Using patterns in the automatic marking of ER-diagrams

ABSTRACT

This paper illustrates how the notion of pattern can be used in the automatic analysis and synthesis of diagrams, applied particularly to the automatic marking of ER-diagrams. The paper describes how diagram patterns fit into a general framework for diagram interpretation and provides examples of how patterns can be exploited in other fields. Diagram patterns are defined and specified within the area of ER-diagrams. The paper also shows how patterns are being exploited in a revision tool for understanding ER-diagrams.

REFERENCES

• 1: Michael Anderson , Robert McCartney, Diagram processing: computing with diagrams, Artificial Intelligence, v.145 n.1-2, p.181-226, April 2003 [doi>10.1016/S0004-3702(02)00383-1]
• 2: Burstein, J., C. Leacock, et al. (2001) Automated Evaluation of Essays and Short Answers. In Proceedings Fifth International Computer Assisted Assessment Conference, Loughborough University, UK, Learning & Teaching Development, Loughborough University, 41--45.
• 3: Burstein, J., Chodorow, M. and Leacock, C. (2003) Criterion SM Online Essay Evaluation: An Application for Automated Evaluation of Student Essays. In Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Conference on Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Acapulco, Mexico. August 2003.
• 4: Chok, S.S. and Marriott, K. (1995) Parsing visual languages. In Proceedings of the Eighteenth Australian Computer Science Conference, Australian Computer Science Communications, 17, 90--98.
• 5: Donlon, J.J., Forbus, K.D. (1999) Using a geographic information system for qualitative spatial reasoning about traceability. In Proceedings of the Qualitative Reasoning Workshop, Loch Awe, Scotland.
• 6: Erich Gamma , Richard Helm , Ralph Johnson , John Vlissides, Design patterns: elements of reusable object-oriented software, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1995
• 7: Iizuka, K., Tanaka, J. and Shizuki, B. (2001) Describing a drawing editor by using constraint multiset grammars. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on the Future of Software Technology (ISFST 2001), Zhengzhou, China. November, 2001. www.iplab.is.tsukuba.ac.jp/paper/international/iizukia-isfst2001. (accessed 02/06/04)
• 8: Jamnik, M. (1998) Automatic Diagrammatic proofs of Arithmetic Arguments. PhD Thesis, University of Edinburgh.
• 9: Kim Marriott , Bernd Meyer , Kent B. Wittenburg, A survey of visual language specification and recognition, Visual language theory, Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., New York, NY, 1998
• 10: Shermis, M.D, Burstein, J.C. (2003) (eds.) Automated Essay Scoring: a cross-disciplinary approach. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, USA. ISBN 0-8058-3973-9.
• 11: Smith, N, Thomas, P.G. and Waugh, K. (2004) Interpreting Imprecise Diagrams. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference in the Theory and Application of Diagrams. March 22-24, Cambridge, UK. Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science, eds: Alan Blackwell, Kim Marriott, Atsushi Shimojima, 2980, 239--241. ISBN 3-540-21268-X.
• 12: Thomas, P.G., Price, B., Paine, C. Richards, M. (2002) Remote Electronic examinations: an architecture for their production, presentation and grading. British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET), 33 (5) 539--552.
• 13: Pete Thomas, The evaluation of electronic marking of examinations, Proceedings of the 8th annual conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education, June 30-July 02, 2003, Thessaloniki, Greece
• 14: Thomas, P.G. (2004) Drawing Diagrams in an Online Exam, In Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference in Computer Assisted Assessment. Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK, 403--413.
• 15: Pete Thomas , Kevin Waugh , Neil Smith, Experiments in the automatic marking of ER-diagrams, Proceedings of the 10th annual SIGCSE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education, June 27-29, 2005, Caparica, Portugal
• 16: Tsintsifas A. (2002) A Framework for the Computer Based Assessment of Diagram-Based Coursework, Ph.D. Thesis, Computer Science Department, University of Nottingham, UK.
• 17: Waugh, K.G., Thomas, P.G., Smith, N. (2004) Toward the Automated Assessment of Entity-Relationship Diagrams. In Proceedings of the 2nd LTSN-ICS Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Databases Workshop, Edinburgh. http://www.ics.ltsn.ac.uk/pub/databases04/index.html (accessed 15/01/06)

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

General Terms:
Experimentation

Keywords:
automatic grading, diagram interpretation, entity-relationship diagrams, patterns, teaching tool