Embodied learning and teaching approaches in language education : A mixed studies review

The notion of embodied learning has gained ground in educational sciences over the last decade and has made its way to language education with researchers acknowledging language learning as an embodied process. This mixed studies review aggregates and reviews empirical research, published from 1990 to 2020, using embodied learning approaches in language education. The review focuses on embodied approaches in learning and teaching first, second, and foreign languages at various educational levels. It encompasses 41 empirical studies with a majority published between 2019 and 2020, suggesting that the research area is growing rapidly. The results show that the studies align with two strands: (1) embodied learning through orchestrating embodied language learning and teaching, and (2) embodied learning in naturally occurring language learning interactions. The review identifies various embodied learning activities and presents how they contribute to language learning and teaching in different ways. The review proposes an understanding of embodied language learning that holds potentials to engage learners holistically, while simultaneously promoting language learning skills and adding emotional and motivational benefits to language learning.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Embodied learning and teaching approaches in language education: A mixed studies review

The notion of embodied learning has gained ground in educational sciences over the last decade and has made its way to language education with researchers acknowledging language learning as an embodied process. This mixed studies review aggregates and reviews empirical research, published from 1990 to 2020, using embodied learning approaches in language education. The review focuses on embodied approaches in learning and teaching first, second, and foreign languages at various educational levels. It encompasses 41 empirical studies with a majority published between 2019 and 2020, suggesting that the research area is growing rapidly. The results show that the studies align with two strands: (1) embodied learning through orchestrating embodied language learning and teaching, and (2) embodied learning in naturally occurring language learning interactions. The review identifies various embodied learning activities and presents how they contribute to language learning and teaching in different ways. The review proposes an understanding of embodied language learning that holds potentials to engage learners holistically, while simultaneously promoting language learning skills and adding emotional and motivational benefits to language learning.</p

A practical approach to improve the statistical performance of surface water monitoring networks

The representativeness of aquatic ecosystem monitoring and the precision of the assessment results are of high importance when implementing the EU’s Water Framework Directive that aims to secure a good status of waterbodies in Europe. However, adapting monitoring designs to answer the objectives and allocating the sampling resources effectively are seldom practiced. Here, we present a practical solution how the sampling effort could be re-allocated without decreasing the precision and confidence of status class assignment. For demonstrating this, we used a large data set of 272 intensively monitored Finnish lake, coastal, and river waterbodies utilizing an existing framework for quantifying the uncertainties in the status class estimation. We estimated the temporal and spatial variance components, as well as the effect of sampling allocation to the precision and confidence of chlorophyll-a and total phosphorus. Our results suggest that almost 70% of the lake and coastal waterbodies, and 27% of the river waterbodies, were classified without sufficient confidence in these variables. On the other hand, many of the waterbodies produced unnecessary precise metric means. Thus, reallocation of sampling effort is needed. Our results show that, even though the studied variables are among the most monitored status metrics, the unexplained variation is still high. Combining multiple data sets and using fixed covariates would improve the modeling performance. Our study highlights that ongoing monitoring programs should be evaluated more systematically, and the information from the statistical uncertainty analysis should be brought concretely to the decision-making process

Meriseurannan tiekartta – SYKEn ylläpitämien ja koordinoimien meren tilaseurantojen nykytila ja kehittäminen

