A Study on the Use of Virtual Robotics and Design Thinking to Support Learning in K-12 Education

Vårt moderne og teknologiske samfunn er i økende grad avhengig av nye kompetanser, ofte referert til som “ferdigheter for det 21. århundret”. Herunder nevnes blant annet egenskaper som samarbeid, problemløsing, kritisk tenking og kreativitet. Samfunnsmessige endringer stiller nye krav til utdanning, som bør etterstrebe å imøtekomme disse endringene for å ruste fremtidige generasjoner for en framtid som er under stadig endring. Dessverre kan det tyde på at formell utdanning som følger tradisjonelle og prosedyremessige læringsmetoder ikke fremmer disse egenskapene i tilstrekkelig grad. Gjennom aktiv bruk av læringsmetoder som per definisjon er mer kreative, åpne og tettere knyttet til realistiske situasjoner, kan utdanning i større grad forberede elever på suksess i det moderne jobbmarkedet. Denne masteroppgaven undersøker hvordan elever oppfatter læring i et virtuelt robotikk-miljø som følger en design thinking-tilnærming. En plattform ble utviklet og brukt i en empirisk studie som strakk seg over to enkelttimer på Vestsiden Ungdomsskole i Kongsberg. Åpen kildekode ble klonet og videreutviklet for å produsere en plattform som kunne besvare forskningsspørsmålet, og studien benyttet en design thinking-tilnærming. Datainnsamling ble gjort gjennom datalogging, spørreundersøkelser, artefakter, samt intervjuer. Denne oppgaven fremhever fordeler med design thinking i kombinasjon med virtuell robotikk. Blant disse er de mest fremtredende det brede læringsutbyttet, som ofte dekker mer enn planlagt pensum, og hvordan design thinking brukt i denne konteksten kan hjelpe elever i de spesifikke prosessene de trenger det mest. Vi fremhever også betydningen av motivasjon og innstilling, og gir en vurdering av plattformen og studiet som er gjennomført.The increasing societal reliance on new competencies, often referred to as ”21st century skills”, impose new and rapidly changing requirements on education. In particular, skills like collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity has become progressively more important to acquire. Alas, these skills are seldom acquired through formal education when adhering to traditional, procedural teaching methods. Through application of teaching methods that are inherently more creative, open-ended and generally applicable to real-world situations, the problem-solving in the classroom can better equip learners for success in the modern workforce. This study sought to examine how students perceive learning in an educational virtual robotics environment with a design thinking approach. An open-source virtual robotics platform called ”Gears” was forked, further developed and used in an empirical study spanning two one-hour sessions with a Norwegian secondary school to address this problem. A design thinking approach was followed in the empirical study. Interviews were conducted, and data was collected through log data, questionnaires and artefacts. This thesis highlights key advantages of using design thinking in combination with virtual robotics. Chief among the advantages are the broad learning that often exceeds curriculum, and the way design thinking, when used in this context, can aid different students in the specific processes they need most. We also highlight the impact of motivation and attitude, and provide an evaluation of the platform and the study

A Study on the Use of Virtual Robotics and Design Thinking to Support Learning in K-12 Education

Vårt moderne og teknologiske samfunn er i økende grad avhengig av nye kompetanser, ofte referert til som “ferdigheter for det 21. århundret”. Herunder nevnes blant annet egenskaper som samarbeid, problemløsing, kritisk tenking og kreativitet. Samfunnsmessige endringer stiller nye krav til utdanning, som bør etterstrebe å imøtekomme disse endringene for å ruste fremtidige generasjoner for en framtid som er under stadig endring. Dessverre kan det tyde på at formell utdanning som følger tradisjonelle og prosedyremessige læringsmetoder ikke fremmer disse egenskapene i tilstrekkelig grad. Gjennom aktiv bruk av læringsmetoder som per definisjon er mer kreative, åpne og tettere knyttet til realistiske situasjoner, kan utdanning i større grad forberede elever på suksess i det moderne jobbmarkedet. Denne masteroppgaven undersøker \emph{hvordan elever oppfatter læring i et virtuelt robotikk-miljø som følger en design thinking-tilnærming}. En plattform ble utviklet og brukt i en empirisk studie som strakk seg over to enkelttimer på Vestsiden Ungdomsskole i Kongsberg. Åpen kildekode ble klonet og videreutviklet for å produsere en plattform som kunne besvare forskningsspørsmålet, og studien benyttet en design thinking-tilnærming. Datainnsamling ble gjort gjennom datalogging, spørreundersøkelser, artefakter, samt intervjuer. Denne oppgaven fremhever fordeler med design thinking i kombinasjon med virtuell robotikk. Blant disse er de mest fremtredende det brede læringsutbyttet, som ofte dekker mer enn planlagt pensum, og hvordan design thinking brukt i denne konteksten kan hjelpe elever i de spesifikke prosessene de trenger det mest. Vi fremhever også betydningen av motivasjon og innstilling, og gir en vurdering av plattformen og studiet som er gjennomført.The increasing societal reliance on new competencies, often referred to as ”21st century skills”, impose new and rapidly changing requirements on education. In particular, skills like collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity has become progressively more important to acquire. Alas, these skills are seldom acquired through formal education when adhering to traditional, procedural teaching methods. Through application of teaching methods that are inherently more creative, open-ended and generally applicable to real-world situations, the problem-solving in the classroom can better equip learners for success in the modern workforce. This study sought to examine how students perceive learning in an educational virtual robotics environment with a design thinking approach. An open-source virtual robotics platform called ”Gears” was forked, further developed and used in an empirical study spanning two one-hour sessions with a Norwegian secondary school to address this problem. A design thinking approach was followed in the empirical study. Interviews were conducted, and data was collected through log data, questionnaires and artefacts. This thesis highlights key advantages of using design thinking in combination with virtual robotics. Chief among the advantages are the broad learning that often exceeds curriculum, and the way design thinking, when used in this context, can aid different students in the specific processes they need most. We also highlight the impact of motivation and attitude, and provide an evaluation of the platform and the study

