The advent of the intelligent information era has witnessed a proliferation of complex optimization problems across various disciplines. Although existing meta-heuristic algorithms have demonstrated efficacy in many scenarios, they still struggle with certain challenges such as premature convergence, insufficient exploration, and lack of robustness in high-dimensional, nonconvex search spaces. These limitations underscore the need for novel optimization techniques that can better balance exploration and exploitation while maintaining computational efficiency. In response to this need, we propose the Artificial Lemming Algorithm (ALA), a bio-inspired metaheuristic that mathematically models four distinct behaviors of lemmings in nature: long-distance migration, digging holes, foraging, and evading predators. Specifically, the long-distance migration and burrow digging behaviors are dedicated to highly exploring the search domain, whereas the foraging and evading predators behaviors provide exploitation during the optimization process. In addition, ALA incorporates an energy-decreasing mechanism that enables dynamic adjustments to the balance between exploration and exploitation, thereby enhancing its ability to evade local optima and converge to global solutions more robustly. To thoroughly verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, ALA is compared with 17 other state-of-the-art meta-heuristic algorithms on the IEEE CEC2017 benchmark test suite and the IEEE CEC2022 benchmark test suite. The experimental results indicate that ALA has reliable comprehensive optimization performance and can achieve superior solution accuracy, convergence speed, and stability in most test cases. For the 29 10-, 30-, 50-, and 100-dimensional CEC2017 functions, ALA obtains the lowest Friedman average ranking values among all competitor methods, which are 1.7241, 2.1034, 2.7241, and 2.9310, respectively, and for the 12 CEC2022 functions, ALA again wins the optimal Friedman average ranking of 2.1667. Finally, to further evaluate its applicability, ALA is implemented to address a series of optimization cases, including constrained engineering design, photovoltaic (PV) model parameter identification, and fractional-order proportional-differential-integral (FOPID) controller gain tuning. Our findings highlight the competitive edge and potential of ALA for real-world engineering applications. The source code of ALA is publicly available at https://github.com/StevenShaw98/Artificial-Lemming-Algorithm.

Most genetic algorithm (GA) users adjust the main parameters of the design of a GA (crossover and mutation probability, population size, number of generations, crossover, mutation, and selection operators) manually. Nevertheless, when GA applications are being developed it is very important to know which parameters have the greatest influence on the behavior and performance of a GA. The purpose of this study was to analyze the dynamics of GAs when confronted with modifications to the principal parameters that define them, taking into account the two main characteristics of GAs; their capacity for exploration and exploitation. Therefore, the dynamics of GAs have been analyzed from two viewpoints. The first is to study the best solution found by the system, i.e., to observe its capacity to obtain a local or global optimum. The second viewpoint is the diversity within the population of GAs; to examine this, the average fitness was calculated. The relevancy and relative importance of the parameters involved in GA design are investigated by using a powerful statistical tool, the analysis of the variance (ANOVA).

Messaging platforms are applications, generally mediated by an app, desktop program or the web, mainly used for synchronous communication among users. As such, they have been widely adopted officially by higher education establishments, after little or no study of their impact and perception by the teachers. We think that the introduction of these new tools and the opportunities and challenges they have needs to be studied carefully in order to adopt the model, as well as the tool, that is the most adequate for all parties involved. We already studied the perception of these tools by students, in this paper we examine the teachers’ experiences and perceptions through a survey that we validated with peers, and what they think these tools should make or serve so that it enhances students learning and helps them achieve their learning objectives. The survey has been distributed among tertiary education teachers, both in universitary and other kind of tertiary establishments, based in Spain (mainly) and Spanish-speaking countries. We have focused on collecting teachers’ preferences and opinions on the introduction of messaging platforms in their day-to-day work, as well as other services attached to them, such as chatbots. What we intend with this survey is to understand their needs and to gather information about the various educational use cases where these tools could be valuable. In addition, an analysis of how and when teachers’ opinions towards the use of these tools varies across gender, experience, and their discipline of specialization is presented. The key findings of this study highlight the factors that can contribute to the advancement of the adoption of messaging platforms and chatbots in higher education institutions to achieve the desired learning outcomes.