Study and evaluation of CPU scheduling algorithms.

In the teaching of the operating systems course, which is part of computer engineering degrees, a thorough understanding of processor scheduling algorithms is crucial. However, it has been identified that the current knowledge of classical algorithms is insufficient in the present context. Therefore, it is proposed to conduct a review of the state of the art in the field to identify new trends and algorithms that can enhance the teaching of the subject and improve student training. As a result, the state of the art is thoroughly reviewed, and study sheets are designed to facilitate the comprehension of the algorithms. Additionally, a software simulator is developed to compare different algorithms in a controlled environment, allowing for the validation of the most promising ones for classroom teaching.

Serious games to assess students.

This paper describes experiments where students were assessed using the Serious Games (SGs) they created. The first experiment is with students attending our "Business Games" module for the master's degree in "Innovation" at the Tunis Engineering School. The second experiment involved students enrolled in our "Introduction to Data Science" module of the master's degree in "Data Sciences" at the High Institute of Management of Tunis. We requested each section's students to design a game related to the covered module. Through innovative assessment practices, we hope to motivate students. We aimed to confirm that creating games reinforced students' mastery of the module content. At the end of the semester, students presented their games, and some of them are described here. The results of the questionnaire filled out by the students at the end of these experiments revealed that, despite their different profiles, they appreciated these experiments and their influence on mastering the modules' contents. This article introduces the SG and its use in assessment. It also discusses the importance of creating serious games by the learner and how it affects learning. Even though some students mentioned that creating their games took more time than studying for a traditional exam, they believed the experiment as a whole was positive and enjoyed the innovation. Therefore, to construct the game, students reviewed the content of the module more than once. Additionally, students asked for the experiment to continue and expand to additional modules the following year.

Mapping the educational Frontier: Unleashing the Potential of artificial intelligence talents through cooperative planning in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has become an important hub for technological innovation and economic development in China. With the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technology talents, it is essential to develop educational cooperation within the GBA to develop a talent pool that can meet the changing needs in the region. This paper focuses on the development of dynamic demand for AI talents and proposes a strategic planning framework for educational cooperation in the GBA. We use the research idea of common attributes and key chain clustering-factor association selection-analysis of the driving force and subordination among factors-the key characteristics of AI talents. Using collinear analysis of citations and grounded theory methods, an operational definition of the influencing factors of AI talent literacy characteristics is constructed. Using the Interpretative Structural Modeling(ISM) and MICMAC (Matrice d'Impacts Croises-Multipication Applique A Classement), analyze and identify the driving force and subordination of the influencing factors of key traits of talents, and present the combined effect of multi-level factors of key traits of talents. Combined with the educational differences and complementary advantages in the GBA, five strategies and seven implementation suggestions for the GBA's AI talent education cooperation plan are formulated to establish a collaborative ecosystem that promotes the growth and integration of AI in the GBA.

The myth of reproducibility: A review of event tracking evaluations on Twitter.

Event tracking literature based on Twitter does not have a state-of-the-art. What it does have is a plethora of manual evaluation methodologies and inventive automatic alternatives: incomparable and irreproducible studies incongruous with the idea of a state-of-the-art. Many researchers blame Twitter's data sharing policy for the lack of common datasets and a universal ground truth-for the lack of reproducibility-but many other issues stem from the conscious decisions of those same researchers. In this paper, we present the most comprehensive review yet on event tracking literature's evaluations on Twitter. We explore the challenges of manual experiments, the insufficiencies of automatic analyses and the misguided notions on reproducibility. Crucially, we discredit the widely-held belief that reusing tweet datasets could induce reproducibility. We reveal how tweet datasets self-sanitize over time; how spam and noise become unavailable at much higher rates than legitimate content, rendering downloaded datasets incomparable with the original. Nevertheless, we argue that Twitter's policy can be a hindrance without being an insurmountable barrier, and propose how the research community can make its evaluations more reproducible. A state-of-the-art remains attainable for event tracking research.

Data mining techniques for predicting teacher evaluation in higher education: A systematic literature review.

