Appling visual learning in the teaching of software measurement concepts

• Published in: International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering
• Main Authors: Cuadrado-Gallego, juan José, Martin Herrera, Borja, Pastor López, Oscar, Marín, Beatriz
• Other Authors: Universitat Politècnica de València. Departamento de Sistemas Informáticos y Computación - Departament de Sistemes Informàtics i Computació, Universitat Politècnica de València. Centro de Investigación en Métodos de Producción de Software - Centre d'Investigació en Mètodes de Producció de Software, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Generalitat Valenciana, Universidad de Alcalá
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: World Scientific Publishing 2011
• Subjects: Project; Abstract concept; Education systems; Focus of Attention; Functional size measurement methods; Human being; Learning models; Mental process; Physical characteristics; Technological advances; LENGUAJES Y SISTEMAS INFORMATICOS; Orca
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10251/39550; https://doi.org/10.1142/S021819401100530X

Applying new learning methodologies in education, such as visual learning based on virtual reality and three-dimensional (3D) environments, is an important aspect in education, since it offers possibilities that can remarkably improve the current education system. Technological advances, along with the chance to create and represent the varying contents offered by information technologies, make the new learning methodologies the focus of attention in the future. Currently, 3D methodologies are only used in Computer Science to improve physical characteristics (virtual laboratories, virtual worlds, etc.), but they are not used to improve the internal mental processes by which human beings understand and retain abstract concepts. In these cases, the use of visual learning helps to clarify them. In Computer Science, particularly in Software measurement courses, the complexity of the concepts is possibly greater than in other courses because there is a lot of learning material that is based on abstract concepts that students find hard to recognize in the real world. In this paper, we present a visual environment that can be used to learn software measurement concepts like the IFPUG functional size measurement method. To validate the new learning model, an experiment was carried out. © 2011 World Scientific Publishing Company. We would like to thank the Alcala University for supporting this research study through the research funds assigned to professor Cuadrado-Gallego under the program I3. We would also like to thank MEC under the project PROS-REQ TIN2010-19130-C02-02 and GVA ORCA PROMETEO/2009/015 for supporting this study. Cuadrado-Gallego, JJ.; Martin Herrera, B.; Pastor López, O.; Marín, B. (2011). Appling visual learning in the teaching of software measurement concepts. International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering. 21(3):431-446. https://doi.org/10.1142/S021819401100530X S 431 446 21 3 Skinner, B. F. (1950). Are theories of learning necessary? Psychological Review, ...