Gesture as a Window to Justification and Proof

The role of the body, particularly gesture, in supporting mathematical reasoning is an emerging area of research in mathematics education. In the present study, we examine undergraduate students providing a justification for a task about a system of alternating gears, which involves concepts of number relating to even/odd patterns. Some participants were directed to perform gestures relevant to alternation and parity before attempting their justification, while others were not. Although these directed actions did not seem to influence the gestures participants used to solve the problem, we found an important relationship between gesture and mathematical reasoning. In particular, certain types of gestures during problem solving were associated with valid justifications. This research provides insight into the link between action and mathematical reasoning, and has implications for supporting students’ proof activities

New Multiphase CP and DP 1000 MPa strength level grades for improved performance after hot forming

Pure martensitic steels have after hot forming limited performance in terms of rest ductility which limits the application in crash relevant parts. New steel grades were designed in the EU project HOTFORM including the corresponding process routes. These steel grades have ferritic-martensitic dual phase (DP) and martensitic-bainitic complex phase (CP) microstructures after hot forming process. The laboratory tests show an improved formability after hot forming. The basic concepts of the new alloys are explained. Furthermore, for validation of upscaling purposes a semi-industrial test is carried out and the results are discussed. The main application is for vehicle safety. This is evaluated by comparing the crash performance of these hot formed grades with cold rolled DP1000 and CP1000 for crash cans in a drop tower test.The research leading to these results was carried out in the framework of HOTFORM project with a financial grant of the Research Programme RFCS (Research Funds for Coal and Steel) under grant agreement (RFSR-CT-2015-00017)

The LTA project: Bridging the gap between training and the profession in real-time intralingual subtitling

Real-time intralingual subtitles enable access to live audiovisual products. However, the provision and the quality of such services across Europe is uneven and sometimes insufficient because live subtitlers are untrained or only partially trained and without recognized professional status. To bridge this gap, the EU-funded project Live Text Access (LTA) aims to create ad-hoc training materials and propose the recognition of certified professionals. This article first concentrates on the multifaceted and heterogeneous terminology adopted in the field. Then it provides an overview of the current situation in which live subtitlers are trained in Europe, focusing on the LTA rationale for creating open-source training materials based on certification, subtitling standards and a user-oriented approach. Finally, it reports on the progress the project has made in defining both the professional profile and the skills and competences of the intralingual real-time subtitler

Broadening What we Perceive: A Method for Analyzing Gesture and Language

Gesture and language are deeply intertwined, and attending to both simultaneously when examining mathematical processes is a complex yet rewarding task. We share our budding research methodology for analyzing gesture and language and discuss the methodology from a generic perspective that can be easily adapted to different contexts, participants, and mathematical domains. We further share our problem-specific gesture coding scheme as an example of the grain size and foci of such schemes. Finally, we close by discussing the importance of gesture and language to understanding mathematical justifications and proofs