Using emotional and non-emotional measures

Elbawab, M., & Henriques, R. (2023). Machine Learning applied to student attentiveness detection: Using emotional and non-emotional measures. Education and Information Technologies, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11814-5 --- Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on). This work was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), under the project—UIDB/04152/2020—Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia,UIDB/04152/2020—Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS, Roberto Henriques.Electronic learning (e-learning) is considered the new norm of learning. One of the significant drawbacks of e-learning in comparison to the traditional classroom is that teachers cannot monitor the students' attentiveness. Previous literature used physical facial features or emotional states in detecting attentiveness. Other studies proposed combining physical and emotional facial features; however, a mixed model that only used a webcam was not tested. The study objective is to develop a machine learning (ML) model that automatically estimates students' attentiveness during e-learning classes using only a webcam. The model would help in evaluating teaching methods for e-learning. This study collected videos from seven students. The webcam of personal computers is used to obtain a video, from which we build a feature set that characterizes a student's physical and emotional state based on their face. This characterization includes eye aspect ratio (EAR), Yawn aspect ratio (YAR), head pose, and emotional states. A total of eleven variables are used in the training and validation of the model. ML algorithms are used to estimate individual students' attention levels. The ML models tested are decision trees, random forests, support vector machines (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). Human observers' estimation of attention level is used as a reference. Our best attention classifier is the XGBoost, which achieved an average accuracy of 80.52%, with an AUROC OVR of 92.12%. The results indicate that a combination of emotional and non-emotional measures can generate a classifier with an accuracy comparable to other attentiveness studies. The study would also help assess the e-learning lectures through students' attentiveness. Hence will assist in developing the e-learning lectures by generating an attentiveness report for the tested lecture.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin

Field perceptions of the Vision Initiative for Children\u27s preschool vision screening training model

Because lay vision screeners rarely receive formal training in how to screen vision and because older children were seen in clinic with vision disorders that should have been detected earlier through vision screening, a pediatric ophthalmologist and the researcher created the Vision Initiative for Children (VIC) in 2001 as a statewide program of the West Virginia University Eye Institute. VIC has trained, equipped, and provided ongoing support to lay individuals who are mandated or want to screen preschoolers\u27 vision. This program evaluation study explored, from the perspective of Head Start personnel, whether VIC prepares Head Start personnel to screen preschoolers\u27 vision and whether participants encountered screening experiences that were not discussed during VIC\u27s workshop. Forty-seven participants, representing 8 of the state\u27s 24 Head Start grantees, completed an evaluation at the end of each workshop; 27 completed a postworkshop evaluation after screening vision. The workshop evaluation captured perceptions of the instructional content and delivery system, the instructor\u27s skills in teaching and delivering the content, and the logistical arrangements. The postworkshop evaluation captured perceptions of the workshop after screening vision. This study also explored whether participants learned new vision screening knowledge, as measured by the difference between pretest and posttest scores administered at the workshop; whether they maintained knowledge, as measured by the difference in scores between the workshop posttest and a 3-month posttest; and which of VIC\u27s job aids they preferred. Results yielded positive perceptions and indicated that participants learned and maintained a significant amount of knowledge, regardless of education. Participants preferred a flowchart (96%) and handout packet (92%) over a web site (15%) as job aids for transferring learning from the workshop to the workplace. Results indicated that 44% of participants encountered no vision screening experiences that were not discussed during the workshop; 56% encountered distracting screening environments, uncooperative younger children, and concerns that pediatricians, in follow-up exams, reported vision was good although children failed vision screening. Additionally, 92% of participants reported that animated Microsoft PowerPoint slides enhanced their learning, 96% reported that receiving instructor feedback during practice enhanced their learning, 100% reported that practicing tests were necessary parts of a vision screening workshop, and 98% reported that an instructor\u27s modeling and demonstration of tests were necessary parts of a vision screening workshop

Fifteenth Annual Summer Research Symposium Abstract Book

2019 summer volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College

A Study of the Value of Gestural Activities and Linguistic Devices Peculiar to Finger Plays with Suggested Procedures for Extended Uses

The purposes of this study were (1) to disclose the predisposing inclinations of the child for finger play activity, (2) to consider the characteristics of finger play with relation to the child\u27s growth and development and to determine their value as a technique for furthering the education of the child, and (3) to provide the interested teacher or parent with finger play material readily accessible and extensive enough for selective purposes

