Final Report : learning system for life prediction of infrastructure

The project has further developed two programs for the industry partners related to service life prediction and salt deposition. The program for Queensland Department of Main Roads which predicts salt deposition on different bridge structures at any point in Queensland has been further refined by looking at more variables. It was found that the height of the bridge significantly affects the salt deposition levels only when very close to the coast. However the effect of natural cleaning of salt by rainfall was incorporated into the program. The user interface allows selection of a location in Queensland, followed by a bridge component. The program then predicts the annual salt deposition rate and rates the likely severity of the environment. The service life prediction program for the Queensland Department of Public Works has been expanded to include 10 common building components, in a variety of environments. Data mining procedures have been used to develop the program and increase the usefulness of the application. A Query Based Learning System (QBLS) has been developed which is based on a data-centric model with extensions to provide support for user interaction. The program is based on number of sources of information about the service life of building components. These include the Delphi survey, the CSIRO Holistic model and a school survey. During the project, the Holistic model was modified for each building component and databases generated for the locations of all Queensland schools. Experiments were carried out to verify and provide parameters for the modelling. These included instrumentation of a downpipe, measurements on pH and chloride levels in leaf litter, EIS measurements and chromate leaching from Colorbond materials and dose tests to measure corrosion rates of new materials. A further database was also generated for inclusion in the program through a large school survey. Over 30 schools in a range of environments from tropical coastal to temperate inland were visited and the condition of the building components rated on a scale of 0-5. The data was analysed and used to calculate an average service life for each component/material combination in the environments, where sufficient examples were available.

A user driven data mining process model and learning system

This paper deals with the problem of using the data mining models in a real-world situation where the user can not provide all the inputs with which the predictive model is built. A learning system framework, Query Based Learning System (QBLS), is developed for improving the performance of the predictive models in practice where not all inputs are available for querying to the system. The automatic feature selection algorithm called Query Based Feature Selection (QBFS) is developed for selecting features to obtain a balance between the relative minimum subset of features and the relative maximum classification accuracy. Performance of the QBLS system and the QBFS algorithm is successfully demonstrated with a real-world application

Методы Интеграции Учебных Материалов для Дистанционного Обучения

The process of training is the most difficult for effective realization through information technologies. Is suggested the methods for the most complete implementation of original techniques of material description, ensuring versatility of development environment and functioning of interactive systems of training process. The given technology requires as the exact description of teaching model, as application of modern methods of development intelligent skills.

Matching cognitive styles to computer-based instruction : an approach for enhanced learning in electrical engineering

An approach aimed at enhancing learning by matching individual students' preferred cognitive styles to computer-based instructional (CBI) material is presented. This approach was used in teaching some components of a third-year unit in an electrical engineering course at the Queensland University of Technology. Cognitive style characteristics of perceiving and processing information were considered. The bimodal nature of cognitive styles (analytic/imager, analytic/verbalizer, wholist/imager and wholist/verbalizer) was examined in order to assess the full ramification of cognitive styles on learning. In a quasi-experimental format, students' cognitive styles were analysed by cognitive style analysis (CSA) software. On the basis of the CSA results the system defaulted students to either matched or mismatched CBI material. The consistently better performance by the matched group suggests potential for further investigations where the limitations cited in this paper are eliminated. Analysing the differences between cognitive styles on individual test tasks also suggests that certain test tasks may better suit certain cognitive styles.

Personalizing the design of computer-based instruction to enhance learning

This paper reports two studies designed to investigate the effect on learning outcomes of matching individuals' preferred cognitive styles to computer-based instructional (CBI) material. Study 1 considered the styles individually as Verbalizer, Imager, Wholist and Analytic. Study 2 considered the bi-dimensional nature of cognitive styles in order to assess the full ramification of cognitive styles on learning: Analytic/Imager, Analytic/ Verbalizer, Wholist/Imager and the Wholist/Verbalizer. The mix of images and text, the nature of the text material, use of advance organizers and proximity of information to facilitate meaningful connections between various pieces of information were some of the considerations in the design of the CBI material. In a quasi-experimental format, students' cognitive styles were analysed by Cognitive Style Analysis (CSA) software. On the basis of the CSA result, the system defaulted students to either matched or mismatched CBI material by alternating between the two formats. The instructional material had a learning and a test phase. Learning outcome was tested on recall, labelling, explanation and problem-solving tasks. Comparison of the matched and mismatched instruction did not indicate significant difference between the groups, but the consistently better performance by the matched group suggests potential for further investigations where the limitations cited in this paper are eliminated. The result did indicate a significant difference between the four cognitive styles with the Wholist/Verbalizer group performing better then all other cognitive styles. Analysing the difference between cognitive styles on individual test tasks indicated significant difference on recall, labelling and explanation, suggesting that certain test tasks may suit certain cognitive styles.

