354 research outputs found
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Formalizing graphical notations
The thesis describes research into graphical notations for software engineering, with a principal interest in ways of formalizing them. The research seeks to provide a theoretical basis that will help in designing both notations and the software tools that process them.
The work starts from a survey of literature on notation, followed by a review of techniques for formal description and for computational handling of notations. The survey concentrates on collecting views of the benefits and the problems attending notation use in software development; the review covers picture description languages, grammars and tools such as generic editors and visual programming environments. The main problem of notation is found to be a lack of any coherent, rigorous description methods. The current approaches to this problem are analysed as lacking in consensus on syntax specification and also lacking a clear focus on a defined concept of notated expression.
To address these deficiencies, the thesis embarks upon an exploration of serniotic, linguistic and logical theory; this culminates in a proposed formalization of serniosis in notations, using categorial model theory as a mathematical foundation. An argument about the structure of sign systems leads to an analysis of notation into a layered system of tractable theories, spanning the gap between expressive pictorial medium and subject domain. This notion of 'tectonic' theory aims to treat both diagrams and formulae together.
The research gives details of how syntactic structure can be sketched in a mathematical sense, with examples applying to software development diagrams, offering a new solution to the problem of notation specification. Based on these methods, the thesis discusses directions for resolving the harder problems of supporting notation design, processing and computer-aided generic editing. A number of future research areas are thereby opened up. For practical trial of the ideas, the work proceeds to the development and partial implementation of a system to aid the design of notations and editors. Finally the thesis is evaluated as a contribution to theory in an area which has not attracted a standard approach
Artificial Intelligence Research Branch future plans
This report contains information on the activities of the Artificial Intelligence Research Branch (FIA) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) in 1992, as well as planned work in 1993. These activities span a range from basic scientific research through engineering development to fielded NASA applications, particularly those applications that are enabled by basic research carried out in FIA. Work is conducted in-house and through collaborative partners in academia and industry. All of our work has research themes with a dual commitment to technical excellence and applicability to NASA short, medium, and long-term problems. FIA acts as the Agency's lead organization for research aspects of artificial intelligence, working closely with a second research laboratory at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and AI applications groups throughout all NASA centers. This report is organized along three major research themes: (1) Planning and Scheduling: deciding on a sequence of actions to achieve a set of complex goals and determining when to execute those actions and how to allocate resources to carry them out; (2) Machine Learning: techniques for forming theories about natural and man-made phenomena; and for improving the problem-solving performance of computational systems over time; and (3) Research on the acquisition, representation, and utilization of knowledge in support of diagnosis design of engineered systems and analysis of actual systems
Human Factors in Automated and Robotic Space Systems: Proceedings of a symposium. Part 1
Human factors research likely to produce results applicable to the development of a NASA space station is discussed. The particular sessions covered in Part 1 include: (1) system productivity -- people and machines; (2) expert systems and their use; (3) language and displays for human-computer communication; and (4) computer aided monitoring and decision making. Papers from each subject area are reproduced and the discussions from each area are summarized
A practical theological study of community pastoral work : an ecosystemic perspective
Chapter 1 describes practical theology as a communicative operational science and stresses how important it is that a hermeneutical and narrative approach compliments it. It is shown that pastoral work must be launched from the church community. The premise is that the Enlightenment paradigm causes a reductionistic, individualistic and denominational approach to pastoral work. A holistic, comprehensive and ecologically orientated approach is proposed.
Chapter 2 discusses the need for an ecosystemic approach as a metaparadigrn for practical theology in terms of the move away
from the Newtonian view of science and the post-modem critiques of a technocratic society. This is supported by developments in systemic family therapy, constructionism and community psychology.
Chapter 3 describes an interrelated ecclesiology as a base theory for practical theology and pastoral work with reference to the church's interrelation with society and the need to include an anthropology as part of an ecclesiology. This interrelationship implies that the serving (diakonia) and caring (koinonia) functions of the church should converge, forming a diaconal pastorate.
In chapter 4 the secularised modem world-vie\v and the traditional African world-view, both functioning in South Africa, are employed to shed light upon the importance of the concept community for the church's pastoral work. The term community is broadened to include the idea of networking, emphasisingg that community is more than geographical proximity.
Chapter 5 is a quantitative investigation. by means of a questionnaire, of the views (ecosystemic/non-ecosystemic) of pastoral workers regarding the church and of pastoral work.
