Supervised localimage feature detection

This thesis is about detection of local image features. The research topic belongs to the wider area of object detection, which is a machine vision and pattern recognition problem where an object must be detected (located) in an image. State-of-the-art object detection methods often divide the problem into separate interest point detection and local image description steps, but in this thesis a different technique is used, leading to higher quality image features which enable more precise localization. Instead of using interest point detection the landmark positions are marked manually. Therefore, the quality of the image features is not limited by the interest point detection phase and the learning of image features is simplified. The approach combines both interest point detection and local description into one phase for detection. Computational efficiency of the descriptor is therefore important, leaving out many of the commonly used descriptors as unsuitably heavy. Multiresolution Gabor features has been the main descriptor in this thesis and improving their efficiency is a significant part. Actual image features are formed from descriptors by using a classifierwhich can then recognize similar looking patches in new images. The main classifier is based on Gaussian mixture models. Classifiers are used in one-class classifier configuration where there are only positive training samples without explicit background class. The local image feature detection method has been tested with two freely available face detection databases and a proprietary license plate database. The localization performance was very good in these experiments. Other applications applying the same under-lying techniques are also presented, including object categorization and fault detection.

La enseñanza de estrategias de resolución de problemas matemáticos en la ESO: un ejemplo concreto

Within this article is included a description and justification of a didactical sequence to improve the learning of problem solving strategies of Secondary Education students. The design of the didactical sequence is guided by four principles: a) to context the activities and problems to solve in students’ every day practices; b) to use teaching methods that show the problem solving processes; c) to design didactical materials in order to guide strategies such as selection, organisation and control; d) to facilitate the co-operative learning of problem solving strategies.

Errores conceptuales en Biología. La fotosíntesis de las plantas verdes

This paper tries to point out the existente of conceptual errors in the learning of photosynthesis. They seem to arise from the same sources as those present in more deeply studied fields, such as mechanics.

Léxico patrimonial y metacedeusis en los nombres de lugar

En este artículo vamos a ocuparnos de uno de los mecanismos de transformación del patrimonio lingüístico: la metacedeusis. Es un procedimiento que contribuye a la renovación del repertorio léxico y, en especial, del toponímico. Intentamos en primer lugar mostrar que no coincide con lo que se ha venido llamando etimología popular. En segundo lugar enumeramos y ejemplificamos algunos de los factores que favorecen la aparición de este fenómeno. A lo largo de toda la exposición, nos esforzamos en demostrar que solo el conocimiento del léxico patrimonial permite detectar los casos de metacedeusis y, en consecuencia, trazar adecuadamente la historia del topónimo.

Arqueologia y didactica del conflicto: el caso de la guerra civil espaÑola

Archaeology of conflict is an archaeological subfield which is related to heritage regarding or linked to war, violent situations or any kind of conflicts. Archaeology of conflict has shown an special development in relation to contemporary history. In Spain, archaeology of conflict has focused especially in sites related to Spanish Civil War and Francoist dictatorship, producing museal interventions and studies with educational possibilities which could stress in the teaching and learning of History and the promotion of Peace.

Organisatorinen oppiminen - tapaustutkimus oppimisprosessien jännitteistä teollisuusyrityksessä

