Using Reflection with Peers to Help Students Learn Effective Problem Solving Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Andrew; Singh, Chandralekha

2010-10-01

We describe a study in which introductory physics students engage in reflection with peers about problem solving. The recitations for an introductory physics course with 200 students were broken into the "Peer Reflection" (PR) group and the traditional group. Each week in recitation, students in the PR group reflected in small teams on selected problems from the homework. The graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants (TAs) in the PR group recitations provided guidance and coaching to help students learn effective problem solving heuristics. In the recitations for the traditional group, students had the opportunity to ask the graduate TA questions about the homework before they took a weekly quiz. On the final exam with only multiple-choice questions, the PR group drew diagrams on more problems than the traditional group, even when there was no external reward for doing so. Since there was no partial credit for drawing the diagrams on the scratch books, students did not draw diagrams simply to get credit for the effort shown and must value the use of diagrams for solving problems if they drew them. We also find that, regardless of whether the students belonged to the traditional or PR groups, those who drew more diagrams for the multiple-choice questions outperformed those who did not draw them.

Solving Classical Insight Problems without Aha! Experience: 9 Dot, 8 Coin, and Matchstick Arithmetic Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danek, Amory H.; Wiley, Jennifer; Öllinger, Michael

2016-01-01

Insightful problem solving is a vital part of human thinking, yet very difficult to grasp. Traditionally, insight has been investigated by using a set of established "insight tasks," assuming that insight has taken place if these problems are solved. Instead of assuming that insight takes place during every solution of the 9 Dot, 8 Coin,…

AI tools in computer based problem solving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beane, Arthur J.

1988-01-01

The use of computers to solve value oriented, deterministic, algorithmic problems, has evolved a structured life cycle model of the software process. The symbolic processing techniques used, primarily in research, for solving nondeterministic problems, and those for which an algorithmic solution is unknown, have evolved a different model, much less structured. Traditionally, the two approaches have been used completely independently. With the advent of low cost, high performance 32 bit workstations executing identical software with large minicomputers and mainframes, it became possible to begin to merge both models into a single extended model of computer problem solving. The implementation of such an extended model on a VAX family of micro/mini/mainframe systems is described. Examples in both development and deployment of applications involving a blending of AI and traditional techniques are given.

Recherche Empirique sur les Processes de reequilibrage de l'attention dans le traitement des problemes educatifs. (Empirical Study on the Process of Redirecting Attention in Educational Problem-Solving.)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasserstein-Warnet, Marc M.

2000-01-01

Asserts that traditional strategies of problem-solving are inadequate and that a new method is needed. Suggests four ways to redirect attention in problem solving: overcoming an instant or linear perception of time, interacting between the problem's components and its whole, searching for the meaning or sense of a problem, and studying the…

Some Thoughts about Molecular-Level Representations in Conceptual Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakhleh, Mary B.

One of the more interesting areas of problem solving in chemistry attempts to answer the question, "What do students understand about the molecular level of chemistry?" This question is also implicit in the more traditional area of mathematical problem solving but in this paper, more focus is placed on devising ways to help students develop a…

Survey of Mathematics Teachers' Static and Transformational Performance and Perspectives for Teaching Similarity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Robert F.; Rappa, Anthony

2016-01-01

Surveys were used to examine mathematics teachers (15) on their ability to solve similarity problems and on their likely implementation of lesson objectives for teaching similarity. All correctly solved a similarity problem requiring a traditional static perspective, but 7 out of 15 failed to correctly solve a problem that required a more…

The effects of tradition on problem solving by two wild populations of bearded capuchin monkeys in a probing task.

PubMed

Cardoso, Raphael Moura; Ottoni, Eduardo B

2016-11-01

The effects of culture on individual cognition have become a core issue among cultural primatologists. Field studies with wild populations provide evidence on the role of social cues in the ontogeny of tool use in non-human primates, and on the transmission of such behaviours over generations through socially biased learning. Recent experimental studies have shown that cultural knowledge may influence problem solving in wild populations of chimpanzees. Here, we present the results from a field experiment comparing the performance of bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) from two wild savannah populations with distinct toolkits in a probing task. Only the population that already exhibited the customary use of probing tools succeeded in solving the new problem, suggesting that their cultural repertoire shaped their approach to the new task. Moreover, only this population, which uses stone tools in a broader range of contexts, tried to use them to solve the problem. Social interactions can affect the formation of learning sets and they affect the performance of the monkeys in problem solving. We suggest that behavioural traditions affect the ways non-human primates solve novel foraging problems using tools. © 2016 The Author(s).

The effectiveness of learning with concept mapping on the science problem-solving of sixth-grade children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolly, Anju B.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of concept mapping to science problem solving in sixth grade elementary school children. The study proposes to determine whether the students' ability to perform higher cognitive processes was a predictor of students' performance in solving problems in science and whether gender and socioeconomic status are related to performance in solving problems. Two groups participated in the study. Both groups were given a pre-test of higher cognitive ability--the Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Ability. One group received instruction on a science unit of study in concept mapping format and the other group received instruction in traditional format. The instruction lasted approximately 4 weeks. Both groups were given a problem-solving post-test. A comparison of post-test means was done using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) as the statistical procedure with scores on the test of higher cognitive ability as the covariate. Also, Multiple Regression was performed to analyze the influence of participants' gender and socioeconomic status on their performance in solving problems. Results from the analysis of covariance showed that the group receiving instruction in the concept mapping format performed significantly better than the group receiving instruction in traditional format. Also the Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes emerged to be a predictor of performance on problem solving. There was no significant difference in the analysis of the performance of males and females. No pattern emerged regarding the influence of socioeconomic status on problem solving performance. In conclusion, the study showed that concept mapping improved problem solving in the classroom, and that gender and socioeconomic status are not predictors of student success in problem solving.

Topology-changing shape optimization with the genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamberson, Steven E., Jr.

The goal is to take a traditional shape optimization problem statement and modify it slightly to allow for prescribed changes in topology. This modification enables greater flexibility in the choice of parameters for the topology optimization problem, while improving the direct physical relevance of the results. This modification involves changing the optimization problem statement from a nonlinear programming problem into a form of mixed-discrete nonlinear programing problem. The present work demonstrates one possible way of using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) to solve such a problem, including the use of "masking bits" and a new modification to the bit-string affinity (BSA) termination criterion specifically designed for problems with "masking bits." A simple ten-bar truss problem proves the utility of the modified BSA for this type of problem. A more complicated two dimensional bracket problem is solved using both the proposed approach and a more traditional topology optimization approach (Solid Isotropic Microstructure with Penalization or SIMP) to enable comparison. The proposed approach is able to solve problems with both local and global constraints, which is something traditional methods cannot do. The proposed approach has a significantly higher computational burden --- on the order of 100 times larger than SIMP, although the proposed approach is able to offset this with parallel computing.

The Use of Mathematical Symbolism in Problem Solving: An Empirical Study Carried out in Grade One in the French Community of Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagnant, Annick

2005-01-01

This article relates to an empirical study based on the use of mathematical symbolism in problem solving, twenty-five pupils were interviewed individually at the end of grade one; each of them was asked to solve and symbolize 14 different problems. In their classical curriculum, these pupils have received a traditional education based on a…

Problem-Centered Supplemental Instruction in Biology: Influence on Content Recall, Content Understanding, and Problem Solving Ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, Joel; Belland, Brian R.

2017-08-01

To address the need for effective, efficient ways to apply active learning in undergraduate biology courses, in this paper, we propose a problem-centered approach that utilizes supplemental web-based instructional materials based on principles of active learning. We compared two supplementary web-based modules using active learning strategies: the first used Merrill's First Principles of Instruction as a framework for organizing multiple active learning strategies; the second used a traditional web-based approach. Results indicated that (a) the First Principles group gained significantly from pretest to posttest at the Remember level ( t(40) = -1.432, p = 0.08, ES = 0.4) and at the Problem Solving level ( U = 142.5, N1 = 21, N2 = 21, p = .02, ES = 0.7) and (b) the Traditional group gained significantly from pretest to posttest at the Remember level ( t(36) = 1.762, p = 0.043, ES = 0.6). Those in the First Principles group were significantly more likely than the traditional group to be confident in their ability to solve problems in the future (χ2 (2, N = 40) = 3.585, p = 0.09).

Determining the relationship between students' scores using traditional homework assignments to those who used assignments on a non-traditional interactive CD with tutor helps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinney, Charles Evan

2007-12-01

By using the book "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Raymond A. Serway as a guide, CD problem sets for teaching a calculus-based physics course were developed, programmed, and evaluated for homework assignments during the 2003-2004 academic year at Utah State University. These CD sets were used to replace the traditionally handwritten and submitted homework sets. They included a research-based format that guided the students through problem-solving techniques using responseactivated helps and suggestions. The CD contents were designed to help the student improve his/her physics problem-solving skills. The analyzed score results showed a direct correlation between the scores obtained on the homework and the students' time spent per problem, as well as the number of helps used per problem.

The Effects of Training and Other Factors on Problem Solving in Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puran, Robabeh; Behzadi, Mohamad Hasan; Shahvarani, Ahmad; Lotfi, Farhad Hosseinzadeh

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to identify the factors which affect students' creative thinking in problem solving. The research which was performed was quasi-experimental. It used one experimental group and two control groups from three second-grade high school classes. They received either traditional, active or heuristic problem-solving…

Effects of computer-based graphic organizers to solve one-step word problems for middle school students with mild intellectual disability: A preliminary study.

PubMed

Sheriff, Kelli A; Boon, Richard T

2014-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of computer-based graphic organizers, using Kidspiration 3© software, to solve one-step word problems. Participants included three students with mild intellectual disability enrolled in a functional academic skills curriculum in a self-contained classroom. A multiple probe single-subject research design (Horner & Baer, 1978) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of computer-based graphic organizers to solving mathematical one-step word problems. During the baseline phase, the students completed a teacher-generated worksheet that consisted of nine functional word problems in a traditional format using a pencil, paper, and a calculator. In the intervention and maintenance phases, the students were instructed to complete the word problems using a computer-based graphic organizer. Results indicated that all three of the students improved in their ability to solve the one-step word problems using computer-based graphic organizers compared to traditional instructional practices. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Problem-Solving Teaching on Creative Thinking among District 2 High School Students in Sari City.

PubMed

Nozari, Ali Yazdanpanah; Siamian, Hasan

2014-12-01

Nowadays, regarding the learners' needs and social conditions, it is obviously needed to revise and reconsider the traditional methods and approaches in teaching. The problem solving approach is one of the new ways in Teaching and learning process. This study aimed at studying and examining the effect of "problem-solving" approach on creative thinking of high school female students. An experimental method is used for this research. In this research, 342 out of 3047 female-students from Sari high schools were randomly selected. These 342 students were divided into two groups (experimental and control) in which there were seven classrooms. The total number of students in every group was about 171. After testing them with Jamal Abedi creativity test, it was revealed that two groups were equal in creativity score. The tests were done through Requirements. The experimental group was taught by problem solving method for three months while the control group was taught by traditional method. The research results showed that using descriptive indices and t-test for the two independent sample groups in which problem solving teaching method was used in teaching processes had an effect on creativity level in comparison with traditional method used in the control group. Considering the results of this study, the application of problem-solving teaching methods increased the creativity and its components (fluidity, expansion, originality and flexibility) in learners, therefore, it is recommended that students be encouraged to take classes on frequent responses on various topics (variability) and draw attention on different issues, and expand their analysis on elements in particular courses like art (expansion). To enhance the learner's mental flexibility and attention to various aspects, they are encouraged to provide a variety of responses.

Cognitive Profiles of Mathematical Problem Solving Learning Disability for Different Definitions of Disability

PubMed Central

Tolar, Tammy D.; Fuchs, Lynn; Fletcher, Jack M.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L.

2014-01-01

Three cohorts of third-grade students (N = 813) were evaluated on achievement, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attention according to contrasting research traditions in defining math learning disability (LD) status: low achievement versus extremely low achievement and IQ-achievement discrepant versus strictly low-achieving LD. We use methods from these two traditions to form math problem solving LD groups. To evaluate group differences, we used MANOVA-based profile and canonical analyses to control for relations among the outcomes and regression to control for group definition variables. Results suggest that basic arithmetic is the key distinguishing characteristic that separates low-achieving problem solvers (including LD, regardless of definition) from typically achieving students. Word problem solving is the key distinguishing characteristic that separates IQ-achievement-discrepant from strictly low-achieving LD students, favoring the IQ-achievement-discrepant students. PMID:24939971

Nanomedicine: Problem Solving to Treat Cancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemling, Melissa A.; Sammel, Lauren M.; Zenner, Greta; Payne, Amy C.; Crone, Wendy C.

2006-01-01

Many traditional classroom science and technology activities often ask students to complete prepackaged labs that ensure that everyone arrives at the same "scientifically accurate" solution or theory, which ignores the important problem-solving and creative aspects of scientific research and technological design. Students rarely have the…

Can Students Identify the Relevant Information to Solve a Problem?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Lishan; Yu, Shengquan; Li, Baoping; Wang, Jing

2017-01-01

Solving non-routine problems is one of the most important skills for the 21st century. Traditional paper-pencil tests cannot assess this type of skill well because of their lack of interactivity and inability to capture procedural data. Tools such as MicroDYN and MicroFIN have proved to be trustworthy in assessing complex problem-solving…

SOFIA's Choice: Automating the Scheduling of Airborne Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Jeremy; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

This paper describes the problem of scheduling observations for an airborne telescope. Given a set of prioritized observations to choose from, and a wide range of complex constraints governing legitimate choices and orderings, how can we efficiently and effectively create a valid flight plan which supports high priority observations? This problem is quite different from scheduling problems which are routinely solved automatically in industry. For instance, the problem requires making choices which lead to other choices later, and contains many interacting complex constraints over both discrete and continuous variables. Furthermore, new types of constraints may be added as the fundamental problem changes. As a result of these features, this problem cannot be solved by traditional scheduling techniques. The problem resembles other problems in NASA and industry, from observation scheduling for rovers and other science instruments to vehicle routing. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. In 2 we describe the observatory in order to provide some background. In 3 we describe the problem of scheduling a single flight. In 4 we compare flight planning and other scheduling problems and argue that traditional techniques are not sufficient to solve this problem. We also mention similar complex scheduling problems which may benefit from efforts to solve this problem. In 5 we describe an approach for solving this problem based on research into a similar problem, that of scheduling observations for a space-borne probe. In 6 we discuss extensions of the flight planning problem as well as other problems which are similar to flight planning. In 7 we conclude and discuss future work.

The development and nature of problem-solving among first-semester calculus students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawkins, Paul Christian; Mendoza Epperson, James A.

2014-08-01

This study investigates interactions between calculus learning and problem-solving in the context of two first-semester undergraduate calculus courses in the USA. We assessed students' problem-solving abilities in a common US calculus course design that included traditional lecture and assessment with problem-solving-oriented labs. We investigate this blended instruction as a local representative of the US calculus reform movements that helped foster it. These reform movements tended to emphasize problem-solving as well as multiple mathematical registers and quantitative modelling. Our statistical analysis reveals the influence of the blended traditional/reform calculus instruction on students' ability to solve calculus-related, non-routine problems through repeated measures over the semester. The calculus instruction in this study significantly improved students' performance on non-routine problems, though performance improved more regarding strategies and accuracy than it did for drawing conclusions and providing justifications. We identified problem-solving behaviours that characterized top performance or attrition in the course. Top-performing students displayed greater algebraic proficiency, calculus skills, and more general heuristics than their peers, but overused algebraic techniques even when they proved cumbersome or inappropriate. Students who subsequently withdrew from calculus often lacked algebraic fluency and understanding of the graphical register. The majority of participants, when given a choice, relied upon less sophisticated trial-and-error approaches in the numerical register and rarely used the graphical register, contrary to the goals of US calculus reform. We provide explanations for these patterns in students' problem-solving performance in view of both their preparation for university calculus and the courses' assessment structure, which preferentially rewarded algebraic reasoning. While instruction improved students' problem-solving performance, we observe that current instruction requires ongoing refinement to help students develop multi-register fluency and the ability to model quantitatively, as is called for in current US standards for mathematical instruction.

The Effects of Problem-Based Learning on Pre-Service Teachers' Critical Thinking Dispositions and Perceptions of Problem-Solving Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Temel, Senar

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was two-fold. The first aim was to determine the levels of critical thinking disposition and perception of problem-solving ability of pre-service teachers. The second aim was to compare the effects of problem-based learning and traditional teaching methods on the critical thinking dispositions and perceptions of…

The Role of Content Knowledge in Ill-Structured Problem Solving for High School Physics Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milbourne, Jeff; Wiebe, Eric

2018-02-01

While Physics Education Research has a rich tradition of problem-solving scholarship, most of the work has focused on more traditional, well-defined problems. Less work has been done with ill-structured problems, problems that are better aligned with the engineering and design-based scenarios promoted by the Next Generation Science Standards. This study explored the relationship between physics content knowledge and ill-structured problem solving for two groups of high school students with different levels of content knowledge. Both groups of students completed an ill-structured problem set, using a talk-aloud procedure to narrate their thought process as they worked. Analysis of the data focused on identifying students' solution pathways, as well as the obstacles that prevented them from reaching "reasonable" solutions. Students with more content knowledge were more successful reaching reasonable solutions for each of the problems, experiencing fewer obstacles. These students also employed a greater variety of solution pathways than those with less content knowledge. Results suggest that a student's solution pathway choice may depend on how she perceives the problem.

A General Architecture for Intelligent Tutoring of Diagnostic Classification Problem Solving

PubMed Central

Crowley, Rebecca S.; Medvedeva, Olga

2003-01-01

We report on a general architecture for creating knowledge-based medical training systems to teach diagnostic classification problem solving. The approach is informed by our previous work describing the development of expertise in classification problem solving in Pathology. The architecture envelops the traditional Intelligent Tutoring System design within the Unified Problem-solving Method description Language (UPML) architecture, supporting component modularity and reuse. Based on the domain ontology, domain task ontology and case data, the abstract problem-solving methods of the expert model create a dynamic solution graph. Student interaction with the solution graph is filtered through an instructional layer, which is created by a second set of abstract problem-solving methods and pedagogic ontologies, in response to the current state of the student model. We outline the advantages and limitations of this general approach, and describe it’s implementation in SlideTutor–a developing Intelligent Tutoring System in Dermatopathology. PMID:14728159

Design and Implementation of the Game-Design and Learning Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akcaoglu, Mete

2016-01-01

Design involves solving complex, ill-structured problems. Design tasks are consequently, appropriate contexts for children to exercise higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. Although creating engaging and authentic design contexts for young children is difficult within the confines of traditional schooling, recently, game-design has…

How Young Students Communicate Their Mathematical Problem Solving in Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teledahl, Anna

2017-01-01

This study investigates young students' writing in connection to mathematical problem solving. Students' written communication has traditionally been used by mathematics teachers in the assessment of students' mathematical knowledge. This study rests on the notion that this writing represents a particular activity which requires a complex set of…

Fostering Student Engagement: Creative Problem-Solving in Small Group Facilitations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samson, Patricia L.

2015-01-01

Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) can be a transformative teaching methodology that supports a dialogical learning atmosphere that can transcend the traditional classroom and inspire excellence in students by linking real life experiences with the curriculum. It supports a sense of inquiry that incorporates both experiential learning and the…

Utilizing the Bicycle for Non-Traditional Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maina, Michael P.; Maina, Julie Schlegel; Sebek, Ludek; Hoffmanova, Jana; Kane, Jennifer Jackson

2012-01-01

This article examines the bicycle as not simply a means of transportation or as an exercise device, but rather as a vehicle for teambuilding and problem solving activities within a physical education curriculum. The activities described in this article focus on bike-centered initiatives that foster creative problem solving. They have universal…

Integrating Study Skills and Problem Solving into Remedial Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornick, Jonathan; Guy, G. Michael; Beckford, Ian

2015-01-01

Students at a large urban community college enrolled in seven classes of an experimental remedial algebra programme, which integrated study skills instruction and collaborative problem solving. A control group of seven classes was taught in a traditional lecture format without study skills instruction. Student performance in the course was…

Effects of "Handep" Cooperative Learning Based on Indigenous Knowledge on Mathematical Problem Solving Skill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demitra; Sarjoko

2018-01-01

Indigenous people of Dayak tribe in Kalimantan, Indonesia have traditionally relied on a system of mutual cooperation called "handep." The cultural context has an influence on students mathematics learning. The "handep" system might be suitable for modern learning situations to develop mathematical problem-solving skill. The…

What Really Matters: Assessing Individual Problem-Solving Performance in the Context of Biological Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, William L.; Sensibaugh, Cheryl A.; Osgood, Marcy P.; Mitchell, Steven M.

2011-01-01

The evaluation of higher-level cognitive skills can augment traditional discipline-based knowledge testing by providing timely assessment of individual student problem-solving abilities that are critical for success in any professional development program. However, the wide-spread acceptance and implementation of higher level cognitive skills…

Addressing Students' Difficulties with Faraday's Law: A Guided Problem Solving Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuza, Kristina; Almudí, José-Manuel; Leniz, Ane; Guisasola, Jenaro

2014-01-01

In traditional teaching, the fundamental concepts of electromagnetic induction are usually quickly analyzed, spending most of the time solving problems in a more or less rote manner. However, physics education research has shown that the fundamental concepts of the electromagnetic induction theory are barely understood by students. This article…

Solving Relational Database Problems with ORDBMS in an Advanced Database Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ming

2011-01-01

This paper introduces how to use the object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) to solve relational database (RDB) problems in an advanced database course. The purpose of the paper is to provide a guideline for database instructors who desire to incorporate the ORDB technology in their traditional database courses. The paper presents…

Solving Real Community Problems to Improve the Teaching of Public Affairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaghi, Abdulfattah; Alibeli, Madalla

2014-01-01

In order to achieve their course learning outcomes, public affairs instructors can train students to solve real community problems (SRCP). This approach focuses on the learners themselves and aims to transform the role of college professors from traditional teaching (lecturing) to facilitating and coaching students' learning activities. This study…

Show, Don't Tell: Using Photographic "Snapsignments" to Advance and Assess Creative Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machin, Jane E.

2016-01-01

Traditional assignments that aim to develop and evaluate creative problem solving skills are frequently foregone in large marketing classes due to the daunting grading prospect they present. Here, a new assessment method is introduced: the "snapsignment." Through photography, individual projects can be assigned that promote higher order…

Adventures in Exercise Physiology: Enhancing Problem Solving and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FitzPatrick, Kathleen A.

2004-01-01

I altered the format of an exercise physiology course from traditional lecture to emphasizing daily reading quizzes and group problem-solving activities. I used the SALGains evaluation to compare the two approaches and saw significant improvements in the evaluation ratings of students who were taught using the new format. Narrative responses…

Sustainable Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources: Systematic Evaluation on Different Production Modes

PubMed Central

Li, Xiwen; Chen, Yuning; Yang, Qing; Wang, Yitao

2015-01-01

The usage amount of medicinal plant rapidly increased along with the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. The higher market demand and the shortage of wild herbal resources enforce us to carry out large-scale introduction and cultivation. Herbal cultivation can ease current contradiction between medicinal resources supply and demand while they bring new problems such as pesticide residues and plant disease and pests. Researchers have recently placed high hopes on the application of natural fostering, a new method incorporated herbal production and diversity protecting practically, which can solve the problems brought by artificial cultivation. However no modes can solve all problems existing in current herbal production. This study evaluated different production modes including cultivation, natural fostering, and wild collection to guide the traditional Chinese medicine production for sustainable utilization of herbal resources. PMID:26074987

An Astronomical Problem in a Japanese Traditional Mathematical Text: The 49th Problem of the Kenki-sanpo of Takebe Katahiro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ôhashi, Yukio

During the Edo period (Tokugawa-shogunate period) (1603-1867), there was a mathematical tradition now called "Wasan" which was primarily based on Chinese mathematics, but Japanese mathematicians also created new devices. It was quite popular, and common people could enjoy solving mathematical problems through Wasan regardless of their social status. Some astronomical problems were also treated there.

The P.A.C.E.S. Grading Rubric: Creating a Student-Owned Assessment Tool for Projects-The Design Brief Brings out All Kinds of "Out of the Box" Thinking, with Many Correct Answers to Solve the Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tufte, Robert B., Jr.

2005-01-01

P.A.C.E.S. stands for Participation, Appearance, Cleanup, Engineering, and Safety. The author has traditionally used design briefs to set the limits on processes and materials to solve a given problem. The design brief brings out all kinds of "out of the box" thinking, with many correct answers to solve the problem. The P.A.C.E.S. rubric ties the…

What We Know (and What We Don't Know) about Training of Cognitive Strategies for Technical Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foshay, Wellesley R.

The topic of teaching troubleshooting is examined as an example of the teaching of cognitive strategies for technical problem solving. The traditional behavioral approach to teaching troubleshooting has essentially been algorithmic. Recent cognitive research suggests an approach founded first on task analysis and characterized by: (1) analysis of…

Occupational Gender Stereotypes and Problem-Solving in Italian Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginevra, Maria Cristina; Nota, Laura

2017-01-01

The first purpose of the study was to establish how Italian adolescents perceive jobs in the newly emerging economy sectors as well as more traditional jobs from gender-stereotyped and gender-segregated perspectives. The second purpose was to verify the role of problem-solving and gender in gender-role stereotyping. A total of 217 Italian high…

Problem-Solving Strategies for Career Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBryde, Merry J.; Karr-Kidwell, PJ

The need for new expertise in problem solving in the work setting has emerged as a woman's issue because work outside the home has become a primary means for personal goal attainment for about half the women in the United States and because traditional career patterns and norms are ineffective. Career planning is the process of individual career…

Classroom-tested Recommendations for Teaching Problem Solving within a Traditional College Course: Genetics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Mike U.

Both teachers and students alike acknowledge that genetics and genetics problem-solving are extremely difficult to learn and to teach. Therefore, a number of recommendations for teaching college genetics are offered. Although few of these ideas have as yet been tested in controlled experiments, they are supported by research and experience and may…

Teachers' and Learners' Inclinations towards Animal Organ Dissection and Its Use in Problem-Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavai, Portia; de Villiers, Rian; Fraser, William

2017-01-01

In Life Sciences (biology) education, both nationally and internationally, the study of animal and organ morphology has traditionally involved dissection since the early 19th century. This study focused on the inclinations of teachers and learners towards animal organ dissection, and its use in problem-solving in Grade 11 Life Sciences education…

Exploring the Effectiveness of Different Approaches to Teaching Finite Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeal, Mary; Walker, Sandra; Carter, Jamye; Simmons-Johnson, Carolyn; Balam, Esenc

2013-01-01

Traditionally, mathematics has been taught using a very direct approach which the teacher explains the procedure to solve a problem and the students use pencil and paper to solve the problem. However, a variety of alternative approaches to mathematics have surfaced from a number of different directions. The purpose of this study was to examine the…

Do Variations of Science Teaching Approaches Make Difference in Shaping Student Content and Problem Solving Achievement across Different Racial/Ethnic Groups?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Su; Wang, Jian

2016-01-01

Students' frequent exposure to inquiry-based science teaching is presumed more effective than their exposure to traditional didactic instruction in helping improve competence in content knowledge and problem solving. Framed through theoretical perspectives of inquiry-based instruction and culturally relevant pedagogy, this study examines this…

Case Study Analysis in the Classroom: Becoming a Reflective Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campoy, Renee W.

2004-01-01

Stories of students in need, or of teachers who are struggling, draw readers into the process of solving classroom problems in a manner that traditional textbook formats are unable to match. Presented in an engaging and stimulating manner, this book provides beginning teachers a variety of typical classroom problems to analyze and solve. Solving…

Could HPS Improve Problem-Solving?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coelho, Ricardo Lopes

2013-05-01

It is generally accepted nowadays that History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) is useful in understanding scientific concepts, theories and even some experiments. Problem-solving strategies are a significant topic, since students' careers depend on their skill to solve problems. These are the reasons for addressing the question of whether problem solving could be improved by means of HPS. Three typical problems in introductory courses of mechanics—the inclined plane, the simple pendulum and the Atwood machine—are taken as the object of the present study. The solving strategies of these problems in the eighteenth and nineteenth century constitute the historical component of the study. Its philosophical component stems from the foundations of mechanics research literature. The use of HPS leads us to see those problems in a different way. These different ways can be tested, for which experiments are proposed. The traditional solving strategies for the incline and pendulum problems are adequate for some situations but not in general. The recourse to apparent weights in the Atwood machine problem leads us to a new insight and a solving strategy for composed Atwood machines. Educational implications also concern the development of logical thinking by means of the variety of lines of thought provided by HPS.

Effectiveness of problem based learning as an instructional tool for acquisition of content knowledge and promotion of critical thinking among medical students.

PubMed

Tayyeb, Rakhshanda

2013-01-01

To assess effectiveness of PBL as an instructional tool in clinical years to improve learning of undergraduate students in terms of acquisition of content knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving skills through problem based learning and traditional way of teaching. Quasi-experimental study. Fatima Jinnah Medical College for Women, Lahore, from October 2009 to April 2010. Final year medical students attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Surgery rotations were inducted as participants in this study. Two batches of 50 students each attended Gynaecology rotation and two batches attended Surgery rotation, i.e. 100 students in each. Each batch was divided into two groups i.e. A and B of 25 students each. Group-A learnt through traditional teaching, involving bedside teaching and lectures in wards and Group-B learnt relevant clinical knowledge through a modified PBL process. Content knowledge was tested by MCQs testing recall while clinical reasoning and problem were assessed by MCQs testing analysis and critical thinking. Intra-group comparison of mean scores of pre and post-test scores was done using paired sample t-tests while for intergroup comparison of mean scores was done through independent sample t-test. Teaching through traditional method significantly improved content knowledge, (p = 0.001) but did not considerably improve clinical reasoning and problem solving skills (p = 0.093) whereas, content knowledge of students who studied through PBL remained the same (p = 0.202) but there was marked improvement in their clinical reasoning and problem solving skills (p = < 0.001). PBL is an effective instructional tool to foster critical thinking and problem solving skills among medical students.

Effects of Flipped Learning Using Online Materials in a Surgical Nursing Practicum: A Pilot Stratified Group-Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Lee, Myung Kyung

2018-01-01

Objectives This study examined the effect of flipped learning in comparison to traditional learning in a surgical nursing practicum. Methods The subjects of this study were 102 nursing students in their third year of university who were scheduled to complete a clinical nursing practicum in an operating room or surgical unit. Participants were randomly assigned to either a flipped learning group (n = 51) or a traditional learning group (n = 51) for the 1-week, 45-hour clinical nursing practicum. The flipped-learning group completed independent e-learning lessons on surgical nursing and received a brief orientation prior to the commencement of the practicum, while the traditional-learning group received a face-to-face orientation and on-site instruction. After the completion of the practicum, both groups completed a case study and a conference. The student's self-efficacy, self-leadership, and problem-solving skills in clinical practice were measured both before and after the one-week surgical nursing practicum. Results Participants' independent goal setting and evaluation of beliefs and assumptions for the subscales of self-leadership and problem-solving skills were compared for the flipped learning group and the traditional learning group. The results showed greater improvement on these indicators for the flipped learning group in comparison to the traditional learning group. Conclusions The flipped learning method might offer more effective e-learning opportunities in terms of self-leadership and problem-solving than the traditional learning method in surgical nursing practicums. PMID:29503755

Effects of Flipped Learning Using Online Materials in a Surgical Nursing Practicum: A Pilot Stratified Group-Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Lee, Myung Kyung; Park, Bu Kyung

2018-01-01

This study examined the effect of flipped learning in comparison to traditional learning in a surgical nursing practicum. The subjects of this study were 102 nursing students in their third year of university who were scheduled to complete a clinical nursing practicum in an operating room or surgical unit. Participants were randomly assigned to either a flipped learning group (n = 51) or a traditional learning group (n = 51) for the 1-week, 45-hour clinical nursing practicum. The flipped-learning group completed independent e-learning lessons on surgical nursing and received a brief orientation prior to the commencement of the practicum, while the traditional-learning group received a face-to-face orientation and on-site instruction. After the completion of the practicum, both groups completed a case study and a conference. The student's self-efficacy, self-leadership, and problem-solving skills in clinical practice were measured both before and after the one-week surgical nursing practicum. Participants' independent goal setting and evaluation of beliefs and assumptions for the subscales of self-leadership and problem-solving skills were compared for the flipped learning group and the traditional learning group. The results showed greater improvement on these indicators for the flipped learning group in comparison to the traditional learning group. The flipped learning method might offer more effective e-learning opportunities in terms of self-leadership and problem-solving than the traditional learning method in surgical nursing practicums.

[Traditional Chinese Medicine data management policy in big data environment].

PubMed

Liang, Yang; Ding, Chang-Song; Huang, Xin-di; Deng, Le

2018-02-01

As traditional data management model cannot effectively manage the massive data in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) due to the uncertainty of data object attributes as well as the diversity and abstraction of data representation, a management strategy for TCM data based on big data technology is proposed. Based on true characteristics of TCM data, this strategy could solve the problems of the uncertainty of data object attributes in TCM information and the non-uniformity of the data representation by using modeless properties of stored objects in big data technology. Hybrid indexing mode was also used to solve the conflicts brought by different storage modes in indexing process, with powerful capabilities in query processing of massive data through efficient parallel MapReduce process. The theoretical analysis provided the management framework and its key technology, while its performance was tested on Hadoop by using several common traditional Chinese medicines and prescriptions from practical TCM data source. Result showed that this strategy can effectively solve the storage problem of TCM information, with good performance in query efficiency, completeness and robustness. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

A Further Study of Productive Failure in Mathematical Problem Solving: Unpacking the Design Components

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapur, Manu

2011-01-01

This paper replicates and extends my earlier work on productive failure in mathematical problem solving (Kapur, doi:10.1007/s11251-009-9093-x, 2009). One hundred and nine, seventh-grade mathematics students taught by the same teacher from a Singapore school experienced one of three learning designs: (a) traditional lecture and practice (LP), (b)…

Knowledge at Work: Learning and Transferring Expert Reasoning through Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Serrano, Julian; Stefanou, Spiro E.

2009-01-01

There is plenty of evidence in many fields of knowledge that storytelling is a bona fide human activity for problem-solving. We believe that a storytelling model for problem-solving can be constructed to organize this discourse. To that end, we carried out a qualitative study using the Grounded Theory tradition to build such a model always mindful…

Use of a Mobile Application to Help Students Develop Skills Needed in Solving Force Equilibrium Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Eunice

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the use of a free mobile engineering application (app) called Autodesk® ForceEffect™ to provide students assistance with spatial visualization of forces and more practice in solving/visualizing statics problems compared to the traditional pencil-and-paper method. ForceEffect analyzes static rigid-body systems using free-body…

Improved Monkey-King Genetic Algorithm for Solving Large Winner Determination in Combinatorial Auction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuzhong

Using GA solve the winner determination problem (WDP) with large bids and items, run under different distribution, because the search space is large, constraint complex and it may easy to produce infeasible solution, would affect the efficiency and quality of algorithm. This paper present improved MKGA, including three operator: preprocessing, insert bid and exchange recombination, and use Monkey-king elite preservation strategy. Experimental results show that improved MKGA is better than SGA in population size and computation. The problem that traditional branch and bound algorithm hard to solve, improved MKGA can solve and achieve better effect.

Understanding catastrophizing from a misdirected problem-solving perspective.

PubMed

Flink, Ida K; Boersma, Katja; MacDonald, Shane; Linton, Steven J

2012-05-01

The aim is to explore pain catastrophizing from a problem-solving perspective. The links between catastrophizing, problem framing, and problem-solving behaviour are examined through two possible models of mediation as inferred by two contemporary and complementary theoretical models, the misdirected problem solving model (Eccleston & Crombez, 2007) and the fear-anxiety-avoidance model (Asmundson, Norton, & Vlaeyen, 2004). In this prospective study, a general population sample (n= 173) with perceived problems with spinal pain filled out questionnaires twice; catastrophizing and problem framing were assessed on the first occasion and health care seeking (as a proxy for medically oriented problem solving) was assessed 7 months later. Two different approaches were used to explore whether the data supported any of the proposed models of mediation. First, multiple regressions were used according to traditional recommendations for mediation analyses. Second, a bootstrapping method (n= 1000 bootstrap resamples) was used to explore the significance of the indirect effects in both possible models of mediation. The results verified the concepts included in the misdirected problem solving model. However, the direction of the relations was more in line with the fear-anxiety-avoidance model. More specifically, the mediation analyses provided support for viewing catastrophizing as a mediator of the relation between biomedical problem framing and medically oriented problem-solving behaviour. These findings provide support for viewing catastrophizing from a problem-solving perspective and imply a need to examine and address problem framing and catastrophizing in back pain patients. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Technology--an actor in the ICU: a study in workplace research tradition.

PubMed

Wikström, Ann-Charlott; Larsson, Ullabeth Sätterlund

2004-07-01

The present study focuses on human-machine interaction in an intensive care unit in the West of Sweden. The aim of the present study was to explore how technology intervenes and challenges the ICU staff's knowing in practice. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE: The study's theoretical starting point draws on workplace research tradition. Workplace studies encompass the interaction between the actors' situated activities and the technological tools that make their activities possible. Fieldwork or in situ studies of everyday practice in an intensive care unit documented in written field notes constituted the data. The findings show first how technology intervenes in the division of labour when the taken-for-granted "old" everyday practice is disrupted when a new machine intervenes in the morning's work; secondly, it reveal how technology challenges practical knowing and thirdly, it shows how technology reformulates practice. Staff members' awareness of routine problems is often connected to the ability to see, which is always related to cultural/contextual competence. It is concluded that it is not talk alone that helps the caregivers to "(dis)solve" the problems. The ability to see the problems, the work environment and to find the relevant supporting tools for "(dis)solving" the routine problems is also crucial. But it is not possible to say that it is the skillful work of humans that solve problems, nor do we claim it is the tools that do so. Humans and tools are interwoven in the problem-solving process. Relevance to clinical practice. Routine problems in the intensive care unit are not "(dis)solved" through the cognitive work of individual staff members alone. Problems are also "(dis)solved" jointly with other staff members. Staff members "borrow" the knowing from each other and problems are re-represented through communication. The knowing has to be distributed among the intensive care unit staff to make the everyday work flexible.

Aiding the search: Examining individual differences in multiply-constrained problem solving.

PubMed

Ellis, Derek M; Brewer, Gene A

2018-07-01

Understanding and resolving complex problems is of vital importance in daily life. Problems can be defined by the limitations they place on the problem solver. Multiply-constrained problems are traditionally examined with the compound remote associates task (CRAT). Performance on the CRAT is partially dependent on an individual's working memory capacity (WMC). These findings suggest that executive processes are critical for problem solving and that there are reliable individual differences in multiply-constrained problem solving abilities. The goals of the current study are to replicate and further elucidate the relation between WMC and CRAT performance. To achieve these goals, we manipulated preexposure to CRAT solutions and measured WMC with complex-span tasks. In Experiment 1, we report evidence that preexposure to CRAT solutions improved problem solving accuracy, WMC was correlated with problem solving accuracy, and that WMC did not moderate the effect of preexposure on problem solving accuracy. In Experiment 2, we preexposed participants to correct and incorrect solutions. We replicated Experiment 1 and found that WMC moderates the effect of exposure to CRAT solutions such that high WMC participants benefit more from preexposure to correct solutions than low WMC (although low WMC participants have preexposure benefits as well). Broadly, these results are consistent with theories of working memory and problem solving that suggest a mediating role of attention control processes. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Psychosocial dimensions of solving an indoor air problem.

PubMed

Lahtinen, Marjaana; Huuhtanen, Pekka; Kähkönen, Erkki; Reijula, Kari

2002-03-01

This investigation focuses on the psychological and social dimensions of managing and solving indoor air problems. The data were collected in nine workplaces by interviews (n = 85) and questionnaires (n = 375). Indoor air problems in office environments have traditionally utilized industrial hygiene or technical expertise. However, indoor air problems at workplaces are often more complex issues to solve. Technical questions are inter-related with the dynamics of the work community, and the cooperation and interaction skills of the parties involved in the solving process are also put to the test. In the present study, the interviewees were very critical of the process of solving the indoor air problem. The responsibility for coordinating the problem-managing process was generally considered vague, as were the roles and functions of the various parties. Communication problems occurred and rumors about the indoor air problem circulated widely. Conflicts were common, complicating the process in several ways. The research focused on examining different ways of managing and resolving an indoor air problem. In addition, reference material on the causal factors of the indoor air problem was also acquired. The study supported the hypothesis that psychosocial factors play a significant role in indoor air problems.

RESPONDING TO WATER CONTAMINATION THREATS

EPA Science Inventory

Drinking water safety has traditionally been linked to water quality. The possibility of terrorism directed against the drinking water supply has emphasized the link between water safety and water security. The traditional paradigm in solving water quality problems is to develop ...

Redesigning the Quantum Mechanics Curriculum to Incorporate Problem Solving Using a Computer Algebra System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roussel, Marc R.

1999-10-01

One of the traditional obstacles to learning quantum mechanics is the relatively high level of mathematical proficiency required to solve even routine problems. Modern computer algebra systems are now sufficiently reliable that they can be used as mathematical assistants to alleviate this difficulty. In the quantum mechanics course at the University of Lethbridge, the traditional three lecture hours per week have been replaced by two lecture hours and a one-hour computer-aided problem solving session using a computer algebra system (Maple). While this somewhat reduces the number of topics that can be tackled during the term, students have a better opportunity to familiarize themselves with the underlying theory with this course design. Maple is also available to students during examinations. The use of a computer algebra system expands the class of feasible problems during a time-limited exercise such as a midterm or final examination. A modern computer algebra system is a complex piece of software, so some time needs to be devoted to teaching the students its proper use. However, the advantages to the teaching of quantum mechanics appear to outweigh the disadvantages.

On unified modeling, theory, and method for solving multi-scale global optimization problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, David Yang

2016-10-01

A unified model is proposed for general optimization problems in multi-scale complex systems. Based on this model and necessary assumptions in physics, the canonical duality theory is presented in a precise way to include traditional duality theories and popular methods as special applications. Two conjectures on NP-hardness are proposed, which should play important roles for correctly understanding and efficiently solving challenging real-world problems. Applications are illustrated for both nonconvex continuous optimization and mixed integer nonlinear programming.

Two Meanings of Algorithmic Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maurer, Stephen B.

