Saran, Murat
Loading...
Name Variants
Job Title
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi
Email Address
saran@cankaya.edu.tr
Main Affiliation
Bilgisayar Mühendisliği
Status
Current Staff
Website
ORCID ID
Scopus Author ID
Turkish CoHE Profile ID
Google Scholar ID
WoS Researcher ID
Files
Sustainable Development Goals Report Points
SDG data could not be loaded because of an error. Please refresh the page or try again later.
Scholarly Output
13
Articles
15
Citation Count
137
Supervised Theses
0
13 results
Scholarly Output Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
Article Citation - WoS: 3Citation - Scopus: 5Distribution-preserving data augmentation(Peerj inc, 2021) Saran, Murat; Saran, Nurdan Ayse; Saran, Murat; Nar, Fatih; Nar, Fatih; 20868; 17753; Bilgisayar Mühendisliği; MatematikIn the last decade, deep learning has been applied in a wide range of problems with tremendous success. This success mainly comes from large data availability, increased computational power, and theoretical improvements in the training phase. As the dataset grows, the real world is better represented, making it possible to develop a model that can generalize. However, creating a labeled dataset is expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes not likely in some domains if not challenging. Therefore, researchers proposed data augmentation methods to increase dataset size and variety by creating variations of the existing data. For image data, variations can be obtained by applying color or spatial transformations, only one or a combination. Such color transformations perform some linear or nonlinear operations in the entire image or in the patches to create variations of the original image. The current color-based augmentation methods are usually based on image processing methods that apply color transformations such as equalizing, solarizing, and posterizing. Nevertheless, these color-based data augmentation methods do not guarantee to create plausible variations of the image. This paper proposes a novel distribution-preserving data augmentation method that creates plausible image variations by shifting pixel colors to another point in the image color distribution. We achieved this by defining a regularized density decreasing direction to create paths from the original pixels' color to the distribution tails. The proposed method provides superior performance compared to existing data augmentation methods which is shown using a transfer learning scenario on the UC Merced Land-use, Intel Image Classification, and Oxford-IIIT Pet datasets for classification and segmentation tasks.Conference Object Contribution of Intelligent Repeat Engine in Mobile Learning for Enhancing Students’ Learning in Industrial Engineering Education(1) Saran, Murat; Güleç, Ulaş; 17753; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiArticle Mobile Assisted Language Learning: English Pronunciation at Learners' Fingertips(Anı Yayıncılık, 2009) Saran, Murat; Seferoğlu, Gölge; Çağıltay, Kürşat; 17753; 1242; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiProblem Statement: The study of pronunciation had been a relatively neglected issue in the foreign/second language acquisition literature. Likewise, in classroom contexts, pronunciation has received less attention as compared to the other language components and skills with the belief that it is peripheral to successful communication. Yet, there is a recent revival of interest in pronunciation research. The literature on foreign/second language acquisition highlights that in general in-class activities are not sufficient for effective language learning and that learners should also have input and output opportunities outside the classroom. This holds true for learning pronunciation as the literature suggests that just classroom instruction has a negligible impact on oral production of learners. With their widespread use and their features such as mobility, localization, and personalization, mobile phones offer a great potential for out-of-class learning. Yet, there is scarce research on the use of mobile phones in language learning contexts nor any on using mobile phones to improve learners' pronunciation. This study is aimed to make a significant contribution to the literature in these respects. Purpose of the Study: The major aim of this study was to investigate the potentials and effectiveness of using mobile phones in foreign language education. In particular, the effects of using multimedia messages via mobile phones for improving language learners' pronunciation of words were explored. Methods: A mixed method approach involving both quantitative and qualitative components was employed in this study. The quantitative part of the study followed a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. The qualitative part of the study included post-study semi-structured interviews with the students, and a questionnaire involving open ended items. The participants of this study were a group of students attending the English Preparatory School of an English-medium university in Turkey. There different groups were formed in order to investigate the comparative effectiveness of supplementary materials delivered through 3 different means: mobile phones, web pages, and