Multi-objective genetic optimisation for self-organising fuzzy logic control

This is the post-print version of the article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below.A multi-objective genetic algorithm is developed for the purpose of optimizing the rule-base of a Self-Organising Fuzzy Logic Control algorithm (SOFLC). The tuning of the SOFLC optimization is based on selection of the best shaped performance index for modifying the rule-base on-line. A comparative study is conducted between various methods of multi-objective genetic optimisation using the SOFLC algorithm on the muscle relaxant anaesthesia system, which includes a severe non-linearity, varying dynamics and time-delay

Recognizing Emotions in a Foreign Language

Expressions of basic emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust) can be recognized pan-culturally from the face and it is assumed that these emotions can be recognized from a speaker's voice, regardless of an individual's culture or linguistic ability. Here, we compared how monolingual speakers of Argentine Spanish recognize basic emotions from pseudo-utterances ("nonsense speech") produced in their native language and in three foreign languages (English, German, Arabic). Results indicated that vocal expressions of basic emotions could be decoded in each language condition at accuracy levels exceeding chance, although Spanish listeners performed significantly better overall in their native language ("in-group advantage"). Our findings argue that the ability to understand vocally-expressed emotions in speech is partly independent of linguistic ability and involves universal principles, although this ability is also shaped by linguistic and cultural variables

Victoria Legal Aid community research

Research conducted in June and July 2014 found strong community support for the services provided by Victoria Legal Aid. More than 1500 people were consulted as part of the research, with 92 per cent of respondents agreeing that it was important or very important for a government funded agency to help people who can’t afford legal services. The community consultation was undertaken to inform the development of Victoria Legal Aid’s strategic directions for the next three years and beyond, and was the first such research VLA have ever conducted. Respondents nominated people on a low income (79%), people experiencing or at risk of experiencing family violence (73%) and people with a disability (72%) as most deserving of legal aid. This is aligned with Victoria Legal Aid’s priority clients

Teachers as action researchers: Some reflections on what it takes

Towards the end of 2006, a group of secondary and primary teachers, in collaboration with university researchers based at the University of Waikato, began a two-year journey where they researched their own practice as teachers of literature in multicultural classrooms in Auckland, New Zealand. This presentation briefly outlines the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI), which initially provided a vision of teachers, working in partnership with university researchers, researching their own practice with the aim of enhancing the practice of the teaching profession as a whole. Through the eyes of one of the university-based researchers, but drawing on the experiences of four of the teacher participants, this presentation reflects on factors that had a bearing on the successful (or otherwise) induction of these teachers as teacher-researchers in their own right

An overview of the research evidence on ethnicity and communication in healthcare

• The aim of the present study was to identify and review the available research evidence on 'ethnicity and communication' in areas relevant to ensuring effective provision of mainstream services (e.g. via interpreter, advocacy and translation services); provision of services targeted on communication (e.g. speech and language therapy, counselling, psychotherapy); consensual/ participatory activities (e.g. consent to interventions), and; procedures for managing and planning for linguistic diversity

Supporting Preservice Teacher Development of Culturally Responsive Reading Instruction Through a Cross-Course Assignment

This article describes design-based research undertaken by two teacher educators to support elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) in integrating culturally responsive teaching practices with reading methods. The study described was motivated by calls for teacher preparation programs to be more intentional about supporting PSTs in synthesizing their learning across courses, especially when it comes to culturally responsive reading pedagogies. This article focuses on an activity that tasked PSTs to select culturally authentic children’s texts and design interactive read-alouds that engage elementary students in conversations around social justice topics while simultaneously meeting English language arts standards. Analysis of the lesson plans revealed that PSTs made explicit connections between reading methods instruction and strategies that facilitate dialogue about critical social issues and social justice advocacy, but the connections remained shallow. PSTs showed that they understood the overall goal of the assignment but lacked depth and detail in their justifications of texts and activities. The authors conclude with a reflection on the patterns that emerged in their findings and outline their plans for future iterations of the experiment. Overall, the authors’ experiences highlight the importance of teacher preparation programs exploring more opportunities to cross-pollinate assignments or otherwise build bridges between courses to support PSTs’ integration of concepts

A Pulse on Language Equity in First-Grade Urban Classrooms

Students of color are the majority in many U.S. urban public schools, yet U.S. education policy and practice continue to be centered largely on White, middle-class, monocultural, and monolingual norms of educational achievement (Alim & Paris, 2017). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn more about the teacher decision-making process and the extent to which first-grade mainstream teachers include culturally and linguistically sustaining practices during literacy instruction. Evidence using the foundations of the critically conscious teacher framework (Joseph & Evans, 2018) and of the role of language and culture as a medium in teaching and learning (de Jong & Harper, 2008) were used to analyze the progress in teacher development and practice during literacy instruction. Three findings emerged from the data: (a) Teacher decision making was oriented in a variety of self-selected professional growth experiences; (b) Teachers leveraged the online setting to enhance a culturally sustaining learning environment; (c) Teachers sought validation for decision making in their work with culturally sustaining practices. The findings of this study inspired the development of the Teacher Habits of Culturally Sustaining Practice Model, which contributes to research focused on the education and support of teachers’ effective literacy practices in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms

A Case Study of an Ethnically-Tailored Community-Based Mental Health Program: Washington Christian Counseling Institute

Disparities in health and mental health service utilization among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. are well documented, with many studies having identified accessibility to linguistically and culturally informed services as a key barrier to service utilization. Korean Americans in particular, being the most recent immigrant group of Asian Americans, reportedly suffer from higher rates of depression and anxiety than other Asian American groups. There is, however, some indication that Asian Americans do utilize ethnicity-specific programs at a higher rate than mainstream services when such services are made available to them. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate and explain the case of the Washington Christian Counseling Institute (WCCI), an organization that utilizes an innovative mental health service delivery approach to address the mental health needs of the Korean American immigrant community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is hoped that the study contributes to developing a model for meeting the mental health needs of immigrant communities of similar cultural backgrounds in the US. The method used for this study is an intrinsic descriptive case study that is historical and sociological in orientation, utilizing record reviews, observations, and in-depth interviews for data collection. The key findings of this case study rendered a set of guiding principles that can help to create and maintain a mental health service delivery for under-served ethnic minority communities, which is ethnically-tailored, community-centered, and faith-based and promotes multi-level collaboration and integration