Low-code application platforms enable citizen developers to autonomously build complete applications, such as web applications or mobile applications. Some of these platforms also offer support for reuse to facilitate the development of similar applications. The offered mechanisms are usually elementary, they allow module reuse or building a new application from a template. However, they are insufficient to achieve the industrial level reuse necessary for software product lines (SPL). In fact, these platforms were conceived to help build standalone applications, not software families and even fewer software product lines. In this paper, we argue that the major limitation is that these platforms seldom provide access to their metamodel, the access to applications’ models and code is also limited and, therefore, makes it harder to analyze commonality and variability and construct models based on it. An approach is proposed to surpass these limitations: firstly, a metamodel of the applications built with the platform is obtained, and then, based on the metamodel, a domain-specific language (DSL) that can express the models of the applications, including variability, is constructed. With this DSL, users can combine and reuse models from different applications to explore and build similar applications. The solution is illustrated with an industrial case study. A discussion of the results is presented as well as its limitations and related work. The authors hope that this work provides inspiration and some ideas that the community can explore to facilitate the adoption and implementation of SPLs in the context, and supported by, low-code platforms.

There has been an increasing demand for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists, namely software engineers. The two-year SWitCH program was created to lower current unemployment rates, help on fulfilling the existing demand for software engineers from ICT companies and promote the reskilling of existing graduate students to the ICT area. This program consists of a one-year academic post-graduation program followed by a one-year paid internship. This paper introduces the SWitCH program, the current approach and post-graduation methodology, its comparison with similar approaches and its results so far.

Using automatic extraction of keywords and semi-automatic creation of domain ontologies it is possible to achieve a richer description of learning resources, with positive effects on subsequent searches. Based on this concept, we developed a repository named TREE - Teaching Resources for Engineering Education, to efficiently store and provide access to learning and scientific resources and as a service to preserve and disseminate intellectual property in the Engineering community. The TREE repository is based on open source tools and free Web services. In this paper we describe the TREE repository and how it uses Semantic Web technologies to improve search and retrieval of learning objects.

To be possible to reuse a learning object it is necessary to know its context of use and what learning outcomes can be achieved with it. Otherwise, its reuse will be limited to the learning object developers, the ones that know how to successfully apply it.In this paper we present a framework that describes the learning object in relation to one or more learning scenarios that incorporate it. Teachers can choose then the most suitable scenario for a particular learning situation.

Learning object repositories intend to endorse reutilization but this purpose has not been fully achieved yet. In this paper, we describe a project addresses the effective reuse of learning objects in repositories. The initial model presented and discussed introduces new requirements in the way contents are stored and searched and in the contextual definition of learning objects. Considering IMS LD templates, we propose examples of its use for learning objects

The purpose of this paper is to present the current state and future development of the PLATINEA project. This project allows students and teachers to create and to consolidate knowledge in an autonomous form, with permanent automatic feedback and support. With this platform we propose to invert the current pedagogical model (transmitting information > practicing > assessing). Students' knowledge is permanently evaluated and they receive information adapted, in scope, content and media, to the detected need in that moment. This platform introduces also new requirements in the way content information is stored and searched, especially on the contextual definition of learning objects.