Prolog programming techniques

In this paper we introduce the concept of a Prolog programming technique. This concept is then distinguished both from that of an algorithm and that of a programming cliché. We give examples and show how a knowledge of them can be useful in both programming environments and in teaching programming skills. The extraction of the various techniques is outlined. Finally, we discuss the problem of representing techniques where we conclude that the most promising approach is the development of a suitable meta-language.     

Learning in a sheltered Internet environment: The use of WebQuests

The present study investigated the effects on learning in a sheltered Internet environment using so-called WebQuests in elementary school classrooms in the Netherlands. A WebQuest is an assignment presented together with a series of web pages to help guide children's learning. The learning gains and quality of the work of 229 sixth graders participating in either a free-search Google condition or a closed-search WebQuest condition were compared. The closed-search condition showed the highest learning gains for boys. Children's information processing and linguistic skills generally influenced their learning gains and did not interact with condition. A difference in the quality of writing for the two conditions was also found with the language quality being higher in the free-search condition.     

Learning environment of a distance and partly-distance postgraduate coursework programs

Learning Environments Research - To provide ongoing learning for busy professionals, universities are increasingly offering postgraduate opportunities by distance and online. This research examined...     

Learning strategies in an 'ideal' computer-based learning environment

An experiment was conducted with 30 postgraduate students to discover how they might go about learning from an 'ideal' computer-based environment. A system was created which preserved the appearance of a computer-based interaction, yet which freed itself from the constraints of current technology. The students, although not aware of this at the time, were in fact interacting with two human experts, backed up with appropriate documentation and computer files, via a computer screen. The results suggest a number of different learning strategies linked to relatively successful and less successful learning. Implications for the design of computer-based learning materials are discussed.     

Towards a taxonomy of novices' misconceptions of the Prolog interpreter

A series of novice programmers' misconceptions of Prolog flow-of-control and variable unification are identified on the basis of existing empirical evidence, and informal observation. This classification is intended to serve as a first pass attempt towards an understanding of these errors and as a basis for future empirical work.     

A recursive techniques editor for Prolog

We describe an editor geared to recursive Prolog procedures. It is similar to the structure editors built for many programming languages, except that instead of just ensuring the correctness of the syntax of the procedures built by the editor, the editor also ensures the correct use of recursion. By correct here we mean that the recursive procedure is guaranteed to terminate and to be well-defined. Within these constraints we have tried to ensure that the range of procedures that can be built is as complete as possible.     

基于谓词逻辑的Prolog程序设计

一阶谓词逻辑下的Horn逻辑是人工智能程序语言Prolog的理论基础,利用Prolog在计算机上可实现机械化,从而使自动化求解问题和定理证明具备可行性。本文从Horn逻辑和Prolog的基础理论出发,使用Horn子句、SLD-归结、搜索和回溯等原理讨论了如何在计算机中实现数学函数、定理证明等自动推理的一些应用。     

论高职院校自主学习环境的构建

自主学习是由社会发展、教育革新和个人成长决定的,对于激发学生学习动机、挖掘学习潜能、培养创新精神以及形成独立学习和终身学习的思想等具有重要意义。根据高职学生自主学习的必要性和可行性分析,我们应构建良好的冉主学习环境。促进他们自主学习能力的提高。     

Learning environment profiles of Turkish secondary biology classrooms

The purposes of this study were to examine how Turkish students perceived their biology classroom environment, how their perceptions compared to those of students in other countries, and what classroom learning environment profiles could be discerned in Turkish high school biology classrooms. Data were gathered from 1,474 high school students in four inner city schools, in Bursa, Turkey. A total of 11 biology teachers participated in the study with 52 of their classes. Data on students’ perceptions of their learning environment were collected with the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire. Results indicated that Turkish classrooms were perceived as being low in terms of Teacher Support and high in terms of Task Orientation. Six distinct classroom learning environment profiles were found: the ‘self-directed learning classroom’, ‘task-oriented cooperative learning classroom’, ‘mainstream classroom’, ‘task-oriented individualised classroom’, ‘low-effective learning classroom’ and ‘high-effective learning classroom’. The most common profile was the ‘mainstream classroom’ for which all WIHIC scales had medium–high scores.     

Learning environment,learning styles and conceptual understanding

In recent years there have been many studies on learners developing conceptions of natural phenomena. However, so far there have been few attempts to investigate how the characteristics of the learners and their environment influence such conceptions. This study began with an attempt to use an instrument developed by McCarthy (1981) to describe learners in Malaysian primary schools. This proved inappropriate as Asian primary classrooms do not provide the same kind of environment as US classrooms. It was decided to develop a learning style checklist to suit the local context and which could be used to describe differences between learners which teachers could appreciate and use. The checklist included four dimensions — perceptual, process, self-confidence and motivation. The validated instrument was used to determine the learning style preferences of primary four pupils in Penang, Malaysia. Later, an analysis was made regarding the influence of learning environment and learning styles on conceptual understanding in the topics of food, respiration and excretion. This study was replicated in the Philippines with the purpose of investigating the relationship between learning styles and achievement in science, where the topics of food, respiration and excretion have been taken up. A number of significant relationships were observed in these two studies. Specializations: science education, primary science, educational research and measurement, educational management.     

