Learning from life in the learning economy: The role of narrative

From introduction: The shift from adult education to lifelong learning has not only impacted on the role and position of the adult educator, but has also had a profound effect on the legitimation of the learning of adults. Whereas adult education has historically been connected with learning for personal development and empowerment and learning for social inclusiveness and democratic understanding and activity (see Aspin & Chapman 2001), the rise of the ‘learning paradigm’ (Martin 2006; Biesta 2006a) has been accompanied by an emphasis on learning for economic progress and development. This is not only visible in policy discourse but has also influenced the allocation of public funding for the learning of adults and thus has had a real effect on the kinds of education adults are able to engage in. The rise of the ‘learning paradigm’ can be seen as part of a struggle over the definition of learning: a struggle over what counts as (worthwhile) learning and a struggle over who is allowed to define what (worthwhile) learning is (see Biesta 2006b). In this context an important task for adult education researchers is to highlight the significance of the broad range of learning processes and practices that occur in the lives of adults so as to show that there is more to learning than what is acknowledged in the economic definition of lifelong learning. Doing this has been one of the main ambitions of the Learning Lives project, a 3-year longitudinal study into the learning biographies of about 120 adults of 25 and older (see www.learninglives.org). The research was based upon a series of open-ended interviews in which we invited participants to talk about their lives and the role of learning in it, both retrospectively (using a life-history approach) and in relation to events in their lives over the duration of the project. In this paper we focus on one particular aspect of the learning we encountered in the project, viz., the way in which adults learn from their lives. Our interest in this was prompted by the fact that upon reading and analysing the life-stories of participants we found that in a significant number of cases these stories articulated that participants had reached some kind of insight or understanding about their lives, themselves and their position in the world. The stories evidenced, in other words, that the participants had learned something from their lives. We also found that this learning had had an impact on the ways in which the participants led their lives. We became particularly interested in the role of stories and storying in such learning processes and in possible relationships between the ‘narrative quality’ of life-stories and their potential for learning and action. For our analysis we engaged with literature on narrative in the human and social sciences (Polkinghorne 1988; Bruner 1990; Czarniawska 2004), with the emerging body of work on narrative learning in adult education (Rossiter 1999; Rossiter and Clark 2007), and with research and theory on biographical learning (Alheit 1995; Alheit & Dausien 2002). In this paper we present some of the findings from our analysis and reflect upon their significance for adult learning in the learning economy

Examining the Effects of Passenger Conversation on Older Adult Driving

Older adults have impaired driving performance compared to other age groups, and auditory stimuli has adverse effects on driving performance (Karthaus & Falkenstein, 2016). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expand knowledge of driving and passenger conversation within the older adult population. Participants (n = 17) completed a drive of 7.8 miles on a driving simulator twice; once without conversation and again with conversation. Both drives used the same simulated driving tasks to examine driving performance with and without conversation. Participants exhibited poorer driving performance from the first drive without conversation to the second drive with conversation, specifically in time over the speed limit and average speed. Descriptive statistics also indicated that participants demonstrated poorer driving performance between the first drive and the second drive. Taken together, these findings indicated that passenger conversation negatively impacted driving performance in older adults. Therefore, older adults should be cautious about engaging in conversation while driving, as it can impair their safety

Low temperature removal of surface oxides and hydrocarbons from Ge(100) using atomic hydrogen

Germanium is a group IV semiconductor with many current and potential applications in the modern semiconductor industry. Key to expanding the use of Ge is a reliable method for the removal of surface contamination, including oxides which are naturally formed during the exposure of Ge thin films to atmospheric conditions. A process for achieving this task at lower temperatures would be highly advantageous, where the underlying device architecture will not diffuse through the Ge film while also avoiding electronic damage induced by ion irradiation. Atomic hydrogen cleaning (AHC) offers a low temperature, damage-free alternative to the common ion bombardment and annealing (IBA) technique which is widely employed. In this work, we demonstrate with xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that the AHC method is effective in removing surface oxides and hydrocarbons, yielding an almost completely clean surface when the AHC is conducted at a temperature of 250 ◦C. We compare the post-AHC cleanliness and (2 × 1) low energy electron diffraction (LEED) pattern to that obtained via IBA, where the sample is annealed at 600 ◦C. We also demonstrate that the combination of a sample temperature of 250 ◦C and atomic H dosing is required to clean the surface. Lower temperatures prove less effective in removal of the oxide layer and hydrocarbons, whilst annealing in ultra-high vacuum conditions only removes weakly bound hydrocarbons. Finally, we examine the subsequent H-termination of an IBA-cleaned sample using XPS, LEED and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) in order to examine changes in the work function of Ge(100) upon hydrogenation

