Natural Language Does Not Emerge 'Naturally' in Multi-Agent Dialog

A number of recent works have proposed techniques for end-to-end learning of communication protocols among cooperative multi-agent populations, and have simultaneously found the emergence of grounded human-interpretable language in the protocols developed by the agents, all learned without any human supervision! In this paper, using a Task and Tell reference game between two agents as a testbed, we present a sequence of 'negative' results culminating in a 'positive' one -- showing that while most agent-invented languages are effective (i.e. achieve near-perfect task rewards), they are decidedly not interpretable or compositional. In essence, we find that natural language does not emerge 'naturally', despite the semblance of ease of natural-language-emergence that one may gather from recent literature. We discuss how it is possible to coax the invented languages to become more and more human-like and compositional by increasing restrictions on how two agents may communicate.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, accepted at EMNLP 2017 as short pape

Genuinely Distributed Byzantine Machine Learning

Machine Learning (ML) solutions are nowadays distributed, according to the so-called server/worker architecture. One server holds the model parameters while several workers train the model. Clearly, such architecture is prone to various types of component failures, which can be all encompassed within the spectrum of a Byzantine behavior. Several approaches have been proposed recently to tolerate Byzantine workers. Yet all require trusting a central parameter server. We initiate in this paper the study of the ``general'' Byzantine-resilient distributed machine learning problem where no individual component is trusted. We show that this problem can be solved in an asynchronous system, despite the presence of $\frac{1}{3}$ Byzantine parameter servers and $\frac{1}{3}$ Byzantine workers (which is optimal). We present a new algorithm, ByzSGD, which solves the general Byzantine-resilient distributed machine learning problem by relying on three major schemes. The first, Scatter/Gather, is a communication scheme whose goal is to bound the maximum drift among models on correct servers. The second, Distributed Median Contraction (DMC), leverages the geometric properties of the median in high dimensional spaces to bring parameters within the correct servers back close to each other, ensuring learning convergence. The third, Minimum-Diameter Averaging (MDA), is a statistically-robust gradient aggregation rule whose goal is to tolerate Byzantine workers. MDA requires loose bound on the variance of non-Byzantine gradient estimates, compared to existing alternatives (e.g., Krum). Interestingly, ByzSGD ensures Byzantine resilience without adding communication rounds (on a normal path), compared to vanilla non-Byzantine alternatives. ByzSGD requires, however, a larger number of messages which, we show, can be reduced if we assume synchrony.Comment: This is a merge of arXiv:1905.03853 and arXiv:1911.07537; arXiv:1911.07537 will be retracte

The impact of digital in learning spaces: an analysis on the perspective of teachers in higher education

Abstract: The generalized use of Communication Networks and Information Technologies is nowadays a global phenomenon. It has multiple impacts on how to teach/learn and on the contexts in which this process takes place (the Learning Environments). These areas include Physical Learning places, Virtual Learning sites, Collaborative Learning Spaces, among others. These proposals provide new scenarios for the teaching/learning process, but their outlines are not well defined yet. A Learning Space requires a complex set of materials and human resources. Further and con- tinued research is significant and justified by the relevance of Higher Education Institutions.The overall objective of the present research is to understand the perceptions of the Professors in their Learning Environments. In this context it has been considered relevant to gather opinions on the needs/priorities, utility, quality and sustainability, as a result of the use of Information and Com- munication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching/learning spaces.Authors: Pedro Silva, Escola Superior de Tecnologias de Castelo Branco, Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, PortugalLuis Borges Gouveia, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2013CopyrightMaterial published as part of this publication, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the Informing Science Institute. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. It is per- missible to abstract these works so long as credit is given. To copy in all other cases or to republish or to post on a server or to redistribute to lists requires specific permission and payment of a fee. Contact [email protected] to request redistribution permission

Strategi Pemecahan Masalah Learning Loss pada Peserta Didik Setelah Pandemi COVID-19 di SMA Negeri 5 Kupang

This study aimed to find out the strategy of problem-solving conducted at SMA Negeri 5 Kupang. This research uses qualitative methods. The subjects in this study were students at SMA Negeri 5 Kupang. Data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis techniques used data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results of this research show that the strategy for solving the problem of learning loss among students after the COVID-19 pandemic at SMA Negeri 5 is that teachers can use methods that can be applied without having to gather and have physical contact, such as inquiry methods, case studies, problem-solving, recitation, and so on. By interacting a lot, it is hoped that it can help strengthen students' communication skills and create emotional closeness between fellow students and the teacher

Communication in educational leadership in Canada: a qualitative case study

Communication plays a vital role in the success of any organization, including institutions of higher learning. Ineffective communication can hinder the growth of institutions and organizations. The sender of an information must ensure the receiver gets the information without distortion. The communication process is incomplete without feedback. Administrators in higher learning institutions must communicate effectively if they want to achieve their goals and objectives. Though communication can be said to be synonymous with effective leadership, the literature reveals little research on this topic in a university setting. This study examined the communication process between senior administrators and faculty members in one university in Ontario Canada. Semi structured interviews were used to gather data from senior administrators and faculty members. Findings revealed channels of communication used and preferred by both administrators and faculty. Some of these channels included emails and face to face interactions. Though email was the most used channel of communication in this case study, both participants preferred face to face interactions such as meetings. This was preferred because it allows communicators to give live feedback interpreted through body language and facial expressions

Supplementary guidance for schools on inspecting skills, September 2010

This guidance is intended to support the key tasks of inspectors in making judgements regarding: whether all pupils have the communication, numeracy and ICT skills needed to access the whole curriculum; and how well the wider curriculum itself develops pupils’ skills