handouts. Results: Analyses of the quantitative data showed that using mobile phones had positive effects on students' pronunciation learning. The qualitative data collected through the questionnaire and the interviews supported this finding. All participants provided positive feedback about the mobile learning application used in this study. Conclusions and Recommendations: This study extends the use of use mobile phones, which are already in use for communication and entertainment, to educational settings. The findings of the study pose crucial implications for foreign language teaching and learningArticle Cassandra ve MongoDB NoSQL Veri Tabanlarının Karşılaştırmalı Güvenlik Analizi(2019) Saran, Murat; Saran, Nurdan; 17753; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiIn this study, we analyze the security of two NoSQL databases, MongoDB 3.6.3 and Cassandra 3.11.1 in a multi-node configuration in two steps. The first step is a comparative study of both databases’ security features according to ten selected criteria from the literature. The second step is analyzing data encryption overhead using the Yahoo Cloud Serving Benchmark tool. This study will help decision-makers and researchers to realize the most crucial security features concerning NoSQL databases as well as to be able to analyze the NoSQL databases regarding the security features. Our security comparison results show that both databases have noteworthy security features. However, Cassandra takes the lead as it supports more security criteria. Besides, the encryption/decryption performance of the MongoDB business version is 53% faster than the Cassandra business version, and the average amount of data that the MongoDB business version can process per minute is 45% higher than the Cassandra business version. This result shows that it is more appropriate to use MongoDB in environments where encryption is required.Conference Object Citation - WoS: 8Citation - Scopus: 15Perlin random erasing for data augmentation(Ieee, 2021) Saran, Murat; Saran, Murat; Nar, Fatih; Nar, Fatih; Saran, Ayse Nurdan; 17753; 20868; Bilgisayar Mühendisliği; MatematikIn the last decade, Deep Learning is applied in a wide range of problems with tremendous success. Large data, increased computational resources, and theoretical improvements are main reasons for this success. As the dataset grows, the real-world is better represented, allows developing a model that can generalize. However, creating a labeled dataset is expensive, time-consuming, or sometimes even challenging. Therefore, researchers proposed data augmentation methods to increase dataset size by creating variations of the existing data. This study proposes an extension to Random Erasing data augmentation method by introducing smoothness. The proposed method provides better performance compared to Random Erasing data augmentation method, which is shown using a transfer learning scenario on the UC Merced Land-use image dataset.Article Citation - WoS: 42Citation - Scopus: 50Mobile Language Learning: Contribution of Multimedia Messages Via Mobile Phones in Consolidating Vocabulary(Springer Heidelberg, 2012) Saran, Murat; Saran, Murat; Seferoglu, Golge; Cagiltay, Kursat; 17753; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiThis study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using multimedia messages via mobile phones in helping language learners in consolidating vocabulary. The study followed a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental research design. The participants of this study were a group of students attending the English Preparatory School of an English-medium university in Turkey. Six different groups were formed in order to investigate the comparative effectiveness of supplementary vocabulary materials delivered through three different means: via mobile phones, on web pages, and in print form. The multimedia messages in this study included the definitions of words, exemplary sentences, related visual representations, information on word formation, and pronunciations of words. Analyses of the quantitative data showed that using mobile phones had positive effects on students' vocabulary acquisition. The results suggest that mobile phones offer great potential for providing learners with supplementary opportunities to recontextualize, recycle, and consolidate vocabulary.Conference Object Citation - Scopus: 29Use of mobile phones in language learning: Developing effective instructional materials(2008) Saran, M.; Saran, Murat; Cagiltay, K.; Seferoglu, G.; 17753; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiWith its widespread use and its features and functions such as mobility, reachability, localization, and personalization, mobile phone technology offers a great potential in learning environments. With this consideration, our first and foremost aim in this study has been to make use of this profound interest and potential, and contribute to the efforts to enhance existing educational practices, particularly in the developing regions of the world. Therefore, we developed instructional materials to be delivered through mobile phones operated in second generation GSM technology in order to improve English language learners' vocabulary acquisition. The multimedia