Dr. Abdelkader Gouaïch

Research

Research Theme

My research theme focuses on Computational Games. It entails the scientific study of formal games, their interactions and informational effects. In particular, we explore the effects of games as educational and/or therapeutic devices for facilitating learning/relearning of skills, knowledge, know-how, and behaviours.

I have conducted several research actions involving the creation and evaluation of games in various domains such as healthcare, education, and cultural heritage preservation.

Research Projects

Here is a summary of my main research projects presented in chronological order.

Adage (2015-2018):

This project, funded by SATT AxLR, aimed to provide tools for facilitating the production and distribution of games and serious games. We used this environment to develop two actual video games:

VILLAGE (2012-2015):

Games for memory stimulation used in specialized healthcare centers. The games were designed in collaboration with the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Nice using our development methods and tools.

Mojos (2010-2013):

Development of adaptive therapeutic games (Hocine et al., 2018) for post-stroke functional rehabilitation in collaboration with the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Montpellier. Following this work, the company NaturalPad (https://www.naturalpad.fr/) was independently established in 2011 by some members of the research team involved. As of 2021, NaturalPad claims more than 136 client sites and 10,200 player-patients.

PhD Supervision

Iago Bonnici (2021): Towards Protean Learning: Adapting to Changes in Artificial Agents’ Signatures

Supervision Abdelkader Gouaich (70%) Fabien Michel (30%)
PhD Student’s Career CNRS Research Engineer at ISEM

Abstract: This thesis falls within the field of machine learning, specifically focusing on the learning of tasks that change over time, which we refer to as Protean Learning (PL). The change occurs to the agent’s signature, defined as the set of inputs/outputs of the learning program. In the event of signature changes, which are natural in certain application contexts, the search space becomes undefined, and it would be costly to restart the learning process from scratch. This work presents a rigorous formalization of PL and the signature change problem. We demonstrate that a set of natural projections allows for generic accommodation of input/output deletion events, independent of the tasks. We validate this proposal of natural data projections through synthetic experiments. We conclude that PL is not only interesting due to the significant challenges it poses but also because there exist generic techniques, such as the natural projections we exhibit, that effectively address them in the tested contexts.

Nadira Boudjani (2018): Assisting the Construction and Evaluation of Deductive Mathematical Proofs using Argumentation Systems

Supervision Souhila Kaci (80%) Abdelkader Gouaich (20%)
PhD Student’s Career Senior Engineer in a Major IT Services Company

Abstract: Learning deductive mathematical proofs is fundamental in mathematics education. To address this problem, several studies in mathematics didactics employ collaborative learning that includes argumentation. The literature shows that argumentation: (i) enhances critical thinking and the development of metacognitive skills such as self-evaluation, (ii) increases students’ motivation through social interactions, and (iii) promotes learning among students. In this thesis, we propose a system for the construction and evaluation of deductive mathematical proofs based on formal argumentation. This system has a dual objective: (i) enabling students to construct deductive mathematical proofs through structured argumentative debates and (ii) assisting teachers in evaluating these proofs and all intermediate steps to identify errors and provide constructive feedback to students. The system has been implemented and validated through an experimental study to assess its acceptability by students and teachers.

This thesis was co-supervised with Prof. Souhila Kaci (main supervisor).

Richard Ewelle Ewelle (2015): Adapting Game Communications in the Cloud

Supervision Abdelkader Gouaich (90%) Stefano Cerri (10%)
PhD Student’s Career Research Engineer in a Major IT Services Company

Abstract: Cloud computing, in the context of video games, has garnered significant attention due to its evolutionary capabilities, availability, and computing power. However, current cloud gaming systems have strong network resource requirements, thus reducing the accessibility and ubiquity of cloud gaming services for clients with limited bandwidth and individuals located in areas with limited and/or unstable network conditions. In this thesis, we present an adaptation technique inspired by the level of detail (LOD) approach. We propose a level of detail approach to manage the distribution of network resources based on the importance of objects in the scene and network conditions. We validate our approach using prototype games and evaluate the player’s Quality of Experience (QoE) through pilot experiments. The results show that the proposed framework provides a significant improvement in QoE.