1984-01-01

Two mathematical topics are interpreted from the viewpoints of traditional (performing algorithms) and contemporary (creating algorithms and thinking in terms of them for solving problems and developing theory) algorithmic mathematics. The two topics are Horner's method for evaluating polynomials and Gauss's method for solving systems of linear…

Analysing task design and students' responses to context-based problems through different analytical frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broman, Karolina; Bernholt, Sascha; Parchmann, Ilka

2015-05-01

Background:Context-based learning approaches are used to enhance students' interest in, and knowledge about, science. According to different empirical studies, students' interest is improved by applying these more non-conventional approaches, while effects on learning outcomes are less coherent. Hence, further insights are needed into the structure of context-based problems in comparison to traditional problems, and into students' problem-solving strategies. Therefore, a suitable framework is necessary, both for the analysis of tasks and strategies. Purpose:The aim of this paper is to explore traditional and context-based tasks as well as students' responses to exemplary tasks to identify a suitable framework for future design and analyses of context-based problems. The paper discusses different established frameworks and applies the Higher-Order Cognitive Skills/Lower-Order Cognitive Skills (HOCS/LOCS) taxonomy and the Model of Hierarchical Complexity in Chemistry (MHC-C) to analyse traditional tasks and students' responses. Sample:Upper secondary students (n=236) at the Natural Science Programme, i.e. possible future scientists, are investigated to explore learning outcomes when they solve chemistry tasks, both more conventional as well as context-based chemistry problems. Design and methods:A typical chemistry examination test has been analysed, first the test items in themselves (n=36), and thereafter 236 students' responses to one representative context-based problem. Content analysis using HOCS/LOCS and MHC-C frameworks has been applied to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data, allowing us to describe different problem-solving strategies. Results:The empirical results show that both frameworks are suitable to identify students' strategies, mainly focusing on recall of memorized facts when solving chemistry test items. Almost all test items were also assessing lower order thinking. The combination of frameworks with the chemistry syllabus has been found successful to analyse both the test items as well as students' responses in a systematic way. The framework can therefore be applied in the design of new tasks, the analysis and assessment of students' responses, and as a tool for teachers to scaffold students in their problem-solving process. Conclusions:This paper gives implications for practice and for future research to both develop new context-based problems in a structured way, as well as providing analytical tools for investigating students' higher order thinking in their responses to these tasks.

Efficacy of problem based learning in a high school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rissi, James Ryan

At the high school level, the maturity of the students, as well as constraints of the traditional high school (both in terms of class time, and number of students), impedes the use of the Problem-based instruction. But with more coaching, guidance, and planning, Problem-based Learning may be an effective teaching technique with secondary students. In recent years, the State of Michigan High School Content Expectations have emphasized the importance of inquiry and problem solving in the high school science classroom. In order to help students gain inquiry and problem solving skills, a move towards a problem-based curriculum and away from the didactic approach may lead to favorable results. In this study, the problem-based-learning framework was implemented in a high school Anatomy and Physiology classroom. Using pre-tests and post-tests over the material presented using the Problem-based technique, student comprehension and long-term retention of the material was monitored. It was found that Problem-based Learning produced comparable test performance when compared to traditional lecture, note-taking, and enrichment activities. In addition, students showed evidence of gaining research and team-working skills.

Engineering management of large scale systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Serita; Gill, Tepper L.; Paul, Arthur S.

1989-01-01

The organization of high technology and engineering problem solving, has given rise to an emerging concept. Reasoning principles for integrating traditional engineering problem solving with system theory, management sciences, behavioral decision theory, and planning and design approaches can be incorporated into a methodological approach to solving problems with a long range perspective. Long range planning has a great potential to improve productivity by using a systematic and organized approach. Thus, efficiency and cost effectiveness are the driving forces in promoting the organization of engineering problems. Aspects of systems engineering that provide an understanding of management of large scale systems are broadly covered here. Due to the focus and application of research, other significant factors (e.g., human behavior, decision making, etc.) are not emphasized but are considered.

Seeing the conflict: an attentional account of reasoning errors.

PubMed

Mata, André; Ferreira, Mário B; Voss, Andreas; Kollei, Tanja

2017-12-01

In judgment and reasoning, intuition and deliberation can agree on the same responses, or they can be in conflict and suggest different responses. Incorrect responses to conflict problems have traditionally been interpreted as a sign of faulty problem-solving-an inability to solve the conflict. However, such errors might emerge earlier, from insufficient attention to the conflict. To test this attentional hypothesis, we manipulated the conflict in reasoning problems and used eye-tracking to measure attention. Across several measures, correct responders paid more attention than incorrect responders to conflict problems, and they discriminated between conflict and no-conflict problems better than incorrect responders. These results are consistent with a two-stage account of reasoning, whereby sound problem solving in the second stage can only lead to accurate responses when sufficient attention is paid in the first stage.

Incorporating Emotional Intelligence in Legal Education: A Theoretical Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Susan

2015-01-01

"Thinking like a lawyer" is traditionally associated with rational-analytical problem solving and an adversarial approach to conflict. These features have been correlated with problems of psychological, or emotional, distress amongst lawyers and law students. These problems provide a strong argument for incorporating a consideration of…

Path planning for mobile robot using the novel repulsive force algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Siyue; Yin, Guoqiang; Li, Xueping

2018-01-01

A new type of repulsive force algorithm is proposed to solve the problem of local minimum and the target unreachable of the classic Artificial Potential Field (APF) method in this paper. The Gaussian function that is related to the distance between the robot and the target is added to the traditional repulsive force, solving the problem of the goal unreachable with the obstacle nearby; variable coefficient is added to the repulsive force component to resize the repulsive force, which can solve the local minimum problem when the robot, the obstacle and the target point are in the same line. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulation based on MATLAB and actual mobile robot platform.

[Status and future of natural resource for Chinese materia medica].

PubMed

Ma, Xiao-jing; Guo, Juan; Tang, Jin-fu; Ma, Xiao-hui; Ma, Ying; Dai, Zhu-bo; Guo, Lan-ping; Huang, Lu-qi

2015-05-01

For thousands of years, the natural resource for Chinese materiamedica has been the foundation of the traditional Chinese medicine industry, which provides abundant medicine for human. In recent years, increasing demands and irrational exploitation led to a lot of problems such as rapid decrease of traditional Chinese herbs reserves, low quality of medicine and dismishing traditional cultures. These restricted the development of the traditional Chinese medicine. To solve these problems, scientists have done much work on investigating traditional Chinese medicine resources, exploring the metabolic pathway of bioactive ingredients, cultivating new varieties, and carrying out synthetic biology. These studies provided a theoretical basis for sustainable utilizationand future developmentof traditional Chinese medicine resources.

Predicting protein structures with a multiplayer online game.

PubMed

Cooper, Seth; Khatib, Firas; Treuille, Adrien; Barbero, Janos; Lee, Jeehyung; Beenen, Michael; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Baker, David; Popović, Zoran; Players, Foldit

2010-08-05

People exert large amounts of problem-solving effort playing computer games. Simple image- and text-recognition tasks have been successfully 'crowd-sourced' through games, but it is not clear if more complex scientific problems can be solved with human-directed computing. Protein structure prediction is one such problem: locating the biologically relevant native conformation of a protein is a formidable computational challenge given the very large size of the search space. Here we describe Foldit, a multiplayer online game that engages non-scientists in solving hard prediction problems. Foldit players interact with protein structures using direct manipulation tools and user-friendly versions of algorithms from the Rosetta structure prediction methodology, while they compete and collaborate to optimize the computed energy. We show that top-ranked Foldit players excel at solving challenging structure refinement problems in which substantial backbone rearrangements are necessary to achieve the burial of hydrophobic residues. Players working collaboratively develop a rich assortment of new strategies and algorithms; unlike computational approaches, they explore not only the conformational space but also the space of possible search strategies. The integration of human visual problem-solving and strategy development capabilities with traditional computational algorithms through interactive multiplayer games is a powerful new approach to solving computationally-limited scientific problems.

Extrusion Process by Finite Volume Method Using OpenFoam Software

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matos Martins, Marcelo; Tonini Button, Sergio; Divo Bressan, Jose

The computational codes are very important tools to solve engineering problems. In the analysis of metal forming process, such as extrusion, this is not different because the computational codes allow analyzing the process with reduced cost. Traditionally, the Finite Element Method is used to solve solid mechanic problems, however, the Finite Volume Method (FVM) have been gaining force in this field of applications. This paper presents the velocity field and friction coefficient variation results, obtained by numerical simulation using the OpenFoam Software and the FVM to solve an aluminum direct cold extrusion process.

The effects of a shared, Intranet science learning environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Mary Jo

This study investigated the effects of a shared, Intranet science environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection. Seventy-eight subjects included 9th and 10th grade male and female biology students. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test data collection and randomization occurring through assignment of biology classes to traditional or shared, Intranet learning groups was employed. Pilot, web-based distance education software (CourseInfo) created the Intranet learning environment. A modified ecology curriculum provided contextualization and content for traditional and shared learning environments. The effect of this environment on problem-solving, was measured using the standardized Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test. Metacognitive reflection, was measured in three ways: (a) number of concepts used, (b) number of concept links noted, and (c) number of concept nodes noted. Visual learning software, Inspiration, generated concept maps. Secondary research questions evaluated the pilot CourseInfo software for (a) tracked user movement, (b) discussion forum findings, and (c) difficulties experienced using CourseInfo software. Analysis of problem-solving group means reached no levels of significance resulting from the shared, Intranet environment. Paired t-Test of individual differences in problem-solving reached levels of significance. Analysis of metacognitive reflection by number of concepts reached levels of significance. Metacognitive reflection by number of concept links noted also reach significance. No significance was found for metacognitive reflection by number of concept nodes. No gender differences in problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection emerged. Lack of gender differences in the shared, Intranet environment strongly suggests an equalizing effect due to the cooperative, collaborative nature of Intranet environments. Such environments appeal to, and rank high with, the female gender. Tracking learner movements in web-based, science environments has metacognitive and problem-solving learner implications. CourseInfo software offers one method of informing instruction within web-based learning environments focusing on academic behaviors. A shared, technology-supported learning environment may pose one model which science classrooms can use to create equitable scientific study across gender. The lack of significant differences resulting from this environment presents one model for improvement of individual problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection across gender.

The Problem Solving Method in Teaching Physics in Elementary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jandrić, Gordana Hajduković; Obadović, Dušanka Ž.; Stojanović, Maja

2010-01-01

The most of the teachers ask if there is a "best" known way to teach. The most effective teaching method depends on the specific goals of the course and the needs of the students. An investigation has been carried out to compare the effect of teaching selected physics topics using problem-solving method on the overall achievements of the acquired knowledge and teaching the same material by traditional teaching method. The investigation was performed as a pedagogical experiment of the type of parallel groups with randomly chosen sample of students attending grades eight. The control and experimental groups were equalized in the relevant pedagogical parameters. The obtained results were treated statistically. The comparison showed a significant difference in respect of the speed of acquiring knowledge, the problem-solving teaching being advantageous over traditional methodDo not replace the word "abstract," but do replace the rest of this text. If you must insert a hard line break, please use Shift+Enter rather than just tapping your "Enter" key. You may want to print this page and refer to it as a style sample before you begin working on your paper.

A novel heuristic algorithm for capacitated vehicle routing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kır, Sena; Yazgan, Harun Reşit; Tüncel, Emre

2017-09-01

The vehicle routing problem with the capacity constraints was considered in this paper. It is quite difficult to achieve an optimal solution with traditional optimization methods by reason of the high computational complexity for large-scale problems. Consequently, new heuristic or metaheuristic approaches have been developed to solve this problem. In this paper, we constructed a new heuristic algorithm based on the tabu search and adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) with several specifically designed operators and features to solve the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP). The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was illustrated on the benchmark problems. The algorithm provides a better performance on large-scaled instances and gained advantage in terms of CPU time. In addition, we solved a real-life CVRP using the proposed algorithm and found the encouraging results by comparison with the current situation that the company is in.

Transfer of Solutions to Conditional Probability Problems: Effects of Example Problem Format, Solution Format, and Problem Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Alan F.; Van Haneghan, James P.

2016-01-01

This study reports the results of a study examining how easily students are able to transfer frequency solutions to conditional probability problems to novel situations. University students studied either a problem solved using the traditional Bayes formula format or using a natural frequency (tree diagram) format. In addition, the example problem…

Teaching Fifth Grade Mathematical Concepts: Effects of Word Problems Used with Traditional Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coy, Jessica

The view of the researcher is that students in the upper elementary to middle school range need to increase their problem-solving skills by making logical deductions and organizing and structuring their thoughts through the use of word problems. Giving children a daily word problem challenged and introduced them to the lesson. This activity…

Quality Tools and TRIZ Based Quality Improvement Case Study at PT ‘X’ A Plastic Moulding Manufacturing Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirawan, Christina; Chandra, Fory

2016-02-01

Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is a creative encouraging problem solving method. TRIZ is prepared by Altshuller for product design. Altshuller prepared contradiction matrix and suggestion to solve contradictions usually occur in product design. This paper try to combine TRIZ with quality tools such as Pareto and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) to solve contradiction in quality improvement problem, neither than product design problem. Pareto used to identify defect priority, FTA used to analysis and identify root cause of defect. When there is contradiction in solving defect causes, TRIZ used to find creative problem solving. As a case study, PT ’X’, a plastic molding manufacturing industry was taken. PT ‘X’ using traditional press machine to produce plastic thread cone. There are 5 defect types that might occur in plastic thread cone production, incomplete form, dirty, mottle, excessive form, rugged. Research about quality improvement effort using DMAIC at PT ‘X’ have been done by Fory Candra. From this research, defect types, priority, root cause from FTA, recommendation from FMEA. In this research, from FTA reviewed, contradictions found among causes troublesome quality improvement efforts. TRIZ used to solve the contradictions and quality improvement effort can be made effectively.

The effects of computer-simulated experiments on high school biology students' problem-solving skills and achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmack, Gay Lynn Dickinson

2000-10-01

This two-part quasi-experimental repeated measures study examined whether computer simulated experiments have an effect on the problem solving skills of high school biology students in a school-within-a-school magnet program. Specifically, the study identified episodes in a simulation sequence where problem solving skills improved. In the Fall academic semester, experimental group students (n = 30) were exposed to two simulations: CaseIt! and EVOLVE!. Control group students participated in an internet research project and a paper Hardy-Weinberg activity. In the Spring academic semester, experimental group students were exposed to three simulations: Genetics Construction Kit, CaseIt! and EVOLVE! . Spring control group students participated in a Drosophila lab, an internet research project, and Advanced Placement lab 8. Results indicate that the Fall and Spring experimental groups experienced significant gains in scientific problem solving after the second simulation in the sequence. These gains were independent of the simulation sequence or the amount of time spent on the simulations. These gains were significantly greater than control group scores in the Fall. The Spring control group significantly outscored all other study groups on both pretest measures. Even so, the Spring experimental group problem solving performance caught up to the Spring control group performance after the third simulation. There were no significant differences between control and experimental groups on content achievement. Results indicate that CSE is as effective as traditional laboratories in promoting scientific problem solving and that CSE is a useful tool for improving students' scientific problem solving skills. Moreover, retention of problem solving skills is enhanced by utilizing more than one simulation.

How Readability and Topic Incidence Relate to Performance on Mathematics Story Problems in Computer-Based Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Candace; Clinton, Virginia; Ritter, Steven N.; Nathan, Mitchell J.

2015-01-01

Solving mathematics story problems requires text comprehension skills. However, previous studies have found few connections between traditional measures of text readability and performance on story problems. We hypothesized that recently developed measures of readability and topic incidence measured by text-mining tools may illuminate associations…

Fast super-resolution estimation of DOA and DOD in bistatic MIMO Radar with off-grid targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Dong; Zhang, Yongshun; Zheng, Guimei; Feng, Cunqian; Tang, Jun

2018-05-01

In this paper, we focus on the problem of joint DOA and DOD estimation in Bistatic MIMO Radar using sparse reconstruction method. In traditional ways, we usually convert the 2D parameter estimation problem into 1D parameter estimation problem by Kronecker product which will enlarge the scale of the parameter estimation problem and bring more computational burden. Furthermore, it requires that the targets must fall on the predefined grids. In this paper, a 2D-off-grid model is built which can solve the grid mismatch problem of 2D parameters estimation. Then in order to solve the joint 2D sparse reconstruction problem directly and efficiently, three kinds of fast joint sparse matrix reconstruction methods are proposed which are Joint-2D-OMP algorithm, Joint-2D-SL0 algorithm and Joint-2D-SOONE algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that our methods not only can improve the 2D parameter estimation accuracy but also reduce the computational complexity compared with the traditional Kronecker Compressed Sensing method.

New control strategies for longwall armored face conveyors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broadfoot, A.R.; Betz, R.E.

1998-03-01

This paper investigates a new control approach for longwall armored face conveyors (AFC`s) using variable-speed drives (VSD`s). Traditionally, AFC`s have used fixed-speed or two-speed motors, with various mechanical solutions employed to try to solve the problems that this causes. The VSD approach to the control problem promises to solve all the significant problems associated with the control of AFC`s. This paper will present the control algorithms developed for a VSD-based AFC drive system and demonstrate potential performance via computer simulation. A full discussion of the problems involved with the control of AFC`s can be found in the companion paper.

Density-matrix-based algorithm for solving eigenvalue problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polizzi, Eric

2009-03-01

A fast and stable numerical algorithm for solving the symmetric eigenvalue problem is presented. The technique deviates fundamentally from the traditional Krylov subspace iteration based techniques (Arnoldi and Lanczos algorithms) or other Davidson-Jacobi techniques and takes its inspiration from the contour integration and density-matrix representation in quantum mechanics. It will be shown that this algorithm—named FEAST—exhibits high efficiency, robustness, accuracy, and scalability on parallel architectures. Examples from electronic structure calculations of carbon nanotubes are presented, and numerical performances and capabilities are discussed.

Effects of a Problem-based Structure of Physics Contents on Conceptual Learning and the Ability to Solve Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becerra-Labra, Carlos; Gras-Martí, Albert; Martínez Torregrosa, Joaquín

2012-05-01

A model of teaching/learning is proposed based on a 'problem-based structure' of the contents of the course, in combination with a training in paper and pencil problem solving that emphasizes discussion and quantitative analysis, rather than formulae plug-in. The aim is to reverse the high failure and attrition rate among engineering undergraduates taking physics. A number of tests and questionnaires were administered to a group of students following a traditional lecture-based instruction, as well as to another group that was following an instruction scheme based on the proposed approach and the teaching materials developed ad hoc. The results show that students following the new method can develop scientific reasoning habits in problem-solving skills, and show gains in conceptual learning, attitudes and interests, and that the effects of this approach on learning are noticeable several months after the course is over.

Comparative Effectiveness of Context-Based and Traditional Approaches in Teaching Genetics: Student Views and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazeni, Monde; Onwu, Gilbert

2013-01-01

The study aimed to determine the comparative effectiveness of context-based and traditional teaching approaches in enhancing student achievement in genetics, problem-solving, science inquiry and decision-making skills, and attitude towards the study of life sciences. A mixed method but essentially quantitative research approach involving a…

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Mathematics Instruction in Montessori and Traditional Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kofa, Linda

2017-01-01

Students in grades 3 and 4 attending a traditional public elementary school in a northeastern state did not meet proficiency levels in mathematics as measured by the state's assessment system. Published reports indicated that students attending the Montessori programs were more proficient in solving math problems compared to students in…

Comparison of Student Performance in Cooperative Learning and Traditional Lecture-Based Biochemistry Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, William L.; Mitchell, Steven M.; Osgood, Marcy P.

2005-01-01

Student performance in two different introductory biochemistry curricula are compared based on standardized testing of student content knowledge, problem-solving skills, and student opinions about the courses. One curriculum was used in four traditional, lecture-based classes (n = 381 students), whereas the second curriculum was used in two…

Indigenous Nutrition: Using Traditional Food Knowledge to Solve Contemporary Health Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milburn, Michael P.

2004-01-01

There is a growing recognition of the need to change current dietary patterns and of the value of traditional foodways. The Center for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment, based at McGill University in Montreal, is a research and education resource for Indigenous Peoples created by Canada's Aboriginal Leaders to support traditional…

The Use of Adventure Programming in Traditional Substance Abuse Treatment Programs: An Exploratory Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moraes, Ricardo

As a valuable addition to substance abuse treatment, adventure programming can have positive impacts on clients' self-efficacy, social behavior, and problem solving. A study explored the extent to which traditional substance abuse treatment programs use adventure programming, the level of adventure training and experience among substance abuse…

The Application of Community Service Learning in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Betsy Ling-Ling

2012-01-01

Learning of science has been traditionally conducted in classrooms or in the form of lectures. Science education is usually context-specific learning as students are taught a particular module of content in class. In problem-based learning, they are provided with examples of problems in which they learn how to solve these types of problems.…

The Influence of Rule Structure and Problem Composition on Conceptual Learning Among Rural Hawaiian Children. Technical Report #75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciborowski, Tom; Price-Williams, D.

The conceptual and problem solving skills of Hawaiian rural elementary school students in the Kamehameha Early Education Program were investigated by comparing the logical connecting rules of conjunction (red and triangle) to inclusive disjunction (red and/or triangle) with respect to Traditional problems (selection of attributes from 2 different…

Understanding Problem-Solving Errors by Students with Learning Disabilities in Standards-Based and Traditional Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouck, Emily C.; Bouck, Mary K.; Joshi, Gauri S.; Johnson, Linley

2016-01-01

Students with learning disabilities struggle with word problems in mathematics classes. Understanding the type of errors students make when working through such mathematical problems can further describe student performance and highlight student difficulties. Through the use of error codes, researchers analyzed the type of errors made by 14 sixth…

A four-tier problem-solving scaffold to teach pain management in dental school.

PubMed

Ivanoff, Chris S; Hottel, Timothy L

2013-06-01

Pain constitutes a major reason patients pursue dental treatment. This article presents a novel curriculum to provide dental students comprehensive training in the management of pain. The curriculum's four-tier scaffold combines traditional and problem-based learning to improve students' diagnostic, pharmacotherapeutic, and assessment skills to optimize decision making when treating pain. Tier 1 provides underpinning knowledge of pain mechanisms with traditional and contextualized instruction by integrating clinical correlations and studying worked cases that stimulate clinical thinking. Tier 2 develops critical decision making skills through self-directed learning and actively solving problem-based cases. Tier 3 exposes students to management approaches taken in allied health fields and cultivates interdisciplinary communication skills. Tier 4 provides a "knowledge and experience synthesis" by rotating students through community pain clinics to practice their assessment skills. This combined teaching approach aims to increase critical thinking and problem-solving skills to assist dental graduates in better management of pain throughout their careers. Dental curricula that have moved to comprehensive care/private practice models are well-suited for this educational approach. The goal of this article is to encourage dental schools to integrate pain management into their curricula, to develop pain management curriculum resources for dental students, and to provide leadership for change in pain management education.

Flippin' Fluid Mechanics - Using Online Technology to Enhance the In-Class Learning Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, D. R.; Majerich, D. M.

2013-11-01

This study provides an empirical analysis of using online technologies and team problem solving sessions to shift an undergraduate fluid mechanics course from a traditional lecture format to a collaborative learning environment. Students were from two consecutive semesters of the same course taught by the same professor. One group used online technologies and solved problems in class and the other did not. Out of class, the treatment group watched 72 short (11 minutes, average) video lectures covering course topics and example problems being solved. Three times a week students worked in teams of two to solve problems on desktop whiteboard tablets while the instructor and graduate assistants provided ``just-in-time'' tutoring. The number of team problems assigned during the semester exceeded 100. Weekly online homework was assigned to reinforce topics. The WileyPlus online system generated unique problem parameters for each student. The control group received three-50 minute weekly lectures. Data include three midterms and a final exam. Regression results indicate that controlling for all of the entered variables, for every one more problem solving session the student attended, the final grade was raised by 0.327 points. Thus, if a student participated in all 25 of the team problem solving sessions, the final grade would have been 8.2 points higher, a difference of nearly a grade. Using online technologies and teamwork appeared to result in improved achievement, but more research is needed to support these findings.

Exploring students’ perceived and actual ability in solving statistical problems based on Rasch measurement tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azila Che Musa, Nor; Mahmud, Zamalia; Baharun, Norhayati

2017-09-01

One of the important skills that is required from any student who are learning statistics is knowing how to solve statistical problems correctly using appropriate statistical methods. This will enable them to arrive at a conclusion and make a significant contribution and decision for the society. In this study, a group of 22 students majoring in statistics at UiTM Shah Alam were given problems relating to topics on testing of hypothesis which require them to solve the problems using confidence interval, traditional and p-value approach. Hypothesis testing is one of the techniques used in solving real problems and it is listed as one of the difficult concepts for students to grasp. The objectives of this study is to explore students’ perceived and actual ability in solving statistical problems and to determine which item in statistical problem solving that students find difficult to grasp. Students’ perceived and actual ability were measured based on the instruments developed from the respective topics. Rasch measurement tools such as Wright map and item measures for fit statistics were used to accomplish the objectives. Data were collected and analysed using Winsteps 3.90 software which is developed based on the Rasch measurement model. The results showed that students’ perceived themselves as moderately competent in solving the statistical problems using confidence interval and p-value approach even though their actual performance showed otherwise. Item measures for fit statistics also showed that the maximum estimated measures were found on two problems. These measures indicate that none of the students have attempted these problems correctly due to reasons which include their lack of understanding in confidence interval and probability values.

Education problems and Web-based teaching: how it impacts dental educators?

PubMed

Clark, G T

2001-01-01

This article looks at six problems that vex educators and how web-based teaching might help solve them. These problems include: (1) limited access to educational content, (2) need for asynchronous access to educational content, (3) depth and diversity of educational content, (4) training in complex problem solving, (5) promotion of lifelong learning behaviors and (6) achieving excellence in education. The advantages and disadvantage of web-based educational content for each problem are discussed. The article suggests that when a poorly organized course with inaccurate and irrelevant content is placed online, it solves no problems. However some of the above issues can be partially or fully solved by hosting well-constructed teaching modules on the web. This article also reviews the literature investigating the efficacy of off-site education as compared to that provided on-site. The conclusion of this review is that teleconference-based and web-based delivery of educational content can be as effective as traditional classroom-based teaching assuming the technologic problems sometimes associated with delivering teaching content to off-site locations do not interfere in the learning process. A suggested hierarchy for rating and comparing e-learning concepts and methods is presented for consideration.

Building co-management as a process: problem solving through partnerships in Aboriginal country, Australia.

PubMed

Zurba, Melanie; Ross, Helen; Izurieta, Arturo; Rist, Philip; Bock, Ellie; Berkes, Fikret

2012-06-01

Collaborative problem solving has increasingly become important in the face of the complexities in the management of resources, including protected areas. The strategy undertaken by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in north tropical Queensland, Australia, for developing co-management demonstrates the potential for a problem solving approach involving sequential initiatives, as an alternative to the more familiar negotiated agreements for co-management. Our longitudinal case study focuses on the development of indigenous ranger units as a strategic mechanism for the involvement of traditional owners in managing their country in collaboration with government and other interested parties. This was followed by Australia's first traditional use of marine resources agreement, and development of a multi-jurisdictional, land to sea, indigenous protected area. In using a relationship building approach to develop regional scale co-management, Girringun has been strengthening its capabilities as collaborator and regional service provider, thus, bringing customary decision-making structures into play to 'care for country'. From this evolving process we have identified the key components of a relationship building strategy, 'the pillars of co-management'. This approach includes learning-by-doing, the building of respect and rapport, sorting out responsibilities, practical engagement, and capacity-building.

Building Co-Management as a Process: Problem Solving Through Partnerships in Aboriginal Country, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurba, Melanie; Ross, Helen; Izurieta, Arturo; Rist, Philip; Bock, Ellie; Berkes, Fikret

2012-06-01

Collaborative problem solving has increasingly become important in the face of the complexities in the management of resources, including protected areas. The strategy undertaken by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in north tropical Queensland, Australia, for developing co-management demonstrates the potential for a problem solving approach involving sequential initiatives, as an alternative to the more familiar negotiated agreements for co-management. Our longitudinal case study focuses on the development of indigenous ranger units as a strategic mechanism for the involvement of traditional owners in managing their country in collaboration with government and other interested parties. This was followed by Australia's first traditional use of marine resources agreement, and development of a multi-jurisdictional, land to sea, indigenous protected area. In using a relationship building approach to develop regional scale co-management, Girringun has been strengthening its capabilities as collaborator and regional service provider, thus, bringing customary decision-making structures into play to `care for country'. From this evolving process we have identified the key components of a relationship building strategy, `the pillars of co-management'. This approach includes learning-by-doing, the building of respect and rapport, sorting out responsibilities, practical engagement, and capacity-building.

Holistic pest management [Chapter 15

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; Tara Luna; R. Kasten Dumroese

2009-01-01

As any experienced grower knows only too well, nursery management is a continuous process of solving problems. Murphy's Law of "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" sounds as if it were meant for native plant production. One recurring problem is pests. Nursery managers have traditionally talked about "controlling" a pest. This approach...

Rational Approximations to Rational Models: Alternative Algorithms for Category Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanborn, Adam N.; Griffiths, Thomas L.; Navarro, Daniel J.

2010-01-01

Rational models of cognition typically consider the abstract computational problems posed by the environment, assuming that people are capable of optimally solving those problems. This differs from more traditional formal models of cognition, which focus on the psychological processes responsible for behavior. A basic challenge for rational models…

Web-Based Problem-Solving Assignment and Grading System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brereton, Giles; Rosenberg, Ronald

2014-11-01

In engineering courses with very specific learning objectives, such as fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, it is conventional to reinforce concepts and principles with problem-solving assignments and to measure success in problem solving as an indicator of student achievement. While the modern-day ease of copying and searching for online solutions can undermine the value of traditional assignments, web-based technologies also provide opportunities to generate individualized well-posed problems with an infinite number of different combinations of initial/final/boundary conditions, so that the probability of any two students being assigned identical problems in a course is vanishingly small. Such problems can be designed and programmed to be: single or multiple-step, self-grading, allow students single or multiple attempts; provide feedback when incorrect; selectable according to difficulty; incorporated within gaming packages; etc. In this talk, we discuss the use of a homework/exam generating program of this kind in a single-semester course, within a web-based client-server system that ensures secure operation.

Middle School Engineering Problem Solving Using Traditional vs. e-PBL Module Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baele, Loren C.

This multiple methods (Denzin, 1978) study investigated two instructional approaches, traditional module and electronic Problem-Based Learning instruction (e-PBL), used within a middle school engineering classroom focused on the variables of engagement, content knowledge, student self-assessment and teacher assessment of problem solving solutions. A non-equivalent group quasi-experimental research design (Creswell, 2015) was used on middle school students (N = 100) between those that received traditional module instruction (n = 51) and e-PBL instruction (n = 49). The qualitative approach of triangulation (Jick, 1979) was used to identify emergent themes for both between and within methods of data analysis on student engagement survey responses, two days of field observations notes, and six student interview transcripts. The quantitative results identified that students who received e-PBL instruction self-reported significantly greater engagement than those who received traditional module instruction. Further, there was a significant interaction effect between engineering content knowledge by group and gender as males who received e-PBL instruction had greater growth of content knowledge scores than males receiving traditional instruction, while females who received traditional instruction had greater growth of content knowledge scores than females in the e-PBL group. Through triangulation of the qualitative data, the emergent themes of the study suggest that hands-on learning produces higher levels of reported engagement independent of instructional method. The emergence of problem solving fatigue developed when both study groups reported a decline in engagement when entering into the final phase of the quantitative study suggesting that too many complex, ill-structured problems in rapid succession may negatively impact student engagement. Although females within the treatment group were most engaged, they did not achieve the knowledge growth of the females in the control group, who were the least engaged. Males presented with e-PBL instruction not only had better engagement, they had the greatest content knowledge growth of any group. Females were likely to have a greater negative difference between self-assessment scores and teacher assessment scores, while males self-assessed themselves closer to the teacher assessment score. Challenges to e-PBL implementation were identified including time, teacher training, and the strict school schedule. A learning management system (LMS) was found to effectively facilitate an e-PBL learning environment.

The Qualitative Legacy of Participant-Observer Approaches among Sociologists and Journalists from the Chicago Urban Tradition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burd, Gene

The "Chicago School" is the communications legacy left by late nineteenth and early twentieth century Chicago sociologists and journalists. It represents a research tradition of participant-observation and urban journalism concerned with the quality of urban life, as well as a commitment to solving urban problems through civic…

Culture and Conservation in Chiapas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Brenda M.; Dunn, Lynne A.

This study examined the impact of culture, language, and familiarity with materials on the ability to solve traditional conservation problems. A total of 80 Tzeltal speaking children from two traditional Mexican Indian (Mayan) villages participated in the study: 5 boys and 5 girls drawn from each of four age group (6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13). The men…

Multiple Representation Instruction First versus Traditional Algorithmic Instruction First: Impact in Middle School Mathematics Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Raymond; Koontz, Esther; Inan, Fethi A.; Alagic, Mara

2015-01-01

This study examined the impact of the order of two teaching approaches on students' abilities and on-task behaviors while learning how to solve percentage problems. Two treatment groups were compared. MR first received multiple representation instruction followed by traditional algorithmic instruction and TA first received these teaching…

Human factors and systems engineering approach to patient safety for radiotherapy.

PubMed

Rivera, A Joy; Karsh, Ben-Tzion

2008-01-01

The traditional approach to solving patient safety problems in healthcare is to blame the last person to touch the patient. But since the publication of To Err is Human, the call has been instead to use human factors and systems engineering methods and principles to solve patient safety problems. However, an understanding of the human factors and systems engineering is lacking, and confusion remains about what it means to apply their principles. This paper provides a primer on them and their applications to patient safety.

Problem-Solving Environments (PSEs) to Support Innovation Clustering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Zann

1999-01-01

This paper argues that there is need for high level concepts to inform the development of Problem-Solving Environment (PSE) capability. A traditional approach to PSE implementation is to: (1) assemble a collection of tools; (2) integrate the tools; and (3) assume that collaborative work begins after the PSE is assembled. I argue for the need to start from the opposite premise, that promoting human collaboration and observing that process comes first, followed by the development of supporting tools, and finally evolution of PSE capability through input from collaborating project teams.

Application of a Mixed Consequential Ethical Model to a Problem Regarding Test Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, John Christian

The work of the ethicist Charles Curran and the problem-solving strategy of the mixed consequentialist ethical model are applied to a traditional social science measurement problem--that of how to adjust a recommended standard in order to be fair to the test-taker and society. The focus is on criterion-referenced teacher certification tests.…

Are Individual Differences in Performance on Perceptual and Cognitive Optimization Problems Determined by General Intelligence?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Nicholas R.; Lee, Michael D.; Vickers, Douglas

2006-01-01

Studies of human problem solving have traditionally used deterministic tasks that require the execution of a systematic series of steps to reach a rational and optimal solution. Most real-world problems, however, are characterized by uncertainty, the need to consider an enormous number of variables and possible courses of action at each stage in…

Block clustering based on difference of convex functions (DC) programming and DC algorithms.

PubMed

Le, Hoai Minh; Le Thi, Hoai An; Dinh, Tao Pham; Huynh, Van Ngai

2013-10-01

We investigate difference of convex functions (DC) programming and the DC algorithm (DCA) to solve the block clustering problem in the continuous framework, which traditionally requires solving a hard combinatorial optimization problem. DC reformulation techniques and exact penalty in DC programming are developed to build an appropriate equivalent DC program of the block clustering problem. They lead to an elegant and explicit DCA scheme for the resulting DC program. Computational experiments show the robustness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm and its superiority over standard algorithms such as two-mode K-means, two-mode fuzzy clustering, and block classification EM.

Beyond rules: The next generation of expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Jay C.; Wagner, Robert E.

1987-01-01

The PARAGON Representation, Management, and Manipulation system is introduced. The concepts of knowledge representation, knowledge management, and knowledge manipulation are combined in a comprehensive system for solving real world problems requiring high levels of expertise in a real time environment. In most applications the complexity of the problem and the representation used to describe the domain knowledge tend to obscure the information from which solutions are derived. This inhibits the acquisition of domain knowledge verification/validation, places severe constraints on the ability to extend and maintain a knowledge base while making generic problem solving strategies difficult to develop. A unique hybrid system was developed to overcome these traditional limitations.

Optimal solution for travelling salesman problem using heuristic shortest path algorithm with imprecise arc length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakar, Sumarni Abu; Ibrahim, Milbah

2017-08-01

The shortest path problem is a popular problem in graph theory. It is about finding a path with minimum length between a specified pair of vertices. In any network the weight of each edge is usually represented in a form of crisp real number and subsequently the weight is used in the calculation of shortest path problem using deterministic algorithms. However, due to failure, uncertainty is always encountered in practice whereby the weight of edge of the network is uncertain and imprecise. In this paper, a modified algorithm which utilized heuristic shortest path method and fuzzy approach is proposed for solving a network with imprecise arc length. Here, interval number and triangular fuzzy number in representing arc length of the network are considered. The modified algorithm is then applied to a specific example of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). Total shortest distance obtained from this algorithm is then compared with the total distance obtained from traditional nearest neighbour heuristic algorithm. The result shows that the modified algorithm can provide not only on the sequence of visited cities which shown to be similar with traditional approach but it also provides a good measurement of total shortest distance which is lesser as compared to the total shortest distance calculated using traditional approach. Hence, this research could contribute to the enrichment of methods used in solving TSP.

Physics students' approaches to learning and cognitive processes in solving physics problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchard, Josee

This study examined traditional instruction and problem-based learning (PBL) approaches to teaching and the extent to which they foster the development of desirable cognitive processes, including metacognition, critical thinking, physical intuition, and problem solving among undergraduate physics students. The study also examined students' approaches to learning and their perceived role as physics students. The research took place in the context of advanced courses of electromagnetism at a Canadian research university. The cognitive science, expertise, physics and science education, instructional psychology, and discourse processes literature provided the framework and background to conceptualize and structure this study. A within-stage mixed-model design was used and a number of instruments, including a survey, observation grids, and problem sets were developed specifically for this study. A special one-week long problem-based learning (PBL) intervention was also designed. Interviews with the instructors participating in the study provided complementary data. Findings include evidence that students in general engage in metacognitive processes in the organization of their personal study time. However, this potential, including the development of other cognitive processes, might not be stimulated as much as it could in the traditional lecture instructional context. The PBL approach was deemed as more empowering for the students. An unexpected finding came from the realisation that a simple exposure to a structured exercise of problem-solving (pre-test) was sufficient to produce superior planning and solving strategies on a second exposure (post-test) even for the students who had not been exposed to any special treatment. Maturation was ruled out as a potential threat to the validity of this finding. Another promising finding appears to be that the problem-based learning (PBL) intervention tends to foster the development of cognitive competencies, particularly physical intuition, even if it was only implemented for a short period of time. Other findings relate to the nature of the cognitive actions and activities that the students engage in when learning to solve electromagnetism problems in a PBL environment for the first time and the tutoring actions that guide students in this context.

Happy software developers solve problems better: psychological measurements in empirical software engineering

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaofeng; Abrahamsson, Pekka

2014-01-01

For more than thirty years, it has been claimed that a way to improve software developers’ productivity and software quality is to focus on people and to provide incentives to make developers satisfied and happy. This claim has rarely been verified in software engineering research, which faces an additional challenge in comparison to more traditional engineering fields: software development is an intellectual activity and is dominated by often-neglected human factors (called human aspects in software engineering research). Among the many skills required for software development, developers must possess high analytical problem-solving skills and creativity for the software construction process. According to psychology research, affective states—emotions and moods—deeply influence the cognitive processing abilities and performance of workers, including creativity and analytical problem solving. Nonetheless, little research has investigated the correlation between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving performance of programmers. This article echoes the call to employ psychological measurements in software engineering research. We report a study with 42 participants to investigate the relationship between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving skills of software developers. The results offer support for the claim that happy developers are indeed better problem solvers in terms of their analytical abilities. The following contributions are made by this study: (1) providing a better understanding of the impact of affective states on the creativity and analytical problem-solving capacities of developers, (2) introducing and validating psychological measurements, theories, and concepts of affective states, creativity, and analytical-problem-solving skills in empirical software engineering, and (3) raising the need for studying the human factors of software engineering by employing a multidisciplinary viewpoint. PMID:24688866

Happy software developers solve problems better: psychological measurements in empirical software engineering.

PubMed

Graziotin, Daniel; Wang, Xiaofeng; Abrahamsson, Pekka

2014-01-01

For more than thirty years, it has been claimed that a way to improve software developers' productivity and software quality is to focus on people and to provide incentives to make developers satisfied and happy. This claim has rarely been verified in software engineering research, which faces an additional challenge in comparison to more traditional engineering fields: software development is an intellectual activity and is dominated by often-neglected human factors (called human aspects in software engineering research). Among the many skills required for software development, developers must possess high analytical problem-solving skills and creativity for the software construction process. According to psychology research, affective states-emotions and moods-deeply influence the cognitive processing abilities and performance of workers, including creativity and analytical problem solving. Nonetheless, little research has investigated the correlation between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving performance of programmers. This article echoes the call to employ psychological measurements in software engineering research. We report a study with 42 participants to investigate the relationship between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving skills of software developers. The results offer support for the claim that happy developers are indeed better problem solvers in terms of their analytical abilities. The following contributions are made by this study: (1) providing a better understanding of the impact of affective states on the creativity and analytical problem-solving capacities of developers, (2) introducing and validating psychological measurements, theories, and concepts of affective states, creativity, and analytical-problem-solving skills in empirical software engineering, and (3) raising the need for studying the human factors of software engineering by employing a multidisciplinary viewpoint.

An Evolving Approach to Learning Problem Solving and Program Development: The Distributed Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deek, Fadi; Espinosa, Idania

2005-01-01

Traditionally, novice programmers have had difficulties in three distinct areas: breaking down a given problem, designing a workable solution, and debugging the resulting program. Many programming environments, software applications, and teaching tools have been developed to address the difficulties faced by these novices. Along with advancements…

Changes in Teachers' Adaptive Expertise in an Engineering Professional Development Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Taylor; Peacock, Stephanie Baker; Ko, Pat; Rudolph, Jennifer J.

2015-01-01

Although the consensus seems to be that high-school-level introductory engineering courses should focus on design, this creates a problem for teacher training. Traditionally, math and science teachers are trained to teach and assess factual knowledge and closed-ended problem-solving techniques specific to a particular discipline, which is unsuited…

Analysis of Arguments Constructed by First-Year Engineering Students Addressing Electromagnetic Induction Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almudi, Jose Manuel; Ceberio, Mikel

2015-01-01

This study explored the quality of arguments used by first-year engineering university students enrolled in a traditional physics course dealing with electromagnetic induction and related problem solving where they had to assess whether the electromagnetic induction phenomenon would occur. Their conclusions were analyzed for the relevance of the…

Weighing the Benefits of Anchored Math Instruction for Students with Disabilities in General Education Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottge, Brian A.; Heinrichs, Mary; Mehta, Zara Dee; Hung, Ya-Hui

2002-01-01

A study examined the effectiveness of enhanced anchor instruction and traditional problem instruction in improving the problem-solving performance of 42 seventh-graders with and without disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Students without disabilities profited from contextualized instruction, but benefits for the students with disabilities were…

The Effect of Shift-Problem Lessons in the Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palha, Sonia; Dekker, Rijkje; Gravemeijer, Koeno

2015-01-01

It remains difficult to foster problem-solving and mathematical-reasoning capabilities in classrooms where students and teachers are accustomed to the more traditional forms of education. Several studies suggest that this difficulty might be related to the kind of knowledge students acquire in such environments, which could be fragmented and…

Smoke and Mirrors: Art Teacher as Magician

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hathaway, Nan E.

