suitable design for an e-learning environment. Furthermore, two direct positive consequences of the flow experience are proved: positive affect (such as feeling happy, satisfied and cheerful) and student learning. In sum, it can be concluded that institutions are better off providing students with e-learning environments conducive to getting them into a flow state.

Rediscovering the use of chatbots in education: A systematic literature review

Abstract: Chatbots have been around for years and have been used in many areas such as medicine or commerce. Our focus is on the development and current uses of chatbots in the field of education, where they can function as service assistants or as educational agents. In this research paper, we attempt to make a systematic review of the literature on educational chatbots that address various issues. From 485 sources, 80 studies on chatbots and their application in education were selected through a step‐by‐step procedure based on the guidelines of the PRISMA framework, using a set of predefined criteria. The results obtained demonstrate the existence of different types of educational chatbots currently in use that affect student learning or improve services in various areas. This paper also examines the type of technology used to unravel the learning outcome that can be obtained from each type of chatbots. Finally, our results identify instances where a chatbot can assist in learning under conditions similar to those of a human tutor, while exploring other possibilities and techniques for assessing the quality of chatbots. Our analysis details these findings and can provide a solid framework for research and development of chatbots for the educational field.

Dissociating the Role of the pre-SMA in Response Inhibition and Switching: A Combined Online and Offline TMS Approach

Abstract: The pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) is considered to be a key node in the cognitive control of actions that require rapid updating, inhibition or switching, as well as working memory. It is now recognized that the pre-SMA is part of a ‘cognitive control’ network involving the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and subcortical regions, such as the striatum and subthalamic nucleus. However, two important questions remain to be addressed. First, it is not clear if the main role of the pre-SMA in cognitive control lies in inhibition or switching of actions. From imaging evidence, the right pre-SMA is consistently recruited during inhibition and switching, but the extent to which it participates specifically in either of these processes is unknown. Secondly, the pre-SMA may perform inhibition and switching alone or as part of a larger brain network. The present study used online and offline transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to dissociate the roles of pre-SMA in cognitive control, but also to investigate the potential contribution of connectivity between the pre-SMA and IFG. We applied continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over the right IFG before participants performed a stop switching task while receiving single TMS pulses over the right pre-SMA. The results were compared to a sham cTBS session and pulses applied over the vertex region. Significant worsening of inhibition as well as response adaptation during inhibition was found when applying pulses over the pre-SMA. However, no such worsening was observed in switch trials. Additionally, after cTBS over the IFG, inhibition was also delayed, suggesting its critical necessity in stopping of actions. The results reveal a key contribution of the pre-SMA in inhibition and could suggest a dissociative role in the switching of actions. These findings indicate there is an essential union between IFG and pre-SMA during inhibition.

Exploring the Performance Boundaries of NB-IoT

Abstract: Narrow band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) has just joined the low power wide area network (LPWAN) community. Unlike most of its competitors, NB-IoT did not emerge from a blank slate. Indeed, it is closely linked to Long Term Evolution (LTE), from which it inherits many of the features that undoubtedly determine its behavior. In this paper, we empirically explore the boundaries of this technology, analyzing from a user’s point of view critical characteristics such as energy consumption, reliability, and delays. The results show that its performance in terms of energy is comparable and even outperforms, in some cases, an LPWAN reference technology like LoRa, with the added benefit of guaranteeing delivery. However, the high variability observed in both energy expenditure and network delays call into question its suitability for some applications, especially those subject to service-level agreements.

EMFtoCSP: a tool for the lightweight verification of EMF models

Abstract: The increasing popularity of MDE results in the creation of larger models and model transformations, hence converting the specification of MDE artefacts in an error-prone task. Therefore, mechanisms to ensure quality and absence of errors in models are needed to assure the reliability of the MDE-based development process. Formal methods have proven their worth in the verification of software and hardware systems. However, the adoption of formal methods as a valid alternative to ensure model correctness is compromised for the inner complexity of the problem. To circumvent this complexity, it is common to impose limitations such as reducing the type of constructs that can appear in the model, or turning the verification process from automatic into user assisted. Since we consider these limitations to be counterproductive for the adoption of formal methods, in this paper we present EMFtoCSP, a new tool for the fully automatic, decidable and expressive verification of EMF models that uses constraint logic programming as the underlying formalism.