Yannick Francillette (2014): Adaptive Model of Activities for Ubiquitous Games

Supervision Abdelkader Gouaich (50%) Abrouk Lylia (40%) Stefano Cerri (10%)
PhD Student’s Career Professor-Researcher at Université du Québec, Chicoutimi

In this thesis, we focus on a specific type of computer applications: location-based video games. These games on mobile devices face the challenge of changing player’s game conditions. The objective of this thesis is to propose a model for the design of self-adaptive games in the player’s context. This model should be generic and enable the creation of video games that can modify their activities and objectives based on the player’s current context. Our proposal includes a generic model of activities and objectives in a video game, which we refer to as “gameplay component,” and a model for detecting gameplay components compatible with the current context. To validate our approach, we conducted a synthetic laboratory experiment and also used our gameplay component model in an industrial context.

Nadia Hocine (2013): Adaptation in Serious Games for Functional Rehabilitation

Supervision Abdelkader Gouaich (90%) Stefano Cerri (10%)
PhD Student’s Career Lecturer-Researcher at Université Oran, Algeria

Abstract: Stroke is one of the leading causes of acquired disability and death among adults worldwide. Numerous research studies have emerged to improve rehabilitation strategies by incorporating serious games into the therapeutic process. The advantage of these serious games is to provide patients with a personalized and immersive training environment. This thesis focuses on an adaptation technique aimed at improving the training outcomes for patients while maintaining their motivation during a therapy session. The technique is based on evaluating the motor abilities of hemiplegic patients to dynamically adapt the game difficulty. It was evaluated through experiments involving healthy players, therapists, and stroke patients. The evaluation results demonstrate that the adaptation technique increases the number of tasks, the number of successful tasks, and the range of motion. Additionally, it also helps maintain player motivation when compared to control strategies. This shows promising potential for enhancing the recovery of patients who have experienced a stroke.

Ghulam Mahdi (2013): Level of Detail in Agent Societies in Games

Supervision Abdelkader Gouaich (50%) Fabien Michel (40%) Stefano Cerri (10%)
PhD Student’s Career Senior Artificial Intelligence Engineer, Large Company, United States

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an essential component of video games, and increasing efforts are being made to enhance AI to make games more immersive. However, this improvement often comes with a growing demand for computational resources. As a result, these resource requirements may degrade the game’s frame rate and the overall player’s Quality of Experience (QoE). In this context, our objective is to maintain the frame rate above a certain threshold by modulating the amount of resources required by the AI component. To achieve this, we propose allowing programmers to define multiple levels of detail (LOD) for the AI, similar to how graphical scenes are displayed. Existing approaches using distance and visibility criteria, developed in the context of graphics rendering, are not always suitable for AI as they may not accurately reflect the real importance of a character to the player. In this thesis, we propose using organizational concepts such as groups and roles to define the importance of a character to the AI. Thus, a video game is considered an agent society (the game characters) whose individual or collective importance is determined based on their positions in the organization. Our approach has been implemented and integrated into the AGDE game engine (Agent Game Development Engine). Experimental evaluation was conducted using a repeated measures design to assess the difference in QoE between a game with and without our approach.