2013-01-01

A time-honored and pervasive tradition has taken root in art classrooms. It goes like this: The art teacher plans experiences, often called "visual problems" (Vieth, 1999, p. 4), for pupils to execute. Students are then encouraged to "solve" these problems in their own way, but the end result, more often than not, is…

Solving the problems we face: the United States Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability, and the challenges of the twenty-first century

EPA Science Inventory

Addressing the problems of the twenty-first century will require new initiatives that complement traditional regulatory activities. Existing regulations, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are important safety nets in the United States for protecting human health and t...

Solving of Clock Problems Using An Algebraic Approach And Developing An Application For Automatic Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi Devaraj, Shanmuga

2018-04-01

The recent trend in learning Mathematics is through android apps like Byju’s. The clock problems asked in aptitude tests could be learnt using such computer applications. The Clock problems are of four categories namely: 1. What is the angle between the hands of a clock at a particular time 2. When the hands of a clock will meet after a particular time 3. When the hands of a clock will be at right angle after a particular time 4. When the hands of a clock will be in a straight line but not together after a particular time The aim of this article is to convert the clock problems which were solved using the traditional approach to algebraic equations and solve them. Shortcuts are arrived which help in solving the questions in just a few seconds. Any aptitude problem could be converted to an algebraic equation by tracing the way the problem proceeds by applying our analytical skills. Solving of equations would be the easiest part in coming up with the solution. Also a computer application could be developed by using the equations that were arrived at in the analysis part. The computer application aims at solving the four different problems in Clocks. The application helps the learners of aptitude for CAT and other competitive exams to know the approach of the problem. Learning Mathematics with a gaming tool like this would be interesting to the learners. This paper provides a path to creating gaming apps to learn Mathematics.

An interactive problem-solving approach to teach traumatology for medical students.

PubMed

Abu-Zidan, Fikri M; Elzubeir, Margaret A

2010-08-13

We aimed to evaluate an interactive problem-solving approach for teaching traumatology from perspectives of students and consider its implications on Faculty development. A two hour problem-solving, interactive tutorial on traumatology was structured to cover main topics in trauma management. The tutorial was based on real cases covering specific topics and objectives. Seven tutorials (5-9 students in each) were given by the same tutor with the same format for fourth and fifth year medical students in Auckland and UAE Universities (n = 50). A 16 item questionnaire, on a 7 point Likert-type scale, focusing on educational tools, tutor-based skills, and student-centered skills were answered by the students followed by open ended comments. The tutorials were highly ranked by the students. The mean values of educational tools was the highest followed by tutor-centered skills and finally student-centered skills. There was a significant increase of the rating of studied attributes over time (F = 3.9, p = 0.004, ANOVA). Students' open ended comments were highly supportive of the interactive problem-solving approach for teaching traumatology. The interactive problem-solving approach for tutorials can be an effective enjoyable alternative or supplement to traditional instruction for teaching traumatology to medical students. Training for this approach should be encouraged for Faculty development.

Bringing us back to our creative senses: Fostering creativity in graduate-level nursing education: A literary review.

PubMed

Duhamel, Karen V

2016-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore empirical findings of five studies related to graduate-level nurse educators' and nursing students' perceptions about the roles of creativity and creative problem-solving in traditional and innovative pedagogies, and examines conceptual differences in the value of creativity from teacher and student viewpoints. Five peer-reviewed scholarly articles; professional nursing organizations; conceptual frameworks of noted scholars specializing in creativity and creative problem-solving; business-related sources; primary and secondary sources of esteemed nurse scholars. Quantitative and qualitative studies were examined that used a variety of methodologies, including surveys, focus groups, 1:1 interviews, and convenience sampling of both nursing and non-nursing college students and faculty. Innovative teaching strategies supported student creativity and creative problem-solving development. Teacher personality traits and teaching styles receptive to students' needs led to greater student success in creative development. Adequate time allocation and perceived usefulness of creativity and creative problem-solving by graduate-level nurse educators must be reflected in classroom activities and course design. Findings indicated conservative teaching norms, evident in graduate nursing education today, should be revised to promote creativity and creative problem-solving development in graduate-level nursing students for best practice outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collaborative approaches using traditional and nontraditional providers of women's health care in the Philippines.

PubMed

Recio, D M

1985-01-01

This discussion of collaborative approaches using traditional and nontraditional providers of women's health care in the Philippines identifies common health problems in the Philippines, discusses solutions and strategies adopted by government and nongovernment providers of women's health care, and details the strategies adopted in the Philippines. The traditional providers are the traditional birth attendants, the folk healers, herbalists, faith healers, and the so-called witches and sorcerers, which are not treated in a derogatory manner in the Philippines. This paper deals only with the traditional birth attendants who are women and whose work deals with women's health concerns. The nontraditional type of health care providers, some of whom are nonprofessionals, include those who have been recruited by government and nongovernment organizations. This paper deals only with the nonprofessional health care providers. 2 major types of health problems in the Philippines are discussed. The first of these is the rapid population growth and its ramifications, including growing demands for food, education employment, health services, and shelter. This further indicates that there will be a larger number of undernourished children, a larger number of poor families and so on. Additionally, there are 295 cases of illness per 1000 persons, of which 68% are acute illness, 27% chronic, and 5% disabilities and accidents. The 2nd type of health problem is only health related, i.e., the inequitable distribution of health resources and health personnel. The recruitment of lay health workers was the solution adopted to ease the inequity in distribution of human health resources. Providers of health care in the Philippines generally are recruited to help solve specific health problems of maternal and child care, including family planning, malnutrition, general morbidity, and dispersal of medicines. In the process they help ease the inequitable distribution of health services. The population problem is being solved by several categories of workers: traditional birth attendants; the full-time outreach worker; and barrio supply point officers.

Initial Stage Reference Search : Behavioral Economics and Transportation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

The initial stage investigation is the beginning step in the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program process for exploring ideas across traditional and nontraditional fields of research and stimulating new approaches to problem solving. The proce...

Exploratory Advanced Research Program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-20

The Exploratory Advanced Research Program strives to develop partnerships with the public and private sectors because the very nature of EAR is to apply ideas across traditional fields of research and stimulate new approaches to problem solving. Thro...

Smoothed low rank and sparse matrix recovery by iteratively reweighted least squares minimization.

PubMed

Lu, Canyi; Lin, Zhouchen; Yan, Shuicheng

2015-02-01

This paper presents a general framework for solving the low-rank and/or sparse matrix minimization problems, which may involve multiple nonsmooth terms. The iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLSs) method is a fast solver, which smooths the objective function and minimizes it by alternately updating the variables and their weights. However, the traditional IRLS can only solve a sparse only or low rank only minimization problem with squared loss or an affine constraint. This paper generalizes IRLS to solve joint/mixed low-rank and sparse minimization problems, which are essential formulations for many tasks. As a concrete example, we solve the Schatten-p norm and l2,q-norm regularized low-rank representation problem by IRLS, and theoretically prove that the derived solution is a stationary point (globally optimal if p,q ≥ 1). Our convergence proof of IRLS is more general than previous one that depends on the special properties of the Schatten-p norm and l2,q-norm. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real data sets demonstrate that our IRLS is much more efficient.

Interactive problem-solving sessions in an introductory bioscience course engaged students and gave them feedback, but did not increase their exam scores.

PubMed

McEvoy, James P

2017-10-02

Active learning, including the promotion of student interactivity in lectures, has been found to improve student engagement and performance in university science classes. This letter describes the use of Pearson's Learning Catalytics to run regular, formatively assessed problem-solving sessions as part of the semiflipped redesign of an introductory level university bioscience course. Students found the problem-solving sessions more engaging than a traditional lecture, and felt that they were receiving better feedback on their progress in the course. Their participation in the problem-solving sessions was strongly associated with their performance in the course's summative assessments, making it possible to identify and assist probable poor performers early in the course. Other measures of student engagement with the course were not improved, and neither were their average exam grades when compared with their grades in a course which had not been redesigned. Possible reasons for this are discussed. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mexican Hat Wavelet Kernel ELM for Multiclass Classification.

PubMed

Wang, Jie; Song, Yi-Fan; Ma, Tian-Lei

2017-01-01

Kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) is a novel feedforward neural network, which is widely used in classification problems. To some extent, it solves the existing problems of the invalid nodes and the large computational complexity in ELM. However, the traditional KELM classifier usually has a low test accuracy when it faces multiclass classification problems. In order to solve the above problem, a new classifier, Mexican Hat wavelet KELM classifier, is proposed in this paper. The proposed classifier successfully improves the training accuracy and reduces the training time in the multiclass classification problems. Moreover, the validity of the Mexican Hat wavelet as a kernel function of ELM is rigorously proved. Experimental results on different data sets show that the performance of the proposed classifier is significantly superior to the compared classifiers.

Safety in numbers 4: The relationship between exposure to authentic and didactic environments and nursing students' learning of medication dosage calculation problem solving knowledge and skills.

PubMed

Weeks, Keith W; Clochesy, John M; Hutton, B Meriel; Moseley, Laurie

2013-03-01

Advancing the art and science of education practice requires a robust evaluation of the relationship between students' exposure to learning and assessment environments and the development of their cognitive competence (knowing that and why) and functional competence (know-how and skills). Healthcare education translation research requires specific education technology assessments and evaluations that consist of quantitative analyses of empirical data and qualitative evaluations of the lived student experience of the education journey and schemata construction (Weeks et al., 2013a). This paper focuses on the outcomes of UK PhD and USA post-doctorate experimental research. We evaluated the relationship between exposure to traditional didactic methods of education, prototypes of an authentic medication dosage calculation problem-solving (MDC-PS) environment and nursing students' construction of conceptual and calculation competence in medication dosage calculation problem-solving skills. Empirical outcomes from both UK and USA programmes of research identified highly significant differences in the construction of conceptual and calculation competence in MDC-PS following exposure to the authentic learning environment to that following exposure to traditional didactic transmission methods of education (p < 0.001). This research highlighted that for many students exposure to authentic learning environments is an essential first step in the development of conceptual and calculation competence and relevant schemata construction (internal representations of the relationship between the features of authentic dosage problems and calculation functions); and how authentic environments more ably support all cognitive (learning) styles in mathematics than traditional didactic methods of education. Functional competence evaluations are addressed in Macdonald et al. (2013) and Weeks et al. (2013e). Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of team-based learning on problem-solving, knowledge and clinical performance of Korean nursing students.

PubMed

Kim, Hae-Ran; Song, Yeoungsuk; Lindquist, Ruth; Kang, Hee-Young

2016-03-01

Team-based learning (TBL) has been used as a learner-centered teaching strategy in efforts to improve students' problem-solving, knowledge and practice performance. Although TBL has been used in nursing education in Korea for a decade, few studies have studied its effects on Korean nursing students' learning outcomes. To examine the effects of TBL on problem-solving ability and learning outcomes (knowledge and clinical performance) of Korean nursing students. Randomized controlled trial. 63 third-year undergraduate nursing students attending a single university were randomly assigned to the TBL group (n=32), or a control group (n=31). The TBL and control groups attended 2h of class weekly for 3weeks. Three scenarios with pulmonary disease content were employed in both groups. However, the control group received lectures and traditional case study teaching/learning strategies instead of TBL. A questionnaire of problem-solving ability was administered at baseline, prior to students' exposure to the teaching strategies. Students' problem-solving ability, knowledge of pulmonary nursing care, and clinical performance were assessed following completion of the three-week pulmonary unit. After the three-week educational interventions, the scores on problem-solving ability in the TBL group were significantly improved relative to that of the control group (t=10.89, p<.001). In addition, there were significant differences in knowledge, and in clinical performance with standardized patients between the two groups (t=2.48, p=.016, t=12.22, p<.001). This study demonstrated that TBL is an effective teaching strategy to enhance problem-solving ability, knowledge and clinical performance. More research on other specific learning outcomes of TBL for nursing students is recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shell Structure Water Cellar’s Rapid Construct Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xian Zhuang, Wen; Qing Yin, De; Chen, Shu Fa

2018-05-01

Tradition concrete water cellar’s problems, such as high cost, long construction term, easy to crack, are pointed out. A new construct method, and it’s matching airbag mould, of constructing concrete shell structure water cellars, are introduced. Combine with full-scale verifying cellar’s construct test, full-load water storage test, analyzed the technology in terms of construction term, cost, crack resistance, air bag pressure etc. It is believed that this new technology can successfully solve the problems that tradition technology has, and it will have a good prospect in rainfall resources utilization.

Mobile code security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramalingam, Srikumar

2001-11-01

A highly secure mobile agent system is very important for a mobile computing environment. The security issues in mobile agent system comprise protecting mobile hosts from malicious agents, protecting agents from other malicious agents, protecting hosts from other malicious hosts and protecting agents from malicious hosts. Using traditional security mechanisms the first three security problems can be solved. Apart from using trusted hardware, very few approaches exist to protect mobile code from malicious hosts. Some of the approaches to solve this problem are the use of trusted computing, computing with encrypted function, steganography, cryptographic traces, Seal Calculas, etc. This paper focuses on the simulation of some of these existing techniques in the designed mobile language. Some new approaches to solve malicious network problem and agent tampering problem are developed using public key encryption system and steganographic concepts. The approaches are based on encrypting and hiding the partial solutions of the mobile agents. The partial results are stored and the address of the storage is destroyed as the agent moves from one host to another host. This allows only the originator to make use of the partial results. Through these approaches some of the existing problems are solved.

Suppliers solve processing problems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The year's IFT food expo showcased numerous companies and organizations offering solutions to food processing needs and challenges. From small-scale unit operations to commercial-scale equipment lines, exhibitors highlighted both traditional and novel food processing operations fro food product dev...

Optimum Tolerance Design Using Component-Amount and Mixture-Amount Experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piepel, Gregory F.; Ozler, Cenk; Sehirlioglu, Ali Kemal

2013-08-01

One type of tolerance design problem involves optimizing component and assembly tolerances to minimize the total cost (sum of manufacturing cost and quality loss). Previous literature recommended using traditional response surface (RS) designs and models to solve this type of tolerance design problem. In this article, component-amount (CA) and mixture-amount (MA) approaches are proposed as more appropriate for solving this type of tolerance design problem. The advantages of the CA and MA approaches over the RS approach are discussed. Reasons for choosing between the CA and MA approaches are also discussed. The CA and MA approaches (experimental design, response modeling,more » and optimization) are illustrated using real examples.« less

Possible Solutions as a Concept in Behavior Change Interventions.

PubMed

Mahoney, Diane E

2018-04-24

Nurses are uniquely positioned to implement behavior change interventions. Yet, nursing interventions have traditionally resulted from nurses problem-solving rather than allowing the patient to self-generate possible solutions for attaining specific health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to clarify the meaning of possible solutions in behavior change interventions. Walker and Avant's method on concept analysis serves as the framework for examination of the possible solutions. Possible solutions can be defined as continuous strategies initiated by patients and families to overcome existing health problems. As nurses engage in behavior change interventions, supporting patients and families in problem-solving will optimize health outcomes and transform clinical practice. © 2018 NANDA International, Inc.

Damage tolerant design using collapse techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haftka, R. T.

1982-01-01

A new approach to the design of structures for improved global damage tolerance is presented. In its undamaged condition the structure is designed subject to strength, displacement and buckling constraints. In the damaged condition the only constraint is that the structure will not collapse. The collapse load calculation is formulated as a maximization problem and solved by an interior extended penalty function. The design for minimum weight subject to constraints on the undamaged structure and a specified level of the collapse load is a minimization problem which is also solved by a penalty function formulation. Thus the overall problem is of a nested or multilevel optimization. Examples are presented to demonstrate the difference between the present and more traditional approaches.

Trajectory control method of stratospheric airship based on the sliding mode control and prediction in wind field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jia-shi; Yang, Xi-xiang

2017-11-01

The stratospheric airship has the characteristics of large inertia, long time delay and large disturbance of wind field , so the trajectory control is very difficult .Build the lateral three degrees of freedom dynamic model which consider the wind interference , the dynamics equation is linearized by the small perturbation theory, propose a trajectory control method Combine with the sliding mode control and prediction, design the trajectory controller , takes the HAA airship as the reference to carry out simulation analysis. Results show that the improved sliding mode control with front-feedback method not only can solve well control problems of airship trajectory in wind field, but also can effectively improve the control accuracy of the traditional sliding mode control method, solved problems that using the traditional sliding mode control to control. It provides a useful reference for dynamic modeling and trajectory control of stratospheric airship.

Using an Epistemic Game to Facilitate Students' Problem-Solving: The Case of Hospitality Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shwu-Huey; Wang, Hsiu-Yuan

2017-01-01

Hospitality students are required to be able to address challenging cases or problems in the work environment. However, traditional lecture- or exam-based instruction leaves a gap between theory and practice. On the other hand, modern youth live and socialise in an increasingly digital environment, and one of their biggest pastimes is playing…

New Results in Astrodynamics Using Genetic Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coverstone-Carroll, V.; Hartmann, J. W.; Williams, S. N.; Mason, W. J.

1998-01-01

Generic algorithms have gained popularity as an effective procedure for obtaining solutions to traditionally difficult space mission optimization problems. In this paper, a brief survey of the use of genetic algorithms to solve astrodynamics problems is presented and is followed by new results obtained from applying a Pareto genetic algorithm to the optimization of low-thrust interplanetary spacecraft missions.

Problems and Issues Related to Legislative Process: The State Dimension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reibman, Jeanette F.

Issues of concern to higher education in Pennsylvania and possible roles for the state government are addressed by a state senator. The difficulty of providing postsecondary education in view of reduced funds is noted. It is suggested that the expectation that adult students will help solve the problem of fewer traditional aged college students…

Wiki Activities in Blended Learning for Health Professional Students: Enhancing Critical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snodgrass, Suzanne

2011-01-01

Health professionals use critical thinking, a key problem solving skill, for clinical reasoning which is defined as the use of knowledge and reflective inquiry to diagnose a clinical problem. Teaching these skills in traditional settings with growing class sizes is challenging, and students increasingly expect learning that is flexible and…

International Testing Platforms: When Similar Outcomes Meet Different Testing Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus

2006-01-01

Computers have become a solution for many traditional problems from the kitchen to the school. It is not, therefore, uncommon to use them to solve existing problems. It is also quite frequent that different educational needs can lead to similar solutions. For instance, the Australian immigration services use a number of exams to allow the access…

Indigenous Women: The Right to a Voice. IWGIA Document No. 88.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vinding, Diana, Ed.

This document contains 29 articles on the problems of indigenous women in a rapidly changing world, their unequal access to knowledge and resources, and their efforts to take an active role in solving those problems. The articles are arranged into nine chapters: Keeping Traditions Alive; Changing Gender Roles; The Struggle for Self-Determination…

Teaching genetics using hands-on models, problem solving, and inquiry-based methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppe, Stephanie Ann

Teaching genetics can be challenging because of the difficulty of the content and misconceptions students might hold. This thesis focused on using hands-on model activities, problem solving, and inquiry-based teaching/learning methods in order to increase student understanding in an introductory biology class in the area of genetics. Various activities using these three methods were implemented into the classes to address any misconceptions and increase student learning of the difficult concepts. The activities that were implemented were shown to be successful based on pre-post assessment score comparison. The students were assessed on the subjects of inheritance patterns, meiosis, and protein synthesis and demonstrated growth in all of the areas. It was found that hands-on models, problem solving, and inquiry-based activities were more successful in learning concepts in genetics and the students were more engaged than tradition styles of lecture.

Quantum Heterogeneous Computing for Satellite Positioning Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bass, G.; Kumar, V.; Dulny, J., III

2016-12-01

Hard optimization problems occur in many fields of academic study and practical situations. We present results in which quantum heterogeneous computing is used to solve a real-world optimization problem: satellite positioning. Optimization problems like this can scale very rapidly with problem size, and become unsolvable with traditional brute-force methods. Typically, such problems have been approximately solved with heuristic approaches; however, these methods can take a long time to calculate and are not guaranteed to find optimal solutions. Quantum computing offers the possibility of producing significant speed-up and improved solution quality. There are now commercially available quantum annealing (QA) devices that are designed to solve difficult optimization problems. These devices have 1000+ quantum bits, but they have significant hardware size and connectivity limitations. We present a novel heterogeneous computing stack that combines QA and classical machine learning and allows the use of QA on problems larger than the quantum hardware could solve in isolation. We begin by analyzing the satellite positioning problem with a heuristic solver, the genetic algorithm. The classical computer's comparatively large available memory can explore the full problem space and converge to a solution relatively close to the true optimum. The QA device can then evolve directly to the optimal solution within this more limited space. Preliminary experiments, using the Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) algorithm to simulate QA hardware, have produced promising results. Working with problem instances with known global minima, we find a solution within 8% in a matter of seconds, and within 5% in a few minutes. Future studies include replacing QMC with commercially available quantum hardware and exploring more problem sets and model parameters. Our results have important implications for how heterogeneous quantum computing can be used to solve difficult optimization problems in any field.

An optimization-based approach for solving a time-harmonic multiphysical wave problem with higher-order schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mönkölä, Sanna

2013-06-01

This study considers developing numerical solution techniques for the computer simulations of time-harmonic fluid-structure interaction between acoustic and elastic waves. The focus is on the efficiency of an iterative solution method based on a controllability approach and spectral elements. We concentrate on the model, in which the acoustic waves in the fluid domain are modeled by using the velocity potential and the elastic waves in the structure domain are modeled by using displacement. Traditionally, the complex-valued time-harmonic equations are used for solving the time-harmonic problems. Instead of that, we focus on finding periodic solutions without solving the time-harmonic problems directly. The time-dependent equations can be simulated with respect to time until a time-harmonic solution is reached, but the approach suffers from poor convergence. To overcome this challenge, we follow the approach first suggested and developed for the acoustic wave equations by Bristeau, Glowinski, and Périaux. Thus, we accelerate the convergence rate by employing a controllability method. The problem is formulated as a least-squares optimization problem, which is solved with the conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm. Computation of the gradient of the functional is done directly for the discretized problem. A graph-based multigrid method is used for preconditioning the CG algorithm.

Use of a Mobile Application to Help Students Develop Skills Needed in Solving Force Equilibrium Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Eunice

2016-02-01

This paper discusses the use of a free mobile engineering application (app) called Autodesk® ForceEffect™ to provide students assistance with spatial visualization of forces and more practice in solving/visualizing statics problems compared to the traditional pencil-and-paper method. ForceEffect analyzes static rigid-body systems using free-body diagrams (FBDs) and provides solutions in real time. It is a cost-free software that is available for download on the Internet. The software is supported on the iOS™, Android™, and Google Chrome™ platforms. It is easy to use and the learning curve is approximately two hours using the tutorial provided within the app. The use of ForceEffect has the ability to provide students different problem modalities (textbook, real-world, and design) to help them acquire and improve on skills that are needed to solve force equilibrium problems. Although this paper focuses on the engineering mechanics statics course, the technology discussed is also relevant to the introductory physics course.

So what exactly are social-ecological network studies? Findings from a literature review

EPA Science Inventory

To solve most environmental management problems academics and practitioners must work across traditionally compartmentalized management arenas (e.g., food, water, and wildlife) and among spatially distant ecosystems and resource users. Managing interdependent ecosystem services, ...

Alternatives for Assessing the Presence of Advanced Intellectual Abilities in Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, C. Stephen

1985-01-01

Assessment procedures aimed at differentiating intellectually gifted young children from their nongifted peers are proposed as alternatives to traditional identification procedures. Suggested is measuring the use of strategic behavior to solve novel problems. (Author/CL)

The min-conflicts heuristic: Experimental and theoretical results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minton, Steven; Philips, Andrew B.; Johnston, Mark D.; Laird, Philip

1991-01-01

This paper describes a simple heuristic method for solving large-scale constraint satisfaction and scheduling problems. Given an initial assignment for the variables in a problem, the method operates by searching through the space of possible repairs. The search is guided by an ordering heuristic, the min-conflicts heuristic, that attempts to minimize the number of constraint violations after each step. We demonstrate empirically that the method performs orders of magnitude better than traditional backtracking techniques on certain standard problems. For example, the one million queens problem can be solved rapidly using our approach. We also describe practical scheduling applications where the method has been successfully applied. A theoretical analysis is presented to explain why the method works so well on certain types of problems and to predict when it is likely to be most effective.

Solving a discrete model of the lac operon using Z3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, Natalia A.

2014-05-01

A discrete model for the Lcac Operon is solved using the SMT-solver Z3. Traditionally the Lac Operon is formulated in a continuous math model. This model is a system of ordinary differential equations. Here, it was considerated as a discrete model, based on a Boolean red. The biological problem of Lac Operon is enunciated as a problem of Boolean satisfiability, and it is solved using an STM-solver named Z3. Z3 is a powerful solver that allows understanding the basic dynamic of the Lac Operon in an easier and more efficient way. The multi-stability of the Lac Operon can be easily computed with Z3. The code that solves the Boolean red can be written in Python language or SMT-Lib language. Both languages were used in local version of the program as online version of Z3. For future investigations it is proposed to solve the Boolean red of Lac Operon using others SMT-solvers as cvc4, alt-ergo, mathsat and yices.

Alternative Constraint Handling Technique for Four-Bar Linkage Path Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sleesongsom, S.; Bureerat, S.

2018-03-01

This paper proposes an extension of a new concept for path generation from our previous work by adding a new constraint handling technique. The propose technique was initially designed for problems without prescribed timing by avoiding the timing constraint, while remain constraints are solving with a new constraint handling technique. The technique is one kind of penalty technique. The comparative study is optimisation of path generation problems are solved using self-adaptive population size teaching-learning based optimization (SAP-TLBO) and original TLBO. In this study, two traditional path generation test problem are used to test the proposed technique. The results show that the new technique can be applied with the path generation problem without prescribed timing and gives better results than the previous technique. Furthermore, SAP-TLBO outperforms the original one.

Concept mapping improves academic performance in problem solving questions in biochemistry subject.

PubMed

Baig, Mukhtiar; Tariq, Saba; Rehman, Rehana; Ali, Sobia; Gazzaz, Zohair J

2016-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of concept mapping (CM) on the academic performance of medical students' in problem-solving as well as in declarative knowledge questions and their perception regarding CM. The present analytical and questionnaire-based study was carried out at Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC), Karachi, Pakistan. In this analytical study, students were assessed with problem-solving questions (A-type MCQs), and declarative knowledge questions (short essay questions), and 50% of the questions were from the topics learned by CM. Students also filled a 10-item, 3-point Likert scale questionnaire about their perception regarding the effectiveness of the CM approach, and two open-ended questions were also asked. There was a significant difference in the marks obtained in those problem-solving questions, which were learned by CM as compared to those topics which were taught by the traditional lectures (p<0.001), while no significant difference was observed in marks in declarative knowledge questions (p=0.704). Analysis of students' perception regarding CM showed that majority of the students perceive that CM is a helpful technique and it is enjoyed by the students. In open-ended questions, the majority of the students commented positively about the effectiveness of CM. Our results indicate that CM improves academic performance in problem solving but not in declarative knowledge questions. Students' perception about the effectiveness of CM was overwhelmingly positive.

A hybrid, auto-adaptive and rule-based multi-agent approach using evolutionary algorithms for improved searching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izquierdo, Joaquín; Montalvo, Idel; Campbell, Enrique; Pérez-García, Rafael

2016-08-01

Selecting the most appropriate heuristic for solving a specific problem is not easy, for many reasons. This article focuses on one of these reasons: traditionally, the solution search process has operated in a given manner regardless of the specific problem being solved, and the process has been the same regardless of the size, complexity and domain of the problem. To cope with this situation, search processes should mould the search into areas of the search space that are meaningful for the problem. This article builds on previous work in the development of a multi-agent paradigm using techniques derived from knowledge discovery (data-mining techniques) on databases of so-far visited solutions. The aim is to improve the search mechanisms, increase computational efficiency and use rules to enrich the formulation of optimization problems, while reducing the search space and catering to realistic problems.

A dynamic fault tree model of a propulsion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Hong; Dugan, Joanne Bechta; Meshkat, Leila

2006-01-01

We present a dynamic fault tree model of the benchmark propulsion system, and solve it using Galileo. Dynamic fault trees (DFT) extend traditional static fault trees with special gates to model spares and other sequence dependencies. Galileo solves DFT models using a judicious combination of automatically generated Markov and Binary Decision Diagram models. Galileo easily handles the complexities exhibited by the benchmark problem. In particular, Galileo is designed to model phased mission systems.

Vocabulary Notebook: A Digital Solution to General and Specific Vocabulary Learning Problems in a CLIL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bazo, Plácido; Rodríguez, Romén; Fumero, Dácil

2016-01-01

In this paper, we will introduce an innovative software platform that can be especially useful in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) context. This tool is called Vocabulary Notebook, and has been developed to solve all the problems that traditional (paper) vocabulary notebooks have. This tool keeps focus on the personalisation of…

Culture and problem-solving: Congruency between the cultural mindset of individualism versus collectivism and problem type.

PubMed

Arieli, Sharon; Sagiv, Lilach

2018-06-01

This research investigates how the cultural mindset influences problem-solving. Drawing on the notion that cultural mindset influences the cognitive process individuals bring to bear at the moment of judgment, we propose that the congruency between the cultural mindset (individualistic vs. collectivistic) and problem type (rule-based vs. context-based) affects success in problem-solving. In 7 studies we incorporated the traditional approach to studying the impact of culture (i.e., comparing cultural groups) with contemporary approaches viewing cultural differences in a more dynamic and malleable manner. We first show that members of an individualistic group (Jewish Americans) perform better on rule-based problems, whereas members of collectivistic groups (ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs from Israel) perform better on context-based problems (Study 1). We then study Arabs in Israel using language (Arabic vs. Hebrew) to prime their collectivistic versus individualistic mindsets (Study 2). As hypothesized, among biculturals (those who internalize both cultures) Arabic facilitated solving context-based problems, whereas Hebrew facilitated solving rule-based problems. We follow up with 5 experiments priming the cultural mindset of individualism versus collectivism, employing various manifestations of the cultural dimension: focusing on the individual versus the collective (Studies 3, 6, and 7); experiencing independence versus interdependence (Study 4); and directing attention to objects versus the context (Studies 5a-b). Finally, we took a meta-analytic approach, showing that the effects found in Studies 3-6 are robust across priming tasks, problems, and samples. Taken together, the differences between cultural groups (Studies 1-2) were recreated when the individualistic/collectivistic cultural mindset was primed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Solving a real-world problem using an evolving heuristically driven schedule builder.

PubMed

Hart, E; Ross, P; Nelson, J

1998-01-01

This work addresses the real-life scheduling problem of a Scottish company that must produce daily schedules for the catching and transportation of large numbers of live chickens. The problem is complex and highly constrained. We show that it can be successfully solved by division into two subproblems and solving each using a separate genetic algorithm (GA). We address the problem of whether this produces locally optimal solutions and how to overcome this. We extend the traditional approach of evolving a "permutation + schedule builder" by concentrating on evolving the schedule builder itself. This results in a unique schedule builder being built for each daily scheduling problem, each individually tailored to deal with the particular features of that problem. This results in a robust, fast, and flexible system that can cope with most of the circumstances imaginable at the factory. We also compare the performance of a GA approach to several other evolutionary methods and show that population-based methods are superior to both hill-climbing and simulated annealing in the quality of solutions produced. Population-based methods also have the distinct advantage of producing multiple, equally fit solutions, which is of particular importance when considering the practical aspects of the problem.

Non-linear eigensolver-based alternative to traditional SCF methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavin, B.; Polizzi, E.

2013-05-01

The self-consistent procedure in electronic structure calculations is revisited using a highly efficient and robust algorithm for solving the non-linear eigenvector problem, i.e., H({ψ})ψ = Eψ. This new scheme is derived from a generalization of the FEAST eigenvalue algorithm to account for the non-linearity of the Hamiltonian with the occupied eigenvectors. Using a series of numerical examples and the density functional theory-Kohn/Sham model, it will be shown that our approach can outperform the traditional SCF mixing-scheme techniques by providing a higher converge rate, convergence to the correct solution regardless of the choice of the initial guess, and a significant reduction of the eigenvalue solve time in simulations.

Democratic Postsecondary Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molnar, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

This dissertation offers a critique of current approaches to postsecondary vocational education. It concludes that the traditional apprenticeship and didactic model leads to inadequate preparation of students for independent thinking and problem solving. An alternative model is proposed that uses "democratic education" principles. These include…

Application of hybrid artificial fish swarm algorithm based on similar fragments in VRP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che, Jinnuo; Zhou, Kang; Zhang, Xueyu; Tong, Xin; Hou, Lingyun; Jia, Shiyu; Zhen, Yiting

2018-03-01

Focused on the issue that the decrease of convergence speed and the precision of calculation at the end of the process in Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm(AFSA) and instability of results, a hybrid AFSA based on similar fragments is proposed. Traditional AFSA enjoys a lot of obvious advantages in solving complex optimization problems like Vehicle Routing Problem(VRP). AFSA have a few limitations such as low convergence speed, low precision and instability of results. In this paper, two improvements are introduced. On the one hand, change the definition of the distance for artificial fish, as well as increase vision field of artificial fish, and the problem of speed and precision can be improved when solving VRP. On the other hand, mix artificial bee colony algorithm(ABC) into AFSA - initialize the population of artificial fish by the ABC, and it solves the problem of instability of results in some extend. The experiment results demonstrate that the optimal solution of the hybrid AFSA is easier to approach the optimal solution of the standard database than the other two algorithms. In conclusion, the hybrid algorithm can effectively solve the problem that instability of results and decrease of convergence speed and the precision of calculation at the end of the process.

Improved Linear Algebra Methods for Redshift Computation from Limited Spectrum Data - II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Leslie; Waagen, Alex; Aijaz, Nabella; Hurley, Michael; Luis, Apolo; Rinsky, Joel; Satyavolu, Chandrika; Gazis, Paul; Srivastava, Ashok; Way, Michael

2008-01-01

Given photometric broadband measurements of a galaxy, Gaussian processes may be used with a training set to solve the regression problem of approximating the redshift of this galaxy. However, in practice solving the traditional Gaussian processes equation is too slow and requires too much memory. We employed several methods to avoid this difficulty using algebraic manipulation and low-rank approximation, and were able to quickly approximate the redshifts in our testing data within 17 percent of the known true values using limited computational resources. The accuracy of one method, the V Formulation, is comparable to the accuracy of the best methods currently used for this problem.

Schizophrenia, narrative, and neurocognition: The utility of life-stories in understanding social problem-solving skills.

PubMed

Moe, Aubrey M; Breitborde, Nicholas J K; Bourassa, Kyle J; Gallagher, Colin J; Shakeel, Mohammed K; Docherty, Nancy M

2018-06-01

Schizophrenia researchers have focused on phenomenological aspects of the disorder to better understand its underlying nature. In particular, development of personal narratives-that is, the complexity with which people form, organize, and articulate their "life stories"-has recently been investigated in individuals with schizophrenia. However, less is known about how aspects of narrative relate to indicators of neurocognitive and social functioning. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association of linguistic complexity of life-story narratives to measures of cognitive and social problem-solving abilities among people with schizophrenia. Thirty-two individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia completed a research battery consisting of clinical interviews, a life-story narrative, neurocognitive testing, and a measure assessing multiple aspects of social problem solving. Narrative interviews were assessed for linguistic complexity using computerized technology. The results indicate differential relationships of linguistic complexity and neurocognition to domains of social problem-solving skills. More specifically, although neurocognition predicted how well one could both describe and enact a solution to a social problem, linguistic complexity alone was associated with accurately recognizing that a social problem had occurred. In addition, linguistic complexity appears to be a cognitive factor that is discernible from other broader measures of neurocognition. Linguistic complexity may be more relevant in understanding earlier steps of the social problem-solving process than more traditional, broad measures of cognition, and thus is relevant in conceptualizing treatment targets. These findings also support the relevance of developing narrative-focused psychotherapies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Business Games: "A Neglected Pedagogical Tool"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Vinay K.

1972-01-01

The major value of games is the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills--a value that has not always been achieved under traditional methods of teaching or by some of the other recent innovations, such as programmed or televised lessons. (Author/JS)

An Evaluation of Alternative Screening Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Carol; Romanoff, Brenda; Algozzine, Bob; Udall, Ann

2000-01-01

This study compared the Problem Solving Assessment (PSA) procedure, an application based on Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, with more traditional criteria for the identification of minority students for gifted education programs. Although positive correlations among approaches and intelligences were observed, different groups of…

Composition through Construction: A Less Teacher-Directed Approach (EJ Update).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabachnick, Vicki

1992-01-01

Questions traditional composition techniques and their effects on student thinking and problem solving. Demonstrates how one high school English teacher responded to these classroom issues by reading relevant research and supplementing it with a study conducted on her own students. (HB)

Blended Design Approach of Long Span Structure and Malay Traditional Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundari, Titin

2017-12-01

The growing population in the world is so fast, which is followed by the increasing need of some new and large activities. Architects face the problem on how to facilitate buildings with various activities such as for large meeting, conference, indoors gymnasium and sports, and many others. The long span structure of building is one of the solutions to solve that problem. Generally, large buildings which implemented this structure will look as a technological, modern and futuristic ones or even neo futuristic performance. But on the other hand, many people still want to enjoy the specific and unique senses of local traditional architecture. So is the Malay people who want an easy pleasant large facilities which can be fulfilled by implementing modern long span building structure technology. In the same time, their unique sense of Malay traditional architecture can still be maintained. To overcome this double problems of design, it needs a blended design approach of long span structure and Malay Traditional Architecture.

Insight and analysis problem solving in microbes to machines.

PubMed

Clark, Kevin B

2015-11-01

A key feature for obtaining solutions to difficult problems, insight is oftentimes vaguely regarded as a special discontinuous intellectual process and/or a cognitive restructuring of problem representation or goal approach. However, this nearly century-old state of art devised by the Gestalt tradition to explain the non-analytical or non-trial-and-error, goal-seeking aptitude of primate mentality tends to neglect problem-solving capabilities of lower animal phyla, Kingdoms other than Animalia, and advancing smart computational technologies built from biological, artificial, and composite media. Attempting to provide an inclusive, precise definition of insight, two major criteria of insight, discontinuous processing and problem restructuring, are here reframed using terminology and statistical mechanical properties of computational complexity classes. Discontinuous processing becomes abrupt state transitions in algorithmic/heuristic outcomes or in types of algorithms/heuristics executed by agents using classical and/or quantum computational models. And problem restructuring becomes combinatorial reorganization of resources, problem-type substitution, and/or exchange of computational models. With insight bounded by computational complexity, humans, ciliated protozoa, and complex technological networks, for example, show insight when restructuring time requirements, combinatorial complexity, and problem type to solve polynomial and nondeterministic polynomial decision problems. Similar effects are expected from other problem types, supporting the idea that insight might be an epiphenomenon of analytical problem solving and consequently a larger information processing framework. Thus, this computational complexity definition of insight improves the power, external and internal validity, and reliability of operational parameters with which to classify, investigate, and produce the phenomenon for computational agents ranging from microbes to man-made devices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-objective optimisation and decision-making of space station logistics strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yue-he; Luo, Ya-zhong

2016-10-01

Space station logistics strategy optimisation is a complex engineering problem with multiple objectives. Finding a decision-maker-preferred compromise solution becomes more significant when solving such a problem. However, the designer-preferred solution is not easy to determine using the traditional method. Thus, a hybrid approach that combines the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, physical programming, and differential evolution (DE) algorithm is proposed to deal with the optimisation and decision-making of space station logistics strategies. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is used to acquire a Pareto frontier and help determine the range parameters of the physical programming. Physical programming is employed to convert the four-objective problem into a single-objective problem, and a DE algorithm is applied to solve the resulting physical programming-based optimisation problem. Five kinds of objective preference are simulated and compared. The simulation results indicate that the proposed approach can produce good compromise solutions corresponding to different decision-makers' preferences.

Student reactions to problem-based learning in photonics technician education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massa, Nicholas M.; Donnelly, Judith; Hanes, Fenna

2014-07-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach in which students learn problem-solving and teamwork skills by collaboratively solving complex real-world problems. Research shows that PBL improves student knowledge and retention, motivation, problem-solving skills, and the ability to skillfully apply knowledge in new and novel situations. One of the challenges faced by students accustomed to traditional didactic methods, however, is acclimating to the PBL process in which problem parameters are often ill-defined and ambiguous, often leading to frustration and disengagement with the learning process. To address this problem, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program, has created and field tested a comprehensive series of industry-based multimedia PBL "Challenges" designed to scaffold the development of students' problem solving and critical thinking skills. In this paper, we present the results of a pilot study conducted to examine student reactions to the PBL Challenges in photonics technician education. During the fall 2012 semester, students (n=12) in two associate degree level photonics courses engaged in PBL using the PBL Challenges. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess student motivation, self-efficacy, critical thinking, metacognitive self-regulation, and peer learning using selected scales from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Results showed positive gains in all variables. Follow-up focus group interviews yielded positive themes supporting the effectiveness of PBL in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes of photonics technicians.

Cognitive development in introductory physics: A research-based approach to curriculum reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorescu, Raluca Elena

This project describes the research on a classification of physics problems in the context of introductory physics courses. This classification, called the Taxonomy of Introductory Physics Problems (TIPP), relates physics problems to the cognitive processes required to solve them. TIPP was created for designing and clarifying educational objectives, for developing assessments that can evaluate individual component processes of the problem-solving process, and for guiding curriculum design in introductory physics courses, specifically within the context of a "thinking-skills" curriculum. TIPP relies on the following resources: (1) cognitive research findings adopted by physics education research, (2) expert-novice research discoveries acknowledged by physics education research, (3) an educational psychology taxonomy for educational objectives, and (4) various collections of physics problems created by physics education researchers or developed by textbook authors. TIPP was used in the years 2006--2008 to reform the first semester of the introductory algebra-based physics course (called Phys 11) at The George Washington University. The reform sought to transform our curriculum into a "thinking-skills" curriculum that trades "breadth for depth" by focusing on fewer topics while targeting the students' cognitive development. We employed existing research on the physics problem-solving expert-novice behavior, cognitive science and behavioral science findings, and educational psychology recommendations. Our pedagogy relies on didactic constructs such as the GW-ACCESS problem-solving protocol, learning progressions and concept maps that we have developed and implemented in our introductory physics course. These tools were designed based on TIPP. Their purpose is: (1) to help students build local and global coherent knowledge structures, (2) to develop more context-independent problem-solving abilities, (3) to gain confidence in problem solving, and (4) to establish connections between everyday phenomena and underlying physics concepts. We organize traditional and research-based physics problems such that students experience a gradual increase in complexity related to problem context, problem features and cognitive processes needed to solve the problem. The instructional environment that we designed allows for explicit monitoring, control and measurement of the cognitive processes exercised during the instruction period. It is easily adaptable to any kind of curriculum and can be readily adjusted throughout the semester. To assess the development of students' problem-solving abilities, we created rubrics that measure specific aspects of the thinking involved in physics problem solving. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' shift in dispositions towards learning physics. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' level of conceptual understanding. The results feature improvements in students' problem-solving abilities and in their attitudes towards learning physics.

