84 research outputs found
Approaches to learning : perceptions about Chinese international undergraduates in Australian Universities
Chinese students constitute the largest cohort of international undergraduates in Australian universities, comprising 37.3% in 2019. However, there is a scarcity of research examining perceptions of how Chinese international students (CIS) learn in Australian universities, from the broader context of the students themselves, their Australian teachers and Australian domestic student (ADS) counterparts. Drawing on the 3P (Presage-Process-Product) framework by Biggs, Kember, and Leung (2001), this thesis explored the perceptions of CIS, and their lecturers and classmates regarding their approaches to learning in Australian universities. Utilising a mixed methods approach (Creswell, 2014), surveys were conducted with 156 CIS and 212 ADS incorporating a validated survey by Biggs et al. (2001) called the R-SPQ-2F. Interviews were also conducted with 10 CIS and 10 Australian academics from two Australian universities, one regional and the other metropolitan. The findings demonstrated that perceptions of CIS were characterised by a unique learning structure that differed from ADS in a number of ways, particularly in relation to group learning, the use of understanding and memorisation strategies, and classroom engagement. It was noted that these disparities did not support the generally held view of CIS as mainly surface oriented learners who preferred rote-learning techniques (Grimshaw, 2007). While adopting similar levels to ADS of deep approach strategies in their learning, CIS also used more surface and achieving approaches than ADS, and tended to incorporate memorising with understanding in their learning process. However, it was also evident that the approaches used by CIS in Australia were often more complex than what was easily observed. For instance, their reticence in class was not necessarily indicative of passive learning, but instead, suggestive of the complexity of context that needs to encompass the âwhole beingâ of these students, i.e., their personality, culture, and most of all, the dynamics of their perceived approaches to their learning. This study also investigated negotiations that occurred between CIS and their Australian lecturers. While CISâ learning approaches were greatly shaped and determined by academicsâ instructional decisions involving curriculum, teaching patterns and assessment procedures, it was also found that academicsâ instructional activities were reshaped and counter-determined by CISâ learning approaches. As a result, a Co-constructed Model of Learning and Teaching (CMLT) for CIS in Australian universities, based on the 3P framework (Biggs et al., 2001), was developed to assist future education experiences for international students. This study is significant in that it has given voice to Chinese students, enabling a greater understanding of their experiences in Australian universities to emerge, in conjunction with and supplemented by insights provided by their Australian student counterparts and educators. It has enabled both international and domestic students the opportunity to reflect on possible cultural impacts on learning, hopefully improving their capacities to act as effective global citizens. It has also afforded an opportunity for academics to reflect on their beliefs and practices in relation to teaching diverse student cohorts, which will hopefully deepen their understanding of the complexities that come with the increasing globalisation of education.Doctor of Philosoph
Parameter Estimation for a Sinusoidal Signal with a Time-Varying Amplitude
This paper addresses the parameter estimation
problem of a non-stationary sinusoidal signal with a timevarying amplitude, which is given by a known function of
time multiplied by an unknown constant coefficient. A robust
estimation algorithm is proposed for identifying the unknown
frequency and the amplitude coefficient in real-time. The estimation algorithm is constructed based on the Volterra integral
operator with suitably designed kernels and sliding mode
adaptation laws. It is shown that the parameter estimation error
converges to zero within an arbitrarily small finite time, and the
robustness against bounded additive disturbances is certified by
bounded-input-bounded-output arguments. The effectiveness of
the estimation technique is evaluated and compared with other
existing tools through numerical simulations
Deep or surface learning? Perceptions of Chinese international and local students in Australian universities
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese international students (CIS) still constitute the largest international population in Australian higher education. Yet limited research has examined the lived learning experience of CIS and local students in Australian universities. Underpinned by Biggs, Kember and Leungâs (2001) 3P model of learning, this article explores the perceptions of CIS regarding their approaches to learning in Australian universities, as compared with Australian domestic students (ADS). Surveys incorporating the Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) were conducted with 156 CIS and 212 ADS from two Australian universities. The findings demonstrated that perceived disparities existed between the two cohorts in terms of their approaches to learning. These disparities, however, did not support the well-documented view of CIS as mainly surface oriented learners but rather as more rounded learners than ADS in their learning approaches. This study gave voice to CIS to reflect on their learning in Australian universities, in conjunction with and supplemented by insights provided by their Australian student counterparts. It also enabled a greater understanding of CIS learning in Western universities, particularly in Australian universities. © 2022, Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.. All rights reserved
Fixed-Time Convergent Distributed Observer Design of Linear Systems: A Kernel-Based Approach
The robust distributed state estimation for a class
of continuous-time linear time-invariant systems is achieved by a
novel kernel-based distributed observer, which, for the first time,
ensures fixed-time convergence properties. The communication
network between the agents is prescribed by a directed graph
in which each node involves a fixed-time convergent estimator.
