Dialogic learning and interactive groups: an IMS LD template integrated in runtime systems

Dialogic learning and interactive groups have proved to be a useful methodological approach appliedin educational situations for lifelong adult learners. The principles of this approach stress theimportance of dialogue and equal participation also when designing the training activities. This paperadopts these principles as the basis for a configurable template that can be integrated in runtimesystems. The template is formulated as a meta-UoL which can be interpreted by IMS Learning Designplayers. This template serves as a guide to flexibly select and edit the activities at runtime (on the fly).The meta-UoL has been used successfully by a practitioner so as to create a real-life example, withpositive and encouraging results

Progress in integrated assessment and modelling

Environmental processes have been modelled for decades. However. the need for integrated assessment and modeling (IAM) has,town as the extent and severity of environmental problems in the 21st Century worsens. The scale of IAM is not restricted to the global level as in climate change models, but includes local and regional models of environmental problems. This paper discusses various definitions of IAM and identifies five different types of integration that Lire needed for the effective solution of environmental problems. The future is then depicted in the form of two brief scenarios: one optimistic and one pessimistic. The current state of IAM is then briefly reviewed. The issues of complexity and validation in IAM are recognised as more complex than in traditional disciplinary approaches. Communication is identified as a central issue both internally among team members and externally with decision-makers. stakeholders and other scientists. Finally it is concluded that the process of integrated assessment and modelling is considered as important as the product for any particular project. By learning to work together and recognise the contribution of all team members and participants, it is believed that we will have a strong scientific and social basis to address the environmental problems of the 21st Century. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thinking over b���learning strategy: the MIPO model approach

This article describes the main research results in a new methodology, in which the stages and strategies of the technology integration process are identified and described. A set of principles and recommendations are therefore presented. The MIPO model described in this paper is a result of the effort made regarding the understanding of the main success features of good practices, in the web environment, integrated in the information systems/information technology context. The initial model has been created, based on experiences and literature review. After that, it was tested in the information and technology system units at higher school and also adapted as a result of four cycles of an actionresearch work combined with a case study research. The information, concepts and procedures presented here give support to teachers and instructors, instructional designers and planning teams ��� anyone who wants to develop effective b���learning instructions.

Work in progress - learning through role play games

It is commonly accepted that the educational environment has been undergoing considerable change due to the use of the Information and Communication tools. But learning depends upon actions such as experimenting, visualizing and demonstrating through which the learner succeeds in constructing his own knowledge. Although it is not easy to achieve these actions through current ICT supported learning approaches, Role Playing Games (RPG) may well develop such capacities. The creation of an interactive computer game with RPG characteristics, about the 500th anniversary of the city of Funchal, the capital of Madeira Island, is invested with compelling educational/pedagogical implications, aiming clearly at teaching history and social relations through playing. Players interpret different characters in different settings/scenarios, experiencing adventures, meeting challenges and trying to reach multiple and simultaneous goals in the areas of education, entertainment and social integration along the first 150 years of the history of Funchal. Through this process they will live and understand all the social and historical factors of that epoch.

An integrated reusable remote laboratory to complement electronics teaching

The great majority of the courses on science and technology areas where lab work is a fundamental part of the apprenticeship was not until recently available to be taught at distance. This reality is changing with the dissemination of remote laboratories. Supported by resources based on new information and communication technologies, it is now possible to remotely control a wide variety of real laboratories. However, most of them are designed specifically to this purpose, are inflexible and only on its functionality they resemble the real ones. In this paper, an alternative remote lab infrastructure devoted to the study of electronics is presented. Its main characteristics are, from a teacher's perspective, reusability and simplicity of use, and from a students' point of view, an exact replication of the real lab, enabling them to complement or finish at home the work started at class. The remote laboratory is integrated in the Learning Management System in use at the school, and therefore, may be combined with other web experiments and e-learning strategies, while safeguarding security access issues.

