An open learning environment for the diagnosis, assistance and evaluation of students based on artificial intelligence

The personalized diagnosis, assistance and evaluation of students in open learning environments can be a challenging task, especially in cases that the processes need to be taking place in real-time, classroom conditions. This paper describes the design of an open learning environment under development, designed to monitor the comprehension of students, assess their prior knowledge, build individual learner profiles, provide personalized assistance and, finally, evaluate their performance by using artificial intelligence. A trial test has been performed, with the participation of 20 students, which displayed promising results

'The Degree of Despair': The Disjointed Labour Market, the Impact of the Pandemics, the Expansion of Precarious Work among Youth and Its Effects on Young People's Life Trajectories, Life Chances and Political Mentalities - Public Trust; The Case of Greece

This paper focuses on the expansion of precarious forms of employment (temporary, seasonal, part-time jobs etc.) and on the impact this expansion has on young peoples' key determinants of life course. Based on both secondary quantitative-data analysis and primary qualitative research, the paper analyzes the state of play regarding precarious work among youth both in the EU and (mainly) in Greece, while it highlights the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent Recession in the abovementioned. The paper also explores the various aspects and facets of the impact of precarious employment in young peoples' life trajectories. Key findings include: a) the strong correlation between precarious employment, social vulnerability and risk of poverty, b) the fact that, during the pandemic, the "labour market slack" in Greece hit young people aged 15-24 more than people aged 25-54, further widening their precariousness, c) that there is a wider tendency to expand and "normalize" the forms of precarious employment among youth, concerning, especially, the combination of declared and undeclared work, d) that a new labour market dualization is formed, e) that both the pandemic and the subsequent restrictive measures have had a significant impact on the majority of precarious young people, effectively causing a rupture in their already precarious life course and f) that all the abovementioned have a severe impact on key determinants of political behavior - mentalities as well as on public trust among young people. The paper is based on an ongoing Research Project, co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund- ESF) through the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020" in the context of the project "Precarious Work and Youth in today's Greece: secondary quantitative analysis, qualitative filed research and research-based policy proposals" (MIS 5048510)

Digital Student Conference Platform Implementation: The case study of the “Research Project” course

Today, during the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ which is led by the Internet and the digital ecosystem it creates, schools are expected to achieve the development of not only the functional skills of literacy and numeracy but also of general knowledge. The apparent inadequacy of the standardized education system to respond to the needs and interests of 21st-century students urges researchers to adopt new forms of teaching as meaningful and high-quality teaching requires a more active use of innovative educational methods and tools. With the rapid development of IT globally, there is a tendency to utilize the capabilities of e-learning as a mode of distance learning since itcan function both independently of and in conjunction with conventional teaching. The varied applications of Web 2.0 tools create new possibilities in the educational sector. It provides the ability to develop innovative educational methods that transform students from passive recipients of information to knowledge creators through an active involvement in the learning process often within a modern interactive environment. This study presents the results of the implementation of a teaching intervention, with the use of a flexible and student-centered web system developed and used as complementary to the ‘Research Project’ course during the first term of the 2015-2016 school year. The ultimate goal of this effort was to highlight and consequently incorporate the use of a digital platform for student conferences which we implemented in schools as a means to research, learning, and skill development. The students had the opportunity to participate in a digital community which employed distance learning tools for communication, cooperation, and learning during a digital conference in which they had leading roles as writers and reviewers. The initial results of the pilot study indicated that the use of the digital platform increased the interest of students, supported the development of various skills and contributed to the overall improvement of the teaching and learning process.Today, during the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ which is led by the Internet and the digital ecosystem it creates, schools are expected to achieve the development of not only the functional skills of literacy and numeracy but also of general knowledge. The apparent inadequacy of the standardized education system to respond to the needs and interests of 21st-century students urges researchers to adopt new forms of teaching as meaningful and high-quality teaching requires a more active use of innovative educational methods and tools. With the rapid development of IT globally, there is a tendency to utilize the capabilities of e-learning as a mode of distance learning since it can function both independently of and in conjunction with conventional teaching. The varied applications of Web 2.0 tools create new possibilities in the educational sector. It provides the ability to develop innovative educational methods that transform students from passive recipients of information to knowledge creators through an active involvement in the learning process often within a modern interactive environment. This study presents the results of the implementation of a teaching intervention, with the use of a flexible and student-centered web system developed and used as complementary to the ‘Research Project’ course during the first term of the 2015-2016 school year. The ultimate goal of this effort was to highlight and consequently incorporate the use of a digital platform for student conferences which we implemented in schools as a means to research, learning, and skill development. The students had the opportunity to participate in a digital community which employed distance learning tools for communication, cooperation, and learning during a digital conference in which they had leading roles as writers and reviewers. The initial results of the pilot study indicated that the use of the digital platform increased the interest of students, supported the development of various skills and contributed to the overall improvement of the teaching and learning process

