Educational Technology

With the completion of the course, the student will be able:

  • to know and understand the key concepts of educational design for technology-supported and technology-enhanced educational innovations (including flipped classroom for blended learning and Massive Open Online Courses).
  • to analyse and critique the basic elements of the ADDIE educational design process when applied to design, develop and evaluate technology-supported and technology-enhanced educational innovations (including flipped classroom for blended learning and Massive Open Online Courses).
  • to design and implement pedagogically grounded technology-supported and technology-enhanced educational innovations focusing to flipped classroom for blended learning and Massive Open Online Courses.

Course Contents

  • Educational Design for Technology-supported and Technology-enhanced Educational Innovations
    • What is Educational design? Definitions – Basic Principles – Models
    • The ADDIE Model: Analysis of each Phase
    • Analyse Learners and Learning Context
    • Educational Objectives and Assessment of Learning and/or Performance
    • Strategies for Teaching and Learning
  • Digital Media in Education and Training
    • Educational Videos
    • Interactive Digital Textbooks
    • Educational Games and Gamification
    • Educational Mobile Apps
    • Educational Web 2.0 Application
    • Educational Augmented Reality and 3D Virtual Worlds in Education & Training
  • Case Studies
    • Blended Learning: the Flipped Classroom model
    • Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Recommended Readings

  • Textbook in Greek (provided for free)
  • Additional Open Access Educational Resources available through the course management system

Digital Signal Processing

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the theory of time and spectral field by which continuous and discrete time systems are analyzed and designed. Based on this theory, students will be able to design analogue and digital filters based on frequency response specifications.

 

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

  • Be familiar with FIR and IIR filter design algorithms
  • create transfer function of generic analog filters
  • Handle IIR and FIR filter implementation methods: serial and parallel structures.
  • Be able to design IIR and FIR filters using Matlab software tool.

Course Contents

  • Discrete time convolution, Z transform, frequency response of discrete time signals and systems.
  • Prototypes of analogue lowpass filters: Butterworth polynomials and Chebyshev polynomials.
  • Frequency translation of normalized analogue filters, general algorithm for creating arbitrary analogue filters.
  • Bilinear transformation.
  • Design of digital infinite impulse response (IIR) filters using bilinear transformation.
  • Frequency transformation of digital filters.
  • Digital finite impulse response (FIR) filters with linear phase.
  • FIR filter design using frequency sampling.
  • FIR filter design using optimal method.
  • Implementation issues and techniques for IIR and FIR digital filters.

Recommended Readings

  • Proakis J. & Manolakis D. (2007): Digital Signal Processing: Principles, Algorithms and Applications, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall.
  • Ingle V. & Proakis J. (2000): Digital Signal Processing Using Matlab, Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Privacy Enhancing Technologies

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of the course is to highlight the concept of privacy, especially in relation to personal and / or sensitive data exchanged through open public networks, such as the Internet, in the context of various electronic services. Existing privacy enhancing technologies are introduced and special reference is made to the privacy problems faced by specific categories of applications. The proposed treatment mechanisms are also presented.

In this context, the learning outcomes of the course, after its successful completion, are that the students will be able:

  • to understand the basic concepts of privacy and personal data protection as well as how to recognize and analyze privacy requirements.
  • to know the basic privacy requirements that need to be taken into account when designing, and to be satisfied in the implementation, of an information system.
  • to analyse, evaluate and justify alternative technologies / mechanisms to protect privacy and meet the requirements.
  • to design systems that protect the privacy of its users

Course Contents

  • Definition of Privacy.
  • Legal Framework for the Protection of Personal Data.
  • Attacks on Privacy and Subjectivity of Impact in case of Privacy violation incidents.
  • Requirements for anonymity, unlinkability, undetectability and unobservability.
  • Pseudo-anonymity.
  • Identity Management.
  • Privacy Enhancing Technologies (Anonymizer, LPWA, Onion Routing, Crowds, MixNets, etc.).
  • Privacy protection in Ubiquitous Computing (RFIDs, Positioning Services), Internet Telephony, Health Information Systems, etc.
  • The Greek Framework for Digital Authentication and the Unique Citizen Identification Number for Electronic Services Offered by Government Bodies.
  • Privacy Economics

Recommended Readings

  • A. Acquisti, S. Gritzalis, C. Lambrinoudakis, S. De Capitani di Vimercati (Eds) (2008) Digital Privacy, Theory, Technology and Practices., Auerbach Publications.

Associated scientific Journals

  • IEEE Security and Privacy Magazine, IEEE
  • International Journal of Information Security, Springer
  • Computers and Security, Elsevier
  • Requirements Engineering, Springer
  • IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, IEEE
  • Security and Communication Networks, Wiley

Multimedia Technology

Learning Outcomes

This course is the basic introductory course for the perception, representation and management of digital media through computational methods.

The course material focuses on the introduction of the students to the basic concepts and algorithms for the representation, processing and interaction with digital audiovisual media. Moreover, the course material refers to the description of the correlation between computational techniques and human perception in media environments.

