XInteract is a tool for use in introductory computer science classes
using the Java programming language that assists instructors in teaching
fundamental programming concepts. This system provides an interface
through which instructors can write wrapper code, giving intro students
the opportunity to practice a particular concept, such as method
headers, looping constructs, or data structures, without being
overwhelmed by other esoteric elements of Java programming, such as
"public static void main(String args)" and other issues.
Incorporated with XInteract is FlyEye, a program that uses VNC to monitor student's desktops while XInteract is running. FlyEye displays a window containing thumbnail images of each student's desktop, so that the instructor can see, at a glance, which students are making progress and which are stuck, and administer instruction accordingly. Clicking on a thumbnail causes a fullsize VNC window to popup, allowing for teachable moments via an overhead projector. As an added bonus, this system encourages students to stay focused on the task at hand and not be distracted by the wiles of the Internet.
XInteract incorporates Apache Cayenne object-relational mapping and requires a remote database server to store information concerning the professors, students, classes, and problems involved with XInteract. We suggest using an Apache Derby RDBMS, but most other relational databases should work as well. FlyEye incorporates the RealVNC Java VNC viewer and requires the x11vnc server to be installed on all student machines, and thus is currently dependent on the UNIX platform. However, a little bit of code tinkering and an alternate VNC server should allow the student GUI to function on other platforms as well. Because RealVNC is released under the GNU GPL v2, so also is this project. XInteract requires Java SE 6 in order to run correctly.
At the moment, due to hardcoded hostnames in the Java source code and the Cayenne modeler and inadequate documentation, this system only works within the Computer Science department of Allegheny College and is not particularly portable. However, feel free to tinker with the code. Please contact one of the project maintainers if you would like assistance in getting this system to run at your site.
from https://code.google.com/p/xinteract/
Incorporated with XInteract is FlyEye, a program that uses VNC to monitor student's desktops while XInteract is running. FlyEye displays a window containing thumbnail images of each student's desktop, so that the instructor can see, at a glance, which students are making progress and which are stuck, and administer instruction accordingly. Clicking on a thumbnail causes a fullsize VNC window to popup, allowing for teachable moments via an overhead projector. As an added bonus, this system encourages students to stay focused on the task at hand and not be distracted by the wiles of the Internet.
XInteract incorporates Apache Cayenne object-relational mapping and requires a remote database server to store information concerning the professors, students, classes, and problems involved with XInteract. We suggest using an Apache Derby RDBMS, but most other relational databases should work as well. FlyEye incorporates the RealVNC Java VNC viewer and requires the x11vnc server to be installed on all student machines, and thus is currently dependent on the UNIX platform. However, a little bit of code tinkering and an alternate VNC server should allow the student GUI to function on other platforms as well. Because RealVNC is released under the GNU GPL v2, so also is this project. XInteract requires Java SE 6 in order to run correctly.
At the moment, due to hardcoded hostnames in the Java source code and the Cayenne modeler and inadequate documentation, this system only works within the Computer Science department of Allegheny College and is not particularly portable. However, feel free to tinker with the code. Please contact one of the project maintainers if you would like assistance in getting this system to run at your site.
from https://code.google.com/p/xinteract/
