iTour: How We Fit Six Floors of Milner Library into the Palm of Your Hand

Illinois State University\u27s Milner Library is breaking new ground with iTour, a tour of the library that uses Apple’s 5th generation iPod. iTour is a blend of video, audio, and user-selected choices that will launch a new age of Information Literacy delivery within higher education. If you have a digital camera, a word processor and a little HTML experience, you can create one too. When the student starts iTour, it will walk them through a full tour of Milner, letting them determine what to explore, and at their own pace. iTour is programmed to be interactive, allowing the student to determine the direction and depth of knowledge on a variety of sources and services at Milner. We chose iPods for iTour because it freed the students from sitting at a computer, watching an online video. Now the students physically move around in Milner, engaging with both the physical building, and the “iLibrarian” with a technology that is know and utilized by thousands of their peers every day. In addition, iTour can be checked out from whenever the library is open, so the tours could be utilized by students that may have other employment or family constraints

A novel implementation of computational aerodynamic shape optimisation using Modified Cuckoo Search

This paper outlines a new computational aerodynamic design optimisation algorithm using a novel method of parameterising a computational mesh using `control nodes'. The shape boundary movement as well as the mesh movement is coupled to the movement of user--defined control nodes via a Delaunay Graph Mapping technique. A Modified Cuckoo Search algorithm is employed for optimisation within the prescribed design space defined by the allowed range of control node displacement. A finite volume compressible Navier--Stokes solver is used for aerodynamic modelling to predict aerodynamic design `fitness'. The resulting coupled algorithm is applied to a range of test cases in two dimensions including aerofoil lift--drag ratio optimisation intake duct optimisation under subsonic, transonic and supersonic flow conditions. The discrete (mesh--based) optimisation approach presented is demonstrated to be effective in terms of its generalised applicability and intuitiveness

Advances in co-volume mesh generation and mesh optimisation techniques

This paper introduces developments in modified techniques for the generation of unstructured, non-uniform, dual orthogonal meshes which are suitable for use with co-volume solution schemes. Two new mesh generation techniques, a modified advancing front technique and an octree-Delaunay algorithm, are coupled with a mesh optimisation algorithm. When using a Delaunay–Voronoi dual, to construct mutually orthogonal meshes for co-volume schemes, it is essential to minimise the number of Delaunay elements which do not contain their Voronoi vertex. These new techniques provide an improvement over previous approaches, as they produce meshes in which the number of elements that do not contain their Voronoi vertex is reduced. In particular, it is found that the optimisation algorithm, which could be applied to any mesh cosmetics problem, is very effective, regardless of the quality of the initial mesh. This is illustrated by applying the proposed approach to a number of complex industrial aerospace geometries

A user-centered approach to evolutionary algorithms and their use in industry

The key contribution of this article to the domain of engineering optimisation is establishing best practices with respect to the development of evolutionary algorithms in the context of design engineering. Despite their various uses, the uptake of evolutionary algorithms in industry remains limited. In order to understand why uptake is low a survey of engineers was undertaken, the results of which are presented here. A total of 23 participants (N = 23) took part in the 3-section mixed methodssurvey. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on the open-ended questions. A common thread throughout participants responses is that there is a question of trust towards evolutionary algorithms within industry. Perhaps surprising is that the key to gaining this trust is not producing good results, but creating algorithms which explain the process they take in reaching a result. Based on this, recommendations have been made to increase their use in industry

Why undertake a pilot in a qualitative PhD study? Lessons learned to promote success

YesBackground Pilot studies can play an important role in qualitative studies. Methodological and practical issues can be shaped and refined by undertaking pilots. Personal development and researchers’ competence are enhanced and lessons learned can inform the development and quality of the main study. However, pilot studies are rarely published, despite their potential to improve knowledge and understanding of the research. Aim To present the main lessons learned from undertaking a pilot in a qualitative PhD study. Discussion This paper draws together lessons learned when undertaking a pilot as part of a qualitative research project. Important methodological and practical issues identified during the pilot study are discussed including access, recruitment, data collection and the personal development of the researcher. The resulting changes to the final study are also highlighted. Conclusion Sharing experiences of and lessons learned in a pilot study enhances personal development, improves researchers’ confidence and competence, and contributes to the understanding of research

How Engineers Use Evolution to Invent Things

You may have heard of evolution in terms of plants and animals, but did you know that this natural process can also be used by engineers to invent things? Animals and plants have evolved in amazing ways to survive in their environments. Biologists have been investigating how evolution works for a long time. Mathematicians and computer scientists have worked alongside biologists to create computer programs that can evolve designs, to help engineers invent things. These are called evolutionary optimization algorithms, and they can be used to evolve faster airplanes, stronger bridges, or even better video games. In this article, we will explain how these algorithms work and what their strong and weak points are

Basement and Regional Structure Along Strike of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the Context of Modern and Historical Earthquake Ruptures

The Queen Charlotte fault (QCF) is a dextral transform system located offshore of southeastern Alaska and western Canada, accommodating similar to 4.4 cm/yr of relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates. Oblique convergence along the fault increases southward, and how this convergence is accommodated is still debated. Using seismic reflection data, we interpret offshore basement structure, faulting, and stratigraphy to provide a geological context for two recent earthquakes, an M-w 7.5 strike-slip event near Craig, Alaska, and an M-w 7.8 thrust event near Haida Gwaii, Canada. We map downwarped Pacific oceanic crust near 54 degrees N, between the two rupture zones. Observed downwarping decreases north and south of 54 degrees N, parallel to the strike of the QCF. Bending of the Pacific plate here may have initiated with increased convergence rates due to a plate motion change at similar to 6 Ma. Tectonic reconstruction implies convergence-driven Pacific plate flexure, beginning at 6 Ma south of a 10 degrees bend the QCF (which is currently at 53.2 degrees N) and lasting until the plate translated past the bend by similar to 2 Ma. Normal-faulted approximately late Miocene sediment above the deep flexural depression at 54 degrees N, topped by relatively undeformed Pleistocene and younger sediment, supports this model. Aftershocks of the Haida Gwaii event indicate a normal-faulting stress regime, suggesting present-day plate flexure and underthrusting, which is also consistent with reconstruction of past conditions. We thus favor a Pacific plate underthrusting model to initiate flexure and accommodation space for sediment loading. In addition, mapped structures indicate two possible fault segment boundaries along the QCF at 53.2 degrees N and at 56 degrees N.USGS Earthquake Hazards External Grants ProgramNational Earthquake Hazards Reduction ProgramUTIG Ewing/Worzel FellowshipInstitute for Geophysic

A critical outlook at augmented reality and its adoption in education

Despite a significant volume of empirical research suggesting that augmented reality has a positive impact on student learning outcomes, it has not been widely adopted within education. This review critically analyses the literature to determine why this is the case. Our review methodology was based on the PRISMA strategy. A total of 169 papers were identified for use in this study and this group of papers was evaluated using content analysis. Specifically we analysed the research goals, motivation and the extent of the application of co–design in the research papers. We found that the research in this area is primarily student–centred, and a minority of papers apply co–design as a technique. This is significant because it is well understood that student–centred outcomes have the least effect on technology adoption within education. Based on these findings we make a series of recommendations including a shift away from research focused solely on learning outcomes and towards research which also considers how augmented reality integrates into the teaching environment