18,642 research outputs found
A zero-cost, real-time, Windows signal laboratory
This paper introduces a Windows-based signal capture, display, and waveform synthesis package called âWin-eLabâ. The software is able to run on a conventional desktop or laptop with no additional hardware, and can perform real-time Fourier analysis on audio-frequency signals. This paper is intended as an introduction to Win-eLab, aimed at motivating further use of it in both teaching and self-directed learning contexts. The use of the software to familiarize students with the concept of âlaboratoryâ instrumentation is discussed, as well as the usefulness of a simultaneous time-domain/frequency-domain display for understanding signals, particularly in signal processing and communications systems courses. It is anticipated that applications may extend beyond electrical & electronic engineering â for example, as an aid to understanding mechanical vibrations, acoustics, and in other discipline areas
Chapter 1 : Learning Online
The OTiS (Online Teaching in Scotland) programme, run by the now defunct Scotcit programme, ran an International e-Workshop on Developing Online Tutoring Skills which was held between 8â12 May 2000. It was organised by HeriotâWatt University, Edinburgh and The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK. Out of this workshop came the seminal Online Tutoring E-Book, a generic primer on e-learning pedagogy and methodology, full of practical implementation guidelines. Although the Scotcit programme ended some years ago, the E-Book has been copied to the SONET site as a series of PDF files, which are now available via the ALT Open Access Repository. The editor, Carol Higgison, is currently working in e-learning at the University of Bradford (see her staff profile) and is the Chair of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT)
Acumen: An interactive multimedia simulation based on situated learning theory
This paper describes the development and evaluation of a multimedia simulation for teaching research skills to business students. Graphics, sound and video are used to create semi- realistic ' microworlds' which students explore in order to solve a relatively unstructured problem, a process quite different to learning from textbooks, lectures or videos. One advantage of microworlds is that students construct meaning by actively and selectively working through a variety of information sources, a process which mimics real-world learning and enhances higher- order learning outcomes. We describe the theoretical principles used in designing the simulation, particularly situated learning theory which claims a number of advantages for teaching that is 'situated' in the context of real world problems. There is also evidence that the 'immersive' quality of microworlds may be more motivating than other teaching/ learning modes, at least to some students. As the technology for creating media- rich simulations is still new, we discuss the issue of how realistic simulations should be. Our multimedia package can be related to a long tradition of teaching methods in business that attempt to put theoretical principles into life-like contexts, via case studies, experiential learning, internships, or real-world projects. The advantages and disadvantages of computer microworlds over such methods are explored
E-Learning as a Cultural Artifact. An empirical study of Iranian Virtual Institutions
Choice, design and use of technology in education settings can be dependent on culturally embedded norms, i.e., assumptions about the nature of knowledge, ways of communications, kinds of teaching and learning strategies\ud
and methods, etc. By discussing the culturally inscribed norms in this article, it is argued that on the design and use of e-learning in the perspective of globalization it is critically important to recognize, understand and thus take into account the cultural situatedness. Drawing on the literature, we present a model of culturalpedagogical paradigms in higher education in general and e-learning in particular. We use this model to explore cultural-pedagogical orientations in Iranian Virtual Institutions as an instance of a developing country. This is done in a comparative perspective, looking for similarities of the teacherâs and learnerâs points of view
Designing and evaluating mobile multimedia user experiences in public urban places: Making sense of the field
The majority of the worldâs population now lives in cities (United Nations, 2008) resulting in an urban densification requiring people to live in closer proximity and share urban infrastructure such as streets, public transport, and parks within cities. However, âphysical closeness does not mean social closenessâ (Wellman, 2001, p. 234). Whereas it is a common practice to greet and chat with people you cross paths with in smaller villages, urban life is mainly anonymous and does not automatically come with a sense of community per se. Wellman (2001, p. 228) defines community âas networks of interpersonal ties that provide sociability, support, information, a sense of belonging and social identity.â While on the move or during leisure time, urban dwellers use their interactive information communication technology (ICT) devices to connect to their spatially distributed community while in an anonymous space. Putnam (1995) argues that available technology privatises and individualises the leisure time of urban dwellers. Furthermore, ICT is sometimes used to build a âcocoonâ while in public to avoid direct contact with collocated people (Mainwaring et al., 2005; Bassoli et al., 2007; Crawford, 2008). Instead of using ICT devices to seclude oneself from the surrounding urban environment and the collocated people within, such devices could also be utilised to engage urban dwellers more with the urban environment and the urban dwellers within. Urban sociologists found that âwhat attracts people most, it would appear, is other peopleâ (Whyte, 1980, p. 19) and âpeople and human activity are the greatest object of attention and interestâ (Gehl, 1987, p. 31). On the other hand, sociologist Erving Goffman describes the concept of civil inattention, acknowledging strangersâ presence while in public but not interacting with them (Goffman, 1966). With this in mind, it appears that there is a contradiction between how people are using ICT in urban public places and for what reasons and how people use public urban places and how they behave and react to other collocated people. On the other hand there is an opportunity to employ ICT to create and influence experiences of people collocated in public urban places. The widespread use of location aware mobile devices equipped with Internet access is creating networked localities, a digital layer of geo-coded information on top of the physical world (Gordon & de Souza e Silva, 2011). Foursquare.com is an example of a location based 118 Mobile Multimedia â User and Technology Perspectives social network (LBSN) that enables urban dwellers to virtually check-in into places at which they are physically present in an urban space. Users compete over âmayorshipsâ of places with Foursquare friends as well as strangers and can share recommendations about the space. The research field of Urban Informatics is interested in these kinds of digital urban multimedia augmentations and how such augmentations, mediated through technology, can create or influence the UX of public urban places. âUrban informatics is the study, design, and practice of urban experiences across different urban contexts that are created by new opportunities of real-time, ubiquitous technology and the augmentation that mediates the physical and digital layers of people networks and urban infrastructuresâ (Foth et al., 2011, p. 4). One possibility to augment the urban space is to enable citizens to digitally interact with spaces and urban dwellers collocated in the past, present, and future. âAdding digital layer to the existing physical and social layers could facilitate new forms of interaction that reshape urban lifeâ (Kjeldskov & Paay, 2006, p. 60). This methodological chapter investigates how the design of UX through such digital placebased mobile multimedia augmentations can be guided and evaluated. First, we describe three different applications that aim to create and influence the urban UX through mobile mediated interactions. Based on a review of literature, we describe how our integrated framework for designing and evaluating urban informatics experiences has been constructed. We conclude the chapter with a reflective discussion on the proposed framework
What do faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences think about, and how do they approach, brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran?
