Development and Application of an Integrative Educational Methodology Derived from Object Oriented Paradigm for Entry Level Courses of Engineering and Computer Science

DE OLIVEIRA, Clara Amelia

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Centro Tecnologico- CTC, Depto. de Informatica e de Estatisitica- INE, C.P. 476 - CEP 88040-970 - Florianopolis - SC - Brazil, Phone: 55(48)331-9498, Fax: 55(48)331-9770, clara@inf.ufsc.br, http://www.inf.ufsc.br

Abstract: The present paper discusses about essential aspects, that are related with new trends on Education, performed on Entry Level Computer Science and Engineering Courses. This reflection concerns to high level hierarchy concepts, on XX Century Education. First of all, it is developed a historical perspective of teaching/learning context. There are described pedagogical experiences applied on Introductory Disciplines on Computer Programming, over the last three decades. Each one emphasized one kind of Educational Paradigm of Knowledge Modeling. From this analysis, it can be extracted some interesting global aspects of evolutionary process on Education. From this Educational referred Paradigms, then, emerges the proposal on Integrative Model. This one is able to support methodologies that can be direct derived from natural laws, through high abstraction philosophical references on representational knowledge modeling. The Sequential (Task Oriented), Sequential – Structured (Organizational - Modular Oriented) and Integrative - Reusable (Project, or even Object, Oriented) Paradigms are described. There is suggested, as a pointer to future, the reorientation of values derived from the Paradox between Reusability – Harmony.

Keywords: education, modeling ,integrative, methodology nature.

1 Introduction

Education is, synchronous with society, in a global crisis accelerated process. Educational environment has been discussed, many times focusing methodologies under modern tools as multimedia and virtual reality. But, somehow, an up-grade redefining essential values is been claimed, for the moment. The present study gives central focus on the value of knowledge modeling, contributing, this way, to built a more integrated environment. The present study discusses about educational aspects that brings the adoption of a Methodology based on the Object Oriented Knowledge Representational Paradigm, as an Educational Process guideline. This paradigm is normally employed, as a specialized software development, and design, tool [1]-[2]. Software development, on computer science domain, leads with modeling under a study thematic. Its rules can offer a reference on several applied fields. Educational field is one of those implementation possibilities. The central point is the believe that each proposed model aspect must agree with the natural laws supporting evolutionary process on education, exactly as it occurs in other systems as biology, cosmic physics, and so on.

2 Historical perspective on educational context

Considering that software development works under representation of knowledge, traducing some model of reality claimed, it is, coincident, natural way, related with representation of knowledge on education. Following this perspective, you can perceive that reality representation is related with an historic context of increasing complexity and increasing sophistication, on material and resources. The three computational paradigms to be described below, are the ones employed, as reference, in computer science modeling, over the last three decades. Each one was traduced by important computational languages employed in teaching/learning introductory disciplines on Computer Science and Engineering courses. In essence, they show just the flux of general human evolutionary process, witch is intrinsic related with the educational process.

2.1 Sequential paradigm

Half century ago, the world vision was less complex. Representation of knowledge was predominant task oriented, in a experimental way. It was not so necessary to think specialized way, to solve those typical middle sophisticated problems. The emphasis focus was on the operation implementation sequence. It was important to look to the events occurrence, searching time optimization. Emphasis was over immediate results search. On Computer Science, it was the time from imperative languages and sequential programs, as the popular Fortran language. On Education, it was the emphasized information and its logical sequence. This context direct influenced the composition of the several course curriculum designs. Curriculums, traditionally, were oriented by disciplines with weak vertical bind.

2.2 Structured paradigm

But, as time has passed, the world vision becomes more and more complex. The increased representational systems complexity create a risk to reach any result. Representation of knowledge domain up- grade to modular task oriented. Yet, looking for sets of events that could be organized trough standard blocks or modules. Study domain vision was less fragmented, causing increasing quality, in terms of reusability due to possibilities of standardization of some parts of the problem. Technology supported new levels of complexity. Yet, clarity, and standard patterns were more important then only time optimization. On Computer Science, it was the time of structured languages and modular programs, as the popular Pascal language. On Education, it was emphasized organization of the information through disciplines block as basic and professional ones. The structured think direct influenced courses curriculum design, promoting reusability of some basic disciplines for several courses.

2.3 Integrative paradigm

It comes time of wide world vision or global vision. Technology offers more sophisticated and rapid computer tools. High complex representational systems create new exigencies to software developers. It comes a clear separation of the work, in two levels[3]. The modeling tasks level (the ´ what to do ´ tasks) and the implementation tasks level (the ´ how to do ´ tasks). The goal is, still, to save great amounts of lost money in systems maintenance, or even failure. The representation of knowledge domain up- grade to project task oriented, just a kind of system organization in terms of, somehow, outer levels or vertical hierarchy. On Computer Science, this kind of representation is well known as Object Oriented modeling.

