1. Wireless Sensor Network Simulator Creating an Educational Tool for Computer Science Students Masters Project Defense Ben Stroud Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

2. Presentation Agenda • Project Goal • Introduction • Need Addressed • Technologies Used • Related Work • Lessons Learned • Challenges • Mistakes • Demonstration of Application • Future Work • Deliverables • Summary • Questions Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

3. Project Goal • Create a tool to educate students about Wireless Sensor Networks • Intuitive and Approachable GUI • Interactive Scenarios • Easy to Install • Effective Demonstration of Wireless Sensor Network Deployment, Formation, and Execution • Quantifiable Results • Understand Effect of Software in Education Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

4. Introduction • Definition of a Wireless Sensor Network • Similar to Ad-hoc networks • Unique Challenges • Node “Death” • Conservation of Power • Project goal is to educate, not evaluate Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

5. Need Addressed • Educators Want to Impart Key Lessons from WSNs • How to Do This in an Interesting and Dynamic Way? • Software! • Interactive • Engaging • Existing Simulators Geared for Research/Development • Intimidating • Cumbersome • Difficult to Install/Interact With Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

6. Technologies Used • Silverlight • Multiplatform application framework • Allows for interactive multimedia and animations on the front end • Powerful traditional application or web oriented backend. • Designed primarily for web based applications; • Similar to Flash • Created by Microsoft • .NET Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

7. Silverlight • Silverlight • Backend: .NET (C#) – • Object Oriented. • Somewhere between C++ and Java – Makes creating applications for the web easy and increases the reusability of code. • Don’t have access to the complete C# codebase • Sliverlight limits the developer to a subset of libraries • Application is isolated from the OS • Debugging capability in Visual Studios 2010 is lacking • Front-End: Silverlight and WFC controls • Traditional web technologies (Javascript, XML, HTML) wrap new Silverlight controls – based on older WFC technology • Fast Execution, but comber-some development Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

8. Silverlight -Developing • IDEs • Silverlight 4 – Visual Studios 2010, Visual Web Developer 2008, MS Expression Blend • Coding • Languages – any .NET or Dynamic (Ruby, Python etc) language, HTML, JS and more • Deployment • Upload XAP (executable) Plus Support Files to Web Server. • Client Side Execution Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

9. Silverlight - Comparison to Flash • Performance • Back-End Computing • Calculating Prime Numbers (1000000) • Flash –1.259 seconds • Silverlight - 0.564 seconds • Front End Animation • Displaying 50 Rotating Images • Flash – 64 fps 60% CPU • Silverlight – 100 fps 45% CPU • Took 80 images to get to 64fps • For More Comparisons See Paper Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

10. Silverlight –Future Directions Development Community • Implementation on More Platforms (Linux, Android, Windows Mobile, ect) • Hardware Accelerated 3D Support • 64-bit support • More Advanced Networking Capability • Better use of Dynamic Objects • More Generic, Less Silverlight Targeted Code • Combine WPF and Silverlight Programming Models Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

11. Silverlight – Future DirectionsMy Findings • Better Integration with Visual Studios • Better Debugging Capabilities • Include all C# libraries • More intuitive links between controls and code • More access to the client operating system • Make Deployment Application Behavior Exactly Like Development Behavior Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

12. Related Work - Simulators • Comparative Study of Wireless Network Simulators • Lessmann J. et al., 2008. • Survey of Existing Wireless Network Simulators • Sensor Network Component Based Simulator • Chen, G., Szymanski B., 2007. • Compiled Research Oriented Simulator • JavaSim • Java Based Generic Network Simulator • Not tailored for WSNs • Current UCCS Wireless Network Simulator • Static – not Interactive Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

13. Related Work - Effectiveness of Software in Education • Mixed Findings • Meta Study by University of Michigan • Analyzed 254 studies • Shows that Computer Aided Learning usually Increases Test Scores • Increase from 50th to 62nd Percentile • Study by DoE • More Recent • Analyzed • Only Found One Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

14. Related Work - Bloom’s Taxonomy Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

15. Lessons Learned • Deeper WSN understanding • Limitations of Discovery Learning • Must be paired with instruction • Lack of Student Participation • Technology • Debugging • Creating Multi-Page Application • Linking Front End Code to Backend • Learning New Language • Lack of Full C# codebase Support Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

16. Lessons Learned – Limitations of Discovery Learning • Discovery Learning • Little to no instructor lead activities • Student explores independently • Advocates claim deeper understanding and higher level of engagement • Exclusive Discovery Learning has been shown in some studies to be less effective than traditional learning • Blending Discovery Learning with traditional learning has been shown to yield the best results. • This is the recommended approach when using this software as a teaching aid Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

17. Challenges • Learning new languages/technologies • Lots of research • Trial and error • Creating a reusable framework (Application Design) • Well thought out OO approach • Meaningful Objects and Lots of Documentation • Understanding relationship between education and software • Creating a meaningful assessment tool based on educational research • Research – Bloom’s Taxonomy • Unable to integrate into the Application Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

18. Mistakes Made • Assuming Creating Web Applications using Silverlight would be Similar to Creating Other Windows Applications • Not Enough Up-Front Focus on Educational Research • Assuming Classmates Would be More Responsive • Not Enough Focus on Early, Detailed Software Architectural Design Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

19. Demonstration of Application • URL Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

20. Future Work • More Algorithms • More realistic/complex simulations • 3d terrain • Obstacles/Objects (Weighted lines) • GPS capability • Lesson Plan to Include Application in Course • Integrate Survey with Application Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

21. Project Deliverables • Proposal • Document and Presentation • Software Requirements Specification • Design Documentation • User Documentation • Software • Source Code and Deployable Web Components • Survey • Defense Presentation • Final Project Document • Presentation Viewgraphs Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

22. Summary • Created an Educational Tool • Helps Students Learn about WSNs • Easy to Use • Current Technology • Extensible • Explored How to Evaluate Educational Techniques • Explored Effectiveness of Software in Education • Explored Best Practices for Utilizing Discovery Learning • Identified Additional Work to be Done Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense

23. Questions? Ben Stroud Masters Project Defense