Imran Zualkernan | American University of Sharjah (original) (raw)

Papers by Imran Zualkernan

Research paper thumbnail of Using Crowd-Funding as a Motivational Device for Crowd-Sourcing Assessments from Teachers

EDULEARN14 Proceedings, 2014

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Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Grade Point Average of Engineering Students Using Deep Learning Techniques

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2021

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Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the FixMatch Semi-Supervised Algorithm for Unbalanced Image Data

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Research paper thumbnail of A Decision Tool for Selecting a Sustainable Learning Technology Intervention

Educational Technology & Society, Jul 1, 2016

Introduction Any nation's development is related to the literate ability of its people (UNESC... more Introduction Any nation's development is related to the literate ability of its people (UNESCO, 2014). Nations recognise that an educated citizenry is better equipped to develop and advance its society. Therefore, nations invest heavily in education and learning projects. Despite these investments, global illiteracy remains high. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO, 2014) has linked poor literacy to bad educational initiatives, reporting that one in four young people living in developing countries lack basic literacy skills. In this paper, we address the issue of how a typical developing country can approach the problem of selecting a sustainable learning technology intervention (LTI). Solving this problem will allow more sustainable LTIs to be selected for implementation, increase the efficiency with which scarce resources are utilised and eventually improve access to education for all. Learning interventions are usually assessed independently based on their individual benefits and drawbacks in specific circumstances. Attewell (2005) for instance, reported on a mobile learning (m-learning) project with disadvantaged European youth while other studies by Arbaugh and Duray (2002); Begicevic, Divjak, and Hunjak (2007); Packham, Jones, Miller, and Brychan (2004); and Wu and Chen (2013) all assessed electronic learning (elearning) implementation in higher education. Other studies reported include Norbrook and Scott's (2003) study into using mobile phones for foreign language learning and Kim's (2009) research into m-learning for underserved populations in Latin America. While these earlier studies all explored individual learning interventions in particular contexts, our study is the first of its kind to develop a comprehensive framework for assessing a collection of LTIs and selecting the most sustainable. We begin the paper by defining key terms, then review the literature on nine LTIs and their applications. We further explain the methodology used, describing in detail the future search conference and the analytical network process and their bases in the literature. We then build the decision tool and apply it to select a sustainable LTI. We conclude the paper by mentioning limitations of the study and suggesting directions for future research. Background Sustainable development "Sustainable" traditionally refers to something that can continue long into the future. Where educational interventions are concerned, a sustainable LTI is one that works well enough in practice to justify its continued implementation (Sterling, 2001). This implies that the LTI not only enhances learning immediately, but also well into the future. Assessing LTIs using the sustainability standard therefore requires that both present and future benefits are fully considered. Learning technology interventions The Association for Learning Technology (http://www.alt.ac.uk/) defines learning technology as the "broad range of communication, information and related technologies that can be used to support learning, teaching, and assessment." This comprehensive definition encompasses a wide variety of technologies from e-learning and mlearning to educational radio and television programmes. We conducted a literature search to reveal several LTIs that have facilitated learning in different contexts. We then selected nine LTIs from this list. The nine LTIs are: educational radio, educational television, mobile phones and applications, ubiquitous learning, school on wheels, one-laptop or tablet personal computer (PC) per child, massive open online courses (MOOCs), Internet cafes and remote online tutoring. What follows is a precis of the literature on these LTIs. Educational radio Radio is an effective medium for communicating with large audiences, even recognised by UNESCO (2006) as having significant potential for literacy development. …

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Research paper thumbnail of Selecting a Sustainable Learning Technology Intervention for Development: An Analytic Network Process Approach

ICERI2013 Proceedings, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Intelligent accident detection classification using mobile phones

Road accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality. While most accidents merely affect the... more Road accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality. While most accidents merely affect the exterior of the cars of the drivers involved, some of them have led to serious and fatal injuries. It is imperative that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are given as much information about the crash site as possible before their arrival at the scene. In this paper, a mobile phone application is developed that, when placed inside a car, intelligently classifies the type of accident it is involved in and notifies the EMS team of this classification along with the car's GPS location. The classification mechanism is built through a collection of data sets from a simulation of three types of collisions, which creates a knowledge base for an artificial intelligence-based classifier software. The experimental setup for data collection and the functionality of the mobile phone application called ‘Crash Detect’ are explored.

