Reuse patterns in adaptation languages : creating a meta-level for the LAG adaptation language

A growing body of research targets authoring of content and adaptation strategies for adaptive systems. The driving force behind it is semantics-based reuse: the same strategy can be used for various domains, and vice versa. Whilst using an adaptation language (LAG e.g.) to express reusable adaptation strategies, we noticed, however, that: a) the created strategies have common patterns that, themselves, could be reused; b) templates based on these patterns could reduce the designers' work; c) there is a strong preference towards XML-based processing and interfacing. This has leaded us to define a new meta-language for LAG, extracting common design patterns. This paper provides more insight into some of the limitations of Adaptation Languages like LAG, as well as describes our meta-language, and shows how introducing the meta-level can overcome some redundancy issues

MOT meets AHA!

MOT (My Online Teacher) is an adaptive hypermedia system (AHS) web-authoring environment. MOT is now being further developed according to the LAOS five-layer adaptation model for adaptive hypermedia and adaptive web-material, containing a domain -, goal -, user -, adaptation – and presentation model. The adaptation itself follows the LAG three-layer granularity structure, figuring direct adaptation techniques and rules, an adaptation language and adaptation strategies. In this paper we shortly describe the theoretical basis of MOT, i.e., LAOS and LAG, and then give some information about the current state of MOT. The purpose of this paper is to show how we plan the design and development of MOT and the well-known system AHA! (Adaptive Hypermedia Architecture), developed at the Technical University of Eindhoven since 1996. We aim especially at the integration with AHA! 2.0. Although AHA! 2.0 represents a progress when compared to the previous versions, a lot of adaptive features that are described by the LAOS and the adaptation granulation model and that are being implemented into MOT are not yet (directly) available. So therefore AHA! can benefit from MOT. On the other hand, AHA! offers a running platform for the adaptation engine, which can benefit MOT in return

Carbon and Chlorine Isotope Analysis to Identify Abiotic Degradation Pathways of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane

This study investigates dual C−Cl isotope fractionation during 1,1,1-TCA transformation by heat-activated persulfate (PS), hydrolysis/dehydrohalogenation (HY/DH) and Fe(0). Compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis of 1,1,1-TCA was performed for the first time, and transformation-associated isotope fractionation εCbulk and ε CIbulk values were −4.0 ± 0.2‰ and no chlorine isotope fractionation with PS, −1.6 ± 0.2‰ and −4.7 ± 0.1‰ for HY/DH, −7.8 ± 0.4‰ and −5.2 ± 0.2‰ with Fe(0). Distinctly different dual isotope slopes (Δ δ13C/Δδ37Cl): ∞ with PS, 0.33 ± 0.04 for HY/DH and 1.5 ± 0.1 with Fe(0) highlight the potential of this approach to identify abiotic degradation pathways of 1,1,1-TCA in the field. The trend observed with PS agreed with a C−H bond oxidation mechanism in the first reaction step. For HY/DH and Fe(0) pathways, different slopes were obtained although both pathways involve cleavage of a C−Cl bond in their initial reaction step. In contrast to the expected larger primary carbon isotope effects relative to chlorine for C−Cl bond cleavage, εCbulk Clbulk was observed for HY/DH and in a similar range for reduction by Fe(0), suggesting the contribution of secondary chlorine isotope effects. Therefore, different magnitude of secondary chlorine isotope effects could at least be partly responsible for the distinct slopes between HY/DH and Fe(0) pathways. Following this dual isotope approach, abiotic transformation processes can unambiguously be identified and quantified

Carbon and chlorine isotope analysis to identify abiotic degradation pathways of 1,1,1-trichloroethane

This study investigates dual C-Cl isotope fractionation during 1,1,1-TCA transformation by heat-activated persulfate (PS), hydrolysis/dehydrohalogenation (HY/DH) and Fe(0). Compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis of 1,1,1-TCA was performed for the first time, and transformation-associated isotope fractionation ε_bulk^C and ε_bulk^Cl were: -4.0±0.2¿ and no chlorine isotope fractionation with PS, -1.6±0.2¿ and -4.7±0.1¿ for HY/DH, -7.8±0.4¿ and -5.2±0.2¿ with Fe(0). Distinctly different dual isotope slopes (Δδ13C/Δδ37Cl): ∞ with PS, 0.33±0.04 for HY/DH and 1.5±0.1 with Fe(0) highlight the potential of this approach to identify abiotic degradation pathways of 1,1,1-TCA in the field. The trend observed with PS agreed with a C-H bond oxidation mechanism in the first reaction step. For HY/DH and Fe(0) pathways, different slopes were obtained although both pathways involve cleavage of a C-Cl bond in their initial reaction step. In contrast to the expected larger primary carbon isotope effects relative to chlorine for C-Cl bond cleavage, ε_bulk^C<ε_bulk^Cl was observed for HY/DH and in a similar range for reduction by Fe(0), suggesting the contribution of secondary chlorine isotope effects. Therefore, different magnitude of secondary chlorine isotope effects could at least be partly responsible for the distinct slopes between HY/DH and Fe(0) pathways. Following this dual isotope approach abiotic transformation processes can unambiguously be identified and quantified

An exploratory study of the experiences of children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs for Moderate Learning Difficulties in mainstream primary schools : a multiple-embedded Case Study

Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs (SSEN) are\ud among the most vulnerable pupils within mainstream schools. However,\ud few studies have attempted to understand the day-to-day educational\ud experiences of such children. Whilst researchers have considered the\ud barriers that parents and schools face in terms of gaining a SSEN; there is\ud little research about the ways in which schools plan and provide for pupils\ud with SSEN and how they rate the support they receive.\ud A key aim of this study was to explore the experiences that two children\ud with a SSEN for Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) had in two\ud mainstream primary schools. The secondary aim was to ascertain\ud whether the support put in place for the pupils was related to the\ud objectives set out in their SSEN. Finally, the researcher sought to explore\ud the views that the pupils with a SSEN had about the support they received\ud in school.\ud A Case Study framework was adopted to address these questions. Two\ud pupils with a SSEN for MLD enrolled in year 5 mainstream classroom were\ud invited to take part in the study. Systematic observations were completed\ud over the course of a week and semi-structured interviews were carried out\ud with school staff and the pupils' parents. The pupils' views were obtained\ud via a participatory activity and a semi-structured interview. Interviews\ud were analysed using thematic analysis.\ud The study found that the pupils with SSENs had considerably different\ud learning experiences in comparison to their typically developing peers.\ud The target pupils spent almost half of their time outside the classroom and\ud as suggested by other researchers (Blatchford et al, 2009b) the TAs had a\ud crucial role in providing direct pedagogical support to them. There were\ud notable differences between the comparison group and the target pupils in\ud terms of working in groups and accessing peers, which raised questions\ud about the target pupils' sense of belonging within their school. The concepts of inclusion and the related challenges were key themes in\ud the interviews. Whilst teachers and TAs accepted that pupils with a SSEN\ud should be included within the class, their needs were listed as being too\ud different from those of their peers to be effectively included in class. It\ud therefore, seemed acceptable to intentionally exclude the target pupils\ud from the mainstream class.\ud Overall, the results obtained from this study highlight the difficulties that\ud schools face over inclusion and provides readers with thoughts on the\ud actual level of inclusion for some pupils with a SSEN