Design rules for active control of narrowband thermal emission using phase-change materials

We propose an analytical framework to design actively tunable narrowband thermal emitters at infrared frequencies. We exemplify the proposed design rules using phase-change materials (PCM), considering dielectric-to-dielectric PCMs (e.g. GSST) and dielectric-to-metal PCMs (e.g. $\mathrm{VO_2}$). Based on these, we numerically illustrate near-unity ON-OFF switching and arbitrarily large spectral shifting between two emission wavelengths, respectively. The proposed systems are lithography-free and consist of one or several thin emitter layers, a spacer layer which includes the PCM, and a back reflector. Our model applies to normal incidence, though we show that the behavior is essentially angle-independent. The presented formalism is general and can be extended to \textit{any} mechanism that modifies the optical properties of a material, such as electrostatic gating or thermo-optical modulation.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

A Modern Industrial Policy for the Czech Republic: Optimizing the Structure of Production

The decreased demand for new vehicles will put pressure on the economy of the Czech Republic, a country deeply integrated into global value chains, as part of global vehicle production. The aim of this research was to define an appropriate industrial policy for the Czech Republic that will ensure that the country maintains its competitive position in the global market. A constrained optimization model was built, based on input–output analysis, to determine the optimal value-added structure and the intersectoral structure of the Czech economy for the country to retain its exporting character. The optimization problem was solved by using a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results suggest that the optimal industrial policy plan for the country is the structural transformation of production, mainly targeting the development of technologically advanced sectors of manufacturing (such as: chemicals and chemical products; basic pharmaceutical products; computer, electronic, and optical products; electrical equipment; and machinery and equipment). The suggested restructuring process increased the domestic value-added in gross exports as a share of total exports by 6.77%, creating optimal production capabilities for the economy. The Czech Republic appears to have the potential for the implementation of an industrial policy, avoiding the increasingly vulnerable motor-vehicle sector

Interfacility transfers in a non-trauma system setting: an assessment of the Greek reality

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Quality assessment of any trauma system involves the evaluation of the transferring patterns. This study aims to assess interfacility transfers in the absence of a formal trauma system setting and to estimate the benefits from implementing a more organized structure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The 'Report of the Epidemiology and Management of Trauma in Greece' is a one year project of trauma patient reporting throughout the country. It provided data concerning the patterns of interfacility transfers. We compared the transferred patient group to the non transferred patient group. Information reviewed included patient and injury characteristics, need for an operation, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admittance and mortality. Analysis employed descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Interfacility transfers were then assessed according to each health care facility's availability of five requirements; Computed Tomography scanner, ICU, neurosurgeon, orthopedic and vascular surgeon.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data on 8,524 patients were analyzed; 86.3% were treated at the same facility, whereas 13.7% were transferred. Transferred patients tended to be younger, male, and more severely injured than non transferred patients. Moreover, they were admitted to ICU more often, had a higher mortality rate but were less operated on compared to non transferred patients. The 34.3% of transfers was from facilities with none of the five requirements, whereas the 12.4% was from those with one requirement. Low level facilities, with up to three requirements transferred 43.2% of their transfer volume to units of equal resources.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Trauma management in Greece results in a high number of transfers. Patients are frequently transferred between low level facilities. Better coordination could lead to improved outcomes and less cost.</p