Publications

1.
Bonnici I, Gouaïch A, Michel F. 2022 Input addition and deletion in reinforcement: Towards protean learning. Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems 36, 4. (doi:10.1007/s10458-021-09534-6)
2.
Bonnici I, Gouaïch A, Michel F. 2020 Input Addition and Deletion in Reinforcement: Towards Learning with Structural Changes. In Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, AAMAS ’20, Auckland, New Zealand, May 9-13, 2020 (eds AEF Seghrouchni, G Sukthankar, B An, N Yorke-Smith), pp. 177–185. International Foundation for Autonomous Agents; Multiagent Systems. (doi:10.5555/3398761.3398787)
3.
Bonnici I, Gouaïch A, Michel F. 2019 Effects of Input Addition in Learning for Adaptive Games: Towards Learning with Structural Changes. In Applications of Evolutionary Computation - 22nd International Conference, EvoApplications 2019, Held as Part of EvoStar 2019, Leipzig, Germany, April 24-26, 2019, Proceedings (eds P Kaufmann, PA Castillo), pp. 172–184. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-030-16692-2_12)
4.
Boudjani N, Gouaïch A, Kaci S. 2018 CLEAR: Argumentation Frameworks for Constructing and Evaluating Deductive Mathematical Proofs. In Computational Models of Argument - Proceedings of COMMA 2018, Warsaw, Poland, 12-14 September 2018 (eds S Modgil, K Budzynska, J Lawrence), pp. 281–288. IOS Press. (doi:10.3233/978-1-61499-906-5-281)
5.
Boudjani N, Gouaïch A, Kaci S. 2017 Debate-Based Learning Game for Constructing Mathematical Proofs. In Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty - 14th European Conference, ECSQARU 2017, Lugano, Switzerland, July 10-14, 2017, Proceedings (eds A Antonucci, L Cholvy, O Papini), pp. 36–45. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-319-61581-3_4)
6.
Francillette Y, Gouaïch A, Abrouk L. 2017 Adaptive gameplay for mobile gaming. In IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games, CIG 2017, New York, NY, USA, August 22-25, 2017, pp. 80–87. IEEE. (doi:10.1109/CIG.2017.8080419)
7.
Hocine N, Gouaïch A, Cerri SA, Mottet D, Frôger J, Laffont I. 2015 Adaptation in serious games for upper-limb rehabilitation: An approach to improve training outcomes. User Model. User Adapt. Interact. 25, 65–98. (doi:10.1007/s11257-015-9154-6)
8.
Hocine N, Gouaïch A, Cerri SA. 2014 Dynamic Difficulty Adaptation in Serious Games for Motor Rehabilitation. In Games for Training, Education, Health and Sports - 4th International Conference on Serious Games, GameDays 2014, Darmstadt, Germany, April 1-5, 2014. Proceedings (eds S Göbel, J Wiemeyer), pp. 115–128. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05972-3_13)
9.
Ewelle RE, Francillette Y, Mahdi G, Gouaïch A, Hocine N. 2013 Level of detail based network adapted synchronization for cloud gaming. In 18th International Conference on Computer Games: AI, Animation, Mobile, Interactive Multimedia, Educational and Serious Games, CGAMES 2013, Louisville, KY, USA, July 30 - Aug. 1, 2013 (eds QH Mehdi, A Elmaghraby, I Marshall, JW Jaromczyk, RK Ragade, BG Zapirain, D-J Chang, J Chariker, MM El-Said, RV Yampolskiy), pp. 111–118. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/CGames.2013.6632616)
10.
Ewelle RE, Gouaïch A, Francillette Y, Mahdi G. 2013 Network Traffic Adaptation For Cloud Games. CoRR abs/1311.3348.
11.
Francillette Y, Abrouk L, Gouaïch A. 2013 A players clustering method to enhance the players’ experience in multi-player games. In 18th International Conference on Computer Games: AI, Animation, Mobile, Interactive Multimedia, Educational and Serious Games, CGAMES 2013, Louisville, KY, USA, July 30 - Aug. 1, 2013 (eds QH Mehdi, A Elmaghraby, I Marshall, JW Jaromczyk, RK Ragade, BG Zapirain, D-J Chang, J Chariker, MM El-Said, RV Yampolskiy), pp. 229–234. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/CGames.2013.6632639)
12.
Mahdi G, Francillette Y, Gouaïch A, Michel F, Hocine N. 2013 Level of Detail based AI Adaptation for Agents in Video Games. In ICAART 2013 - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence, Volume 2, Barcelona, Spain, 15-18 February, 2013 (eds J Filipe, ALN Fred), pp. 182–194. SciTePress.
13.
Francillette Y, Gouaïch A, Hocine N, Pons J. 2012 A gameplay loops formal language. In 17th International Conference on Computer Games, CGAMES 2012, Louisville, KY, USA, July 30 - Aug. 1, 2012 (eds QH Mehdi, A Elmaghraby, I Marshall, R Moreton, RK Ragade, BG Zapirain, J Chariker, MM El-Said, RV Yampolskiy, NL Zhigiang), pp. 94–101. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/CGames.2012.6314558)
14.
