Four not six: revealing culturally common facial expressions of emotion

As a highly social species, humans generate complex facial expressions to communicate a diverse range of emotions. Since Darwin’s work, identifying amongst these complex patterns which are common across cultures and which are culture-specific has remained a central question in psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and more recently machine vision and social robotics. Classic approaches to addressing this question typically tested the cross-cultural recognition of theoretically motivated facial expressions representing six emotions, and reported universality. Yet, variable recognition accuracy across cultures suggests a narrower cross-cultural communication, supported by sets of simpler expressive patterns embedded in more complex facial expressions. We explore this hypothesis by modelling the facial expressions of over 60 emotions across two cultures, and segregating out the latent expressive patterns. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we first map the conceptual organization of a broad spectrum of emotion words by building semantic networks in two cultures. For each emotion word in each culture, we then model and validate its corresponding dynamic facial expression, producing over 60 culturally valid facial expression models. We then apply to the pooled models a multivariate data reduction technique, revealing four latent and culturally common facial expression patterns that each communicates specific combinations of valence, arousal and dominance. We then reveal the face movements that accentuate each latent expressive pattern to create complex facial expressions. Our data questions the widely held view that six facial expression patterns are universal, instead suggesting four latent expressive patterns with direct implications for emotion communication, social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and social robotics

Comparing inductive and deductive methodologies for design patterns identification and articulation

Design patterns offer a valuable format to communicate knowledge of successful design solutions to recurring problems. However, there is a lack of research into design patterns that differentiate the applicability of the proposed design solutions across different nations. This paper discusses inductive and deductive methodologies for analyzing qualitative data in order to identify and articulate design patterns for cross-cultural computer-supported collaborative design learning. It proposes a methodology how patterns for facilitating intercultural design education can be identified and articulated. Within this research, an inductive, deductive and comparative methodology for identifying and articulating design patterns was developed. Therein, eleven patterns for intercultural computer-supported collaboration were identified and written. This paper introduces the proposed methodology taking the design pattern “MOOD OF THE MOMENT” for example

Functional Skills Support Programme: Developing functional skills in art and design

This booklet is part of "... a series of 11 booklets which helps schools to implement functional skills across the curriculum. The booklets illustrate how functional skills can be applied and developed in different subjects and contexts, supporting achievement at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Each booklet contains an introduction to functional skills for subject teachers, three practical planning examples with links to related websites and resources, a process for planning and a list of additional resources to support the teaching and learning of functional skills." - The National Strategies website

Managing educational leadership and online teaching in a diverse technological society

This paper consisted of an overview of leadership and its definition and\ud a discussion of who and what surrounds the leader in a diverse society of everchanging technology as he/she make decisions that impact the students, teachers\ud and staff of school districts and other educational institutions. The discussion\ud supported the notion espoused by Thomas Freeman that the world is indeed truly\ud flat and getting smaller through instant communication. Leaders interested in\ud applying the best practices in communicating are now able to utilize the internet in\ud ways that can save time, energy and money. Selected technology and best\ud practices from various disciplines were outlined as examples of how leaders can\ud bring about positive change and focus on cutting edge techniques for classroom\ud and business applications. Methods were discussed in the use of an analysis of a\ud business or corporation, to the use of bringing experts to students, university\ud professors, managers and chief executive officers via the internet and other\ud electronic devices. The author included several examples of best practices for use\ud with the adult or P-12 learners in the classroom, or managers of a Fortune 500\ud organization. Examples of how to conduct live, online international connections\ud were presented in detail. Key concepts such as defining leadership, who controls\ud leaders, and the managing leadership in a diverse society as contradiction were\ud discussed

Some Thoughts on Terminology and Discipline in Design

In this speculative paper, I will argue that the design community should attempt to develop a “dictionary” of the language of design, along the same lines as the Oxford English Dictionary was and is developed: as a catalogue of the living use of terms. I will sketch an outline of how such a project could be started quite easily with modern technologies. I will then consider one word in particular – “discipline” – as an example of the need for such a dictionary, by examining the various senses of the word and how even just reflecting on that can illuminate issues of clear communications. Keywords: Terminology; Lexicography; Semantics; Dictionary; Communication; Language.</p