Nowadays most of human activities are based on the direct or indirect use of
computers. Thus, most enterprizes need technicians and engineers with a solid
knowledge on the use and application of computer-based systems. Dramatic changes
in the delivery of engineering education are needed to keep pace with such a rapid
progress in technology. Our ultimate goal as universities educators is to guide students
through these new ways of efficient organization of teaching process and lab
practicing activities. The principal challenges associated with achieving this goal,
for computer science students, are to teach them the engineering fundamentals and
specializations they need to involve and integrate various software and hardware
components into complex systems.
With aim to track the mentioned tendencies in Western Balkan countries, according
to acquired positive experiences and implemented educational models in
EU countries that relate to Bologna declaration, the Commission for Education
of the European Union in Brussels started in 2001 to finance the Tempus project
CD JEP 16160 2001 under the title Computer Science Curriculum in Higher Education.
The consortium of the project consisted of the following five institutions:
Computer Science Department, University of Dortmund, Technological Educational
Institute of Athens, Department of Informatics, Faculty of Electronic Engineering
and Faculty of Science and Mathematics both from University of Niš, and
Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Cyril and Methodius,
Skopje.
The primary goals of this three-year project were to improve the knowledge
in the field of computer science, promote student and staff mobility, start discussion
on the harmonization of curricula and degrees in the partner countries, innovate
the current and involve new curricula, disseminate the developed material, and
evaluate the quality of the achieved results according to Bologna declaration. To
implement these goals, numerous thematic Symposiums and Workshops were established,
dedicated to various academic disciplines and other issues of common
interest for all partners.
In developing this special issue, we had the following goal in mind: To introduce
the Facta University readers with some of the results achieved in this project by presenting some of university-based educational concepts, approaches, or technologies
that have been developed during support of Computer Science curricular
and associated educational innovations. To that end, we have assembled a collection
of seventeen papers authored by leading engineering educators. Each article
introduces a new concept or technology.
Referring to the contents of this special issue, we now offer snapshot overviews
of each of the sixteen papers.
In "Scaffolding Answer Explanation in a Data Normalization Tutor"
A. Mitrović discusses how constraint-based tutor that teaches data normalization,
called NORMIT, supports self-explanation.
A. Breiter, G. Fey and R. Drechsler in " Project-Based Learning in Student
Teams in Computer Science Education" introduce a student-centered, project-based
learning approach with a student team project, which tries to support these learning
processes.
G. Armenski and M. Gušev in "Infrastructure for e-Testing" analyze different
methods used for e-testing and present new frontiers, especially in cases where the
number of students is very big (several hundreds), and in cases in which students
can take exams every month.
D. Kehagias, M. Grivas and G. Pantziou in "Using a Hybrid Platform for Cluster,
NoW and GRID Computing" show how structures of types Clusters, Networks
of Workstations (NoW) and Grids can offer a new, highly-available and
cost-effective parallel computing paradigm.
E. I. Milovanović and N. M. Stojanović in "Teaching Tools for Parallel Processing" deal with models associated with parallel processing and show how they
can be introduced in a course of Parallel computer systems.
T. Alevizos, P. Belsis, C. Skourlas V. Tsoukalas and J. Varnas in "Distance
Learning Experiments Between two Technological Education Departments of Informatics
in Greece" propose a non-prescriptive methodology framework for the
instructional planning and tutoring of online distance courses and its application to
a Distance Learning experiment between two Technological Education Informatics
Departments in Higher Education.
A. Mišev and M. Gušev in "Simulators for Courses in Advance Computer
Arhcitecture" present several simulators used to teach ILP (Instruction Level of
Parallelism) courses.
M. Gušev in "Improved Learning Methodology System" establishes an e-learning
system that supports the education process and report the results from using these
innovations as improved learning methodology.
I. Kantzavelou in "A Virtual Lab Model for an Introductory Computer Science
Course" presents an effective model of a virtual laboratory for an introductory
computer science course.
M. Stanković, M. Rajković, P. Rajković and I. Petković in "Supervising Student
Projects Using Content Management Systems" explain the concept of web content
management systems (web CMS) and present a CMS called Centura, developed at
the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš.
K. Georgouli , M. Grivas and P. Zahariou in "Different Uses of an Open Code
LMS for Educational Support" present different ways of adopting and expanding
an open source learning management system to facilitate learning and educational
processes in the Department of Informatics of the T.E.I. of Athens.
M. Ćirić and S. Rančić in "Parsing in Different Languages" show how a compiler
as a translator that accepts as input formatted source file or files can produces
as output a file that may be run directly on a computer.
S. Đorđević-Kajan, D. Stojanović and A. Stanimirović in "Advanced System
Software Curricula" concentrate on an advanced System Software curricula developed
at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš. The system software track
consists of two important themes of Computer Science and Computing in General
organized now as two separated courses: Operating Systems course and System
Software Development and System Programming course.
C. Moraga in "Introduction to Fuzzy Logic" introduces basics and reviews
some classical as well as new applications of fuzzy logic. The paper can be used as
an example for a well organized set of introductory lectures, because it is based on
carefully selected examples.
M. Tasić , P. Stanimirović , I. Stanimirović , M. Petković and N. Stojković in "Some Useful MATHEMATICA Teaching Examples" show how a computer algebra system in MATHEMATICA can be used in several elementary courses in mathematics for students.
T. Tokić, I. Milentijević, M. Stojčev, O. Vojinović and A. Vucetić in "Implementation
of Student Mobility Program within the Frame of TEMPUS Project CDJEP
16160/2001" describe student mobility program implementation according to
the proposed procedure covering preparatory activities, selection procedure, realization
of travels and follow-up activities.
In this issue devoted to Computer Science education, the authors tried to offer
some additional insights in educational process, and some analysis of its impact on
our students, and some guidance to others undertaking this task. We are happy to
write that we have been immensely successful in what we sought to do. This is
evident in the rich mix of topics in this issue.
Most important, our special thanks to those who contributed to papers of this special issue and the numerous reviewers who spent much of their precious time but must remain anonymous.