Hello, I'm José C. Paiva
<Solutions Architect & AI Specialist /> Engineering high-performance web platforms, AI/RAG solutions, automated assessment engines, and multi-tenant architectures based in Porto, Portugal.
# About.system
// OPERATOR_PROFILE_LOGS
Full-stack engineer, AI specialist, and software architect with 10+ years of experience spanning R&D, educational technology, AI-enabled products, cloud integrations, and multi-tenant web platforms. PhD in Computer Science from the University of Porto, specializing in automated assessment of programming assignments, source-code semantics, feedback generation, and gamification.
Experienced in translating complex institutional and research requirements into production-grade systems: LMS integrations, learner portals, CMS platforms, automated assessment engines, gamification systems, and AI/RAG applications.
Bridging cutting-edge academic R&D with production software engineering to design scalable, intelligent, and human-centered digital platforms that empower learners, educators, and organizations worldwide.
# Skills.json
// SYSTEM_CAPABILITIES_MANIFEST
#Languages
#AI & Data Engineering
#Full-Stack & Web
#Databases & Storage
#Cloud & Infrastructure
#EdTech & Research
git log --stat --oneline
// CAREER_HISTORY_TREE
AI Specialist, Solutions Architect & Full-Stack Developer
"Architects and delivers AI-powered educational products, institutional web platforms, learner portals, and Moodle plugins for P.PORTO and INOV-NORTE consortium."
- Architected and delivered the HUB Digital platform supporting communities of practice, e-learning, gamification, and central CMS management across higher-education institutions.
- Designed and built GamiBot, an AI-powered pedagogical agent integrated into Moodle combining conversational RAG, Qdrant vector database, and real-time gamification.
- Developed the Academ_IA XP platform with responsive course catalogues, private learner dashboard, media viewing verification, attendance validation, and automated PDF certificates.
- Built the CIP website and learner portal, PlurALL website, and supervised micro-portfolio and flashcards PWA products.
CEO, Solutions Architect & Full-Stack Developer
"Leads a software consultancy studio providing custom web applications, API design, cloud services, SaaS integrations, and technical advisory for clients worldwide."
- Owns technical decision-making from discovery and architecture design through deployment, optimization, and ongoing maintenance.
- Delivers custom full-stack web applications, REST/GraphQL APIs, multi-tenant database systems, and CMS integrations for international clientele.
- Provides technical consultancy on cloud migration, DevOps pipelines, application performance auditing, and system security.
Full-Stack Engineer / AI Specialist
"Works with international client teams as a vetted full-stack engineer and AI specialist, delivering high-performance web applications and cloud integrations."
- Combines hands-on development with architectural planning, codebase refactoring, automated testing, and performance optimization.
- Integrates complex APIs, vector database search workflows, and real-time user features in collaboration with distributed engineering teams.
PhD Researcher in Computer Science
"Completed PhD research titled 'Improving Feedback in the Automated Assessment of Programming Assignments Using Students' Past Solutions'."
- Researched semantic graph representations of source code, AST parsing, program repair, and automatic feedback generation.
- Authored 25+ peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers in ACM TOCE, Electronics, Springer, and OASIcs.
- Developed clustering algorithms for introductory programming submissions to deliver targeted repair feedback to students.
Research Assistant — FGPE
"Contributed to an Erasmus+ European project developing a web-based environment for gamified programming exercises."
- Developed automatic evaluation components and gamification infrastructure microservices.
- Participated in the development of the FGPE learning environment and authoring tools.
- Published research papers on GEdIL, YAPExIL, and GraphQL gamification services.
Research Assistant — FOUREYES-3
"Integrated diagram assessment, game-based assessment environments, and teacher analytics into the Enki learning platform."
- Integrated diagrammatic evaluation, quiz engines, and resource recommendation modules into Enki.
- Developed Asura, a game-based assessment environment for automated player-versus-player programming competitions in Mooshak.
- Built teacher monitoring interfaces for real-time submission visualization and plagiarism detection.
$ ls -la ~/projects
// SYSTEM_REPOSITORIES
HUB Digital — INOV-NORTE
ProductionMulti-tenant learning academy, communities of practice, and central CMS platform for higher-education consortium.
GamiBot AI Assistant
ActiveAI-powered conversational pedagogical agent for Moodle combining RAG, Qdrant vector DB, and real-time gamification.
FGPE — Gamified Programming Education
ProductionInternational Erasmus+ ecosystem for gamified programming learning, featuring GraphQL Gamification Service, React PWA learning environment, and AuthorKit exercise builder.
Academia Ageing in Place — Quiz
ProductionMulti-platform, offline-first gamified quiz application (Tauri + React + Node.js) and admin dashboard promoting digital, financial, health, and domestic literacy for senior citizens.
Academ_IA XP Platform
ProductionGamified learning platform with course catalogues, video watch tracking, automated PDF certificates, and agenda.
HandSpy Research Engine
ProductionPsycho-physiological & linguistic research platform analyzing expressive writing markers and Google Drive workflows.
Distribuir Sorrisos Website
ProductionOfficial web platform for Distribuir Sorrisos non-profit association, managing social initiative showcases, volunteer registration workflows, and community engagement.
Mooshak 2 Assessment System
ActiveNext-generation web-based competitive programming evaluation platform co-developed with Prof. José Paulo Leal, featuring WebSockets, sandbox execution, and distributed scoring.
$ ls -la ~/publications
// RESEARCH_PUBLICATIONS_&_LOGS
Bridging Generative AI and Gamification in Moodle: Design and Evaluation of GamiBot
OASIcs, Volume 145, ICPEC 2026
While Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Moodle are ubiquitous in higher education, they often lack dynamic, personalized academic support. We present GamiBot, an intelligent pedagogical agent natively integrated int...
Incremental Repair Feedback on Automated Assessment of Programming Assignments
Electronics
Automated assessment tools for programming assignments have become increasingly popular in computing education. These tools offer a cost-effective and highly available way to provide timely and consistent feedback to stu...
Clustering source code from automated assessment of programming assignments
International Journal of Data Science and Analytics
Abstract Clustering of source code is a technique that can help improve feedback in automated program assessment. Grouping code submissions that contain similar mistakes can, for instance, facilitate the identification o...
Comparing semantic graph representations of source code: The case of automatic feedback on programming assignments
Computer Science and Information Systems
Static source code analysis techniques are gaining relevance in automated assessment of programming assignments as they can provide less rigorous evaluation and more comprehensive and formative feedback. These techniques...
FGPE+: The Mobile FGPE Environment and the Pareto-Optimized Gamified Programming Exercise Selection Model—An Empirical Evaluation
Computers
This paper is poised to inform educators, policy makers and software developers about the untapped potential of PWAs in creating engaging, effective, and personalized learning experiences in the field of programming educ...
Bibliometric Analysis of Automated Assessment in Programming Education: A Deeper Insight into Feedback
Electronics
Learning to program requires diligent practice and creates room for discovery, trial and error, debugging, and concept mapping. Learners must walk this long road themselves, supported by appropriate and timely feedback....
GATUGU: Six Perspectives of Evaluation of Gamified Systems
Information
As gamification spreads to new areas, new applications are being developed and the interest in evaluating gamified systems continues to grow. To date, however, no one has comprehensively approached this topic: multiple e...
PROGpedia: Collection of source-code submitted to introductory programming assignments
Data in Brief
Learning how to program is a difficult task. To acquire the required skills, novice programmers must solve a broad range of programming activities, always supported with timely, rich, and accurate feedback. Automated ass...
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