Using Grey Wolf Algorithm to Solve the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korayem, L.; Khorsid, M.; Kassem, S. S.

2015-05-01

The capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) is a class of the vehicle routing problems (VRPs). In CVRP a set of identical vehicles having fixed capacities are required to fulfill customers' demands for a single commodity. The main objective is to minimize the total cost or distance traveled by the vehicles while satisfying a number of constraints, such as: the capacity constraint of each vehicle, logical flow constraints, etc. One of the methods employed in solving the CVRP is the cluster-first route-second method. It is a technique based on grouping of customers into a number of clusters, where each cluster is served by one vehicle. Once clusters are formed, a route determining the best sequence to visit customers is established within each cluster. The recently bio-inspired grey wolf optimizer (GWO), introduced in 2014, has proven to be efficient in solving unconstrained, as well as, constrained optimization problems. In the current research, our main contributions are: combining GWO with the traditional K-means clustering algorithm to generate the ‘K-GWO’ algorithm, deriving a capacitated version of the K-GWO algorithm by incorporating a capacity constraint into the aforementioned algorithm, and finally, developing 2 new clustering heuristics. The resulting algorithm is used in the clustering phase of the cluster-first route-second method to solve the CVR problem. The algorithm is tested on a number of benchmark problems with encouraging results.

Engineering neural systems for high-level problem solving.

PubMed

Sylvester, Jared; Reggia, James

2016-07-01

There is a long-standing, sometimes contentious debate in AI concerning the relative merits of a symbolic, top-down approach vs. a neural, bottom-up approach to engineering intelligent machine behaviors. While neurocomputational methods excel at lower-level cognitive tasks (incremental learning for pattern classification, low-level sensorimotor control, fault tolerance and processing of noisy data, etc.), they are largely non-competitive with top-down symbolic methods for tasks involving high-level cognitive problem solving (goal-directed reasoning, metacognition, planning, etc.). Here we take a step towards addressing this limitation by developing a purely neural framework named galis. Our goal in this work is to integrate top-down (non-symbolic) control of a neural network system with more traditional bottom-up neural computations. galis is based on attractor networks that can be "programmed" with temporal sequences of hand-crafted instructions that control problem solving by gating the activity retention of, communication between, and learning done by other neural networks. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach by showing that it can be applied successfully to solve sequential card matching problems, using both human performance and a top-down symbolic algorithm as experimental controls. Solving this kind of problem makes use of top-down attention control and the binding together of visual features in ways that are easy for symbolic AI systems but not for neural networks to achieve. Our model can not only be instructed on how to solve card matching problems successfully, but its performance also qualitatively (and sometimes quantitatively) matches the performance of both human subjects that we had perform the same task and the top-down symbolic algorithm that we used as an experimental control. We conclude that the core principles underlying the galis framework provide a promising approach to engineering purely neurocomputational systems for problem-solving tasks that in people require higher-level cognitive functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problem Solution Processes of Musicians and Engineers: What Do Their Approaches Look Like?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nissilä, Säde-Pirkko; Virkkula, Esa

2015-01-01

PBL is learning through becoming conscious of practical and abstract problems and finding ways how to solve them. It can be a pattern which doesn't follow traditional divisions of disciplines. In this article the material was collected from two, in the first sight, very different groups. One was music students (N = 62) who had to learn to solve…

Professorship: A Faculty Development Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Todd M.; Davis, Jane F.

1987-01-01

A faculty development program at a traditionally black college was designed to enhance the ability of graduate faculty to supervise research activities of graduate students. Focus was on interpersonal problem solving in advisement and professional issues; classroom techniques of discussion teaching, case methods, and psychodrama encouraged the…

Thinking in Arithmetic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resnick, Lauren B.; And Others

This paper discusses a radically different set of assumptions to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students. It is argued that disadvantaged children, when exposed to carefully organized thinking-oriented instruction, can acquire the traditional basic skills in the process of reasoning and solving problems. The paper is presented in…

Numerical solution to generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation using Exp-function method hybridized with heuristic computation.

PubMed

Malik, Suheel Abdullah; Qureshi, Ijaz Mansoor; Amir, Muhammad; Malik, Aqdas Naveed; Haq, Ihsanul

2015-01-01

In this paper, a new heuristic scheme for the approximate solution of the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation is proposed. The scheme is based on the hybridization of Exp-function method with nature inspired algorithm. The given nonlinear partial differential equation (NPDE) through substitution is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (NODE). The travelling wave solution is approximated by the Exp-function method with unknown parameters. The unknown parameters are estimated by transforming the NODE into an equivalent global error minimization problem by using a fitness function. The popular genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the minimization problem, and to achieve the unknown parameters. The proposed scheme is successfully implemented to solve the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation. The comparison of numerical results with the exact solutions, and the solutions obtained using some traditional methods, including adomian decomposition method (ADM), homotopy perturbation method (HPM), and optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM), show that the suggested scheme is fairly accurate and viable for solving such problems.

Numerical Solution to Generalized Burgers'-Fisher Equation Using Exp-Function Method Hybridized with Heuristic Computation

PubMed Central

Malik, Suheel Abdullah; Qureshi, Ijaz Mansoor; Amir, Muhammad; Malik, Aqdas Naveed; Haq, Ihsanul

2015-01-01

In this paper, a new heuristic scheme for the approximate solution of the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation is proposed. The scheme is based on the hybridization of Exp-function method with nature inspired algorithm. The given nonlinear partial differential equation (NPDE) through substitution is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (NODE). The travelling wave solution is approximated by the Exp-function method with unknown parameters. The unknown parameters are estimated by transforming the NODE into an equivalent global error minimization problem by using a fitness function. The popular genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the minimization problem, and to achieve the unknown parameters. The proposed scheme is successfully implemented to solve the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation. The comparison of numerical results with the exact solutions, and the solutions obtained using some traditional methods, including adomian decomposition method (ADM), homotopy perturbation method (HPM), and optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM), show that the suggested scheme is fairly accurate and viable for solving such problems. PMID:25811858

Experimental Design for Estimating Unknown Hydraulic Conductivity in a Confined Aquifer using a Genetic Algorithm and a Reduced Order Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ushijima, T.; Yeh, W.

2013-12-01

An optimal experimental design algorithm is developed to select locations for a network of observation wells that provides the maximum information about unknown hydraulic conductivity in a confined, anisotropic aquifer. The design employs a maximal information criterion that chooses, among competing designs, the design that maximizes the sum of squared sensitivities while conforming to specified design constraints. Because that the formulated problem is non-convex and contains integer variables (necessitating a combinatorial search), for a realistically-scaled model, the problem may be difficult, if not impossible, to solve through traditional mathematical programming techniques. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) are designed to search out the global optimum; however because a GA requires a large number of calls to a groundwater model, the formulated optimization problem may still be infeasible to solve. To overcome this, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) is applied to the groundwater model to reduce its dimension. The information matrix in the full model space can then be searched without solving the full model.

Solving problems in social-ecological systems: definition, practice and barriers of transdisciplinary research.

PubMed

Angelstam, Per; Andersson, Kjell; Annerstedt, Matilda; Axelsson, Robert; Elbakidze, Marine; Garrido, Pablo; Grahn, Patrik; Jönsson, K Ingemar; Pedersen, Simen; Schlyter, Peter; Skärbäck, Erik; Smith, Mike; Stjernquist, Ingrid

2013-03-01

Translating policies about sustainable development as a social process and sustainability outcomes into the real world of social-ecological systems involves several challenges. Hence, research policies advocate improved innovative problem-solving capacity. One approach is transdisciplinary research that integrates research disciplines, as well as researchers and practitioners. Drawing upon 14 experiences of problem-solving, we used group modeling to map perceived barriers and bridges for researchers' and practitioners' joint knowledge production and learning towards transdisciplinary research. The analysis indicated that the transdisciplinary research process is influenced by (1) the amount of traditional disciplinary formal and informal control, (2) adaptation of project applications to fill the transdisciplinary research agenda, (3) stakeholder participation, and (4) functional team building/development based on self-reflection and experienced leadership. Focusing on implementation of green infrastructure policy as a common denominator for the delivery of ecosystem services and human well-being, we discuss how to diagnose social-ecological systems, and use knowledge production and collaborative learning as treatments.

Local polynomial chaos expansion for linear differential equations with high dimensional random inputs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Yi; Jakeman, John; Gittelson, Claude

2015-01-08

In this paper we present a localized polynomial chaos expansion for partial differential equations (PDE) with random inputs. In particular, we focus on time independent linear stochastic problems with high dimensional random inputs, where the traditional polynomial chaos methods, and most of the existing methods, incur prohibitively high simulation cost. Furthermore, the local polynomial chaos method employs a domain decomposition technique to approximate the stochastic solution locally. In each subdomain, a subdomain problem is solved independently and, more importantly, in a much lower dimensional random space. In a postprocesing stage, accurate samples of the original stochastic problems are obtained frommore » the samples of the local solutions by enforcing the correct stochastic structure of the random inputs and the coupling conditions at the interfaces of the subdomains. Overall, the method is able to solve stochastic PDEs in very large dimensions by solving a collection of low dimensional local problems and can be highly efficient. In our paper we present the general mathematical framework of the methodology and use numerical examples to demonstrate the properties of the method.« less

Variational finite-difference methods in linear and nonlinear problems of the deformation of metallic and composite shells (review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksimyuk, V. A.; Storozhuk, E. A.; Chernyshenko, I. S.

2012-11-01

Variational finite-difference methods of solving linear and nonlinear problems for thin and nonthin shells (plates) made of homogeneous isotropic (metallic) and orthotropic (composite) materials are analyzed and their classification principles and structure are discussed. Scalar and vector variational finite-difference methods that implement the Kirchhoff-Love hypotheses analytically or algorithmically using Lagrange multipliers are outlined. The Timoshenko hypotheses are implemented in a traditional way, i.e., analytically. The stress-strain state of metallic and composite shells of complex geometry is analyzed numerically. The numerical results are presented in the form of graphs and tables and used to assess the efficiency of using the variational finite-difference methods to solve linear and nonlinear problems of the statics of shells (plates)

Using genetic algorithms to determine near-optimal pricing, investment and operating strategies in the electric power industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Dongjun

Network industries have technologies characterized by a spatial hierarchy, the "network," with capital-intensive interconnections and time-dependent, capacity-limited flows of products and services through the network to customers. This dissertation studies service pricing, investment and business operating strategies for the electric power network. First-best solutions for a variety of pricing and investment problems have been studied. The evaluation of genetic algorithms (GA, which are methods based on the idea of natural evolution) as a primary means of solving complicated network problems, both w.r.t. pricing: as well as w.r.t. investment and other operating decisions, has been conducted. New constraint-handling techniques in GAs have been studied and tested. The actual application of such constraint-handling techniques in solving practical non-linear optimization problems has been tested on several complex network design problems with encouraging initial results. Genetic algorithms provide solutions that are feasible and close to optimal when the optimal solution is know; in some instances, the near-optimal solutions for small problems by the proposed GA approach can only be tested by pushing the limits of currently available non-linear optimization software. The performance is far better than several commercially available GA programs, which are generally inadequate in solving any of the problems studied in this dissertation, primarily because of their poor handling of constraints. Genetic algorithms, if carefully designed, seem very promising in solving difficult problems which are intractable by traditional analytic methods.

Assessing problem-solving skills in construction education with the virtual construction simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castronovo, Fadi

The ability to solve complex problems is an essential skill that a construction and project manager must possess when entering the architectural, engineering, and construction industry. Such ability requires a mixture of problem-solving skills, ranging from lower to higher order thinking skills, composed of cognitive and metacognitive processes. These skills include the ability to develop and evaluate construction plans and manage the execution of such plans. However, in a typical construction program, introducing students to such complex problems can be a challenge, and most commonly the learner is presented with only part of a complex problem. To support this challenge, the traditional methodology of delivering design, engineering, and construction instruction has been going through a technological revolution, due to the rise of computer-based technology. For example, in construction classrooms, and other disciplines, simulations and educational games are being utilized to support the development of problem-solving skills. Previous engineering education research has illustrated the high potential that simulations and educational games have in engaging in lower and higher order thinking skills. Such research illustrated their capacity to support the development of problem-solving skills. This research presents evidence supporting the theory that educational simulation games can help with the learning and retention of transferable problem-solving skills, which are necessary to solve complex construction problems. The educational simulation game employed in this study is the Virtual Construction Simulator (VCS). The VCS is a game developed to provide students in an engaging learning activity that simulates the planning and managing phases of a construction project. Assessment of the third iteration of the VCS(3) game has shown pedagogical value in promoting students' motivation and a basic understanding of construction concepts. To further evaluate the benefits on problem-solving skills, a new version of the VCS(4) was developed, with new building modules and assessment framework. The design and development of the VCS4 leveraged research in educational psychology, multimedia learning, human-computer interaction, and Building Information Modeling. In this dissertation the researcher aimed to evaluate the pedagogical value of the VCS4 in fostering problem-solving skills. To answer the research questions, a crossover repeated measures quasi-experiment was designed to assess the educational gains that the VCS can provide to construction education. A group of 34 students, attending a fourth-year construction course at a university in the United States was chosen to participate in the experiment. The three learning modules of the VCS were used, which challenged the students to plan and manage the construction process of a wooden pavilion, the steel erection of a dormitory, and the concrete placement of the same dormitory. Based on the results the researcher was able to provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that the chosen sample of construction students were able to gain and retain problem-solving skills necessary to solve complex construction simulation problems, no matter what the sequence with which these modules were played. In conclusion, the presented results provide evidence supporting the theory that educational simulation games can help the learning and retention of transferable problem-solving skills, which are necessary to solve complex construction problems.

The Concept of Resource Use Efficiency as a Theoretical Basis for Promising Coal Mining Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhalchenko, Vadim

2017-11-01

The article is devoted to solving one of the most relevant problems of the coal mining industry - its high resource use efficiency, which results in high environmental and economic costs of operating enterprises. It is shown that it is the high resource use efficiency of traditional, historically developed coal production systems that generates a conflict between indicators of economic efficiency and indicators of resistance to uncertainty and variability of market environment parameters. The traditional technological paradigm of exploitation of coal deposits also predetermines high, technology-driven, economic risks. The solution is shown and a real example of the problem solution is considered.

A Mixed Integer Efficient Global Optimization Framework: Applied to the Simultaneous Aircraft Design, Airline Allocation and Revenue Management Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Satadru

Traditional approaches to design and optimize a new system, often, use a system-centric objective and do not take into consideration how the operator will use this new system alongside of other existing systems. This "hand-off" between the design of the new system and how the new system operates alongside other systems might lead to a sub-optimal performance with respect to the operator-level objective. In other words, the system that is optimal for its system-level objective might not be best for the system-of-systems level objective of the operator. Among the few available references that describe attempts to address this hand-off, most follow an MDO-motivated subspace decomposition approach of first designing a very good system and then provide this system to the operator who decides the best way to use this new system along with the existing systems. The motivating example in this dissertation presents one such similar problem that includes aircraft design, airline operations and revenue management "subspaces". The research here develops an approach that could simultaneously solve these subspaces posed as a monolithic optimization problem. The monolithic approach makes the problem a Mixed Integer/Discrete Non-Linear Programming (MINLP/MDNLP) problem, which are extremely difficult to solve. The presence of expensive, sophisticated engineering analyses further aggravate the problem. To tackle this challenge problem, the work here presents a new optimization framework that simultaneously solves the subspaces to capture the "synergism" in the problem that the previous decomposition approaches may not have exploited, addresses mixed-integer/discrete type design variables in an efficient manner, and accounts for computationally expensive analysis tools. The framework combines concepts from efficient global optimization, Kriging partial least squares, and gradient-based optimization. This approach then demonstrates its ability to solve an 11 route airline network problem consisting of 94 decision variables including 33 integer and 61 continuous type variables. This application problem is a representation of an interacting group of systems and provides key challenges to the optimization framework to solve the MINLP problem, as reflected by the presence of a moderate number of integer and continuous type design variables and expensive analysis tool. The result indicates simultaneously solving the subspaces could lead to significant improvement in the fleet-level objective of the airline when compared to the previously developed sequential subspace decomposition approach. In developing the approach to solve the MINLP/MDNLP challenge problem, several test problems provided the ability to explore performance of the framework. While solving these test problems, the framework showed that it could solve other MDNLP problems including categorically discrete variables, indicating that the framework could have broader application than the new aircraft design-fleet allocation-revenue management problem.

Flipped Classroom Instruction for Inclusive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altemueller, Lisa; Lindquist, Cynthia

2017-01-01

The flipped classroom is a teaching methodology that has gained recognition in primary, secondary and higher education settings. The flipped classroom inverts traditional teaching methods, delivering lecture instruction outside class, and devoting class time to problem solving, with the teacher's role becoming that of a learning coach and…

More Ammunition for the Note-Taking Feud: The "Spaced Lecture."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Donna Anderson

1981-01-01

An experiment is discussed that tested a 1975 hypothesis of Aiken, Thomas, and Shennum that a "spaced lecture" might help solve the problem of the negative of concurrently listening and writing. Results indicated that the "spaced lecture" was no better than the traditional lecture. (MLW)

Organizational Leadership: Some Conceptual Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernthal, Wilmar F.

In this address, the speaker examines several different types of organization (charismatic, traditional, bureaucratic, and task-oriented) and the role of the leader in each. In the modern, task-oriented system, his role can hardly be generalized as decision-making, direction and control, problem-solving, inspiration, communication, or any other…

Engineering Encounters: Catch Me if You Can!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lott, Kimberly; Wallin, Mark; Roghaar, Deborah; Price, Tyson

2013-01-01

A science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activity is any activity that integrates the use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to solve a problem. Traditionally, STEM activities are highly engaging and may involve competition among student teams. Young children are natural engineers and often times spontaneously build…

Learning to Troubleshoot: A New Theory-Based Design Architecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonassen, David H.; Hung, Woei

2006-01-01

Troubleshooting is a common form of problem solving. Technicians (e.g., automotive mechanics, electricians) and professionals (physician, therapists, ombudspersons) diagnose faulty systems and take direct, corrective action to eliminate any faults in order to return the systems to their normal states. Traditional approaches to troubleshooting…

[Brief history of dreams].

PubMed

Rosselli, D

Throughout history dreams have played a crucial role. Dreams have inspired great works of art, solved scientific problems and, because of the premonitory value attached to them, have influenced transcendental decisions. This paper reviews some of the dreams that have been a part of the world's literature and historical tradition.

Effective pedagogies for teaching math to nursing students: a literature review.

PubMed

Hunter Revell, Susan M; McCurry, Mary K

2013-11-01

Improving mathematical competency and problem-solving skills in undergraduate nursing students has been an enduring challenge for nurse educators. A number of teaching strategies have been used to address this problem with varying degrees of success. This paper discusses a literature review which examined undergraduate nursing student challenges to learning math, methods used to teach math and problem-solving skills, and the use of innovative pedagogies for teaching. The literature was searched using the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Education Resource Information Center databases. Key search terms included: math*, nurs*, nursing student, calculation, technology, medication administration, challenges, problem-solving, personal response system, clickers, computer and multi-media. Studies included in the review were published in English from 1990 to 2011. Results support four major themes which include: student challenges to learning, traditional pedagogies, curriculum strategies, and technology and integrative methods as pedagogy. The review concludes that there is a need for more innovative pedagogical strategies for teaching math to student nurses. Nurse educators in particular play a central role in helping students learn the conceptual basis, as well as practical hands-on methods, to problem solving and math competency. It is recommended that an integrated approach inclusive of technology will benefit students through better performance, increased understanding, and improved student satisfaction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A compatible high-order meshless method for the Stokes equations with applications to suspension flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trask, Nathaniel; Maxey, Martin; Hu, Xiaozhe

2018-02-01

A stable numerical solution of the steady Stokes problem requires compatibility between the choice of velocity and pressure approximation that has traditionally proven problematic for meshless methods. In this work, we present a discretization that couples a staggered scheme for pressure approximation with a divergence-free velocity reconstruction to obtain an adaptive, high-order, finite difference-like discretization that can be efficiently solved with conventional algebraic multigrid techniques. We use analytic benchmarks to demonstrate equal-order convergence for both velocity and pressure when solving problems with curvilinear geometries. In order to study problems in dense suspensions, we couple the solution for the flow to the equations of motion for freely suspended particles in an implicit monolithic scheme. The combination of high-order accuracy with fully-implicit schemes allows the accurate resolution of stiff lubrication forces directly from the solution of the Stokes problem without the need to introduce sub-grid lubrication models.

Learning biology through connecting mathematics to scientific mechanisms: Student outcomes and teacher supports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuchardt, Anita

Integrating mathematics into science classrooms has been part of the conversation in science education for a long time. However, studies on student learning after incorporating mathematics in to the science classroom have shown mixed results. Understanding the mixed effects of including mathematics in science has been hindered by a historical focus on characteristics of integration tangential to student learning (e.g., shared elements, extent of integration). A new framework is presented emphasizing the epistemic role of mathematics in science. An epistemic role of mathematics missing from the current literature is identified: use of mathematics to represent scientific mechanisms, Mechanism Connected Mathematics (MCM). Building on prior theoretical work, it is proposed that having students develop mathematical equations that represent scientific mechanisms could elevate their conceptual understanding and quantitative problem solving. Following design and implementation of an MCM unit in inheritance, a large-scale quantitative analysis of pre and post implementation test results showed MCM students, compared to traditionally instructed students) had significantly greater gains in conceptual understanding of mathematically modeled scientific mechanisms, and their ability to solve complex quantitative problems. To gain insight into the mechanism behind the gain in quantitative problem solving, a small-scale qualitative study was conducted of two contrasting groups: 1) within-MCM instruction: competent versus struggling problem solvers, and 2) within-competent problem solvers: MCM instructed versus traditionally instructed. Competent MCM students tended to connect their mathematical inscriptions to the scientific phenomenon and to switch between mathematical and scientifically productive approaches during problem solving in potentially productive ways. The other two groups did not. To address concerns about teacher capacity presenting barriers to scalability of MCM approaches, the types and amount of teacher support needed to achieve these types of student learning gains were investigated. In the context of providing teachers with access to educative materials, students achieved learning gains in both areas in the absence of face-to-face teacher professional development. However, maximal student learning gains required the investment of face-to-face professional development. This finding can govern distribution of scarce resources, but does not preclude implementation of MCM instruction even where resource availability does not allow for face-to-face professional development.

The implications and outcomes of using problem-based learning to teach middle school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowak, Jeffrey Andrew

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach where a purposefully ill-structured problem initiates learning and the teacher serves as a coach instead of an information repository (Gallagher & Stepien, 1996). This approach is becoming a very popular curricular innovation, especially at the middle and secondary levels. PBL is necessarily interdisciplinary: By modeling real-world problems, which are seldom unidisciplinary, students are required to cross the traditional disciplinary boundaries in their quest to solve the problem. PBL is also based upon the theories of situated cognition, which posit that transfer occurs infrequently and that learning requires situation-specific competence (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Plucker & Nowak, 2000; Resnick, 1987). Rather than present students with information that they may or may not be able to use to solve problems, situated cognition stresses that knowledge should be presented in context, preferably in a problem-solving scenario (Plucker & Nowak, 2000). In addition, PBL is consistent with the principles of constructivism (Savery & Duffy, 1995). Several questions have been raised about the appropriateness of using PBL in the K--12 classroom setting. The purpose of this study is to specifically address whether or not students learn as much via PBL techniques as they do in traditional classroom settings. This was accomplished by comparing two eighth grade gifted and talented science classes in a Midwest public middle school. Focused observations, interviews, test score analyses, and document analyses were incorporated into this study. Test score analyses of pretest and posttests indicate that students in a teacher-directed classroom learn factual content at a higher rate than students learning via a PBL instructional approach. Students engaged in PBL, however, have better retention than those who learn under a teacher-directed instructional approach. Interview analyses indicate that students favor learning via PBL, but many students suggest that embedding teacher-directed lessons within a PBL unit would benefit the students more than an exclusively PBL-based curriculum.

Impact of Online Flexible Games on Students' Attitude towards Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mavridis, Apostolos; Katmada, Aikaterini; Tsiatsos, Thrasyvoulos

2017-01-01

This study examined the effects of using an online flexible educational game on students' attitude towards mathematics as compared to the traditional method of solving mathematical problems. Moreover, the study assessed the learning effectiveness of the game and investigated potential gender differences in the game's effectiveness on changing…

Do Knowledge-Component Models Need to Incorporate Representational Competencies?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rau, Martina Angela

2017-01-01

Traditional knowledge-component models describe students' content knowledge (e.g., their ability to carry out problem-solving procedures or their ability to reason about a concept). In many STEM domains, instruction uses multiple visual representations such as graphs, figures, and diagrams. The use of visual representations implies a…

Observations on Microbiology Laboratory Instruction for Allied Health Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benathen, Isaiah A.

1993-01-01

The purposes of this paper are (1) to demonstrate that medical microbiology laboratory exercises should be presented with a focus on medical applications, not just traditional microbiology and (2) that exercises devoted to differential diagnostic decision making can be used to enhance the problem solving of students. (PR)

Geocaching Is Catching Students' Attention in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lisenbee, Peggy; Hallman, Christine; Landry, Debbie

2015-01-01

Geocaching is an inquiry-based activity encouraging creativity, active learning, and real-world problem solving. As such, it is an educational opportunity for students in all grade levels. Educators benefit by observing students using higher-order thinking instead of rote learning offered by using traditional worksheets, tests, or quizzes. Also,…

Design and Implementation of a Simulation-Based Learning System for International Trade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Guo-Heng; Liu, Eric Zhi-Feng; Kuo, Hung-Wei; Yuan, Shyan-Ming

2014-01-01

In the traditional instructional method used in international trade, teachers provide knowledge to learners by lecturing using slides and setting assignments; however, these methods merely deliver international trade knowledge rather than facilitating student development of relevant skills. To solve these problems, we proposed a simulation-based…

The Use of Screencasting to Transform Traditional Pedagogy in a Preservice Mathematics Content Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerrero, Shannon; Baumgartel, Drew; Zobott, Maren

2013-01-01

Screencasting, or digital recordings of computer screen outputs, can be used to promote pedagogical transformation in the mathematics classroom by moving explicit, procedural-based instruction to the online environment, thus freeing classroom time for more student-centered investigations, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. This…

Rethinking the Library Game: Creating an Alternate Reality with Social Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battles, Jason; Glenn, Valerie; Shedd, Lindley

2011-01-01

In recent years, libraries have made efforts to create games, often for the purpose of information literacy instruction. Games can provide an interactive alternative to traditional instruction by introducing research tools and resources while also teaching problem solving skills within a collaborative learning environment. Despite the benefits,…

Skills, Plans, and Self-Regulation. Technical Report No. 48.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ann L.; DeLoache, Judy S.

The first section of this report reviews traditional memory studies, which have provided much of our information concerning memory development. Major strengths and weaknesses of memory-development studies are illustrated by comparison with recent research into children's problem-solving skills. The report concentrates on one area of general…

Advancing Knowledge in Schools through Consultative Knowledge Linking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratochwill, Thomas R.

Consultation services have been considered an essential and important role for school psychologists throughout the history of the field. Traditionally consultation has been cast as a problem-solving process, nevertheless, it can be thought of as a knowledge-linking process in which psychologists advance knowledge in schools to various mediators…

Using Clinical Gait Case Studies to Enhance Learning in Biomechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chester, Victoria

2011-01-01

Clinical case studies facilitate the development of clinical reasoning strategies through knowledge and integration of the basic sciences. Case studies have been shown to be more effective in developing problem-solving abilities than the traditional lecture format. To enhance the learning experiences of students in biomechanics, clinical case…

Using Reflection Documents to Assess Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Larkin A.

2009-01-01

Traditional assessment methods such as tests and essays may not be adequate to evaluate students' ability to solve problems and think critically. I developed a qualitative assessment technique for a junior-level Wildlife Management Techniques course that incorporated written responses in a pre- and post-course reflection exercise. I provided the…

Using Sustainability Themes and Multidisciplinary Approaches to Enhance STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Michael; Pfaff, Thomas; Hamilton, Jason; Erkan, Ali

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the Multidisciplinary Sustainability Education Project (MSEP) as a framework using sustainability-themed education modules to introduce students to the need for multidisciplinary approaches to solving twenty-first-century problems while retaining traditional course strengths and content.…

Finite Element Learning Modules as Active Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ashland O.; Jensen, Daniel; Rencis, Joseph; Wood, Kristin; Wood, John; White, Christina; Raaberg, Kristen Kaufman; Coffman, Josh

2012-01-01

The purpose of active learning is to solicit participation by students beyond the passive mode of traditional classroom lectures. Reading, writing, participating in discussions, hands-on activities, engaging in active problem solving, and collaborative learning can all be involved. The skills acquired during active learning tend to go above and…

On the Value of Make-Believe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silcox, Mark

2012-01-01

The practice of make-believe has traditionally been viewed as valuable by psychologists and philosophers more or less exclusively as a mechanism for social initiation, a tool for everyday problem solving, or a method for children to learn about adult responsibilities. This instrumentalist approach has influenced the development of a wide variety…

Project-Based Learning in Electronic Technology: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Li

2015-01-01

A case study of project-based learning (PBL) implemented in Tianjin University of Technology and Education is presented. This multidiscipline project is innovated to meet the novel requirements of industry while keeping its traditional effectiveness in driving students to apply knowledge to practice and problem-solving. The implementation of PBL…

Self-Regulated Math Instructions for Pupils with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishara, Saied

2016-01-01

In this research, we considered the different impact two methods of teaching had on pupils' ability to solve complex math problems. The methods considered were: self-regulated study and traditional teaching. We also examined the pedagogical consequences the differences made among the population of pupils with learning disabilities in special…

Supporting Mathematical Discourse in the Early Grades. Interactive STEM Research + Practice Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stiles, Jennifer

2016-01-01

This research brief discusses the benefits of teachers using mathematical discourse--allowing students to explain, justify, and debate their individual techniques for solving math problems--to enhance learning. Using this strategy requires educators to discard traditional teacher-centered modes of instruction and adopt new student-centered modes…

IN GRAMMAR'S FALL, WE SINNED ALL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

TIBBETTS, A.M.

THROUGH THEIR LOSS OF FAITH IN TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR, MEN HAVE "SINNED" AND CONTRIBUTED SLIGHTLY BUT IMPORTANTLY TO THE CREATION OF AN AMORAL AND RELATIVISTIC SOCIETY. PROMPTED BY THE SIN OF INTELLECTUAL PRIDE, SOME LINGUISTS SEEM TO ASSUME THAT GRAMMATICAL PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED BY RATIOCINATION ALONE. IGNORANCE OF THE PAST--ANOTHER SIN--AND…

Restorative Practices from Candy and Punishment to Celebrations and Problem-Solving Circles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldys, Patrice H.

2016-01-01

Norwood Elementary, a Title I science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) school in Baltimore County, MD, recently realized that traditional behavior management programs and processes were not working with their students. Over time, school administrators discovered more successful approaches, and restorative practices became the way to…

Flipping the Classroom and Student Performance in Advanced Statistics: Evidence from a Quasi-Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touchton, Michael

2015-01-01

I administer a quasi-experiment using undergraduate political science majors in statistics classes to evaluate whether "flipping the classroom" (the treatment) alters students' applied problem-solving performance and satisfaction relative to students in a traditional classroom environment (the control). I also assess whether general…

Inverting an Introductory Statistics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraut, Gertrud L.

2015-01-01

The inverted classroom allows more in-class time for inquiry-based learning and for working through more advanced problem-solving activities than does the traditional lecture class. The skills acquired in this learning environment offer benefits far beyond the statistics classroom. This paper discusses four ways that can make the inverted…

Using rhetorical theory in medical ethics cases.

PubMed

Heifferon, B

2000-01-01

In this paper I argue that rhetorical theory is a valuable tool in medical ethics cases. The case I use as an example is one in which traditional, philosophy-based medical ethics are applied. In this case the traditional ethical approach is not adequate to the task. Key issues and problems are not addressed, resulting in a problem that seems to be solved on the surface, but, when rhetorically analyzed, it's obvious that none of the issues have been resolved in any satisfactory way. By using rhetorical theory, such as that Michel Foucault uses in Power/Knowledge, we discover that the reason this case has not been solved is that the power issues have not been addressed. Using Foucault's concepts of "subjugated knowledge", "local knowledge", "situated knowledge", and "docile bodies", we can tease out the real issues that surface in this ethics case and solve them. Foucault also recommends we use theory as a "toolkit". I propose a model that is a further iteration of this idea. My model uses numerous rhetorical and literary theories, depending on the issues that need to be addressed in each individual medical ethics case. I briefly describe the various theories and include a handout of what the new model of using rhetorical theory in such cases would look like.

A Planning Approach of Engineering Characteristics Based on QFD-TRIZ Integrated

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shang; Shi, Dongyan; Zhang, Ying

Traditional QFD planning method compromises contradictions between engineering characteristics to achieve higher customer satisfaction. However, this compromise trade-off can not eliminate the contradictions existing among the engineering characteristics which limited the overall customer satisfaction. QFD (Quality function deployment) integrated with TRIZ (the Russian acronym of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) becomes hot research recently for TRIZ can be used to solve contradictions between engineering characteristics which construct the roof of HOQ (House of quality). But, the traditional QFD planning approach is not suitable for QFD integrated with TRIZ for that TRIZ requires emphasizing the contradictions between engineering characteristics at problem definition stage instead of compromising trade-off. So, a new planning approach based on QFD / TRIZ integration is proposed in this paper, which based on the consideration of the correlation matrix of engineering characteristics and customer satisfaction on the basis of cost. The proposed approach suggests that TRIZ should be applied to solve contradictions at the first step, and the correlation matrix of engineering characteristics should be amended at the second step, and at next step IFR (ideal final result) must be validated, then planning execute. An example is used to illustrate the proposed approach. The application indicated that higher customer satisfaction can be met and the contradictions between the characteristic parameters are eliminated.

Seaweed cultivation: Traditional way and its reformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fei, Xiu-Geng; Bao, Ying; Lu, Shan

1999-09-01

Seaweed cultivation or phycoculture has been developed rather fast in recent years. The total production of cultivated seaweed at present is about 6250×103 tons fresh weight. The total cultivation area is estimated as 200×103 hectare. The annual total value of cultivated seaweeds has been estimated to be more than 3 billion US dollars. Phycoculture provides many job opportunities for the coastal region people, has the potential to improve marine environments and thus even induce global change. All traditional cultivation methods and techniques are based on or start from the individual plant or the cultivated seaweed population. Modern biological science and biotechnology achievements have benefited agriculture a lot, but traditional seaweed cultivation has not changed much since its founding. This is because seaweed cultivation has been quite conservative for quite a long period and has accumulated many problems requiring solution. Four main problems might be the most universal ones holding back further development of the industry. New ways of seaweed cultivation must be developed, new techniques must be perfected, and new problems solved. This paper mainly discusses the main problems of traditional seaweed cultivation at present and its possible further development and reformation in the future.

UAV path planning using artificial potential field method updated by optimal control theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yong-bo; Luo, Guan-chen; Mei, Yue-song; Yu, Jian-qiao; Su, Xiao-long

2016-04-01

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path planning problem is an important assignment in the UAV mission planning. Based on the artificial potential field (APF) UAV path planning method, it is reconstructed into the constrained optimisation problem by introducing an additional control force. The constrained optimisation problem is translated into the unconstrained optimisation problem with the help of slack variables in this paper. The functional optimisation method is applied to reform this problem into an optimal control problem. The whole transformation process is deduced in detail, based on a discrete UAV dynamic model. Then, the path planning problem is solved with the help of the optimal control method. The path following process based on the six degrees of freedom simulation model of the quadrotor helicopters is introduced to verify the practicability of this method. Finally, the simulation results show that the improved method is more effective in planning path. In the planning space, the length of the calculated path is shorter and smoother than that using traditional APF method. In addition, the improved method can solve the dead point problem effectively.

Sparse decomposition of seismic data and migration using Gaussian beams with nonzero initial curvature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Peng; Wang, Yanfei

2018-04-01

We study problems associated with seismic data decomposition and migration imaging. We first represent the seismic data utilizing Gaussian beam basis functions, which have nonzero curvature, and then consider the sparse decomposition technique. The sparse decomposition problem is an l0-norm constrained minimization problem. In solving the l0-norm minimization, a polynomial Radon transform is performed to achieve sparsity, and a fast gradient descent method is used to calculate the waveform functions. The waveform functions can subsequently be used for sparse Gaussian beam migration. Compared with traditional sparse Gaussian beam methods, the seismic data can be properly reconstructed employing fewer Gaussian beams with nonzero initial curvature. The migration approach described in this paper is more efficient than the traditional sparse Gaussian beam migration.

Zeroth Law, Entropy, Equilibrium, and All That

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canagaratna, Sebastian G.

2008-05-01

The place of the zeroth law in the teaching of thermodynamics is examined in the context of the recent discussion by Gislason and Craig of some problems involving the establishment of thermal equilibrium. The concept of thermal equilibrium is introduced through the zeroth law. The relation between the zeroth law and the second law in the traditional approach to thermodynamics is discussed. It is shown that the traditional approach does not need to appeal to the second law to solve with rigor the type of problems discussed by Gislason and Craig: in problems not involving chemical reaction, the zeroth law and the condition for mechanical equilibrium, complemented by the first law and any necessary equations of state, are sufficient to determine the final state. We have to invoke the second law only if we wish to calculate the change of entropy. Since most students are exposed to a traditional approach to thermodynamics, the examples of Gislason and Craig are re-examined in terms of the traditional formulation. The maximization of the entropy in the final state can be verified in the traditional approach quite directly by the use of the fundamental equations of thermodynamics. This approach uses relatively simple mathematics in as general a setting as possible.

BUCKY instruction manual, version 3.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James P.

1994-01-01

The computer program BUCKY is a p-version finite element package for the solution of structural problems. The current version of BUCKY solves the 2-D plane stress, 3-D plane stress plasticity, 3-D axisymmetric, Mindlin and Kirchoff plate bending, and buckling problems. The p-version of the finite element method is a highly accurate version of the traditional finite element method. Example cases are presented to show the accuracy and application of BUCKY.

A supply chain model to improve the beef quality distribution using investment analysis: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupita, Alessandra; Rangkuti, Sabrina Heriza; Sutopo, Wahyudi; Hisjam, Muh.

2017-11-01

There are significant differences related to the quality and price of the beef commodity in traditional market and modern market in Indonesia. Those are caused by very different treatments of the commodity. The different treatments are in the slaughter lines, the transportation from the abattoir to the outlet, the display system, and the control system. If the problem is not solved by the Government, the gap will result a great loss of the consumer regarding to the quality and sustainability of traditional traders business because of the declining interest in purchasing beef in the traditional markets. This article aims to improve the quality of beef in traditional markets. This study proposed A Supply Chain Model that involves the schemes of investment and government incentive for improving the distribution system. The supply chain model is can be formulated using the Mix Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and solved using the IBM®ILOG®CPLEX software. The results show that the proposed model can be used to determine the priority of programs for improving the quality and sustainability business of traditional beef merchants. By using the models, The Government can make a decision to consider incentives for improving the condition.

Cloud computing applications for biomedical science: A perspective.

PubMed

Navale, Vivek; Bourne, Philip E

2018-06-01

Biomedical research has become a digital data-intensive endeavor, relying on secure and scalable computing, storage, and network infrastructure, which has traditionally been purchased, supported, and maintained locally. For certain types of biomedical applications, cloud computing has emerged as an alternative to locally maintained traditional computing approaches. Cloud computing offers users pay-as-you-go access to services such as hardware infrastructure, platforms, and software for solving common biomedical computational problems. Cloud computing services offer secure on-demand storage and analysis and are differentiated from traditional high-performance computing by their rapid availability and scalability of services. As such, cloud services are engineered to address big data problems and enhance the likelihood of data and analytics sharing, reproducibility, and reuse. Here, we provide an introductory perspective on cloud computing to help the reader determine its value to their own research.

Cloud computing applications for biomedical science: A perspective

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Biomedical research has become a digital data–intensive endeavor, relying on secure and scalable computing, storage, and network infrastructure, which has traditionally been purchased, supported, and maintained locally. For certain types of biomedical applications, cloud computing has emerged as an alternative to locally maintained traditional computing approaches. Cloud computing offers users pay-as-you-go access to services such as hardware infrastructure, platforms, and software for solving common biomedical computational problems. Cloud computing services offer secure on-demand storage and analysis and are differentiated from traditional high-performance computing by their rapid availability and scalability of services. As such, cloud services are engineered to address big data problems and enhance the likelihood of data and analytics sharing, reproducibility, and reuse. Here, we provide an introductory perspective on cloud computing to help the reader determine its value to their own research. PMID:29902176

Self-prior strategy for organ reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yuan; Chen, Maomao; Su, Han; Luo, Jianwen

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to propose a strategy for organ reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) without prior information from other imaging modalities, and to overcome the high cost and ionizing radiation caused by the traditional structural prior strategy. The proposed strategy is designed as an iterative architecture to solve the inverse problem of FMT. In each iteration, a short time Fourier transform (STFT) based algorithm is used to extract the self-prior information in the space-frequency energy spectrum with the assumption that the regions with higher fluorescence concentration have larger energy intensity, then the cost function of the inverse problem is modified by the self-prior information, and lastly an iterative Laplacian regularization algorithm is conducted to solve the updated inverse problem and obtains the reconstruction results. Simulations and in vivo experiments on liver reconstruction are carried out to test the performance of the self-prior strategy on organ reconstruction. The organ reconstruction results obtained by the proposed self-prior strategy are closer to the ground truth than those obtained by the iterative Tikhonov regularization (ITKR) method (traditional non-prior strategy). Significant improvements are shown in the evaluation indexes of relative locational error (RLE), relative error (RE) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The self-prior strategy improves the organ reconstruction results compared with the non-prior strategy and also overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional structural prior strategy. Various applications such as metabolic imaging and pharmacokinetic study can be aided by this strategy. PMID:29082094

Self-prior strategy for organ reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography.