Organisatorinen oppiminen nähdään avainasemassa yrityksen kilpailukyvyn kehittämisessä. Aihepiiristä onkin tehty runsaasti tutkimusta, mutta edelleen näkemykset organisaation oppimisesta, oppimisprosessin luonteesta, tuloksista ja näihin vaikuttavista tekijöistä ovat moninaiset. Dialektisuus kuvaa sekä organisatorisesta oppimisesta käytyä keskustelua että oppimisprosessien luonnetta dynaamisina vastavoimien sävyttäminä organisaation kehitysprosesseina. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on lisätä ymmärrystä organisatorisesta oppimisesta tutkimalla oppimisprosesseihin sisältyviä jännitteitä. Mielenkiinnon kohteena on jännitteiden osallistuminen niin innovatiivista uudistumista ja sopeutuvaa kehittymistä kuin toiminnan vakiinnuttamista tavoittelevaan oppimiseen. Tutkimuksen kohteena on kaksi teollisuusyritystä, joista tiedonkeruu tehtiin teemahaastatteluin. Tutkimuksessa painottui suorittavan tason työntekijän näkökulma. Empiirisestä aineistosta konstruoitiin organisatorisia oppimisprosesseja tulkitsemalla yksilöiden ja organisaation oppimisen välistä vuorovaikutusta. Yrityksittäin konstruoidut oppimisprosessit rinnastettiin yritysten tavoiterakenteen kautta ja analysoitiin jännitteiden osallistumista oppimisprosessien etenemiseen organisaatioissa. Organisatoriset oppimisprosessit - sekä organisaatiota uudistava innovatiivinen ja kehittävä sopeutuva oppiminen että vakiinnuttava mukautuva oppiminen - näyttäytyvät tutkimuksen tulosten valossa erilaisten jännitteiden sävyttäminä. Tulokset osoittavat, että perinteisessä mekaanisessa organisaatiossa aikaisempien tutkimusten luontaisena pitämä vakiinnuttava ja mukautuva oppiminen ei ole ongelmatonta ja itsestään sujuvaa. Myös se on jännitteiden sävyttämä. Organisaation viralliset ja sosiaaliset rakenteet voivat mukauttaa yksilöiden toiminnan. Vakiinnuttavan oppimisprosessin etenemiseen osallistuu kuitenkin jännitteitä, joita syntyy ennen kaikkea työntekijöiden toiminnan ja asenteiden sekä yrityksen tuotanto- ja oppimistavoitteiden välisistä ristiriidoista. Tulokset antavat aihetta pohtia vakiinnuttavan oppimisen asemaa suhteessa uudistavaan ja kehittävään oppimiseen. Vakiinnuttavan oppimisen toteutuminen organisaatiossa pelkästään rakenteiden mukauttavalla voimalla voi heikentää organisaation mahdollisuuksia kehittyä ja uudistua. Työntekijöiden toimimista organisaation oppimisen agentteina ja uudistavan oppimisen käynnistäjinä voisi edesauttaa oppimista tukevin organisatorisin mekanismein, jotka edistävät työntekijöiden käsitteellistä oppimista ja jännitteiden hyödyntämistä vakiinnuttavassa oppimisprosessissa.

Facilitating coordination improvement efforts in cross-functional process development programs

Business process improvement is a common approach in increasing the effectiveness of an organization. It can be seen as an effort to increase coordination between units. Process improvement has proved to be challenging, and most management consultation firms facilitate organizations in this kind of initiatives. Cross-functional improvement is one of the main areas for internal consultants as well. However, the needs, challenges and means of cross-functional help have been rarely discussed in the literature. The objective of this thesis is on one hand to present a conceptual and descriptive framework to help understand the challenges of facilitating coordination improvement efforts in cross-functional improvement programs, and on the other hand to develop and test feasible solutions for some facilitation situations. The research questions are: 1. Why and in what kind of situations do organizations need help in developing coordination in cross-functional processes? 2. How can a facilitator help organizations in improving coordination to develop cross-functional processes? The study consists of two parts. The first part is an overview of the dissertation, and the second part comprises six research publications. The theoretical background for the study are the differentiation causing challenges in cross-functional settings, the coordination needed to improve processes, change management principles, methods and tools, and consultation practises. Three of the publications introduce tools for helping in developing prerequisites, planning responsibilities and supporting learning during the cross-functional program. The three other papers present frameworks to help understand and analyse the improvement situation. The main methodological approaches used in this study are design science research, action research and case research. The research data has been collected from ten cases representing different kinds of organizations, processes and developing situations. The data has been collected mainly by observation, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The research contributes to the rare literature combining coordination theories and process improvement practises. It also provides additional understanding of a holistic point of view in process improvement situations. The most important contribution is the addition to the theories of facilitating change in process improvement situations. From the managerial point of view, this study gives advice to managers and consultants in planning and executing cross-functional programs. The main factors increasing the need for facilitation are the challenges for differentiation, challenges of organizational change in general, and the novelty of initiatives and improvement practices concerning process development. Organizations need help in creating the prerequisites to change, in planning initiatives, easing conflict management and collaboration between groups, as well as supporting the learning of cross-functional improvement. The main challenges of facilitation are combining the different roles as a consultant, maintaining the ownership for the improvement project with the client, and supporting learning in the client organization.

