Geospatial Narratives and their Spatio-Temporal Dynamics: Commonsense Reasoning for High-level Analyses in Geographic Information Systems

The modelling, analysis, and visualisation of dynamic geospatial phenomena has been identified as a key developmental challenge for next-generation Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this context, the envisaged paradigmatic extensions to contemporary foundational GIS technology raises fundamental questions concerning the ontological, formal representational, and (analytical) computational methods that would underlie their spatial information theoretic underpinnings. We present the conceptual overview and architecture for the development of high-level semantic and qualitative analytical capabilities for dynamic geospatial domains. Building on formal methods in the areas of commonsense reasoning, qualitative reasoning, spatial and temporal representation and reasoning, reasoning about actions and change, and computational models of narrative, we identify concrete theoretical and practical challenges that accrue in the context of formal reasoning about `space, events, actions, and change'. With this as a basis, and within the backdrop of an illustrated scenario involving the spatio-temporal dynamics of urban narratives, we address specific problems and solutions techniques chiefly involving `qualitative abstraction', `data integration and spatial consistency', and `practical geospatial abduction'. From a broad topical viewpoint, we propose that next-generation dynamic GIS technology demands a transdisciplinary scientific perspective that brings together Geography, Artificial Intelligence, and Cognitive Science. Keywords: artificial intelligence; cognitive systems; human-computer interaction; geographic information systems; spatio-temporal dynamics; computational models of narrative; geospatial analysis; geospatial modelling; ontology; qualitative spatial modelling and reasoning; spatial assistance systemsComment: ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (ISSN 2220-9964); Special Issue on: Geospatial Monitoring and Modelling of Environmental Change}. IJGI. Editor: Duccio Rocchini. (pre-print of article in press

Narrative group therapy with outpatient adolescents

Adolescent substance abuse remains a major public health concern. The comprehensive, detrimental effects of teenage drug use, coupled with troubling relapse rates, highlight the need for innovative, effective, and helpful treatment interventions. Adolescents in treatment and the adults that work with them are subject to often negatively influential societal discourses that limit treatment effectiveness as well as the development of adolescent treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliance. Narrative therapy is promoted in theoretical and clinical literature as a viable way of addressing these problems.;Preliminary work has been done in the area of narrative therapy with adolescents, and particularly with substance abusing and chemically dependent adolescents. However, empirical and qualitative research regarding narrative therapy with teens is scarce. Studies examining narrative therapy in regard to the promotion of treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliance are virtually non-existent. This study presents preliminary empirical and phenomenological research that indicates a positive adolescent response to narrative therapy. These responses involve the development of greater, subjective understanding of and increased resistance to substance abuse and behavioral problems. Finally, the information presented in this study points to the development of a potentially useful group treatment model of narrative therapy with adolescents having substance abuse and other behavior or emotional problems

TEACHER’S STRATEGIES IN OVERCOMING STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN READING COMPREHENSION OF NARRATIVE TEXTS

The research entitled Teacher’s Strategies in Overcoming Students’ Difficulties’ in Reading Comprehension of Narrative Texts is a case study research conducted at the eighth grade of a boarding school in Bandung Regency. This research aims to find out what difficulties faced by the students in reading comprehension of narrative text and what strategies used by the teacher to overcome those difficulties. The research was conducted in a class which consisted of 20 participants and 15 of them were taken as the samples. Thedata in this study were obtained from task-giving, interview and observation. The findings revealed that the students faced some difficulties in reading comprehension of narrative texts; limited vocabulary knowledge, problems with processing information, and problems in recalling information after reading. To overcome those difficulties, the teacher used some strategies; repeat the word, describe and support with visual, connected words to students’ lives. Based on this research, it is suggested that those teacher’s strategies can be used at school to improve students’ reading comprehension. Keywords: Students’ difficulties, teacher’s strategies, reading comprehensio

