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Publicações

2025

Impact of virtual reality learning environments on skills development in students with ASD

Autores
Silva, RM; Martins, P; Rocha, T;

Publicação
COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION OPEN

Abstract
Background: Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often face significant challenges in traditional educational environments, including difficulties in social interaction, engagement, and adapting to standard learning methods. These barriers can hinder their academic and personal development, highlighting the need for more inclusive and adaptive educational solutions. Objective: This study investigated whether immersive VR-based STEM learning environments can support the cognitive, social and behavioural development of pupils with ASD. We evaluated usability and accessibility needs, validated the artefact through expert consensus, and measured pre-post changes using established standardised instruments. Methodology: The research followed the Design Science Research (DSR) approach within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to develop VR-based learning experiences adapted to the needs of students with ASD. The Delphi method involved experts in defining best practices and educational strategies, helping to ensure that the proposed solutions were appropriate and aligned with student characteristics. The study included a control and an experimental group, both composed of students with ASD and typically developing students, assessing the impact of VR on learning and socialisation. Results: The findings suggest that VR-based learning environments may support improvements in cognitive, behavioural and social skills, although causal inference is limited by the small sample size and absence of randomisation. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that VR-based learning environments may help address educational barriers for students with ASD by offering structured, engaging and adaptable environments that could support inclusion and development.

2025

Exploring Documentation Strategies for NFR in Agile Software Development

Autores
Moreira, I; Adolfo, LB; Melegati, J; Choma, J; Guerra, E; Zaina, L;

Publicação
XP

Abstract
Abstract Companies adopt agile methodologies for various reasons, primarily due to their adaptability to change and evolving business demands. In this context, addressing non-functional requirements (NFRs) may not always be a priority and can present challenges for agile teams. The focus on User Stories present in agile methods and tools often does not offer explicit alternatives for documenting NFRs. In this research, we perform a survey to explore five different strategies for documenting NFRs, to identify which fits better for different types of quality attributes and to understand the strengths and drawbacks of each one. As a result, the participants considered certain strategies as being more or less suitable for specifying different types of quality attributes. For instance, while Story Labeling was rarely recommended for security requirements, using Story Sub-sections or Verification Rules were highly recommended for this kind of quality attribute. Our results also evaluated the strategies considering several factors, such as the level of detail and requirement duplication. As a practical implication, the results of this work can provide guidance to agile development teams in choosing the most suitable alternative for each NFR documentation.

2025

Prioritisation of Studies In Sustainable Urban Mobility Via Fuzzy-Topsis: A Methodological Approach For Systematic Reviews

Autores
Arianna Teixeira Pereira; Janielle Da Silva Lago; Yvelyne Bianca Iunes Santos; Bruno Miguel Delindro Veloso; Norma Ely Santos Beltrão;

Publicação
Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental

Abstract
Objective: This study investigates the applicability of systematic methods in the identification and evaluation of studies on sustainable urban mobility, providing subsidies to guide managers and policymakers in the development of efficient and environmentally responsible public policies.   Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) associated with the Fuzzy-TOPSIS method, a multi-criteria model capable of evaluating and prioritizing studies considering the imprecision inherent in decision-making processes. The PICO technique was used to define the analysis criteria, and the PRISMA protocol ensured the transparency and replicability of the results. Six criteria were established in the qualitative analyses for treatment in the Fuzzy-TOPSIS method.   Results and Discussion: The proposed approach proved effective in selecting the most relevant studies. The discussion points to the need to integrate Fuzzy-TOPSIS with complementary methods, such as DEMATEL and Social Network Analysis (SNA), in order to improve the modeling of causal relationships and strengthen the reliability of prioritization.   Research Implications: The results offer important insights for urban planning and the formulation of public policies, contributing to energy efficiency, reducing GHG emissions and improving the quality of public transport.   Originality/Value: The innovation of this study lies in the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to the analysis of sustainable mobility, providing a robust benchmark that can positively influence practices and strategies in urban management.

2025

Modeling events and interactions through temporal processes: A survey

Autores
Liguori, A; Caroprese, L; Minici, M; Veloso, B; Spinnato, F; Nanni, M; Manco, G; Gama, J;

Publicação
NEUROCOMPUTING

Abstract
In real-world scenarios, numerous phenomena generate a series of events that occur in continuous time. Point processes provide a natural mathematical framework for modeling these event sequences. In this comprehensive survey, we aim to explore probabilistic models that capture the dynamics of event sequences through temporal processes. We revise the notion of event modeling and provide the mathematical foundations that underpin the existing literature on this topic. To structure our survey effectively, we introduce an ontology that categorizes the existing approaches considering three horizontal axes: modeling, inference and estimation, and application. We conduct a systematic review of the existing approaches, with a particular focus on those leveraging deep learning techniques. Finally, we delve into the practical applications where these proposed techniques can be harnessed to address real-world problems related to event modeling. Additionally, we provide a selection of benchmark datasets that can be employed to validate the approaches for point processes.

2025

Mast: interpretable stress testing via meta-learning for forecasting model robustness evaluation

Autores
Inácio, R; Cerqueira, V; Barandas, M; Soares, C;

Publicação
MACHINE LEARNING

Abstract
Evaluating and documenting the robustness of forecasting models to different input conditions is important for their responsible deployment in real-world applications. Time series forecasting models often exhibit degraded performance in the form of unusually large errors, high uncertainty, or hubris (high errors coupled with low uncertainty). Traditional stress testing approaches rely on manually designed adverse scenarios that fail to systematically identify unknown stress factors, in which data characteristics indicate potential issues. To overcome this limitation, this paper introduces MAST (Meta-learning and data Augmentation for Stress Testing), a novel method for stress testing forecasting models. MAST leverages model outputs (error scores and prediction intervals) to automatically identify and characterize input conditions that induce stress. Specifically, MAST is a binary probabilistic classifier that predicts the likelihood of forecasting model stress based on time series features. An additional contribution is a novel time series data augmentation approach based on oversampling or synthetic time series generation, that improves the information about stress factors in the input space, resulting in increased stress classification performance. Experiments were conducted using 6 benchmark datasets containing a total of 97.829 time series. We demonstrate how MAST is able to identify and explain input conditions that lead to manifestations of stress, namely large errors, high uncertainty, or hubris.

2025

Exploratory Test-Driven Development Study with ChatGPT in Different Scenarios

Autores
Pancher, JC; Melegati, J; Guerra, EM;

Publicação
XP

Abstract
Abstract Generative AI has been rapidly adopted by the software development industry in various ways, offering innovative approaches to transforming requirements into working software. Combining Generative AI with Test-Driven Development (TDD) presents a creative method to accelerate this transformation. However, questions remain about ChatGPT’s readiness for this challenge, including the techniques and best practices required for success and the scenarios where this approach can consistently deliver results. To explore these questions, we designed a study where a group of master’s students performed programming assignments using TDD, first independently and then with the support of ChatGPT. The three assignments represent distinct scenarios: mathematical calculations (function), text processing (class), and system integration (class with dependencies). We performed a qualitative analysis of the submitted code and reports identifying key strategies that significantly influence success rates, such as providing contextual information, separating instructions in prompts following an iterative process, and assisting AI in fixing errors. Among the scenarios, the integration task achieved the highest performance. This study highlights the potential of leveraging Generative AI in TDD for software development and presents a list of effective strategies to maximize its impact. By applying these positive strategies and avoiding identified pitfalls, this research marks a step toward establishing best practices for integrating Generative AI with TDD in software engineering.

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