117,724 research outputs found
An optimization model for group formation in project-based learning
We propose an optimization model to tackle the problem of determining how projects are assigned to student groups based on a bidding procedure. In order to improve student experience in project-based learning we resort to actively involving them in a transparent and unbiased project allocation process. To evaluate our work, we collected information about the students\u27 own views on how our approach influenced their level of learning and overall learning experience and provide a detailed analysis of the results. The results of our evaluation show that the large majority of students (i.e., 91%) increased or maintained their satisfaction ratings with the proposed procedure after the assignment was concluded, as compared to their attitude towards the process before the project assignment occurred
Human resource allocation to multiple projects based on members’ expertise, group heterogeneity and social cohesion
Project managers regularly allocate human resources to construction projects. This critical task is usually executed by fulfilling the minimum project staffing requirements normally based around the quantity and competence of project members. However, research has shown that team performance can increase by up to 10% and 18%, respectively, as a consequence of the group members’ heterogeneity and social cohesion. Also, there is currently no practical quantitative tool which incorporates these aspects to allow project managers to achieve this task efficiently and objectively.
A new quantitative model for the effective allocation of human resources to multiple projects, which takes into account group heterogeneity and social cohesion is proposed. This model is easy to build, update and use in real project environments with the use of a spreadsheet and a basic optimization engine (e.g. Excel Solver). A case study is proposed and solved with a Genetic Algorithm to illustrate the model implementation. Finally, a validation example is provided to exemplify how group heterogeneity and social cohesion condition academic achievement in an academic setting
MoFA: Model-based Deep Convolutional Face Autoencoder for Unsupervised Monocular Reconstruction
In this work we propose a novel model-based deep convolutional autoencoder
that addresses the highly challenging problem of reconstructing a 3D human face
from a single in-the-wild color image. To this end, we combine a convolutional
encoder network with an expert-designed generative model that serves as
decoder. The core innovation is our new differentiable parametric decoder that
encapsulates image formation analytically based on a generative model. Our
decoder takes as input a code vector with exactly defined semantic meaning that
encodes detailed face pose, shape, expression, skin reflectance and scene
illumination. Due to this new way of combining CNN-based with model-based face
reconstruction, the CNN-based encoder learns to extract semantically meaningful
parameters from a single monocular input image. For the first time, a CNN
encoder and an expert-designed generative model can be trained end-to-end in an
unsupervised manner, which renders training on very large (unlabeled) real
world data feasible. The obtained reconstructions compare favorably to current
state-of-the-art approaches in terms of quality and richness of representation.Comment: International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV) 2017 (Oral), 13
page
Compositional optimization of hard-magnetic phases with machine-learning models
Machine Learning (ML) plays an increasingly important role in the discovery
and design of new materials. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of ML
for materials research using hard-magnetic phases as an illustrative case. We
build kernel-based ML models to predict optimal chemical compositions for new
permanent magnets, which are key components in many green-energy technologies.
The magnetic-property data used for training and testing the ML models are
obtained from a combinatorial high-throughput screening based on
density-functional theory calculations. Our straightforward choice of
describing the different configurations enables the subsequent use of the ML
models for compositional optimization and thereby the prediction of promising
substitutes of state-of-the-art magnetic materials like NdFeB with
similar intrinsic hard-magnetic properties but a lower amount of critical
rare-earth elements.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Hierarchical Visualization of Materials Space with Graph Convolutional Neural Networks
The combination of high throughput computation and machine learning has led
to a new paradigm in materials design by allowing for the direct screening of
vast portions of structural, chemical, and property space. The use of these
powerful techniques leads to the generation of enormous amounts of data, which
in turn calls for new techniques to efficiently explore and visualize the
materials space to help identify underlying patterns. In this work, we develop
a unified framework to hierarchically visualize the compositional and
structural similarities between materials in an arbitrary material space with
representations learned from different layers of graph convolutional neural
networks. We demonstrate the potential for such a visualization approach by
showing that patterns emerge automatically that reflect similarities at
different scales in three representative classes of materials: perovskites,
elemental boron, and general inorganic crystals, covering material spaces of
different compositions, structures, and both. For perovskites, elemental
similarities are learned that reflects multiple aspects of atom properties. For
elemental boron, structural motifs emerge automatically showing characteristic
boron local environments. For inorganic crystals, the similarity and stability
of local coordination environments are shown combining different center and
neighbor atoms. The method could help transition to a data-centered exploration
of materials space in automated materials design.Comment: 22 + 7 pages, 6 + 5 figure
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