Fragment-Based Learning of Visual Object Categories in Non-Human Primates

When we perceive a visual object, we implicitly or explicitly associate it with an object category we know. Recent research has shown that the visual system can use local, informative image fragments of a given object, rather than the whole object, to classify it into a familiar category. We have previously reported, using human psychophysical studies, that when subjects learn new object categories using whole objects, they incidentally learn informative fragments, even when not required to do so. However, the neuronal mechanisms by which we acquire and use informative fragments, as well as category knowledge itself, have remained unclear. Here we describe the methods by which we adapted the relevant human psychophysical methods to awake, behaving monkeys and replicated key previous psychophysical results. This establishes awake, behaving monkeys as a useful system for future neurophysiological studies not only of informative fragments in particular, but also of object categorization and category learning in general

Evaluating the Change in Space in a Technology-Enabled Primary Years Setting

There has been considerable attention in the literature postulating the potential effects of contemporary, technology-enabled new generation learning spaces (NGLS) on both teaching and learning (Brooks, 2011, 2012). This has, in part, been driven by the pervasive and transformative potentiall of ubiquitous access to and use of digital technology in the classroom (Chan et al., 2006). Increased access to mobile technology in recent years has freed students from the restrictive nature of shared access in tradiitional computer laboratories (Blackmore, Bateman, O'Mara, & Loughlin, 2011). Students now have personal 'anywhere, anytime' access to a boundless library of highly indexed information (Beichner, 2014), which in turn challenges the highly sequential style of instruction that has allowed teachers to preserve their historically authoritative role. Personal access to technology can support more adaptive and connected learning experiences. These experiences are created by connecting teachers and students within multimodalities of teaching and },earning that may have not been possible before (Bocconi, Karnpylis, & Punie, 2012; Hall-van den Elsen & Palaskas, 2014; Swan, van'T Hooft, Kratcoski, & Schenk,er, 2007). Multimodalities afford teachers the ability to orchestrate adaptive learning opportunities using a range of physical, text and visual tools, whilst connecting students with each other. A key element is the connectivity between teachers-students and students-students is established through the creaition of technology-enabled NGLS. The technology-enabled spaces have ubiquitous access to digital technology through one-to-one digital devices connected through wireless infrastructure. The affordances of a NGLS environment has the potential to revolutionize how, where and with whom students learn (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013; Thomas & Brown, 2011). It has the potential to sup,port contemporary pedagogical practices that facilitate highly personalised models of student learning (Bocconi et al., 2012; Magee, 2009; Zandvliet & Fraser, 2004). This personalised model includes learning outside the primacy of the traditional classroom forum (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013). Together these elements intertwine to create a model of teaching and learning that can be radically different to prevailing school cultures (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013)