An overview of Prolog debugging tools

In this paper we present an overview of the advances in debugging standard Prolog programs. The analysis offered is in terms of a classification of tools that provide different degrees of activity in the debugging process. Other possible dimensions of analysis are also outlined.     

基于Prolog的函数语言解释执行

通过介绍一个用逻辑语言Prolog设计的函数语言解释执行器原型,展示结合不同的声明式语言进行软件开发的方法。该法可实现不同语言优势互补,以提高生产效率和软件可靠性。通过函数语言解释执行实例,验证该解释执行器的有效性。     

Understanding students' errors with Prolog unification

One of the mechanisms that a student of Prolog must learn to understand and to use is unification. Initially students have only a partial understanding of unification and therefore they are not able to fully understand the execution of a program. This paper shows that a considerable part of the errors that students make can be explained by an impaired version of the correct algorithm. The changes from the correct algorithm to the false algorithms can be justified by a psychologically plausible mechanism.     

Design and implementation of a SMART Learning environment for the Upskilling of Cybersecurity professionals in Mauritius

Teaching and Learning confined to within the four walls of a classroom or even online Learning through Massive Online Courses (MOOCs) and other Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) are no longer seen as the optimal approach for competency and skills development, especially for working professionals. Each of these busy learners have their own training needs and prior knowledge. Adopting the one-size-fits-all teaching approach is definitely not effective, motivating and encouraging. For some learners, the content might be too easy and for others, it might be too difficult. This is why this research presents the use of SMART Learning Environment that makes use of Intelligent Techniques to personalise the learning materials for each learner. This mismatch in skills is becoming a pressing issue and is having a direct impact on the ICT Sector, which is one of the pillars of the Mauritian Economy. This research, therefore, besides proposing a novel approach to learning, also attempts to address an issue of national importance. Data was collected during three phases, namely an Expert Reference Group Discussion, a pre-test questionnaire and a survey questionnaire. The Expert Reference Group Discussion was carried out to further understand the training needs and expectations of Cybersecurity professionals in Mauritius. A SMART Learning Environment making use of Artificial Neural Networks and Backpropagation Algorithm to personalise learning materials was eventually designed and implemented. The major findings of this research were that personalisation of learning materials through the use of a SMART Learning Environment can be used to address the training needs of Cybersecurity professionals in Mauritius.

     

信息技术环境下图书馆学习支持服务的探索

随着社会的不断发展,学生对课堂教学外的学习支持服务的需求也越来越大.然而现有的学习支持服务不能较好地满足大学生的服务需求.因此作为学习支持服务重要载体的图书馆又提出改进学习支持服务的新举措,即:加强大学生的数字阅读引导,大力推进学习支持服务的信息网络建设,建立虚拟学习社区加强人际交互,从而能灵活、方便地为大学生提供有针对性、个性化的服务.     

信息技术环境下中学生学习方式现状调查

信息技术的发展为学生的学习提供了新的技术手段,也对学习方式提出了新的要求。本文通过对中学生在信息技术环境下学习方式现状的问卷调查,分析了中学生学习方式存在的问题,探究了优化中学生学习方式的策略,以更好地促进学生的全面发展。     

一种构造Prolog程序子句本体的方法

为了使Prolog推理引擎可以从一定程度的语义上来区分子句,通过概念图的形式对Prolog程序的子句建立本体.子句本体的概念模型通过其谓词参数和头子目标来建立,而头子目标是指出现在规则体首部并且位于任何谓词调用之前的子目标集合.所提出的方法把一个Prolog程序转换成包含其子句本体的Prolog CG程序.实验表明,通过对Prolog子句建立本体,可以尽早地去除与当前目标明显不匹配的子句,从而使得目标求解树的规模减小.在概念图的描述形式下,子句本体使得Prolog程序的语义更清晰可读,在某些情况下能明显加快程序的求解过程.     

What's wrong? Understanding beginners' problems with Prolog

This paper reviews psychological research on programming and applies it to the problems of learning and teaching Prolog. We present a psychological model that explains how a certain class of errors in programs comes about. The model fits quite well with the results of a small sample of students and problems. The problems that underlie these and other errors seem to be (a) the complexity of the Prolog primitives (unification and backtracking) and (b) the misfit between students' naive solutions to a problem and the constructs that are available in Prolog (e.g. iterative solutions do not map easily to recursive programs). This suggests that learning Prolog could be helped by (1) coherent and detailed instruction about how Prolog works, (2) emphasis on finding recursive solutions that do not rely on primitives such as assignment and (3) instruction in programming techniques that allow students to implement procedural solutions.