Preprint: Computer Science Courses Using Laptops

A preprint of paper to be publish in the next edition the journal Innovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences (ITALICS) is now available at http://journals.heacademy.ac.uk/doi/abs/10.11120/ital.2014.00011

Computer Science Courses Using Laptops

Gary Hill, Espen Svennevik and Scott Turner

Department of Computing & Immersive Technologies, University of Northampton, UK

Corresponding author: Scott Turner, Department of Computing & Immersive Technologies, University of Northampton, UK Email: scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk, Phone: +44 (0) 1604 893028

Abstract

Traditionally computer sciences courses have been taught using laboratories full of expensive desktop computers. Although this approach may have been valid in the 80, 90s and even the early part of this decade, this paper suggests that buying, maintaining and replacing laboratories full of computers is no longer required. This paper raises the issues associated with attempting to use laptops – as thin/thick clients using virtual machines – to deliver the computer science curriculum and offers potential solutions that, in some cases, may make computer science courses at such ‘brave’ institutions more appealing.

Read More: http://journals.heacademy.ac.uk/doi/abs/10.11120/ital.2014.00011

Gary Hill, Espen Svennevik, and Scott Turner: (2014) Computer Science Courses Using Laptops. Innovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences. DOI: 10.11120/ital.2014.00011

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Editorial Board for ITALICS

 Some rights reserved by Patrick Hoesly

Taken from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/journals/italics/italics-editorial-board

ITALICS - Innovation in Teaching And Learning in Information and Computer Sciences

Members of the Editorial Board:

• Stephen Hagan (Editor in Chief), University of Ulster
• Tom Crick, Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Neil Gordon, University of Hull
• Alan Hayes, University of Bath
• Lyndsay Marshall, Newcastle University
• Andrew McGettrick, University of Strathclyde
• Rebecca Strachan, Northumbria University
• Scott Turner, University of Northampton

Details about the journal can be found at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/journals/italics

CEISEE 2012 - Shanghai

Recently two members of the Department of Computing (Gary Hill and Scott Turner), University of Northampton went to CEISEE 2012 in Shanghai, the 8th symposium is this series, following on from Northampton last year.

Two papers were presented see http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/teaching-and-learning-journal-papers.html in the Journal of Computer Education.

The symposium focused on the teach of Software Engineering and preparing students to be both technically competent but also employable as possible. Perspectives and experiences from China, UK, Germany, France, Ireland and Italy were all presented, discussed and considered; along with the importance and the advantages of transnational programmes. Some very interesting discussions about potential for collaborative research in all these areas were held.

Shanghai was a very pleasant city for this friendly symposium.

Subjective Measurement of Leather Handle

A new paper looking a how experts in the leather industry assess leather quality is to be published in the The Amercian Leather Chemists Association Journal The Subjective Measurement of Leather Handle by Descriptive Sensory Analysis

Y. Wang , G. Attenburrow, P. Picton, S. Turner

Volume: 106      Number: 4    Abstract

Leather handle strongly relates to leather quality, and in the leather industries experts still manually assess it. In this paper a new approach, Descriptive Sensory Analysis, was applied when subjectively measure leather handle and thus a comprehensive handle profile was established. Ten attributes of leather samples were identified and quantified by a trained expert panel according to agreed procedures. Principal Component Analysis was used to reduce data dimensionalities and a conception 3D handle space was proposed and demonstrated to exhibit the handle attributes of leather. RESUMEN El comportamiento organoléptico de cuero está ligado fuertemente a la evaluación de calidad en el cuero, y en las industrias del cuero los expertos subjetivamente las evalúan por toque. En este artículo se presenta un nuevo enfoque, un Análisis de Descripción Sensorial, que se aplicó cuando el toque de cuero fue determinado subjetivamente, y luego un perfil descriptivo comprensivo fue establecido. Diez atributos de las muestras de cueros fueron identificados y cuantificados por un panel de expertos entrenados de acuerdo a los procedimientos previos acordados. Análisis de Componentes Principales se utilizó para reducir la redundancia de datos a una concepción del manejo en espacio 3D fue propuesto y demostrado efectivo para exhibir los atributos requeridos en la descripción del toque de cuero.