Gouaïch A, Hocine N. 2012 Ant-based Approach for Dynamic Difficulty Adaptation in Post-Stroke Therapeutic Games. Int. J. Comput. Sci. Sport 11.
15.
Gouaïch A, Hocine N, Dokkum LV, Mottet D. 2012 Digital-pheromone based difficulty adaptation in post-stroke therapeutic games. In ACM International Health Informatics Symposium, IHI ’12, Miami, FL, USA, January 28-30, 2012 (eds G Luo, J Liu, CC Yang), pp. 5–12. ACM. (doi:10.1145/2110363.2110368)
16.
Hocine N, Gouaïch A. 2011 Therapeutic games’ difficulty adaptation: An approach based on player’s ability and motivation. In 16th International Conference on Computer Games, CGAMES 2011, Louisville, KY, USA, 27-30 July, 2011 (eds QH Mehdi, AS Elmaghraby, R Moreton, RV Yampolskiy, J Chariker), pp. 257–261. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/CGAMES.2011.6000349)
17.
Hocine N, Gouaïch A, Abrouk L, Loreto ID. 2011 Techniques d’adaptation dans les jeux ludiques et sérieux. Rev. d’Intelligence Artif. 25, 253–280. (doi:10.3166/ria.25.253-280)
18.
Hocine N, Gouaïch A, Loreto ID, Joab M. 2011 Motivation based difficulty adaptation for therapeutic games. In 2011 IEEE 1st International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health, SeGAH 2011, Braga, Portugal, November 16-18, 2011, pp. 1–8. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/SeGAH.2011.6165459)
19.
Loreto ID, Dokkum LV, Gouaïch A, Laffont I. 2011 Mixed Reality as a Means to Strengthen Post-stroke Rehabilitation. In Virtual and Mixed Reality - Systems and Applications - International Conference, Virtual and Mixed Reality 2011, Held as Part of HCI International 2011, Orlando, FL, USA, July 9-14, 2011, Proceedings, Part II (ed R Shumaker), pp. 11–19. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-642-22024-1_2)
20.
Loreto ID, Gouaïch A. 2011 Mixed reality serious games: The therapist perspective. In 2011 IEEE 1st International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health, SeGAH 2011, Braga, Portugal, November 16-18, 2011, pp. 1–10. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/SeGAH.2011.6165462)
21.
Loreto ID, Gouaïch A, Hocine N. 2011 Mixed reality serious games for post-stroke rehabilitation. In 5th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare, PervasiveHealth 2011, Dublin, Ireland, May 23-26, 2011, pp. 530–537. IEEE. (doi:10.4108/icst.pervasivehealth.2011.246102)
22.
Mahdi G, Gouaïch A. 2011 Interval based Integrated Real-time Coordination for Multi-agent Systems. In ICAART 2011 - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence, Volume 1 - Artificial Intelligence, Rome, Italy, January 28-30, 2011 (eds J Filipe, ALN Fred), pp. 664–669. SciTePress.
23.
Bergeret M, Gouaïch A. 2010 REST-A and Intercycle Messages. In Agent and Multi-Agent Systems: Technologies and Applications, 4th KES International Symposium, KES-AMSTA 2010, Gdynia, Poland, June 23-25, 2010, Proceedings. Part I (eds P Jedrzejowicz, NT Nguyen, RJ Howlett, LC Jain), pp. 82–91. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-642-13480-7_10)
24.
Gouaïch A, Bergeret M. 2010 REST-A: An Agent Virtual Machine Based on REST Framework. In Advances in Practical Applications of Agents and Multiagent Systems, 8th International Conference on Practical Applications of Agents and Multiagent Systems, PAAMS 2010, Salamanca, Spain, 26-28 April 2010 (eds Y Demazeau, F Dignum, JM Corchado, J Bajo), pp. 103–112. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-642-12384-9_13)
25.
Loreto ID, Gouaïch A. 2010 An Early Evaluation Method for Social Presence in Serious Game. In CSEDU 2010 - Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computer Supported Education, Valencia, Spain, April 7-10, 2010 - Volume 1 (eds JAM Cordeiro, B Shishkov, A Verbraeck, M Helfert), pp. 94–101. INSTICC Press.
26.
Mahdi G, Gouaïch A, Michel F. 2010 Towards an Integrated Approach of Real-Time Coordination for Multi-agent Systems. In Agent and Multi-Agent Systems: Technologies and Applications, 4th KES International Symposium, KES-AMSTA 2010, Gdynia, Poland, June 23-25, 2010, Proceedings. Part I (eds P Jedrzejowicz, NT Nguyen, RJ Howlett, LC Jain), pp. 253–262. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-642-13480-7_27)
27.
Seilles A, Cotret J, Georges F, Sallantin J, Rodriguez N, Gouaïch A, Fagot C. 2010 L’annotation discursive et sémantique pour la pratique de débats 2.0. Document Numérique 13, 153–177. (doi:10.3166/dn.13.3.153-177)
28.
Boutamina S, Seridi H, Gouaïch A. 2009 The Incremental Design of Scripts based on Multi-Agent System. In CSEDU 2009 - Proceedings of the First International Conference on Computer Supported Education, Lisboa, Portugal, March 23-26, 2009 - Volume 1 (eds JAM Cordeiro, B Shishkov, A Verbraeck, M Helfert), pp. 321–326. INSTICC Press.