Chapter 6 discusses the implications of a community pastoral work approach. Pastoral work has a serving-caring role, but should also function prophetically, to conscientise. sensitise and empower people. The church as a healing community must become the springboard from which pastoral actions can face the challenge of AIDS (chapter 7). This will require the church to shift its paradigm from the reductionist, individualist approach, presently prevalent in society and church pastoral actions, to an all-encompassing. holistic one.Philosophy, Practical and Systematic TheologyTh.D. (Practical Theology
Volume 19, Summer 1992 Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal
Complete digitized volume (volume 19, Summer 1992) of Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal
Endogenous development: a model for the process of man-environment transaction
Iran is currently subject to a number of adverse factors affecting good development in the built
environment: population explosion, oil- dependent economy, finite resources, war and natural
disasters, etc. The object of the study is to research a development model appropriate to the
Country's needs for a proactive system of building environment. This model is not specific to
Iran and, as the case studies and the discourse of the thesis indicate, is universal. However,
the author suggests that the validity of development approaches will not be determined as a result of theoretical and ideological debate but in the realm of practice. Therefore, he has
explored diverse ways in which professionals in the built environment can provide an
analytical survey of the problems that beset them. An attempt has been made to bring these
various elements into perspective and offer a model of 'endogenous development'.The process for achieving a viable, exciting and humane built environment is very complex
and calls for contributions from many individuals and small multi -disciplinary groups. Beside
professionals contributions (which is accomplished by deduction inference), there is a need
for people's participation in design process (which is accomplished either by deduction or by
abduction inferences). This participatory approach can also help shifting the process of design
towards a wider domain that of the 'production process' (which is accomplished by abduction
and induction inferences). Production process is the first paradigm of the model of
endogenous development and is a manifestation of a feedback mechanism and acts as an open - ended living system. The second is 'supply- demand' paradigm which shows the relationships
between the components of a system or between different systems in surface- structuresThis model is directed at society's development, not just its economic growth, but it does not
preclude the possibility of such growth. The reduction of the problems' effect in an
endogenous development is viewed more as a way of improving the quality of life than of
increasing the standard of living. Nowadays, people are passive recipients in the consumer
society and are totally dependent on others for their survival. This style of living is assumed
to project an image of economic development and higher productivity, but there is a confrontation of preadjusted commodities which are the products of others. That is because
the process of production is not natural (i.e. a closed loop cyclic process via feedback
control). It is artificial (i.e. an open -loop linear process via a feed -forward control) which may
not help satisfying the user's needs and wants entirely. In the built environment, the great
majority have no say in the planning and design of their homes or places of work.Accordingly, endogenous development offers a framework within which the necessity of
employing the people's creative power in building their environment is explained. It is based
on the assumption that each individual and society's knowledge and experiences play a central
and mediating role between professionals' perceptions of the environment and a series of
preferences judgements or choices they might make towards and within that environment.
Indigenous knowledge and cultural attributes of traditional societies and the organizational
capabilities of traditional polities are essential in qualification of the development plans, which
are also evaluated and assessed by this proposed framework
Colour/space : its quality management in architecture : the colour/space unity as an unity of visual communication
In external city environment areas there is a poor understanding and often noconscious use of colour.The experts that work with colour, in terms of the built environment either as projectmakers,or as managers (decision-makers), are poorly prepared to deal with it.As an answer they minimise the problem of colour in architecture, especially inexteriors, simply by omission; or, they introduce colour mostly without criteria - insome projects colour plays only a cosmetic role - supposedly aesthetical.Most project-makers do not consider colour as an integral part of the globaldesign process.Colour theory and teaching courses have been considered supplemental to themainstream of architectural education; for most part of the students of architectureor landscaping architecture, colour remains a matter of individual taste.People in general are very conscious of colour and texture in the built environmentand they really like variations (as some studies done in Sweden (Koller 1981;Mahnke 1993) have already showed). They are negative and critical of austere,colourless environments in our cities; also colour has psycho-therapeutic effectsthat can be utilised to meet the physiological needs of people living in crowdedenvironments.Colour is one of the basic components of the environment which influences life qualityand it can be approached from different perspectives and different disciplines.This research addresses the issue of colour in the architecture of the built environmentanalysing the behaviour of the unity which results from the straight relationship betweencolour and space(as quantity of colour): the Colour/Space Unity. The investigationshows not only the existence of this unity, but also that it is a unity of visualcommunication.In terms of allocating the findings and interpretations through a review of therelevant theory, the author uses a survey methodology - a full test response questionnaire to a wide range of members of society (to test theory) and semistructured interviews with a panel of experts(as a feasibility test of the questionnairedesign and contents). The questionnaire findings are used to test the theoreticalposition through further comments from the expert panel.The research presents as results, not only the existence and importance of thecolour/space unity, as a visual communicational one, such as the levels ofarticulation of the messages in the built environment or the contrast in the relationshipbetween qualification and quantification in colour/space language; but itdemonstrates the major importance of the colour/space unity in the architecturalproject and in the colour planning management within the built environment
Profiles, August 1977
This is the magazine of the University of Montana with news about the University for UM alumni as well as current faculty, students, staff, and administrators. This is volume 9, number 6.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/montanan/1055/thumbnail.jp
Evidence-based Education: The development of a model to use protocols and small-scale aggregated trials to create a prospective cumulative meta-analysis as an evidence base for interventions.
In education, there has been a worldwide increase in the use of evidence in education to inform policy and practice. In the USA, bodies such as the Institute of Educational Sciences’ (IES) What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), the Best Evidence Encyclopaedia (BEE) and the Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) and in the UK the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) have been established to inform education decision making. The global increase in the use of evidence in education is based on the premise that if programmes are selected on the basis of more robust evidence, using these tested interventions should increase the chance of positive outcomes if they are deployed in other schools and contexts.
The aim of this thesis is to explore evidence-based education in the literature review before proposing a new theoretical model for evidence generation, introducing the use of protocols and small-scale aggregated trials linked to a prospective cumulative meta-analysis (PCM). The application of a PCM allows replication as a way to test how likely the intervention effect sizes will translate when they are tested using large scale randomised controlled trials and also as a method to test stability and improve dissemination after the initial research. The thesis includes two primary research studies for online cross-age peer tutoring across the transition boundary between primary and secondary schools and online small group teaching. The purpose of the trials were to test the implementation of the methodology for the use of protocols and small-scale aggregated trials linked to a prospective cumulative meta-analysis (PCM). Study One focuses on online peer tutoring across the transition for primary and secondary pupils and Study Two investigates the effectiveness of online small group teaching for mathematics.
The thesis demonstrates how the use of the model can be used to increase replication in the testing phase of an intervention, using empirical evidence from the online peer tutoring trials involving data collected across three cohorts of schools in an academic year. The impact of this research will provide an alternative testing framework for deciding in future trials if the evidence is robust for the commissioning of large scale randomised controlled trials in education
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