The "market for information" – functions, problems and policy proposals

Purpose: Problems arose in the ‘Market for information’ (MFI) during: the ‘dot.com’ boom; the Enron case; Northern Rock failure; and during the great financial crisis (GFC) of 2007-09. The paper seeks to extend understanding of the ‘market for information’ (MFI) through field research and theoretical sources. It seeks to understand the MFI during relatively stable periods and during periods of rapid change, crisis and failure. It seeks to use these insights to propose changes to reduce the possibilities for negative change and problems in the MFI. Design/methodology/approach: Field studies are used to develop an ‘empirical narrative’ for ongoing MFI structure, process and outcomes during relatively stable periods. The paper develops a ‘theoretical narrative’ to extend understanding of the MFI empirical insights Findings: The paper reveals that MFI structure as: knowledge; and social context; is central to ongoing MFI economic processes for MFI agents. Outcomes include changes in markets, firms and others. Change and problems were means to understand interactions between MFI social structure, knowledge, actions and outcomes as they rendered visible the previously invisible. Originality/value: The paper demonstrates that a coherent combination of new empirical narrative and theoretical narrative is essential to develop a critical stance, new policy prescriptions and new regulation to deal with problems and change in the MFI. This provides the frame to propose changes in the ‘world of knowledge’ and in (concentrated and elite) social and economic structures in the MFI. It proposes: making explicit shared knowledge in the MFI; monitoring of change processes: and promotion of active formal learning

Asymmetry and Adequacy in Discovery Incentives: The Discouraging Implications in Haeger v. Goodyear

In this article, Professor Jeffrey Stempel explores the implications the decision in Haeger v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has for discovery and civil procedure. Professor Stempel argues the troublesome narrative that discovery problems and abuse are largely problems of claimants seeking excessive discovery that is unduly burdensome and costly relative to the case at hand is a significant part of the problem. Since the mid-1970s, the prevailing narrative has blamed discovery seekers more than discovery resisters.In that narrative, discovery problems are largely the problems of plaintiffs that are too unrealistic, sloppy, lazy, or greedy in frequently seeking excessive discovery. Overlooked or dismissed out of hand is the possibility that as much or more discovery abuse is committed by defendants failing to properly respond to valid information requests. This asymmetry unduly favors defendants, as reflected by the travails of the Haeger plaintiffs and counsel. The entire episode should be disturbing to the profession. While wasteful discovery is of course regrettable, it is largely a transparent problem that can be effectively regulated at its source or fixed by money in cases where excessive discovery is permitted. By contrast,the secretion or destruction of relevant information (restrictive discovery abuse) can easily lead to unfair results and a failure of the litigation system to achieve its goals of holding wrongdoers accountable, compensating victims, and creating incentives for better behavior

TEACHING ENGLISH BY USING BODY BIOGRAPHY STRATEGY ON THE STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION IN READING NARRATIVE TEXT AT SMPN 17 PEKANBARU

This research is entitled “Teaching English by Using Body Biography Strategy on the Students’ Comprehension in Reading Narrative Text at SMPN 17 Pekanbaru”. This research was conducted based on the problems faced by the students in learning English especially in reading narrative text. Based on the fact, the students had problems to comprehend the narrative text. The problems were: some of the students were not able to identify the main idea of the text, some of students were not able to recognize the generic structure of the text, they were not able to catch the explicit information from the text, etc. So, the writer was interested in carrying out the research about these problems. in this case, the researcher provided Body Biography Strategy to improve the students’ reading comprehension. This strategy could be used to activate background knowledge and benefit students when the reading is difficult. The objectives of the research were to find out the students’ reading comprehension in narrative text taught by using Body Biography strategy, to find out the students’ reading comprehension in narrative taught without using this strategy and to find out whether there is a significant difference of using Body Biography strategy of the second year at SMPN 17 Pekanbaru.The design of this research was a quasi-experimental design. In collecting the data, the writer used both pre- and post- test to collect the data of the reading comprehension in narrative text of the second year students at state junior high school 17 Pekanaru. In analyzing the data, the writer used an independent sample t-test. By using SPSS 16.0 and to was compared with ttable considered with df. Finally, based on the analysis of T-tes formula, the research concluded that there is a significant difference of using Body Biography strategy toward reading comprehension in narrative text of the second year students at State Junior High School 17 Pekanbaru, where tobtained = 4.003 was higher than t-table either at 5%=2.00 nor 1%=2.65. It means that Ha was accepted and Ho was rejected