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Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Macro-Level Educational Analytics to Improve Public Schools in a Developing Country

INTED2015 Proceedings, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Using Pentaho to Implement an End-To-End Educational Analytics Process in a Developing Country

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics to Establish Fidelity in Educational Interventions

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of An MQTT-Based Just-In-Time Curriculum Feedback System

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Designing Star Schemas for Assessment Educational Analytics Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Using Educational Analytics to Refine Theories of Change in Technology-Based Educational Interventions in Developing Countries

EDULEARN15 Proceedings, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Towards Ontology-Driven Heuristic Assessment Generation for Software Design Patterns

... Patterns Imran A. Zualkernan, Maha Shouman American University of Sharjah {izualkernan,mshoum... more ... Patterns Imran A. Zualkernan, Maha Shouman American University of Sharjah {izualkernan,mshouman}@aus.edu Abstract ... methodology. In other words, how does one assess a software engineer's learning of a particular design pattern? ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Towards a Software Product Line Methodology for Qti-Based Assessment Systems

EDULEARN10 Proceedings, 2010

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Research paper thumbnail of Representational breakdown in expert system development

... Representational breakdown in expert system development. Author: Imran Ahmed Zualkernan, Publ... more ... Representational breakdown in expert system development. Author: Imran Ahmed Zualkernan, Publication: ?? Doctoral Dissertation, ... top of page ABSTRACT. An abstract is not available. top of page AUTHORS. Imran Ahmed Zualkernan No contact information provided yet. ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Using a Traveling Van to Deliver Blended Learning in a Developing Country

ABSTRACT This paper presents the design, deployment and evaluation of a blended learning interven... more ABSTRACT This paper presents the design, deployment and evaluation of a blended learning intervention that used Khan Academy videos to teach Grade IV and Grade V Mathematics to children in a developing country. A unique aspect of this learning intervention was the use of a self-contained, satellite-enabled learning van that visited a school once every two weeks to provide learning access to children and teachers in remote areas. Pedagogy included teacher mentoring and structured feedback to students and teachers based on online formative and summative assessments using Android tablets. Six pairs of control and treatment groups were used to evaluate this intervention. Based on results of standardized test instruments, the treatment groups outperformed the control groups in five out of six cases, observed effects were from 0.86 to 2.5 indicating that the approach worked well.

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Research paper thumbnail of A case study of a college-wide first-year undergraduate engineering course

European Journal of Engineering Education, Apr 1, 2014

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Research paper thumbnail of Pragmatic Testing Methods for Expert Systems

International Journal on Artificial Intelligence Tools, Jun 1, 1993

Effective testing of expert systems is an important but difficult task. In this paper we discuss ... more Effective testing of expert systems is an important but difficult task. In this paper we discuss why testing of expert systems is hard. For testing expert systems, testing techniques from conventional software engineering are adapted as a solution to these problems. We discuss the feasibility and application of black-box, white-box, and life-cycle testing techniques to expert systems. Black-box techniques include random, input partition and output partition testing. White-box techniques include path based partition, cause-effect graph, dynamic-flow, data-flow, and ablation testing. The use of these methods is demonstrated by applying the techniques to an industrial expert system. The results obtained are 1) random testing is feasible for expert systems with a small input space, 2) effectiveness of partition testing depends on the partition criteria, however, partition testing points out failure-prone partitions, 3) cause-effect testing is suitable for large expert systems if it is well decomposed, 4) dynamic-flow testing depends on the number of paths in solution and design specifications, 5) data-flow testing is feasible only if define-use pairs are obtained automatically, 6) ablation testing helps in pointing out discrepancies between specification and implementation. The overall result is that the expert systems can be treated as any other software and all the conventional software engineering testing techniques can be used to test expert systems.

