260 research outputs found

    Design for the Art of Learning: Defining Challenges for Maker-Driven Design Activities and Design Education in Secondary Schools

    Get PDF
    This thesis reflects on strategies used to facilitate didactic interactions between design research-creation and maker experiences in a secondary school. The author uses maker-driven design activity as a hybrid term to define educational activities that integrate critical making, sustainable action, and creative uses of technology. Two projects are described to exemplify the challenges and qualities of this didactic approach. The careful use of design constraints and observations of patterns of concern, such as process avoidance, are essential in understanding the qualities necessary for a meaningful design experience in the context of school. The author uses observations of maker-driven design activity situated in a school Fab Lab to inform guideposts for future research-creation infusing creative-technical learning with design literacy. This thesis is intended for designers, teachers, and researchers interested in creative and interdisciplinary learning experiences in what is broadly labelled as design for the art of learning

    Individuality and the collective in AI agents: Explorations of shared consciousness and digital homunculi in the metaverse for cultural heritage

    Get PDF
    The confluence of extended reality (XR) technologies, including augmented and virtual reality, with large language models (LLM) marks a significant advancement in the field of digital humanities, opening uncharted avenues for the representation of cultural heritage within the burgeoning metaverse. This paper undertakes an examination of the potentialities and intricacies of such a convergence, focusing particularly on the creation of digital homunculi or changelings. These virtual beings, remarkable for their sentience and individuality, are also part of a collective consciousness, a notion explored through a thematic comparison in science fiction with the Borg and the Changelings in the Star Trek universe. Such a comparison offers a metaphorical framework for discussing complex phenomena such as shared consciousness and individuality, illuminating their bearing on perceptions of self and awareness. Further, the paper considers the ethical implications of these concepts, including potential loss of individuality and the challenges inherent to accurate representation of historical figures and cultures. The latter necessitates collaboration with cultural experts, underscoring the intersectionality of technological innovation and cultural sensitivity. Ultimately, this chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of integrating large language models with immersive technologies and situates these developments within a nuanced cultural and ethical discourse. By offering a comprehensive overview and proposing clear recommendations, the paper lays the groundwork for future research and development in the application of these technologies within the unique context of cultural heritage representation in the metaverse

    Constructive geometry in implementations of modern 3D graphics

    Get PDF
    3D graphics are one of the crucial development trends of modern digital technologies. Engineering and manufacturing, architecture, design, cinematography, education, and the game industry are an incomplete list of industries where it is actively used. Specialists in 3D graphics are in high demand in the labor market. Their proper training presupposes high-quality knowledge of geometrical sciences, in particular – constructive geometry. Note that constructive geometry is an integral part of modern school mathematics education. That is why, even in the conditions of the school, the teacher should skillfully apply the demonstration capabilities of three-dimensional graphics. It will also encourage students of a comprehensive school to apply knowledge of constructive geometry in practice in the area of 3D modeling. This approach will make it possible to demonstrate the importance and interconnectedness of knowledge in geometry and computer science. Therefore, the article reveals the importance of interdisciplinary connections between the specified disciplines in the context of research, demonstration, and application aspects. In particular, the nuances of using the GeoGebra dynamic geometry complex for conducting computational experiments and creating spatial models based on tasks from a school spatial geometry course are described. After all, modern capabilities of software tools make it possible to demonstrate in real time all the transformations that took place during drawing modeling on the picture plane. The importance of the applied value of constructive geometry for 3D modeling reveals based on examples of solid and polygonal modeling of virtual spatial objects. In particular, the steps of creating a solid model of a pyramid, which is formed by cutting it off with a plane from a regular quadrangular pyramid, are illustrated by the basis of calculations and constructions, which are performed using techniques of constructive geometry. All stages are described and done using the TinkerCAD online modeling service tools. An example of using the Blender program for creating polygonal 3D models is also provided. In particular, the significant aspects of the part modeling process are presented in the example of a task from a drawing textbook. The importance of planimetric constructions in the process of performing high-precision polygonal modeling is also emphasized. The article contains many figures that illustrate the essential stages of modeling. The materials presented can be used to prepare lessons in either mathematics or computer science and can be used to conduct integrated classes that draw on both subjects. Possible prospects for further research on this topic are also presented

