ARTICLE 1
Introduction
Author: M. Tariq Bandaya, Musavir Ahmedb ,
Tariq R. Jan (2013)
Title: Applications of e-Learning in engineering
education
-This journal presents and analyzes about the
applications of e-learning in engineering
education and its nowadays practice in
engineering education. It analyzes the result of a
survey conducted to examine adoption of ICT and
e-learning tools in engineering institutions at
Jammu and Kashmir.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Adequate ICT tools that support both traditional
and emerging engineering education have been
developed, however, their adoption is not up to
the mark in developing countries primarily due to
lack of sufficient infrastructural facilities and
competent human resources besides socio-
economical, socio-cultural, and linguistic
challenges.
LIT.REVIEW
-Engineering education being based on science
and mathematics makes it a significantly different
from other disciplines. These subjects are
traditionally difficult to teach online because of
the need for laboratories and equation
manipulation. But advances in technology over
years has permitted representation of complex
structures and objects by computers. Various
initiatives for online laboratories example
LabShare, WebLab-Deusto, iLab Shared
Architecture, VISIR, OCELOT, LiLa have emerged to
provide sharing of virtual and remote laboratories
among different universities.
ARTICLE 2
Introduction
Author: Daniel Rodriguez, Miguel Angel Sicilia, Juan
Jose Cuadrado-Gallego and Dietmar Pfahl
(November 2006)
Title: e-Learning in Project Management Using
Simulation Models
-This paper presents and analyzes the results of the
replication of a controlled experiment involving an
e-learning system that uses system-dynamics-based
(SD) simulation capabilities to facilitate a dialogue
between the student and the computer.
Bidirectional exchange is not achieved with most
current e-learning systems. In the e-learning
application under study, simulation capabilities are
applied to learn certain software project
management techniques.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Current e-learning systems are increasing their
importance in higher education. However, the state
of the art of e-learning applications, besides the
state of the practice, does not achieve the level of
the interactivity that current learning theories
advocate.
LIT.REVIEW
-System dynamics (SD) is an approach to the
modelling and simulation of systems. SD has been
successfully applied in social, biological, and
economical domains and more recently, to the
domain of the software engineering (SE).
-The application of SD to the field of software
development is based on many interacting factors
throughout the software life cycle can have impact
on the cost and schedule of the project and the
quality of the product.
-In educational applications, the complexity of SD

-Currently, NPTEL provides e-learning through
web and video courses in engineering, science
and humanities. Who used ICT for student
assessment found that ICTs can facilitate the best
aspects of assessment through web-based tests
for practice and self-assessment, assessment of
group work.
-The students found the software easy to use and
were of the opinion that it helped them improve
their skills and understanding. The study has
shown that not only learning but also
performance of students in end-term examination
are amply improved by using e-learning tools in
engineering education.
METHODOLOGIES (edit)
*First survey
-Gather information from faculty members about
the existing use of basic
ICT tools in engineering classrooms and
laboratories.
-Respondents were asked to rate their current
usage of ICT tools (computer based training) and
e-learning tools (web based training) using a 5-
point rating Likert scale ranging from (1=Never
Used to 5=Extensive Used)
-Paper-pencil Delphi method was used in this
survey to gather, organize and prioritize dominant
factors
-Eminent experts (Delphi panelists) redesigned
the survey instrument
*Second survey
-Used to gather information about the use of web
based training tools currently used by the faculty
members.
-The e-mails were send to 80 faculty members to
collect information about existing use of ICT in
institutions of the state of Jammu and Kashmir
-The reliability of the survey instruments were
models can be adequately hidden using ad hoc
graphical interfaces similar to those used in
experiment presented below.
-In the context of SE education, apart from the SD-
based Project Simulator , only a few simulation-
based, e-learning applications exist. The behavior of
the underlying simulation model is demonstrated
by investigating and comparing different strategies
for software development. Performed an
experiment measuring the knowledge acquired
during a training session by comparing a pretest
completed before the treatment and posttest after
the treatment.
METHODOLOGIES
- The SE module offered by Department of
Computer Science at the University of Reading.
-When the experiment was conducted in Reading,
more than 150 students were taking the SE
module.
-The instructor invited students to participate in the
experiment on a voluntary basis. From a total 180
students, 30 responded positively, but 11 turned up
on the day of the experiment. The treatment was
divided randomly among the students, solely based
on which computer they selected.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a training session
using SD-based process simulation, participating
students had to take a pretest and a posttest
- The pretest measures the performance of groups
A and B before the treatment, while the posttest
measures the performance of the two groups after
the treatment.
measured by Cronbach’s alpha
-Within the help of Statistical Products and
Service Solutions (SPSS), the data was analyzed for
calculating mean, standard deviation, percentage,
Cronbach’s alpha, etc
Findings
-The result of the response were taken from the
academic members possessing respectable
degrees which is 37.50% Ph. D holders, 52.08%
Master degree holders and 10.42% were Bachelor
degree holders.
- The data from the responden clearly show that
ICT is not used widely by the academic members.
However, in some cases its usage was moderately
practiced in seminar work, laboratory and
classrooms while usage of ICT for project work,
management and assessment was found to be
extremely low.
Conclusion
- Engineering subjects are traditionally difficult to
teach online because of the need for laboratories
and equation manipulation. But modern in
technology over years has permitted
representation of complex structures and objects
by computers or ICT.
-E-learning in engineering institutions exists all
over the world, however, the breadth and depth
of this implementation differs importantly
between nations and across institutions despite
its perceived need and strong desire
RECOMMENDATION
-Knowledge transfer from open and distance
learning to traditional quality systems. It is
believed that the experiences of open and
FINDINGS
-The results indicated that students using e-
learning system with the incorporated SD
simulation model gained a better understanding
about typical behavior patterns of software
development projects.
-The findings of the replicated experiment
corroborates that using SD models increase the
students’ interest in software project management
and also improve their knowledge about typical
project behavior patterns.
-This positive result of the experiment may result
from SD simulation model being integrated into e-
learning systems that achieve the level of
interaction advocated by current learning theories.
CONCLUSION
-The study was completed by replicating an
experiment to gain better insight about its utility in
project management in particular and in higher
education in general. The treatment focused on
problems of project planning and control. In this
work, the SD models were based on a Web
interactive role-play scenario against the control
group without interactive role play.
-An experiment that compares the effectiveness of
SD and BN models in the context of software
project management education is currently in the
planning stage.
RECOMMENDATION
-Models need to be created specific to a domain.
Therefore, expertise is required to model the
attributes, and cause-effect relationships that
distance learning institutions in implementing and
using learning analytics, as well as other tech-
based solutions for the enhancement of quality,
has clear learning value for the rest of the
education and quality assurance community.
Implication
-ICT and e-learning can be applied to improve
efficiency of engineering education whether
offered through traditional or emerging
approaches.
- Therefore, through study of critical successes
factors (CSFs) in light of already recognized factors
and known challenges must be undertaken. This
can help the implementers to frame ICT and e-
learning policy for engineering education for the
state of Jammu and Kashmir.
compose such models.
-Furthermore, once those models have been
created, they need to be validated against the real
world they are modelling.
IMPLICATION
-Problems also exist when applying SD and BN
models. The first set of problem is related to
creation and validation of such models.
-Another problem related to the ease of the use of
the models and tools usually provide graphical user
interfaces, e-learning simulation systems may
require the creation of new interfaces appropriate
to the domain they are modeling to avoid steep
learning curves imposed by too abstract or complex
causal models.