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Chen, Maomao; Su, Han; Luo, Jianwen

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study is to propose a strategy for organ reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) without prior information from other imaging modalities, and to overcome the high cost and ionizing radiation caused by the traditional structural prior strategy. The proposed strategy is designed as an iterative architecture to solve the inverse problem of FMT. In each iteration, a short time Fourier transform (STFT) based algorithm is used to extract the self-prior information in the space-frequency energy spectrum with the assumption that the regions with higher fluorescence concentration have larger energy intensity, then the cost function of the inverse problem is modified by the self-prior information, and lastly an iterative Laplacian regularization algorithm is conducted to solve the updated inverse problem and obtains the reconstruction results. Simulations and in vivo experiments on liver reconstruction are carried out to test the performance of the self-prior strategy on organ reconstruction. The organ reconstruction results obtained by the proposed self-prior strategy are closer to the ground truth than those obtained by the iterative Tikhonov regularization (ITKR) method (traditional non-prior strategy). Significant improvements are shown in the evaluation indexes of relative locational error (RLE), relative error (RE) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The self-prior strategy improves the organ reconstruction results compared with the non-prior strategy and also overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional structural prior strategy. Various applications such as metabolic imaging and pharmacokinetic study can be aided by this strategy.

Theory and practice for measuring health care quality

PubMed Central

Berwick, Donald M.; Knapp, Marian Gilbert

1987-01-01

As competition, cost control, and new modes of delivery emerge in health care, there is a need to reexamine both the traditional definitions of health care quality and the methods by which it is measured. Industries other than health care have much to teach regarding the methods for obtaining, analyzing, and displaying data; techniques for problem identification, problem solving, and reassessment; and ideas about organizational factors that produce a high quality product or service. The Quality-of-Care Measurement Department at the Harvard Community Health Plan has built a program that draws from a distinguished health care quality assurance tradition and incorporates techniques that have been successful in other industries. PMID:10312319

Comments on "The multisynapse neural network and its application to fuzzy clustering".

PubMed

Yu, Jian; Hao, Pengwei

2005-05-01

In the above-mentioned paper, Wei and Fahn proposed a neural architecture, the multisynapse neural network, to solve constrained optimization problems including high-order, logarithmic, and sinusoidal forms, etc. As one of its main applications, a fuzzy bidirectional associative clustering network (FBACN) was proposed for fuzzy-partition clustering according to the objective-functional method. The connection between the objective-functional-based fuzzy c-partition algorithms and FBACN is the Lagrange multiplier approach. Unfortunately, the Lagrange multiplier approach was incorrectly applied so that FBACN does not equivalently minimize its corresponding constrained objective-function. Additionally, Wei and Fahn adopted traditional definition of fuzzy c-partition, which is not satisfied by FBACN. Therefore, FBACN can not solve constrained optimization problems, either.

Current Approaches in Implementing Citizen Science in the Classroom

PubMed Central

Shah, Harsh R.; Martinez, Luis R.

2016-01-01

Citizen science involves a partnership between inexperienced volunteers and trained scientists engaging in research. In addition to its obvious benefit of accelerating data collection, citizen science has an unexplored role in the classroom, from K–12 schools to higher education. With recent studies showing a weakening in scientific competency of American students, incorporating citizen science initiatives in the curriculum provides a means to address deficiencies in a fragmented educational system. The integration of traditional and innovative pedagogical methods to reform our educational system is therefore imperative in order to provide practical experiences in scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving for school-age individuals. Citizen science can be used to emphasize the recognition and use of systematic approaches to solve problems affecting the community. PMID:27047583

Current Approaches in Implementing Citizen Science in the Classroom.

PubMed

Shah, Harsh R; Martinez, Luis R

2016-03-01

Citizen science involves a partnership between inexperienced volunteers and trained scientists engaging in research. In addition to its obvious benefit of accelerating data collection, citizen science has an unexplored role in the classroom, from K-12 schools to higher education. With recent studies showing a weakening in scientific competency of American students, incorporating citizen science initiatives in the curriculum provides a means to address deficiencies in a fragmented educational system. The integration of traditional and innovative pedagogical methods to reform our educational system is therefore imperative in order to provide practical experiences in scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving for school-age individuals. Citizen science can be used to emphasize the recognition and use of systematic approaches to solve problems affecting the community.

Boundary element modelling of dynamic behavior of piecewise homogeneous anisotropic elastic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igumnov, L. A.; Markov, I. P.; Litvinchuk, S. Yu

2018-04-01

A traditional direct boundary integral equations method is applied to solve three-dimensional dynamic problems of piecewise homogeneous linear elastic solids. The materials of homogeneous parts are considered to be generally anisotropic. The technique used to solve the boundary integral equations is based on the boundary element method applied together with the Radau IIA convolution quadrature method. A numerical example of suddenly loaded 3D prismatic rod consisting of two subdomains with different anisotropic elastic properties is presented to verify the accuracy of the proposed formulation.

Identifying Common Mathematical Misconceptions from Actions in Educational Video Games. CRESST Report 838

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, Deirdre

2014-01-01

Educational video games provide an opportunity for students to interact with and explore complex representations of academic content and allow for the examination of problem-solving strategies and mistakes that can be difficult to capture in more traditional environments. However, data from such games are notoriously difficult to analyze. This…

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Flipped Format General Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Gabriela C.; SturtevantHannah G.

2015-01-01

Research has consistently shown that active problem-solving in a collaborative environment supports more effective learning than the traditional lecture approach. In this study, a flipped classroom format was implemented and evaluated in the chemistry majors' sequence at Purdue University over a period of three years. What was formerly lecture…

Participatory Research for Primary Health Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassara, Beverly B.

Participatory research began as a reaction to traditional social science research methodology, which tended to make persons into objects of study. It had its beginnings in Tanzania around 1970, when a group of farmers participated in research to assess and solve the problem of losses of grain harvests. The process grew out of the philosophy of…

Redefining Information Literacy to Prepare Students for the 21st Century Workforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monge, Robert; Frisicaro-Pawlowski, Erica

2014-01-01

Information literacy instruction--a set of skills taught in order to identify and find the information needed to solve a problem--traditionally follows a formalized academic model. It assumes information skills can be applied universally and learned individually. However, this approach does not correspond to the social and specialized learning…

The Effect of an Historical Perspective on Prospective Teachers' Beliefs in Learning Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weldeana, Hailu Nigus; Abraham, Solomon Tewolde

2014-01-01

Many learners hold traditional beliefs about mathematics that can hamper their learning in the discipline. To address this issue, a "history-based" intervention program entailing problem-solving and writing activities that instigate cognitive conflict was implemented. Data sources were pretest and posttest scores of a 12-theme…

UNDERSTANDING THE PUERTO RICAN AND HIS FAMILY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

THOMAS MARIE, SISTER

AN UNDERSTANDING OF TRADITIONAL PUERTO RICAN FAMILY CUSTOMS AND BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUERTO RICAN AND OTHER LIFE STYLES SHOULD HELP PROFESSIONAL WORKERS SOLVE THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY MIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES. THE CULTURE OF THE PUERTO RICAN CAN BE DESCRIBED IN RELATION TO THREE CONCEPTS--DIGNIDAD (SELF-ESTEEM OR SELF-WORTH), RESPETO…

Lacing Together Mathematics and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirich, Denise L.; Cavey, Laurie O.

2015-01-01

In this article, the authors drew on the cultural traditions associated with the Shoshoni-Paiute tribes to design a lesson to engage students in problem solving and making arguments for their strategies. The reservation school is in an isolated rural community 100 miles from any other larger town and the participants for this article were the…

Reconciling the Rigor-Relevance Dilemma in Intellectual Capital Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andriessen, Daniel

2004-01-01

This paper raises the issue of research methodology for intellectual capital and other types of management research by focusing on the dilemma of rigour versus relevance. The more traditional explanatory approach to research often leads to rigorous results that are not of much help to solve practical problems. This paper describes an alternative…

Performer: An Instrument for Multidisciplinary Courseware Teams to Share Knowledge and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Aalst, Jan-Willem; van der Mast, Charles

2003-01-01

One of the traditional problems in courseware development that is recognized as hard to solve, is the communication and co-operation between various disciplines in project teams that are working on a courseware product [Alber (1996) "Multimedia: a management perspective." California: Wadsworth; Boyle (1997) "Design for multimedia learning." UK:…

Considering the Efficacy of Web-Based Worked Examples in Introductory Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crippen, Kent J.; Earl, Boyd L.

2004-01-01

Theory suggests that studying worked examples and engaging in self-explanation will improve learning and problem solving. A growing body of evidence supports the use of web-based assessments for improving undergraduate performance in traditional large enrollment courses. This article describes a study designed to investigate these techniques in a…

Integrating Social Workers into Medical-Legal Partnerships: Comprehensive Problem Solving for Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colvin, Jeffrey David; Nelson, Brooke; Cronin, Katie

2012-01-01

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) integrate legal services into the health care setting to resolve legal issues that have a negative impact on patient health. These partnerships between attorneys and health care professionals have traditionally focused on physicians. Despite early success and expansion of the MLP model, the literature is only…

Engaging Contexts for the Game of Nim

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Charles A.; Gleichowski, Rosemarie Reeves

2007-01-01

Middle school teachers realize the value of students playing games in mathematics classes if those games emphasize problem-solving strategies, algebraic reasoning, or spatial sense. This article describes various versions of the traditional game of nim and shows how working backward can be used to find a winning strategy. The link is then made…

A Transformational Approach to Slip-Slide Factoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steckroth, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

In this "Delving Deeper" article, the author introduces the slip-slide method for solving Algebra 1 mathematics problems. This article compares the traditional method approach of trial and error to the slip-slide method of factoring. Tools that used to be taken for granted now make it possible to investigate relationships visually,…

Computer Mathematics: An Introduction. Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

This document describes a mathematics course that uses the computer to solve mathematics problems. It was developed to be used with students who have completed at least one year of general mathematics or are not achieving success in the traditional mathematics program. The course is intended to review, reinforce, and extend concepts included in…

Analogical Reasoning: What Develops? A Review of Research and Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goswami, Usha

1991-01-01

Children's analogical reasoning has traditionally been measured by classical four-term analogy tasks or problem-solving tasks. Current theories of analogical development and the evidence on which they are based are reviewed. It is concluded that structural views of analogical development are wrong, and knowledge-based accounts of what develops are…

Utilizing the Peer Group Method with Case Studies to Teach Pharmacokinetics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Pamela J.

1994-01-01

A pharmacy school large-group (110 students) course in pharmacokinetics was designed to incorporate small-group team-based problem solving. The method allows students to learn material through traditional lecture, research the topic further, discuss the information gained, and apply the learning to specific cases in a manner that promotes…

Bringing the Arts to the School Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moorefield-Lang, Heather

2011-01-01

The arts have their place in every facet of a school, and the library is no exception. Thinking beyond traditional definitions, arts education could include teaching creative problem solving as well as continuous questioning of issues and ideas. The media center is the perfect venue to showcase students' efforts in the arts. This article gives…

Case Study: The Capstone Project at Chelsea High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Priti Johari

2017-01-01

Capstone projects serve as the centerpiece for an assessment system that values problem-solving and frames assessment as learning opportunities for students and teachers. Every January and May for one week, Chelsea High School, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, breaks from their traditional, four- periods-a-day bell schedule and the fast pace of a…

Solving the Actuation Problem: Merger and Immigration in Eastern Pennsylvania.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herold, Ruth

1997-01-01

Uses interview and telephone survey data to demonstrate that the merger of the vowels in words such as "cot" and "caught," traditionally considered a defining characteristics of the speech of western Pennsylvania, is well established in the mining towns of eastern Pennsylvania. Notes that the data indicate that the merger arose…

Learning Technologies: Affective and Social Issues in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Ann; Issroff, Kim

2005-01-01

This paper is concerned with "affective" issues in learning technologies in a collaborative context. Traditionally in learning there has been a division between cognition and affect: where cognition is concerned with skills and processes such as thinking and problem-solving and affect with emotional areas such as motivation, attitudes, feelings.…

BioMusic in the Classroom: Interdisciplinary Elementary Science and Music Curriculum Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrier, Sarah; Wiebe, Eric N.; Gray, Patricia; Teachout, David

2011-01-01

Policymakers and industry leaders are calling for a 21st century education that is more interdisciplinary in nature, including the ability to solve problems and think creatively. Traditional teaching practices that present subjects as separate and distinct disciplines do not encourage students to make connections between subjects in school and in…

Finding a Good Fit: Using MCC in a "Third Space"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Joan Parker; Wiles, Peter; Civil, Marta; Clark, Stacy

2005-01-01

Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) is based in traditional Yup'ik cultural values and ways of knowing and representing the world, which provide access to math concepts through hands-on exploration and active problem solving. This case illustrates how a novice and outsider teacher successfully implemented MCC in a classroom with predominantly…

Cognitive Profiles of Mathematical Problem Solving Learning Disability for Different Definitions of Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolar, Tammy D.; Fuchs, Lynn; Fletcher, Jack M.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L.

2016-01-01

Three cohorts of third-grade students (N = 813) were evaluated on achievement, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attention according to contrasting research traditions in defining math learning disability (LD) status: low achievement versus extremely low achievement and IQ-achievement discrepant versus strictly low-achieving LD. We use methods…

Balancing Security and Openness in Research and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vest, Charles M.

2003-01-01

The ability of the American nation to remain secure in the face of both traditional military threats and international terrorism while maintaining the excellence and pace of American science and technology requires a delicate balance. It depends first and foremost on effective dialogue and joint problem solving by those responsible for maintaining…

Efficient Instant Search

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ji, Shengyue

2011-01-01

Traditional information systems return answers after a user submits a complete query. Users often feel "left in the dark" when they have limited knowledge about the underlying data, and have to use a try-and-see approach for finding information. The trend of supporting autocomplete in these systems is a first step towards solving this problem. A…

Automated Analysis of Composition and Style of Photographs and Paintings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Lei

2013-01-01

Computational aesthetics is a newly emerging cross-disciplinary field with its core situated in traditional research areas such as image processing and computer vision. Using a computer to interpret aesthetic terms for images is very challenging. In this dissertation, I focus on solving specific problems about analyzing the composition and style…

Measuring and Communicating the Value Created by an Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, W. Richard

2010-01-01

This paper offers a different perspective in measuring the value created by an organization. It does so in the context of an undergraduate course in managerial accounting. In order to break down the functional silo approach to problem solving that has become the model of traditional business education, applications of shadow accounting, the…

Towards Analytics for Wholistic School Improvement: Hierarchical Process Modelling and Evidence Visualization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crick, Ruth Deakin; Knight, Simon; Barr, Steven

2017-01-01

Central to the mission of most educational institutions is the task of preparing the next generation of citizens to contribute to society. Schools, colleges, and universities value a range of outcomes--e.g., problem solving, creativity, collaboration, citizenship, service to community--as well as academic outcomes in traditional subjects. Often…

Report from a Multi-Institutional Randomized Clinical Trial Examining Computer-Assisted Problem-Solving Skills Training for English- and Spanish-Speaking Mothers of Children with Newly Diagnosed Cancer

PubMed Central

Sahler, Olle Jane Z.; Sherman, Sandra A.; Fairclough, Diane L.; Butler, Robert W.; Katz, Ernest R.; Dolgin, Michael J.; Varni, James W.; Noll, Robert B.; Phipps, Sean

2009-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA)-based supplement for maternal Problem-Solving Skills Training (PSST) and to explore Spanish-speaking mothers’ experiences with it. Methods Mothers (n = 197) of children with newly diagnosed cancer were randomized to traditional PSST or PSST + PDA 8-week programs. Participants completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Profile of Mood States, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised pre-, post-treatment, and 3 months after completion of the intervention. Mothers also rated optimism, logic, and confidence in the intervention and technology. Results Both groups demonstrated significant positive change over time on all psychosocial measures. No between-group differences emerged. Despite technological “glitches,” mothers expressed moderately high optimism, appreciation for logic, and confidence in both interventions and rated the PDA-based program favorably. Technology appealed to all Spanish-speaking mothers, with younger mothers showing greater proficiency. Conclusions Well-designed, supported technology holds promise for enhancing psychological interventions. PMID:19091804

An Intelligent Optical Dissolved Oxygen Measurement Method Based on a Fluorescent Quenching Mechanism.

PubMed

Li, Fengmei; Wei, Yaoguang; Chen, Yingyi; Li, Daoliang; Zhang, Xu

2015-12-09

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key factor that influences the healthy growth of fishes in aquaculture. The DO content changes with the aquatic environment and should therefore be monitored online. However, traditional measurement methods, such as iodometry and other chemical analysis methods, are not suitable for online monitoring. The Clark method is not stable enough for extended periods of monitoring. To solve these problems, this paper proposes an intelligent DO measurement method based on the fluorescence quenching mechanism. The measurement system is composed of fluorescent quenching detection, signal conditioning, intelligent processing, and power supply modules. The optical probe adopts the fluorescent quenching mechanism to detect the DO content and solves the problem, whereas traditional chemical methods are easily influenced by the environment. The optical probe contains a thermistor and dual excitation sources to isolate visible parasitic light and execute a compensation strategy. The intelligent processing module adopts the IEEE 1451.2 standard and realizes intelligent compensation. Experimental results show that the optical measurement method is stable, accurate, and suitable for online DO monitoring in aquaculture applications.

The flip side of traditional nursing education: A literature review.

PubMed

Ward, Maria; Knowlton, Mary C; Laney, Candice W

2018-03-01

The flipped classroom (FC) andragogy purports an improvement of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students. This literature review explores fourteen research studies and discusses outcome measures reported on the effectiveness of using this teaching modality. Students described the learning activities during the classroom meeting times as valuable and indicated the interaction and engagement were beneficial to their learning. Many students opined an increased comprehension of the subject matter. Overall, the FC required more work on the part of the students and the faculty, and the majority of students preferred the traditional classroom (TC) passive method of learning over the FC active learning andragogy as a result of the substantial time commitment required for preparation necessitated by the FC. Five of the fourteen studies evaluated student learning outcome measures; four studies showed an improvement in the FC environment compared to the TC and one reported the FC was at least as effective as the TC. Further studies with quantifiable outcome measures are required to determine the effectiveness of a FC on critical thinking and problem-solving skills of nursing students. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Intelligent Optical Dissolved Oxygen Measurement Method Based on a Fluorescent Quenching Mechanism

PubMed Central

Li, Fengmei; Wei, Yaoguang; Chen, Yingyi; Li, Daoliang; Zhang, Xu

2015-01-01

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key factor that influences the healthy growth of fishes in aquaculture. The DO content changes with the aquatic environment and should therefore be monitored online. However, traditional measurement methods, such as iodometry and other chemical analysis methods, are not suitable for online monitoring. The Clark method is not stable enough for extended periods of monitoring. To solve these problems, this paper proposes an intelligent DO measurement method based on the fluorescence quenching mechanism. The measurement system is composed of fluorescent quenching detection, signal conditioning, intelligent processing, and power supply modules. The optical probe adopts the fluorescent quenching mechanism to detect the DO content and solves the problem, whereas traditional chemical methods are easily influenced by the environment. The optical probe contains a thermistor and dual excitation sources to isolate visible parasitic light and execute a compensation strategy. The intelligent processing module adopts the IEEE 1451.2 standard and realizes intelligent compensation. Experimental results show that the optical measurement method is stable, accurate, and suitable for online DO monitoring in aquaculture applications. PMID:26690176

Engaging the creative to better build science into water resource solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klos, P. Z.

2014-12-01

Psychological thought suggests that social engagement with an environmental problem requires 1) cognitive understanding of the problem, 2) emotional engagement with the problem, and 3) perceived efficacy that there is something we can do to solve the problem. Within the water sciences, we form problem-focused, cross-disciplinary teams to help address complex water resource problems, but often we only seek teammates from other disciplines within the realms of engineering and the natural/social sciences. Here I argue that this science-centric focus fails to fully solve these water resource problems, and often the science goes unheard because it is heavily cognitive and lacks the ability to effectively engage the audience through crucial social-psychological aspects of emotion and efficacy. To solve this, future cross-disciplinary collaborations that seek to include creative actors from the worlds of art, humanities, and design can begin to provide a much stronger overlap of the cognition, emotion, and efficacy needed to communicate the science, engage the audience, and create the solutions needed to solve or world's most complex water resource problems. Disciplines across the arts, sciences, and engineering all bring unique strengths that, through collaboration, allow for uniquely creative modes of art-science overlap that can engage people through additions of emotion and efficacy that compliment the science and go beyond the traditional cognitive approach. I highlight examples of this art-science overlap in action and argue that water resource collaborations like these will be more likely to have their hydrologic science accepted and applied by those who decide on water resource solutions. For this Pop-up Talk session, I aim to share the details of this proposed framework in the context of my own research and the work of others. I hope to incite discussion regarding the utility and relevance of this framework as a future option for other water resource collaboratives working to solve hydrologic issues across the globe.

Group Problem-Solving versus Lecture in College-Level Quantitative Analysis: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, Vickie M.; Rowe, Marvin W.

2002-09-01

The purpose of this semester-long study was to investigate the effect of replacing traditional lecture with cooperative group problem-solving sessions in a junior-level quantitative analysis course. The control and treatment groups had the same instructor, met on the same day, had the same reading assignments, and had common exams. The instructor worked sample problems for the control group. In the treatment group, students were assigned to heterogeneous cooperative groups of 4. The groups solved problems presented on an overhead that were the same or equivalent in content and number to those used in the control group. Students were responsible for making sure that all members of the group could work each problem. The students' reasoning abilities were measured by the Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT). Groups were compared on quiz, exam, final, and course grades. Other data included attitudinal surveys, observations, field notes, interviews, and open-response evaluations. No significant differences were found in content measures. Differences were found in the number of students dropping the course and in the attitudes and perceptions of the two groups. Qualitative measures support a number of assertions concerning more positive attitudes and lower withdrawal rates in the treatment group, and a case for mixed delivery modes.

Novel Problem Solving - The NASA Solution Mechanism Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keeton, Kathryn E.; Richard, Elizabeth E.; Davis, Jeffrey R.

2014-01-01

Over the past five years, the Human Health and Performance (HH&P) Directorate at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) has conducted a number of pilot and ongoing projects in collaboration and open innovation. These projects involved the use of novel open innovation competitions that sought solutions from "the crowd", non-traditional problem solvers. The projects expanded to include virtual collaboration centers such as the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) and more recently a collaborative research project between NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). These novel problem-solving tools produced effective results and the HH&P wanted to capture the knowledge from these new tools, to teach the results to the directorate, and to implement new project management tools and coursework. The need to capture and teach the results of these novel problem solving tools, the HH&P decided to create a web-based tool to capture best practices and case studies, to teach novice users how to use new problem solving tools and to change project management training/. This web-based tool was developed with a small, multi-disciplinary group and named the Solution Mechanism Guide (SMG). An alpha version was developed that was tested against several sessions of user groups to get feedback on the SMG and determine a future course for development. The feedback was very positive and the HH&P decided to move to the beta-phase of development. To develop the web-based tool, the HH&P utilized the NASA Tournament Lab (NTL) to develop the software with TopCoder under an existing contract. In this way, the HH&P is using one new tool (the NTL and TopCoder) to develop the next generation tool, the SMG. The beta-phase of the SMG is planed for release in the spring of 2014 and results of the beta-phase testing will be available for the IAC meeting in September. The SMG is intended to disrupt the way problem solvers and project managers approach problem solving and to increase the use of novel and more cost and time effective problem solving tools such as open innovation, collaborative research, and virtual collaborative project centers. The HH&P envisions changing project management coursework by including the SMG in the teaching of project management problem solving tools.

Fitting Prony Series To Data On Viscoelastic Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, S. A.

1995-01-01

Improved method of fitting Prony series to data on viscoelastic materials involves use of least-squares optimization techniques. Based on optimization techniques yields closer correlation with data than traditional method. Involves no assumptions regarding the gamma'(sub i)s and higher-order terms, and provides for as many Prony terms as needed to represent higher-order subtleties in data. Curve-fitting problem treated as design-optimization problem and solved by use of partially-constrained-optimization techniques.

Experiments with a decision-theoretic scheduler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansson, Othar; Holt, Gerhard; Mayer, Andrew

1992-01-01

This paper describes DTS, a decision-theoretic scheduler designed to employ state-of-the-art probabilistic inference technology to speed the search for efficient solutions to constraint-satisfaction problems. Our approach involves assessing the performance of heuristic control strategies that are normally hard-coded into scheduling systems, and using probabilistic inference to aggregate this information in light of features of a given problem. BPS, the Bayesian Problem-Solver, introduced a similar approach to solving single-agent and adversarial graph search problems, yielding orders-of-magnitude improvement over traditional techniques. Initial efforts suggest that similar improvements will be realizable when applied to typical constraint-satisfaction scheduling problems.

Cognitive patterns of neuroanatomy concepts: Knowledge organizations that emerge from problem solving versus information gathering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weidner, Jeanne Margaret O'malley

2000-10-01

This study was motivated by some of the claims that are found in the literature on Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This instructional technique, which uses case studies as its primary instructional tool, has been advanced as an alternative to traditional instruction in order to foster more meaningful, integrative learning of scientific concepts. Several of the advantages attributed to Problem-Based Learning are that it (1) is generally preferred by students because it appears to foster a more nurturing and enjoyable learning experience, (2) fosters greater retention of knowledge and concepts acquired, and (3) results in increased ability to apply this knowledge toward solving new problems. This study examines the differences that result when students learn neuroanatomy concepts under two instructional contexts: problem solving vs. information gathering. The technological resource provided to students to support learning under each of these contexts was the multimedia program BrainStorm: An Interactive Neuroanatomy Atlas (Coppa & Tancred, 1995). The study explores the influence of context with regard to subjects' performance on objective post-tests, organization of knowledge as measured by Pathfinder Networks, differential use of the multimedia software and discourse differences emerging from the transcripts. The findings support previous research in the literature that problem-solving results in less knowledge acquisition in the short term, greater retention of material over time, and a subjects' preference for the method. However, both the degree of retention and preference were influenced by subjects' prior knowledge of the material in the exercises, as there was a significant difference in performance between the two exercises: for the exercise about which subjects appeared to have greater background information, memory decay was less, and subject attitude toward the problem solving instructional format was more favorable, than for the exercise for which subjects had less prior knowledge. Subjects also used the software differently under each format with regard to modules accessed, time spent in modules, and types of information sought. In addition, analyses of the transcripts showed more numerous occurrences of explanations and summarizations in the problem-solving context, compared to the information gathering context. The attempts to show significant differences between the contexts by means of Pathfinder analyses were less than successful.

Integrating Problem-Based Learning and Simulation: Effects on Student Motivation and Life Skills.

PubMed

Roh, Young Sook; Kim, Sang Suk

2015-07-01

Previous research has suggested that a teaching strategy integrating problem-based learning and simulation may be superior to traditional lecture. The purpose of this study was to assess learner motivation and life skills before and after taking a course involving problem-based learning and simulation. The design used repeated measures with a convenience sample of 83 second-year nursing students who completed the integrated course. Data from a self-administered questionnaire measuring learner motivation and life skills were collected at pretest, post-problem-based learning, and post-simulation time points. Repeated-measures analysis of variance determined that the mean scores for total learner motivation (F=6.62, P=.003), communication (F=8.27, P<.001), problem solving (F=6.91, P=.001), and self-directed learning (F=4.45, P=.016) differed significantly between time points. Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction revealed that total learner motivation and total life skills significantly increased both from pretest to postsimulation and from post-problem-based learning test to postsimulation test. Subscales of learner motivation and life skills, intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning skills significantly increased both from pretest to postsimulation test and from post-problem-based learning test to post-simulation test. The results demonstrate that an integrating problem-based learning and simulation course elicits significant improvement in learner motivation and life skills. Simulation plus problem-based learning is more effective than problem-based learning alone at increasing intrinsic goal orientation, task value, self-efficacy for learning and performance, problem solving, and self-directed learning.

A parametric finite element method for solid-state dewetting problems with anisotropic surface energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Weizhu; Jiang, Wei; Wang, Yan; Zhao, Quan

2017-02-01

We propose an efficient and accurate parametric finite element method (PFEM) for solving sharp-interface continuum models for solid-state dewetting of thin films with anisotropic surface energies. The governing equations of the sharp-interface models belong to a new type of high-order (4th- or 6th-order) geometric evolution partial differential equations about open curve/surface interface tracking problems which include anisotropic surface diffusion flow and contact line migration. Compared to the traditional methods (e.g., marker-particle methods), the proposed PFEM not only has very good accuracy, but also poses very mild restrictions on the numerical stability, and thus it has significant advantages for solving this type of open curve evolution problems with applications in the simulation of solid-state dewetting. Extensive numerical results are reported to demonstrate the accuracy and high efficiency of the proposed PFEM.

Mathematics Competency for Beginning Chemistry Students Through Dimensional Analysis.

PubMed

Pursell, David P; Forlemu, Neville Y; Anagho, Leonard E

2017-01-01

Mathematics competency in nursing education and practice may be addressed by an instructional variation of the traditional dimensional analysis technique typically presented in beginning chemistry courses. The authors studied 73 beginning chemistry students using the typical dimensional analysis technique and the variation technique. Student quantitative problem-solving performance was evaluated. Students using the variation technique scored significantly better (18.3 of 20 points, p < .0001) on the final examination quantitative titration problem than those who used the typical technique (10.9 of 20 points). American Chemical Society examination scores and in-house assessment indicate that better performing beginning chemistry students were more likely to use the variation technique rather than the typical technique. The variation technique may be useful as an alternative instructional approach to enhance beginning chemistry students' mathematics competency and problem-solving ability in both education and practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(1):22-26.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

A hybrid genetic algorithm for solving bi-objective traveling salesman problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Mei; Li, Hecheng

2017-08-01

The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is a typical combinatorial optimization problem, in a traditional TSP only tour distance is taken as a unique objective to be minimized. When more than one optimization objective arises, the problem is known as a multi-objective TSP. In the present paper, a bi-objective traveling salesman problem (BOTSP) is taken into account, where both the distance and the cost are taken as optimization objectives. In order to efficiently solve the problem, a hybrid genetic algorithm is proposed. Firstly, two satisfaction degree indices are provided for each edge by considering the influences of the distance and the cost weight. The first satisfaction degree is used to select edges in a “rough” way, while the second satisfaction degree is executed for a more “refined” choice. Secondly, two satisfaction degrees are also applied to generate new individuals in the iteration process. Finally, based on genetic algorithm framework as well as 2-opt selection strategy, a hybrid genetic algorithm is proposed. The simulation illustrates the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

Optimizing conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources with stochastic dynamic programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidsen, Claus; Liu, Suxia; Mo, Xingguo; Rosbjerg, Dan; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter

2014-05-01

Optimal management of conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater has been attempted with different algorithms in the literature. In this study, a hydro-economic modelling approach to optimize conjunctive use of scarce surface water and groundwater resources under uncertainty is presented. A stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) approach is used to minimize the basin-wide total costs arising from water allocations and water curtailments. Dynamic allocation problems with inclusion of groundwater resources proved to be more complex to solve with SDP than pure surface water allocation problems due to head-dependent pumping costs. These dynamic pumping costs strongly affect the total costs and can lead to non-convexity of the future cost function. The water user groups (agriculture, industry, domestic) are characterized by inelastic demands and fixed water allocation and water supply curtailment costs. As in traditional SDP approaches, one step-ahead sub-problems are solved to find the optimal management at any time knowing the inflow scenario and reservoir/aquifer storage levels. These non-linear sub-problems are solved using a genetic algorithm (GA) that minimizes the sum of the immediate and future costs for given surface water reservoir and groundwater aquifer end storages. The immediate cost is found by solving a simple linear allocation sub-problem, and the future costs are assessed by interpolation in the total cost matrix from the following time step. Total costs for all stages, reservoir states, and inflow scenarios are used as future costs to drive a forward moving simulation under uncertain water availability. The use of a GA to solve the sub-problems is computationally more costly than a traditional SDP approach with linearly interpolated future costs. However, in a two-reservoir system the future cost function would have to be represented by a set of planes, and strict convexity in both the surface water and groundwater dimension cannot be maintained. The optimization framework based on the GA is still computationally feasible and represents a clean and customizable method. The method has been applied to the Ziya River basin, China. The basin is located on the North China Plain and is subject to severe water scarcity, which includes surface water droughts and groundwater over-pumping. The head-dependent groundwater pumping costs will enable assessment of the long-term effects of increased electricity prices on the groundwater pumping. The coupled optimization framework is used to assess realistic alternative development scenarios for the basin. In particular the potential for using electricity pricing policies to reach sustainable groundwater pumping is investigated.

A Moving Mesh Finite Element Algorithm for Singular Problems in Two and Three Space Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ruo; Tang, Tao; Zhang, Pingwen

2002-04-01

A framework for adaptive meshes based on the Hamilton-Schoen-Yau theory was proposed by Dvinsky. In a recent work (2001, J. Comput. Phys.170, 562-588), we extended Dvinsky's method to provide an efficient moving mesh algorithm which compared favorably with the previously proposed schemes in terms of simplicity and reliability. In this work, we will further extend the moving mesh methods based on harmonic maps to deal with mesh adaptation in three space dimensions. In obtaining the variational mesh, we will solve an optimization problem with some appropriate constraints, which is in contrast to the traditional method of solving the Euler-Lagrange equation directly. The key idea of this approach is to update the interior and boundary grids simultaneously, rather than considering them separately. Application of the proposed moving mesh scheme is illustrated with some two- and three-dimensional problems with large solution gradients. The numerical experiments show that our methods can accurately resolve detail features of singular problems in 3D.

Loss of traditional knowledge aggravates wolf-human conflict in Georgia (Caucasus) in the wake of socio-economic change.

PubMed

Kikvidze, Zaal; Tevzadze, Gigi

2015-09-01

Reports of the damage from wolf attacks have increased considerably over the last decade in Georgia (in the Caucasus). We interviewed locals about this problem in two focal regions: the Lanchkhuti area (in western Georgia) and Kazbegi District (in eastern Georgia) where livestock numbers had increased by an order of magnitude owing to dramatic shifts in the local economies over the last decade. This coincided with expanding habitats for wolves (abandoned plantations, for example). We found that the perceived damage from wolves was positively correlated with a poor knowledge of wolf habits and inappropriate livestock husbandry practices. Our results suggest a loss of traditional knowledge contributes strongly to the wolf-human conflicts in Georgia. Restoring traditional, simple but good practices--such as protecting herds using shepherd dogs and introducing bulls into the herds-can help one solve this problem.

[Designs and thoughts of real world integrated data warehouse from HIS on re-evaluation of post-maketing traditional Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Zhuang, Yan; Xie, Bangtie; Weng, Shengxin; Xie, Yanming

2011-10-01

To discuss the feasibility and necessity of using HIS data integration to build large data warehouse system which is extensively used on re-evaluation of post-marketing traditional Chinese medicine, and to provide the thought and method of the overall design for it. With domestic and overseas' analysis and comparison on clinical experiments' design based on real world using electronic information system, and with characteristics of HIS in China, a general framework was designed and discussed which refers to design thought, design characteristics, existing problems and solutions and so on. A design scheme of HIS data warehouse on re-evaluation of post-marketing traditional Chinese medicine was presented. The design scheme was proved to be high coherence and low coupling, safe, Universal, efficient and easy to maintain, which can effectively solve the problems many hospitals have faced during the process of HIS data integration.

Why Community Oriented Policing Has Failed and the Rise of Policing through Practical Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plummer, Eric S.

2008-01-01

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov), Community Policing is defined as: "The focus on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships. The community policing model balances…

Strategies for Effective Faculty Involvement in Online Activities Aimed at Promoting Critical Thinking and Deep Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul Razzak, Nina

2016-01-01

Highly-traditional education systems that mainly offer what is known as "direct instruction" usually result in graduates with a surface approach to learning rather than a deep one. What is meant by deep-learning is learning that involves critical analysis, the linking of ideas and concepts, creative problem solving, and application…

Rhythmic Instruction from Square One: A Constructivist Teacher and Her Metronome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Beth Ann

2012-01-01

Adhering to a constructivist approach, this teacher focused on problem solving and group discussion as she initiated a study of traditional notation. She began with the metronome to make the steady beat less abstract for those students who still learn best through concrete operations. The students were challenged to match magnets of various…

What's Happening to American Families? ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Leon

Can the contemporary family's problems be solved in ways that seemed effective in the past? The extent to which the family has changed argues in the negative. The American family has been stripped of two of its traditional social functions: serving as a unit for economic production and as a school for the vocational training of children. The first…

Incorporating Sustainability and 21st-Century Problem Solving into Physics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Michael; Pfaff, Tom; Hamilton, Jason; Erkan, Ali

2013-01-01

As educators we are facing an unprecedented challenge to prepare our students not only for traditional careers but also for future careers that don't exist today. Many of these careers will require a firm grounding in disciplines such as physics, along with multidisciplinary, Global, and systems thinking skill sets. Our Multidisciplinary…

Open-Ended Cases in Agroecology: Farming and Food Systems in the Nordic Region and the US Midwest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Charles; King, James; Lieblein, Geir; Breland, Tor Arvid; Salomonsson, Lennart; Sriskandarajah, Nadarajah; Porter, Paul; Wiedenhoeft, Mary

2009-01-01

Our aim is to describe open-ended case studies for learning real-life problem solving skills, and relate this approach to conventional, closed-ended decision case studies. Teaching methods are open-ended cases in agroecology, an alternative to traditional strategies that lead students through prepared materials and structured discussions to…

Active Problem Solving and Applied Research Methods in a Graduate Course on Numerical Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maase, Eric L.; High, Karen A.

2008-01-01

"Chemical Engineering Modeling" is a first-semester graduate course traditionally taught in a lecture format at Oklahoma State University. The course as taught by the author for the past seven years focuses on numerical and mathematical methods as necessary skills for incoming graduate students. Recent changes to the course have included Visual…

Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development: An Exploration of Delivery Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casale, MaryAnn

2011-01-01

In order to teach students the knowledge and skills that are required to be successful in the 21st century, teachers must change the way they have traditionally taught. A focus on problem solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, and effective communication skills is necessary for students to learn in a complex society (Darling-Hammond &…

Using Technology's Internet Resources in Algebra 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crespo, Irma S. Z. B.

2009-01-01

Technology is a means that makes work or tasks easy, efficient, and operative. A more encompassing definition refers to it "as the tools created by human knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants" (Koehler and Mishra. 2008:5). It can either be contrivances of tradition or…

The Changing Roles of Vocational and Academic Education in Future High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pucel, David J.

Both the rapid movement to the knowledge/imagination age and a more thorough understanding of how problem-solving skills are developed challenge traditional education to change and adopt a new set of goals. Academic and vocational education are modifying their goals and instructional procedures, and they are blending together. As technology has…

Non-traditional Oxidants in Preparative Coordination Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukushkin, Vadim Yu; Kukushkin, Yurii N.

1986-10-01

The application of nitrosonium and arenediazonium salts, carbenium, silver(I), and mercury(II) ions, protic acids, and amine oxides as oxidants in preparative coordination chemistry is examined. Specific examples illustrate which problems in the field of the synthesis and reactions of coordination compounds can be solved with the aid of these oxidants. The bibliography includes 158 references.

The Role of Theory Building in the Teaching of Secondary Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Michael; Herbst, Patricio

2015-01-01

Although mathematical practice has traditionally valued two distinct kinds of mathematical work--referred to by Gowers (2000) as theory building and problem solving--activity in classrooms appears to be organized largely around the latter, rather than the former. This study takes up the question of whether there is a customary role for theory…

Professional Development Aligned with AP Chemistry Curriculum: Promoting Science Practices and Facilitating Enduring Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrington, Deborah G.; Yezierski, Ellen J.

2014-01-01

The recent revisions to the advanced placement (AP) chemistry curriculum promote deep conceptual understanding of chemistry content over more rote memorization of facts and algorithmic problem solving. For many teachers, this will mean moving away from traditional worksheets and verification lab activities that they have used to address the vast…

A Synergy between the Technological Process and a Methodology for Web Design: Implications for Technological Problem Solving and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakovljevic, Maria; Ankiewicz, Piet; De swardt, Estelle; Gross, Elna

2004-01-01

Traditional instructional methodology in the Information System Design (ISD) environment lacks explicit strategies for promoting the cognitive skills of prospective system designers. This contributes to the fragmented knowledge and low motivational and creative involvement of learners in system design tasks. In addition, present ISD methodologies,…

A Comparison of Delivery Formats to Encourage Student-Centered Learning in a Power Engineering Technology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Mathew J.; Webster, Rustin D.

2017-01-01

This paper describes a student-centered approach to a power engineering technology course using the flipped or inverted classroom as well as active learning in the form of group discussions and team problem solving. The study compares student performance and perceptions of a traditional, teaching-centered classroom to two different flipped…

Encouraging Districts and Charters to Link Arms to Solve Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lake, Robin J.

2017-01-01

Charter schools and school districts have been at odds since the first charter school law passed in 1991. Districts resent the competition and subsequent funding loss for traditional schools. Charters resent the lack of access to facilities and other resources and attempts to infringe on their autonomy. Yet a fast-growing number of school…

Construct DTPB Model by Using DEMATEL: A Study of a University Library Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yu-Cheng; Hsieh, Yi-Fang; Guo, Yau-Bin

2013-01-01

Purpose: Traditional studies on a decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) analyze the relationship of variables through a structural equation model. If certain variables do not fully comply with the independent hypothesis, it is not possible to conduct proper analysis, which leads to false conclusions. To solve these problems, the aim of this…

A Simple Simulator to Teach Enzyme Kinetics Dynamics. Application in a Problem-Solving Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torres, Néstor; Santos, Guido

2017-01-01

Enzyme kinetics is an essential part of biochemistry programs, which have been gaining importance in recent years for their applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. The teaching and learning of these issues has been traditionally hampered by difficulties that stem mainly from the dynamic and mathematical nature of the topic and the…

Advanced Mathematical Thinking and Students' Mathematical Learning: Reflection from Students' Problem-Solving in Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangpom, Wasukree; Suthisung, Nisara; Kongthip, Yanin; Inprasitha, Maitree

2016-01-01

Mathematical teaching in Thai tertiary education still employs traditional methods of explanation and the use of rules, formulae, and theories in order for students to memorize and apply to their mathematical learning. This results in students' inability to concretely learn, fully comprehend and understand mathematical concepts and practice. In…

The Impact of E-Learning on Medical Education in Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trukhacheva, N.; Tchernysheva, S.; Krjaklina, T.

2011-01-01

New educational technologies prove to be capable of solving many problems in medical training. Students do not see e-learning as replacing traditional instructor-led training but as a complement to it, forming part of a blended-learning strategy. Innovations in e-learning technologies point toward a revolution in education, allowing learning to be…

Analysis of 3D poroelastodynamics using BEM based on modified time-step scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igumnov, L. A.; Petrov, A. N.; Vorobtsov, I. V.

