A process-oriented language for describing aspects of reading comprehension

Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-38)The research described herein was supported in part by the National Institute of Education under Contract No. MS-NIE-C-400-76-011

Multi-modal Machine Learning in Engineering Design: A Review and Future Directions

In the rapidly advancing field of multi-modal machine learning (MMML), the convergence of multiple data modalities has the potential to reshape various applications. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the current state, advancements, and challenges of MMML within the sphere of engineering design. The review begins with a deep dive into five fundamental concepts of MMML:multi-modal information representation, fusion, alignment, translation, and co-learning. Following this, we explore the cutting-edge applications of MMML, placing a particular emphasis on tasks pertinent to engineering design, such as cross-modal synthesis, multi-modal prediction, and cross-modal information retrieval. Through this comprehensive overview, we highlight the inherent challenges in adopting MMML in engineering design, and proffer potential directions for future research. To spur on the continued evolution of MMML in engineering design, we advocate for concentrated efforts to construct extensive multi-modal design datasets, develop effective data-driven MMML techniques tailored to design applications, and enhance the scalability and interpretability of MMML models. MMML models, as the next generation of intelligent design tools, hold a promising future to impact how products are designed

When Reading Goes Digital: Conceptual and Methodological Reviews on Technology and L2 Vocabulary Learning

Existing research syntheses on technology and second language acquisition have called for further systematic investigation of the theoretical frameworks and methodologies used in research of this field. Additionally, although vocabulary has been one of the most popular areas in technology-integrated second language acquisition research, a majority of the previous studies have examined college students or other adult populations. To fill these gaps, this dissertation systematically reviewed the theoretical and methodological trends in research on technology-integrated L2 vocabulary learning for PreK-12 learners of English. A total of 60 studies published between 2008 and 2018 were selected for analysis. The types of vocabulary knowledge, affordances of technology, and major theoretical frameworks were analyzed to uncover conceptual and theoretical trends; study context, participant demographics, research design, and outcome measures were analyzed for the methodological characteristics of the selected studies. The theoretical review showed that the current research on technology-integrated L2 vocabulary learning for young learners was mostly guided by information/cognitive processing theories, social constructivism, and sociocognitive theories. However, a large body of the studies indicated a lack of direct reference to a theoretical framework, which demonstrated a need to strengthen the connections among theory, research, and practice in this field. The analysis of methodological characteristics has revealed several areas for further improvement, such as more complete reporting of the participant’s English proficiency level, consistent reporting of study duration and length of treatment, and more research in English as second language contexts

Effective interventions: 25 years outside the mainstream

25 years ago when the Durham conferences were in full swing, I presented results of investigations on language and behaviour in autism. I tentatively proposed that early language in autism might tell us about the cognitive skills of people with ASD and the behaviour might lead to greater understanding of which brain systems might be affected. In this presentation, I will update these topics and present a summary of other work I have been involved with in attempting to improve the lives of people with autism and their families. Data on three people with autism at the early stages of speech development showed an unusual pattern of learning colour and number names early. One possibility was that this skill represented a sign of weak central coherence – they only attended to one dimension. Colleagues of mine were equally puzzled so we tried to find out if my results could be replicated – they were not (see Schafer, Williams & Smith, 2014). Instead we found this pattern was also seen in Down Syndrome, but that early vocabulary in autism was associated with low Colorado Meaningfulness at least in comprehension. The Colorado Meaningfulness of a word is a measure of how many words can be associated with it and often involve extensive use of context. Our data suggest that the number of contexts in which a particular word can appear has a role in determining vocabulary in ASD which is consistent with the weak central coherence theory of autism. In the course of this work I also came across a group of young people with autism who appeared to have a written vocabulary but not a spoken one. It seems possible that print might be a medium of communication when speech is not. Repetitive behaviour in autism remains a mystery. We can use functional analysis to determine why the behaviour occurs, but a worryingly large percentage of behaviours are described as being internally driven or sensory reinforced. What does that mean in terms of brain activity – could it be system analogous to epilepsy, where brain activity becomes inappropriately synchronised? At the moment I cannot claim to have solved this problem, but if sensation is a driver then sensory interventions should make a difference. Data from a recent study will be presented to suggest that for some individuals this is the case. Social behaviour remains the key however, and it remains to be seen whether it is possible for social behaviour to be aided. One route that has potential is direct teaching of skills through drama and working with others who do not have social difficulties of the same type. The picture is complicated by changes in social skills with age and experience, but the failure of people with ASD to interact when in settings of social contact is little researched

COMPARISON OF STUDENTS WITH NON-VERBAL LEARNING DISABILITIES AND STUDENTS WITH ASPERGER SYNDROME IN SOLVING WORD ARITHMETIC PROBLEMS

This study compares the performance of students with Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities (NVLD) and students with Asperger Syndrome (AS) in Solving Arithmetic Problems (SAP). The participants were 15 students with NVLD and 12 students with AS, who were asked to solve 15 word problems of various arithmetic operations. The results showed that both groups faced significant difficulties in SAP. Difficulties have appeared in all phases of the SAP. More intense difficulties appeared in the phase of forming the necessary coherent mental representation of the problem, which is the prerequisite for the activation of cognitive schemata and the choice of the appropriate arithmetic operation. The two groups showed more similarities than differences. Results are discussed in terms of the methodological choices for their instructional support.  Article visualizations

A COGNITIVE APPROACH TO BENACERRAF’S DILEMMA

One of the important challenges in the philosophy of mathematics is to account for the se­ mantics of sentences that express mathematical propositions while simultaneously explaining our access to their contents. This is Benacerraf’s Dilemma. In this dissertation, I argue that cognitive science furnishes new tools by means of which we can make progress on this problem. The foundation of the solution, I argue, must be an ontologically realist, albeit non-platonist, conception of mathematical reality. The semantic portion of the problem can be addressed by accepting a Chomskyan conception of natural languages and a matching internalist, mentalist and nativist view of semantics. A helpful perspective on the epistemic aspect of the puzzle can be gained by translating Kurt Godel’s neo-Kantian conception of the nature of mathematics and its objects into modern, cognitive term

Writing Development in Struggling Learners

In Writing Development in Struggling Learners, international researchers provide insights into the development of writing skills from early writing and spelling development through to composition, the reasons individuals struggle to acquire proficient writing skills and how to help these learners.; Readership: Academic libraries, graduate students; post-graduate researchers; literacy researchers; educated lay persons; literacy specialists; primary/secondary educators