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Indoor Location (IL) using Received Signal Strength (RSS) is receiving much attention, mainly due to its ease of use in deployed IEEE 802.11b (WiFi) wireless networks. Fingerprinting is the most widely used technique. It consists of estimating position by comparison of a set of RSS measurements, made by the mobile device, with a database of RSS measurements whose locations are known. However, the most convenient data structure to be used, and the actual performance of the proposed fingerprinting algorithms, are still controversial. In addition the statistical distribution of indoor RSS is not easy to characterize. Therefore, we propose here the use of nonparametric statistical procedures for diagnosis of the fingerprinting model, specifically: (1) A non parametric statistical test, based on paired bootstrap resampling, for comparison of different fingerprinting models; (2) New accuracy measurements (the uncertainty area and its bias) which take into account the complex nature of the fingerprinting output. The bootstrap comparison test and the accuracy measurements are used for RSS-IL in our WiFi network, showing relevant information relating to the different fingerprinting schemes that can be used.

Communication skills development is one of the main goals of engineering education. We propose an integrated student-centered collaborative learning environment for developing communication skills, using project-based learning methods and peer assessment. In our learning environment, projects are assigned to small groups of students under teacher supervision, documented in a wiki-editing tool and presented during a public poster session. By combining wiki entries and poster presentations, we intend to facilitate students (1) to gain access to the project of their peers and share their results, (2) to analyze and comment critically the project of their peers and provide them with feedback, and (3) to enhance their writing and oral skills. Previous experiences encourage us to promote this integrated learning environment. Wiki environments allowed students to improve the quality of their projects and to develop a critical attitude towards their projects and the projects of their peers. The poster session was found to be more dynamic than traditional oral presentations. Students got engaged in a more open and critical manner with the project of their peers, and students presenting their project had the chance to improve the quality of their presentation on the fly, by presenting their work several times in the duration of the session. In future courses, we will implement a learning environment that combines both wikibased and poster session approaches. We expect that the implementation of both approaches will help to develop the communication skills of engineering students.

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