2017-10-01

The development of 3d boundary elements modeling of dynamic partially saturated poroelastic media using a stepping scheme is presented in this paper. Boundary Element Method (BEM) in Laplace domain and the time-stepping scheme for numerical inversion of the Laplace transform are used to solve the boundary value problem. The modified stepping scheme with a varied integration step for quadrature coefficients calculation using the symmetry of the integrand function and integral formulas of Strongly Oscillating Functions was applied. The problem with force acting on a poroelastic prismatic console end was solved using the developed method. A comparison of the results obtained by the traditional stepping scheme with the solutions obtained by this modified scheme shows that the computational efficiency is better with usage of combined formulas.

A research on the security of wisdom campus based on geospatial big data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haiying

2018-05-01

There are some difficulties in wisdom campus, such as geospatial big data sharing, function expansion, data management, analysis and mining geospatial big data for a characteristic, especially the problem of data security can't guarantee cause prominent attention increasingly. In this article we put forward a data-oriented software architecture which is designed by the ideology of orienting data and data as kernel, solve the problem of traditional software architecture broaden the campus space data research, develop the application of wisdom campus.

Research on the precise positioning of customers in large data environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xu; He, Lili

2018-04-01

Customer positioning has always been a problem that enterprises focus on. In this paper, FCM clustering algorithm is used to cluster customer groups. However, due to the traditional FCM clustering algorithm, which is susceptible to the influence of the initial clustering center and easy to fall into the local optimal problem, the short board of FCM is solved by the gray optimization algorithm (GWO) to achieve efficient and accurate handling of a large number of retailer data.

Intelligent Computer-Aided Instruction for Medical Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Clancey, William J.; Shortliffe, Edward H.; Buchanan, Bruce G.

1979-01-01

An intelligent computer-aided instruction (ICAI) program, named GUIDON, has been developed for teaching infectious disease diagnosis.* ICAI programs use artificial intelligence techniques for representing both subject material and teaching strategies. This paper briefly outlines the difference between traditional instructional programs and ICAI. We then illustrate how GUIDON makes contributions in areas important to medical CAI: interacting with the student in a mixed-initiative dialogue (including the problems of feedback and realism), teaching problem-solving strategies, and assembling a computer-based curriculum.

Seismic modeling with radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD) – a simplified treatment of interfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Bradley, E-mail: brma7253@colorado.edu; Fornberg, Bengt, E-mail: Fornberg@colorado.edu

In a previous study of seismic modeling with radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD), we outlined a numerical method for solving 2-D wave equations in domains with material interfaces between different regions. The method was applicable on a mesh-free set of data nodes. It included all information about interfaces within the weights of the stencils (allowing the use of traditional time integrators), and was shown to solve problems of the 2-D elastic wave equation to 3rd-order accuracy. In the present paper, we discuss a refinement of that method that makes it simpler to implement. It can also improve accuracy formore » the case of smoothly-variable model parameter values near interfaces. We give several test cases that demonstrate the method solving 2-D elastic wave equation problems to 4th-order accuracy, even in the presence of smoothly-curved interfaces with jump discontinuities in the model parameters.« less

Seismic modeling with radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD) - a simplified treatment of interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Bradley; Fornberg, Bengt

2017-04-01

In a previous study of seismic modeling with radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD), we outlined a numerical method for solving 2-D wave equations in domains with material interfaces between different regions. The method was applicable on a mesh-free set of data nodes. It included all information about interfaces within the weights of the stencils (allowing the use of traditional time integrators), and was shown to solve problems of the 2-D elastic wave equation to 3rd-order accuracy. In the present paper, we discuss a refinement of that method that makes it simpler to implement. It can also improve accuracy for the case of smoothly-variable model parameter values near interfaces. We give several test cases that demonstrate the method solving 2-D elastic wave equation problems to 4th-order accuracy, even in the presence of smoothly-curved interfaces with jump discontinuities in the model parameters.

Decision-theoretic control of EUVE telescope scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansson, Othar; Mayer, Andrew

1993-01-01

This paper describes a decision theoretic scheduler (DTS) designed to employ state-of-the-art probabilistic inference technology to speed the search for efficient solutions to constraint-satisfaction problems. Our approach involves assessing the performance of heuristic control strategies that are normally hard-coded into scheduling systems and using probabilistic inference to aggregate this information in light of the features of a given problem. The Bayesian Problem-Solver (BPS) introduced a similar approach to solving single agent and adversarial graph search patterns yielding orders-of-magnitude improvement over traditional techniques. Initial efforts suggest that similar improvements will be realizable when applied to typical constraint-satisfaction scheduling problems.

Artificial bee colony algorithm for constrained possibilistic portfolio optimization problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei

2015-07-01

In this paper, we discuss the portfolio optimization problem with real-world constraints under the assumption that the returns of risky assets are fuzzy numbers. A new possibilistic mean-semiabsolute deviation model is proposed, in which transaction costs, cardinality and quantity constraints are considered. Due to such constraints the proposed model becomes a mixed integer nonlinear programming problem and traditional optimization methods fail to find the optimal solution efficiently. Thus, a modified artificial bee colony (MABC) algorithm is developed to solve the corresponding optimization problem. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the corresponding algorithm.

A Riemann-Hilbert approach to the inverse problem for the Stark operator on the line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Its, A.; Sukhanov, V.

2016-05-01

The paper is concerned with the inverse scattering problem for the Stark operator on the line with a potential from the Schwartz class. In our study of the inverse problem, we use the Riemann-Hilbert formalism. This allows us to overcome the principal technical difficulties which arise in the more traditional approaches based on the Gel’fand-Levitan-Marchenko equations, and indeed solve the problem. We also produce a complete description of the relevant scattering data (which have not been obtained in the previous works on the Stark operator) and establish the bijection between the Schwartz class potentials and the scattering data.

Does chess instruction improve mathematical problem-solving ability? Two experimental studies with an active control group.

PubMed

Sala, Giovanni; Gobet, Fernand

2017-12-01

It has been proposed that playing chess enables children to improve their ability in mathematics. These claims have been recently evaluated in a meta-analysis (Sala & Gobet, 2016, Educational Research Review, 18, 46-57), which indicated a significant effect in favor of the groups playing chess. However, the meta-analysis also showed that most of the reviewed studies used a poor experimental design (in particular, they lacked an active control group). We ran two experiments that used a three-group design including both an active and a passive control group, with a focus on mathematical ability. In the first experiment (N = 233), a group of third and fourth graders was taught chess for 25 hours and tested on mathematical problem-solving tasks. Participants also filled in a questionnaire assessing their meta-cognitive ability for mathematics problems. The group playing chess was compared to an active control group (playing checkers) and a passive control group. The three groups showed no statistically significant difference in mathematical problem-solving or metacognitive abilities in the posttest. The second experiment (N = 52) broadly used the same design, but the Oriental game of Go replaced checkers in the active control group. While the chess-treated group and the passive control group slightly outperformed the active control group with mathematical problem solving, the differences were not statistically significant. No differences were found with respect to metacognitive ability. These results suggest that the effects (if any) of chess instruction, when rigorously tested, are modest and that such interventions should not replace the traditional curriculum in mathematics.

Research on Bayes matting algorithm based on Gaussian mixture model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quan, Wei; Jiang, Shan; Han, Cheng; Zhang, Chao; Jiang, Zhengang

2015-12-01

The digital matting problem is a classical problem of imaging. It aims at separating non-rectangular foreground objects from a background image, and compositing with a new background image. Accurate matting determines the quality of the compositing image. A Bayesian matting Algorithm Based on Gaussian Mixture Model is proposed to solve this matting problem. Firstly, the traditional Bayesian framework is improved by introducing Gaussian mixture model. Then, a weighting factor is added in order to suppress the noises of the compositing images. Finally, the effect is further improved by regulating the user's input. This algorithm is applied to matting jobs of classical images. The results are compared to the traditional Bayesian method. It is shown that our algorithm has better performance in detail such as hair. Our algorithm eliminates the noise well. And it is very effectively in dealing with the kind of work, such as interested objects with intricate boundaries.

A Generalized Formulation of Demand Response under Market Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Minh Y.; Nguyen, Duc M.

2015-06-01

This paper presents a generalized formulation of Demand Response (DR) under deregulated electricity markets. The problem is scheduling and controls the consumption of electrical loads according to the market price to minimize the energy cost over a day. Taking into account the modeling of customers' comfort (i.e., preference), the formulation can be applied to various types of loads including what was traditionally classified as critical loads (e.g., air conditioning, lights). The proposed DR scheme is based on Dynamic Programming (DP) framework and solved by DP backward algorithm in which the stochastic optimization is used to treat the uncertainty, if any occurred in the problem. The proposed formulation is examined with the DR problem of different loads, including Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Electric Vehicles (EVs) and a newly DR on the water supply systems of commercial buildings. The result of simulation shows significant saving can be achieved in comparison with their traditional (On/Off) scheme.

Closing the gap: connecting sudden representational change to the subjective Aha! experience in insightful problem solving.

PubMed

Danek, Amory H; Williams, Joshua; Wiley, Jennifer

2018-01-18

Two hallmarks of insightful problem solving are thought to be suddenness in the emergence of solution due to changes in problem representation, and the subjective Aha! Although a number of studies have explored the Aha! experience, few studies have attempted to measure representational change. Following the lead of Durso et al. (Psychol Sci 5(2):94-97, 1994) and Cushen and Wiley (Conscious Cognit 21(3):1166-1175, 2012), in this study, participants made importance-to-solution ratings throughout their solution attempts as a way to assess representational change. Participants viewed a set of magic trick videos with the task of finding out how each trick worked, and rated six action verbs for each trick (including one that implied the correct solution) multiple times during solution. They were also asked to indicate the extent to which they experienced an Aha! moment. Patterns of ratings that showed a sudden change towards a correct solution led to stronger Aha! experiences than patterns that showed a more incremental change towards a correct solution, or a change towards incorrect solutions. The results show a connection between sudden changes in problem representations (leading to correct solutions) and the subjective appraisal of solutions as an Aha! This offers the first empirical support for a close relationship between two theoretical constructs that have traditionally been assumed to be related to insightful problem solving.

A Novel Sensor Selection and Power Allocation Algorithm for Multiple-Target Tracking in an LPI Radar Network

PubMed Central

She, Ji; Wang, Fei; Zhou, Jianjiang

2016-01-01

Radar networks are proven to have numerous advantages over traditional monostatic and bistatic radar. With recent developments, radar networks have become an attractive platform due to their low probability of intercept (LPI) performance for target tracking. In this paper, a joint sensor selection and power allocation algorithm for multiple-target tracking in a radar network based on LPI is proposed. It is found that this algorithm can minimize the total transmitted power of a radar network on the basis of a predetermined mutual information (MI) threshold between the target impulse response and the reflected signal. The MI is required by the radar network system to estimate target parameters, and it can be calculated predictively with the estimation of target state. The optimization problem of sensor selection and power allocation, which contains two variables, is non-convex and it can be solved by separating power allocation problem from sensor selection problem. To be specific, the optimization problem of power allocation can be solved by using the bisection method for each sensor selection scheme. Also, the optimization problem of sensor selection can be solved by a lower complexity algorithm based on the allocated powers. According to the simulation results, it can be found that the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the total transmitted power of a radar network, which can be conducive to improving LPI performance. PMID:28009819

Assessing the Impact of a Multi-Disciplinary Peer-Led-Team Learning Program on Undergraduate STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Kerri; Celotta, Dayius Turvold; Curran, Erin; Marcus, Mithra; Loe, Melissa

2016-01-01

There has been a national call to transition away from the traditional, passive, lecture-based model of STEM education towards one that facilitates learning through active engagement and problem solving. This mixed-methods research study examines the impact of a supplemental Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) program on knowledge and skill acquisition…

An Analysis of Some Pitfalls of Traditional Mentoring for Minorities and Women in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick, Theresa

This paper addresses the problems associated with mentoring programs for people of color and women in postsecondary education by providing a theoretical framework for their analysis, by exploring mentoring as a promising tool to help solve them, and by advocating the initiation of mentoring of minorities and women as a policy in school systems and…

Inquiry-Based Learning for a Virtual Learning Community to Enhance Problem-Solving Ability of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chanprasitchai, Ong-art; Khlaisang, Jintavee

2016-01-01

The recent growth in collaborative and interactive virtual learning communities integrating innovative digital technologies and contemporary learning frameworks is contributing enormously to the use of e-learning in higher education in the twenty-first century. The purpose of this study was to describe the development of a virtual learning…

The Modernization of Higher Education: Problems and Ways to Solve Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhurakovskii, V.; Fedorov, I.

2007-01-01

The level of education of the population of Russia, the scale and traditions of the country's system of education, make it possible for Russia to maintain its ability to compete even at a time when its defense capability is declining, the raw materials component in the economy is rising, and the country is lagging behind in technological and…

Independent Synthesis Projects in the Organic Chemistry Teaching Laboratories: Bridging the Gap between Student and Researcher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Valerie A.; Kendall, Beatrice Lin

2017-01-01

Science educators strive to teach students how to be well-rounded scientists with the ability to problem solve, anticipate errors, and adapt to unexpected roadblocks. Traditional organic chemistry experiments seldom teach these skills, no matter how novel or contemporary the subject material. This paper reports on the success of a quarter-long…

Investigating the Extent That an Integrative Learning Module Broadens the Perception of First-Year Students about the Engineering Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Kerri Patrick; Foutz, Tim; Navarro, Maria; Thompson, Sidney

2015-01-01

Engineers today need both engineering knowledge and social science knowledge to solve complex problems. However, most people have a traditional view of engineering as a field dominated by math and science foci, with little social consequence. This study examined and compared perceptions about engineering from Freshmen taking three different First…

Use of Tablet PCs to Enhance Instruction and Promote Group Collaboration in a Course to Prepare Future Mathematics Specialists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellington, Aimee J.; Wilson, Jill H.; Nugent, Jeffrey S.

2011-01-01

This article details the use of tablet PCs in a mathematics content course for future Mathematics Specialists. Instructors used tablet PCs instead of a traditional whiteboard to capture demonstration and discussion. Students were grouped for collaborative problem solving and exploration exercises. Each group was provided with a tablet PC for…

Build Your Own Board: Brightboards Offer a Cost-Effective Alternative to Interactive Whiteboards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallis, Keith; Williamson, Peter

2009-01-01

Interactive whiteboards are all the rage in classrooms across the world these days, and for good reason. Like most technology, they hold students' attention much better than a traditional lecture-and-blackboard lesson ever could. They also solve the problem of having only one classroom computer for 30 students by projecting the screen at the front…

English as a Second Language on a Virtual Platform--Tradition and Innovation in a New Medium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Thomas

2005-01-01

A pilot study at a local school explores a virtual world during English lessons. The objective of applying a Vygotskian experimental design to the study is to investigate the potential of software, interaction and integration related to problem-solving defined as text composition in a foreign language. Focus of research and practices is on the…

Using a Simulated Industrial Setting for the Development of an Improved Solvent System for the Recrystallization of Benzoic Acid: A Student-Centered Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hightower, Timothy R.; Heeren, Jay D.

2006-01-01

Recrystallization of benzoic acid is an excellent way to remove insoluble impurities. In a traditional organic laboratory experiment, insoluble impurities are removed through the recrystallization of benzoic acid utilizing water as the recrystallization solvent. It was our goal to develop a peer-led, problem-solving organic laboratory exercise…

Dynamic Relaxation: A Technique for Detailed Thermo-Elastic Structural Analysis of Transportation Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoukry, Samir N.; William, Gergis W.; Riad, Mourad Y.; McBride, Kevyn C.

2006-08-01

Dynamic relaxation is a technique developed to solve static problems through an explicit integration in finite element. The main advantage of such a technique is the ability to solve a large problem in a relatively short time compared with the traditional implicit techniques, especially when using nonlinear material models. This paper describes the use of such a technique in analyzing large transportation structures as dowel jointed concrete pavements and 306-m-long, reinforced concrete bridge superstructure under the effect of temperature variations. The main feature of the pavement model is the detailed modeling of dowel bars and their interfaces with the surrounding concrete using extremely fine mesh of solid elements, while in the bridge structure it is the detailed modeling of the girder-deck interface as well as the bracing members between the girders. The 3DFE results were found to be in a good agreement with experimentally measured data obtained from an instrumented pavements sections and a highway bridge constructed in West Virginia. Thus, such a technique provides a good tool for analyzing the response of large structures to static loads in a fraction of the time required by traditional, implicit finite element methods.

Neural network method for lossless two-conductor transmission line equations based on the IELM algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yunlei; Hou, Muzhou; Luo, Jianshu; Liu, Taohua

2018-06-01

With the increasing demands for vast amounts of data and high-speed signal transmission, the use of multi-conductor transmission lines is becoming more common. The impact of transmission lines on signal transmission is thus a key issue affecting the performance of high-speed digital systems. To solve the problem of lossless two-conductor transmission line equations (LTTLEs), a neural network model and algorithm are explored in this paper. By selecting the product of two triangular basis functions as the activation function of hidden layer neurons, we can guarantee the separation of time, space, and phase orthogonality. By adding the initial condition to the neural network, an improved extreme learning machine (IELM) algorithm for solving the network weight is obtained. This is different to the traditional method for converting the initial condition into the iterative constraint condition. Calculation software for solving the LTTLEs based on the IELM algorithm is developed. Numerical experiments show that the results are consistent with those of the traditional method. The proposed neural network algorithm can find the terminal voltage of the transmission line and also the voltage of any observation point. It is possible to calculate the value at any given point by using the neural network model to solve the transmission line equation.

A localized model of spatial cognition in chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stieff, Mike

This dissertation challenges the assumption that spatial cognition, particularly visualization, is the key component to problem solving in chemistry. In contrast to this assumption, I posit a localized, or task-specific, model of spatial cognition in chemistry problem solving to locate the exact tasks in a traditional organic chemistry curriculum that require students to use visualization strategies to problem solve. Instead of assuming that visualization is required for most chemistry tasks simply because chemistry concerns invisible three-dimensional entities, I instead use the framework of the localized model to identify how students do and do not make use of visualization strategies on a wide variety of assessment tasks regardless of each task's explicit demand for spatial cognition. I establish the dimensions of the localized model with five studies. First, I designed two novel psychometrics to reveal how students selectively use visualization strategies to interpret and analyze molecular structures. The third study comprised a document analysis of the organic chemistry assessments that empirically determined only 12% of these tasks explicitly require visualization. The fourth study concerned a series of correlation analyses between measures of visuo-spatial ability and chemistry performance to clarify the impact of individual differences. Finally, I performed a series of micro-genetic analyses of student problem solving that confirmed the earlier findings and revealed students prefer to visualize molecules from alternative perspectives without using mental rotation. The results of each study reveal that occurrences of sophisticated spatial cognition are relatively infrequent in chemistry, despite instructors' ostensible emphasis on the visualization of three-dimensional structures. To the contrary, students eschew visualization strategies and instead rely on the use of molecular diagrams to scaffold spatial cognition. Visualization does play a key role, however, in problem solving on a select group of chemistry tasks that require students to translate molecular representations or fundamentally alter the morphology of a molecule. Ultimately, this dissertation calls into question the assumption that individual differences in visuo-spatial ability play a critical role in determining who succeeds in chemistry. The results of this work establish a foundation for defining the precise manner in which visualization tools can best support problem solving.

Novel technologies for the lost foam casting process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wenming; Fan, Zitian

2018-03-01

Lost foam casting (LFC) is a green precision casting process categorized as a near net forming technology. Yet, despite its popularity, it still suffers from some technological problems, such as poor filling ability of the castings, coarse and non-dense microstructure, low mechanical properties for the Al and Mg LFC processes, and defective carburization for the low carbon steel LFC process. These drawbacks restrict the development and widespread application of the LFC process. To solve these problems, the present study developed several novel LFC technologies, namely, LFC technologies under vacuum and low pressure, vibration solidification, and pressure solidification conditions; expendable shell casting technology; and preparation technology of bimetallic castings based on the LFC process. The results showed that the LFC under vacuum and low pressure evidently improved the filling ability and solved the oxidization problem of the alloys, which is suitable for producing complex and thinwall castings. The vibration and pressure solidifications increased the compactness of the castings and refined the microstructure, significantly improving the mechanical properties of the castings. The expendable shell casting technology could solve the pore, carburization, and inclusion defects of the traditional LFC method, obtaining castings with acceptable surface quality. Moreover, the Al/Mg and Al/Al bimetallic castings with acceptable metallurgical bonding were successfully fabricated using the LFC process. These proposed novel LFC technologies can solve the current technological issues and promote the technological progress of the LFC process.

Fast object detection algorithm based on HOG and CNN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Tongwei; Wang, Dandan; Zhang, Yanduo

2018-04-01

In the field of computer vision, object classification and object detection are widely used in many fields. The traditional object detection have two main problems:one is that sliding window of the regional selection strategy is high time complexity and have window redundancy. And the other one is that Robustness of the feature is not well. In order to solve those problems, Regional Proposal Network (RPN) is used to select candidate regions instead of selective search algorithm. Compared with traditional algorithms and selective search algorithms, RPN has higher efficiency and accuracy. We combine HOG feature and convolution neural network (CNN) to extract features. And we use SVM to classify. For TorontoNet, our algorithm's mAP is 1.6 percentage points higher. For OxfordNet, our algorithm's mAP is 1.3 percentage higher.

Standard model of knowledge representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Wensheng

2016-09-01

Knowledge representation is the core of artificial intelligence research. Knowledge representation methods include predicate logic, semantic network, computer programming language, database, mathematical model, graphics language, natural language, etc. To establish the intrinsic link between various knowledge representation methods, a unified knowledge representation model is necessary. According to ontology, system theory, and control theory, a standard model of knowledge representation that reflects the change of the objective world is proposed. The model is composed of input, processing, and output. This knowledge representation method is not a contradiction to the traditional knowledge representation method. It can express knowledge in terms of multivariate and multidimensional. It can also express process knowledge, and at the same time, it has a strong ability to solve problems. In addition, the standard model of knowledge representation provides a way to solve problems of non-precision and inconsistent knowledge.

Solving problems with group work in problem-based learning: hold on to the philosophy.

PubMed

Dolmans, D H; Wolfhagen, I H; van der Vleuten, C P; Wijnen, W H

2001-09-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has gained a foothold within many schools in higher education as a response to the problems faced within traditional education. Working with PBL tutorial groups is assumed to have positive effects on student learning. Several studies provide empirical evidence that PBL stimulates cognitive effects and leads to restructuring of knowledge and enhanced intrinsic interest in the subject matter. However, staff members do not always experience the positive effects of group work which they had hoped for. When confronted with problems in group work, such as students who only maintain an appearance of being actively involved and students who let others do the work, teachers all too often implement solutions which can be characterized as teacher- directed rather than student-directed. Teachers tend to choose solutions which are familiar from their own experience during professional training, i.e. using the teacher-directed model. These solutions are not effective in improving group work and the negative experiences persist. It is argued that teachers should hold on to the underlying educational philosophy when solving problems arising from group work in PBL, by choosing actions which are consistent with the student-directed view of education in PBL.

Three-dimensional fingerprint recognition by using convolution neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qianyu; Gao, Nan; Zhang, Zonghua

2018-01-01

With the development of science and technology and the improvement of social information, fingerprint recognition technology has become a hot research direction and been widely applied in many actual fields because of its feasibility and reliability. The traditional two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint recognition method relies on matching feature points. This method is not only time-consuming, but also lost three-dimensional (3D) information of fingerprint, with the fingerprint rotation, scaling, damage and other issues, a serious decline in robustness. To solve these problems, 3D fingerprint has been used to recognize human being. Because it is a new research field, there are still lots of challenging problems in 3D fingerprint recognition. This paper presents a new 3D fingerprint recognition method by using a convolution neural network (CNN). By combining 2D fingerprint and fingerprint depth map into CNN, and then through another CNN feature fusion, the characteristics of the fusion complete 3D fingerprint recognition after classification. This method not only can preserve 3D information of fingerprints, but also solves the problem of CNN input. Moreover, the recognition process is simpler than traditional feature point matching algorithm. 3D fingerprint recognition rate by using CNN is compared with other fingerprint recognition algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed 3D fingerprint recognition method has good recognition rate and robustness.

Autofocusing in digital holography using deep learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Zhenbo; Xu, Zhimin; Lam, Edmund Y.

2018-02-01

In digital holography, it is critical to know the distance in order to reconstruct the multi-sectional object. This autofocusing is traditionally solved by reconstructing a stack of in-focus and out-of-focus images and using some focus metric, such as entropy or variance, to calculate the sharpness of each reconstructed image. Then the distance corresponding to the sharpest image is determined as the focal position. This method is effective but computationally demanding and time-consuming. To get an accurate estimation, one has to reconstruct many images. Sometimes after a coarse search, a refinement is needed. To overcome this problem in autofocusing, we propose to use deep learning, i.e., a convolutional neural network (CNN), to solve this problem. Autofocusing is viewed as a classification problem, in which the true distance is transferred as a label. To estimate the distance is equated to labeling a hologram correctly. To train such an algorithm, totally 1000 holograms are captured under the same environment, i.e., exposure time, incident angle, object, except the distance. There are 5 labels corresponding to 5 distances. These data are randomly split into three datasets to train, validate and test a CNN network. Experimental results show that the trained network is capable of predicting the distance without reconstructing or knowing any physical parameters about the setup. The prediction time using this method is far less than traditional autofocusing methods.

Task-space separation principle: a force-field approach to motion planning for redundant manipulators.

PubMed

Tommasino, Paolo; Campolo, Domenico

2017-02-03

In this work, we address human-like motor planning in redundant manipulators. Specifically, we want to capture postural synergies such as Donders' law, experimentally observed in humans during kinematically redundant tasks, and infer a minimal set of parameters to implement similar postural synergies in a kinematic model. For the model itself, although the focus of this paper is to solve redundancy by implementing postural strategies derived from experimental data, we also want to ensure that such postural control strategies do not interfere with other possible forms of motion control (in the task-space), i.e. solving the posture/movement problem. The redundancy problem is framed as a constrained optimization problem, traditionally solved via the method of Lagrange multipliers. The posture/movement problem can be tackled via the separation principle which, derived from experimental evidence, posits that the brain processes static torques (i.e. posture-dependent, such as gravitational torques) separately from dynamic torques (i.e. velocity-dependent). The separation principle has traditionally been applied at a joint torque level. Our main contribution is to apply the separation principle to Lagrange multipliers, which act as task-space force fields, leading to a task-space separation principle. In this way, we can separate postural control (implementing Donders' law) from various types of tasks-space movement planners. As an example, the proposed framework is applied to the (redundant) task of pointing with the human wrist. Nonlinear inverse optimization (NIO) is used to fit the model parameters and to capture motor strategies displayed by six human subjects during pointing tasks. The novelty of our NIO approach is that (i) the fitted motor strategy, rather than raw data, is used to filter and down-sample human behaviours; (ii) our framework is used to efficiently simulate model behaviour iteratively, until it converges towards the experimental human strategies.

Fuel, environmental, and transmission pricing considerations in a deregulated environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obessis, Emmanouil Vlassios

The 1992 National Energy Policy Act drastically changed the traditional structure of the vertically integrated utility. To facilitate increased competition in the power utility sector, all markets related to power generation have been opened to free competition and trading. To survive in the new competitive environment, power producers need to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Fuel marketing strategies are thus, getting more aggressive and fuel markets are becoming more competitive, offering more options regarding fuel supplies and contracts. At the same time, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments are taking effect. Although tightening the emission standards, this legislation offers utilities a wider flexibility in choosing compliance strategies. It also set maximum annual allowable levels replacing the traditional uniform maximum emission rates. The bill also introduced the concept of marketable emission allowances and provided for the establishment of nationwide markets where allowances may be traded, sold, or purchased. Several fuel- and emission-constrained algorithms have been historically presented, but those two classes of constraints, in general, were handled independently. The multiobjective optimization model developed in this research work, concurrently satisfies sets of detailed fuel and emission limits, modeling in a more accurate way the fuel supply and environmental limitations and their complexities in the new deregulated operational environment. Development of the implementation software is an integral part of this research project. This software may be useful for both daily scheduling activities and short-term operational planning. A Lagrangian multipliers-based variant is used to solve the problem. Single line searches are used to update the multipliers, thus offering attractive execution times. This work also investigates the applicability of cooperative games to the problem of transmission cost allocation. Interest in game theory as a powerful tool to solve common property allocation problems has been renewed. A simple allocation framework is developed using capacity based costing rules. Different solution concepts are applied to solve small scale transmission pricing problems. Game models may render themselves useful in investigating "what if" scenarios.

Second teaching: An exploration of cognitive factors in small group physics learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novemsky, Lisa Forman

This inquiry was focused on an exploration of introductory physics teaching. Alan Van Heuvelen's Overview Case Study (OCS) physics was the pedagogical approach involving guided small group problem solving and stressing concepts first, before mathematics. Second teaching is a new pedagogical construct based on Vygotsky's ideas. Structured small group activity follows traditional instruction facilitating learning for non-traditional students. It is a model of structured small group activity designed to follow traditional instruction to facilitate the learning process for students who find a physics optic (way of seeing) and physics language foreign. In informal small group settins students describe, explain, elaborate, test, and defend ideas in their own familiar vernacular as they collaborate in solving problems. Collective wisdom of a collaborative group, somewhat beyond the level for each individual member, is created then recreated through self-correction. Students improved significantly in physics knowledge. In a classroom setting, small groups of non-traditional physics students engaged in second teaching were observed. Written explanations to conceptual physics questions were analyzed. Development of language usage in relationship to introductory physics concept learning was studied. Overall physics learning correlated positively with gains in language clarity thus confirming the hypothesis that language development can be linked with gains in physics knowledge. Males and females were found to be significantly different in this respect. Male gains in language clarity were closely coupled with physics learning whereas female gains in the two measures were not coupled. Physics discourse, particularly in relationship to force and motion, seems to resonate with natural developmentally acquired sex-typical male but not female discourse. Thus, for males but not for females, physics learning proceeds in a seamless fashion wherein knowledge gains are coupled with language development. Average frequency in use of the indeterminate pronoun it per person decreased. Reificiation of qualifying terms appeared in the form of a word-form problem. In the process of reifying adjectival properties students may be recapitulating the language-bound history of natural science.

A New Approach to Teaching Biomechanics Through Active, Adaptive, and Experiential Learning.

PubMed

Singh, Anita

2017-07-01

Demand of biomedical engineers continues to rise to meet the needs of healthcare industry. Current training of bioengineers follows the traditional and dominant model of theory-focused curricula. However, the unmet needs of the healthcare industry warrant newer skill sets in these engineers. Translational training strategies such as solving real world problems through active, adaptive, and experiential learning hold promise. In this paper, we report our findings of adding a real-world 4-week problem-based learning unit into a biomechanics capstone course for engineering students. Surveys assessed student perceptions of the activity and learning experience. While students, across three cohorts, felt challenged to solve a real-world problem identified during the simulation lab visit, they felt more confident in utilizing knowledge learned in the biomechanics course and self-directed research. Instructor evaluations indicated that the active and experiential learning approach fostered their technical knowledge and life-long learning skills while exposing them to the components of adaptive learning and innovation.

A Theoretical Analysis: Physical Unclonable Functions and The Software Protection Problem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nithyanand, Rishab; Solis, John H.

2011-09-01

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) or Physical One Way Functions (P-OWFs) are physical systems whose responses to input stimuli (i.e., challenges) are easy to measure (within reasonable error bounds) but hard to clone. This property of unclonability is due to the accepted hardness of replicating the multitude of uncontrollable manufacturing characteristics and makes PUFs useful in solving problems such as device authentication, software protection, licensing, and certified execution. In this paper, we focus on the effectiveness of PUFs for software protection and show that traditional non-computational (black-box) PUFs cannot solve the problem against real world adversaries in offline settings. Our contributionsmore » are the following: We provide two real world adversary models (weak and strong variants) and present definitions for security against the adversaries. We continue by proposing schemes secure against the weak adversary and show that no scheme is secure against a strong adversary without the use of trusted hardware. Finally, we present a protection scheme secure against strong adversaries based on trusted hardware.« less

A multilayer perceptron solution to the match phase problem in rule-based artificial intelligence systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sartori, Michael A.; Passino, Kevin M.; Antsaklis, Panos J.

1992-01-01

In rule-based AI planning, expert, and learning systems, it is often the case that the left-hand-sides of the rules must be repeatedly compared to the contents of some 'working memory'. The traditional approach to solve such a 'match phase problem' for production systems is to use the Rete Match Algorithm. Here, a new technique using a multilayer perceptron, a particular artificial neural network model, is presented to solve the match phase problem for rule-based AI systems. A syntax for premise formulas (i.e., the left-hand-sides of the rules) is defined, and working memory is specified. From this, it is shown how to construct a multilayer perceptron that finds all of the rules which can be executed for the current situation in working memory. The complexity of the constructed multilayer perceptron is derived in terms of the maximum number of nodes and the required number of layers. A method for reducing the number of layers to at most three is also presented.

An Account of Collective Actions in Public Health

PubMed Central

Siegal, Neomi; Bonnie, Richard J.

2009-01-01

Aggregated health decisions by individuals are of paramount importance to public health professionals and policymakers, especially in situations where collective participation is a prerequisite for achieving an important public health goal such as herd immunity. In such circumstances, concerted action often falls short of the common good through lack of sufficient participation. Collective action problems are traditionally attributed to rational egoists seeking to promote their interests and enjoy a “free ride.” We call attention, however, to the behavioral features of collective action and their implications for solving public health policy problems. PMID:19608946

The method of Ritz applied to the equation of Hamilton. [for pendulum systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, C. D.

1976-01-01

Without any reference to the theory of differential equations, the initial value problem of the nonlinear, nonconservative double pendulum system is solved by the application of the method of Ritz to the equation of Hamilton. Also shown is an example of the reduction of the traditional eigenvalue problem of linear, homogeneous, differential equations of motion to the solution of a set of nonhomogeneous algebraic equations. No theory of differential equations is used. Solution of the time-space path of the linear oscillator is demonstrated and compared to the exact solution.

NASA Health and Human Performance in Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antonsen, Erik

2017-01-01

NASA, because of its mission and history, has tended to be an insular organization dominated by traditional engineering. Because of the engineering problems associated with early space endeavors, the historical approach to solving problems has been that of engineering. Long duration space travel will require a different approach, one requiring wider participation of those with expertise in divergent, emerging, and evolving fields. NASA has only recently begun to recognize this insufficiency and to reach out to communities, both domestic and international, to gain expertise on how to remedy it.

An Extension of Holographic Moiré to Micromechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciammarella, C. A.; Sciammarella, F. M.

The electronic Holographic Moiré is an ideal tool for micromechanics studies. It does not require a modification of the surface by the introduction of a reference grating. This is of particular advantage when dealing with materials such as solid propellant grains whose chemical nature and surface finish makes the application of a reference grating very difficult. Traditional electronic Holographic Moiré presents some difficult problems when large magnifications are needed and large rigid body motion takes place. This paper presents developments that solves these problems and extends the application of the technique to micromechanics.

Distributed genetic algorithms for the floorplan design problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohoon, James P.; Hegde, Shailesh U.; Martin, Worthy N.; Richards, Dana S.

1991-01-01

Designing a VLSI floorplan calls for arranging a given set of modules in the plane to minimize the weighted sum of area and wire-length measures. A method of solving the floorplan design problem using distributed genetic algorithms is presented. Distributed genetic algorithms, based on the paleontological theory of punctuated equilibria, offer a conceptual modification to the traditional genetic algorithms. Experimental results on several problem instances demonstrate the efficacy of this method and indicate the advantages of this method over other methods, such as simulated annealing. The method has performed better than the simulated annealing approach, both in terms of the average cost of the solutions found and the best-found solution, in almost all the problem instances tried.

Boundary regularized integral equation formulation of the Helmholtz equation in acoustics.

PubMed

Sun, Qiang; Klaseboer, Evert; Khoo, Boo-Cheong; Chan, Derek Y C

2015-01-01

A boundary integral formulation for the solution of the Helmholtz equation is developed in which all traditional singular behaviour in the boundary integrals is removed analytically. The numerical precision of this approach is illustrated with calculation of the pressure field owing to radiating bodies in acoustic wave problems. This method facilitates the use of higher order surface elements to represent boundaries, resulting in a significant reduction in the problem size with improved precision. Problems with extreme geometric aspect ratios can also be handled without diminished precision. When combined with the CHIEF method, uniqueness of the solution of the exterior acoustic problem is assured without the need to solve hypersingular integrals.

Boundary regularized integral equation formulation of the Helmholtz equation in acoustics

PubMed Central

Sun, Qiang; Klaseboer, Evert; Khoo, Boo-Cheong; Chan, Derek Y. C.

2015-01-01

A boundary integral formulation for the solution of the Helmholtz equation is developed in which all traditional singular behaviour in the boundary integrals is removed analytically. The numerical precision of this approach is illustrated with calculation of the pressure field owing to radiating bodies in acoustic wave problems. This method facilitates the use of higher order surface elements to represent boundaries, resulting in a significant reduction in the problem size with improved precision. Problems with extreme geometric aspect ratios can also be handled without diminished precision. When combined with the CHIEF method, uniqueness of the solution of the exterior acoustic problem is assured without the need to solve hypersingular integrals. PMID:26064591

Expert system technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prince, Mary Ellen

1987-01-01

The expert system is a computer program which attempts to reproduce the problem-solving behavior of an expert, who is able to view problems from a broad perspective and arrive at conclusions rapidly, using intuition, shortcuts, and analogies to previous situations. Expert systems are a departure from the usual artificial intelligence approach to problem solving. Researchers have traditionally tried to develop general modes of human intelligence that could be applied to many different situations. Expert systems, on the other hand, tend to rely on large quantities of domain specific knowledge, much of it heuristic. The reasoning component of the system is relatively simple and straightforward. For this reason, expert systems are often called knowledge based systems. The report expands on the foregoing. Section 1 discusses the architecture of a typical expert system. Section 2 deals with the characteristics that make a problem a suitable candidate for expert system solution. Section 3 surveys current technology, describing some of the software aids available for expert system development. Section 4 discusses the limitations of the latter. The concluding section makes predictions of future trends.

Mr. Traore introduces team supervision. Case scenarios for training and group discussion.

PubMed

1993-01-01

This supplement to "The Family Planning Manager" presents a case example and five case discussion questions to illustrate the concept of team supervision. In contrast to traditional supervision, where an emphasis is placed on inspection and the uncovering of deficiencies, team supervision uses a facilitative, advocacy-oriented approach. Problem-solving and decision-making responsibilities are assumed by the clinic staff, who identify and analyze problems in group meetings. Thus, the focus shifts from assessing individual performance to evaluating how well they meet clinic objectives as a team. In the team meetings, the visiting supervisor asks the team as a whole to analyze clinic problems and ensures that all staff members are aware of the significance of their contributions. The supervisor also clarifies the division of labor required for implementing solutions and performance standards. Staff are asked if they have concerns they would like communicated to the next organizational level. The supervisory report of the visit can serve as a guide for implementing the recommendations. This approach may require that supervisors and clinic managers receive training in problem solving, motivating staff, team building, and providing constructive feedback.

A Survey and Proposed Framework on the Soft Biometrics Technique for Human Identification in Intelligent Video Surveillance System

PubMed Central

Kim, Min-Gu; Moon, Hae-Min; Chung, Yongwha; Pan, Sung Bum

2012-01-01

Biometrics verification can be efficiently used for intrusion detection and intruder identification in video surveillance systems. Biometrics techniques can be largely divided into traditional and the so-called soft biometrics. Whereas traditional biometrics deals with physical characteristics such as face features, eye iris, and fingerprints, soft biometrics is concerned with such information as gender, national origin, and height. Traditional biometrics is versatile and highly accurate. But it is very difficult to get traditional biometric data from a distance and without personal cooperation. Soft biometrics, although featuring less accuracy, can be used much more freely though. Recently, many researchers have been made on human identification using soft biometrics data collected from a distance. In this paper, we use both traditional and soft biometrics for human identification and propose a framework for solving such problems as lighting, occlusion, and shadowing. PMID:22919273

A survey and proposed framework on the soft biometrics technique for human identification in intelligent video surveillance system.

PubMed

Kim, Min-Gu; Moon, Hae-Min; Chung, Yongwha; Pan, Sung Bum

2012-01-01

Biometrics verification can be efficiently used for intrusion detection and intruder identification in video surveillance systems. Biometrics techniques can be largely divided into traditional and the so-called soft biometrics. Whereas traditional biometrics deals with physical characteristics such as face features, eye iris, and fingerprints, soft biometrics is concerned with such information as gender, national origin, and height. Traditional biometrics is versatile and highly accurate. But it is very difficult to get traditional biometric data from a distance and without personal cooperation. Soft biometrics, although featuring less accuracy, can be used much more freely though. Recently, many researchers have been made on human identification using soft biometrics data collected from a distance. In this paper, we use both traditional and soft biometrics for human identification and propose a framework for solving such problems as lighting, occlusion, and shadowing.

Research on cutting path optimization of sheet metal parts based on ant colony algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Z. Y.; Ling, H.; Li, L.; Wu, L. H.; Liu, N. B.

2017-09-01

In view of the disadvantages of the current cutting path optimization methods of sheet metal parts, a new method based on ant colony algorithm was proposed in this paper. The cutting path optimization problem of sheet metal parts was taken as the research object. The essence and optimization goal of the optimization problem were presented. The traditional serial cutting constraint rule was improved. The cutting constraint rule with cross cutting was proposed. The contour lines of parts were discretized and the mathematical model of cutting path optimization was established. Thus the problem was converted into the selection problem of contour lines of parts. Ant colony algorithm was used to solve the problem. The principle and steps of the algorithm were analyzed.

Performance and Perception in the Flipped Learning Model: An Initial Approach to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a New Teaching Methodology in a General Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González-Gómez, David; Jeong, Jin Su; Airado Rodríguez, Diego; Cañada-Cañada, Florentina

2016-01-01

"Flipped classroom" teaching methodology is a type of blended learning in which the traditional class setting is inverted. Lecture is shifted outside of class, while the classroom time is employed to solve problems or doing practical works through the discussion/peer collaboration of students and instructors. This relatively new…

Redesigning a Course to Help Students Achieve Higher-Order Cognitive Thinking Skills: From Goals and Mechanics to Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casagrand, Janet; Semsar, Katharine

2017-01-01

Here we describe a 4-yr course reform and its outcomes. The upper-division neurophysiology course gradually transformed from a traditional lecture in 2004 to a more student-centered course in 2008, through the addition of evidence-based active learning practices, such as deliberate problem-solving practice on homework and peer learning structures,…

Effects of Design-Based Science Instruction on Science Problem-Solving Competency among Different Groups of High-School Traditional Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lartson, Cobina Adu

2013-01-01

Recent trends indicate a significant decline in the number of students graduating from Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the US. The under-representation of students of color, females and low income students in STEM programs has also been documented. Design Based Science (DBS) instruction has been suggested to improve…

Cultural Development through the Interaction between Education, the Community, and Society at Large. Contributions of Education to Cultural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engstrom, K.

