Assessing students' conceptual knowledge of computer networks in open wonderland

Kavya Alse, Lakshmi Ganesh, Prajish Prasad, Maiga Chang, Sridhar Iyer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingPublished Conference contributionpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Computer Networks, an undergraduate computer science course, is taught through a variety of new technological tools but more attention on assessment strategies using those technological tools is desirable. Research studies have shown that assessment methods also influence students' learning. Current assessment techniques, even those which include technology, focus more on summative assessment rather than formative. Formative assessment is necessary for teaching and assessment of complex skills like troubleshooting or network design. Therefore, there exists a need for assessments to capture students' problem solving process and chosen approaches during the assessment. By tracking a student's behaviors in an immersive assessment environment, the path that the student takes towards the solution can be studied. Virtual Worlds are naturally immersive environments and can be effectively used to record interactions that students made in the worlds. We have developed NetWorld in Open Wonderland, an open source software for creating 3D virtual worlds. NetWorld is a 3D virtual world built for detailed assessment of computer network concepts for computer science undergraduate students. This detailed assessment happens at 3 levels - conceptual understanding, diagnostic abilities and the ability to design a network. This paper describes the design principles and implementation of NetWorld and a plan to evaluate its usability.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings - IEEE 16th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, ICALT 2016
EditorsJ. Michael Spector, Chin-Chung Tsai, Ronghuai Huang, Paul Resta, Demetrios G Sampson, Kinshuk, Nian-Shing Chen
Pages513-517
Number of pages5
ISBN (Electronic)9781467390415
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Nov. 2016
Event16th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, ICALT 2016 - Austin, United States
Duration: 25 Jul. 201628 Jul. 2016

Publication series

NameProceedings - IEEE 16th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, ICALT 2016

Conference

Conference16th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, ICALT 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAustin
Period25/07/1628/07/16

Keywords

  • Computer networks
  • Conceptual knowledge
  • E-assessment
  • Open wonderland
  • Simulations
  • Trouble shooting
  • Virtual world

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