The course seeks to make students understand the ways with which is possible the development and management of media sources in coomputational systems.

With the successful completion of the course the student will be capable of:

  • understanding the basic and important features of the computational representation, processing and interaction with digital audiovisual media.
  • knowing the major features of the tools and development methods of digital audiovisual environments and applications.

Course Contents

  • Definition and classification of multimedia technologies.
  • Audio and visual perception.
  • Audio processing.
  • Image and video processing.
  • Design and development of multimedia systems.

Optimization Techniques

Learning Outcomes

The course pertains to the modeling and solving of operational research problems via linear programming, integer programming and related optimization models. In this context, the theoretical foundations of these optimization models are developed; solving algorithms are presented, for global optimization (e.g., the Simplex method, Branch-and-Bound), as much as the design and analysis of heuristic methods, inclusively of local search and approximation algorithms.

Upon successful completion of the course, the students will be in position:

  • to develop the formal/abstract mathematical representation of an operational optimization problem, given its description in natural language along with the problem’s parameters and input data.
  • to choose appropriate solving methods for a given mathematical model of an operational optimization problem.
  • to program a mathematical optimization model in an appropriate programming language, while using relevant software for solving the model.
  • to assess and evaluate the solution to a mathematical optimization model, along with the performance of the chosen solving method.
  • to discriminate between computationally tractable and hard mathematical models for operational research problems.

Course Contents

  • Modeling Problems through Linear Programming.
  • Linear Programming Theory, Duality.
  • The Simplex Algorithm.
  • Integer Linear Programming, Branch and Bound Method.
  • Transportation and Assignment Problems.
  • Network Optimization (paths, trees, flows, matchings, cuts).
  • Computationally Hard Optimization Problems.
  • Introduction to Approximation Algorithms.
  • Local Search Methods.

Recommended Readings

  • F. S. Hillier, G. J. Lieberman. Introduction to Operations Research. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2004.
  • J. Kleinberg, E. Tardos. Algorithm Design. Pearson, 2013.

Collaborative Learning Environments

Learning Outcomes

This course introduces students to theoretical and applied research of collaborative learning (CSCL/W) depending in social cognition and social constructivism learning theories (situated learning – cognitive apprenticeship).

On completion of the course, the students will be able:

  • to demonstrate knowledge in designing CSCL/W in educational and business settings.
  • to choose and critically evaluate the perspectives of social & dialectical constructivism:
  • to realize how CSCL/W can facilitate sharing and distributing of knowledge and expertise among community members.
  • to synthesize projects in the context of socio-cognitive and social constructivism models in a CSCL/W.
  • to create CSCL project in schooling, training/vocational environments.
  • to realize the added value of collaboration in global society (multicultural awareness).

Course Contents

  • CSCL/W in educational and working environments for peers in shared/collaborative settings.
  • Socio-Cognitive approaches of learning.
  • The social & dialectical constructivism: CSCL theories, principles, strategies, roles, artifacts/activities.
  • The Vygotskian theory, situated learning, cognitive flexibility theory, cognitive apprenticeship, problem/project-based learning, self-regulated learning, self-directed learning, communities of practice.
  • Shared and distributed knowledge and expertise with peers and community members (community of practices).
  • Authentic assessment in collaborative learning on digital systems related to school/training/vocational environments.

Recommended Readings

Dillenbourg P., Fischer F., Kollar I., Mandl H. & Haake J.M. (2007): Scripting Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, Springer.

Kobbe L. (2006): Framework on multiple goal dimensions for computer-supported scripts, Kaleidoscope.

Recommended Readings

Barkley, E & Major, C. H. & Cross, K.P. (2016) Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty 2nd Edition, Jossey-Bass.

Goggins, S.P., Jahnke, I. & Wulf, V. (2013). Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning at the Workplace: CSCL@Work, Elesevier.

Sharratt, L.D. & Planche B. M. (2016). Leading Collaborative Learning: Empowering Excellence, Corwin.

 

 

Internet Protocols

Learning Outcomes

Τhe course presents architectures and protocols used in the internet, analyzing concepts and design approaches across different layers in networking TCP/IP protocol stack (link, internet, transport and application layers). The interface between application layer and transport service when implementing internet applications is also introduced. The course offers a mixture of theoretical aspects, laboratory exercises and socket programming for developing networking applications.