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Research paper thumbnail of Expertise and fit: Aspects of cognition

American Psychological Association eBooks, Dec 30, 2004

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Research paper thumbnail of Competency Maturity Levels of Engineering Graduates and the Abet Criteria

INTED2009 Proceedings, 2009

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Research paper thumbnail of Using Crowd-Funding as a Motivational Device for Crowd-Sourcing Assessments from Teachers

EDULEARN14 Proceedings, 2014

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Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Grade Point Average of Engineering Students Using Deep Learning Techniques

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2021

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Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the FixMatch Semi-Supervised Algorithm for Unbalanced Image Data

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Research paper thumbnail of A Decision Tool for Selecting a Sustainable Learning Technology Intervention

Educational Technology & Society, Jul 1, 2016

Introduction Any nation's development is related to the literate ability of its people (UNESC... more Introduction Any nation's development is related to the literate ability of its people (UNESCO, 2014). Nations recognise that an educated citizenry is better equipped to develop and advance its society. Therefore, nations invest heavily in education and learning projects. Despite these investments, global illiteracy remains high. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO, 2014) has linked poor literacy to bad educational initiatives, reporting that one in four young people living in developing countries lack basic literacy skills. In this paper, we address the issue of how a typical developing country can approach the problem of selecting a sustainable learning technology intervention (LTI). Solving this problem will allow more sustainable LTIs to be selected for implementation, increase the efficiency with which scarce resources are utilised and eventually improve access to education for all. Learning interventions are usually assessed independently based on their individual benefits and drawbacks in specific circumstances. Attewell (2005) for instance, reported on a mobile learning (m-learning) project with disadvantaged European youth while other studies by Arbaugh and Duray (2002); Begicevic, Divjak, and Hunjak (2007); Packham, Jones, Miller, and Brychan (2004); and Wu and Chen (2013) all assessed electronic learning (elearning) implementation in higher education. Other studies reported include Norbrook and Scott's (2003) study into using mobile phones for foreign language learning and Kim's (2009) research into m-learning for underserved populations in Latin America. While these earlier studies all explored individual learning interventions in particular contexts, our study is the first of its kind to develop a comprehensive framework for assessing a collection of LTIs and selecting the most sustainable. We begin the paper by defining key terms, then review the literature on nine LTIs and their applications. We further explain the methodology used, describing in detail the future search conference and the analytical network process and their bases in the literature. We then build the decision tool and apply it to select a sustainable LTI. We conclude the paper by mentioning limitations of the study and suggesting directions for future research. Background Sustainable development "Sustainable" traditionally refers to something that can continue long into the future. Where educational interventions are concerned, a sustainable LTI is one that works well enough in practice to justify its continued implementation (Sterling, 2001). This implies that the LTI not only enhances learning immediately, but also well into the future. Assessing LTIs using the sustainability standard therefore requires that both present and future benefits are fully considered. Learning technology interventions The Association for Learning Technology (http://www.alt.ac.uk/) defines learning technology as the "broad range of communication, information and related technologies that can be used to support learning, teaching, and assessment." This comprehensive definition encompasses a wide variety of technologies from e-learning and mlearning to educational radio and television programmes. We conducted a literature search to reveal several LTIs that have facilitated learning in different contexts. We then selected nine LTIs from this list. The nine LTIs are: educational radio, educational television, mobile phones and applications, ubiquitous learning, school on wheels, one-laptop or tablet personal computer (PC) per child, massive open online courses (MOOCs), Internet cafes and remote online tutoring. What follows is a precis of the literature on these LTIs. Educational radio Radio is an effective medium for communicating with large audiences, even recognised by UNESCO (2006) as having significant potential for literacy development. …

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Research paper thumbnail of Selecting a Sustainable Learning Technology Intervention for Development: An Analytic Network Process Approach

ICERI2013 Proceedings, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Intelligent accident detection classification using mobile phones

Road accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality. While most accidents merely affect the... more Road accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality. While most accidents merely affect the exterior of the cars of the drivers involved, some of them have led to serious and fatal injuries. It is imperative that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are given as much information about the crash site as possible before their arrival at the scene. In this paper, a mobile phone application is developed that, when placed inside a car, intelligently classifies the type of accident it is involved in and notifies the EMS team of this classification along with the car's GPS location. The classification mechanism is built through a collection of data sets from a simulation of three types of collisions, which creates a knowledge base for an artificial intelligence-based classifier software. The experimental setup for data collection and the functionality of the mobile phone application called ‘Crash Detect’ are explored.