    The Fifteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting

    Get PDF
    The three volumes of the proceedings of MG15 give a broad view of all aspects of gravitational physics and astrophysics, from mathematical issues to recent observations and experiments. The scientific program of the meeting included 40 morning plenary talks over 6 days, 5 evening popular talks and nearly 100 parallel sessions on 71 topics spread over 4 afternoons. These proceedings are a representative sample of the very many oral and poster presentations made at the meeting.Part A contains plenary and review articles and the contributions from some parallel sessions, while Parts B and C consist of those from the remaining parallel sessions. The contents range from the mathematical foundations of classical and quantum gravitational theories including recent developments in string theory, to precision tests of general relativity including progress towards the detection of gravitational waves, and from supernova cosmology to relativistic astrophysics, including topics such as gamma ray bursts, black hole physics both in our galaxy and in active galactic nuclei in other galaxies, and neutron star, pulsar and white dwarf astrophysics. Parallel sessions touch on dark matter, neutrinos, X-ray sources, astrophysical black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, binary systems, radiative transfer, accretion disks, quasars, gamma ray bursts, supernovas, alternative gravitational theories, perturbations of collapsed objects, analog models, black hole thermodynamics, numerical relativity, gravitational lensing, large scale structure, observational cosmology, early universe models and cosmic microwave background anisotropies, inhomogeneous cosmology, inflation, global structure, singularities, chaos, Einstein-Maxwell systems, wormholes, exact solutions of Einstein's equations, gravitational waves, gravitational wave detectors and data analysis, precision gravitational measurements, quantum gravity and loop quantum gravity, quantum cosmology, strings and branes, self-gravitating systems, gamma ray astronomy, cosmic rays and the history of general relativity

    3D Analytics: Opportunities and Guidelines for Information Systems Research

    Full text link
    Progress in sensor technologies has made three-dimensional (3D) representations of the physical world available at a large scale. Leveraging such 3D representations with analytics has the potential to advance Information Systems (IS) research in several areas. However, this novel data type has rarely been incorporated. To address this shortcoming, this article first presents two showcases of 3D analytics applications together with general modeling guidelines for 3D analytics, in order to support IS researchers in implementing research designs with 3D components. Second, the article presents several promising opportunities for 3D analytics to advance behavioral and design-oriented IS research in several contextual areas, such as healthcare IS, human-computer interaction, mobile commerce, energy informatics and others. Third, we investigate the nature of the benefits resulting from the application of 3D analytics, resulting in a list of common tasks of research projects that 3D analytics can support, regardless of the contextual application area. Based on the given showcases, modeling guidelines, research opportunities and task-related benefits, we encourage IS researchers to start their journey into this largely unexplored third spatial dimension

    Capturing engagement in early science learning: triangulating observational, psychophysiological, and self-report measures