Upon successful completion of the course, the students will be in position to:

  • understand, analyze and evaluate the different design options and assumptions, and the performance of protocols at different layers of the TCP/IP stack (e.g. reliable transfer protocol TCP versus light transfer protocol UDP, distance-vector versus link-state routing protocols)
  • comprehend how internet affects the operation and performance of network applications and the involved communication protocols
  • understand and evaluate the performance of network applications that is due to the operation of internet protocols
  • develop simple client/server architecture applications using the socket API in Python
  • run and operate packet sniffing software and identify protocols interaction in packet traces

Course Contents

  • Introduction to Internet main concepts.
  • OSI and TCP/IP models.
  • Application layer protocols Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), POP, IMAP. Domain Name Service (DNS). Peer-2-Peer protocols.
  • Client-Server Architecture and programming. Sockets and Socket Programming.
  • Transport layer protocols. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
  • Internet layer protocols. IP Addressing. Internet Protocol (IPv4, IPv6). Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). Routing Protocols, Autonomous Systems, Interior and Exterior protocols (RIP, OSPF, eBGP, iBGP)
  • Link layer protocols. Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP).
  • Multimedia networking. Multimedia applications, VoIP and Video over IP.

Recommended Readings

  1. Kurose, K. Ross, “Computer Networking: A top-down approach”
  2. Comer, “Internetworking with TCP/IP”
  3. Comer D., Stevens D. “Internetworking with TCP/IP vol3: Client-Server Programming and Applications”, Prentice Hall
  4. B. Forouzan, “TCP/IP Protocol”

Advanced Artificial Intelligence Topics

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to know and develop basic decision making abilities of intelligent agents who are capable of acting in the real world.

Specifically, students acquire knowledge and the abilities to develop and apply

  • planning algorithms
  • methods for re-planning and computing actions’ schedules for acing in the real world
  • knowledge representation and reasoning with ontologies and real-world data
  • basic principles and algorithms for (simple or advanced) decision making
  • algorithms for learning policies towards acting in the real world

Through a critical view of methods and by acquiring experience in building systems in paradigmatic cases.

Course Contents

  • Basic and advanced planning algorithms
  • Replanning and scheduling actions with duration.
  • Reasoning and representation with ontologies and data
  • Decision making principles and methods
  • Reinforcement learning, introduction.

Recommended Readings

  • Stuart Russel and Peter Norvig. Artificial Intelligenc­e: A Μodern Approach, Prentice Hall, 2nd edition (2003). http://aima.cs.berkeley.edu/.
  • Yoav Shoham, Kevin Leyton-Brown Multiagent Systems: Algorithmic, Game-Theoretic, and Logical Foundations, Cambridge University Press, 2009

Associated scientific Journals

  • Artificial Intelligence, Elsevier, ISSN: 0004-3702
  • Journal of Web Semantics, Elsevier, ISSN: 1570-8268

Information Systems

Learning Outcomes

This course analyses the five main components of an Information System, the different types of IS and issues associated with the implementation and application of IS. With the completion of the course, the student will be in position:

  • to understand and become familiar with the key concepts and principles of information systems, addressing both architectural and implementation aspects.
  • to know the main characteristics of the programming languages used to implement information systems, as well as the key principles for the interconnection of different application components of an information system.
  • to be able to implement code artefacts that realize information systems.

Course Contents

  • Information system.
  • Hardware component, software component, data component, processes component, human actor component.
  • Information system lifecycles, types of ISs.
  • Critical path analysis, business process analysis, IDEF0, IDEF3, DFD.
  • Business process reengineering, business process improvement, factors influencing IS implementation.
  • The impact of information systems on organisation, practical examples of IS, case studies, IS implementation.

Moreover, the EVDOXOS system is utilized to provide additional useful information to the students as well as exercises that respond to the corresponding thematic topics / sessions covered by the course.

Recommended Readings

  • Stair R. & Reynolds G. (2007): Fundamentals of Information Systems, 4th Edition, Thomson Publications.
  • O’Brien J. (2005): Introduction to Information Systems, McGraw Hill.

Multimedia Communications

Learning Outcomes

The course is introducing students in multimedia communication systems and applications. The curriculum includes background knowledge in the areas of design and development of multimedia communication systems (digitizing, encoding, compression, transmission, analysis and mining of multimedia content) and the corresponding Internet technologies for streaming and Quality of Service for real-time multimedia communications. During the course case studies will be presented and there will be project assigned to students.

Students, upon successful completion of the course, will be able to:

A) Understand basic methodologies of design and development of multimedia communication and management systems

B) Know the stages of creating and editing multimedia content (digitization, editing, coding, compression, transmission, analysis and retrieval of multimedia information)

C) Choose the best Internet and streaming technologies and quality of service mechanisms for real-time online multimedia systems

D) Analyze problems across different application areas and select the right mechanisms for managing multimedia content

E) Evaluate multimedia communication systems

Course Contents

  • Introduction to Multimedia Communications
  • Information Theory and Coding Principles
  • Image coding: JPEG
  • Video Encoding: H.26x
  • Video Encoding: MPEG 1-4
  • Information Retrieval in Multimedia: MPEG 7, 21
  • Multimedia synchronization
  • Multicasting
  • Multimedia transmission protocols and streamimg Media
  • Videoconferencing
  • Quality of Service
  • Multimedia on mobile networks
  • New standards – WebRTC

Recommended Readings

  • Gérard G. Medioni, Parag Havaldar Multimedia Systems: Algorithms, Standards, and Industry Practices Course Technology