The local observer estimates and broadcasts the observable states
among neighbours so that the full state vector can be recovered
at each node and the estimation error reaches zero after a predefined fixed time in the absence of perturbation. This represents a
new distributed estimation framework that enables faster convergence speed and further reduced information exchange compared
to a conventional Luenberger-like approach. The ubiquitous timevarying communication delay across the network is suitably
compensated by a prediction scheme. Moreover, the robustness
of the algorithm in the presence of bounded measurement
and process noise is characterised. Numerical simulations and
comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness of the observer and
its advantages over the existing methods
Robust Adaptive Learning-based Path Tracking Control of Autonomous Vehicles under Uncertain Driving Environments
This paper investigates the path tracking control
problem of autonomous vehicles subject to modelling uncertainties and external disturbances. The problem is approached
by employing a 2-degree of freedom vehicle model, which is
reformulated into a newly defined parametric form with the
system uncertainties being lumped into an unknown parametric
vector. On top of the parametric system representation, a novel
robust adaptive learning control (RALC) approach is then
developed, which estimates the system uncertainties through
iterative learning while treating the external disturbances by
adopting a robust term. It is shown that the proposed approach
is able to improve the lateral tracking performance gradually
through learning from previous control experiences, despite only
partial knowledge of the vehicle dynamics being available. It is
noteworthy that a novel technique targeting at the non-square
input distribution matrix is employed so as to deal with the
under-actuation property of the vehicle dynamics, which extends
the adaptive learning control theory from square systems to
non-square systems. Moreover, the convergence properties of
the RALC algorithm are analysed under the framework of
Lyapunov-like theory by virtue of the composite energy function
and the λ-norm. The effectiveness of the proposed control
scheme is verified by representative simulation examples and
comparisons with existing methods
Distributed Model Predictive Control for Heterogeneous Vehicle Platoon with Inter-Vehicular Spacing Constraints
This paper proposes a distributed control scheme
for a platoon of heterogeneous vehicles based on the mechanism
of model predictive control (MPC). The platoon composes of a
group of vehicles interacting with each other via inter-vehicular
spacing constraints, to avoid collision and reduce communication
latency, and aims to make multiple vehicles driving on the same
lane safely with a close range and the same velocity. Each
vehicle is subject to both state constraints and input constraints,
communicates only with neighboring vehicles, and may not know
a priori desired setpoint. We divide the computation of control
inputs into several local optimization problems based on each
vehicleâs local information. To compute the control input of
each vehicle based on local information, a distributed computing
method must be adopted and thus the coupled constraint is
required to be decoupled. This is achieved by introducing the
reference state trajectories from neighboring vehicles for each
vehicle and by employing the interactive structure of computing
local problems of vehicles with odd indices and even indices. It
is shown that the feasibility of MPC optimization problems is
achieved at all time steps based on tailored terminal inequality
constraints, and the asymptotic stability of each vehicle to the
desired trajectory is guaranteed even under a single iteration
between vehicles at each time. Finally, a comparison simulation
is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed
distributed MPC method for heterogeneous vehicle control with
respect to normal and extreme scenarios
Integrated Thermal and Energy Management of Connected Hybrid Electric Vehicles Using Deep Reinforcement Learning
The climate-adaptive energy management system holds promising potential for harnessing the concealed energy-saving capabilities of connected plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. This research focuses on exploring the synergistic effects of artificial intelligence control and traffic preview to enhance the performance of the energy management system (EMS). A high-fidelity model of a multi-mode connected PHEV is calibrated using experimental data as a foundation. Subsequently, a model-free multistate deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm is proposed to develop the integrated thermal and energy management (ITEM) system, incorporating features of engine smart warm-up and engine-assisted heating for cold climate conditions. The optimality and adaptability of the proposed system is evaluated through both offline tests and online hardware-in-the-loop tests, encompassing a homologation driving cycle and a real-world driving cycle in China with real-time traffic data. The results demonstrate that ITEM achieves a close to dynamic programming fuel economy performance with a margin of 93.7%, while reducing fuel consumption ranging from 2.2% to 9.6% as ambient temperature decreases from 15°C to -15°C in comparison to state-of-the-art DRL-based EMS solutions
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