Teacher evaluation is presented as an object of study of great interest, where multiple efforts converge to establish models from the association of heterogeneous data from academic actors, one of these is the students' community, who stands out for their contribution with rich data information for the establishment of teacher evaluation in higher education. This study aims to present the search results for references on the prediction of teacher evaluation based on the associated data provided by the performance of university students. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was carried out, established by the phases of planning (search objective, research questions, inclusion and exclusion criteria), search and selection (literature control group and keywords, the definition of the search string, results filtering), and extraction (synthesis of the contributions). As a result, a set of references on the application of predictions is obtained, focused on educational data mining techniques, such as Fuzzy logic, Fuzzy clustering, Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN), Neural networks, multilayer perceptron (MLP), Decision Trees, Logistic Regression, Random Forest Classifier, Naïve Bayes Classifier, Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest-Neighbor (KNN), and Associative classification model. In conclusion, prediction and mining techniques have been widely explored; however, teacher evaluation is in the process of growth with particular emphasis on fuzzy principles, considering that human decision-making is developed with uncertainty, which is strongly related to human behavior.

Improving the efficiency of remote conference tool use for distance learning in higher education: A kano based approach.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions around the world were challenged to shift from traditional to distance teaching processes. This was not an easy task as educational institutions had to face many technology and human related challenges. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach that helps teachers to use remote conference tools (RCT) for a particular course more efficiently. The approach enables both teachers and students to be more effective in online education in general and during pandemics. The proposed approach leans on the Kano model and specifically focuses on evaluation of RCT features (RCTF) from students' and teachers' perspectives. Such evaluation enables development of recommendations for effective RCTF use. The approach was tested in three different case studies: Case 1 (computer and information science - software development; 39 students, 2 teachers), Case 2 (criminal justice and security - introduction to information systems; 130 students, 2 teachers), Case 3 (applied kinesiology - statistics; 44 students, 2 teachers). In all three cases, the results clearly demonstrated the benefits of the proposed approach and showed that the use of RCTF should be adapted to the specifics of each course where lectures and tutorials need to be considered separately.

Modelos pedagógicos en Docentes de Ciencias Clínicas de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira-UTP, Colombia / Pedagogical models in Professors of Clinical Sciences of the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira-UTP, Colombia

Resumen Objetivo: Caracterizar los modelos pedagógicos utilizados por los docentes de ciencias clínicas del programa de medicina de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira. Materiales y métodos: Investigación de tipo cualitativo, descriptivo. Se tomaron cuarenta docentes vinculados bajo cualquier modalidad (planta, transitorio o catedrático) que llevaran tres años o más realizando su actividad pedagógica. Se les realizó una entrevista semi-estructurada que fue avalada por el Comité de Bioética de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira. Resultados: El 55% de los docentes tienen formación en educación o docencia universitasirta. El 45% de los docentes aducen emplear el modelo problematizador, el 37,5% no conocen el modelo que emplean, el 12,5% creen utilizar el modelo tecnológico y por último el 5%, invocan el modelo tradicional. En cuanto al material didáctico utilizado no hubo diferencias entre los grupos de docentes, todos privilegiaron las ayudas audiovisuales tipo presentaciones en power point y expógrafo; tampoco hubo diferencias en cuanto a la metodología didáctica ya que la mayoría utilizaron rondas académicas, casos clínicos y revisiones de tema; en cuanto a la evaluación todos privilegiaron el examen escrito. Conclusión: La mayoría de los profesores tienen algún grado de formación en educación; todos utilizan un modelo pedagógico y aunque la mayoría lo identifican como modelo problematizador, se encontró que, con base en el material didáctico utilizado, la forma de transmitir la información, de motivar y evaluar al estudiante facilitar la formación, la tendencia es a usar una mezcla de los modelos, predominando el modelo tecnológico, seguido por los modelos tradicional y problematizador.

Abstract Objective: To characterize the pedagogical models used by the university professors of clinical sciences of the medicine program of the of the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira. Materials and methods: Qualitative, descriptive research. Forty teachers linked under any modality (plant, transitory or for hours) who had been carrying out their pedagogical activity for three years or more were selected. A semi-structured interview was conducted, which was endorsed by the Bioethics Committee of the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira. Results: 55% of professors have training in education or university teaching. 45% of teachers claim to use the problematization model, 37.5% do not know the model they use, 12.5% ​​believe they use the technological model and finally 5% invoke the traditional model. Regarding the didactic material used, there were no differences between the groups of teachers, all of whom favored audiovisual aids, such as power point presentations and whiteboard. There were also no differences regarding the didactic methodology since the majority used academic rounds, clinical cases, and topic reviews. And at the time of the evaluation, everyone favored the written exam. Conclusion: Most of the teachers have some degree of training in education; All of them use a pedagogical model and although the majority identify it as a problematization model, it was found that, based on the didactic material used, the way of transmitting information, motivating and evaluating the student and how it facilitates training, the tendency is to use a mixture of models, with the technological model predominating, followed by the traditional and problematization models.

