Delay tolerant routing protocols for energy-neutral animal tracking

This paper investigates communication protocols for relaying sensor data from animal tracking applications back to base stations. While Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) are well suited to such challenging environments, most existing protocols do not consider the available energy that is particularly important when tracking devices can harvest energy. This limits both the network lifetime and delivery probability in energy-constrained applications to the point when routing performance becomes worse than using no routing at all. Our work shows that substantial improvement in data yields can be achieved through simple yet efficient energy-aware strategies. Conceptually, there is need for balancing the energy spent on sensing, data mulling, and delivery of direct packets to destination. We use empirical traces collected in a flying fox (fruit bat) tracking project and show that simple threshold-based energy-aware strategies yield up to 20% higher delivery rates. Furthermore, these results generalize well for a wide range of operating conditions.

Using children's picture books and process drama to develop students' critical literacy responses

This workshop introduces a range of process drama activities to develop students' critical literacy responses. Whilst children's picture books and process drama strategies have not traditionally been seen as sophisticated resources and strategies for developing students' critical literacy responses, this workshop shows teaching strategies that can be used in language instruction in primary classrooms with diverse student groups. The teaching activities include ‘attribute lists’, ‘sculptures’ and ‘freeze frames’.

Literacy teaching and learning in a digital world: Challenges of a new era

Teachers the world over are aware of the range of new challenges that arise from this new era. One challenge is the role of digital technologies in literacy learning. Despite its reputation for being engaging, digital technologies do not always enhance learning outcomes. Whilst the concerns vary across time and place, the core issue of what is a highly sought after literacy learning outcome in this new era warrants consideration. This paper introduces Kalantzis and Cope’s (2005) theorisation of eight knowledge processes for literacy learning. They claim that experiencing the known, conceptualising by naming, analysing functionally and applying appropriately, whilst necessary, are not on their own sufficient for the development of high level literacy practices. It is their contention that students must also be able to experience the new, conceptualise by theorising, analyse creatively and apply critically. This theorisation forms an auditing framework for considering the outcomes of different uptakes of digital technologies in a Social Studies and a Science unit.

Using children's picture books to develop students' critical literacy responses

This lecture introduces a range of children's picture books from around the world and teaching strategies that develop students' critical literacy responses. Whilst children's picture books have not traditionally been seen as sophisticated resources for developing students' critical literacy responses, this lecture presents research that shows young children as code breakers, text participants, text users and text analysts (Luke & Freebody, 1999) of written, visual, oral and gestural texts. This lecture also outlines the teaching strategies as they have been used in language instruction in primary classrooms with diverse student groups.

Novel modulation strategy for a CLC resonant dual active bridge

This paper proposes a novel modulation strategy for a phase controlled Capacitor-Inductor-Capacitor (CLC) Resonant Dual Active Bridge (RDAB). The proposed modulation strategy improves the soft turn-on, Zero-Current-Switching (ZCS) and Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) range of the converter while only minimally increasing the required reactive currents in the ac link. A mathematical analysis of the proposed modulation scheme is presented along with a theoretical loss comparison between several modulation strategies. The proposed modulation strategy was implemented and the experimental results are presented.

A noticeboard in "both worlds" unsurprising interfaces supporting easy bi-cultural content publication

We describe the design of a digital noticeboard to support communication within a remote Aboriginal community whose aspiration is to live in "both worlds", nurturing and extending their Aboriginal culture and actively participating in Western society and economy. Three bi-cultural aspects have emerged and are presented here: the need for a bi-lingual noticeboard to span both oral and written language traditions, the tension between perfunctory information exchange and social, embodied protocols of telling in person and the different ways in which time is represented in both cultures. The design approach, developed iteratively through consultation, demonstration and testing led to an "unsurprising interface", aimed at maximizing use and appropriation across cultures by unifying visual, text and spoken contents in both passive and interactive displays in a modeless manner.

Cooperative game play with avatars and agents: Differences in brain activity and the experience of play

The current study sought to identify the impact of whether teammates in a cooperative videogame were controlled by other humans (avatars) or by the game (agents). The impact on player experience was explored through both subjective questionnaire measures and brain wave activity measurement (electroencephalography). Play with human teammates was associated with a greater sense of relatedness, but less competence and flow than play with other computer-controlled teammates. In terms of brain activity, play with human teammates was associated with greater activity in the alpha, theta and beta power bands than play with computer-controlled teammates. Overall, the results suggest that play with human teammates involves greater cognitive activity in terms of 'mentalising' than play with computer-controlled teammates. Additionally, the associations between subjective measures of player experience and brain activity are described. Limitations of the current study are identified and key directions for future research are discussed.