Software reusability comes, not only from standard tasks, but also regarding some more sophisticated form of reuse. Some properties make possible a late bind of software reusability , flexible way. On Education it comes the time to integrate not only disciplines with some vertical bind but, they are distributed around a complete project, as central point, considering, yet, a hierarchy of contents.

This historic perspective, is important because it is more comfortable to discuss about educational models, and its implementation, as an educational methodology, when it is accepted the nature evolutionary process and its omnipresence and omnipotence. This way, those three paradigms represent three levels of increasing knowledge representation evolution.

3 Essential aspects for an education integrative model

It is important to identify some essential aspects, enough abstracts, to be present everywhere, as reference in a model description. The present proposal derives the basic topics to an educational model under inspiration of Object Oriented Modeling principles usually employed on software development systems. The migration, of those essential rules, to education domain is a natural derivation, as you can see by the following transcription. Prof. K. Nygaard [4], has asked himself and aswered, saying: ”Object Oriented Principles was discovered or invented? Derived.” The deep sense from his answer is that those principles are implicit in nature and they are just there, waiting for our derivation and systematization.

3.1 Philosophical references to built na integrative model for education proposals

To begin, it is interesting to define, the three human mind basic operations emphasized by Object Oriented paradigm. They can be traduced by the three principles of classification, generalization and aggregation that will contribute to built a model, also for education. Integrative, here, has always the sense of nature process where all tend to be together.

Abstraction, its the human way to lead with complexity. People think in a increasing complexity process, employing abstraction principle. People organize self knowledge through classification process to understand reality. So, through human abstractions nature is filtered, but never, fragmented, only simplified.

The high abstract level, under a vertical hierarchy, is the general level and keep the essence of the knowledge about some studied category. This way, reality is modeled in several levels that can be harmonic jointed. Specialized aspects can be focusing by the creation of new categories, descendent from the general one. The old and general category, already done, can be integrated with the news, under a principle named late bind. Flexibility has to do with this space to evolution, increasing growth, with certain order, respecting a more general hierarchy organization. The presence of this conscience is a great lesson because it is equivalent to the concept of ecology, present on the complex nature system.

Aggregation / Decomposition operations are the practical way to lead with internal control, ordering, focusing details and returning, again, to the whole, for understanding, with comfort, the problem domain. This is a kind of inner hierarchy that could,also, be said, horizontal hierarchy. This principle, applied on education, concerns to mind organization and control of the internal domain questions.

Those three principles, inherent in the nature state, was first derived in Computer Science Modeling domain, under the name of Object Oriented approach, by Prof. Kristen Nygaard, author of Simula Language, on the years sixties. They strongly influenced computer languages structures, yet in a more integrated way. Because of this influence in thinking and modeling reality, they can migrate towards teaching/ learning context.

Figure 1. Essential Operations Equivalence on Several Domains

3.2 Eco conscience through vertical and horizontal integration

Under human look, all nature systems are divided by categories. When man integrate the inner vision, a kind of information horizontal hierarchy with outer vision, a kind of information vertical hierarchy, he gets system perspective or ecological conscience of the whole, from all the possible positions on the system.

4 Essential aspects for an education integrative methodology

The central question is to work on natural laws, considering the experiments- events, following some process dynamics that brings to evolution amplifying, gradually , the knowledge domain.

The three philosophic principles from educational model, already described are intrinsic related with the ones to be implemented in a integrative methodology. A resume of those principles is presented in Figure1.How to get integration? Creating a high global level thematic, as reference for knowledge bind. Around the central reference, it comes all the details, but, always looking for the process vision given by the thematic[5].

4.1 The three basic methodology directives

Methodology First Directive- abstraction, classification. Employing abstraction, it is the way to begin a thematic discussion from its essence to its specialized domains. What is important, under the thematic orientation perspective, is that each proposal is itself complete and the several proposals follow, increasing details towards specification (internal hierarchy), or even, hierarchy under a whole, and, specialization (external hierarchy), or even, hierarchy between wholes. For example, analyzing a Machine category, considering its essential aspects. The study can develop to increasing knowledge about this category.

Methodology Second Directive- Employing the approach from thematic with long life cycle duration, points out a natural order of study. As it is resumed in Figure 2. Classification from general to specialized aspects is a manner that transport knowledge from a class to other correlated. For example, the study from the Machine category can, yet, develop towards Electronic Machine category, a more specialized class. The knowledge already studied on the general category from machines can be reused. In addition, this approach permits to modify, if necessary, some aspects by subscribing them on the specialized category.

Methodology Third Directive- Employing details focus around the thematic central axis.

The approach from thematic of long life cycle duration permits to give focus, on the day by day classroom activities, to inner details subdividing the category on a kind of internal hierarchy. This new category, can aggregate details from this specific whole regarding domain control. For example, it can be focused some details from a machine that can, itself be subdivided in another class, said a inner class from the machine domain class. Analyzing those principles, their application contributes to the important aspect of the methodology that is process view, under a thematic of long life cycle duration. The chosen from a thematic with those characteristics facilitate this unicity to knowledge bind. The third principle contributes, on the other side, to the necessary inner knowledge, to pieces of information with event perspective or short life cycle knowledge bind. Focusing details under a same thematic give the movement between parts and whole, and also, between more than one level of wholes.