Museums play an important role in the transmission of culture and traditions and provide a collective memory of a community. A number of museum related institutions, known as the Science Centra, have arisen to offer self-directed learning activities in problem solving and understanding the processes related to everyday life. In a modern society,…

Concepts and Skills in High School Calculus: An Examination of a Special Case in Japan and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judson, Thomas W.; Nishimori, Toshiyuki

2005-01-01

In this study we investigated above-average high school calculus students from Japan and the United States in order to determine any differences in their conceptual understanding of calculus and their ability to use algebra to solve traditional calculus problems. We examined and interviewed 18 Calculus BC students in the United States and 26…

Assignment Scheduling Capability for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - A Discrete Event Simulation with Optimization in the Loop Approach to Solving a Scheduling Problem

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

APPROACH As mentioned previously, ASCU does not use simulation in the traditional manner. Instead, it uses simulation to transition and capture the state...0 otherwise (by a heuristic discussed below). • Let cja = The reward for a UAV with sensor pack- age j being assigned to mission area a from the

The effect of introducing computers into an introductory physics problem-solving laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCullough, Laura Ellen

2000-10-01

Computers are appearing in every type of classroom across the country. Yet they often appear without benefit of studying their effects. The research that is available on computer use in classrooms has found mixed results, and often ignores the theoretical and instructional contexts of the computer in the classroom. The University of Minnesota's physics department employs a cooperative-group problem solving pedagogy, based on a cognitive apprenticeship instructional model, in its calculus-based introductory physics course. This study was designed to determine possible negative effects of introducing a computerized data-acquisition and analysis tool into this pedagogy as a problem-solving tool for students to use in laboratory. To determine the effects of the computer tool, two quasi-experimental treatment groups were selected. The computer-tool group (N = 170) used a tool, designed for this study (VideoTool), to collect and analyze motion data in the laboratory. The control group (N = 170) used traditional non-computer equipment (spark tapes and Polaroid(TM) film). The curriculum was kept as similar as possible for the two groups. During the ten week academic quarter, groups were examined for effects on performance on conceptual tests and grades, attitudes towards the laboratory and the laboratory tools, and behaviors within cooperative groups. Possible interactions with gender were also examined. Few differences were found between the control and computer-tool groups. The control group received slightly higher scores on one conceptual test, but this difference was not educationally significant. The computer-tool group had slightly more positive attitudes towards using the computer tool than their counterparts had towards the traditional tools. The computer-tool group also perceived that they spoke more frequently about physics misunderstandings, while the control group felt that they discussed equipment difficulties more often. This perceptual difference interacted with gender, with the men in the control group more likely to discuss equipment difficulties than any other group. Overall, the differences between the control and quasi-experimental groups were minimal. It was concluded that carefully replacing traditional data collection and analysis tools with a computer tool had no negative effects on achievement, attitude, group behavior, and did not interact with gender.

A Fast Method for Embattling Optimization of Ground-Based Radar Surveillance Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, H.; Cheng, H.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, J.

A growing number of space activities have created an orbital debris environment that poses increasing impact risks to existing space systems and human space flight. For the safety of in-orbit spacecraft, a lot of observation facilities are needed to catalog space objects, especially in low earth orbit. Surveillance of Low earth orbit objects are mainly rely on ground-based radar, due to the ability limitation of exist radar facilities, a large number of ground-based radar need to build in the next few years in order to meet the current space surveillance demands. How to optimize the embattling of ground-based radar surveillance network is a problem to need to be solved. The traditional method for embattling optimization of ground-based radar surveillance network is mainly through to the detection simulation of all possible stations with cataloged data, and makes a comprehensive comparative analysis of various simulation results with the combinational method, and then selects an optimal result as station layout scheme. This method is time consuming for single simulation and high computational complexity for the combinational analysis, when the number of stations increases, the complexity of optimization problem will be increased exponentially, and cannot be solved with traditional method. There is no better way to solve this problem till now. In this paper, target detection procedure was simplified. Firstly, the space coverage of ground-based radar was simplified, a space coverage projection model of radar facilities in different orbit altitudes was built; then a simplified objects cross the radar coverage model was established according to the characteristics of space objects orbit motion; after two steps simplification, the computational complexity of the target detection was greatly simplified, and simulation results shown the correctness of the simplified results. In addition, the detection areas of ground-based radar network can be easily computed with the simplified model, and then optimized the embattling of ground-based radar surveillance network with the artificial intelligent algorithm, which can greatly simplifies the computational complexities. Comparing with the traditional method, the proposed method greatly improved the computational efficiency.

Comparison of student self-debriefing versus instructor debriefing in nursing simulation: A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Kang, Kyungja; Yu, Mi

2018-06-01

Student self-debriefing promotes self-confidence, helps to increase clinical performance, and is a more cost-effective method than is traditional instructor-led debriefing in simulation-based learning. This study compared the effectiveness of debriefing-in terms of the problem-solving process, team effectiveness, debriefing assessment, and debriefing satisfaction-between an experimental group who received both student self-debriefing (SSD) and instructor debriefing (ID) and a control group who received only instructor debriefing. This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. Two universities in South Korea. A convenience sample of 123 senior nursing students. The data were collected between 15 April and 9 June 2016. Differences in the problem-solving process, team effectiveness, debriefing assessment, and debriefing satisfaction between the SSD + ID group and the ID-only group were measured. The SSD + ID group showed significant improvements in the problem-solving process (t = 4.32, p < .001) and debriefing satisfaction (t = 3.19, p = .002), but not in debriefing assessment (t = 1.67, p = .097) or team effectiveness (t = 1.84, p = .069) compared to ID-only group. Specifically, as the number of student sessions increased, we observed significant differences in problem-solving ability (F = 9.44, p < .001), debriefing satisfaction (F = 7.78, p < .001), and the subdomains of debriefing assessment: 'maintains an engaging environment' (F = 3.78, p = .025), 'structures the debriefing in an organized way' (F = 4.27, p = .016), and 'helps trainees achieve or sustain future performance' (F = 3.17, p = .045). Our results can be used to develop guidelines for effective debriefing following simulation in nursing education. Specifically, combining SSD and ID in simulation debriefing and increasing the number of SSD sessions could help improve the problem-solving process and debriefing satisfaction among nursing students. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology as a liberal art.

PubMed

Fraser, D W

1987-02-05

Epidemiology has features that resemble those of the traditional liberal arts. This makes it fit both for inclusion in an undergraduate curriculum and as an example in medical school of the continuing value of a liberal education. As a "low-technology" science, epidemiology is readily accessible to nonspecialists. Because it is useful for taking a first look at a new problem, it is applicable to a broad range of interesting phenomena. Furthermore, it emphasizes method rather than arcane knowledge and illustrates the approaches to problems and the kinds of thinking that a liberal education should cultivate: the scientific method, analogic thinking, deductive reasoning, problem solving within constraints, and concern for aesthetic values.

Path querying system on mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Xing; Wang, Yifei; Tian, Yuan; Wu, Lun

2006-01-01

Traditional approaches to path querying problems are not efficient and convenient under most circumstances. A more convenient and reliable approach to this problem has to be found. This paper is devoted to a path querying solution on mobile devices. By using an improved Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm and a natural language translating module, this system can help people find the shortest path between two places through their cell phones or other mobile devices. The chosen path is prompted in text of natural language, as well as a map picture. This system would be useful in solving best path querying problems and have potential to be a profitable business system.

Optimistic expectations in early marriage: a resource or vulnerability for adaptive relationship functioning?

PubMed

Neff, Lisa A; Geers, Andrew L

2013-07-01

Do optimistic expectations facilitate or hinder adaptive responses to relationship challenges? Traditionally, optimism has been characterized as a resource that encourages positive coping efforts within relationships. Yet, some work suggests optimism can be a liability, as expecting the best may prevent individuals from taking proactive steps when confronted with difficulties. To reconcile these perspectives, the current article argues that greater attention must be given to the way in which optimistic expectancies are conceptualized. Whereas generalized dispositional optimism may predict constructive responses to relationship difficulties, more focused relationship-specific forms of optimism may predict poor coping responses. A multi-method, longitudinal study of newly married couples confirmed that spouses higher in dispositional optimism (a) reported engaging in more positive problem-solving behaviors on days in which they experienced greater relationship conflict, (b) were observed to display more constructive problem-solving behaviors when discussing important marital issues with their partner in the lab, and (c) experienced fewer declines in marital well-being over the 1st year of marriage. Conversely, spouses higher in relationship-specific optimism (a) reported engaging in fewer constructive problem-solving behaviors on high conflict days, (b) were observed to exhibit worse problem-solving behaviors in the lab-particularly when discussing marital issues of greater importance-and (c) experienced steeper declines in marital well-being over time. All findings held controlling for self-esteem and neuroticism. Together, results suggest that whereas global forms of optimism may represent a relationship asset, specific forms of optimism can place couples at risk for marital deterioration. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Navigating the changing learning landscape: perspective from bioinformatics.ca

PubMed Central

Ouellette, B. F. Francis

2013-01-01

With the advent of YouTube channels in bioinformatics, open platforms for problem solving in bioinformatics, active web forums in computing analyses and online resources for learning to code or use a bioinformatics tool, the more traditional continuing education bioinformatics training programs have had to adapt. Bioinformatics training programs that solely rely on traditional didactic methods are being superseded by these newer resources. Yet such face-to-face instruction is still invaluable in the learning continuum. Bioinformatics.ca, which hosts the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops, has blended more traditional learning styles with current online and social learning styles. Here we share our growing experiences over the past 12 years and look toward what the future holds for bioinformatics training programs. PMID:23515468

Analysis of problem solving on project based learning with resource based learning approach computer-aided program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuncoro, K. S.; Junaedi, I.; Dwijanto

2018-03-01

This study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of Project Based Learning with Resource Based Learning approach computer-aided program and analyzed problem-solving abilities in terms of problem-solving steps based on Polya stages. The research method used was mixed method with sequential explanatory design. The subject of this research was the students of math semester 4. The results showed that the S-TPS (Strong Top Problem Solving) and W-TPS (Weak Top Problem Solving) had good problem-solving abilities in each problem-solving indicator. The problem-solving ability of S-MPS (Strong Middle Problem Solving) and (Weak Middle Problem Solving) in each indicator was good. The subject of S-BPS (Strong Bottom Problem Solving) had a difficulty in solving the problem with computer program, less precise in writing the final conclusion and could not reflect the problem-solving process using Polya’s step. While the Subject of W-BPS (Weak Bottom Problem Solving) had not been able to meet almost all the indicators of problem-solving. The subject of W-BPS could not precisely made the initial table of completion so that the completion phase with Polya’s step was constrained.

Generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB.

PubMed

Lee, Leng-Feng; Umberger, Brian R

2016-01-01

Computer modeling, simulation and optimization are powerful tools that have seen increased use in biomechanics research. Dynamic optimizations can be categorized as either data-tracking or predictive problems. The data-tracking approach has been used extensively to address human movement problems of clinical relevance. The predictive approach also holds great promise, but has seen limited use in clinical applications. Enhanced software tools would facilitate the application of predictive musculoskeletal simulations to clinically-relevant research. The open-source software OpenSim provides tools for generating tracking simulations but not predictive simulations. However, OpenSim includes an extensive application programming interface that permits extending its capabilities with scripting languages such as MATLAB. In the work presented here, we combine the computational tools provided by MATLAB with the musculoskeletal modeling capabilities of OpenSim to create a framework for generating predictive simulations of musculoskeletal movement based on direct collocation optimal control techniques. In many cases, the direct collocation approach can be used to solve optimal control problems considerably faster than traditional shooting methods. Cyclical and discrete movement problems were solved using a simple 1 degree of freedom musculoskeletal model and a model of the human lower limb, respectively. The problems could be solved in reasonable amounts of time (several seconds to 1-2 hours) using the open-source IPOPT solver. The problems could also be solved using the fmincon solver that is included with MATLAB, but the computation times were excessively long for all but the smallest of problems. The performance advantage for IPOPT was derived primarily by exploiting sparsity in the constraints Jacobian. The framework presented here provides a powerful and flexible approach for generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB. This should allow researchers to more readily use predictive simulation as a tool to address clinical conditions that limit human mobility.

Generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB

PubMed Central

Lee, Leng-Feng

2016-01-01

Computer modeling, simulation and optimization are powerful tools that have seen increased use in biomechanics research. Dynamic optimizations can be categorized as either data-tracking or predictive problems. The data-tracking approach has been used extensively to address human movement problems of clinical relevance. The predictive approach also holds great promise, but has seen limited use in clinical applications. Enhanced software tools would facilitate the application of predictive musculoskeletal simulations to clinically-relevant research. The open-source software OpenSim provides tools for generating tracking simulations but not predictive simulations. However, OpenSim includes an extensive application programming interface that permits extending its capabilities with scripting languages such as MATLAB. In the work presented here, we combine the computational tools provided by MATLAB with the musculoskeletal modeling capabilities of OpenSim to create a framework for generating predictive simulations of musculoskeletal movement based on direct collocation optimal control techniques. In many cases, the direct collocation approach can be used to solve optimal control problems considerably faster than traditional shooting methods. Cyclical and discrete movement problems were solved using a simple 1 degree of freedom musculoskeletal model and a model of the human lower limb, respectively. The problems could be solved in reasonable amounts of time (several seconds to 1–2 hours) using the open-source IPOPT solver. The problems could also be solved using the fmincon solver that is included with MATLAB, but the computation times were excessively long for all but the smallest of problems. The performance advantage for IPOPT was derived primarily by exploiting sparsity in the constraints Jacobian. The framework presented here provides a powerful and flexible approach for generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB. This should allow researchers to more readily use predictive simulation as a tool to address clinical conditions that limit human mobility. PMID:26835184

Social effects of migration in receiving countries.

PubMed

Ohndorf, W

1989-06-01

This paper examines the impact of post-1945 migration into Western, Middle, and Northern Europe from Southern Europe, Turkey, and Northern Africa, and migration to the traditional immigration countries by Asian and Latin American immigrants, on the social structures of receiving countries. Between 1955 and 1974, 1) traditional migration to the US and Australia became less important for European countries while traditional receiving countries accepted many immigrants from developing countries; and 2) rapid economic revival in Western and Northern Europe caused a considerable labor shortage which was filled by migrant workers especially from Southern Europe, Turkey, and Northern Africa, who stayed only until they reached their economic goals. Since 1974, job vacancies have declined and unemployment has soared. This employment crisis caused some migrants 1) to return to their countries of origin, 2) to bring the rest of their families to the receiving country, or 3) to lengthen their stay considerably. The number of refugees has also significantly increased since the mid-970s, as has the number of illegal migrants. After the mid-1970s, Europe began to experience integration problems. The different aspects of the impact of migration on social structures include 1) improvement of the housing situation for foreigners, 2) teaching migrants the language of the receiving country, 3) solving the unemployment problem of unskilled migrants, 4) improvement of educational and vocational qualifications of 2nd generation migrants, 5) development of programs to help unemployed wives of migrants to learn the language and meet indigenous women, 6) encouraging migrants to maintain their cultural identity and assisting them with reintegration if they return to their original country, 7) coping with the problems of refugees, and 8) solving the problems of illegal migration. Almost all receiving countries now severely restrict further immigration. [Those policies should result in improved development of aid policies towards sending countries. Immigration from other countries to those of the European Economic community should be limited to that for humanitarian reasons.

3D first-arrival traveltime tomography with modified total variation regularization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wenbin; Zhang, Jie

2018-02-01

Three-dimensional (3D) seismic surveys have become a major tool in the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons. 3D seismic first-arrival traveltime tomography is a robust method for near-surface velocity estimation. A common approach for stabilizing the ill-posed inverse problem is to apply Tikhonov regularization to the inversion. However, the Tikhonov regularization method recovers smooth local structures while blurring the sharp features in the model solution. We present a 3D first-arrival traveltime tomography method with modified total variation (MTV) regularization to preserve sharp velocity contrasts and improve the accuracy of velocity inversion. To solve the minimization problem of the new traveltime tomography method, we decouple the original optimization problem into two following subproblems: a standard traveltime tomography problem with the traditional Tikhonov regularization and a L2 total variation problem. We apply the conjugate gradient method and split-Bregman iterative method to solve these two subproblems, respectively. Our synthetic examples show that the new method produces higher resolution models than the conventional traveltime tomography with Tikhonov regularization. We apply the technique to field data. The stacking section shows significant improvements with static corrections from the MTV traveltime tomography.

Efficient computation of optimal actions.

PubMed

Todorov, Emanuel

2009-07-14

Optimal choice of actions is a fundamental problem relevant to fields as diverse as neuroscience, psychology, economics, computer science, and control engineering. Despite this broad relevance the abstract setting is similar: we have an agent choosing actions over time, an uncertain dynamical system whose state is affected by those actions, and a performance criterion that the agent seeks to optimize. Solving problems of this kind remains hard, in part, because of overly generic formulations. Here, we propose a more structured formulation that greatly simplifies the construction of optimal control laws in both discrete and continuous domains. An exhaustive search over actions is avoided and the problem becomes linear. This yields algorithms that outperform Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning, and thereby solve traditional problems more efficiently. Our framework also enables computations that were not possible before: composing optimal control laws by mixing primitives, applying deterministic methods to stochastic systems, quantifying the benefits of error tolerance, and inferring goals from behavioral data via convex optimization. Development of a general class of easily solvable problems tends to accelerate progress--as linear systems theory has done, for example. Our framework may have similar impact in fields where optimal choice of actions is relevant.

Guided particle swarm optimization method to solve general nonlinear optimization problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelhalim, Alyaa; Nakata, Kazuhide; El-Alem, Mahmoud; Eltawil, Amr

2018-04-01

The development of hybrid algorithms is becoming an important topic in the global optimization research area. This article proposes a new technique in hybridizing the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and the Nelder-Mead (NM) simplex search algorithm to solve general nonlinear unconstrained optimization problems. Unlike traditional hybrid methods, the proposed method hybridizes the NM algorithm inside the PSO to improve the velocities and positions of the particles iteratively. The new hybridization considers the PSO algorithm and NM algorithm as one heuristic, not in a sequential or hierarchical manner. The NM algorithm is applied to improve the initial random solution of the PSO algorithm and iteratively in every step to improve the overall performance of the method. The performance of the proposed method was tested over 20 optimization test functions with varying dimensions. Comprehensive comparisons with other methods in the literature indicate that the proposed solution method is promising and competitive.

[Hybris and crisis. The 19th century and transition to modern medicine].

PubMed

Vatle, A

1993-10-20

Medicine declared itself to be a scientific discipline in the 19th century, and radically cut off its former links with the Hippocratic-Galenic tradition after the French Revolution in 1789. Owing to the great progress made in physics and chemistry, these disciplines came to be regarded as the only ones capable of solving medical problems. This is a reductionist view, in contrast to the vitalist view, which still believed in the existence of the Hippocratic physis or life force. Reductionist medicine led to great advances, though in the 19th century much of the wisdom of earlier times tended to be forgotten, to the detriment of medicine as a whole. It was believed that medicine and science could solve all the world's problems, a belief that, in modern times, has been abandoned as invalid. We now need a new medical anthropology, or rather medicine that is anthropological in its thinking.

An Intelligent Model for Pairs Trading Using Genetic Algorithms.

PubMed

Huang, Chien-Feng; Hsu, Chi-Jen; Chen, Chi-Chung; Chang, Bao Rong; Li, Chen-An

2015-01-01

Pairs trading is an important and challenging research area in computational finance, in which pairs of stocks are bought and sold in pair combinations for arbitrage opportunities. Traditional methods that solve this set of problems mostly rely on statistical methods such as regression. In contrast to the statistical approaches, recent advances in computational intelligence (CI) are leading to promising opportunities for solving problems in the financial applications more effectively. In this paper, we present a novel methodology for pairs trading using genetic algorithms (GA). Our results showed that the GA-based models are able to significantly outperform the benchmark and our proposed method is capable of generating robust models to tackle the dynamic characteristics in the financial application studied. Based upon the promising results obtained, we expect this GA-based method to advance the research in computational intelligence for finance and provide an effective solution to pairs trading for investment in practice.

Swarm Intelligence in Text Document Clustering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cui, Xiaohui; Potok, Thomas E

2008-01-01

Social animals or insects in nature often exhibit a form of emergent collective behavior. The research field that attempts to design algorithms or distributed problem-solving devices inspired by the collective behavior of social insect colonies is called Swarm Intelligence. Compared to the traditional algorithms, the swarm algorithms are usually flexible, robust, decentralized and self-organized. These characters make the swarm algorithms suitable for solving complex problems, such as document collection clustering. The major challenge of today's information society is being overwhelmed with information on any topic they are searching for. Fast and high-quality document clustering algorithms play an important role inmore » helping users to effectively navigate, summarize, and organize the overwhelmed information. In this chapter, we introduce three nature inspired swarm intelligence clustering approaches for document clustering analysis. These clustering algorithms use stochastic and heuristic principles discovered from observing bird flocks, fish schools and ant food forage.« less

An Intelligent Model for Pairs Trading Using Genetic Algorithms

PubMed Central

Hsu, Chi-Jen; Chen, Chi-Chung; Li, Chen-An

2015-01-01

Pairs trading is an important and challenging research area in computational finance, in which pairs of stocks are bought and sold in pair combinations for arbitrage opportunities. Traditional methods that solve this set of problems mostly rely on statistical methods such as regression. In contrast to the statistical approaches, recent advances in computational intelligence (CI) are leading to promising opportunities for solving problems in the financial applications more effectively. In this paper, we present a novel methodology for pairs trading using genetic algorithms (GA). Our results showed that the GA-based models are able to significantly outperform the benchmark and our proposed method is capable of generating robust models to tackle the dynamic characteristics in the financial application studied. Based upon the promising results obtained, we expect this GA-based method to advance the research in computational intelligence for finance and provide an effective solution to pairs trading for investment in practice. PMID:26339236

Non-Boolean computing with nanomagnets for computer vision applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhanja, Sanjukta; Karunaratne, D. K.; Panchumarthy, Ravi; Rajaram, Srinath; Sarkar, Sudeep

2016-02-01

The field of nanomagnetism has recently attracted tremendous attention as it can potentially deliver low-power, high-speed and dense non-volatile memories. It is now possible to engineer the size, shape, spacing, orientation and composition of sub-100 nm magnetic structures. This has spurred the exploration of nanomagnets for unconventional computing paradigms. Here, we harness the energy-minimization nature of nanomagnetic systems to solve the quadratic optimization problems that arise in computer vision applications, which are computationally expensive. By exploiting the magnetization states of nanomagnetic disks as state representations of a vortex and single domain, we develop a magnetic Hamiltonian and implement it in a magnetic system that can identify the salient features of a given image with more than 85% true positive rate. These results show the potential of this alternative computing method to develop a magnetic coprocessor that might solve complex problems in fewer clock cycles than traditional processors.

Blur identification by multilayer neural network based on multivalued neurons.

PubMed

Aizenberg, Igor; Paliy, Dmitriy V; Zurada, Jacek M; Astola, Jaakko T

2008-05-01

A multilayer neural network based on multivalued neurons (MLMVN) is a neural network with a traditional feedforward architecture. At the same time, this network has a number of specific different features. Its backpropagation learning algorithm is derivative-free. The functionality of MLMVN is superior to that of the traditional feedforward neural networks and of a variety kernel-based networks. Its higher flexibility and faster adaptation to the target mapping enables to model complex problems using simpler networks. In this paper, the MLMVN is used to identify both type and parameters of the point spread function, whose precise identification is of crucial importance for the image deblurring. The simulation results show the high efficiency of the proposed approach. It is confirmed that the MLMVN is a powerful tool for solving classification problems, especially multiclass ones.

Pen-based Interfaces for Engineering and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stahovich, Thomas F.

Sketches are an important problem-solving tool in many fields. This is particularly true of engineering design, where sketches facilitate creativity by providing an efficient medium for expressing ideas. However, despite the importance of sketches in engineering practice, current engineering software still relies on traditional mouse and keyboard interfaces, with little or no capabilities to handle free-form sketch input. With recent advances in machine-interpretation techniques, it is now becoming possible to create practical interpretation-based interfaces for such software. In this chapter, we report on our efforts to create interpretation techniques to enable pen-based engineering applications. We describe work on two fundamental sketch understanding problems. The first is sketch parsing, the task of clustering pen strokes or geometric primitives into individual symbols. The second is symbol recognition, the task of classifying symbols once they have been located by a parser. We have used the techniques that we have developed to construct several pen-based engineering analysis tools. These are used here as examples to illustrate our methods. We have also begun to use our techniques to create pen-based tutoring systems that scaffold students in solving problems in the same way they would ordinarily solve them with paper and pencil. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of these systems.

Sparse deconvolution for the large-scale ill-posed inverse problem of impact force reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Baijie; Zhang, Xingwu; Gao, Jiawei; Liu, Ruonan; Chen, Xuefeng

2017-01-01

Most previous regularization methods for solving the inverse problem of force reconstruction are to minimize the l2-norm of the desired force. However, these traditional regularization methods such as Tikhonov regularization and truncated singular value decomposition, commonly fail to solve the large-scale ill-posed inverse problem in moderate computational cost. In this paper, taking into account the sparse characteristic of impact force, the idea of sparse deconvolution is first introduced to the field of impact force reconstruction and a general sparse deconvolution model of impact force is constructed. Second, a novel impact force reconstruction method based on the primal-dual interior point method (PDIPM) is proposed to solve such a large-scale sparse deconvolution model, where minimizing the l2-norm is replaced by minimizing the l1-norm. Meanwhile, the preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm is used to compute the search direction of PDIPM with high computational efficiency. Finally, two experiments including the small-scale or medium-scale single impact force reconstruction and the relatively large-scale consecutive impact force reconstruction are conducted on a composite wind turbine blade and a shell structure to illustrate the advantage of PDIPM. Compared with Tikhonov regularization, PDIPM is more efficient, accurate and robust whether in the single impact force reconstruction or in the consecutive impact force reconstruction.

Flippin' Fluid Mechanics - Quasi-experimental Pre-test and Post-test Comparison Using Two Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, D. R.; Majerich, D. M.; Luo, J.

2014-11-01

A flipped classroom approach has been implemented in an undergraduate fluid mechanics course. Students watch short on-line videos before class, participate in active in-class problem solving (in dyads), and complete individualized on-line quizzes weekly. In-class activities are designed to achieve a trifecta of: 1. developing problem solving skills, 2. learning subject content, and 3. developing inquiry skills. The instructor and assistants provide critical ``just-in-time tutoring'' during the in-class problem solving sessions. Comparisons are made with a simultaneous section offered in a traditional mode by a different instructor. Regression analysis was used to control for differences among students and to quantify the effect of the flipped fluid mechanics course. The dependent variable was the students' combined final examination and post-concept inventory scores and the independent variables were pre-concept inventory score, gender, major, course section, and (incoming) GPA. The R-square equaled 0.45 indicating that the included variables explain 45% of the variation in the dependent variable. The regression results indicated that if the student took the flipped fluid mechanics course, the dependent variable (i.e., combined final exam and post-concept inventory scores) was raised by 7.25 points. Interestingly, the comparison group reported significantly more often that their course emphasized memorization than did the flipped classroom group.

Impact of problem-based learning in a large classroom setting: student perception and problem-solving skills.

PubMed

Klegeris, Andis; Hurren, Heather

2011-12-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) can be described as a learning environment where the problem drives the learning. This technique usually involves learning in small groups, which are supervised by tutors. It is becoming evident that PBL in a small-group setting has a robust positive effect on student learning and skills, including better problem-solving skills and an increase in overall motivation. However, very little research has been done on the educational benefits of PBL in a large classroom setting. Here, we describe a PBL approach (using tutorless groups) that was introduced as a supplement to standard didactic lectures in University of British Columbia Okanagan undergraduate biochemistry classes consisting of 45-85 students. PBL was chosen as an effective method to assist students in learning biochemical and physiological processes. By monitoring student attendance and using informal and formal surveys, we demonstrated that PBL has a significant positive impact on student motivation to attend and participate in the course work. Student responses indicated that PBL is superior to traditional lecture format with regard to the understanding of course content and retention of information. We also demonstrated that student problem-solving skills are significantly improved, but additional controlled studies are needed to determine how much PBL exercises contribute to this improvement. These preliminary data indicated several positive outcomes of using PBL in a large classroom setting, although further studies aimed at assessing student learning are needed to further justify implementation of this technique in courses delivered to large undergraduate classes.

Toward Solving the Problem of Problem Solving: An Analysis Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roesler, Rebecca A.

2016-01-01

Teaching is replete with problem solving. Problem solving as a skill, however, is seldom addressed directly within music teacher education curricula, and research in music education has not examined problem solving systematically. A framework detailing problem-solving component skills would provide a needed foundation. I observed problem solving…

Computational Psychometrics for the Measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills

PubMed Central

Polyak, Stephen T.; von Davier, Alina A.; Peterschmidt, Kurt

2017-01-01

This paper describes a psychometrically-based approach to the measurement of collaborative problem solving skills, by mining and classifying behavioral data both in real-time and in post-game analyses. The data were collected from a sample of middle school children who interacted with a game-like, online simulation of collaborative problem solving tasks. In this simulation, a user is required to collaborate with a virtual agent to solve a series of tasks within a first-person maze environment. The tasks were developed following the psychometric principles of Evidence Centered Design (ECD) and are aligned with the Holistic Framework developed by ACT. The analyses presented in this paper are an application of an emerging discipline called computational psychometrics which is growing out of traditional psychometrics and incorporates techniques from educational data mining, machine learning and other computer/cognitive science fields. In the real-time analysis, our aim was to start with limited knowledge of skill mastery, and then demonstrate a form of continuous Bayesian evidence tracing that updates sub-skill level probabilities as new conversation flow event evidence is presented. This is performed using Bayes' rule and conversation item conditional probability tables. The items are polytomous and each response option has been tagged with a skill at a performance level. In our post-game analysis, our goal was to discover unique gameplay profiles by performing a cluster analysis of user's sub-skill performance scores based on their patterns of selected dialog responses. PMID:29238314

Computational Psychometrics for the Measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills.

PubMed

Polyak, Stephen T; von Davier, Alina A; Peterschmidt, Kurt

2017-01-01

This paper describes a psychometrically-based approach to the measurement of collaborative problem solving skills, by mining and classifying behavioral data both in real-time and in post-game analyses. The data were collected from a sample of middle school children who interacted with a game-like, online simulation of collaborative problem solving tasks. In this simulation, a user is required to collaborate with a virtual agent to solve a series of tasks within a first-person maze environment. The tasks were developed following the psychometric principles of Evidence Centered Design (ECD) and are aligned with the Holistic Framework developed by ACT. The analyses presented in this paper are an application of an emerging discipline called computational psychometrics which is growing out of traditional psychometrics and incorporates techniques from educational data mining, machine learning and other computer/cognitive science fields. In the real-time analysis, our aim was to start with limited knowledge of skill mastery, and then demonstrate a form of continuous Bayesian evidence tracing that updates sub-skill level probabilities as new conversation flow event evidence is presented. This is performed using Bayes' rule and conversation item conditional probability tables. The items are polytomous and each response option has been tagged with a skill at a performance level. In our post-game analysis, our goal was to discover unique gameplay profiles by performing a cluster analysis of user's sub-skill performance scores based on their patterns of selected dialog responses.

Collaborative filtering recommendation model based on fuzzy clustering algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ye; Zhang, Yunhua

2018-05-01

As one of the most widely used algorithms in recommender systems, collaborative filtering algorithm faces two serious problems, which are the sparsity of data and poor recommendation effect in big data environment. In traditional clustering analysis, the object is strictly divided into several classes and the boundary of this division is very clear. However, for most objects in real life, there is no strict definition of their forms and attributes of their class. Concerning the problems above, this paper proposes to improve the traditional collaborative filtering model through the hybrid optimization of implicit semantic algorithm and fuzzy clustering algorithm, meanwhile, cooperating with collaborative filtering algorithm. In this paper, the fuzzy clustering algorithm is introduced to fuzzy clustering the information of project attribute, which makes the project belong to different project categories with different membership degrees, and increases the density of data, effectively reduces the sparsity of data, and solves the problem of low accuracy which is resulted from the inaccuracy of similarity calculation. Finally, this paper carries out empirical analysis on the MovieLens dataset, and compares it with the traditional user-based collaborative filtering algorithm. The proposed algorithm has greatly improved the recommendation accuracy.

Goals and everyday problem solving: examining the link between age-related goals and problem-solving strategy use.

PubMed

Hoppmann, Christiane A; Coats, Abby Heckman; Blanchard-Fields, Fredda

2008-07-01

Qualitative interviews on family and financial problems from 332 adolescents, young, middle-aged, and older adults, demonstrated that developmentally relevant goals predicted problem-solving strategy use over and above problem domain. Four focal goals concerned autonomy, generativity, maintaining good relationships with others, and changing another person. We examined both self- and other-focused problem-solving strategies. Autonomy goals were associated with self-focused instrumental problem solving and generative goals were related to other-focused instrumental problem solving in family and financial problems. Goals of changing another person were related to other-focused instrumental problem solving in the family domain only. The match between goals and strategies, an indicator of problem-solving adaptiveness, showed that young individuals displayed the greatest match between autonomy goals and self-focused problem solving, whereas older adults showed a greater match between generative goals and other-focused problem solving. Findings speak to the importance of considering goals in investigations of age-related differences in everyday problem solving.

Finite Element Method Applied to Fuse Protection Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Sen; Song, Zhiquan; Zhang, Ming; Xu, Liuwei; Li, Jinchao; Fu, Peng; Wang, Min; Dong, Lin

2014-03-01

In a poloidal field (PF) converter module, fuse protection is of great importance to ensure the safety of the thyristors. The fuse is pre-selected in a traditional way and then verified by finite element analysis. A 3D physical model is built by ANSYS software to solve the thermal-electric coupled problem of transient process in case of external fault. The result shows that this method is feasible.

Design and Evaluation of a Real-Time Video Conferencing Environment for Support Teaching: An Attempt to Promote Equality of K-12 Education in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiong, Caiping; Ge, Jun; Wang, Qiyun; Wang, Xuejun

2017-01-01

Imbalanced allocation of teacher resources is a major factor causing inequality in K-12 education in China. Traditional ways to solve this problem, such as on-site support teaching and recorded lectures of quality teachers, have posed many defects. It is suggested that information and communication technology should be employed to deal with the…

"It's Not Writing by Itself that Is Going to Solve Our Problems": Questioning a Mainstream Ethnocentric Myth as Part of a Search for Self-Sustained Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavalcanti, Marilda C.

2004-01-01

School education among Rainforest native Brazilians is alien to their traditional indigenous education. At first, schooling was imposed by the dominant society, later it became their choice, today it is their right as entitled by the 1988 Brazilian Constitution. "En route" towards self-determination, some of these native peoples, i.e.…

On Mathematical Proving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefaneas, Petros; Vandoulakis, Ioannis M.

2015-12-01

This paper outlines a logical representation of certain aspects of the process of mathematical proving that are important from the point of view of Artificial Intelligence. Our starting-point is the concept of proof-event or proving, introduced by Goguen, instead of the traditional concept of mathematical proof. The reason behind this choice is that in contrast to the traditional static concept of mathematical proof, proof-events are understood as processes, which enables their use in Artificial Intelligence in such contexts, in which problem-solving procedures and strategies are studied. We represent proof-events as problem-centered spatio-temporal processes by means of the language of the calculus of events, which captures adequately certain temporal aspects of proof-events (i.e. that they have history and form sequences of proof-events evolving in time). Further, we suggest a "loose" semantics for the proof-events, by means of Kolmogorov's calculus of problems. Finally, we expose the intented interpretations for our logical model from the fields of automated theorem-proving and Web-based collective proving.

Reconstruction of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) images based on the expectation maximum (EM) method.

PubMed

Wang, Qi; Wang, Huaxiang; Cui, Ziqiang; Yang, Chengyi

2012-11-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) calculates the internal conductivity distribution within a body using electrical contact measurements. The image reconstruction for EIT is an inverse problem, which is both non-linear and ill-posed. The traditional regularization method cannot avoid introducing negative values in the solution. The negativity of the solution produces artifacts in reconstructed images in presence of noise. A statistical method, namely, the expectation maximization (EM) method, is used to solve the inverse problem for EIT in this paper. The mathematical model of EIT is transformed to the non-negatively constrained likelihood minimization problem. The solution is obtained by the gradient projection-reduced Newton (GPRN) iteration method. This paper also discusses the strategies of choosing parameters. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the reconstructed images with higher quality can be obtained by the EM method, compared with the traditional Tikhonov and conjugate gradient (CG) methods, even with non-negative processing. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sterilization of polydimethylsiloxane surface with Chinese herb extract: a new antibiotic mechanism of chlorogenic acid

PubMed Central

Ren, Song; Wu, Ming; Guo, Jiayu; Zhang, Wang; Liu, Xiaohan; Sun, Lili; Holyst, Robert; Hou, Sen; Fang, Yongchun; Feng, Xizeng

2015-01-01

Coating of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface with a traditional Chinese herb extract chlorogenic acid (CA) solves the contemporary problem of sterilization of PDMS surface. The E. coli grows slower and has a higher death rate on the CA-coated PDMS surfaces. A smoother morphology of these E. coli cell wall is observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unlike the reported mechanism, where CA inhibits bacterial growth by damaging the cell membrane in the bulk solution, we find the CA-coated PDMS surface also decreases the stiffness of the cell wall. A decrease in the Young’s modulus of the cell wall from 3 to 0.8 MPa is reported. Unexpectedly, the CA effect on the swarming ability and the biofilm stability of the bacteria can be still observed, even after they have been removed from the CA environment, indicating a decrease in their resistance to antibiotics for a prolonged time. The CA-coated PDMS surface shows better antibiotic effect against three types of both Gram-positive and Gran-negative bacteria than the gentamicin-coated PDMS surface. Coating of CA on PDMS surface not only solves the problem of sterilization of PDMS surface, but also shines light on the application of Chinese traditional herbs in scientific research. PMID:25993914

Sterilization of polydimethylsiloxane surface with Chinese herb extract: a new antibiotic mechanism of chlorogenic acid.

PubMed

Ren, Song; Wu, Ming; Guo, Jiayu; Zhang, Wang; Liu, Xiaohan; Sun, Lili; Holyst, Robert; Hou, Sen; Fang, Yongchun; Feng, Xizeng

2015-05-21

Coating of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface with a traditional Chinese herb extract chlorogenic acid (CA) solves the contemporary problem of sterilization of PDMS surface. The E. coli grows slower and has a higher death rate on the CA-coated PDMS surfaces. A smoother morphology of these E. coli cell wall is observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unlike the reported mechanism, where CA inhibits bacterial growth by damaging the cell membrane in the bulk solution, we find the CA-coated PDMS surface also decreases the stiffness of the cell wall. A decrease in the Young's modulus of the cell wall from 3 to 0.8 MPa is reported. Unexpectedly, the CA effect on the swarming ability and the biofilm stability of the bacteria can be still observed, even after they have been removed from the CA environment, indicating a decrease in their resistance to antibiotics for a prolonged time. The CA-coated PDMS surface shows better antibiotic effect against three types of both Gram-positive and Gran-negative bacteria than the gentamicin-coated PDMS surface. Coating of CA on PDMS surface not only solves the problem of sterilization of PDMS surface, but also shines light on the application of Chinese traditional herbs in scientific research.

Resources in Technology: Problem-Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technology Teacher, 1986

1986-01-01

This instructional module examines a key function of science and technology: problem solving. It studies the meaning of problem solving, looks at techniques for problem solving, examines case studies that exemplify the problem-solving approach, presents problems for the reader to solve, and provides a student self-quiz. (Author/CT)

Control problems in armored face conveyors for longwall mines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broadfoot, A.R.; Betz, R.E.

1998-03-01

This paper is a tutorial discussion of the current difficulties being experienced with the performance of armored face conveyor (AFC) drive systems, as used in longwall mining. It presents the traditional approaches to the design of the drive system and highlights the inadequacies. The final part of the paper presents a possible solution approach using variable-speed drive systems, emphasizing the advantages of this approach. The paper is significant, in that it discusses, in one document, a number of problems related to the operation of longwall AFC`s. Furthermore, it presents a solution path for these problems. The details of the controlmore » strategies to solve the problems highlighted are left to a companion paper.« less

Students using visual thinking to learn science in a Web-based environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plough, Jean Margaret

United States students' science test scores are low, especially in problem solving, and traditional science instruction could be improved. Consequently, visual thinking, constructing science structures, and problem solving in a web-based environment may be valuable strategies for improving science learning. This ethnographic study examined the science learning of fifteen fourth grade students in an after school computer club involving diverse students at an inner city school. The investigation was done from the perspective of the students, and it described the processes of visual thinking, web page construction, and problem solving in a web-based environment. The study utilized informal group interviews, field notes, Visual Learning Logs, and student web pages, and incorporated a Standards-Based Rubric which evaluated students' performance on eight science and technology standards. The Visual Learning Logs were drawings done on the computer to represent science concepts related to the Food Chain. Students used the internet to search for information on a plant or animal of their choice. Next, students used this internet information, with the information from their Visual Learning Logs, to make web pages on their plant or animal. Later, students linked their web pages to form Science Structures. Finally, students linked their Science Structures with the structures of other students, and used these linked structures as models for solving problems. Further, during informal group interviews, students answered questions about visual thinking, problem solving, and science concepts. The results of this study showed clearly that (1) making visual representations helped students understand science knowledge, (2) making links between web pages helped students construct Science Knowledge Structures, and (3) students themselves said that visual thinking helped them learn science. In addition, this study found that when using Visual Learning Logs, the main overall ideas of the science concepts were usually represented accurately. Further, looking for information on the internet may cause new problems in learning. Likewise, being absent, starting late, and/or dropping out all may negatively influence students' proficiency on the standards. Finally, the way Science Structures are constructed and linked may provide insights into the way individual students think and process information.

Dynamical genetic programming in XCSF.

PubMed

Preen, Richard J; Bull, Larry

2013-01-01

A number of representation schemes have been presented for use within learning classifier systems, ranging from binary encodings to artificial neural networks. This paper presents results from an investigation into using a temporally dynamic symbolic representation within the XCSF learning classifier system. In particular, dynamical arithmetic networks are used to represent the traditional condition-action production system rules to solve continuous-valued reinforcement learning problems and to perform symbolic regression, finding competitive performance with traditional genetic programming on a number of composite polynomial tasks. In addition, the network outputs are later repeatedly sampled at varying temporal intervals to perform multistep-ahead predictions of a financial time series.

