Advanced information processing system for advanced launch system: Avionics architecture synthesis

The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) is a fault-tolerant distributed computer system architecture that was developed to meet the real time computational needs of advanced aerospace vehicles. One such vehicle is the Advanced Launch System (ALS) being developed jointly by NASA and the Department of Defense to launch heavy payloads into low earth orbit at one tenth the cost (per pound of payload) of the current launch vehicles. An avionics architecture that utilizes the AIPS hardware and software building blocks was synthesized for ALS. The AIPS for ALS architecture synthesis process starting with the ALS mission requirements and ending with an analysis of the candidate ALS avionics architecture is described

A modified approach of POMDP-based dialogue management

This thesis applies the theory of history information space for a thorough study of dialogue management in major approaches, ranging from the classical approach based upon finite state machine to the most recent approach using partially observable Markov decision process (PODMP). While most of the approaches use various techniques to estimate system state, the POMDP-based approach avoids state estimation and uses belief state for decision making. In addition, it provides a mechanism to model uncertainty and allows for errorrecovery. PODMP-based dialogue management demonstrates undeniable advantages in the handling of input uncertainty over all the other approaches. However, applying Markovian over the belief-state space in the current POMDP models causes significant loss of valuable information in dialogue history, leading to untruthful recognition of user\u27s intention. To improve the performance of POMDP-based dialogue management this thesis introduces belief history into the planning process, and uses not only the current but also the previous belief state for the determination of actions. In the new approach, all changes of belief state require a validation with domain constraints, and an invalid change results in a modification to the actions provided by the POMDP solver. Experiments show that this new approach is able to handle uncertainty caused by user\u27s lack of domain knowledge and practical constraints, thus becoming more accurate in intention recognition

Machine Learning Methods for Spoken Dialogue Simulation and Optimization

Computers and electronic devices are becoming more and more present in our day-to-day life. This can of course be partly explained by their ability to ease the achievement of complex and boring tasks, the important decrease of prices or the new entertainment styles they offer. Yet, this real incursion in everybody's life would not have been possible without an important improvement of Human-Computer Interfaces (HCI). This is why HCI are now widely studied and become a major trend of research among the scientific community. Designing “user-friendly” interfaces usually requires multidisciplinary skills in fields such as computer science, ergonomics, psychology, signal processing etc. In this chapter, we argue that machine learning methods can help in designing efficient speech-based humancomputer interfaces

On the Development of Adaptive and User-Centred Interactive Multimodal Interfaces

Multimodal systems have attained increased attention in recent years, which has made possible important improvements in the technologies for recognition, processing, and generation of multimodal information. However, there are still many issues related to multimodality which are not clear, for example, the principles that make it possible to resemble human-human multimodal communication. This chapter focuses on some of the most important challenges that researchers have recently envisioned for future multimodal interfaces. It also describes current efforts to develop intelligent, adaptive, proactive, portable and affective multimodal interfaces

Using VXML to construct a speech browser for a public-domain SpeechWeb

Despite the fact that interpreters for the voice-application markup language VXML have been available for around five years, there is very little evidence of the emergence of a public-domain SpeechWeb. This is in contrast to the huge growth of the conventional web only a few years after the introduction of HTML. One reason for this is that architectures for distributed speech applications are not conducive to public involvement in the creation and deployment of speech applications. In previous research, a new architecture for a public-domain SpeechWeb has been proposed. However, a non-proprietary speech browser is needed for this new architecture. In this thesis, it is shown that through a novel use of VXML, a viable public-domain SpeechWeb browser can be built as a single VXML page. This thesis is proven through the development and implementation of a single VXML page SpeechWeb browser. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2005 .S8. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0366. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006

The Intersection of Speech-Language Pathologists’ Beliefs, Perceptions, and Practices and the Language Acquisition and Development of Emerging Aided Communicators