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Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Macro-Level Educational Analytics to Improve Public Schools in a Developing Country

INTED2015 Proceedings, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Using Pentaho to Implement an End-To-End Educational Analytics Process in a Developing Country

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics to Establish Fidelity in Educational Interventions

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of An MQTT-Based Just-In-Time Curriculum Feedback System

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Designing Star Schemas for Assessment Educational Analytics Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory

EDULEARN proceedings, Jul 1, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Using Educational Analytics to Refine Theories of Change in Technology-Based Educational Interventions in Developing Countries

EDULEARN15 Proceedings, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Towards Ontology-Driven Heuristic Assessment Generation for Software Design Patterns

... Patterns Imran A. Zualkernan, Maha Shouman American University of Sharjah {izualkernan,mshoum... more ... Patterns Imran A. Zualkernan, Maha Shouman American University of Sharjah {izualkernan,mshouman}@aus.edu Abstract ... methodology. In other words, how does one assess a software engineer's learning of a particular design pattern? ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Towards a Software Product Line Methodology for Qti-Based Assessment Systems

EDULEARN10 Proceedings, 2010

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Research paper thumbnail of Representational breakdown in expert system development

... Representational breakdown in expert system development. Author: Imran Ahmed Zualkernan, Publ... more ... Representational breakdown in expert system development. Author: Imran Ahmed Zualkernan, Publication: ?? Doctoral Dissertation, ... top of page ABSTRACT. An abstract is not available. top of page AUTHORS. Imran Ahmed Zualkernan No contact information provided yet. ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Using a Traveling Van to Deliver Blended Learning in a Developing Country

ABSTRACT This paper presents the design, deployment and evaluation of a blended learning interven... more ABSTRACT This paper presents the design, deployment and evaluation of a blended learning intervention that used Khan Academy videos to teach Grade IV and Grade V Mathematics to children in a developing country. A unique aspect of this learning intervention was the use of a self-contained, satellite-enabled learning van that visited a school once every two weeks to provide learning access to children and teachers in remote areas. Pedagogy included teacher mentoring and structured feedback to students and teachers based on online formative and summative assessments using Android tablets. Six pairs of control and treatment groups were used to evaluate this intervention. Based on results of standardized test instruments, the treatment groups outperformed the control groups in five out of six cases, observed effects were from 0.86 to 2.5 indicating that the approach worked well.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A case study of a college-wide first-year undergraduate engineering course

European Journal of Engineering Education, Apr 1, 2014

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Pragmatic Testing Methods for Expert Systems

International Journal on Artificial Intelligence Tools, Jun 1, 1993

Effective testing of expert systems is an important but difficult task. In this paper we discuss ... more Effective testing of expert systems is an important but difficult task. In this paper we discuss why testing of expert systems is hard. For testing expert systems, testing techniques from conventional software engineering are adapted as a solution to these problems. We discuss the feasibility and application of black-box, white-box, and life-cycle testing techniques to expert systems. Black-box techniques include random, input partition and output partition testing. White-box techniques include path based partition, cause-effect graph, dynamic-flow, data-flow, and ablation testing. The use of these methods is demonstrated by applying the techniques to an industrial expert system. The results obtained are 1) random testing is feasible for expert systems with a small input space, 2) effectiveness of partition testing depends on the partition criteria, however, partition testing points out failure-prone partitions, 3) cause-effect testing is suitable for large expert systems if it is well decomposed, 4) dynamic-flow testing depends on the number of paths in solution and design specifications, 5) data-flow testing is feasible only if define-use pairs are obtained automatically, 6) ablation testing helps in pointing out discrepancies between specification and implementation. The overall result is that the expert systems can be treated as any other software and all the conventional software engineering testing techniques can be used to test expert systems.

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Research paper thumbnail of Expertise and fit: Aspects of cognition

American Psychological Association eBooks, Dec 30, 2004

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Competency Maturity Levels of Engineering Graduates and the Abet Criteria

INTED2009 Proceedings, 2009

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