Raportissa kuvataan nykyiset SYKEn ylläpitämät ja koordinoimat meren kuormitus- ja tilaseurannat ja esitetään tavoitteita seurantojen kehittämiselle ja seurantatiedon käytön tehostamiselle vuoteen 2026 mennessä. Työ perustuu vuonna 2016 tehtyyn meriseurantojen toteutusta ja niiden kehittämistarvetta koskeneeseen kyselyyn, joka lähetettiin n. 30 seurantojen ja kehittämishankkeiden vastuuhenkilölle SYKEssä. Vastausten perusteella koottiin tiekartan alustava luonnos, jota on vuosina 2018-2019 päivitetty ja tarkistettu yhteistyössä seurantojen ja kehittämishankkeiden vastuuhenkilöiden kanssa. Nyt raportoitava versio antaa ajantasaisen kuvan SYKEn ylläpitämistä ja koordinoimista meren tilaseurannoista ja niiden kehittämisestä heinäkuussa 2020 alkaneen merenhoidon toisen seurantakauden kynnyksellä. Työ jakautuu aihealueisiin, joita ovat manuaaliseen näytteenottoon perustuva seuranta, automaatio, kaukokartoitus, kansalaishavainnointi, seurannan tietojärjestelmät, mallinnus ja sen tietotarpeet, seurantojen optimointi ja aineistojen yhteiskäyttö sekä merenhoidon ja HELCOM -työn tietotarpeet. Lisäksi tarkastellaan seuranta-aineistojen käyttöä. Seurantojen kehittämiselle esitetään välittömät tavoitteet (vastikään valmistunut tai valmistumassa oleva kehittämistyö) sekä tavoitteet vuoden 2020 aikana ja vuoteen 2026 mennessä

The use of craniofacial measurements in body size estimation:implications for fossil hominins