La asignatura pendiente de la formación jurídica

[spa] El artículo se centra en la relevancia del conocimiento práctico para el aprendizaje del Derecho. Las facultades de Derecho en España padecen de una falta de programas específicos de formación en sus planes de estudio. Un análisis histórico muestra que el conocimiento práctico ha sufrido un fuerte retroceso en favor de un enfoque teórico siguiendo la pauta marcada por Alexander von Humboldt. El sistema español de provisión de los cargos públicos basado en unas oposiciones memorísticas con unos extensos temarios con centenares de conceptos refuerza este proceso y se convierte en un obstáculo para la renovación de los estudios y de la práctica jurídica. Como resultado de todo ello los estudiantes carecen de habilidades para el desarrollo profesional y el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida.

Asignaturas de Electrónica en la EPSEM: planificación de la impartición en inglés

Al objeto de garantizar la calidad del aprendizaje de la Electrónica en los estudios de Grado impartidos en la EPSEM, es necesario planificar de manera adecuada las asignaturas impartidas en inglés. En este trabajo se muestran los resultados del análisis realizado a los estudiantes que cursarán estas asignaturas, en el que se ponen de manifiesto las dificultades observadas y las expectativas generadas, motivando la elaboración de material de soporte específico.

Para além das fronteiras da química: relações entre filosofia, psicologia e ensino de química

The concepts of molecule and of molecular structure are so central to understand chemical phenomena that seems to be no doubt about the uniqueness of its meanings. Nevertheless, the idea that the world exhibits a multiform structure and that to different spheres of the world correspond different ways of knowing (Berger & Luckmann, 1967) has received support from different areas of scientific inquiry. Bachelard (1940, 1982) showed that a single philosophical doctrine is not enough to describe all the different ways of thinking when we try to explain a single concept. Wooley's question about the possibility of deducing the concept of molecular structure from quantum theory (Wooley, 1978) strengthened the feasibility of thinking the concept of molecule as a profile that encompasses different meanings. Moreover, research on students' learning of scientific concepts have brought to light that students use several ideas to explain scientific and everyday phenomena which are different from those learned in formal schooling. These ideas are not extinguished or replaced by scientific concepts, despite the efforts to do so in science classes. The common sense and scientific ways of understanding and talking about reality seems to be complementary in the same sense of the Bohr's complementarity (Halliday & Martin, 1993). So, we have to include in our profile of the concept of molecule not only scientific but also common sense zones. Drawing from Bachelard's notion of epistemological profile, from the history of science and from the research on children's ideas in science, we have developed the idea of a conceptual profile and used it to analyse basic scientific concepts, such as the concepts of matter and physical states of matter (Mortimer, 1995) and to investigate new ways to teach them. In the present paper, we will discuss the zones that might constitute a conceptual profile of molecule. The need of complementary views to account for the molecular structure in different contexts bring important issues for understanding and teaching chemistry, which will be discussed further in the article.

Designing an undergraduate laboratory course in general chemistry

From an analysis of a learning model based on the theory of information processing four hypothesis were developed for improving the design of laboratory courses. Three of these hypotheses concerned specific procedures to minimise the load on students' working memories (or working spaces) and the fourth hypothesis was concerned with the value of mini-projects in enhancing meaningful learning of the knowledge and skills underpinning the set experiments. A three-year study of a first year undergraduate chemistry laboratory course at a Scottish university has been carried out to test these four hypotheses. This paper reports the results of the study relevant to the three hypotheses about the burden on students' working spaces. It was predicted from the learning model that the load on students working space should be reduced by appropriate changes to the written instructions and the laboratory organisation and by the introduction of prelab-work and prelab-training in laboratory techniques. It was concluded from research conducted over the three years period that all these hypothesised changes were effective both in reducing the load on students' working spaces and in improving their attitudes to the laboratory course.

Brain dynamics sustaining rapid rule extraction from speech

Language acquisition is a complex process that requires the synergic involvement of different cognitive functions, which include extracting and storing the words of the language and their embedded rules for progressive acquisition of grammatical information. As has been shown in other fields that study learning processes, synchronization mechanisms between neuronal assemblies might have a key role during language learning. In particular, studying these dynamics may help uncover whether different oscillatory patterns sustain more item-based learning of words and rule-based learning from speech input. Therefore, we tracked the modulation of oscillatory neural activity during the initial exposure to an artificial language, which contained embedded rules. We analyzed both spectral power variations, as a measure of local neuronal ensemble synchronization, as well as phase coherence patterns, as an index of the long-range coordination of these local groups of neurons. Synchronized activity in the gamma band (2040 Hz), previously reported to be related to the engagement of selective attention, showed a clear dissociation of local power and phase coherence between distant regions. In this frequency range, local synchrony characterized the subjects who were focused on word identification and was accompanied by increased coherence in the theta band (48 Hz). Only those subjects who were able to learn the embedded rules showed increased gamma band phase coherence between frontal, temporal, and parietal regions.

