Artificial Intelligence And Big Data Technologies To Close The Achievement Gap.

We observe achievement gaps even in rich western countries, such as the UK, which in principle have the resources as well as the social and technical infrastructure to provide a better deal for all learners. The reasons for such gaps are complex and include the social and material poverty of some learners with their resulting other deficits, as well as failure by government to allocate sufficient resources to remedy the situation. On the supply side of the equation, a single teacher or university lecturer, even helped by a classroom assistant or tutorial assistant, cannot give each learner the kind of one-to-one attention that would really help to boost both their motivation and their attainment in ways that might mitigate the achievement gap. In this chapter Benedict du Boulay, Alexandra Poulovassilis, Wayne Holmes, and Manolis Mavrikis argue that we now have the technologies to assist both educators and learners, most commonly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects (STEM), at least some of the time. We present case studies from the fields of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) and Big Data. We look at how they can be used to provide personalised support for students and demonstrate that they are not designed to replace the teacher. In addition, we also describe tools for teachers to increase their awareness and, ultimately, free up time for them to provide nuanced, individualised support even in large cohorts

Affordances of spreadsheets in mathematical investigation: Potentialities for learning

This article, is concerned with the ways learning is shaped when mathematics problems are investigated in spreadsheet environments. It considers how the opportunities and constraints the digital media affords influenced the decisions the students made, and the direction of their enquiry pathway. How might the leraning trajectory unfold, and the learning process and mathematical understanding emerge? Will the spreadsheet, as the pedagogical medium, evoke learning in a distinctive manner? The article reports on an aspect of an ongoing study involving students as they engage mathematical investigative tasks through digital media, the spreadsheet in particular. In considers the affordances of this learning environment for primary-aged students

Calibration of a general optical equation for remote sensing of suspended sediments in a moderately turbid estuary

Abstract A general algorithm for determining suspended sediment concentrations in the surface waters of estuaries has been developed for use with satellite data. The algorithm uses a three-parameter general optical equation to relate suspended sediment concentrations to water reflectances that have been corrected for sun angle effects, atmospheric path radiance, and tidal excursion. Using data collected by the advanced very high resolution radiometer on five different dates, reflectances were determined using two different methods, one providing maximum correction for haze and the other providing minimum sensitivity to pigments. For both methods, in situ and remotely sensed samples from Delaware Bay acquired within 3.5 hours of each other agreed to within 60% at the 95% confidence level. Pixel and subpixel scale spatial variations and variability associated with in situ measurements produced about 50% of the differences. Chlorophyll concentrations of \u3e50 μg/L produced a discrepancy in the reflectance method that provided the best haze correction. The parameter values may be adjusted to allow for variations in sediment size and pigment variations, allowing application of the calibration to estuaries having optically different suspended sediments

Combined Numerical Analysis of an Oil-free Twin Screw Compressor Using 3D CFD and 1D Multi-chamber Thermodynamic Model

The application of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics in twin-screw compressors provides an outstanding opportunity for developers to gain an understanding of the complex internal flow phenomena occurring within the machine. Equipped with this knowledge, design parameters, such as clearances and port geometry, can be optimised, to enhance performance. However, as with all modelling, be it numerical or analytical, a high degree of certainty in the accuracy of the results is necessary. This paper presents the results of a study of oil-free twin screw compressor in which the results of two modelling techniques are compared. The modelling techniques used are an analytical non-dimensional thermodynamic chamber model and a numerical computational fluid dynamic model. The paper presents an overview of an oil-free twin screw compressor machine, before describing important operating characteristics and the modelling techniques used. To validate, both models are compared against historical test data, this validation indicated the chamber model is more accurate. Following this, the focus will be on the comparison of key performance indicators, including, volume flow rate, volumetric efficiency, indicated power, and discharge temperature at varying duty points. The paper concludes that the difference between both models decreases as the compressor operating speed increases, although the level of variance is dependent on pressure ratio