The Role of Landscapes and Landmarks in Bee Navigation: A Review.

The ability of animals to explore landmarks in their environment is essential to their fitness. Landmarks are widely recognized to play a key role in navigation by providing information in multiple sensory modalities. However, what is a landmark? We propose that animals use a hierarchy of information based upon its utility and salience when an animal is in a given motivational state. Focusing on honeybees, we suggest that foragers choose landmarks based upon their relative uniqueness, conspicuousness, stability, and context. We also propose that it is useful to distinguish between landmarks that provide sensory input that changes ("near") or does not change ("far") as the receiver uses these landmarks to navigate. However, we recognize that this distinction occurs on a continuum and is not a clear-cut dichotomy. We review the rich literature on landmarks, focusing on recent studies that have illuminated our understanding of the kinds of information that bees use, how they use it, potential mechanisms, and future research directions

Introduction: The nexus of multimodality, multimodal literacy, and English language teaching in research and practice in higher education settings

The aims of this Special Issue are to (1) advance the current state of research-based knowledge about how multimodal and multimedia resources can be leveraged to enhance multimodal communication practices in English language teaching in higher education, and (2) to provide a platform for original research-based practical applications that incorporate innovative multisemiotic resources and techniques, thereby offering new perspectives on the benefits of the multimodal approach when teaching English for both general and specific purposes at the university level. In the following section, we discuss the role of multimodal literacy in the context of enhancing language proficiency as the underlying objective of English language practitioners

Design techniques to enhance e-Learning strategies for primary science: the case study of EDUciencias smartbook

Esta disertación trata sobre cómo mejorar con técnicas de diseño los aprendizajes en ambientes de e-learning, particularmente para ciencias naturales en niños de edad escolar. Para ello se hace una revisión bibliográfica de sobre como aprendemos, sobre las recomendaciones para mejorar la instrucción de las ciencias de la educación (las ciencias cognitivas, comportacionales y la psicología) y la bibliografía de diseño, sintetizando qué técnicas de diseño apoyan a las recomendaciones de las ciencias de la educación. Se encontró que: la instrucción en eLearning es multimodal, que el objetivo de las ciencias de la educación es similar al diseño de información y que las técnicas de diseño pueden ser aplicadas a distintos niveles (micro, macro y meta nivel) educación. Como caso de estudio se tomaron los smartbooks uruguayos: EDUciencas. Este estudio recomienda utilizar el conocimiento generado por las ciencias de la educación para diseñar efectivamente productos de eLearning.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e InnovaciónChevening FC

Multimodal Human-Machine Interface For Haptic-Controlled Excavators

The goal of this research is to develop a human-excavator interface for the hapticcontrolled excavator that makes use of the multiple human sensing modalities (visual, auditory haptic), and efficiently integrates these modalities to ensure intuitive, efficient interface that is easy to learn and use, and is responsive to operator commands. Two empirical studies were conducted to investigate conflict in the haptic-controlled excavator interface and identify the level of force feedback for best operator performance

The Internet explosion, digital media principles and implications to communicate effectively in the digital space

© 2018, © The Author(s) 2018. Being literate has traditionally meant being able to read and write using the media of the day. In the 21st century, being literate requires additional skills such as competence with digital media creation. Until recently, those who could afford and use equipment and applications to produce digital media content were typically developers and technicians. With the development of prosumer electronics, in conjunction with the use of mobile devices and tablets, a shift has occurred in the accessibility of these tools, becoming more affordable for the general population. Video sharing services, social software and Web 2.0 applications have made it possible to host a digital media ecosystem on the Internet, and this has led to the proliferation of User-Generated Content. These technological advances have changed how we communicate, socialise and learn. Effective communication using digital media is underpinned by a set of design principles which most students are not likely to be aware. This paper built on two previous papers on the Digital Media Literacy Framework and the Taxonomy of Digital Media types for teaching and learning. It argues the importance of digital media principles to develop effective communication in the digital space. Students now require knowledge of these principles, in conjunction with conceptual and functional skills, for effective communication in the digital space