Students Develop Real-World Web and Pervasive Computing Systems

1. Students Develop Real-World Web and Pervasive Computing Systems Charles C. Tappert School of Computer Science and Information Systems Pace University

2. Real World Projects 2001-2 • Total of 18 Projects with 64 Students • Average of 3.6 students per project • Two courses in M.S. Computer Science Program • Software Eng 2-Sem Capstone: 12 Projects/45 Students • Pervasive Computing elective: 6 Projects/19 Students • Students Build Systems for Real Customers • Within university – various departments • Local community

3. Student Team Make-up • Architect-Designer • One or two Implementers • Quality Officer • Coordinator-Liaison (usually team leader) (Note: several team member functions can be combined for small teams )

4. Team Responsibilities • Meet once a week in addition to independent project work • Work as a unit – for example, communication (including e-mail) between team and customer, or team and instructor, should be done as a group or through the team leader

5. Team Member Changes • Team members usually stay together for the duration of the course • Teams sometimes reconstituted due to problems with student class schedules, personality conflicts, unforeseen changes in the needs of the project, etc. • We might experiment with planned team rotation on projects

6. Customer Affiliations 2001-2 • Pace University • School of Computer Science and Information Systems • Lubin School of Business • Lienhard School of Nursing • Department of Information Technology • Doctor of Professional Studies in Computing Program • Office of Planning, Assessment, Research, and Academic Support • Outside Organizations • Northern Westchester Hospital • Psychology Department at SUNY New Paltz • IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

7. Types of Systems 2001-2 • 10 Web interface to backend database client/server systems • 4 Medical application systems • 3 VoiceXML and InkXML systems • 1 Cluster/grid computing system

8. Web Interface to Backend DB Client/Server Systems • Online Course Survey System • Project Group Assignment System • Test Item Reliability Analyzer • Genealogy Web Application • Dean’s Communication System

9. Web Interface to Backend DB Client/Server Systems (cont) • PC Maintenance/Tracking System • Doctor of Professional Studies Website • Handwriting Forgery Quiz System • Rare Coin Grading System • User Verification System

10. Medical Application Systems • Nurse Information System (NIS) • A physical assessment application on a proprietary device running an obsolete OS was ported to J2ME on the Palm OS handhelds • A C++ conduit allowed transfer of data to a PC • NIS Wireless Extension • Allowed the handheld to wirelessly e-mail a data attachment via Java servlets to a specified address

11. Medical Application Sys (cont) • Emergency Pre-Hospital Care Communication System • Preliminary investigation of currently available and on-the-horizon wireless technologies • Recommended three alternative approaches to Northern Westchester Hospital • Medical Vital Sign Wearable Computer • Designed and built circuitry • Monitors pulse, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation of blood • Product – VivoMetrics LifeShirt

12. Cluster/Grid Computers • Cluster computer first semester • 1 master, 4 slave Pentium PCs running Linux • Networked with a Linksys 10/100 switch • Benchmarked on ray tracing graphics program adapted for parallel execution • Result – significant decrease in computation time • Grid computer second semester • Tested on room of student computer lab PCs • Compute intensive molecular simulation (NAMD) • Result – the more nodes attached to the simulator, the less intrusive was the job to the PC users

13. VoiceXML and InkXML Systems • VoiceXML Application Development Facility • IBM WebSphere Voice server • Web server, LAN, PSTN • Cisco 2600 router • VoiceXML Applications • Absentee system • Other applications – e.g., student grade system • Multimodal Voice/InkXML System • Created an architecture for developing applications using the voice and ink modalities

14. Example Systems • Web Interface to Absentee System (voice enabled using VoiceXML) • Project Group Assignment System • Online Course Survey System • Handwriting Forgery Quiz System • Rare Coin Grading System • Web-based Genealogy System

15. Benefits of Real World Projects • Stellar real-world learning experience for students • Customers receive valuable systems • Promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and Pace and local community involvement • Furthers student and faculty research • Enhances relationships between the university and local technology companies • Increases national recognition of the university

16. Stellar Real-World Learning Experience for Students • Develop individual technology skills • Web interface to backend database systems • Client/server systems • Cutting edge pervasive computing skills • Develop team skills • Ability to work with others • Intellectual integrity and humility • Fair-mindedness • Learn to be computing professionals and provide real value to customers

17. Cost of Real-World Projects • Soliciting and setting up projects • Forming teams and assigning projects • Managing systems development process • Project development infrastructure

18. Soliciting & Setting Up Projects • Instructor solicits projects from • Contacts with CSIS faculty interested in creating research-related systems, sometimes in collaboration with other universities or local research companies • E-mail to various university departments • Non-profit organizations in the community • Instructor sets up projects • Sizes and shapes projects to be appropriate educational experience for students • Posts project information on course Web site

19. Forming Teams and Assigning Projects • Last year 2001-2 • Students formed their own teams (usually based solely on friendship) • Each teams submitted 5 project preferences • Instructor assigned teams to projects (tedious, far from optimal, can be perceived as unfair) • This year 2002-3 • Project group assignment system automatically forms teams and assigns projects (automatic, close to optimal, unbiased and objective)

20. Managing Systems Development Process • Requirements analysis • Through use cases and use scenarios • Analysis and design – tools/methodologies • Depend highly on type of system being developed – e.g., database requires database methodologies • Construction of the system • Test system to ensure • It meets customer’s requirements • All functions operate correctly

21. Project Development Infrastructure • Development servers • Pentium II NT server (upgraded this year) • Solaris Unix server (added this year) • Software • Database software • MySQL, Microsoft Access, Oracle (added this year) • Scripting software • Active Server Pages, Cold Fusion, PHP Hypertext Processor • Tomcat for Java servlets, etc.

22. Software for Eleven 2001-2 Web Interface to DB Systems • Database software • MySQL – 4 systems • Microsoft Access – 7 systems • Oracle (added this year) • Scripting software • Active Server Pages (ASP) – 4 systems • Cold Fusion – 4 systems • PHP Hypertext Processor – 3 systems • Perl & others (anticipated this year)

23. Pervasive Computing Areas • Pen Computing • Handwriting Forgery Quiz System • Verification/Identification • User Verification – Face, Voice, Handwriting, Fingerprint • Handheld/Wearable Computers • Nurse Information System in Palm OS Handheld • Medical Vital Sign Wearable Computer System • Wireless Technology • Nurse Information System Wireless Extension • Emergency Pre-Hospital Care Wireless Communication • Pervasive Computation • Grid Computing System

24. Conclusions • Anticipate increased level of professionalism in project development this year • Real-world projects are a stellar learning experience for students • Win-win situation for all • Students • Customers • Instructors and other involved faculty • School of CSIS • University