Cookies Policy
The website need some cookies and similar means to function. If you permit us, we will use those means to collect data on your visits for aggregated statistics to improve our service. Find out More
Accept Reject
  • Menu
Publications

Publications by CRACS

2024

Leveraging Large Language Models to Support Authoring Gamified Programming Exercises

Authors
Montella, R; De Vita, CG; Mellone, G; Ciricillo, T; Caramiello, D; Di Luccio, D; Kosta, S; Damasevicius, R; Maskeliunas, R; Queirós, R; Swacha, J;

Publication
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL

Abstract
Featured Application The presented solution can be applied to simplify and hasten the development of gamified programming exercises conforming to the Framework for Gamified Programming Education (FGPE) standard.Abstract Skilled programmers are in high demand, and a critical obstacle to satisfying this demand is the difficulty of acquiring programming skills. This issue can be addressed with automated assessment, which gives fast feedback to students trying to code, and gamification, which motivates them to intensify their learning efforts. Although some collections of gamified programming exercises are available, producing new ones is very demanding. This paper presents GAMAI, an AI-powered exercise gamifier, enriching the Framework for Gamified Programming Education (FGPE) ecosystem. Leveraging large language models, GAMAI enables teachers to effortlessly apply storytelling to describe a gamified scenario, as GAMAI decorates natural language text with the sentences needed by OpenAI APIs to contextualize the prompt. Once a gamified scenario has been generated, GAMAI automatically produces exercise files in a FGPE-compatible format. According to the presented evaluation results, most gamified exercises generated with AI support were ready to be used, with no or minimum human effort, and were positively assessed by students. The usability of the software was also assessed as high by the users. Our research paves the way for a more efficient and interactive approach to programming education, leveraging the capabilities of advanced language models in conjunction with gamification principles.

2024

HEIs teachers' and students' current experience of AI introduction in teaching and learning

Authors
Pinto, MA; Mendonca, MP; Babo, L; Queiros, R; Cruz, M; Mascarenhas, D;

Publication
EEITE 2024 - Proceedings of 2024 5th International Conference in Electronic Engineering, Information Technology and Education

Abstract
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly incorporating artificial i ntelligence (AI) into their learning setup. In this paper, we analyze the results of a survey posed to 152 Higher Education (HE) students and 136 HE educators, of different scientific b ackgrounds, to emphasize the current incorporation of AI in the teaching and learning processes. The results reveal distinct viewpoints from both parties, reflecting diversified l evels o f e xperience, presumptions, and uneasiness. Thirty two percent of the teachers, completing the survey, confirms using AI. Approximately 50% reveal they notice their students using AI to (i) automate routine tasks in or out-ofclass, including check correctness of answers, obtaining real-time feedback; (ii) personalize learning tasks, such as write essays or projects and to illustrate them, and create presentations. A smaller percentage reveals students using AI to produce video content and contrast information learned in class. Alternative means, encompassing using AI at home, to study, to gather information, to sum up ideas in texts, are identified by most teachers as being employed by their students. Students using AI outnumber the teachers, though there are significant d ifferences in some responses, when compared to the teachers' perceptions, for the sames questions. Most of the students prefer AI to study at home, to obtain information to improve or to check an answer. Then a significant number does not exploit AI either to create presentations, write an essay or project, illustrate a project, producing videos, or to contrast information obtained in classes with that collected by AI tools. Regardless of these differences, both parties agree and strongly agree (with 79% of students and 86% of teachers) that AI will affect the HEIs educational process in the future. © 2024 IEEE.

2024

Extending the Quantitative Pattern-Matching Paradigm

Authors
Alves, S; Kesner, D; Ramos, M;

Publication
Programming Languages and Systems - 22nd Asian Symposium, APLAS 2024, Kyoto, Japan, October 22-24, 2024, Proceedings

Abstract
We show how (well-established) type systems based on non-idempotent intersection types can be extended to characterize termination properties of functional programming languages with pattern matching features. To model such programming languages, we use a (weak and closed) ?-calculus integrating a pattern matching mechanism on algebraic data types (ADTs). Remarkably, we also show that this language not only encodes Plotkin’s CBV and CBN ?-calculus as well as other subsuming frameworks, such as the bang-calculus, but can also be used to interpret the semantics of effectful languages with exceptions. After a thorough study of the untyped language, we introduce a type system based on intersection types, and we show through purely logical methods that the set of terminating terms of the language corresponds exactly to that of well-typed terms. Moreover, by considering non-idempotent intersection types, this characterization turns out to be quantitative, i.e. the size of the type derivation of a term t gives an upper bound for the number of evaluation steps from t to its normal form. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

2024

Proceedings 13th International Workshop on Developments in Computational Models

Authors
Alves, S; Mackie, I;

Publication
CoRR

Abstract

2024

Proceedings of the 9th ACM SIGPLAN International Workshop on Type-Driven Development, TyDe 2024, Milan, Italy, 6 September 2024

Authors
Alves, S; Cockx, J;

Publication
TyDe@ICFP

Abstract

2024

Implications of seasonal and daily variation on methane and ammonia emissions from naturally ventilated dairy cattle barns in a Mediterranean climate: A two-year study

Authors
Rodrigues, ARF; Silva, ME; Silva, VF; Maia, MRG; Cabrita, ARJ; Trindade, H; Fonseca, AJM; Pereira, JLS;

Publication
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract
Seasonal and daily variations of gaseous emissions from naturally ventilated dairy cattle barns are important figures for the establishment of effective and specific mitigation plans. The present study aimed to measure methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3) emissions in three naturally ventilated dairy cattle barns covering the four seasons for two consecutive years. In each barn, air samples from five indoor locations were drawn by a multipoint sampler to a photoacoustic infrared multigas monitor, along with temperature and relative humidity. Milk production data were also recorded. Results showed seasonal differences for CH4 and NH3 emissions in the three barns with no clear trends within years. Globally, diel CH4 emissions increased in the daytime with high intra-hour variability. The average hourly CH4 emissions (g h-1 livestock unit- 1 (LU)) varied from 8.1 to 11.2 and 6.2 to 20.3 in the dairy barn 1, from 10.1 to 31.4 and 10.9 to 22.8 in the dairy barn 2, and from 1.5 to 8.2 and 13.1 to 22.1 in the dairy barn 3, respectively, in years 1 and 2. Diel NH3 emissions highly varied within hours and increased in the daytime. The average hourly NH3 emissions (g h-1 LU-1) varied from 0.78 to 1.56 and 0.50 to 1.38 in the dairy barn 1, from 1.04 to 3.40 and 0.93 to 1.98 in the dairy barn 2, and from 0.66 to 1.32 and 1.67 to 1.73 in the dairy barn 3, respectively, in years 1 and 2. Moreover, the emission factors of CH4 and NH3 were 309.5 and 30.6 (g day- 1 LU-1), respectively, for naturally ventilated dairy cattle barns. Overall, this study provided a detailed characterization of seasonal and daily gaseous emissions variations highlighting the need for future longitudinal emission studies and identifying an opportunity to better adequate the existing mitigation strategies according to season and daytime.

  • 5
  • 198