Objective: to investigate the perspectives and experiences of the faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences regarding brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran. Methods: 17 faculties from 5 universities were selected by purposive sampling (2018). In-depth semi-structured interviews with directed content analysis were used. Results: 31 sub-subcategories, 10 subcategories, and 4 categories were formed according to the âGeneral teaching modelâ. âMentorshipâ was a newly added category. Conclusions: A neuro-educational approach that consider the roles of the learnerâs brain uniqueness, executive function facilitation, and the valence system are important to learning. Such learning can be facilitated through cognitive load considerations, repetition, deep questioning, visualization, feedback, and reflection. The contextualized, problem-oriented, social, multi-sensory, experiential, spaced learning, and brain-friendly evaluation must be considered. Mentorship is important for coaching and emotional facilitation
Life editing: Third-party perspectives on lifelog content
Lifelog collections digitally capture and preserve personal experiences and can be mined to reveal insights and understandings of individual significance. These rich data sources also offer opportunities for learning and discovery by motivated third parties. We employ a custom-designed storytelling application in constructing meaningful lifelog summaries from third-party perspectives. This storytelling initiative was implemented as a core component in a university media-editing course. We present promising
results from a preliminary study conducted to evaluate the
utility and potential of our approach in creatively
interpreting a unique experiential dataset
Experiential Learning Based Discussion vs. Lecture Based Discussion: How to Estimate the Unemployment Rate
This pedagogical method to estimate the unemployment rate is appropriate for an undergraduate course in macroeconomics. Class instructors can use the experiment to make many macroeconomic principles readily apparent to the unskilled reader. This experiment examines the dynamics of calculating the unemployment rate by means of an assessment instrument. Students can learn that the unemployment rate is calculated using estimates of the size of the labor force, which includes individuals who are both employed and unemployed. In addition, they discover that their estimated unemployment rate agrees with the estimates made by leading economic indices. Thus, by participating in the experiment, students better understand how to calculate the unemployment rate and how to understand published unemployment estimates.economic experiment, unemployment rate
Marketing a memory of the world: Magna Carta and the experiential servicescape
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to analyse visitor perceptions of the Lincoln Magna Carta exhibition in the context of an experiential servicescape perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Data comes from a questionnaire carried out with visitors to the Magna Carta exhibition in Lincoln Castle, UK. The approach was framed by the student as producer perspective, that is about re-engineering the relationship between academics and undergraduate students.
Findings
Three main problems exist in terms of the servicescape. These are guidance signage, the small, dark inauspicious surroundings of the exhibition itself and the level of visitor interactivity present.
Research limitations/implications
This is only a small scale project of one Magna Carta exhibition. Research with more visitors would help to further validate the findings and conclusions of this paper and also assist in other representations of the document in other sites.
Practical implications
Suggestions are made for improvement to a number of experiential servicescape elements. These improved representations also need to be planned for adequately in the new staging of the document, when Lincoln Castle receives planned additional funds from the Heritage Lottery.
Social implications
This paper draws our attention to the fact that The Magna Carta is a shared part of a global cultural identity, where the marketing of the document represents a great privilege.
Originality/value
The experiential servicescape framework is used in an original way to critique aspects of the current exhibition and to propose new ideas for representing the Magna Carta. This paper is based on original data that makes a novel contribution to the debate regarding research and learning in higher education
Beyond `Further': Collaboration, Community and Compassion in the Digital Age
In this paper, I outline specific approaches that may be taken to bring the Composition classroom into the digital, collaborative present, and close by questioning what further practices might be explored to more deeply mine the rich soil of this mandatory Humanities course. The first approach takes its cue from Jeff Rice's fine article The 1963 Hip-Hop Machine, and explores ways in which students might begin the process of critical data synthesis (sampling), to ultimately create a deeply intertextual final product. The skills introduced through the utilization of Rice's sampling techniques are compounded by the construction of a collaborative product; another layer is added to this matrix as assessment tactics become an additional site to further develop collaboration in an effort to transform the classroom into a Freirian community of learners. The dual approach suggested will ideally result in a student who is not only better equipped to navigate an increasingly digitized reality, but also more able to work in collaboration with his or her peers. The thesis thus concludes with an exploration of notions of collaboration, community, and compassion. While the intertext assignment illuminates the connections inherent to dialogic discourse, and the collaborative online project strengthens peer-to-peer relationships, is it also tenable to imagine a digital pedagogical practice that fosters connectivity and collaboration with the student's literal community: with the `real' world around them. The thesis ultimately argues that the Composition classroom might be revised as a site where students learn the critical skill-sets relevant to the digital era and their professional futures, as well as a deeper understanding of social inter-dependence and connectivity (what Mo Tse deemed in the fifth century BCE jian ai: concern for all)
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