Directional adposition use in English, Swedish and Finnish

Directional adpositions such as to the left of describe where a Figure is in relation to a Ground. English and Swedish directional adpositions refer to the location of a Figure in relation to a Ground, whether both are static or in motion. In contrast, the Finnish directional adpositions edellä (in front of) and jäljessä (behind) solely describe the location of a moving Figure in relation to a moving Ground (Nikanne, 2003). When using directional adpositions, a frame of reference must be assumed for interpreting the meaning of directional adpositions. For example, the meaning of to the left of in English can be based on a relative (speaker or listener based) reference frame or an intrinsic (object based) reference frame (Levinson, 1996). When a Figure and a Ground are both in motion, it is possible for a Figure to be described as being behind or in front of the Ground, even if neither have intrinsic features. As shown by Walker (in preparation), there are good reasons to assume that in the latter case a motion based reference frame is involved. This means that if Finnish speakers would use edellä (in front of) and jäljessä (behind) more frequently in situations where both the Figure and Ground are in motion, a difference in reference frame use between Finnish on one hand and English and Swedish on the other could be expected. We asked native English, Swedish and Finnish speakers’ to select adpositions from a language specific list to describe the location of a Figure relative to a Ground when both were shown to be moving on a computer screen. We were interested in any differences between Finnish, English and Swedish speakers. All languages showed a predominant use of directional spatial adpositions referring to the lexical concepts TO THE LEFT OF, TO THE RIGHT OF, ABOVE and BELOW. There were no differences between the languages in directional adpositions use or reference frame use, including reference frame use based on motion. We conclude that despite differences in the grammars of the languages involved, and potential differences in reference frame system use, the three languages investigated encode Figure location in relation to Ground location in a similar way when both are in motion. Levinson, S. C. (1996). Frames of reference and Molyneux’s question: Crosslingiuistic evidence. In P. Bloom, M.A. Peterson, L. Nadel & M.F. Garrett (Eds.) Language and Space (pp.109-170). Massachusetts: MIT Press. Nikanne, U. (2003). How Finnish postpositions see the axis system. In E. van der Zee & J. Slack (Eds.), Representing direction in language and space. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Walker, C. (in preparation). Motion encoding in language, the use of spatial locatives in a motion context. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Lincoln, Lincoln. United Kingdo

Familiarizing children with atificial intelligence

Abstract. Studies regarding the digital literacy of children can be found easily. Such as teaching children about coding, involvement of children in the design and development of technology, learning of CT, and abstraction. On the other hand, the availability of literature regarding the combination of children and AI is still not enough. Especially, there is a lack of research regarding AI literacy of children which is the research problem. The gap was found while searching for material regarding AI and children through ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore which motivated to conduct this research. Thus, the research was conducted with the aim of familiarizing children with the AI. Moreover, the qualitative research method was used for this study. The reason to choose this method was the lack of literature in this field. Another reason was to obtain evidence-based on observations in the real environment. Data was collected in the form of observations, texts (activity worksheets), pictures, video, and audio. The teacher was interviewed at the end of the last session to get feedback about children’s learning. Also, the study was conducted at an international school in Oulu, Finland. Sessions were conducted on 19 Nov and 26 Nov 2019. Each session was of approximately 45 minutes. Children belonging to the age-group of 11–12 years were included. To introduce AI to the children existing material with modification was used. During the sessions, children had some hands-on activities such as an online ML activity. Some activity worksheets were also distributed among them. Children were asked about AI before and after this concept was explained to them. Findings of the study suggested that some children’s opinion about AI was changed after they were being engaged in learning activities. In the beginning, upon asking them about AI a few children answered as coding or robot whereas repeating the same question at the end some students mentioned “thinking by itself”. In contrast, some students still mentioned robot or computer. Observations also suggest that children seemed to learn more easily through hands-on activities and by listening to stories. Based on the results of this study, it seems that more sessions with careful planning are needed to get better results in the future. One limitation is, the results of this study cannot be applied to a large group of children. Another limitation of this study is the unknown background of participants