Curriculum sequencing for an e-learning system based on learning styles

This work shows the use of adaptation techniques involved in an e-learning system that considers students' learning styles and students' knowledge states. The mentioned e-learning system is built on a multiagent framework designed to examine opportunities to improve the teaching and to motivate the students to learn what they want in a user-friendly and assisted environment

Animateur : participatory studio-based learning in computer graphics animation

The impact of digital technology within the creative industries has brought with it a range of new opportunities for collaborative, cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary practice. Along with these opportunities has come the need to re-evaluate how we as educators approach teaching within this new digital culture. Within the field of animation, there has been a radical shift in the expectations of students, industry and educators as animation has become central to a range of new moving image practices. This paper interrogates the effectiveness of adopting a studio-based collaborative production project as a method for educating students within this new moving-image culture. The project was undertaken, as part of the Creative Industries Transitions to New Professional Environments program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane Australia. A number of students studying across the Creative Industries Faculty and the Faculty of Science and Technology were invited to participate in the development of a 3D animated short film. The project offered students the opportunity to become actively involved in all stages of the creative process, allowing them to experience informal learning through collaborative professional practice. It is proposed that theoretical principles often associated with andragogy and constructivism can be used to design and deliver programs that address the emerging issues surrounding the teaching of this new moving image culture.

An investigation of the effect of individual cognitive preferences on learning through computer-based instruction

This paper reports a study investigating the effect of individual cognitive styles on learning through computer-based instruction. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving four groups which were presented with instructional material that either matched or mismatched with their preferred cognitive styles. Cognitive styles were measured by cognitive style assessment software (Riding, 1991). The instructional material was designed to cater for the four cognitive styles identified by Riding. Students' learning outcomes were measured by the time taken to perform test tasks and the number of marks scored. The results indicate no significant difference between the matched and mismatched groups on both time taken and scores on test tasks. However, there was significant difference between the four cognitive styles on test score. The Wholist/Verbaliser group performed better then all other groups. There was no significant difference between the other groups. An analysis of the performance on test task by each cognitive style showed significant difference between the groups on recall, labelling and explanation. Difference between the cognitive style groups did not reach significance level for problem-solving tasks. The findings of the study indicate a potential for cognitive style to influence learning outcomes measured by performance on test tasks.

Open source computer-vision based guidance system for UAVs on-board decision making

The use of UAVs for remote sensing tasks; e.g. agriculture, search and rescue is increasing. The ability for UAVs to autonomously find a target and perform on-board decision making, such as descending to a new altitude or landing next to a target is a desired capability. Computer-vision functionality allows the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to follow a designated flight plan, detect an object of interest, and change its planned path. In this paper we describe a low cost and an open source system where all image processing is achieved on-board the UAV using a Raspberry Pi 2 microprocessor interfaced with a camera. The Raspberry Pi and the autopilot are physically connected through serial and communicate via MAVProxy. The Raspberry Pi continuously monitors the flight path in real time through USB camera module. The algorithm checks whether the target is captured or not. If the target is detected, the position of the object in frame is represented in Cartesian coordinates and converted into estimate GPS coordinates. In parallel, the autopilot receives the target location approximate GPS and makes a decision to guide the UAV to a new location. This system also has potential uses in the field of Precision Agriculture, plant pest detection and disease outbreaks which cause detrimental financial damage to crop yields if not detected early on. Results show the algorithm is accurate to detect 99% of object of interest and the UAV is capable of navigation and doing on-board decision making.

Assessing the evidence: Student response system versus computer based testing for undertaking multiple choice question assessment in undergraduate nursing education

There is a dearth of evidence focusing on student preferences for computer-based testing versus
testing via student response systems for summative assessment in undergraduate education.
This quantitative study compared the preference and acceptability of computer-based testing
and a student response system for completing multiple choice questions in undergraduate
nursing education. After using both computer-based testing and a student response system to
complete multiple choice questions, 192 first year undergraduate nursing students rated their
preferences and attitudes towards using computer-based testing and a student response system.
Results indicated that seventy four percent felt the student response system was easy to use.
Fifty six percent felt the student response system took more time than the computer-based testing
to become familiar with. Sixty Percent felt computer-based testing was more users friendly.
Seventy Percent of students would prefer to take a multiple choice question summative exam
via computer-based testing, although Fifty percent would be happy to take using student response
system. Results are useful for undergraduate educators in relation to student’s preference
for using computer-based testing or student response system to undertake a summative
multiple choice question exam