Does Change in Timbre Alter Stereotypy Movements Exhibited by Three Persons with Diagnoses of Mental Retardation and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Three Case Studies

The purpose of this study was to observe and collect data while monitoring the responses of three individuals to recorded presentations of four folk songs. The individuals, or participants, were all residents of a state-run facility in the southern region of the United States. The participants were females diagnosed with mental retardation and autism spectrum disorder, and they all exhibited one or more stereotypy behaviors in some form or another. The primary purpose of the study was to see if change in timbre of the songs would alter the stereotypy movements exhibited by these participants as the songs were presented to them. The four songs chosen were Danny Boy, All Through the Night, To the Sky, and Amazing Grace. In an effort to control as many variables as possible within reason, the pieces were chosen for their similarity of style and melodic contour and were all presented in keys of either F major or C major. The timbre presentations of each piece were (1) mezzo-soprano, melody only, a cappella; (2) bassbaritone, melody only, a cappella; (3) piano, melody only; (4) acoustic guitar, melody only; (5) tone chime, melody only. Assisting the researcher in collecting the data for the study was the participants\u27 psychologist. Assessment instruments for data collection were a journal completed by the researcher during the study and a behavior data sheet made for each participant with a separate sheet for the timbral presentation of each song. Also, there was a questionnaire for the psychologist to answer concerning each participant that covered the overall impression of the study for that participant. Once the study was completed, the researcher and the psychologist met and discussed the assessment instruments and found that overall, change in timbre did alter the stereotypy movements of the participants in differing ways. It was agreed that of all the timbres presented, the two timbres which had the most positive effect, that of slowing or stopping the engagement of stereotypy, were the mezzo-soprano and the piano. The timbre that had the least positive effect, that of accelerating or causing the exhibition of stereotypy, was the bass-baritone. Possible reasons for these effects were discussed and reported along with implications of the research to the field of music education

Identifying Phonological Awareness ?Outcomes in a Personal Setting

The focus of this project was to create a procedures guide containing research-supported lessons that facilitate the acquisition of phonological awareness by students in a preschool or kindergarten classroom. An investigation of the related literature revealed aspects of phonological awareness that can be taught to preliterate children before the onset of formal training. The product of this investigation is a guide containing lessons and activities either extracted from or modeled after those field tested in many classrooms

The Effects of Predictability on Stereotypic Behavior in Nonclinical Adult Humans (Homo sapiens) and Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Stereotypies, or repetitive and purposeless behaviors, are observed in both humans and other animals. They have been primarily studied in captive animal and clinical human populations with comparably little research devoted to understanding less severe levels of stereotypies observed in nonclinical populations of adult humans and in most captive animals. As these behaviors are sometimes associated with routine events, I explored the relationship between the predictability of anticipated events and mild stereotypies. I studied this relationship in captive rhesus macaques and a novel comparison group of adult humans from a nonclinical population. I designed two experimental paradigms, a wait paradigm and a task paradigm, to elicit stereotypic behavior in both species. I also provided participants with questionnaires about their current emotional state and individual trait differences. I found that while my manipulations of predictability did not spur differences in stereotypic behavior, both monkeys and humans performed stereotypic behavior in both the wait and task paradigms. Humans performed similar amounts of stereotypic behavior between the two paradigms and individual amounts of stereotypic behavior were positively correlated between paradigms. Yet, the rhesus macaques performed significantly more behaviors during the wait paradigm than in the task paradigm and their stereotypic behaviors between paradigms were not positively correlated, which suggests that they responded differently to the two scenarios. I then compared monkey and human stereotypic behavior during the wait paradigm that was a 5-minute uninterrupted period for both species. The human participants performed significantly more stereotypic behavior than the captive rhesus macaques—a highly unexpected result given that there has been little research devoted to stereotypies in nonclinical adult humans. One reason for this difference may be differences in typical stimulation levels between species as participants who reported feeling more bored performed more stereotypies. My results suggest that while stereotypies in captive animals are typically considered abnormal pathological behaviors that warrant intervention and mitigation, they may serve a function in response to the current environment that is retained across two species of primates. As intervention and mitigation are typically not proposed for mild levels of stereotypic behavior in nonclinical populations of humans, the results in this dissertation suggest that captive animal managers may need to reexamine management strategies for captive animals that perform mild levels of stereotypic behavior