Understanding inclusive playgrounds

Inclusive education has shown an increasing interest in teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through playgrounds. This approach not only fosters the development of social skills but also enhances cognitive and emotional growth in learners. Although the playground's impact on the skills of ASD students has been acknowledged, some criticism stems from the lack of a precise conceptualisation. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of teaching through playgrounds in improving problem-solving abilities. While there is a growing body of research on hands-on learning through playgrounds, a challenge remains in tailoring the learning experience to accommodate individual differences among ASD learners. Detailed discussions on supporting personalised learning experiences and cognitive enhancement in the playground setting are lacking. This paper is a literature review and qualitative investigation to address these gaps. The main contributions are twofold: first, it offers a review of how the physical space of the playground design impacts the development of children with ASD, and second, it suggests several implications for future research based on extensive literature review and qualitative study

Educating young children with autism: a conflict over methodologies

There currently is controversy on how best to educate children with autism that focuses on preeminent leaders in the field of autism, their disparate views, and the requirement that all children with disabilities be provided with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). The controversy has affected large numbers of children with autism, their families, and the school districts charged with educating them. Information detailing the elements of several nationally significant programs has been provided, including a review of the research supporting each program\u27s efficacy. Two studies were initiated to explore the educational services provided to children with autism in Heartland Area Education Agency (AEA) 11, the largest AEA in the State of Iowa. The results of Study One suggest that generic special education programs may not meet the FAPE requirement for educating students with autism. In contrast, the children in Study Two did demonstrate a statistically significant increase in skills over a one year period. A critical difference between studies one and two was the implementation of teacher training. All the teachers of the students in study two had successfully completed a five day course, provided by Heartland AEA, on strategies to use in educating students with autism. Some of the teachers had received training under the TEACCH model and others in the evolving HAND in HAND model developed by Heartland. The two models share many common elements. Both models involve five intense days of training that furnish topical lectures followed by the opportunity for teachers to implement the techniques described in the lectures. They also afford teachers the opportunity to work with students with autism and both provide immediate constructive feedback to teachers from the trainer assigned to each child. The TEACCH and HAND in HAND models share common elements but the HAND in HAND model places a greater emphasis on behavioral techniques. The results suggest that when teachers implement the skills offered by the five-day training of either model, students are afforded a FAPE

Finding resilience through music for neurodivergent children

This research paper presents a collaborative effort to design a music-making tool that seamlessly blends enjoyment with accessibility, specifically tailored to meet the needs of children with diverse abilities including those who are neurodiverse and have varying musical abilities. The study's primary objective is to provide support to children who encounter challenges in learning traditional musical instruments or who have sensory processing issues and learn their experience of using this tool. Additionally, the research explores the potential role of music therapy in this context, with a focus on how the designed tool can serve as an ideal platform for fostering creativity and self-regulation among children. Qualitative research methods, namely participatory design and cooperative inquiry, were employed to develop and refine different aspects of the music-making tool iteratively. Active involvement and feedback from the primary participants, comprising children with diverse abilities and a music therapist, played a central role throughout the tool's development process. The findings indicate that children responded positively to the technology, revealing diverse applications in music education, therapy, and play. Furthermore, this study identified valuable opportunities for immediate improvements in the robot's design to enhance its overall usability and effectiveness in catering to the needs of its users. The collaborative design approach and the integration of music therapy perspectives demonstrate significant potential for advancing inclusive music education, play and therapeutic interventions for children with diverse abilities