29.
Dugenie P, Cerri SA, Lemoisson P, Gouaïch A. 2008 Agora UCS Ubiquitous Collaborative Space. In Intelligent Tutoring Systems, 9th International Conference, ITS 2008, Montreal, Canada, June 23-27, 2008, Proceedings (eds BP Woolf, E Aïmeur, R Nkambou, SP Lajoie), pp. 696–698. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-69132-7_81)
30.
Abrouk L, Gouaïch A. 2006 Automatic Annotation Using Citation Links and Co-citation Measure: Application to the Water Information System. In The Semantic Web - ASWC 2006, First Asian Semantic Web Conference, Beijing, China, September 3-7, 2006, Proceedings (eds R Mizoguchi, Z Shi, F Giunchiglia), pp. 44–57. Springer. (doi:10.1007/11836025_5)
31.
Abrouk L, Gouaïch A, Raïssi C. 2006 Annotation automatique de documents. In Actes du XXIVème Congrès INFORSID, Hammamet, Tunisie, 31 mai - 4 juin, 2006, pp. 483–497.
32.
Gouaïch A. 2005 Mouvement, Interaction, Calcul partout et à tout moment avec l’Ordinateur. (Movement, Interaction, Calculation as Primitivesfor Everywhere & Anytime Computing). PhD Thesis, Montpellier 2 University, France. See https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00142843.
33.
Gouaïch A, Michel F. 2005 Towards a Unified View of the Environment(s) within Multi-Agent Systems. Informatica (Slovenia) 29, 423–432.
34.
Gouaïch A, Cerri SA. 2004 Movement and interaction in semantic GRIDs: Dynamic service generation for Agents in the MIC* deployment environment. In 4th International LeGE-WG Workshop - Towards a European Learning Grid Infrastructure: Progressing with a European Learning Grid, Stuttgart, Germany. 27 - 28 April 2004 (eds T Dimitrakos, P Ritrovato), BCS.
35.
Gouaïch A, Michel F, Guiraud Y. 2004 MIC: A Deployment Environment for Autonomous Agents. In Environments for Multi-Agent Systems, First International Workshop, E4MAS 2004, New York, NY, USA, July 19, 2004, Revised Selected Papers (eds D Weyns, HVD Parunak, F Michel), pp. 109–126. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-32259-7_6)
36.
Gouaïch A. 2003 Requirements for Achieving Software Agents Autonomy and Defining their Responsibility. In Agents and Computational Autonomy - Potential, Risks, and Solutions - Postproceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Computational Autonomy - Potential, Risks, Solutions (AUTONOMY 2003), held at the 2nd International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems (AAMAS 2003), July 14, 2003, Melbourne, Australia (eds M Nickles, M Rovatsos, G Weiß), pp. 128–139. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-25928-2_11)
37.
Gouaïch A. 2003 Coordination and Conversation Protocols in Open Multi-agent Systems. In Engineering Societies in the Agents World IV, 4th International Workshop, ESAW 2003, London, UK, October 29-31, 2003, Revised Selected and Invited Papers (eds A Omicini, P Petta, J Pitt), pp. 182–199. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-25946-6_12)
38.
Gouaïch A. 2003 Validating interactions in ubiquitous software systems using dialogue oriented interactions. In 2003 IEEE/WIC International Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology (IAT 2003), 13-17 October 2003, Halifax, Canada, pp. 515–518. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/IAT.2003.1241134)
39.
Gouaïch A. 2003 Distributed Ubiquitous Software Services. In 2003 IEEE/WIC International Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology (IAT 2003), 13-17 October 2003, Halifax, Canada, pp. 531–534. IEEE Computer Society. (doi:10.1109/IAT.2003.1241138)
40.
Gouaïch A. 2003 Using Similarity to Implement Distributed Ubiquitous Software Services. In Foundations of Intelligent Systems, 14th International Symposium, ISMIS 2003, Maebashi City, Japan, October 28-31, 2003, Proceedings (eds N Zhong, ZW Ras, S Tsumoto, E Suzuki), pp. 211–215. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-39592-8_29)
41.
Gouaïch A, Guiraud Y. 2003 MIC: Algebraic Agent Environment. In Foundations of Intelligent Systems, 14th International Symposium, ISMIS 2003, Maebashi City, Japan, October 28-31, 2003, Proceedings (eds N Zhong, ZW Ras, S Tsumoto, E Suzuki), pp. 216–220. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-39592-8_30)
42.
Michel F, Gouaïch A, Ferber J. 2003 Weak Interaction and Strong Interaction in Agent Based Simulations. In Multi-Agent-Based Simulation III, 4th International Workshop, MABS 2003, Melbourne, Australia, July 14th, 2003, Revised Papers (eds D Hales, B Edmonds, E Norling, J Rouchier), pp. 43–56. Springer. (doi:10.1007/978-3-540-24613-8_4)