    Get PDF
    This thesis examined engagement in early science learning in the context of a science centre, particularly how, and to what extent, the process of engagement can be captured and measured in early years children. To achieve it, this thesis explored the potential of using a multimodal approach which captures the three components of engagement (cognitive, behavioural, and emotional) by triangulating simultaneous data from different tools, proposed theoretically by Azevedo (2015). Firstly, an observational study of children naturally interacting in a science centre showed that early-years children gravitate more and for longer to a hands-on exhibit compared to a planned-discovery exhibit. Secondly, a feasibility study showed it was feasible to use and triangulate the following tools in children from 3-7 years in a real-world context: engagement scales for behaviour coding using videorecording, a head-mounted camera, an electrodermal sensor (EDA), and a self-report questionnaire. Thirdly, the main triangulation study involved 28 children interacting with a sand exhibit at a Science Centre. Findings showed a relationship between children's cognitive-behavioural observations and their emotional arousal (EDA markers), but not with their self-report measures. Specifically, results showed that children's emotional arousal peaks were more likely to increase if they were doing cognitive-demanding behaviours such as strategic decision-making or looking away from the exhibit whilst searching for their parents. There was an increase in this effect the longer its duration lasted, but no effect was found for specific timepoints when a behaviour happened.. Children also engaged more when using new or previously used strategic behaviours rather than when adapting or immediately repeating them, as well as when persevering on a goal until fulfilled. A final study evaluated expert science practitioners' perception of engagement when they judged engagement as an outcome compared with as a process. A slider tool was developed to capture practitioners’ continuous perception of the process of engagement while they watched a video of the interaction, as well as their overall perception of engagement by giving a single value. Their agreement amongst the three different videos used was also examined, and how much they aligned with results from the previous triangulation study. Results showed no differences comparing between dynamic and discrete single scoring, however, the continuous dynamic score showed more nuances behind practitioner’s rating of engagement throughout the interaction. These dynamic ratings also showed more agreement between the practitioners, and although practitioners’ perceptions aligned to identify the video classified as the highest level of engagement, when levels were lower, evaluation of the level of engagement was challenging and practitioners did not agree on the intensity of the perceived engagement. Overall, this body of research highlights how multiple sources of data can provide a richer picture of what could be understood as engagement, particularly when engagement is conceptualised as a continuous process, which may inform improvements in both facilitation and exhibit design through deeper understanding of engagement processes and tailoring them specifically to different age groups. However, the findings also highlight some of limitations some of the different tools used here have for specific situations. This research presents a theoretical advancement by conceptually examining engagement as a process as well as an outcome along with contributing a thorough examination of early years' informal science learning engagement and relevant tools to capture it. This is an area which has been greatly understudied compared to other age groups and contexts. This research can improve informal learning experiences in key developmental stages, particularly for populations with limited access to informal learning contexts

    ARTYCUL: A Privacy-Preserving ML-Driven Framework to Determine the Popularity of a Cultural Exhibit on Display.

    Full text link
    We present ARTYCUL (ARTifact popularitY for CULtural heritage), a machine learning(ML)-based framework that graphically represents the footfall around an artifact on display at a museum or a heritage site. The driving factor of this framework was the fact that the presence of security cameras has become universal, including at sites of cultural heritage. ARTYCUL used the video streams of closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) cameras installed in such premises to detect human figures, and their coordinates with respect to the camera frames were used to visualize the density of visitors around the specific display items. Such a framework that can display the popularity of artifacts would aid the curators towards a more optimal organization. Moreover, it could also help to gauge if a certain display item were neglected due to incorrect placement. While items of similar interest can be placed in vicinity of each other, an online recommendation system may also use the reputation of an artifact to catch the eye of the visitors. Artificial intelligence-based solutions are well suited for analysis of internet of things (IoT) traffic due to the inherent veracity and volatile nature of the transmissions. The work done for the development of ARTYCUL provided a deeper insight into the avenues for applications of IoT technology to the cultural heritage domain, and suitability of ML to process real-time data at a fast pace. While we also observed common issues that hinder the utilization of IoT in the cultural domain, the proposed framework was designed keeping in mind the same obstacles and a preference for backward compatibility

    The Value of ArtScience: improving the balance in collaboration practices between artists and scientists can impact knowledge production