This master thesis studies the use of craniofacial measurements in body size estimations using a reference sample of 74 extant African apes and creates new size estimation equations for fossil hominins. Size estimation is one of the most important tools in palaeoanthropology and there are many features reducing the use of postcranial bones in size estimations. As a results, there is demand to study the application of craniofacial dimensions as predictors in the body size estimations. The main focus was to study if some of the craniofacial measurements have strong relationship to skeletal frame size (SFS) which in this study was utilized as a proxy for the body size. These analyses were based on Pearson correlations which were performed separately for sex- and species specific samples. Measurements with the strongest correlations were further utilized to create the equations and size estimations for the apes by applying least square regression and their accuracy were then examined. Further size estimations were computed for 15 fossil skull casts (representing 13 species) that were available in the Zoological Museum of the University of Oulu. In the end these new size estimations for fossil hominins were compared to the previous size estimations of these species to determine how the new equations work in reality and could be used in future research. All the analyses were done with IBM SPSS Statistics. Results from the correlations showed a very strong relationship between craniofacial measurements and SFS. The highest correlations were found with facial size and GIL (r=0.951). Altogether 8 measurements were chosen to be used in the regressions and size estimations. Additionally, it was decided to create own equations for males and females. The results of the linear regressions and size estimations for apes demonstrated promising results, with the smallest MAPE of facial size between 12–14% in all samples and all samples having at least a few equations which produced predictions where 70% of specimens fall within ±20% of the SFS. Although clearly the best results were received using facial size, in general most of the results were comparable to those of previous studies. However, when the fossil cast size estimations were performed it became apparent that majority of the craniofacial measurements would not work as a size predictor. Results included many over- and underestimations but did not differ much amongst the pooled, male or female equations. Only facial size was able to produce fairly accurate estimations and its sole problem seemed to be the very small-sized H. floresiensis. The reasons behind this most like stem from the size range of the reference material which had much larger specimens compared to the fossil hominins. As a result of this study facial size seem very promising size predictor which probably is related to the fact that it represents the overall size of the face instead of just one dimension. However, the use of facial size as body size predictor requires more research. Particular important would be to test its’ applicability with reference material including smaller species and individuals to obtain better equations for smaller hominins.Pro gradu -tutkielmani aiheena on tutkia kallon mittojen käyttöä kokoarvioiden teossa hyödyntäen aineistona 74 yksilön Afrikkalaisen ihmisapinan otosta ja luoda uudet kokoarviointilaskukaavat, joita voisi sitten käyttää fossiili hominien kokoarvioinnissa. Aihe tarvitsee lisäselvityksiä, sillä kokoarviointi on yksi paleoantropologjen tärkeimmistä työkaluista tutkittaessa muinaisia hominineja. On myös ilmennyt monia seikkoja, jotka ovat heikentäneen postcranialisten luiden käyttöä koko-arvioinneissa. Tämä on luonnut tarpeen tutkia kallon mittasuhteiden hyödynnettävyyttä. Tarkoituksena oli ensinnäkin tutkia mitkä kallon yksittäiset mitat osoittavat vahvaa suhdetta luuston kehyskoon kanssa (SFS), joka kuvastaa tutkimuksessa ruumiin kokoa. Yksittäisiä mittoja tutkittiin Pearson korrelaatio analyysin avulla käsitellen lajien ja sukupuoliryhmien välisiä eroja. Tämän jälkeen tehtiin least square regressio analyysi niille mitoille, jotka osoittivat vahvaa korrelaatiota SFS:n kanssa. Tällä tavalla saatiin luotua kokoarviokaavat ja apinoille kokoarviot, joiden paikkansa pitävyyttä sitten tutkittiin. Seuraavaksi laskettiin uudet kokoarviot 15 fossiili kallovalokselle (edustivat 13 lajia), jotka olivat saatavilla Oulun Yliopiston Eläinmuseossa. Lopuksi fossiilien uusia kokoarvioita verrattiin jo olemassa oleviin lajien kokoarvioihin ja selvitettiin kaavojen toimivuutta sekä niiden hyödynnettävyyttä tulevissa tutkimuksissa. Kaikki analyysit tehtiin IBM SPSS Statistics tilasto-ohjelmalla. Korrelaatioiden tulokset osoittavat vahvaa suhdetta kallon mittojen ja SFS välillä. Korkeimmat korrelaatiot saatiin kasvojen koolle ja GIL:le (r=0.951). Kaiken kaikkiaan 8 mittaa valittiin käytettäväksi lineaarisessa regressiossa ja kokoarvioissa. Tämän lisäksi uroksille ja naaraille luotiin omat kokoarvio kaavat. Regressiot ja apinoiden kokoarviot tuottivat hyvin lupaavia tuloksia. Pienin MAPE (12–14 %) löytyi kaikissa otoksissa (kaikki, urokset ja naaraat) kasvojen koolta. Kaikissa otoksissa ainakin muutama laskukaava tuotti kokoarvioita, joista 70 % osui ±20% sisälle SFS koosta. Vaikka selvästi parhaimmat tulokset saatiin käyttäen kasvojen kokoa laskukaavioissa, kokonaisuudessaan suurin osa tuloksista oli samaa luokkaa aiempien tutkimusten tulosten kanssa. Sen sijaan, kun fossiilien kokoarvoit laskettiin, tuli selväksi ettei suurin osa kallon mitoista toimi luotettavina kokoarviojana. Tulokset osoittivat monia koon yli- ja aliarviointeja, mutta eri otoksilla luotujen kaavojen tulokset eivät juuri eronneet toisistaan. Ainoastaan kasvojen koko sai tuotettua suhteellisen tarkkoja arvioita ja sen ainoa ongelma vaikutti olevan pienikokoinen H. floresiensis. Syy tähän todennäköisesti liittyy aineiston yksilöiden kokoon, missä on paljon suurempia yksilöitä verrattaessa homineihin. Tämän tutkimus osoittaa että kasvojen koko vaikuttaa lupaavalta kokoarvioijalta. Tämä liittyy todennäköisesti siihen että mitta edustaa kasvojen kokonaiskokoa eikä vain yksittäistä mittaa. Tästä huolimatta kasvojen koon käyttäminen kokoarvioiden teossa vaatii vielä lisätutkimuksia. Varsin tärkeätä olisi käyttää aineistoa, johon kuuluisi pieniä yksilöitä, jotta saataisi luotua parempia laskukaaviota, joita voitaisiin hyödyntää myös pienempiä homineita tutkittaessa

Comparison of bone density patterns of the subaxial spine between chimpanzees and gorillas:a case study

