How to beat the Rayleigh limit?

The problem of achieving super-resolution, i.e. resolution beyond the classical Rayleigh distance of half a wavelength, is a real challenge in several imaging problems. The development of computer-assisted instruments and the possibility of inverting the recorded data has clearly modified the traditional concept of resolving power of an instrument. We show that, in the framework of inverse problem theory, the achievable resolution limit arises no longer from a universal rule but instead from a practical limitation due to noise amplification in the data inversion process. We analyze under what circumstances super-resolution can be achieved and we show how to assess the actual resolution limits in a given experiment, as a function of the noise level and of the available a priori knowledge about the object function. We emphasize the importance of the a priori knowledge of its effective support and we show that significant super-resolution can be achieved for "subwavelength sources", i.e. objects which are smaller than the probing wavelength.

The same but different – how to introduce variation within computing assessment tasks

In this article, suggestions are made for introducing an individual element into formative assessment of the ability to use computer software for statistics.

Innovations in learning and teaching approaches using game technologies - can "The Movies" teach how to make a movie?

The use of games technology in education is not a new phenomenon. Even back in the days of 286 processors, PCs were used in some schools along with (what looks like now) primitive simulation software to teach a range of different skills and techniques – from basic programming using Logo (the turtle style car with a pen at the back that could be used to draw on the floor – always a good way of attracting the attention of school kids!) up to quite sophisticated replications of physical problems, such as working out the trajectory of a missile to blow up an enemies’ tank. So why are games not more widely used in education (especially in FE and HE)? Can they help to support learners even at this advanced stage in their education? We aim to provide in this article an overview of the use of game technologies in education (almost as a small literature review for interested parties) and then go more in depth into one particular example we aim to introduce from this coming academic year (Sept. 2006) to help with teaching and assessment of one area of our Multimedia curriculum. Of course, we will not be able to fully provide the reader with data on how successful this is but we will be running a blog (http://themoviesineducation.blogspot.com/) to keep interested parties up to date with the progress of the project and to hopefully help others to set up similar solutions themselves. We will also only consider a small element of the implementation here and cover how the use of such assessment processes could be used in a broader context. The use of a game to aid learning and improve achievement is suggested because traditional methods of engagement are currently failing on some levels. By this it is meant that various parts of the production process we normally cover in our Multimedia degree are becoming difficult to monitor and continually assess.