TACHISTOSCOPE ON A VIRTUAL REALITY PLATFORM TO IMPROVE MEMORIZATION AND INCREASE RAPID RECOGNITION

This work investigates whether a tachistoscope on a virtual reality (VR) platform can increase one’s ability to memorize and rapidly recognize objects. Theses abilities are relevant to an array of military requirements. Current procedures mostly utilize flash cards and PowerPoint slides. A tachistoscope (ta-kiss-stow-scope) is an image-flashing device with precise control of the image presentation time. Since the early 1900s they were used to assist with memorization and recognition. One famous example is work done by Renshaw in the 1940s to improve pilots’ ability to recognize tanks, aircraft, and ships (Renshaw, 1945). Our study utilized this technique on modern-day VR and computer platforms. It simplified the use of a tachistoscope and will enable units to customize training packages. This study trained individuals to recognize 40 aircraft over eight training sessions. Training session one began with ten aircraft, and five aircraft were added in each subsequent session. Questions captured three variables: correct/incorrect answer, reaction time, and confidence. Participants were in one of three groups: tachistoscope on a VR platform, tachistoscope on laptop, or computer-based flashcard (control). Results indicate a significant increase in memorization from pretest to posttest for all groups. Furthermore, there was a nonsignificant improvement in reaction time from pretest to posttest across all groups.ONRMajor, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

The Physics of Pneumatic Tide Gauges

As a part of its programme to monitor sea level around the British Isles, the Institute of Coastal Oceanography and Tides has a requirement for a recording system which may be quickly and easily installed, and which gives results accurate to 0.01 metre. The traditional stilling-well installation, apart from being costly and difficult to install on a temporary basis, has a number of fundamental disadvantages which limit its ability to record true water levels accurately (Lennon , 1971). Furthermore, stilling-wells, may only be installed where a harbour wall, pier or other vertical structure exists, and such structures are seldom located in positions which are representative of open sea conditions. Pneumatic pressure tide gauges have a number of advantages : not only may they be easily installed on vertical structures, but they may also be used on open coast lines, along beaches, or wherever a light connecting tube can be run from an underwater gas outlet to a recorder ashore. By comparison with gauges which rely on submerged electrical transducers connected to a shore-based recorder by conducting cable, the vulnerable underwater parts of pneumatic gauges are both cheap and easily repaired. Before adopting the pneumatic tide gauge principle for routine measurements it was necessary to investigate the physics of such systems, so that sources of error could be eliminated or subject to correction. This report contains details of these investigations; their application to coastal sea level measurements is described in more detail elsewhere (Pugh, 1971). Details of the bubbler-type gauge which uses a continuous flow of air through a connecting tube to an underwater outlet are given in the first section. However, an extension of the bubbler-gauge theory shows that a flow of air is not strictly necessary, and details of a non-bubbling system are given in the second section. This latter type of gauge is similar to gauges which use a partially inflated bag, but it has the advantage that gauge datum is defined to the same accuracy as a bubbler-gauge datum. The third section of this paper shows how these results may be applied to the design of actual pneumatic tide gauge systems

Design and fabrication of a mid infra-red photonic crystal defect laser in indium antimonide

This paper presents 2D FDTD modelling and prototype fabrication of a mid-infrared photonic crystal defect laser. The device is fabricated using a two stage Focused Ion Beam process which results in improved hole profiles

A CrC^{r} Closing Lemma for a Class of Symplectic Diffeomorphisms

We prove a $C^r$ closing lemma for a class of partially hyperbolic symplectic diffeomorphisms. We show that for a generic $C^r$ symplectic diffeomorphism, $r =1, 2, ...,$, with two dimensional center and close to a product map, the set of all periodic points is dense

Pedagogy for mobile learning using videoconferencing technology

The objective of this paper is to describe the pedagogical and related organizational approaches implemented for mobile learning utilized between a school board and its partnered institutions: Faculties of Education and research institutes. While the two learning events described here were intended to provide mobile ICT-enabled and collaborative learning opportunities for students, the research component of the project was designed to explore the adoption of video-conferencing technology and other collaborative Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) amongst educators. The objective was to evaluate, from the educators’ perspectives, the benefits and obstacles associated with the use of emerging technologies within daily, classroom pedagogy. In order to do so, the authors have chosen two learning events that are very different in terms of their targeted populations, organizational complexity, and pedagogical goals. These learning events were also reflected upon by three in-service teachers from the school board (participants in one of the events), as well as five pre-service teachers, from one of the partner universities, who were observers of the events. A qualitative data analysis process revealed that these two groups have respectively realist and idealist views on ICT integration within schools. The authors concluded that ICT-enabled learning is best adopted through lived experiences and that those may be used to initiate and maintain paradigmatic transition between the various stages of learning on the teacher development continuum (idealist/realist & realistic-idealist), a process by which teachers become inspired users and promoters of innovative tools for mobile ICT learning in the class-room

Reaching across narrative space: Re-interpreting one teacher’s experience with technology

In this paper, the authors investigate one teacher’s utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by drawing context from two of his life-stories: one that he interprets as “ruin” and the other “success.” Methodologically grounded in narrative inquiry, this paper contains excerpts from the teacher’s authentic narratives and their interpretation from the point of information systems research, known as the social process model. The findings emphasize that with the dialogic involvement of educational researchers, it is possible to reach a deeper understanding of the events that influenced the teacher’s experience with technology. Such synergistic alliances amongst educational researchers and teachers are key for detecting and overcoming the linguistic and operational barriers that exist between ICT theorists and practitioners