"My husband, my hero": selling the political spouses in the 2010 general election.

In spite of a record number of female parliamentary candidates, the 2010 general election campaign became notable for the intensity of coverage given to the female spouses of the three main party leaders. We find that this resulted from a combination of party communication strategy, established media discourses, and the agency and visibility of the wives themselves. First, Labour and the Conservatives were the most prominent in integrating their leaders’ wives into their campaigns, often to counter the less marketable qualities of the leaders themselves. Second, while mainstream media outlets—particularly newspapers—sought to cover all three women, they did so drawing upon established gender-based conventions, focussing on the wives’ physical appearance and apparent dedication to their husbands. Third, while the wife of the Liberal Democrat leader opted for limited and strategic contact with media, the wives of the Conservative and Labour leaders exploited a range of new media platforms, combining official party websites, personal blogs, and webcasts. We argue that any assessment of the role of the spouses of party leaders has to look at media-driven priorities only alongside the various strategies open to parties and individuals in managing media activities. We also suggest that there is room to use the coverage of leaders’ spouses to explore the development, limits, and gender politics of any shift toward presidentialism

Varicocele and the Public Services.

n/

Cutting the Lawn - Natural Burial and its Contribution to the Delivery of Ecosystem Services in Urban Cemeteries

This article investigates the impact of natural burial on the delivery of ecosystem services (ESs) in urban cemeteries in England that are owned and managed by local authorities. Local authority natural burial sites have received far less attention from researchers than independent sites developed by farmers, charitable trusts, funeral directors and land owners. Here we argue that the local authority hybrid cemeteries that combine natural burial with traditional graves may have a far greater impact in delivering regulatory and cultural ecosystem services than the much larger and frequently more environmentally ambitious natural burial grounds developed by the independent sector. The article presents three case studies of cemeteries, each of which represents a different interpretation of natural burial. Two have retrofitted natural burial into an existing cemetery landscape. The third is a new cemetery where natural burial was included with traditional burial in the original design brief and planning application. The research reveals how natural burial is transforming the traditional cemetery, with its focus on an intensively managed lawn aesthetic, towards a more habitat rich and spatially complex landscape with its own distinctive identity. The research also reveals how natural burial (within the unique constraints of UK burial culture that does not permit the recycling of burial space) is increasing the burial capacity of urban cemeteries by accessing land and grave space that might not be suitable or appropriate for more traditional forms of burial