Hand gesture recognition system based in computer vision and machine learning : applications on human-machine interaction

Sendo uma forma natural de intera����o homem-m��quina, o reconhecimento de gestos implica uma forte componente de investiga����o em ��reas como a vis��o por computador e a aprendizagem computacional. O reconhecimento gestual �� uma ��rea com aplica����es muito diversas, fornecendo aos utilizadores uma forma mais natural e mais simples de comunicar com sistemas baseados em computador, sem a necessidade de utiliza����o de dispositivos extras. Assim, o objectivo principal da investiga����o na ��rea de reconhecimento de gestos aplicada �� interac����o homemm��quina �� o da cria����o de sistemas, que possam identificar gestos espec��ficos e us��los para transmitir informa����es ou para controlar dispositivos. Para isso as interfaces baseados em vis��o para o reconhecimento de gestos, necessitam de detectar a m��o de forma r��pida e robusta e de serem capazes de efetuar o reconhecimento de gestos em tempo real. Hoje em dia, os sistemas de reconhecimento de gestos baseados em vis��o s��o capazes de trabalhar com solu����es espec��ficas, constru��dos para resolver um determinado problema e configurados para trabalhar de uma forma particular. Este projeto de investiga����o estudou e implementou solu����es, suficientemente gen��ricas, com o recurso a algoritmos de aprendizagem computacional, permitindo a sua aplica����o num conjunto alargado de sistemas de interface homem-m��quina, para reconhecimento de gestos em tempo real. A solu����o proposta, Gesture Learning Module Architecture (GeLMA), permite de forma simples definir um conjunto de comandos que pode ser baseado em gestos est��ticos e din��micos e que pode ser facilmente integrado e configurado para ser utilizado numa s��rie de aplica����es. �� um sistema de baixo custo e f��cil de treinar e usar, e uma vez que �� constru��do unicamente com bibliotecas de c��digo. As experi��ncias realizadas permitiram mostrar que o sistema atingiu uma precis��o de 99,2% em termos de reconhecimento de gestos est��ticos e uma precis��o m��dia de 93,7% em termos de reconhecimento de gestos din��micos. Para validar a solu����o proposta, foram implementados dois sistemas completos. O primeiro �� um sistema em tempo real capaz de ajudar um ��rbitro a arbitrar um jogo de futebol rob��tico. A solu����o proposta combina um sistema de reconhecimento de gestos baseada em vis��o com a defini����o de uma linguagem formal, o CommLang Referee, �� qual demos a designa����o de Referee Command Language Interface System (ReCLIS). O sistema identifica os comandos baseados num conjunto de gestos est��ticos e din��micos executados pelo ��rbitro, sendo este posteriormente enviado para um interface de computador que transmite a respectiva informa����o para os rob��s. O segundo �� um sistema em tempo real capaz de interpretar um subconjunto da Linguagem Gestual Portuguesa. As experi��ncias demonstraram que o sistema foi capaz de reconhecer as vogais em tempo real de forma fi��vel. Embora a solu����o implementada apenas tenha sido treinada para reconhecer as cinco vogais, o sistema �� facilmente extens��vel para reconhecer o resto do alfabeto. As experi��ncias tamb��m permitiram mostrar que a base dos sistemas de intera����o baseados em vis��o pode ser a mesma para todas as aplica����es e, deste modo facilitar a sua implementa����o. A solu����o proposta tem ainda a vantagem de ser suficientemente gen��rica e uma base s��lida para o desenvolvimento de sistemas baseados em reconhecimento gestual que podem ser facilmente integrados com qualquer aplica����o de interface homem-m��quina. A linguagem formal de defini����o da interface pode ser redefinida e o sistema pode ser facilmente configurado e treinado com um conjunto de gestos diferentes de forma a serem integrados na solu����o final.

Development of computational tools for the integrated analysis of DNA microarray data with applications in cancer research

The MAP-i Doctoral Program of the Universities of Minho, Aveiro and Porto

Hand gesture recognition system based in computer vision and machine learning: Applications on human-machine interaction

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia de Eletr��nica e de Computadores

