MaestROB: A Robotics Framework for Integrated Orchestration of Low-Level Control and High-Level Reasoning

This paper describes a framework called MaestROB. It is designed to make the robots perform complex tasks with high precision by simple high-level instructions given by natural language or demonstration. To realize this, it handles a hierarchical structure by using the knowledge stored in the forms of ontology and rules for bridging among different levels of instructions. Accordingly, the framework has multiple layers of processing components; perception and actuation control at the low level, symbolic planner and Watson APIs for cognitive capabilities and semantic understanding, and orchestration of these components by a new open source robot middleware called Project Intu at its core. We show how this framework can be used in a complex scenario where multiple actors (human, a communication robot, and an industrial robot) collaborate to perform a common industrial task. Human teaches an assembly task to Pepper (a humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics) using natural language conversation and demonstration. Our framework helps Pepper perceive the human demonstration and generate a sequence of actions for UR5 (collaborative robot arm from Universal Robots), which ultimately performs the assembly (e.g. insertion) task.Comment: IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2018. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19JsdZi0TW

Text Analysis: Sentence Initial Adverbials in a Second Grade Language Arts Book

The research questions addressed in this text analysis are: What are the forms and functions of sentence initial adverbials?, What is the frequency of each?, and What is their relationship in the second grade Mondo language arts curriculum book Up and Away! Taking a Flight? This study investigates, classifies, quantifies, describes, and analyzes sentence initial adverbials with the goal of increasing linguistic understanding of the forms and functions of this language structure. The guiding principles of Schleppergrall’s functional language analysis discussed in The Language of Schooling: A Functional Linguistics Perspective and Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics were employed to analyze the text in this capstone. The author presents the statistical data, discusses the major findings, and suggests a variety of teaching implications for appropriate language objectives indicated by the linguistic features found in the book

Peer interaction and learning opportunities in cohesive and less cohesive L2 classrooms

The present study investigates peer to peer oral interaction in two task based language teaching classrooms, one of which was a self-declared cohesive group, and the other a self- declared less cohesive group, both at B1 level. It studies how learners talk cohesion into being and considers how this talk leads to learning opportunities in these groups. The study was classroom-based and was carried out over the period of an academic year. Research was conducted in the classrooms and the tasks were part of regular class work. The research was framed within a sociocognitive perspective of second language learning and data came from a number of sources, namely questionnaires, interviews and audio recorded talk of dyads, triads and groups of four students completing a total of eight oral tasks. These audio recordings were transcribed and analysed qualitatively for interactions which encouraged a positive social dimension and behaviours which led to learning opportunities, using conversation analysis. In addition, recordings were analysed quantitatively for learning opportunities and quantity and quality of language produced. Results show that learners in both classes exhibited multiple behaviours in interaction which could promote a positive social dimension, although behaviours which could discourage positive affect amongst group members were also found. Analysis of interactions also revealed the many ways in which learners in both the cohesive and less cohesive class created learning opportunities. Further qualitative analysis of these interactions showed that a number of factors including how learners approach a task, the decisions they make at zones of interactional transition and the affective relationship between participants influence the amount of learning opportunities created, as well as the quality and quantity of language produced. The main conclusion of the study is that it is not the cohesive nature of the group as a whole but the nature of the relationship between the individual members of the small group completing the task which influences the effectiveness of oral interaction for learning.This study contributes to our understanding of the way in which learners individualise the learning space and highlights the situated nature of language learning. It shows how individuals interact with each other and the task, and how talk in interaction changes moment-by-moment as learners react to the ‘here and now’ of the classroom environment.O presente estudo é uma investigação no âmbito da interacção oral em pares em duas salas de aula: um grupo auto declarado coeso, outro declarado menos coeso, ambos de nível B1. O estudo revela a forma como os alunos criam coesão e oportunidades de aprendizagem através do discurso. O estudo foi baseado em exercícios práticos desempenhados em sala de aula, tendo sido desenvolvido ao longo de um ano lectivo académico. Isto é, a investigação é o resultado da observação e análise do trabalho prático regular realizado em aula pelos discentes. A pesquisa foi enquadrada numa perspectiva sociocognitiva de aprendizagem da segunda língua, e a informação provém de um conjunto de fontes metodologicamente utilizadas, nomeadamente questionários, entrevistas e registos áudio das conversas das díades, tríades e grupos de quatro alunos, num total de oito tarefas de oralidade. Os registos áudio foram transcritos e qualitativamente analisados para interacções que estimulavam uma dimensão social positiva, e comportamentos que conduziam a oportunidades de aprendizagem usando Conversation Analysis. Além disso, os registos foram também analisados quantitativamente relativamente às oportunidades de aprendizagem e à qualidade e quantidade de linguagem produzida. Em ambas as turmas, os resultados indicam múltiplos comportamentos interactivos por parte dos estudantes, comportamentos esses que promovem uma dimensão social positiva, embora tenham sido detectados também, comportamentos que podem desencorajar a afectividade entre os elementos do grupo. A análise do processo de interacção revelou também as diversas formas através das quais os estudantes criaram oportunidades de aprendizagem em ambos os grupos; o coeso e o menos coeso. A outro nível, uma análise qualitativa complementar destas interacções mostrou que, tanto o número de oportunidades de aprendizagem criadas, como a qualidade e quantidade de linguagem produzida são influenciadas por vários factores, nomeadamente o modo como os estudantes desempenham a tarefa, as decisões que tomam em zonas de transição interactiva e as relações afectivas entre os participantes. A principal conclusão do estudo é que não é a condição coesa do grupo como um todo, mas a natureza da relação entre os seus membros que completam a tarefa, que influencia a eficácia da interacção oral na aprendizagem.Este estudo contribui para a nossa compreensão do modo como os alunos singularizam o espaço de aprendizagem, ao mesmo tempo que destaca a natureza contextual do ensino da língua. Mostra ainda como interagem os indivíduos uns com os outros e com a tarefa, e como, no processo de interacção, o discurso muda a cada momento, devido à reacção dos alunos ao “aqui e agora” do ambiente da aula

