ULEARN: Personalised Learner’s Profile Based On Dynamic Learning Style Questionnaire

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version.E-Learning recommender system effectiveness re- lies upon their ability to recommend appropriate learning con- tents according to the learner learning style and preferences. An effective approach to handle the learner preferences is to build an efficient learner profile in order to gain adaptation and individualisation of the learning environment. It is usually necessary to know learning style and preferences of the learner on a domain before adapting the learning process and course content. This study focuses on identifying the learning styles of students in order to adapt the learning process and course content. ULEARN is an adaptive recommender learning system designed to provide learners with personalised learning environment such as course learning objects that match their adaptive profile. This paper presents the algorithm used in ULEARN to reduce dynamically the number of questions in Felder-Silverman learning style ques- tionnaire used to initialise the adaptive learner profile. Firstly, the questionnaire is restructured into four groups, one for each learning style dimension; and a study is carried out to determine the order in which questions will be asked in each dimension. Then an algorithm is built upon this ranking of questions to calculate dynamically the initial learning style of the user as they go through the questionnaire

Adaptive hypermedia driven serious game design and cognitive style in school settings: an exploratory study

The potential value of adaptive hypermedia and game based learning to education and training has long been recognised, numerous studies have been undertaken in both those areas investigating its potential to improve learner performance. In particular research has indicated that tailoring content to match the prior knowledge of the user has the power to increase the effectiveness of learning systems. Recent studies have begun to indicate that Adaptive Hypermedia Learning Systems (AHLS) based on cognitive styles have the power to improve learner performance. Recent examples of research exploring avenues for effectively incorporating serious games into AHLS indicated that integrating serious games into a personalized learning environment has the potential educational benefits of combining a personalized delivery with increased learner motivation. The exploratory study presented in this paper here developed an Adaptive Hypermedia Driven Serious Game (AHDSG) based around Pask’s Holist-Serialist dimension of cognitive style. A prototype AHDSG was designed and developed to teach students about Sutton Hoo and archaeological methods. Sixty-six secondary school students participated in this study. Overall the findings of this study show that there was an improvement in performance among all participants. Although the participants that used the system which adapted to their preferred cognitive style achieved a higher mean gain score, the difference was not significant

Economic Activity of Firms and Asset Prices

In this review we survey the recent research on the fundamental determinants of stock returns. These studies explore how firms' systematic risk and their investment and production decisions are jointly determined in equilibrium. Models with production provide insights into several types of empirical patterns, including (a) the correlations between firms' economic characteristics and their risk premia, (b) the comovement of stock returns among firms with similar characteristics, and (c) the joint dynamics of asset returns and macroeconomic quantities. Moreover, by explicitly relating firms' stock returns and cash flows to fundamental shocks, models with production connect the analysis of financial markets with the research on the origins of macroeconomic fluctuations

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) Candidate Bacteria: Associations with BV and Behavioural Practices in Sexually-Experienced and Inexperienced Women

BACKGROUND: In recent years several new fastidious bacteria have been identified that display a high specificity for BV; however no previous studies have comprehensively assessed the behavioural risk associations of these bacterial vaginosis-candidate organisms (BV-COs). METHODS: We examined the associations between 8 key previously described BV-COs and BV status established by Nugent's score (NS). We also examined the sexual practices associated with each BV-CO. We incorporated 2 study populations: 193 from a sexually-inexperienced university population and 146 from a highly sexually-active clinic population. Detailed behavioural data was collected by questionnaire and vaginal smears were scored by the Nugent method. Stored samples were tested by quantitative PCR assays for the 8 BV-COs: Atopobium vaginae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Leptotrichia spp., Megasphaera type I, Sneathia spp., and the Clostridia-like bacteria BVAB1, BVAB2 and BVAB3. Associations between BV-COs and BV and behaviours were examined by univariate and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, all BV-COs were more common in BV compared to normal flora. However, only Megasphaera type I, BVAB2, A. vaginae and G. vaginalis were significantly independently associated with BV by multivariable analysis. Six of the eight BV-COs (Megasphaera type I, BVAB2, BVAB3, Sneathia, Leptotrichia and G. vaginalis) were rare or absent in sexually-unexposed women, and demonstrated increasing odds of detection with increasing levels of sexual activity and/or numbers of lifetime sexual partners. Only G. vaginalis and A. vaginae were commonly detected in sexually-unexposed women. Megasphaera type I was independently associated with women-who-have-sex-with women (WSW) and lifetime sexual partner numbers, while unprotected penile-vaginal-sex was associated with BVAB2 detection by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Four of eight key BV-COs were significantly associated with BV after adjusting for the presence of other BV-COs. The majority of BV-COs were absent or rare in sexually-unexposed women, and associated with increasing sexual exposure, suggesting potential sexual transmission of BV-COs