Using social media as e-Portfolios to support learning in higher education: a literature analysis.

Although e-Portfolio is acknowledged as one of the powerful pedagogical practices that enhance learning in higher education (HE), not much is known about the types of social media (SM) utilized as e-Portfolios and the benefits for students. This literature analysis, using directed content analysis, aims to explore the above vacuum. The research questions in this study are: (1) In what ways do the SM as e-Portfolios benefit students in HE? (2) To what extent are the benefits of SM as e-Portfolios comparable to those of conventional e-Portfolios? and (3) What are the drawbacks that practitioners and researchers need to be concerned with? Findings indicate that blogs are the most popular SM used as e-Portfolios to support learning, followed by social networking sites and collaborative projects. The study yields 13 advantages and 12 drawbacks when SM is manipulated as e-Portfolios. These findings conclude that the use of SM as e-Portfolios has a great potential in supporting students' learning and development by providing an environment for them to learn meaningfully from their experiences and engage in critical reflections and dialogues that allow them to gain new knowledge and valuable insights and thus, improve their skills. A pedagogical framework for the planning and implementation of SM as e-Portfolios is suggested based on the findings and aims of the papers that were reviewed. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12528-022-09344-z.

Lexical simplification benchmarks for English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Even in highly-developed countries, as many as 15-30% of the population can only understand texts written using a basic vocabulary. Their understanding of everyday texts is limited, which prevents them from taking an active role in society and making informed decisions regarding healthcare, legal representation, or democratic choice. Lexical simplification is a natural language processing task that aims to make text understandable to everyone by replacing complex vocabulary and expressions with simpler ones, while preserving the original meaning. It has attracted considerable attention in the last 20 years, and fully automatic lexical simplification systems have been proposed for various languages. The main obstacle for the progress of the field is the absence of high-quality datasets for building and evaluating lexical simplification systems. In this study, we present a new benchmark dataset for lexical simplification in English, Spanish, and (Brazilian) Portuguese, and provide details about data selection and annotation procedures, to enable compilation of comparable datasets in other languages and domains. As the first multilingual lexical simplification dataset, where instances in all three languages were selected and annotated using comparable procedures, this is the first dataset that offers a direct comparison of lexical simplification systems for three languages. To showcase the usability of the dataset, we adapt two state-of-the-art lexical simplification systems with differing architectures (neural vs. non-neural) to all three languages (English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese) and evaluate their performances on our new dataset. For a fairer comparison, we use several evaluation measures which capture varied aspects of the systems' efficacy, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. We find that a state-of-the-art neural lexical simplification system outperforms a state-of-the-art non-neural lexical simplification system in all three languages, according to all evaluation measures. More importantly, we find that the state-of-the-art neural lexical simplification systems perform significantly better for English than for Spanish and Portuguese, thus posing a question if such an architecture can be used for successful lexical simplification in other languages, especially the low-resourced ones.

Comprehensive evaluation of the use of technology in education - validation with a cohort of global open online learners.

Although a large variety of methodologies, contexts and perspectives have been used to examine educational application of technology, there is a paucity of instruments that are designed to comprehensively evaluate the use of technology in education. This paper presents a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of an instrument that incorporates eight key dimensions: learning, affective, behavioral, technology, design, pedagogy, presence/community, and institutional environment. These dimensions were derived from rigorous systematic literature review and field specialist validation processes. The model was then refined and empirically confirmed in this study by 1,352 participants undertaking a Coursera open online course. The results of applying the instrument, as well as qualitative feedback from participants, are shared to illustrate its breadth and utility. The final 28 item "Comprehensive Evaluation of Use of Technology in Education" instrument is provided in full to support consistent, holistic and robust evaluation and comparison of technology use across educational contexts.

Partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: An Evaluation Study Protocol to Strengthen a Comprehensive Multi-Scale Evaluation Framework for Participatory Systems Modelling through Indigenous Paradigms and Methodologies.

The social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be supported through an Indigenous-led and community empowering approach. Applying systems thinking via participatory approaches is aligned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research paradigms and can be an effective method to deliver a decision support tool for mental health systems planning for Indigenous communities. Evaluations are necessary to understand the effectiveness and value of such methods, uncover protective and healing factors of social and emotional wellbeing, as well as to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination over allocation of funding and resources. This paper presents modifications to a published evaluation protocol for participatory systems modelling to align with critical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guidelines and recommendations to support the social and emotional wellbeing of young people. This paper also presents a culturally relevant participatory systems modelling evaluation framework. Recognizing the reciprocity, strengths, and expertise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander methodologies can offer to broader research and evaluation practices, the amended framework presented in this paper facilitates empowering evaluation practices that should be adopted when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as when working with other diverse, non-Indigenous communities.

Interaction in asynchronous discussion boards: a campus-wide analysis to better understand regular and substantive interaction.

Discussion boards can provide a glimpse into the regular and substantive interaction required in online courses. Advances in technology and an increased interest in learning analytics now provides researchers with billions of data points about instructor and student interaction within a learning management system (LMS). This study used LMS data to explore the frequency of interaction between instructors and students in discussion boards in online courses at one institution. Overall, 415 courses were analyzed spanning two semesters. Results from the study found that the average number of posts by an instructor was 32.9. The average instructor interaction was 1.49 instructor posts per student. 23% of courses had no instructor posts. Student posts averaged 470 per course and the average posts per student was 19.9. Based on the discussion board activity, the most discussion interaction occurred during the first two weeks of the semester. Results also suggested that there is no relationship between student satisfaction and the number of total posts in a course. The paper concludes with implications for research and practice.

Evaluation of public health interventions from a complex systems perspective: A research methods review.

INTRODUCTION: Applying a complex systems perspective to public health evaluation may increase the relevance and strength of evidence to improve health and reduce health inequalities. In this review of methods, we aimed to: (i) classify and describe different complex systems methods in evaluation applied to public health; and (ii) examine the kinds of evaluative evidence generated by these different methods. METHODS: We adapted critical review methods to identify evaluations of public health interventions that used systems methods. We conducted expert consultation, searched electronic databases (Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science), and followed citations of relevant systematic reviews. Evaluations were included if they self-identified as using systems- or complexity-informed methods and if they evaluated existing or hypothetical public health interventions. Case studies were selected to illustrate different types of complex systems evaluation. FINDINGS: Seventy-four unique studies met our inclusion criteria. A framework was developed to map the included studies onto different stages of the evaluation process, which parallels the planning, delivery, assessment, and further delivery phases of the interventions they seek to inform; these stages include: 1) theorising; 2) prediction (simulation); 3) process evaluation; 4) impact evaluation; and 5) further prediction (simulation). Within this framework, we broadly categorised methodological approaches as mapping, modelling, network analysis and 'system framing' (the application of a complex systems perspective to a range of study designs). Studies frequently applied more than one type of systems method. CONCLUSIONS: A range of complex systems methods can be utilised, adapted, or combined to produce different types of evaluative evidence. Further methodological innovation in systems evaluation may generate stronger evidence to improve health and reduce health inequalities in our complex world.

The Spheres & Shield Maze Task: A Virtual Reality Serious Game for the Assessment of Risk Taking in Decision Making.

Risk taking (RT) is an essential component in decision-making process that depicts the propensity to make risky decisions. RT assessment has traditionally focused on self-report questionnaires. These classical tools have shown clear distance from real-life responses. Behavioral tasks assess human behavior with more fidelity, but still show some limitations related to transferability. A way to overcome these constraints is to take advantage from virtual reality (VR), to recreate real-simulated situations that might arise from performance-based assessments, supporting RT research. This article presents results of a pilot study in which 41 individuals explored a gamified VR environment: the Spheres & Shield Maze Task (SSMT). By eliciting implicit behavioral measures, we found relationships between scores obtained in the SSMT and self-reported risk-related constructs, as engagement in risky behaviors and marijuana consumption. We conclude that decontextualized Virtual Reality Serious Games are appropriate to assess RT, since they could be used as a cross-disciplinary tool to assess individuals' capabilities under the stealth assessment paradigm.