    Get PDF
    In a time in which scientific knowledge is in danger of being discredited, we return to the responsibility of art and science. There is widespread optimism that collaborations between artists and scientists can develop solutions to complex problems, co-create new knowledge and contribute to discovery and understanding. However, art-science pairings are often based on similar subject areas alone, and without structured efforts to enable cooperation. For artists and scientists, the path towards meaning-making is not guided by the same principles. The artist is not bound to scientific goals or facts and there is no obligation to produce truth, which makes art-science collaborations unique within inter- and transdisciplinary research. For scientific institutions or organisations, such collaborations are often perceived as ‘art in the service of science’ where outcomes of art-science collaborations are primarily seen as a means to communicate difficult scientific concepts to the public. It is rare that art becomes an acknowledged, integral ingredient in the production of scientific knowledge. This is surprising given the special psychological relationship of humans with art: experiencing art can lead to new ways of understanding and meaning-making — crucial for solving the complex and ‘wicked’ problems we are facing in the world today. Combining insights from the ongoing academic debate and my personal experience as an astrophysicist — and artist — who has actively worked in art-science collaborations for the past 12 years, this paper argues for a deep familiarity of the history and methodology of the other discipline as well as confronting one’s own prejudice and biases towards the other discipline

    Trends in European Climate Change Perception: Where the Effects of Climate Change go unnoticed

    Full text link
    Climate change threatens global impacts in a variety of domains that must be limited by adaptation and mitigation measures. The successful implementation of such policies can strongly benefit from the general public’s cooperation motivated by their own risk perceptions. Public participation can be promoted by tailoring policies to the populations they affect, which in turn results in the need for a deeper understanding of how different communities interact with the issue of climate change. Social media platforms such as the microblogging service Twitter have opened unprecedented opportunities for research on public perception in recent years, offering a continuous stream of user-generated data. Simultaneously, they represent a crucial discursive space in which members of the public develop and discuss their opinions and concerns about climate change. Subsequently, this thesis gains insight into the characteristics of public reactions to individual climate change effects and processes by investing corresponding corpora of tweets spanning a decade. For seven western European countries, the spatial, temporal, and thematic reaction patterns are determined with a further assessment of the drivers behind each finding. Tweets are collected, classified, georeferenced, and clustered using a selection of Geographic Information Retrieval as well as Natural Language Processing methods before being analysed regarding thematic trends in their content, spatial distributions and influences of environmental factors, as well temporal distributions and impacts of real-world events. The findings illustrate diverse climate change perceptions that vary across spatial, temporal, and thematic dimensions. Communities tend to focus more on issues relevant to their local or national environment, leading populations to develop a certain degree of specialisation for these aspects of climate change. This typically coincides with a substantially more domestic discourse on the subject and a decrease in interest for corresponding international events. In a similar sense, the tangibility of an event drives the magnitude of reactions. However, while more tangible events are more frequently recognised and discussed, less tangible events tend to be more frequently attributed to climate change as the public shifts their focus from immediate impacts on the personal scale to impacts on the global scale. Additionally, traditional news media are shown to retain a high level of control over science communication and the climate change discourse on Twitter, likely influencing the public’s perspective on global warming. Individual real-world events such as major climate conferences and scientific releases only occasionally elicit strong public reactions when they are topically related to an event type, whereas global protests can lead to significant discussion across various event types. Inversely, global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduce public concern about climate change processes

    CIMED - I Congreso Internacional de Museos y Estrategias Digitales

    Full text link
    El I Congreso Internacional de Museos y Estrategias Digitales nace de la necesidad imperiosa de diseñar e integrar nuevas estrategias de comunicación entre nuestros museos e instituciones culturales, así como entre éstas y los públicos, en una emergencia que se ha agudizado tras la crisis generada por la COVID-19. El objetivo es que el congreso sirva de referencia y guía a todos aquellos profesionales del sector que asistan a su celebración o que accedan posteriormente a toda la documentación relativa al evento, que estará accesible a través de las Actas del congreso, publicadas en abierto e indexadas, y en formato video, con el resumen de algunas de las ponenciasMartí Testón, A. (2022). CIMED - I Congreso Internacional de Museos y Estrategias Digitales. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIMED21.2021.14065EDITORIA
    corecore