An affect-based video retrieval system with open vocabulary querying

Content-based video retrieval systems (CBVR) are creating new search and browse capabilities using metadata describing significant features of the data. An often overlooked aspect of human interpretation of multimedia data is the affective dimension. Incorporating affective information into multimedia metadata can potentially enable search using this alternative interpretation of multimedia content. Recent work has described methods to automatically assign affective labels to multimedia data using various approaches. However, the subjective and imprecise nature of affective labels makes it difficult to bridge the semantic gap between system-detected labels and user expression of information requirements in multimedia retrieval. We present a novel affect-based video retrieval system incorporating an open-vocabulary query stage based on WordNet enabling search using an unrestricted query vocabulary. The system performs automatic annotation of video data with labels of well defined affective terms. In retrieval annotated documents are ranked using the standard Okapi retrieval model based on open-vocabulary text queries. We present experimental results examining the behaviour of the system for retrieval of a collection of automatically annotated feature films of different genres. Our results indicate that affective annotation can potentially provide useful augmentation to more traditional objective content description in multimedia retrieval

Empirical evaluation of an adaptive e-learning system and the effects of knowledge, learning styles and multimedia mode on student achievement

This paper presents an empirical evaluation of an adaptive e-learning system (AES). The system was evaluated in an experimental research. During the 9 weeks of experimentation, the students studied the learning material in two randomly allocated groups, an experimental group using the AES and a control group using the non-AES. Research findings are described as follows. Students who learned using the AES performed better significantly than those who learned using the non-AES. The implementation of test repetition as a function of knowledge adaptation in the AES increased student achievement significantly. When the effect of test repetition was removed, the implementation of learning style and multimedia mode adaptation in the AES was still found to have significant effect upon student performance. Students whose learning style and multimedia preferences were matched with the system achieved better results

Automated annotation of multimedia audio data with affective labels for information management

The emergence of digital multimedia systems is creating many new opportunities for rapid access to huge content archives. In order to fully exploit these information sources, the content must be annotated with significant features. An important aspect of human interpretation of multimedia data, which is often overlooked, is the affective dimension. Such information is a potentially useful component for content-based classification and retrieval. Much of the affective information of multimedia content is contained within the audio data stream. Emotional features can be defined in terms of arousal and valence levels. In this study low-level audio features are extracted to calculate arousal and valence levels of multimedia audio streams. These are then mapped onto a set of keywords with predetermined emotional interpretations. Experimental results illustrate the use of this system to assign affective annotation to multimedia data

Methods of Measuring the Students’ Results Obtained in the Teaching-Learning Process

The experimental implementation and the determination of the efficiency of multimedia teaching-learning technologies was done with the purpose of establishing the necessity of transformations that are paramount for the educational system, in order to synchronize it with the general development tendencies of contemporary society. In this article I shall present the results of an experiment made at the Faculty of Economics Sciences, specialization Finances Banks. In this scientific experiment we applied the technique of parallel groups which supposes the implication of 4 groups of second year students, 2 groups forming the experimental team for whom the multimedia courses for training process were used and 2 control groups for whom teaching was made in the traditional system. The application of the statistical methods of processing experimental data attested the hypotheses about the positive impact of the implementation of the multimedia courses in teaching- learning process in the experimental groups and the efficiency of the applied methods to the experimental groups, compared to traditional methods, applied to control groups. The research in question has tried to propose a new perspective for performing the learning-teaching process, corresponding to present requirements, which, by using information technology, offers new possibilities to stimulate interest, new ways for active involvement of the student in the knowledge process.traditional teaching-learning process, multimedia technology, knowledge acquiring coefficient, automation coefficient, efficiency coefficient

Development and Evaluation of an Adaptive Hypermedia System Based on Multiple Student Characteristics

Adaptive Educational Hypermedia systems (AEH) are amongst the most recent types of application to provide individualised instruction to students who undertake online courses. Such systems attempt to adapt to how individuals learn by personalizing instruction for each individual student depending upon one or more “characteristics” of the student. Prior knowledge and learning style have been identified as being prominent characteristics in this process but AEH systems implemented to date have generally been limited to only employing one of these characteristics. Such systems have also been limited in that they are specific to a particular course content and cannot be easily adapted to present different learning materials. This thesis describes the development and evaluation of a new AEH system that provides a generic template for different learning materials as well as a student model that incorporates five distinct student characteristics as an aid to learning: primary characteristics are prior knowledge, learning style and the presence or absence of animated multimedia aids (multimedia mode); secondary characteristics include page background preference and link colour preference. The use of multimedia artefacts as a student characteristic (and hence as an independent variable in this study) has not previously been implemented or evaluated. A separate non-AEH system, identical to the AEH system except for the absence of adaptation to individuals, was developed in parallel as a control. The system development consists of a requirements analysis, design and implementation. The design models including use case diagrams, conceptual design, sequence diagrams, navigation design and presentation design are expressed using Unified Modelling Language (UML). The AEH system which was developed in a generic template implemented using Java Servlets, XHTML, XML, JavaScript and HTML. The generic template is a domain-independent AEH system that has functions of both adaptivity and adaptability. The system was evaluated in an experimental research involving 67 undergraduate engineering students in the Department of Electronics at Yogyakarta State University. The learning material of Analogue Electronics was implemented into both the AEH system and non-AEH systems under seven chapter headings. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. During the 9 weeks of experimentation, the students studied the learning material in two randomly allocated groups, an experimental group using the AEH system and a control group using the non-AEH system. A pre-test was administered to measure initial student knowledge. The student achievement was measured at the end of each chapter of material using a chapter test and at the end of the experimentation as a whole using a post-test. Basic statistical analysis of t-test and Mann-Whitney U were conducted to investigate any difference of student achievement between the two groups. A further detailed analysis using multilevel modelling was conducted to investigate any possible effects of the adaptive parameters on the student achievement. A total of 7 hypotheses were tested during data analysis. Research findings are described as follows. Students who learned using the AEH system performed better significantly than those who learned using the NON-AEH system. The implementation of test repetition as a function of knowledge adaptation in the AEH system increased student achievement significantly. This was found to be the prominent effect. When the effect of test repetition was removed, the implementation of learning style and multimedia mode adaptation in the AEH system was still found to have significant effect upon student performance. Students whose learning style and multimedia preferences were matched with the system (AEH or non-AEH) achieved better results. In terms of the relative merit of each contributing factor toward a student’s achievement, the order of the effects was found to be (1) knowledge, (2) multimedia, and (3) learning style. Whilst repeated knowledge testing is an established cause of improved performance, the positive effects on student performance of using multimedia artefacts over choice of learning style is a new finding