Evaluation of e-learning for medical education in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), e-learning for medical education may alleviate the burden of severe health worker shortages and deliver affordable access to high quality medical education. However, diverse challenges in infrastructure and adoption are encountered when implementing e-learning within medical education in particular. Understanding what constitutes successful e-learning is an important first step for determining its effectiveness. The objective of this study was to systematically review e-learning interventions for medical education in LMICs, focusing on their evaluation and assessment methods. Nine databases were searched for publications from January 2007 to June 2017. We included 52 studies with a total of 12,294 participants. Most e-learning interventions were pilot studies (73%), which mainly employed summative assessments of study participants (83%) and evaluated the e-learning intervention with questionnaires (45%). Study designs, evaluation and assessment methods showed considerable variation, as did the study quality, evaluation periods, outcome and effectiveness measures. Included studies mainly utilized subjective measures and custom-built evaluation frameworks, which resulted in both low comparability and poor validity. The majority of studies self-concluded that they had had an effective e-learning intervention, thus indicating potential benefits of e-learning for LMICs. However, MERSQI and NOS ratings revealed the low quality of the studies' evidence for comparability, evaluation instrument validity, study outcomes and participant blinding. Many e-learning interventions were small-scale and conducted as short-termed pilots. More rigorous evaluation methods for e-learning implementations in LMICs are needed to understand the strengths and shortcomings of e-learning for medical education in low-resource contexts. Valid and reliable evaluations are the foundation to guide and improve e-learning interventions, increase their sustainability, alleviate shortages in health care workers and improve the quality of medical care in LMICs.

A retrospective analysis of the impact of disabling item review on item performance on computerized fixed-item tests in a doctor of pharmacy program.

OBJECTIVE: The decision to disable item review, or 'backward navigation,' during computerized-fixed item tests proved controversial among faculty at our institution. We sought to determine the effect of disabling backward navigation on performance of individual exam items and overall exam performance across multiple courses within a doctor of pharmacy program. METHODS: Exam items that were administered unchanged and without error or adjustment of scoring between 2016 and 2017 were eligible for inclusion. Included items were evaluated for change in difficulty index, point biserial, and discrimination index for the year when backward navigation was enabled to the year after the function was disabled. Performance on matching exam pairs in each time frame was compared for any changes. RESULTS: We screened 2033 items and identified 576 which met study inclusion criteria. There were no significant differences in overall item difficulty index, point biserial, discrimination index or performance of the 27% lowest-scoring students. There was a decrease of 0.95% for the highest-scoring students (z = -2.93, p = 0.003). We identified 15 pairs of exams that contained at least 30% identical items from 2016 to 2017. No difference was found in the percent score minimum, maximum, mean, median, or standard deviation. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a statistically significant decrease in item performance for students with the highest scores on the exam, we were unable to demonstrate that disabling backward navigation had a significant impact on overall item performance or exam results.

Auto-assessment tools for mechanical computer aided design education.

Traditionally Computer Aided Design (CAD) courses have been carried out in computer classrooms requiring great amount of teaching personnel. Assessment of students' modeling exercises has been both time consuming and error prone. Utilization of the teaching resources could clearly benefit from online auto-assessment. The auto-assessment tools are widely in use in programming and language courses, but suitable tools for assessing 3D models used in CAD are lacking. This paper presents two new online auto-assessment tools to support the development of both command ("what steps are needed to create this shape?") and strategic ("how should I model this shape?") knowledge while learning CAD. The first tool is based on neutral file format (in this case STEP) and can recognize surface differences between student's model and reference model. This tool can assess student's skill to create certain predefined shape (i.e. command knowledge). The second auto-assessment tool utilizes commercial CAD software's API (Application Programming Interface) to test how student's model behaves when modeling parameters are changed. This tool assess student's capabilities to build and design a CAD model's design intent (i.e. strategic knowledge). Developed tools were tested on three mechanical engineering courses. This paper presents both the tools and the feedback received from the students and teachers. Overall, the auto-assessment tools functioned well and feedback from both students and teachers were positive. The most appreciated tool functionality was time and place independent submission and assessment of exercise works. These new tools able focusing teachers' workload from checking the basic exercises to guiding the learning process.

