Stereotomy, Sustainable Construction and Didactics. Case study: a new Museum for Matera, European Capital of Culture 2019

The paper describes the students’ works, which included posters and physical models, were the partial outcomes of the current 3rd year design studio, led by Prof Giuseppe Fallacara and taught with the support of Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella, both Ph.D. students at the Polytechnic of Bari. The text illustrate an experimental teaching/learning approach which Giuseppe tested during the design studio. This approach was inspired by the concepts of ‘Experiential Learning’ and ‘Flipped Classroom’, consisting in a series of “cooperative classes”, where tutors and students interacted and discussed in an absolute spirit of intellectual equality. The goal was to simulate the activity of a large architecture practice, involved in the design of a public building, which generally requires the contribution of a large number of architects and designers. The students were given a brief for a new museum and multipurpose centre in Matera, Italy, which was recently nominated European Capital of Culture 2019. They had to deliver a design proposal, a rapid prototyped model and a short video

Motivating Parents of Kids with Asthma to Quit Smoking: The Effect of the Teachable Moment and Increasing Intervention Intensity Using a Longitudinal Randomized Trial Design

Aims—We tested two aims: 1) The Teachable Moment (TM): whether second hand smoke exposure (SHSe) feedback motivates cessation in parents of children with asthma vs. parents of healthy children (HC) and 2) whether greater intervention intensity (Enhanced-PAM) produces greater cessation than a previously tested intervention (Precaution Adoption Model; PAM). Design and interventions—Aim 1: Two home visits (asthma education or child wellness), and cessation induction using Motivational Interviewing and SHSe feedback. Aim 2: Post home-visits, parents with asthmatic children were randomized to PAM (n=171; 6 asthma education calls) or Enhanced-PAM (n=170; 6 asthma education/smoking cessation calls + repeat SHSe feedback). Setting—Rhode Island USA. Participants—Parents of asthmatic (n=341) or healthy (n=219) children who did not have to want to quit smoking to enroll. Measurements—were given at baseline, 2, 4, 6 and 12 months. Abstinence was bioverified. Outcomes were 7-day and 30-day ppa, and SHSe (primary) and asthma morbidity (secondary). Findings—Aim 1: The TM was supported: parents of asthmatic children were more than twice as likely to achieve 30-day (OR=2.60, 95% CI = 1.22–5.54) and 7-day ppa (OR=2.26, 95% CI=1.13– 4.51) at 2 months (primary endpoint) and have non-detectable levels of SHSe than HCs. Greater treatment intensity yielded stronger TM effects (OR=3.60; 95% CI= 1.72–7.55). Aim 2: Enhanced-PAM was more likely to achieve 30-day ppa at the primary endpoint, 4-months (OR=2.12, 95% CI 1.09–4.12) and improved asthma outcomes vs. PAM. Conclusions—Smoking cessation interventions (Motivational Interviewing + biomarker feedback) appear to motivate smoking cessation more strongly among parents of asthmatic children than among parents of healthy children. Increased intervention intensity yields greater smoking cessation among parents of asthmatic children and better asthma outcomes

Photogrammetric Survey for a Fast Construction of Synthetic Dataset

In this work we show how Physically Based Rendering (PBR) tools can be used to extend the training image datasets of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms for the recognition of built heritage. In the field of heritage valorization, the combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) has allowed to recognize built heritage elements with mobile devices, anchoring digital products to the physical environment in real time, thus making the access to information related to real space more intuitive and effective. However, the availability of training data required for these systems is extremely limited and a large–scale image dataset is required to achieve accurate results in image recognition. Manually collecting and annotating images can be very resource and time–consuming. In this contribution we explore the use of PBR tools as a viable alternative to supplement an otherwise inadequate dataset

Exhibition design + contemporary encounters

This research is practice-based and explores the role of exhibition designer, the parameters of exhibition design and the exhibition design techniques that affect the experience of art in an institutional setting. Investigating the design methodology of current standard institutional practice in contemporary art display and audience engagement, techniques and strategies are researched, tested and developed to activate gallery space as medium. The research investigates techniques that can be constructed and implemented in exhibition design that provide engaging experiences for the viewer that are manifold in an institutional context

Social Representations of Deafness and Psychological Suffering in Parents of Deaf Children

The core problematic of the present study is the relationship between the deaf child and the hearing parents The objectives of the study are to describe the social representations of deafness and psychological suffering among parents of deaf children and to establish the link between their suffering and these social representations It is a cross-sectional study conducted from August 15 2011 to January 16 2012 in the ENT department Oto-Rhino Laryngology of the CHU Teaching hospital Sylvanus Olympio and at the school for the deaf EPHATA in Lom A sample of 127 participants was obtained using the all-comers method The data were collected using the semi-structured interview The results show that the psychological suffering of parents of deaf children is presented on three sphere

Teaching Complex and Controversial Issues: Importance of In-Situ Experiences in Changing Perceptions of Global Challenges

Engaging people with controversial and emotive issues that are inherently complex is challenging, especially when those issues are multifaceted or multidisciplinary, span environmental, economic, social, and political contexts, are global in scope, or where circumstances and implications differ spatially. Teaching such issues requires teachers and learners to navigate a challenging landscape of nuance and conflicting perspectives; immersive place-based learning might facilitate more meaningful exploration of such issues, but this has not previously been studied. In a multi-institution international study, we surveyed 164 participants (12 groups; 9 institutions) before and after an immersive fieldtrip in South Africa to assess perceptions on contentious issues. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed that participants had statistically significant opinion shifts for 17 of 18 statements, including those where change was likely due to improved knowledge or indicative of deeper attitude shifts. Generalised Linear Modelling revealed that propensity for opinion shifts was not influenced by demographics (age, gender), location (country of origin) or trip type (formal or informal). We conclude that in an increasingly complex world, context relevant immersive experiences that facilitate deep learning by providing opportunities to explore contentious issues in situ are an ever-more valuable tool, not just for attainment but also for developing personal perspectives and as a catalyst for societal transitions

Andragogical listening in business education in Zimbabwe : a study in tertiary didactics

Listening for learning during lectures has been established to be a staged process. Listening's role during didactic andragogical events in the Bulawayo Polyte9hnic Business Studies Department's Business Communication lectures was investigated. Both the qualitative and the quantitative data gathered contributed to a statistical groundstructure and an ethnomethodological outline, which together combined into a balanced description of the listened learning .p rocess in that tertiary learning environment. Data sources included student and lecturer responses as well as observed learning during communicativeness skills development, and whilst learning in lectures and tutorials. The related literature was supported by the study's findings, confirming that individuals perceive, interpret and evaluate information directly in accordancewith their own lifeworld. This includes own learned technique which derives from inherent oral or literate culture base as well as from personal cameral preferences and endowments. The consequent individually different listened learning range constitutes a conventional normal dispersion.Educational StudiesM. Ed. (Didactics