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This paper proposes a scenario-based learning (SBL) methodology for teaching Computational Thinking (CT). The presented scenario includes educational material that teaches the basic concepts of a Python course for beginners. The scenario allows the educator to utilize a combination of tools and services and follow a mind map. Moreover, it presents a story through steps which the Generation Z students can follow to learn, understand, and test their acquired knowledge on the Python programming language while engaging in non-coding-related topics such as the history of coding and coding ethics. The proposed SBL methodology allows teachers of CT to familiarize themselves with a series of tools (e.g., Twine, Kahoot!, Repl.it, Discord, and Gather.town) so as to facilitate Gen Z students to learn in synchronous and asynchronous educational environments. The SBL methodology was assessed by using a variety of inspection methods depending on the scope of the individual using the method (e.g., the effectiveness of the tools for the educator, the ease of use, and the interest generated by a Gen X student). The assessment results were quite encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) exploits multiple network interfaces to provide multi-streaming and data chunk ordering in a stream. An extended feature of SCTP, i.e., Concurrent Multi-path Transfer (CMT), bids concurrent data transmission in a multi-path data transfer environment and guarantees bandwidth aggregation, load sharing, robustness, and reliability. In such an environment, the paths usually have distinct characteristics (i.e., delay, Packet Loss Rate (PLR), and bandwidth). Thus, data chunks are received out-of-ordered at the destination. As a result, CMT causes excessive receiver buffer blocking and unnecessary congestion window (cwnd) reductions. Also, during the selection of the retransmission destination path (to resend a lost data chunk), CMT does not take into account vital Quality of Service (QoS) parameters such as the PLR of a path under consideration. This paper introduces a new Delay-Based Concurrent Multi-path Transfer (DB-CMT) approach that transmits data on multiple paths according to their delay. In this scheme, we present a Delay-Based Data chunk Scheduling Policy (DB-DSP), a Retransmission Path Selection Policy (RTX-CL), and a new Delay-Based Fast Retransmission Policy (DB-FRP). The simulation results show that the DB-CMT’s RTX-CL policy performs better than the well-known RTX-CWND and RTX-LOSSRATE retransmission schemes. Also, the overall performance of DB-CMT witnesses improved throughput, fewer timeouts, and reduced File Transfer Time (FTT) performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks (MANETs) allow wireless networks to exist where there is no or limited network infrastructure. They have attracted renewed attention as part of the 5G approach to device densification, while they remain very relevant to natural disaster response. The reader will benefit from the techniques concentrated upon in this overview article, in particular Multiple Description Coding (MDC) or Scalable Video Coding, with multipath delivery, with which it is feasible to stream video across MANETs. However, the article's two case studies demonstrate that video quality and Quality of Experience (QoE) depend on node density and node speed within a MANET. Higher node speeds are also relevant to Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) technology, which the article also touches upon. This overview identifies the key concepts involved in video streaming over MANETs and VANETs, including as well a large number of relevant references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent and recent proliferation of applications, created for smartphones and tablets, has altered the way users interact with information that is available online. Appification has been recently introduced to describe the rapidly widening shift from Web browsing to the usage of smartphone Apps for Internet-based information access and e-services consumption. In this paper, we present a solution that introduces e-souvenir (digital souvenir), extending the appification of e-shopping and shopping (non electronic) souvenirs while visiting cultural sights (e.g. museum, exhibitions etc). Instead of just buying a souvenir from a museum, the proposed smartphone App increases user involvement in order to personalize the App with his/her choices while sight-seeing and thus, such choices form an electronic souvenir: the e-souvenir. Additionally, our approach introduces intelligent Quality of Service (QoS) enabled features to the cultural smartphone App to improve user's experience, while using it at cultural sights and points of interest. We facilitate efficient QoS-based media delivery to the e-souvenir solution in order to make it efficient to operate under heavy network traffic load and best-effort Internet-based connections. This is especially important to handle bottlenecks that occur, when tourists gather the most popular exhibits within the exhibition rooms, and when they visit the museum in groups (e.g. schools, cruises etc). The proposed solution is a tool for better understanding and appreciation of the cultural exhibits while being on site, and it serves as an electronic souvenir in the post-visit experience. We show how QoS assurance techniques enable efficient media delivery through smartphones to assist making the old fashioned shopping souvenirs to go online and become virtual. The proposed QoS enabled smartphone solution serves as a high quality digital souvenir after museums' visits. This solution has already received warm feedback and encouraging comments by tourist and museum professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]