Real Time Optical Receiver Project

The goals for the Real Time Optical Receiver project are to Infuse Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems High Photon Efficiency standard into missions, such as Artemis and to provide a real time ground receiver solution (fiber device, detector, real time FPGA-based receiver) that is: (1) Scalable: data rate, atmosphere conditions, telescope aperture, etc., and (2) Uses COTS components when available and work with companies to move custom parts to COTS

Cluster Editing: Kernelization based on Edge Cuts

Kernelization algorithms for the {\sc cluster editing} problem have been a popular topic in the recent research in parameterized computation. Thus far most kernelization algorithms for this problem are based on the concept of {\it critical cliques}. In this paper, we present new observations and new techniques for the study of kernelization algorithms for the {\sc cluster editing} problem. Our techniques are based on the study of the relationship between {\sc cluster editing} and graph edge-cuts. As an application, we present an ${\cal O}(n^2)$-time algorithm that constructs a $2k$ kernel for the {\it weighted} version of the {\sc cluster editing} problem. Our result meets the best kernel size for the unweighted version for the {\sc cluster editing} problem, and significantly improves the previous best kernel of quadratic size for the weighted version of the problem

Using a Fork as a Hairbrush: Investigating Dual Routes to Release from Functional Fixedness

Functional fixedness involves difficulty with conceptualizing creative object uses. When it obstructs problem solving, individuals must reframe their approach. We examined how different training techniques – chunk decomposition (i.e., considering an object’s basic parts and physical properties) and constraint relaxation (i.e., considering an object’s different functions) – might rely upon different routes to creative reframing. Additionally, we investigated how different forms of cognitive load interact with these dual routes. Participants learned one of three techniques. Chunk decomposition participants created object breakdown diagrams; constraint relaxation participants created object functions lists; and, free association (control) participants wrote a word that they associated with each of several concrete nouns. After training, participants attempted to solve five functional fixedness problems. E1 investigated how increasing germane cognitive load via either direct or indirect prompting affected training transfer. Experiment 2 investigated how reducing extraneous cognitive load by providing no transfer instructions and using an eye-closure strategy. Across both experiments, results supported differences in accuracy and response latency by training. However, chunk decomposition and constraint relaxation did not follow the same pattern, suggesting different mechanisms of the effect. We discuss possible applications to increase innovation in real-world domains such as education, business, and engineering

Few-Mode Fiber Coupled Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors for Photon Efficient Optical Communications

The NASA Glenn Research Center's development of a high-photon efficiency real-time optical communications ground receiver has added superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) coupled with few-mode fibers (FMF). High data rate space-to-ground optical communication links require enhanced ground receiver sensitivity to reduce spacecraft transmitter constraints, and therefore require highly efficient coupling from fiber to detector. In the presence of atmospheric turbulence the received optical wave front can be severely distorted introducing higher-order spatial mode components to the received signal. To reduce mode filtering and mismatch loss and the resulting degradations to detector coupling efficiency, we explore the use of few-mode fiber coupling to commercial single-pixel SNSPDs. Graded index 20-m few-mode fibers allow the commercial single pixel SNSPD's active area to couple with equal efficiency as single mode fibers. Here we determine detector characteristics such as count rate, detection efficiency, dark counts, and jitter, as well as detection efficiencies for higher-order fiber spatial modes. Additionally, we assess the laboratory performance of the detectors in an optical system which emulates future deep space optical communications links

Polynomial kernels for 3-leaf power graph modification problems

A graph G=(V,E) is a 3-leaf power iff there exists a tree T whose leaves are V and such that (u,v) is an edge iff u and v are at distance at most 3 in T. The 3-leaf power graph edge modification problems, i.e. edition (also known as the closest 3-leaf power), completion and edge-deletion, are FTP when parameterized by the size of the edge set modification. However polynomial kernel was known for none of these three problems. For each of them, we provide cubic kernels that can be computed in linear time for each of these problems. We thereby answer an open problem first mentioned by Dom, Guo, Huffner and Niedermeier (2005).Comment: Submitte