PROCEEDING THE 2nd INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON LINGUISTICS (ISOL-2): Language and Civilization

ISOL is a biennial international seminar held by the Linguistics Graduate Program of Faculty of Humanity, Andalas University in collaboration with the Linguistic Society of Indonesia (MLI), Unand Chapter. ISOL aims to provide a discussion platform for linguists and language observers across Indonesia. Its main objective is to enhance the exchange of research and new approaches in language studies. The seminar is open to interested people from outside of Indonesia. The theme of the 2nd ISOL is Language and Civilization. Civilization is the process by which a society or place reaches an advanced stage of social development and organization. It is also defined as the society, culture, and way of life of a particular area. Over time, the word civilization has come to imply something beyond the organization. It refers to a particular shared way of thinking about the world as well as a reflection on that world in art, literature, drama and a host of other cultural happenings. Language is itself a social construct – a component of social reality. Thus, like all social constructs and conventions, it can be changed. A civilization is any complex state society which is characterized by urban development, social stratification, symbolic communication forms and a perceived separation from and domination over the natural environment. To advance civilization is to construct a new social reality which emerges through language. In other words, social reality is the operational expression of words and the meanings of them that society has agreed upon. Language is itself a social construct – a component of social reality. Thus, like all social constructs and conventions, it can be changed

Communicative learning programmes for the English first additional language senior phase classrooms in the Free State province

Thesis (Ph.d.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006The research investigates the use of the Communicative Learning Programmes in the English First Additional Language (EFAL) Senior phase classrooms in the Free State province. During the turn of the twentieth century, syllabi were tools that were designed and provided by the Department of Education to the schools. Recent changes in education in South Africa now expect educators to design these learning programmes. The Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) details steps that educators can follow in order to design the learning programmes for their learning areas. Outcomes-Based Education encompasses the eight learning areas in the Senior phase, namely Languages, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Social Science, Technology, Life Orientation, and Arts and Culture. The learning area that this study focuses on is Languages. EFAL is one of the languages that form the learning area of Languages. EFAL comprises six learning outcomes that have to be interpreted by the educators and achieved by the learners by linking teaching and learning with the accompanying assessment standards. Through the use of the communicative approach and co-operative strategies during group work, this study adds to the body of knowledge communicative learning programmes that Senior phase EFAL educators can use to assist and complement their current strategies