This dissertation discusses the convergence of aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, the language acquisition and development of young children who are minimally verbal or nonverbal who acquire their native language while simultaneously learning to use an aided AAC system, and explicit and implicit elements that influence language outcomes. Factors investigated include those related to language acquisition universals, the AAC system, the young aided AAC user, and practices, philosophies, and beliefs of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Further examined were: (a) language acquisition parallels in atypical populations who do not possess the full range of senses who have been shown to develop language, and (b) analogies between the linguistic structures of pidgins, interlanguages, and the syntax of young aided AAC users. This dissertation employed a survey methodology to capture the practices and beliefs of SLPs as a means of identifying potential contributing factors to the reduced linguistic outcomes of these children. Quantitative findings revealed statistically significant differences in SLPs’ perceptions of confidence and qualification with the two populations of children with language impairments who use an oral modality and young aided AAC users. Descriptive trends across all constructs measured suggested differences in SLPs’ practices, belifes, and perspectives in their work with these two populations. The analysis of the syntactic structures of the language of young aided AAC users revealed definitive parallels with the construct of interlanguages

The Importance of Communication Skills to Independent Crop Consultants

Independent crop consulting companies provide services to farmers by scouting (i.e., collecting field observations of plants and pests) and developing management recommendations for individual fields. In production agriculture, independent crop consultants (ICCs) are professionals who are independent of product sales. They are knowledgeable in many disciplines including plant pathology, entomology, weed science, plant science, economics, water management, and soil science. However, ICCs must also have extensive communication skills to communicate to their audience of field scout(s), farmers, industry professionals, and government officials. The goal of this document is to examine how ICCs use their communication skills and how they can refine and strengthen their communication skills. Communication is an important life skill, involving knowledge or information transfer to produce an outcome. Communication concepts and models can be applied to interpersonal communication between ICCs and their audience (Chapter 1). Communication between the field scout and ICC primarily occurs during the field training process for the scout. Educational methods of experiential learning and scaffolding can be applied to this field training process (Chapter 2). Interviews with farmers explored the motivations and values of farmers that aid the ICC in communicating management recommendations to farmers (Chapter 3). These interviews emphasized farmers have individual goals, motivations, values, and communication styles, in which an ICC must adapt to develop a trusting relationship. Independent crop consultants are also instrumental in the agricultural social system by bridging knowledge transfer between farmers, industry professionals, and government officials (Chapter 4). Advisor: Gary L. Hei

River-radio : a case study of participatory radio education in Bolivia

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2221311

Open University Tutors' Conceptions Of Teaching Excellence In Higher Education Teaching

The purpose of this study is to examine Open University tutors’ conceptions of teaching excellence. A qualitative approach was adopted involving eleven tutors in interviews plus a focus group discussion on the topic. The recorded data were subjected to a thematic content analysis focussing on the tutors’ conceptions of teaching quality rooted in their own practices. The study furthermore examined the data for indications that would confirm or disconfirm three strong claims made in recent higher education research literature relating to HE teaching practice: first regarding a ‘psychologised’ (understood mainly as a ‘behaviourist’) discourse among HE teachers (Malcolm and Zukas, 2001, Skelton, 2005), secondly a ‘performativity’ culture (focussing on targets as a consequence of current accountability regimes being introduced) (Ball, 2003, Camell, 2007, Skelton, 2005) and finally a ‘prescriptive’ discourse (Nicoll and Harrison, 2003). The study found that the tutors are highly dedicated to their students, strongly focussed on their students’ learning and progress, but too modest to think of their own practice in terms of ‘excellence’, even if some of them have received teaching excellence awards and all are involved in projects in the Open University’s Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The findings suggest that the tutors are in favour of initiatives to promote teaching excellence and of HE teacher accreditation. Their teaching approaches are found to be co-constructivist (certainly not behaviourist) and student-oriented, and indications of being under ‘performativity’ or ‘prescriptive’ pressures are not apparent