An R package for the integrated analysis of metabolomics and spectral data

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the field of metabolomics, materialized by a remarkable growth in experimental techniques, available data and related biological applications. Indeed, techniques as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Gas or Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, Infrared and UV-visible spectroscopies have provided extensive datasets that can help in tasks as biological and biomedical discovery, biotechnology and drug development. However, as it happens with other omics data, the analysis of metabolomics datasets provides multiple challenges, both in terms of methodologies and in the development of appropriate computational tools. Indeed, from the available software tools, none addresses the multiplicity of existing techniques and data analysis tasks. In this work, we make available a novel R package, named specmine, which provides a set of methods for metabolomics data analysis, including data loading in different formats, pre-processing, metabolite identification, univariate and multivariate data analysis, machine learning, and feature selection. Importantly, the implemented methods provide adequate support for the analysis of data from diverse experimental techniques, integrating a large set of functions from several R packages in a powerful, yet simple to use environment. The package, already available in CRAN, is accompanied by a web site where users can deposit datasets, scripts and analysis reports to be shared with the community, promoting the efficient sharing of metabolomics data analysis pipelines.

An Integrated Work Force Planning Strategy For The Health Services 2009 - 2012

An Integrated Work Force Planning Strategy For The Health Services 2009 – 2012 Click here to download PDF 1.6mb

An Integrated Work Force Planning Strategy For The Health Services 2009 - 2012

Workforce planning identifies the composition of the workforce required to deliver health service goals. It encompasses a range of human resource activities aimed at the short, medium and long-term. Workforce planning that is integrated with service and financial planning offers the best opportunity for linking human resource decisions to the strategic goals for the health services. Systems and structures are required to support and develop workforce planning activities

Two Cultures of Arts Education, Finland and Canada? An integrated View

<b>Taidekasvatuksen kaksi kulttuuria, Suomi ja Kanada? Integroitu n��kemys</b> Tutkimuksessa kuvataan kanadalaisen Learning Through The Arts ���pedagogiikan mukainen suomalainen kokeiluhanke, jonka aikana taiteilija���opettaja-parit opettivat yhdess�� eri oppiaineita koululuokille: esim. matematiikkaa tanssien, biologiaa maalaten tai yhdist��en eri taiteenlajeja projektimuotoiseen oppimiseen. Hanketta arvioitaessa nousee esille, ei niink����n yksitt��isten taiteilijoiden ja opettajien toiminta, vaan pikemminkin Kanadan ja Suomen rakenteelliset sek�� kulttuuriset eroavuudet. Tutkimus sivuaa my��s Suomessa k��yt��v���� keskustelua taiteen hy��dyllisyydest�� ja pohtii samalla taito- ja taideaineiden asemaa koulussa. Ty��n teoreettisessa osassa integroidaan opetussuunnitelmateoriaa, kasvatuksen historiaa ja filosofiaa, t��hdent��en taidekasvatuksen merkityst�� osana koko ihmisen kasvatusta. Opetussuunnitelmateorian osalta tarkastellaan romanttista ja klassista opetussuunnitelmaa, jotka eroavat toisistaan menetelmiens��, sis��lt��jens��, tavoitteidensa sek�� arvioinnin osalta. Ns. kovat ja pehme��t aineet tai matemaattis-luonnontieteelliset aineet vastakohtanaan humanismi, voidaan ymm��rt���� sek�� historiallisia ett�� epistemologisia taustojaan vasten. Pepperin maailmanhypoteesien mukaisesti on kasvatuksen ongelmien ratkaisemiseksi hahmotettavissa nelj�� selv��sti toisistaan eroavaa l��hestymistapaa: formismi; organisismi; mekanisismi; sek�� kontekstualismi. Kantin filosofiaan viitaten tutkimus puolustaa k��sityst�� taiteesta rationaalisena ja propositionaalisena kokonaisuutena, joka ei ole vain kommunikaation v��line, vaan yksi todellisuuden kohtaamisen lajeista, tiedon ja etiikan rinnalla. N��in ajateltuna taito- ja taidekasvatuksen tulisi olla luonteeltaan aina my��s kulttuurikasvatusta. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella voidaan v��itt����, ett�� moniammatillinen yhteisty�� monipuolistaa koulun opetusta. Mik��li huolehditaan siit��, ett�� taiteilijat saavat riitt��v��sti koulutusta opettamiseen liittyviss�� asioissa, on mahdollista k��ytt���� taiteilijoita opettajien rinnalla kouluty��ss��.