Preparo da para-cloroanilina: um experimento simples, rápido e barato

Experiments simple, short and efficient for experimental disciplines in undergraduate courses in Chemistry are an excellent opportunity for students to consolidate the learning of theoretical concepts in classical chemical transformations. The use of a safe reagent, of low cost and easy access is the motivation for this communication, that describes the use of trichloroisocyanuric acid - a chlorinating agent used in the treatment of swimming pool water - for the chlorination of acetanilide, an intermediate in the preparation of para-chloroaniline.

Aprendizaje y servicio: estudio del grado de satisfacción de estudiantes universitarios

El aprendizaje y servicio es una metodología pedagógica que fomenta el aprendizaje de los estudiantes mediante su participación activa en experiencias asociadas al servicio comunitario. Esta metodología permite al estudiante involucrarse directamente con aquellos a quienes ofrece un servicio, adaptándose a sus necesidades y a una realidad que a menudo es muy diferente de la que vive en el aula. En esto radica uno de sus mayores impactos. Además, este tipo de prácticas contribuye a despertar en los alumnos su interés por la acción colectiva, su formación ciudadana, etc. La investigación que se presenta ha consistido en un estudio diagnóstico- comprensivo con 39 estudiantes, donde a partir del modelo de satisfacción con el que se ha trabajado se han analizado cuatro dimensiones clave (conocimiento e intención atribuida, valoración de la utilidad atribuida, valoración del proceso y proyección social). Estas dimensiones nos han conducido a reflexionar sobre elementos claves del aprendizaje y servicio (aprendizajes ciudadanos, aprendizajes personales, aprendizajes curriculares, procesos de reflexión, etc.). La muestra del estudio ha estado formada por 39 estudiantes y la principal técnica de análisis de la información recogida ha sido el análisis de contenido, mediante la triangulación de técnicas (cuestionario, entrevista y grupos de discusión) e informantes (estudiantes, profesores, coordinadores y miembros de entidades). El análisis de la información muestra un alto grado de satisfacción de los alumnos participantes. La dimensión que ha influido más en este resultado ha sido la valoración de la utilidad atribuida; en concreto, la percepción que tienen los alumnos sobre la adquisición de unos aprendizajes conceptuales, personales y ciudadanos. Atendiendo a lo anterior, cabe señalar que la relación generada entre profesores, entidades y estudiantes, así como la posibilidad de vincular la teoría con la práctica han condicionado los resultados. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Service learning projects promote student learning through active participation in community service. Thus, the service learning method enables students to engage directly with the people to whom they offer their services and requires them to adapt to other peoples' needs and to a reality that is often very different from the classroom. This is one of the major ways in which service learning has an impact. In addition, service learning helps to awaken students' interest in collective action, citizenship, etc. A comprehensive diagnostic study of 39 students was conducted to analyse four key dimensions (attributed knowledge and intentionality, evaluation of usefulness, evaluation of the process and social impact) on the basis of the chosen satisfaction model. The four dimensions led to reflection on key elements of learning and community service (learning about citizenship, learning about oneself, learning of a curriculum, processes of reflection, etc.). The main data analysis technique was content analysis, involving the triangulation of various techniques (questionnaires, interviews and discussion groups) and informants (students, teachers, coordinators and members of other organisations). Data analysis showed a high degree of satisfaction among the participating students. The dimension that most influenced the results was assessment of the attributed value, more specifically the students' perception of their acquisition of conceptual, personal and citizenship knowledge. It should be cautioned that the results were swayed by the relationship generated among teachers, students and institutions and the possibility of linking theory with practice.

A linguagem química e o ensino da química orgânica

The importance of chemical language and specifically of molecular models and their representations in the development of chemistry is discussed. Structural formulas are projections of molecular models used as a specific language by chemists. The meaningful learning of chemistry requires knowledge of this language. The use of these analogical symbols without the necessary understanding engenders difficulties for the learning of chemistry.