Figure 2. Example of Thematic Oriented Integrative Approach on Education

4.2 The basic steps of the methodology

The following proposed steps consider a certain order, that goes from general to specialized levels of knowledge domain, or, from thematic to projects and proposals.

Step 1 – chose a central thematic adequate abstraction level for necessary process vision. Begin with essential aspects, permitting expansions direction inner hierarchy on details or outer hierarchy on specialized projects related to it. Considering the object of study as a category of knowledge, the right level is neither too high nor too low, as says Booch [6] pp.147, about identification of key abstractions and mechanisms in project design. There is to stay with those relevant elements for the project design under the thematic.

Step 2- develop the thematic oriented knowledge domain, ascendant direction, aggregating aspects around the axis given by the unique thematic. This promotes process view because the strong thematic reference .From essence to details knowledge domain is improved. This principle is not new, it has already implicit appear, on the years seventy, when the author Malvino presented the ‘Simple as Possible’ approach on his book titled ‘Microprocessors and Microcomputers’, [7].

Step 3- develop the thematic oriented knowledge domain, under movement around the axis. Aggregating specifics aspects from several sources around the thematic axis. It is equivalent to the spin or rotation movement around the axis. This promotes the also necessary event view focusing attention in little details of implementation under the thematic. This movement gives liberty to several grades of specification but conscience of the wide whole because of thematic reference. This gives the dynamics to the process amplifying view.

4.3 Analysing the three steps methodology

The clock, associate to a pedagogical process under this proposal, suggests synchrony with long life cycle process (thematic life cycle).

The high level abstraction chosen permits to discuss concepts and implementation always complete way. But the dynamic given by the central axis promotes gradually knowledge evolution. This is quite important, specially concerning beginners context on education.

The accumulated knowledge under thematic orientation, favors flexibility for student, that, by self rhythm, can arrive to a good conceptual level. And, in addition, it makes easy to transfer conceptual knowledge from a domain to another.

Finally, the proposed general thematic orientation reference facilitates pedagogical process continuity, due from the long life cycle duration thematic axis. It, also, permits the connection between the apparent discontinuous sum of events(some classroom activity) and the whole(thematic). Event can be the a discussion just from a subjective theoretical concept till a little and very objective experiment activity.

4.4 Process evaluation under an integrative proposal

New parameters of evaluation supported by natural laws brings to new process of evaluation. The reference parameter is no more immediate results. More liberty between activities in the course of the process (day by day short life cycles processes or activities) to find all together at the end of the broad life cycle process(whole discipline or block of disciplines). This is related with potentiality aspects (due to evolutionary approach) but don´t be afraid because there is a time to reach all together. However, the pedagogical process is no magic and depends on student self decision.

Considering course oriented to projects, each contents topics belong to a project associated with a thematic, as central axis. Some practical evaluation parameters can be analyzed. Examination test or contents evaluation parameter: Consider results always from whole activities from proof plus implementation when experimental aspect, or, from revision and conclusion when theoretical, but always bided under the thematic axis.

Integrated vision of contents under evaluation : On thematic as a great project axis, there is no more sense for isolated contents evaluation, as a calculus just alone. The contents must appear in the right moment they are needed in a whole project.

Tribute paid under fragmented view on education: It is important to say a word in defense of the global creative students. They have paid a tribute under the fragmented vision of system evaluation under tests with limited time and very specific topics. Many times, those test have a very weak or faraway bind with something of high significance, as their course thematic. The still practiced and traditional fragmented knowledge educational approach, makes all in right place somewhere in the future, under the name of after disciplinary process. This could be an answer on the traditional educational point of view, but, this idea is not more enough, to justify a fragmentation today. In a world of global ware, education must walk to global process and stimulate global vision to all students.

5 Conclusions

On Educational Context:

The proposal above discussed has been implemented on disciplines over the specific Entry Level Courses context and over the specific Computer Science and Engineering domain.

It becomes, implicit, the liberty to build, creative way, a course configuration based on this integrative vision, depending, exclusively, on the grade of integration accorded, as convenient, on the specific cultural/environmental context. It can be configured from only one high abstract project that supports a whole course contents integration, till several projects, middle way, that can divide a course per area, etc. What is important is to begin the movement towards increasing integrative mentality, considering necessity of operational viability always under the perspective of evolution, as time goes by. Self experience denotes that course support if necessary to effectiveness on those broad changes on educational perspective.

And what’s about the future? On Educational context, there is to say that a correct level chosen thematic can contribute, with less cost, as sometimes, inversions demanded by instrumentation and training people on modern educational environments. By the other side, the central axis thematic orientation is an alternative that integrate itself harmonic with those material resources inversions.

References