Abstract Case study on the bone density pattern of subaxial vertebral column in African apes. Introduction: African apes have been noted to experience fewer back ailments than humans and to have higher vertebral bone density. Yet, research on the subject is quite limited and has usually included only one or few vertebrae. However, to understand vertebral column as whole and how posture and locomotion might have affected it, we need to know how bone density varies between adjacent vertebrae. Materials and Methods: Bone density in the vertebral body was measured for all subaxial vertebrae of five specimens including two Pan troglodytes (1 male and 1 female) and three Gorilla gorilla (2 males and 1 female) using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Results: The results tentatively indicated differences between species, especially in the trabecular density of the cervical segment and support the need for further studies on this subject

Sex- and site-specific, age-related changes in bone density-a Terry collection study

As modern populations are living longer, age-related health issues have become more common. One growing concern is the age-related bone density loss that increases the individual's risk for fractures, which unfortunately seems to disproportionately afflict women. These fractures are not only detrimental to the individuals' lives but also come with a great economic burden to the societies. Although age-related bone loss is a normal phenomenon, studies on archaeological individuals have demonstrated that the pattern how this occurs has experienced changes due to our changing lifestyles. Hence, to add to our understanding of secular trends in age-related bone loss, we studied age-and sex-related differences in vertebral and femoral bone densities of a recent past population of late 19th and early 20th century Americans. We used a sample of 114 individuals (55 males, 59 females) from the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was used to scan the dry bones. We took one scan from the 4th lumbar vertebra and three scans from the femur. The associations between the age, sex and bone density were analyzed. We were able to detect age-related bone loss in both vertebra and femur. It was observed that men tended to lose more bone density on the vertebra, whereas bone loss in women was more pronounced in the femur. We speculate that differences to modern and earlier archaeological populations are related to the major lifestyle differences between the periods.Peer reviewe

Deep learning in sex estimation from a peripheral quantitative computed tomography scan of the fourth lumbar vertebra-a proof-of-concept study

Sex estimation is a key element in the analysis of unknown skeletal remains. The vertebrae display clear sex discrepancy and have proven accurate in conventional morphometric sex estimation. This proof-of-concept study aimed to investigate the possibility to develop a deep learning algorithm for sex estimation even from a single peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) slice of the fourth lumbar vertebra (L4). The study utilized a total of 117 vertebrae from the Terry Anatomical Collection. There were 58 male and 59 female cadavers, all of the white ethnicity, with the average age at death 49 years and a range of 24 to 77 years. A coronal pQCT scan was taken from the midway of the L4 corpus. Sex estimation was performed in a total of 19 neural network architectures implemented in the AIDeveloper software. Of the explored architectures, a LeNet5-based algorithm reached the highest accuracy of 86.4% in the test set. Sex-specific classification rates were 90.9% among males and 81.8% among females. This preliminary finding advances the field by encouraging and directing future research on artificial intelligence-based methods in sex estimation from individual skeletal traits such as the vertebrae. Combining quickly obtained imaging data with automated deep learning algorithms may establish a valuable pipeline for forensic anthropology and provide aid when combined with traditional methods.Peer reviewe

Sex- and site-specific, age-related changes in bone density:a Terry collection study

Abstract As modern populations are living longer, age-related health issues have become more common. One growing concern is the age-related bone density loss that increases the individual’s risk for fractures, which unfortunately seems to disproportionately afflict women. These fractures are not only detrimental to the individuals’ lives but also come with a great economic burden to the societies. Although age-related bone loss is a normal phenomenon, studies on archaeological individuals have demonstrated that the pattern how this occurs has experienced changes due to our changing lifestyles. Hence, to add to our understanding of secular trends in age-related bone loss, we studied age- and sex-related differences in vertebral and femoral bone densities of a recent past population of late 19th and early 20th century Americans. We used a sample of 114 individuals (55 males, 59 females) from the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was used to scan the dry bones. We took one scan from the 4th lumbar vertebra and three scans from the femur. The associations between the age, sex and bone density were analyzed. We were able to detect age-related bone loss in both vertebra and femur. It was observed that men tended to lose more bone density on the vertebra, whereas bone loss in women was more pronounced in the femur. We speculate that differences to modern and earlier archaeological populations are related to the major lifestyle differences between the periods