Current Topics in Children's Learning and Cognition

Learning in Cognitive Niches / Gerhardt, Ana Flávia Lopes Magela -- Using the Dynamics of a Person-Context System to Describe Children’s Understanding of Air Pressure / Steen, Steffie Van der; Steenbeek, Henderien; Geert, Paul Van -- Preschoolers Learning Science: Myth or Reality? / Kloos, Heidi; Baker, Heather; Luken, Eleanor; Brown, Rhonda; Pfeiffer, David; Carr, Victoria -- The Emergence of Scientific Reasoning / Morris, Bradley J.; Croker, Steve; Masnick, Amy M.; Zimmerman, Corinne -- Cognition and the Child Witness : Understanding the Impact of Cognitive Development in Forensic Contexts / Segovia, Daisy A.; Crossman, Angela M. -- Beyond the Black-and-White of Autism : How Cognitive Performance Varies with Context / Amaral, Joseph L.; Collins, Susan; Bohache, Kevin T.; Kloos, Heidi -- Psychological Fitness in Young Adult Video Game Players / Pokorski, Mieczyslaw; Borecki, Lukasz; Jernajczyk, Urszula -- The Impact of Moving Away from Home on Undergraduate Metacognitive Development / Downing, KevinAs a whole, the essays in this book address theoretical and empirical issues related to children's learning and cognition. The first essay, titled Learning in Cognitive Niches, treats the process of sense making on a theoretical level, discussing the complexity of factors that give rise to children's learning. It is followed by an essay, titled Using the Dynamics of a Person-Context System to Describe Children's Understanding of Air Pressure, that applies ideas from complexity science and dynamics-systems theory to children's learning about science. The next four essays summarize and synthesize already published findings, in an effort to go beyond individual viewpoints and present a more nuanced picture of children's sense making. In particular, two of these summaries, Preschoolers Learning Science: Myth or Reality? and The Emergence of Scientific Reasoning, focus on children's ability to make sense of their physical environment. The essay Cognition and the Child Witness: Understanding the Impact of Cognitive Development in Forensic Contexts seeks to shed light on children's sense making relevant to forensic issues. And the essay Beyond the Black-and-White of Autism: How Cognitive Performance Varies with Context ventures in the area of autism, a disorder that demonstrates atypical processes of combining pieces of information. The final two essays provide original data to add to the discussion of what factors affect cognitive functioning. In particular, the essay Cognitive Fitness in Young Adult Video Game Players seeks to re-assess the often-assumed relation between video gaming and various aspects of thinking, memory, intelligence, and visual-spatial abilities. And the essay Impact of Moving Away from Home on Undergraduate Metacognitive Development explicitly connects life circumstances to the ability to monitor and control one's thinking. Together, the collection of essays are a further step towards understanding the process of sense making as children and young adults interact with their environment

Memory of the Present: Empathy and Identity in Young Adult Fiction

Recent studies in cognitive literary criticism have provided scholars of literature with new, stimulating approaches to literary texts and neuroscientists with new insights about human emotions, empathy, and memory through evidence from fiction. What have so far been largely neglected are the implications of cognitive criticism for the study of literature targeting a young audience, whose theory of mind and empathic skills are not yet fully developed. A cognitive approach to children's and young adult literature has to meet several challenges less relevant in general fiction. Firstly, how is a young fictional character's consciousness represented by an author whose cognitive and affective skills are ostensibly superior? Secondly, how do texts instruct their young readers to employ theory of mind in order to assess both the young protagonist's emotions and their understanding of other characters' emotions (higher-order mind-reading)? Thirdly, how can fiction support young people's development of their theory of mind? The paper will discuss these issues with a particular focus on memory and identity, expressed textually through tense and narrative perspective. Drawing on work by Lisa Zunshine (2006) and Blackey Vermeule (2010), the predominantly theoretical argument will be illustrated by a contemporary young adult novel, Slated (2012), by Teri Terry

Design and evaluation of a CAL system to support communication development in children with autism

The prevalence of autism in children in the United Kingdom is estimated as one in one hundred (Department of Health, 2012), with higher levels reported in some countries (Srivastava, 2013). These children experience significant problems with the development of language and communication skills. A symbol-based communication system called Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is widely used to address this issue and evidence indicates this approach can be effective when administered by trained professionals (Preston and Carter, 2009). Technology appears to offer an alternative way of encouraging non-verbal children with autism to use symbol-based communication to improve social interaction and communication. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to answer the following research questions: 1. Can a Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) system be designed and implemented to support PECS pedagogy for the purpose of improving symbol communication and social interaction in non-verbal children with autism? 2. To what extent could such a system improve the communication and social interaction skills of non-verbal children with autism? The investigation comprised three stages. In Stage 1, a prototype system was developed incorporating a 'virtual tutor' and an RFID-based (radio frequency identification) user interface to support physical symbol selection and placement. In Stage 2, a pilot study focused on classroom learning experiences of eight children using CAPE Version 1. Results provided ‘proof of concept’ and indicated that non-verbal children with autism learned to interact effectively with CAPE. Participants achieved more appropriate symbol selections when a virtual tutor used a synthetic voice compared to a natural voice alternative. Outcomes from the pilot informed the development of a CAPE Version 2. Stage 3 comprised a four-week classroom study involving five non-verbal children with autism. Children, using CAPE Version 2, answered numeracy questions using graphic symbols. Interviews from supporting teachers provided a degree of triangulation with investigator observations and teacher interviews. Stage 3 results suggest that four participants developed their communication skills, one child learned to count, three children improved basic numeracy skills and two children used speech using CAPE version 2, supported by a virtual tutor and a human teacher. This research suggests that non-verbal children with autism can engage positively and productively with PECS using the CAPE approach