New Technology in Education as Viewed through the Utopic and Dystopic Worlds of Science Fiction

The use of educational technology has become a focus of reform efforts designed to enrich student learning. Proponents of technology view it as the panacea of education while others ask us to question this myth-information. Throughout America, school districts are designating millions of dollars for technology. Nevertheless, while there are schools with desirable infrastructures, too many schools are ill equipped for enhancing learning through technology. In addition, many classrooms house computers used to merely advance traditional teaching modes, e.g., drill and practice, rather than teach the importance of social responsibility for humankind and the environment through our use of technology. This study is designed to analyze the reasons for the continued existence of challenges to the integration of educational technologies through the lens of science fiction literature and film. Metaphorically, participants link science fiction plots and characters to their orientations to technology, to present experiences with technology in the field of education, to their future expectations of technological advancements, and to the need to reconceptualize our understanding of technology as a mere tool. It is this association with the worlds of science fiction that provides educators and policy makers with an understanding of ourselves in relation to others and technology. Research into teachers\u27 attitude towards technology integration can provide relevant information regarding solutions to the persistent challenges facing the adoption of technology in education. Participants\u27 personal stories and their metaphorical analysis of science fiction indicate that educators\u27 orientation to technology, self-efficacy, perceptions of technology, technology resources, and training and support are predictors of technology integration. In addition, educators\u27 involvement in the planning stages of technology programs and their accountability for high-stakes testing are also significant factors. Conclusions derived from the findings suggest that those involved in technology reform efforts in education need to address educators\u27 concerns for inclusion in the design, development, and implementation of plans for the integration of technology in classroom instruction

Surveying trends in analogy-inspired product innovation

Analogies play a well-noted role in innovative design. Analogical reasoning is central to the practices of design-by-analogy and bio-inspired design. In both, analogies are used to derive abstracted principles from prior examples to generate new design solutions. While numerous laboratory and classroom studies of analogy usage have been published, relatively few studies have systematically examined real-world design-by-analogy to describe its characteristics and impacts. To better teach design-by-analogy and develop support tools for engineers, specific insights are needed regarding, for example, what types of product advantages are gained through design-by-analogy and how different design process characteristics influence its outcomes. This research comprises two empirical product studies which investigate analogical inspiration in real-world design to inform the development of new analogy methods and tools. The first, an exploratory pilot study of 57 analogy-inspired products, introduces the product study method and applies several categorical variables to classify product examples. These variables measure aspects such as the composition of the design team, the driving approach to analogical reasoning, and the achieved benefits of using the analogy-inspired concept. The full scale study of 70 analogy-inspired products uses formal collection and screening methods and a refined set of classification variables to analyze examples. It adopts a cross-sectional approach, using statistical tests of association to detect relationships among variables. Combined, these surveys of real-world analogy-inspired innovation inform the development of analogy tools and provide a general account of distant analogy usage across engineering disciplines. The cross-sectional product study method demonstrated in this work introduces a valuable tool for investigating factors and impacts of real-world analogy usage in design.M.S

AI and Gender: Four Proposals for Future Research

This report outlines four of the weightiest challenges to gender equality presented by recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI). In tandem, it outlines four research proposals which would effectively tackle these issues. These four research proposals are the direct result of the ‘AI and Gender’ workshop held by the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence on 20th February 2019. This was convened with the Ada Lovelace Institute, and supported by PwC. In particular, this report draws on the final activity of the day, the collective intelligence activity. During this activity, participants were invited to identify areas and methods for future research. The report develops and augments the ideas shared during this exercise by drawing on content from the workshop presentations, questions, and discussions, as well as from a broad range of wider literature and research.We are grateful to the Ada Lovelace Institute which provided sponsorship for the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence ‘AI and Gender’ workshop. The Ada Lovelace Institute is an independent research and deliberative body – established by the Nuffield Foundation – with a mission to ensure data and AI work for people and society. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Ada Lovelace Institute or the Nuffield Foundation. We are grateful to PwC, who also generously supported the Leverhulme Centre for Future of Intelligence ‘AI and Gender’ workshop. The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence is grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for their generous support. Research Centre Grant No. RC-2015-06

KINE[SIS]TEM'17 From Nature to Architectural Matter

Kine[SiS]tem – From Kinesis + System. Kinesis is a non-linear movement or activity of an organism in response to a stimulus. A system is a set of interacting and interdependent agents forming a complex whole, delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, influenced by its environment. How can architectural systems moderate the external environment to enhance comfort conditions in a simple, sustainable and smart way? This is the starting question for the Kine[SiS]tem’17 – From Nature to Architectural Matter International Conference. For decades, architectural design was developed despite (and not with) the climate, based on mechanical heating and cooling. Today, the argument for net zero energy buildings needs very effective strategies to reduce energy requirements. The challenge ahead requires design processes that are built upon consolidated knowledge, make use of advanced technologies and are inspired by nature. These design processes should lead to responsive smart systems that deliver the best performance in each specific design scenario. To control solar radiation is one key factor in low-energy thermal comfort. Computational-controlled sensor-based kinetic surfaces are one of the possible answers to control solar energy in an effective way, within the scope of contradictory objectives throughout the year.FC

KEER2022

Avanttítol: KEER2022. DiversitiesDescripció del recurs: 25 juliol 202