Utilidad de las guías, protocolos y algoritmos en la práctica clínica / Usefulness of guides, protocols and algorithms in clinical practice

Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica sobre la utilidad de las guías de práctica clínica, los protocolos y algoritmos en la praxis médica cotidiana, con el objetivo de describir los elementos teórico-metodológicos que sustentan su desarrollo, evaluación y seguimiento que determinan su uso racional dentro del método clínico. Se utilizó el motor de búsqueda Google Académico con los descriptores: método clínico, guía de práctica clínica, protocolo, algoritmo y metodología de evaluación, en las bases de datos SciELO, Medline-Pubmed y LILACS. Además, se utilizaron libros de texto de medicina interna. Se llegó a la conclusión de que estos documentos contribuyen al desarrollo del método clínico y toman un nivel directriz en los procesos asistenciales. Permiten sistematizar la evidencia investigativa reciente, estandarizar la práctica, facilitar la toma de decisiones y su carácter flexible posibilita la libertad de los proveedores de salud. Deben cumplir requisitos de calidad que se evalúan a través de herramientas previamente diseñadas, lo que facilita su uso crítico-reflexivo. Se recomienda potenciar estas guías como estrategia en la salud cubana(AU)

A bibliographic review was carried out on the usefulness of clinical practice guidelines, protocols and algorithms in everyday medical praxis. The objective was to describe the theoretical-methodological elements supporting the development, evaluation and monitoring which determine the rational use within the clinical method. The Google Academic search engine was used with the descriptors clinical method, clinical practice guide, protocol, algorithm and evaluation methodology, in SciELO, Medline-Pubmed and LILACS databases. In addition, internal medicine textbooks were used, as well. It was concluded that these documents contribute to the development of the clinical method and they lead the care processes. They allow systematizing recent research evidence, standardizing practice, facilitating decision-making and the flexible nature enables the freedom of health providers. They must meet quality requirements which are evaluated through previously designed tools, facilitating the critical-reflective use. It is recommended to strengthen these guidelines as a strategy in Cuban health(AU)

Web-based intervention to promote physical activity in Taiwanese children.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effectiveness of a theory-based, technology-integrated website in promoting the physical activity of schoolchildren. DESIGN AND METHODS: A website designed using a self-management strategy and supplemented with a geographical information system (GIS) mapping function was used to increase children's physical activity levels. A total of 524 students from six elementary schools in Taipei City completed surveys at three times during 2010 and were assigned to one of three groups: (1) a self-management group, using a website employing a goal-setting strategy and a storytelling schema based on a classical Chinese novel; (2) a knowledge-only group that was given only access to the website; or (3) a control group that was only given lectures and not allowed to access the website. RESULTS: After adjustment for the effects of the pretest, the self-management and knowledge-only groups were found to be more physically active and have higher self-efficacy than the control group. Moreover, the self-management group had higher scores for these two variables than the knowledge-only group. Furthermore, the intervention was more effectives for male students than female students. CONCLUSION: Overall, the self-management website proved to be effective in promoting schoolchildren's physical activity. The positive correlation of self-efficacy with the ability to handle the difficulties inherent in physical activity continued for 3 months after the intervention was completed.

Using Android Tablets to develop handwriting skills: A case study.

A system to support the teaching and learning of handwriting skills is proposed. It is composed of two components: the hardware component (e.g., Android Tablet); and the software component. The software component as two modules: the server and the client. A teacher chooses what exercises/games a child should do directly in the Android table or using the server, from the existing ones in the system. A child does the exercises/games by logging into the system in the Android Tablet. Automatic feedback about the correctness of the answers is provided by the system. Data (number of tries, time spent, etc.) are automatically grabbed and processed to be presented to the teachers and parents. Registered parents can see the results and follow their children' s "academic life", by logging into the server side of the system. We found a significant improvement in the development of handwriting skills in the children throughout the academic year, and improvements were also more present when comparing children who had have contact with the system with children who did not have this contact. Educators, children, School Boards, City Town Hall and the Educational Community are unanimous in stating that the implementation of this system was a real success.