Teaching

Teaching statement

As an educator, my main goal is to create a stimulating learning environment that supports students’ success.

Here are the key points that characterize my teaching method:

  1. A bottom-up approach through experiential learning: For students, I prioritize concrete experiences presented in the form of learning situations. Subsequently, we gradually build more general concepts based on knowledge derived from these situations. Through projects and concrete exercises, students are encouraged to experiment, solve real problems, and draw conclusions from observations. This bottom-up approach promotes better retention of knowledge and a deeper understanding of concepts. Students are actively engaged in the learning process, which strengthens their motivation and interest in the subject matter. Additionally, project-based work allows students to develop metacognitive skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, time management, and decision-making. They are required to work in teams, communicate effectively, and take initiatives. This also prepares them to tackle the challenges of the professional world, where they will face new situations and have to collaborate within teams.

  2. Promoting critical thinking and collaboration for knowledge/skill co-construction: I consider critical thinking, rational inquiry, and collaboration as essential skills for students’ intellectual development to meet the challenges of our century. I actively encourage students to question preconceived ideas, critically analyze the information presented to them, and formulate well-supported arguments to justify and rationally prove their viewpoints. Collaboration among students is also crucial as it allows for knowledge sharing and exchange of perspectives in a multicultural world. Group activities, class discussions, and collaborative projects are means through which I seek to promote this critical mindset and co-construction of knowledge. Moreover, this approach enables students to acquire skills related to social competences and human relationship management, which are highly important for their future professional career.

  3. Fostering dynamic and participatory teaching to increase student motivation: I strongly believe that motivation is a key factor in learning. Teaching should be dynamic and engaging to foster and sustain this motivation. Therefore, I adopt an active approach in my pedagogical practice, utilizing various methods such as case studies, role-playing, games and interactive demos. I also encourage students to actively participate in class by presenting negative cases or counterexamples to be investigated and corrected. My aim is to stimulate curiosity and maintain students’ interest throughout the course. This environment also allows me, as an educator, to remain active, vigilant, and engaged during my sessions.

  4. Fostering student autonomy to acquire skills: The success of students outside of the classroom depends on encouraging their autonomy throughout the learning process. I encourage students to explore rather than giving them pre-made solutions and the appearance of easily attained competency. By providing pertinent materials, encouraging them to ask important questions, and helping them avoid dead ends, it is my responsibility to guide and accompany them on their path. I think that using this method helps students grasp ideas more thoroughly and, more importantly, gives them the metacognitive skills that are so vital in today’s world: being able to learn how to learn.

  5. Fostering progressive pathways with discoveries of limits and challenges throughout the journey: The role of a teacher is not to mechanically repeat knowledge that can be found in any reference book. Instead, the teacher should provide a strategy in the form of a progressive sequence where students are encouraged to challenge their limits throughout the process. I design my courses to offer a gradual progression of the concepts and difficulty. This allows students to develop their knowledge gradually and gain confidence in their abilities as they progress. I also encourage students to challenge their comfort zone so they can explore new horizons and deepen their knowledge.

Summary of Teaching Experience (Last 5 Years)

Since 2007, I am a tenured researcher/teacher at the University of Montpellier and affiliated with the Technological institute of Montpellier. I teach computer science courses in programming languages, operating systems, computer networks, databases and web programming.

I also teach principles of game design and game programming for Master level at the Faculty of Sciences in Montpellier. I am the coordinator and co-founder of this module.

The rest of this section provides a summary of my teaching activities over the past 5 years.