Throughput Scaling Of Convolution For Error-Tolerant Multimedia Applications

Convolution and cross-correlation are the basis of filtering and pattern or template matching in multimedia signal processing. We propose two throughput scaling options for any one-dimensional convolution kernel in programmable processors by adjusting the imprecision (distortion) of computation. Our approach is based on scalar quantization, followed by two forms of tight packing in floating-point (one of which is proposed in this paper) that allow for concurrent calculation of multiple results. We illustrate how our approach can operate as an optional pre- and post-processing layer for off-the-shelf optimized convolution routines. This is useful for multimedia applications that are tolerant to processing imprecision and for cases where the input signals are inherently noisy (error tolerant multimedia applications). Indicative experimental results with a digital music matching system and an MPEG-7 audio descriptor system demonstrate that the proposed approach offers up to 175% increase in processing throughput against optimized (full-precision) convolution with virtually no effect in the accuracy of the results. Based on marginal statistics of the input data, it is also shown how the throughput and distortion can be adjusted per input block of samples under constraints on the signal-to-noise ratio against the full-precision convolution.Comment: IEEE Trans. on Multimedia, 201

Video-based assistance system for training in minimally invasive surgery

In this paper, the development of an assisting system for laparoscopic surgical training is presented. With this system, we expect to facilitate the training process at the first stages of training in laparoscopic surgery and to contribute to an objective evaluation of surgical skills. To achieve this, we propose the insertion of multimedia contents and outlines of work adapted to the level of experience of trainees and the detection of the movements of the laparoscopic instrument into the monitored image. A module to track the instrument is implemented focusing on the tip of the laparoscopic tool. This tracking method does not need the presence of artificial marks or special colours to distinguish the instruments. Similarly, the system has another method based on visual tracking to localize support multimedia content in a stable position of the field of vision. Therefore, this position of the support content is adapted to the movements of the camera or the working area. Experimental results are presented to show the feasibility of the proposed system for assisting in laparoscopic surgical training

A QoS monitoring system in a heterogeneous multi-domain DVB-H platform

The MobileTV, IPTV, and DVB standards (DVB-H/T) have been defined to offer mobile users interactive multimedia services with quality of service (QoS) consistency analogous to TV services. However, the market has yet to provide effective and economical solutions for the real-time delivery of such services to the corresponding transmitters over multi-domain IP networks. The monitoring system proposed in this paper enables the QoS in the IP networks involved in the delivery of real-time multimedia content to the transmitters to be ascertained. The system utilizes the QoS parameters defined in MPEG-2 Transport Streams to detect problems occurring in the heterogeneous multi-domain IP networks. The ability to detect problems having an adverse effect on QoS allows appropriate control actions to be determined to recover the QoS across the composite IP network. The design and implementation of the proposed QoS-Monitoring system (QoS-MS) is presented, followed by analysis of experimental results that demonstrate the feasibility of the system

The Effect of Multimedia Utilization on Increasing Students Learning Outcomes

This study aims to determine the effect of using multimedia on improving student learning outcomes on excretory system material in class XI SMA YPK Pematangsiantar. The total population of 64 people consisting of 2 classes and samples were taken by random assignment so that 2 classes were obtained, namely the control class (XI-3) 32 people and the experimental class (XI-1) 32 people. The control class was treated without using multimedia power point and the experimental class was treated using multimedia power point. Data analysis was carried out by finding the average (, standard deviation (S) and hypothesis testing (t test) at the significance level = 0.05. From the results of the study, the average post-test for the control class was 88 and the experimental class was 90.13 with a difference in learning outcomes of 2.13. From the results of hypothesis testing (t test) obtained tcount (2.790) > ttable (1.99) at a significance level of 0.05 and degrees of freedom (dk) = 62, then Ho rejected and Hais accepted, meaning that there is an effect of using multimedia power point to improve student learning outcomes on the material of the human excretory system in class XI SMA YPK Pematangsiantar. It was concluded that there was an effect of using multimedia on improving student learning outcomes in the material of the human excretory system of class XI SMA YPK Pematangsiantar

Control and Media Sessions: lAX with RSW Control Criteria

This paper discusses technical issues related to delivery and control of IP multimedia services, such as multimedia conferencing, involving heterogeneous end terminals. In particular, it proposes the design of an experimental system for interworking between InterAsterisk eXchange Protocol and RSW session and call control signaling protocols