A Survey of the General Public’s Views on the Ethics of using AI in Education

Recent scandals arising from the use of algorithms for user profiling to further political and marketing gain have popularized the debate over the ethical and legal implications of using such ‘artificial intelligence’ in social media. The need for a legal framework to protect the general public’s data is not new, yet it is not clear whether recent changes in data protection law in Europe, with the introduction of the GDPR, have highlighted the importance of privacy and led to a healthy concern from the general public over online user tracking and use of data. Like search engines, social media and online shopping platforms, intelligent tutoring systems aim to personalize learning and thus also rely on algorithms that automatically profile individual learner traits. A number of studies have been published on user perceptions of trust in robots and computer agents. Unsurprisingly, studies of AI in education have focused on efficacy, so the extent of learner awareness, and acceptance, of tracking and profiling algorithms remains unexplored. This paper discusses the ethical and legal considerations for, and presents a case study examining the general public’s views of, AI in education. A survey was recently taken of attendees at a national science festival event highlighting state-of-the-art AI technologies in education. Whilst most participants (77%) were worried about the use of their data, in learning systems fewer than 8% of adults were ‘not happy’ being tracked, as opposed to nearly two-thirds (63%) of children surveyed

The epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis in relation to sexual behaviour

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been most consistently linked to sexual behaviour, and the epidemiological profile of BV mirrors that of established sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It remains a matter of debate however whether BV pathogenesis does actually involve sexual transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms from men to women. We therefore made a critical appraisal of the literature on BV in relation to sexual behaviour.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p><it>G. vaginalis </it>carriage and BV occurs rarely with children, but has been observed among adolescent, even sexually non-experienced girls, contradicting that sexual transmission is a necessary prerequisite to disease acquisition. <it>G. vaginalis </it>carriage is enhanced by penetrative sexual contact but also by non-penetrative digito-genital contact and oral sex, again indicating that sex <it>per se</it>, but not necessarily coital transmission is involved. Several observations also point at female-to-male rather than at male-to-female transmission of <it>G. vaginalis</it>, presumably explaining the high concordance rates of <it>G. vaginalis </it>carriage among couples. Male antibiotic treatment has not been found to protect against BV, condom use is slightly protective, whereas male circumcision might protect against BV. BV is also common among women-who-have-sex-with-women and this relates at least in part to non-coital sexual behaviours. Though male-to-female transmission cannot be ruled out, overall there is little evidence that BV acts as an STD. Rather, we suggest BV may be considered a sexually enhanced disease (SED), with frequency of intercourse being a critical factor. This may relate to two distinct pathogenetic mechanisms: (1) in case of unprotected intercourse alkalinisation of the vaginal niche enhances a shift from lactobacilli-dominated microflora to a BV-like type of microflora and (2) in case of unprotected and protected intercourse mechanical transfer of perineal enteric bacteria is enhanced by coitus. A similar mechanism of mechanical transfer may explain the consistent link between non-coital sexual acts and BV. Similar observations supporting the SED pathogenetic model have been made for vaginal candidiasis and for urinary tract infection.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Though male-to-female transmission cannot be ruled out, overall there is incomplete evidence that BV acts as an STI. We believe however that BV may be considered a <it>sexually enhanced disease</it>, with frequency of intercourse being a critical factor.</p