Bachelor’s Level

Introduction to Programming

This module presents imperative and structured programming for undergraduate students. The aim is to introduce the fundamentals of algorithmics and data structures. A simplified, yet comprehensive, algorithmic language is used to program fundamental algorithms such as sorting and arithmetics of finite fields. After this first stage, students program using actual programming language, which can be either C/C++, Ada, Python, or Java. Upon completion of this module, students are capable of analyzing, programming, and testing simple algorithms with basic data structures (arrays and lists).

Introduction to Computer Architecture

This module has a dual objective. Firstly, it aims to introduce students with the Unix environment and its main components: file system, memory and process manager.

The second part focuses on the representation and encoding of information (binary encoding of integers and floating-points with IEEE754) and the modeling of combinatorial and sequential logical circuits. The implementation and testing of these circuits is performed using graphical simulation softwares and/or VHDL.

Introduction to Network Services

This module introduces the fundamentals of TCP/IP technologies for developing client/server applications in C. We cover basic concepts such as the OSI model, TCP/IP layers including IP addressing and routing. The C socket API is then used to create simple client-server applications such as chat servers or web servers.

Programming and Database Administration

This module covers the relational model (including normalization and relational algebra) as well as the SQL language. The Oracle’s PL/SQL language is also used for managing stored procedures.

Web Programming

This module introduces web programming using the PHP programming language. Students develop complete websites with a presentation layer, application logic, and data persistence layer (following the Model View Control pattern)

Operating System Principles

This module presents the key components of an operating system: file management, memory management, and process management, as well as an introduction to IPC mechanisms. Students interact with these components using the C API. Advanced practical assignments include programming a dynamic memory allocator (similar to malloc) and developing client-server applications using POSIX pipes and message queues.

Distributed Programming

This module addresses the coordination problem between independent activities. It covers coordination mechanisms such as locks and semaphores, with a focus on using semaphores to solve mutual exclusion and writer/reader synchronization problems.

Server-Side Web Programming

This module covers advanced web programming using the PHP Object language with integration of the data persistence layer. Students develop advanced websites (e.g., eCommerce) using the MVC model and publish RESTful web APIs.

Network System Administration

This module covers the network layers of the OSI and TCP/IP standards, IP addressing, routing plans, C socket APIs for client/server applications.

Network Services

This module covers internet application protocols such as HTTP and SMTP. Students learn to install and configure core services, such as a web and database servers, on the network using Linux virtual machines.

Advanced JavaScript Programming

This module offers advanced learning of the JavaScript programming language, including an introduction to the JavaScript virtual machine and its specifications (ES5, ES6, and ES7). Topics covered include advanced object management, functions and lexical environments, advanced handling of functions and objects in JavaScript, and the use of asynchronous programming and promises in JavaScript for event-driven programming.

Master’s Degree Level

Design and Development of Games and Serious Games

I am a co-creator and educational coordinator of the “serious games” module for the IMAGINE master program. This course presents theoretical concepts as well as practical tools for video games and serious games development. From a theoretical standpoint, we explore the concept of games based on the works of R. Caillois and J. Huizinga. The effec of games and their functions are explored from the perspectives of D. Winnicott, M. Csíkszentmihályi, and G. Brougère. Finally, the integration of narrative structures into games is presented through J. Campbell’s monomyth theory. From a computer science perspective, the rational game design methodology is introduced. The “Entity/System” design pattern is studied and utilized for prototyping video games using Unity$^{\small \textregistered}$. Statistical tools, such as the Student’s t-test and ANOVA, are presented to conduct comparative and experimental studies.

Responsibilities in the Department of Education

Coordinator of the Professional Bachelor Degree (since 2019)

I am the coordinator of the APIDAE professional bachelor degree. APIDAE (in french) stands for Informatics Project Assistant for Web/e-Business Application Development. Our goal is to instruct students to become full-stack developers who master both fundamental concepts (such as software architectures, design patterns, databases and network architectures) and professional frameworks (such as Symfony, Vue.js, Angular, JS, PHP)

My responsibilities include :

Internship Coordinator (2015-2018)

Second-year students in the DUT program are required to complete a minimum 10-week internship. This involves approximately 100 to 110 students. My responsibilities included informing students about the internship process and assisting them with the research phase, validating internship assignments, ensuring the establishment of internship agreements, coordinating the teaching team to monitor students during their internships, and organizing and scheduling the presentation sessions for the cohort.