Impact of a large-scale robotics adoption on the hospital pharmacy workforce

The National Health Service (NHS) regularly adopts new technologies which often result in the redesign of services, where large numbers of staff undergo organisational change. The NHS is made up of teams of people, all of whom continue to work interdependently providing safe and effective care throughout these times of change. Automation in pharmacy is becoming popular, with recent advancements involving the automation of the medicines supply chain. Previous ventures involving Automated Dispensing Systems (ADS) have been small-scale. Maximising efficiencies through automation relies on the effective introduction of technologies as well as the alignment of technical and social change, and there has been little exploration of how automation impacts on the staff experience and team effectiveness. In the literature there are numerous models available against which to compare and analyse the success of teams more generally. Underpinning many of these models is the Hackman model which proposes that team effectiveness is influenced by: the effort team members exhibit; the knowledge and skills team members possess; and the appropriateness of the performance strategies implemented. There is a gap in the literature on the impacts large-scale automation has on teams (and their success) in healthcare, specifically in pharmacy. Approved in August 2008, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (GG&C) initiated a large-scale redesign (the PPSU Acute Pharmacy Redesign Programme). The Programme aimed to; provide a single procurement department for Glasgow pharmacy; have a centralised Pharmacy Distribution Centre (PDC); introduce ward-level ordering; and improve the current staff skill-mix while promoting the use of patients’ own medicines in hospital (Making the Most of Your Medicines or MMyM). Since opening in September 2010, the PDC (comprising 9 robots in total) is now the single facility responsible for the procurement and distribution of medicines to approximately 4000 destinations, and affected approximately 530 hospital pharmacy staff. This scale of pharmacy redesign has not been seen in any other automated schemes in the UK. The aim of the first study was to describe and evaluate NHS GG&C pharmacy staff experiences over the programme duration by different job roles/locations. Interviews were conducted with 36 pharmacy staff members from 4 hospital sites and the PDC, and 9 stakeholders, identified by members of the project Steering Group. Staff were interviewed about their experiences before, during and after the redesign. An inductive content analysis was performed, which produced two main themes: “The Work I Do” and “The Context of My Work”. The first theme allowed the exploration of the changes in staff job role, with a focus on tasks, work pace/control, morale, training/progression opportunities and voice/relationships. The second theme focused on social impacts of the redesign, including support, leadership, praise, reliability and trust of co-workers. Results showed that there was a lack of training available and morale was low in part due to this. There was no cohesive vision among participants as to why the redesign was happening. Hospital staff training was in theory available, yet completing training, and progressing into higher pay bands was not always feasible. Management were concerned with PDC technicians losing their clinical-skills as a result of a change in job location. PDC support workers experienced a gradual depletion of medicines knowledge due to this transition. The pharmacist role was seen as more social. Experiences between MMyM and non-MMyM staff were different in terms of how challenging, varied and social the work was. All roles within the PDC appeared to be less social compared with hospital roles. The aims of the second study were to apply Hackman’s model of team effectiveness in the context of the pharmacy team dynamics and performance and (based on this model) discuss the extent to which these teams were successful in the adoption of the automation. Hackman’s characteristics were applied to the pharmacy staff interviews (n=36). The results indicated that PDC and hospital teams exhibited 8 of the 23 characteristics: members have a variety of high-level skills; members contribute and are motivated equally; members are equally committed; members have personal and professional skills; relevant education and training is present; learning should be collective; members self-regulate; and there is clarity about task requirements, constraints, resources available and who the service user is. The “minimising of performance slippages” characteristic could be observed in one hospital team but not in the PDC. The teams did not exhibit 5 of the characteristics, indicating less success in these areas: autonomy is available; adequate feedback is available; excellent performance is rewarded; team size is appropriate; and relevant education and training is actually available. Nine of Hackman’s characteristics could not be commented on due to a lack of illustrative data. This thesis adds to the limited literature on the exploration of automation in healthcare, specifically pharmacy. Three main lessons can be concluded: staff consultation and engagement is critical to the successful redesign of services driven by technology; ensuring job role components are appropriate for job tasks is essential- technology adoption may require new skill sets and also cause other pre-existing skill sets to become lost; team effectiveness is an important focus within any organisational change programme, but less up-to-date models of team effectiveness may not be ideally applicable to teams utilising technology. These lessons align with current Scottish Government policy on pharmacy innovation and provide valuable key points for change implementers to support the continued adoption of automation