messages in this study allowed students to see the definitions of words, example sentences, related visual representations, and pronunciations. After students finished reading multimedia messages, interactive short message service (SMS) quizzes for testing their learning were sent. This paper suggests some important points to consider while creating MMS content and a SMS quiz system for educational purposes. © 2008 IEEE.Conference Object Gamification in e-learning: The Effect on Student Performance(2018) Saran, Murat; Al-Magsoosi, Daleh; Mohammed, Deena; 17753; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiThe aim of this study is to analyze the effects of gamification elements such as points, level-up, badges and leaderboard in Moodle learning management system on students' performance. Forty-seven computer science students were participated in the online Computer Architecture course in two different settings. Students of the experimental group studied with gamification tools (points, level-up, badges and leaderboard) and students of the control group had access to the same content and activities without the gamification elements. The results indicated that students in the experimental group had higher grades than the control group students indicating a statistically significant difference regarding the students' performance on post-test scoresConference Object Citation - WoS: 3Citation - Scopus: 3Towards a quest-based contextualization process for game-basedlearning(Acad Conferences Ltd, 2014) Yılmaz, Murat; Yilmaz, Murat; Saran, Murat; Saran, Murat; O'Connor, Rory; Yazılım Mühendisliği; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiThis study proposes a quest-based contextualization (QBC) process, which transforms part of a traditional lecture into a well-defined questing structure. The goal is to create a learning experience by using a systematic game-based questing approach. The QBC procedure is a set of sequential tasks defined by the game designer to reflect the instructional objectives of the course. It is formed as an interaction perspective from which a game system can be materialized, and which aims to improve the quality of the game flow and the user experience in a game-based learning environment. We claim that a game-based contextualization process can be used to restructure a traditional lecture in terms of educational quests. In particular, it was hypothesized that the design of such a quest-line should be constructed as a questing structure based on the chain of events, which are extracted from lecture notes. In the formulation of this design, the key events were discussed in an interview with an expert (i.e. content specialist) from a target field. This interview was transcribed, and further analyzed using an iterative qualitative approach as an interpretive analysis technique where an inductive proposition is considered for contextualization of data. This research used a thematic analysis methodology to explore the situations, which are suitable for questing and might be expandable into categories. Furthermore, questable points from the data were captured and situational elements and conversational key points were rigorously categorized. After building the initial mapping, we conducted a second interview with the same area expert to refine our preliminary findings. To evaluate our approach from the game design perspective, we sought advice from a small group of game design experts and practitioners who are recognized knowledgeable individuals in educational game development. Based on the opinion of four game design experts, the questing structure was revised and several game elements, such as extra battles, puzzles, and achievements, were added to support the elements of fun. Three of the experts argued that the proposed questing structure was highly educational, while the fourth claimed that such an improvement was partially important. These findings, while preliminary, suggested that a well-defined questing structure should be useful to improve the quality of a game-based learning environment.Article Citation - WoS: 25Citation - Scopus: 30Supporting foreign language vocabulary learning through multimedia messages via mobile phones(Hacettepe Univ, 2010) Saran, Murat; Saran, Murat; Seferoglu, Goelge; 17753; 1242; Bilgisayar MühendisliğiThis study explored the effectiveness of mobile learning in foreign language education. With this purpose, instructional materials to be delivered through mobile phones operated in second generation GSM technology in order to improve English language learners' vocabulary acquisition were developed. The multimedia messages in this study allowed students to see the definitions of words, example sentences, related visual representations, and pronunciations. After students finished reading multimedia messages, interactive short message service (SMS) quizzes for testing their learning were sent. In addition, the study examined students' tendencies in using MMS in their second language vocabulary study and explored the opinions of the students toward the use of mobile phones for instructional purposes. The findings of this study suggest some important points to consider while creating MMS content and a SMS quiz system for educational purposes.