How innovation survives in large corporations : a case study of Posten Norge AS

Background: Companies face a number of new challenges in today's digital and rapidly changing society. To deal with this, they need to be able to handle change and adapt to new trends faster. How companies are able to innovate affects this muscle of change, but innovation is not as easy for everyone. Large companies often encounter a number of barriers when implementing innovative methods or mindsets as they are cumbersome and have large systems. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to provide a better understanding of how large companies can handle various barriers that hinder their innovative capabilities. The thesis is based on the mapping of various barriers (Carlgren et al., 2016; Cinar et al., 2019; Clausen et al., 2019) and how individuals and leaders (Clark, 2020) can influence these. We have tried to answer our problem statement: In what way does a well-established company like Posten Norge AS face and break various barriers related to innovation and how can other companies in a similar situation learn from what they do? Method: Through a qualitative approach and the Gioia method, we have conducted a simple case study based on 15 interviews with employees at Posten Norge AS Findings and analysis: The findings in this thesis indicate that Posten Norge AS is a company that encounters many of the same barriers that the literature presents. The company’s employees all see the value of the “digital innovation” department, and what this unit has entailed. In addition, it appears that new project methods also require new performance measurements. This is a special barrier that is clarified when projects developed with agile working methods are to be transferred to a department that does not have this focus. This is how the project then often loses its value. Uncertainty among employees usually arises when they feel insecure about their position and/or lack good support from their manager. Posten Norge AS is training agile coaches in 2022 and we envisage that these can have a great positive effect if they are used where they are needed most. This can also indirectly contribute to increasing the entrepreneurial learning of the employees.Sammendrag Bakgrunn: Selskaper står overfor en rekke nye utfordringer i dagens digitale og raske endrende samfunn. For å håndtere dette må de kunne håndtere endringer raskere og tilpasse nye trender. Hvordan selskaper evner å innovere påvirker denne endringsmuskelen, men innovasjon er ikke like lett for alle. Store selskaper møter ofte på en del barrierer når de skal implementere innovative metoder eller tankesett da de er tunggrodde og har store systemer. Hensikt: Formålet med denne oppgaven er å gi en bedre forståelse av hvordan store selskaper kan håndtere ulike barrierer som hindrer deres innovative kapabiliteter. Oppgaven er basert på kartleggingen av ulike barrier (Carlgren et al., 2016 ; Cinar et al., 2019 ; Clausen et al., 2019) og hvordan enkeltindivider og ledere (Clark, 2020) kan påvirke disse. Slik har vi forsøkt å svare på vår problemstilling: På hvilken måte møter og bryter et veletablert selskap som Posten Norge AS ulike barrierer knyttet til innovasjon og hvordan kan andre selskaper i lignende situasjon ta læring fra det de gjør? Metode: Gjennom en kvalitativ tilnærming og Gioia-metoden har vi gjennomført et enkelt casestudie basert på 15 intervjuer med ansatte hos Posten. Funn og analyse: Funnene i denne oppgaven indikerer at Posten er et selskap som møter på mange av de samme barrierene som litteraturen presenterer. De ansatte hos Posten ser alle verdien av avdelingen «digital innovasjon», og hva denne opprettelsen har medført. I tillegg kommer det frem at nye prosjektmetoder også krever nye resultatmålinger. Dette er en spesiell barriere som tydeliggjøres når prosjekter utviklet med agile arbeidsmetoder skal overføres til en avdeling som ikke har dette fokuset. Ofte mister prosjektet verdien sin slik. Usikkerhet hos ansatte oppstår som regel når de føler seg utrygge på posisjonen sin og/eller mangler god støtte fra lederen. Posten utdanner agile coacher i 2022 og vi ser for oss at disse kan ha stor positiv effekt om de brukes der de trengs mest. Dette kan også indirekte bidra til å øke den entreprenørielle læringen hos de ansatte.M-E

Phenotypic and pharmacogenetic evaluation of patients with thiazide-induced hyponatremia.

Thiazide diuretics are among the most widely used treatments for hypertension, but thiazide-induced hyponatremia (TIH), a clinically significant adverse effect, is poorly understood. Here, we have studied the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of patients hospitalized with TIH. In a cohort of 109 TIH patients, those with severe TIH displayed an extended phenotype of intravascular volume expansion, increased free water reabsorption, urinary prostaglandin E2 excretion, and reduced excretion of serum chloride, magnesium, zinc, and antidiuretic hormone. GWAS in a separate cohort of 48 TIH patients and 2,922 controls from the 1958 British birth cohort identified an additional 14 regions associated with TIH. We identified a suggestive association with a variant in SLCO2A1, which encodes a prostaglandin transporter in the distal nephron. Resequencing of SLCO2A1 revealed a nonsynonymous variant, rs34550074 (p.A396T), and association with this SNP was replicated in a second cohort of TIH cases. TIH patients with the p.A396T variant demonstrated increased urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 and metabolites. Moreover, the SLCO2A1 phospho-mimic p.A396E showed loss of transporter function in vitro. These findings indicate that the phenotype of TIH involves a more extensive metabolic derangement than previously recognized. We propose one mechanism underlying TIH development in a subgroup of patients in which SLCO2A1 regulation is altered.This work was supported by an Academy of Medical Sciences grant for clinical lecturers (to JSW and MG), British Heart Foundation grant PG/09/089 (to KMO), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Royal Brompton Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit (to JSW and SC), the Fondation Leducq (to JSW and SC), and the British Heart Foundation (to JSW and SC). MDT holds a Medical Research Council Senior Clinical Fellowship (G0902313). This work was supported by the Medical Research Council (grant numbers G510364 and G1000861). This research used the ALICE and SPECTRE High Performance Computing Facilities at the University of Leicester

Valuing the Dead: Death, Burial, and the Body in Second World War Britain

In her work The Body in Pain Elaine Scarry discusses what she has termed ‘the referential instability’ of the human body in death. The dead of war, she argues, have a particular, historically specific, instability, in that their bodies can be of immense emotional value to their nation, but can also be fought over and disputed; the subject of competing claims from nation, family and enemy. In Second World War Britain the bodies of dead combatants, for long the subject of state regulation and familial and comradely grief, were joined by the bodies of dead civilians. This article examines the ways in which the British state attempted to regulate the disposal of the bodies of both civilians and combatants in a manner which conferred the sense of honour and sacrifice, largely successfully attached to the dead of the battlefield since the First World War, to the bodies of civilians killed in the new form of warfare, aerial bombardment. It sets this against a discussion of the treatment of the combatant dead and examines expressions of grief, and the regulation of these in both civilian and combatant contexts, arguing that in ‘total war’ the state struggled to ensure the stability of both the civilian and combatant corpse