locally, nationally and internationally.The National Health Service (NHS) regularly adopts new technologies which often result in the redesign of services, where large numbers of staff undergo organisational change. The NHS is made up of teams of people, all of whom continue to work interdependently providing safe and effective care throughout these times of change. Automation in pharmacy is becoming popular, with recent advancements involving the automation of the medicines supply chain. Previous ventures involving Automated Dispensing Systems (ADS) have been small-scale. Maximising efficiencies through automation relies on the effective introduction of technologies as well as the alignment of technical and social change, and there has been little exploration of how automation impacts on the staff experience and team effectiveness. In the literature there are numerous models available against which to compare and analyse the success of teams more generally. Underpinning many of these models is the Hackman model which proposes that team effectiveness is influenced by: the effort team members exhibit; the knowledge and skills team members possess; and the appropriateness of the performance strategies implemented. There is a gap in the literature on the impacts large-scale automation has on teams (and their success) in healthcare, specifically in pharmacy. Approved in August 2008, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (GG&C) initiated a large-scale redesign (the PPSU Acute Pharmacy Redesign Programme). The Programme aimed to; provide a single procurement department for Glasgow pharmacy; have a centralised Pharmacy Distribution Centre (PDC); introduce ward-level ordering; and improve the current staff skill-mix while promoting the use of patients’ own medicines in hospital (Making the Most of Your Medicines or MMyM). Since opening in September 2010, the PDC (comprising 9 robots in total) is now the single facility responsible for the procurement and distribution of medicines to approximately 4000 destinations, and affected approximately 530 hospital pharmacy staff. This scale of pharmacy redesign has not been seen in any other automated schemes in the UK. The aim of the first study was to describe and evaluate NHS GG&C pharmacy staff experiences over the programme duration by different job roles/locations. Interviews were conducted with 36 pharmacy staff members from 4 hospital sites and the PDC, and 9 stakeholders, identified by members of the project Steering Group. Staff were interviewed about their experiences before, during and after the redesign. An inductive content analysis was performed, which produced two main themes: “The Work I Do” and “The Context of My Work”. The first theme allowed the exploration of the changes in staff job role, with a focus on tasks, work pace/control, morale, training/progression opportunities and voice/relationships. The second theme focused on social impacts of the redesign, including support, leadership, praise, reliability and trust of co-workers. Results showed that there was a lack of training available and morale was low in part due to this. There was no cohesive vision among participants as to why the redesign was happening. Hospital staff training was in theory available, yet completing training, and progressing into higher pay bands was not always feasible. Management were concerned with PDC technicians losing their clinical-skills as a result of a change in job location. PDC support workers experienced a gradual depletion of medicines knowledge due to this transition. The pharmacist role was seen as more social. Experiences between MMyM and non-MMyM staff were different in terms of how challenging, varied and social the work was. All roles within the PDC appeared to be less social compared with hospital roles. The aims of the second study were to apply Hackman’s model of team effectiveness in the context of the pharmacy team dynamics and performance and (based on this model) discuss the extent to which these teams were successful in the adoption of the automation. Hackman’s characteristics were applied to the pharmacy staff interviews (n=36). The results indicated that PDC and hospital teams exhibited 8 of the 23 characteristics: members have a variety of high-level skills; members contribute and are motivated equally; members are equally committed; members have personal and professional skills; relevant education and training is present; learning should be collective; members self-regulate; and there is clarity about task requirements, constraints, resources available and who the service user is. The “minimising of performance slippages” characteristic could be observed in one hospital team but not in the PDC. The teams did not exhibit 5 of the characteristics, indicating less success in these areas: autonomy is available; adequate feedback is available; excellent performance is rewarded; team size is appropriate; and relevant education and training is actually available. Nine of Hackman’s characteristics could not be commented on due to a lack of illustrative data. This thesis adds to the limited literature on the exploration of automation in healthcare, specifically pharmacy. Three main lessons can be concluded: staff consultation and engagement is critical to the successful redesign of services driven by technology; ensuring job role components are appropriate for job tasks is essential- technology adoption may require new skill sets and also cause other pre-existing skill sets to become lost; team effectiveness is an important focus within any organisational change programme, but less up-to-date models of team effectiveness may not be ideally applicable to teams utilising technology. These lessons align with current Scottish Government policy on pharmacy innovation and provide valuable key points for change implementers to support the continued adoption of automation locally, nationally and internationally