The application of mixed recommendation algorithm with user clustering in the microblog advertisements promotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Lina; Xu, Tao; Zhang, Wei; Li, Xuhong; Wang, Xia; Pan, Wenwen

2017-03-01

The traditional microblog recommendation algorithm has the problems of low efficiency and modest effect in the era of big data. In the aim of solving these issues, this paper proposed a mixed recommendation algorithm with user clustering. This paper first introduced the situation of microblog marketing industry. Then, this paper elaborates the user interest modeling process and detailed advertisement recommendation methods. Finally, this paper compared the mixed recommendation algorithm with the traditional classification algorithm and mixed recommendation algorithm without user clustering. The results show that the mixed recommendation algorithm with user clustering has good accuracy and recall rate in the microblog advertisements promotion.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bridge, Pete, E-mail: pete.bridge@qut.edu.au; Gunn, Therese; Kastanis, Lazaros

A novel realistic 3D virtual reality (VR) application has been developed to allow medical imaging students at Queensland University of Technology to practice radiographic techniques independently outside the usual radiography laboratory. A flexible agile development methodology was used to create the software rapidly and effectively. A 3D gaming environment and realistic models were used to engender presence in the software while tutor-determined gold standards enabled students to compare their performance and learn in a problem-based learning pedagogy. Students reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived value and the software enabled up to 40 concurrent users to prepare for clinical practice.more » Student feedback also indicated that they found 3D to be of limited value in the desktop version compared to the usual 2D approach. A randomised comparison between groups receiving software-based and traditional practice measured performance in a formative role play with real equipment. The results of this work indicated superior performance with the equipment for the VR trained students (P = 0.0366) and confirmed the value of VR for enhancing 3D equipment-based problem-solving skills. Students practising projection techniques virtually performed better at role play assessments than students practising in a traditional radiography laboratory only. The application particularly helped with 3D equipment configuration, suggesting that teaching 3D problem solving is an ideal use of such medical equipment simulators. Ongoing development work aims to establish the role of VR software in preparing students for clinical practice with a range of medical imaging equipment.« less

A Cognitive Analysis of Students’ Mathematical Problem Solving Ability on Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusyda, N. A.; Kusnandi, K.; Suhendra, S.

2017-09-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze of mathematical problem solving ability of students in one of secondary school on geometry. This research was conducted by using quantitative approach with descriptive method. Population in this research was all students of that school and the sample was twenty five students that was chosen by purposive sampling technique. Data of mathematical problem solving were collected through essay test. The results showed the percentage of achievement of mathematical problem solving indicators of students were: 1) solve closed mathematical problems with context in math was 50%; 2) solve the closed mathematical problems with the context beyond mathematics was 24%; 3) solving open mathematical problems with contexts in mathematics was 35%; And 4) solving open mathematical problems with contexts outside mathematics was 44%. Based on the percentage, it can be concluded that the level of achievement of mathematical problem solving ability in geometry still low. This is because students are not used to solving problems that measure mathematical problem solving ability, weaknesses remember previous knowledge, and lack of problem solving framework. So the students’ ability of mathematical problems solving need to be improved with implement appropriate learning strategy.

Network planning under uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Kwok Shing; Cheung, Kwok Wai

2008-11-01

One of the main focuses for network planning is on the optimization of network resources required to build a network under certain traffic demand projection. Traditionally, the inputs to this type of network planning problems are treated as deterministic. In reality, the varying traffic requirements and fluctuations in network resources can cause uncertainties in the decision models. The failure to include the uncertainties in the network design process can severely affect the feasibility and economics of the network. Therefore, it is essential to find a solution that can be insensitive to the uncertain conditions during the network planning process. As early as in the 1960's, a network planning problem with varying traffic requirements over time had been studied. Up to now, this kind of network planning problems is still being active researched, especially for the VPN network design. Another kind of network planning problems under uncertainties that has been studied actively in the past decade addresses the fluctuations in network resources. One such hotly pursued research topic is survivable network planning. It considers the design of a network under uncertainties brought by the fluctuations in topology to meet the requirement that the network remains intact up to a certain number of faults occurring anywhere in the network. Recently, the authors proposed a new planning methodology called Generalized Survivable Network that tackles the network design problem under both varying traffic requirements and fluctuations of topology. Although all the above network planning problems handle various kinds of uncertainties, it is hard to find a generic framework under more general uncertainty conditions that allows a more systematic way to solve the problems. With a unified framework, the seemingly diverse models and algorithms can be intimately related and possibly more insights and improvements can be brought out for solving the problem. This motivates us to seek a generic framework for solving the network planning problem under uncertainties. In addition to reviewing the various network planning problems involving uncertainties, we also propose that a unified framework based on robust optimization can be used to solve a rather large segment of network planning problem under uncertainties. Robust optimization is first introduced in the operations research literature and is a framework that incorporates information about the uncertainty sets for the parameters in the optimization model. Even though robust optimization is originated from tackling the uncertainty in the optimization process, it can serve as a comprehensive and suitable framework for tackling generic network planning problems under uncertainties. In this paper, we begin by explaining the main ideas behind the robust optimization approach. Then we demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed framework by giving out some examples of how the robust optimization framework can be applied to the current common network planning problems under uncertain environments. Next, we list some practical considerations for solving the network planning problem under uncertainties with the proposed framework. Finally, we conclude this article with some thoughts on the future directions for applying this framework to solve other network planning problems.

Self-organizing intelligent network of smart electrical heating devices as an alternative to traditional ways of heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaslavsky, Aleksander M.; Tkachov, Viktor V.; Protsenko, Stanislav M.; Bublikov, Andrii V.; Suleimenov, Batyrbek; Orshubekov, Nurbek; Gromaszek, Konrad

2017-08-01

The paper considers the problem of automated decentralized distribution of the electric energy among unlimited-power electric heaters providing the given temperature distribution within the zones of monitored object heating in the context of maximum use of electric power which limiting level is time-dependent randomly. Principles of collective selforganization automata for solving the problem are analyzed. It has been shown that after all the automata make decision, equilibrium of Nash type is attained when unused power within the electric network is not more than a power of any non-energized electric heater.

Neural network-based feature point descriptors for registration of optical and SAR images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abulkhanov, Dmitry; Konovalenko, Ivan; Nikolaev, Dmitry; Savchik, Alexey; Shvets, Evgeny; Sidorchuk, Dmitry

2018-04-01

Registration of images of different nature is an important technique used in image fusion, change detection, efficient information representation and other problems of computer vision. Solving this task using feature-based approaches is usually more complex than registration of several optical images because traditional feature descriptors (SIFT, SURF, etc.) perform poorly when images have different nature. In this paper we consider the problem of registration of SAR and optical images. We train neural network to build feature point descriptors and use RANSAC algorithm to align found matches. Experimental results are presented that confirm the method's effectiveness.

Research and Implementation of Key Technologies in Multi-Agent System to Support Distributed Workflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Tianheng

2018-01-01

In recent years, the combination of workflow management system and Multi-agent technology is a hot research field. The problem of lack of flexibility in workflow management system can be improved by introducing multi-agent collaborative management. The workflow management system adopts distributed structure. It solves the problem that the traditional centralized workflow structure is fragile. In this paper, the agent of Distributed workflow management system is divided according to its function. The execution process of each type of agent is analyzed. The key technologies such as process execution and resource management are analyzed.

Advanced Monte Carlo methods for thermal radiation transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollaber, Allan B.

During the past 35 years, the Implicit Monte Carlo (IMC) method proposed by Fleck and Cummings has been the standard Monte Carlo approach to solving the thermal radiative transfer (TRT) equations. However, the IMC equations are known to have accuracy limitations that can produce unphysical solutions. In this thesis, we explicitly provide the IMC equations with a Monte Carlo interpretation by including particle weight as one of its arguments. We also develop and test a stability theory for the 1-D, gray IMC equations applied to a nonlinear problem. We demonstrate that the worst case occurs for 0-D problems, and we extend the results to a stability algorithm that may be used for general linearizations of the TRT equations. We derive gray, Quasidiffusion equations that may be deterministically solved in conjunction with IMC to obtain an inexpensive, accurate estimate of the temperature at the end of the time step. We then define an average temperature T* to evaluate the temperature-dependent problem data in IMC, and we demonstrate that using T* is more accurate than using the (traditional) beginning-of-time-step temperature. We also propose an accuracy enhancement to the IMC equations: the use of a time-dependent "Fleck factor". This Fleck factor can be considered an automatic tuning of the traditionally defined user parameter alpha, which generally provides more accurate solutions at an increased cost relative to traditional IMC. We also introduce a global weight window that is proportional to the forward scalar intensity calculated by the Quasidiffusion method. This weight window improves the efficiency of the IMC calculation while conserving energy. All of the proposed enhancements are tested in 1-D gray and frequency-dependent problems. These enhancements do not unconditionally eliminate the unphysical behavior that can be seen in the IMC calculations. However, for fixed spatial and temporal grids, they suppress them and clearly work to make the solution more accurate. Overall, the work presented represents first steps along several paths that can be taken to improve the Monte Carlo simulations of TRT problems.

[A accurate identification method for Chinese materia medica--systematic identification of Chinese materia medica].

PubMed

Wang, Xue-Yong; Liao, Cai-Li; Liu, Si-Qi; Liu, Chun-Sheng; Shao, Ai-Juan; Huang, Lu-Qi

2013-05-01

This paper put forward a more accurate identification method for identification of Chinese materia medica (CMM), the systematic identification of Chinese materia medica (SICMM) , which might solve difficulties in CMM identification used the ordinary traditional ways. Concepts, mechanisms and methods of SICMM were systematically introduced and possibility was proved by experiments. The establishment of SICMM will solve problems in identification of Chinese materia medica not only in phenotypic characters like the mnorphous, microstructure, chemical constituents, but also further discovery evolution and classification of species, subspecies and population in medical plants. The establishment of SICMM will improve the development of identification of CMM and create a more extensive study space.

An Algorithm for the Mixed Transportation Network Design Problem

PubMed Central

Liu, Xinyu; Chen, Qun

2016-01-01

This paper proposes an optimization algorithm, the dimension-down iterative algorithm (DDIA), for solving a mixed transportation network design problem (MNDP), which is generally expressed as a mathematical programming with equilibrium constraint (MPEC). The upper level of the MNDP aims to optimize the network performance via both the expansion of the existing links and the addition of new candidate links, whereas the lower level is a traditional Wardrop user equilibrium (UE) problem. The idea of the proposed solution algorithm (DDIA) is to reduce the dimensions of the problem. A group of variables (discrete/continuous) is fixed to optimize another group of variables (continuous/discrete) alternately; then, the problem is transformed into solving a series of CNDPs (continuous network design problems) and DNDPs (discrete network design problems) repeatedly until the problem converges to the optimal solution. The advantage of the proposed algorithm is that its solution process is very simple and easy to apply. Numerical examples show that for the MNDP without budget constraint, the optimal solution can be found within a few iterations with DDIA. For the MNDP with budget constraint, however, the result depends on the selection of initial values, which leads to different optimal solutions (i.e., different local optimal solutions). Some thoughts are given on how to derive meaningful initial values, such as by considering the budgets of new and reconstruction projects separately. PMID:27626803

Omah displacement and utilization from rural to urban areas, as green design lifestyle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fajarwati, Ade Ariyani Sari

2017-11-01

Building a house in urban area is very costly and also leaving a bunch amount of construction waste. Many efforts were made to reduce the load of this waste. However, the high demand of residences in metropolitan makes the waste problem needs to be solved together. Based on this problem, author chooses Omah, - a Javanese traditional house, which is built, based on the traditional system of life of Javanese people - displacement from rural to urban area as the alternative solution, as it uses selected materials from nature by considering the sustainability and preservation for future generation. The wooden building is built based on traditional construction system that follows Javanese principles and traditional calculation, based on philosophy and cosmology in the community. This paper will covers utilization of Omah in urban area as an implementation of green design, which refers to the concepts of reuse, reduce, recycle and responsibility. Through expert interviews and field surveys in urban and rural areas, author collected data needed for this paper. Although the functionality of the building is different from rural to urban requirements, the phenomenon of Omah displacement from Javanese habitat to urban living area is well accepted and becomes an interesting trend.

[Development of a proverb test for assessment of concrete thinking problems in schizophrenic patients].

PubMed

Barth, A; Küfferle, B

2001-11-01

Concretism is considered an important aspect of schizophrenic thought disorder. Traditionally it is measured using the method of proverb interpretation, in which metaphoric proverbs are presented with the request that the subject tell its meaning. Interpretations are recorded and scored on concretistic tendencies. However, this method has two problems: its reliability is doubtful and it is rather complicated to perform. In this paper, a new version of a multiple choice proverb test is presented which can solve these problems in a reliable and economic manner. Using the new test, it is has been shown that schizophrenic patients have greater deficits in proverb interpretation than depressive patients.

Application of Differential Evolutionary Optimization Methodology for Parameter Structure Identification in Groundwater Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Y.; Nishikawa, T.

2013-12-01

With the increasing complexity of parameter-structure identification (PSI) in groundwater modeling, there is a need for robust, fast, and accurate optimizers in the groundwater-hydrology field. For this work, PSI is defined as identifying parameter dimension, structure, and value. In this study, Voronoi tessellation and differential evolution (DE) are used to solve the optimal PSI problem. Voronoi tessellation is used for automatic parameterization, whereby stepwise regression and the error covariance matrix are used to determine the optimal parameter dimension. DE is a novel global optimizer that can be used to solve nonlinear, nondifferentiable, and multimodal optimization problems. It can be viewed as an improved version of genetic algorithms and employs a simple cycle of mutation, crossover, and selection operations. DE is used to estimate the optimal parameter structure and its associated values. A synthetic numerical experiment of continuous hydraulic conductivity distribution was conducted to demonstrate the proposed methodology. The results indicate that DE can identify the global optimum effectively and efficiently. A sensitivity analysis of the control parameters (i.e., the population size, mutation scaling factor, crossover rate, and mutation schemes) was performed to examine their influence on the objective function. The proposed DE was then applied to solve a complex parameter-estimation problem for a small desert groundwater basin in Southern California. Hydraulic conductivity, specific yield, specific storage, fault conductance, and recharge components were estimated simultaneously. Comparison of DE and a traditional gradient-based approach (PEST) shows DE to be more robust and efficient. The results of this work not only provide an alternative for PSI in groundwater models, but also extend DE applications towards solving complex, regional-scale water management optimization problems.

Building Interactivity in Higher Education to Support Student Engagement in Spatial Problem Solving and Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulland, E.-K.; Veenendaal, B.; Schut, A. G. T.

2012-07-01

Problem-solving knowledge and skills are an important attribute of spatial sciences graduates. The challenge of higher education is to build a teaching and learning environment that enables students to acquire these skills in relevant and authentic applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face teaching and online learning technologies in supporting the student learning of problem-solving and computer programming skills, techniques and solutions. The student cohort considered for this study involves students in the surveying as well as geographic information science (GISc) disciplines. Also, students studying across a range of learning modes including on-campus, distance and blended, are considered in this study. Student feedback and past studies reveal a lack of student interest and engagement in problem solving and computer programming. Many students do not see such skills as directly relevant and applicable to their perceptions of what future spatial careers hold. A range of teaching and learning methods for both face-to-face teaching and distance learning were introduced to address some of the perceived weaknesses of the learning environment. These included initiating greater student interaction in lectures, modifying assessments to provide greater feedback and student accountability, and the provision of more interactive and engaging online learning resources. The paper presents and evaluates the teaching methods used to support the student learning environment. Responses of students in relation to their learning experiences were collected via two anonymous, online surveys and these results were analysed with respect to student pass and retention rates. The study found a clear distinction between expectations and engagement of surveying students in comparison to GISc students. A further outcome revealed that students who were already engaged in their learning benefited the most from the interactive learning resources and opportunities provided.

High-order Two-way Artificial Boundary Conditions for Nonlinear Wave Propagation with Backscattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fibich, Gadi; Tsynkov, Semyon

2000-01-01

When solving linear scattering problems, one typically first solves for the impinging wave in the absence of obstacles. Then, by linear superposition, the original problem is reduced to one that involves only the scattered waves driven by the values of the impinging field at the surface of the obstacles. In addition, when the original domain is unbounded, special artificial boundary conditions (ABCs) that would guarantee the reflectionless propagation of waves have to be set at the outer boundary of the finite computational domain. The situation becomes conceptually different when the propagation equation is nonlinear. In this case the impinging and scattered waves can no longer be separated, and the problem has to be solved in its entirety. In particular, the boundary on which the incoming field values are prescribed, should transmit the given incoming waves in one direction and simultaneously be transparent to all the outgoing waves that travel in the opposite direction. We call this type of boundary conditions two-way ABCs. In the paper, we construct the two-way ABCs for the nonlinear Helmholtz equation that models the laser beam propagation in a medium with nonlinear index of refraction. In this case, the forward propagation is accompanied by backscattering, i.e., generation of waves in the direction opposite to that of the incoming signal. Our two-way ABCs generate no reflection of the backscattered waves and at the same time impose the correct values of the incoming wave. The ABCs are obtained for a fourth-order accurate discretization to the Helmholtz operator; the fourth-order grid convergence is corroborated experimentally by solving linear model problems. We also present solutions in the nonlinear case using the two-way ABC which, unlike the traditional Dirichlet boundary condition, allows for direct calculation of the magnitude of backscattering.

An Autograding (Student) Problem Management System for the Compeuwtir Ilittur8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohne, Glenn S.

1996-01-01

In order to develop analysis skills necessary in engineering disciplines, students need practice solving problems using specified analytical techniques. Unless homework is collected and graded, students tend not to spend much time or effort in performing it. Teachers do not, realistically, have the time to grade large numbers of homework problems on a regular basis. This paper presents and makes available a miracle cure. The Autograding Problem Management System (APMS) provides a discipline-independent mechanism for teachers to create (quickly and easily) sets of homework problems. The APMS system provides CRT and/or printed summaries of the graded student responses. This presentation will demonstrate both the speed and the drag-and-drop simplicity of using the APMS to create self-grading homework problem sets comprised of traditional types of problems and of problems which would not be possible without the use of computers.

The effect of the flipped model on achievement in an introductory college physics course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, Joshua Brian

The flipped or inverted classroom model is one in which the time and place for traditional lecture and homework are reversed. Traditional lecture is replaced by online videos assigned as homework. This frees up time in class to be spent with more student centered activities such as discussion based concept questions and group problem solving. While growing in popularity, research on the effectiveness of this format is sparse. In this quasi-experimental study, two sections of an introductory algebra-based college physics course were examined over a five week period. Each section was taught with either the traditional or flipped model and physics knowledge achieved was compared using independent samples t-tests on both the instructor's unit exam and the Mechanics Baseline Test pre/posttest normalized gain. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the flipped model and the traditional lecture format. Avenues for further research are discussed.

Natural energy and vernacular architecture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fathy, H.

1986-01-01

This volume presents insights into the indigenous architectural forms in hot arid climates. The author presents his extensive research on climate control, particularly in the Middle East, to demonstrate the advantages of many locally available building materials and traditional building methods. He suggests improved uses of natural energy that can bridge the gap between traditional achievements and modern needs. He argues that various architectural forms in these climates have evolved intuitively from scientifically valid concepts. Such forms combine comfort and beauty, social and physical functionality. He discusses that in substituting modern materials, architects sometimes have ignored the environmental context ofmore » traditional architecture. As a result, individuals may find themselves physically and psychologically uncomfortable in modern structures. His approach, informed by a sensitive humanism, demonstrates the ways in which traditional architectural forms can be of use in solving problems facing contemporary architecture, in particular the critical housing situation in the Third World.« less

Digital Pharmacovigilance and Disease Surveillance: Combining Traditional and Big-Data Systems for Better Public Health

PubMed Central

Salathé, Marcel

2016-01-01

The digital revolution has contributed to very large data sets (ie, big data) relevant for public health. The two major data sources are electronic health records from traditional health systems and patient-generated data. As the two data sources have complementary strengths—high veracity in the data from traditional sources and high velocity and variety in patient-generated data—they can be combined to build more-robust public health systems. However, they also have unique challenges. Patient-generated data in particular are often completely unstructured and highly context dependent, posing essentially a machine-learning challenge. Some recent examples from infectious disease surveillance and adverse drug event monitoring demonstrate that the technical challenges can be solved. Despite these advances, the problem of verification remains, and unless traditional and digital epidemiologic approaches are combined, these data sources will be constrained by their intrinsic limits. PMID:28830106

Mathematical and computational aspects of nonuniform frictional slip modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorbatikh, Larissa

2004-07-01

A mechanics-based model of non-uniform frictional sliding is studied from the mathematical/computational analysis point of view. This problem is of a key importance for a number of applications (particularly geomechanical ones), where materials interfaces undergo partial frictional sliding under compression and shear. We show that the problem is reduced to Dirichlet's problem for monotonic loading and to Riemman's problem for cyclic loading. The problem may look like a traditional crack interaction problem, however, it is confounded by the fact that locations of n sliding intervals are not known. They are to be determined from the condition for the stress intensity factors: KII=0 at the ends of the sliding zones. Computationally, it reduces to solving a system of 2n coupled non-linear algebraic equations involving singular integrals with unknown limits of integration.

Reduce conflicts in traditional merariq traditions through the long tradition of the tribal people of sasak lombok

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmini; Nadiroh, Ulin; Saeun Fahmi, Muhammad

2018-01-01

Marriage is a container for framing the inner-to-heart relationship, the bond of love and affection between a man and woman to nurture a joy of happiness. This study aims to find out how the process and stages in traditional merariq traditions in the Sasak people, conflicts arising from merariq traditions, and reduce conflict through the tradition of selabar. The method used in this research is qualitative analysis method. In the process, merariq tradition is done by kidnapping the bride without the knowledge of the parents or the family of the women. There are several stages that must be passed by the bride and groom in the tradition merariq, namely: besejati, nyelabar, bait wali, sorong serah dan nyongkolang. Conflict that often arises, for internal family, merariq often become a place of coercion against the female family. For society, merariq impact on disruption of harmony of social life. In order to reduce the conflicts done selabar tradition, the tragedy is regarded as an alternative problem solving in the form of negotiations between the bride and groom’s family and the bride-to-be relating to ajikrame and pisuke transactions.

Reform of experimental teaching based on quality cultivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Yan, Xingwei; Liu, Wei; Yao, Tianfu; Shi, Jianhua; Lei, Bing; Hu, Haojun

2017-08-01

Experimental teaching plays an import part in quality education which devotes to cultivating students with innovative spirit, strong technological talents and practical ability. However, in the traditional experimental teaching mode, the experiments are treated as a vassal or supplementary mean of theoretical teaching, and students prefer focus on theory to practice. Therefore, the traditional experimental teaching mode is difficult to meet the requirements of quality education. To address this issue, the reform of experimental teaching is introduced in this paper taking the photoelectric detector experiment as the example. The new experimental teaching mode is designed from such aspects as experimental content, teaching method and experimental evaluation. With the purpose of cultivating students' practical ability, two different-level experimental content is designed. Not only the basic experiments used to verify the theory are set to consolidate the students' learned theoretical knowledge, but also comprehensive experiments are designed to encourage the students to apply their learned knowledge to solve practical problems. In the teaching process, heuristic teaching thought is adopt and the traditional `teacher-centered' teaching form is replaced by `student-centered' form, which aims to encourage students to design the experimental systems by their own with the teacher's guidance. In addition to depending on stimulating the students' interest of science research, experimental evaluation is necessary to urge students to complete the experiments efficiently. Multifaceted evaluation method is proposed to test the students' mastery of theoretical knowledge, practice ability, troubleshooting and problem solving skills, and innovation capability comprehensively. Practices demonstrated the satisfying effect of our experimental teaching mode.

Problem posing vs problem solving.

PubMed

Happs, S J

1991-04-01

This paper addresses the notion of adult education and places it within the context of the literature on adult development. Emphasis is placed on the work of Klaus Riegel (1973) who suggested a different interpretation of adult development. Dialectic operations is perceived to be the final stage of cognitive development, as opposed to formal operational thought, the traditional interpretation. Dialectic operations is a way of thinking which seeks to discover a whole new series of questions to be asked, rather than in finding 'once and for all' answers. The concepts put forward by Riegel are used as the foundation for a different interpretation of andragogy, based on the work of the Nottingham Andragogy Group (1983). The educational approach suggested to a large extent is diametrically opposed to the much criticised 'traditional' training of nurses. The view is expressed that although this is a different approach it is nonetheless worthwhile and should be embraced, particularly when nurse education is undergoing such major change.

A New Type Hi-Speed BLDC Control System Base on Indirect Current Control Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, D. P.; Wang, Y. C.; Zhang, F. G.; Jin, S.

2017-05-01

High speed BLDC has the characteristic as larger air gap smaller armature inductance, traditional PWM modulation will produce a great number of high frequency current harmonics which led problem like large torque ripple and serious motor heat. In the meantime traditional PWM modulation use the diode rectifier which cause harmonic pollution in electric power net. To solve the problem above, proposes a new motor controller topology. Using the IGBT device to replace the diode on frequency converter rectifier side, apply the power factor correction technology, reduce the pollution on the grid. Using busbar current modulation on the inverter, driving bridge-arm use 3-phase 6-state open as driving Mode, realize the control on a 10000r/min,10kw BLDC. The results of Simulation on matlab show the topological structure as proposed can effectively improve the network side power factor and reduce the motor armature winding harmonic and motor torque ripple.

Microwave-mediated magneto-optical trap for polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dizhou, Xie; Wenhao, Bu; Bo, Yan

2016-05-01

Realizing a molecular magneto-optical trap has been a dream for cold molecular physicists for a long time. However, due to the complex energy levels and the small effective Lande g-factor of the excited states, the traditional magneto-optical trap (MOT) scheme does not work very well for polar molecules. One way to overcome this problem is the switching MOT, which requires very fast switching of both the magnetic field and the laser polarizations. Switching laser polarizations is relatively easy, but fast switching of the magnetic field is experimentally challenging. Here we propose an alternative approach, the microwave-mediated MOT, which requires a slight change of the current experimental setup to solve the problem. We calculate the MOT force and compare it with the traditional MOT and the switching MOT scheme. The results show that we can operate a good MOT with this simple setup. Project supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China.

Optimisation algorithms for ECG data compression.

PubMed

Haugland, D; Heber, J G; Husøy, J H

1997-07-01

The use of exact optimisation algorithms for compressing digital electrocardiograms (ECGs) is demonstrated. As opposed to traditional time-domain methods, which use heuristics to select a small subset of representative signal samples, the problem of selecting the subset is formulated in rigorous mathematical terms. This approach makes it possible to derive algorithms guaranteeing the smallest possible reconstruction error when a bounded selection of signal samples is interpolated. The proposed model resembles well-known network models and is solved by a cubic dynamic programming algorithm. When applied to standard test problems, the algorithm produces a compressed representation for which the distortion is about one-half of that obtained by traditional time-domain compression techniques at reasonable compression ratios. This illustrates that, in terms of the accuracy of decoded signals, existing time-domain heuristics for ECG compression may be far from what is theoretically achievable. The paper is an attempt to bridge this gap.

The effect of multiple internal representations on context-rich instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasry, Nathaniel; Aulls, Mark W.

2007-11-01

We discuss n-coding, a theoretical model of multiple internal mental representations. The n-coding construct is developed from a review of cognitive and imaging data that demonstrates the independence of information processed along different modalities such as verbal, visual, kinesthetic, logico-mathematic, and social modalities. A study testing the effectiveness of the n-coding construct in classrooms is presented. Four sections differing in the level of n-coding opportunities were compared. Besides a traditional-instruction section used as a control group, each of the remaining three sections were given context-rich problems, which differed by the level of n-coding opportunities designed into their laboratory environment. To measure the effectiveness of the construct, problem-solving skills were assessed as conceptual learning using the force concept inventory. We also developed several new measures that take students' confidence in concepts into account. Our results show that the n-coding construct is useful in designing context-rich environments and can be used to increase learning gains in problem solving, conceptual knowledge, and concept confidence. Specifically, when using props in designing context-rich problems, we find n-coding to be a useful construct in guiding which additional dimensions need to be attended to.

Strengthened MILP formulation for certain gas turbine unit commitment problems

DOE PAGES

Pan, Kai; Guan, Yongpei; Watson, Jean -Paul; ...

2015-05-22

In this study, we derive a strengthened MILP formulation for certain gas turbine unit commitment problems, in which the ramping rates are no smaller than the minimum generation amounts. This type of gas turbines can usually start-up faster and have a larger ramping rate, as compared to the traditional coal-fired power plants. Recently, the number of this type of gas turbines increases significantly due to affordable gas prices and their scheduling flexibilities to accommodate intermittent renewable energy generation. In this study, several new families of strong valid inequalities are developed to help reduce the computational time to solve these typesmore » of problems. Meanwhile, the validity and facet-defining proofs are provided for certain inequalities. Finally, numerical experiments on a modified IEEE 118-bus system and the power system data based on recent studies verify the effectiveness of applying our formulation to model and solve this type of gas turbine unit commitment problems, including reducing the computational time to obtain an optimal solution or obtaining a much smaller optimality gap, as compared to the default CPLEX, when the time limit is reached with no optimal solutions obtained.« less

Information System Engineering Supporting Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Compliant Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgakopoulos, Dimitrios

The majority of today's software systems and organizational/business structures have been built on the foundation of solving problems via long-term data collection, analysis, and solution design. This traditional approach of solving problems and building corresponding software systems and business processes, falls short in providing the necessary solutions needed to deal with many problems that require agility as the main ingredient of their solution. For example, such agility is needed in responding to an emergency, in military command control, physical security, price-based competition in business, investing in the stock market, video gaming, network monitoring and self-healing, diagnosis in emergency health care, and many other areas that are too numerous to list here. The concept of Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (OODA) loops is a guiding principal that captures the fundamental issues and approach for engineering information systems that deal with many of these problem areas. However, there are currently few software systems that are capable of supporting OODA. In this talk, we provide a tour of the research issues and state of the art solutions for supporting OODA. In addition, we provide specific examples of OODA solutions we have developed for the video surveillance and emergency response domains.

Problem-solving variability in older spouses: how is it linked to problem-, person-, and couple-characteristics?

PubMed

Hoppmann, Christiane A; Blanchard-Fields, Fredda

2011-09-01

Problem-solving does not take place in isolation and often involves social others such as spouses. Using repeated daily life assessments from 98 older spouses (M age = 72 years; M marriage length = 42 years), the present study examined theoretical notions from social-contextual models of coping regarding (a) the origins of problem-solving variability and (b) associations between problem-solving and specific problem-, person-, and couple- characteristics. Multilevel models indicate that the lion's share of variability in everyday problem-solving is located at the level of the problem situation. Importantly, participants reported more proactive emotion regulation and collaborative problem-solving for social than nonsocial problems. We also found person-specific consistencies in problem-solving. That is, older spouses high in Neuroticism reported more problems across the study period as well as less instrumental problem-solving and more passive emotion regulation than older spouses low in Neuroticism. Contrary to expectations, relationship satisfaction was unrelated to problem-solving in the present sample. Results are in line with the stress and coping literature in demonstrating that everyday problem-solving is a dynamic process that has to be viewed in the broader context in which it occurs. Our findings also complement previous laboratory-based work on everyday problem-solving by underscoring the benefits of examining everyday problem-solving as it unfolds in spouses' own environment.

Signature neural networks: definition and application to multidimensional sorting problems.

PubMed

Latorre, Roberto; de Borja Rodriguez, Francisco; Varona, Pablo

2011-01-01

In this paper we present a self-organizing neural network paradigm that is able to discriminate information locally using a strategy for information coding and processing inspired in recent findings in living neural systems. The proposed neural network uses: 1) neural signatures to identify each unit in the network; 2) local discrimination of input information during the processing; and 3) a multicoding mechanism for information propagation regarding the who and the what of the information. The local discrimination implies a distinct processing as a function of the neural signature recognition and a local transient memory. In the context of artificial neural networks none of these mechanisms has been analyzed in detail, and our goal is to demonstrate that they can be used to efficiently solve some specific problems. To illustrate the proposed paradigm, we apply it to the problem of multidimensional sorting, which can take advantage of the local information discrimination. In particular, we compare the results of this new approach with traditional methods to solve jigsaw puzzles and we analyze the situations where the new paradigm improves the performance.

The Space Apps Challenge: Using Open Innovation Competitions to Engage The Public in the Scientific Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, S. S.

2016-12-01

NASA's Space Apps Challenge encourages innovation, creativity and collaborative problem solving by gathering coders, builders, artists, designers, and storytellers in a 48-hour hackathon. Open Innovation competitions such as the Space Apps Challenge bring the scientific world to members of the public, regardless of age, experience, credentials, or expertise. In the past five years, this model of public engagement has been widely employed by government, nonprofit and academic institutions, allowing the building of partnerships between the scientific community and the individuals and communities they serve. Furthermore, advances in technology and challenge models have lowered the barriers and costs to scientific collaboration with and for the public. NASA's Space Apps Challenge, structured as a competition seeking solutions from the public to posed problems, brings together teams and forges collaborations between individuals and groups who would otherwise have never worked together for a short but high intensity problem solving session, Space Apps has has created a pathway to public engagement and innovation that is often faster, cheaper, and more impactful than traditional approaches.

Routing design and fleet allocation optimization of freeway service patrol: Improved results using genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiuqiao; Wang, Jian

2018-07-01

Freeway service patrol (FSP), is considered to be an effective method for incident management and can help transportation agency decision-makers alter existing route coverage and fleet allocation. This paper investigates the FSP problem of patrol routing design and fleet allocation, with the objective of minimizing the overall average incident response time. While the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm and its improvements have been applied to solve this problem, they often become trapped in local optimal solution. Moreover, the issue of searching efficiency remains to be further addressed. In this paper, we employ the genetic algorithm (GA) and SA to solve the FSP problem. To maintain population diversity and avoid premature convergence, niche strategy is incorporated into the traditional genetic algorithm. We also employ elitist strategy to speed up the convergence. Numerical experiments have been conducted with the help of the Sioux Falls network. Results show that the GA slightly outperforms the dual-based greedy (DBG) algorithm, the very large-scale neighborhood searching (VLNS) algorithm, the SA algorithm and the scenario algorithm.

Optimal Power Flow in Multiphase Radial Networks with Delta Connections: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Changhong; Dall-Anese, Emiliano; Low, Steven H.

This paper focuses on multiphase radial distribution networks with mixed wye and delta connections, and proposes a semidefinite relaxation of the AC optimal power flow (OPF) problem. Two multiphase power-flow models are developed to facilitate the integration of delta-connected generation units/loads in the OPF problem. The first model extends traditional branch flow models - and it is referred to as extended branch flow model (EBFM). The second model leverages a linear relationship between per-phase power injections and delta connections, which holds under a balanced voltage approximation (BVA). Based on these models, pertinent OPF problems are formulated and relaxed to semidefinitemore » programs (SDPs). Numerical studies on IEEE test feeders show that SDP relaxations can be solved efficiently by a generic optimization solver. Numerical evidences indicate that solving the resultant SDP under BVA is faster than under EBFM. Moreover, both SDP solutions are numerically exact with respect to voltages and branch flows. It is also shown that the SDP solution under BVA has a small optimality gap, while the BVA model is accurate in the sense that it reflects actual system voltages.« less

Using Deep Learning Model for Meteorological Satellite Cloud Image Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, X.

2017-12-01

A satellite cloud image contains much weather information such as precipitation information. Short-time cloud movement forecast is important for precipitation forecast and is the primary means for typhoon monitoring. The traditional methods are mostly using the cloud feature matching and linear extrapolation to predict the cloud movement, which makes that the nonstationary process such as inversion and deformation during the movement of the cloud is basically not considered. It is still a hard task to predict cloud movement timely and correctly. As deep learning model could perform well in learning spatiotemporal features, to meet this challenge, we could regard cloud image prediction as a spatiotemporal sequence forecasting problem and introduce deep learning model to solve this problem. In this research, we use a variant of Gated-Recurrent-Unit(GRU) that has convolutional structures to deal with spatiotemporal features and build an end-to-end model to solve this forecast problem. In this model, both the input and output are spatiotemporal sequences. Compared to Convolutional LSTM(ConvLSTM) model, this model has lower amount of parameters. We imply this model on GOES satellite data and the model perform well.

Resource Letter RPS-1: Research in problem solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Leonardo; Brewe, Eric; Foster, Thomas M.; Harper, Kathleen A.

2004-09-01

This Resource Letter provides a guide to the literature on research in problem solving, especially in physics. The references were compiled with two audiences in mind: physicists who are (or might become) engaged in research on problem solving, and physics instructors who are interested in using research results to improve their students' learning of problem solving. In addition to general references, journal articles and books are cited for the following topics: cognitive aspects of problem solving, expert-novice problem-solver characteristics, problem solving in mathematics, alternative problem types, curricular interventions, and the use of computers in problem solving.

Experimental design for estimating unknown groundwater pumping using genetic algorithm and reduced order model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ushijima, Timothy T.; Yeh, William W.-G.

2013-10-01

An optimal experimental design algorithm is developed to select locations for a network of observation wells that provide maximum information about unknown groundwater pumping in a confined, anisotropic aquifer. The design uses a maximal information criterion that chooses, among competing designs, the design that maximizes the sum of squared sensitivities while conforming to specified design constraints. The formulated optimization problem is non-convex and contains integer variables necessitating a combinatorial search. Given a realistic large-scale model, the size of the combinatorial search required can make the problem difficult, if not impossible, to solve using traditional mathematical programming techniques. Genetic algorithms (GAs) can be used to perform the global search; however, because a GA requires a large number of calls to a groundwater model, the formulated optimization problem still may be infeasible to solve. As a result, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is applied to the groundwater model to reduce its dimensionality. Then, the information matrix in the full model space can be searched without solving the full model. Results from a small-scale test case show identical optimal solutions among the GA, integer programming, and exhaustive search methods. This demonstrates the GA's ability to determine the optimal solution. In addition, the results show that a GA with POD model reduction is several orders of magnitude faster in finding the optimal solution than a GA using the full model. The proposed experimental design algorithm is applied to a realistic, two-dimensional, large-scale groundwater problem. The GA converged to a solution for this large-scale problem.

The Effect of Serious Video Game Play on Science Inquiry Scores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilosky, Alexandra Borzillo

American students are not developing the science inquiry skills needed to solve complex 21st century problems, thus impacting the workforce. In 2009, American high school students ranked 21 out of 26 in the category of problem-solving according to the Program for International Student Assessment. Serious video games have powerful epistemic value and are beneficial with respect to enhancing inquiry, effective problem-solving. The purpose of this correlational, quantitative study was to test Gee's assumption regarding the cycle of thinking (routinization, automatization, and deroutinization) by determining whether players status was a significant predictor of science inquiry scores, controlling for age, gender, and major. The 156 non-random volunteers who participated in this study were enrolled in a 2-year college in the northeastern U.S. Multiple regression analyses revealed that major was the strongest overall (significant) predictor, b = -.84, t(149) = -3.70, p < .001, even though gamer status served as a significant predictor variable for Stage 1 only, b = -.48, t(149) = -2.37, p = .019. Participants who reported playing serious video games scored .48 points higher than non-players of serious video games regardless of age, gender, and major, which supports previous studies that have found significant differences in scientific inquiry abilities related to forming hypotheses and identifying problems based on serious video game play. Recommendations include using serious games as instructional tools and to assess student learning (formative and summative), especially among non-traditional learners.

La Palabra Es Salud: A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Popular Education vs. Traditional Education for Enhancing Health Knowledge and Skills and Increasing Empowerment among Parish-Based Community Health Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Noelle

2010-01-01

Popular education is a mode of teaching and learning which seeks to bring about more equitable social conditions by creating settings in which people can identify and solve their own problems. While the public health literature offers evidence to suggest that popular education is an effective strategy for increasing empowerment and improving…

A Comparative Study Teaching Chemistry Using the 5E Learning Cycle and Traditional Teaching with a Large English Language Population in a Middle-School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWright, Cynthia Nicole Pendleton

2017-01-01

For decades science educators and educational institutions have been concerned with the status of science content being taught in K-12 schools and the delivery of the content. Thus, educational reformers in the United States continue to strive to solve the problem on how to best teach science for optimal success in learning. The constructivist…

Modified task-based learning program promotes problem-solving capacity among Chinese medical postgraduates: a mixed quantitative survey.

PubMed

Tian, Yanping; Li, Chengren; Wang, Jiali; Cai, Qiyan; Wang, Hanzhi; Chen, Xingshu; Liu, Yunlai; Mei, Feng; Xiao, Lan; Jian, Rui; Li, Hongli

2017-09-07

Despite great advances, China's postgraduate education faces many problems, for example traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) method provides fewer oppotunities to apply knowledge in a working situation. Task-based learning (TBL) is an efficient strategy for increasing the connections among skills, knowledge and competences. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a modified TBL model on problem-solving abilities among postgraduate medical students in China. We allocated 228 first-year postgraduate students at Third Military Medical University into two groups: the TBL group and LBL group. The TBL group was taught using a TBL program for immunohistochemistry. The curriculum consisted of five phases: task design, self-learning, experimental operations, discussion and summary. The LBL group was taught using traditional LBL. After the course, learning performance was assessed using theoretical and practical tests. The students' preferences and satisfaction of TBL and LBL were also evaluated using questionnaires. There were notable differences in the mean score rates in the practical test (P < 0.05): the number of high scores (>80) in the TBL group was higher than that in the LBL group. We observed no substantial differences in the theoretical test between the two groups (P > 0.05). The questionnaire results indicated that the TBL students were satisfied with teaching content, teaching methods and experiment content. The TBL program was also beneficial for the postgraduates in completing their research projects. Furthermore, the TBL students reported positive effects in terms of innovative thinking, collaboration, and communication. TBL is a powerful educational strategy for postgraduate education in China. Our modified TBL imparted basic knowledge to the students and also engaged them more effectively in applying knowledge to solve real-world issues. In conclusion, our TBL established a good foundation for the students' future in both medical research and clinical work.

An evaluation of collision models in the Method of Moments for rarefied gas problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emerson, David; Gu, Xiao-Jun

2014-11-01

The Method of Moments offers an attractive approach for solving gaseous transport problems that are beyond the limit of validity of the Navier-Stokes-Fourier equations. Recent work has demonstrated the capability of the regularized 13 and 26 moment equations for solving problems when the Knudsen number, Kn (where Kn is the ratio of the mean free path of a gas to a typical length scale of interest), is in the range 0.1 and 1.0-the so-called transition regime. In comparison to numerical solutions of the Boltzmann equation, the Method of Moments has captured both qualitatively, and quantitatively, results of classical test problems in kinetic theory, e.g. velocity slip in Kramers' problem, temperature jump in Knudsen layers, the Knudsen minimum etc. However, most of these results have been obtained for Maxwell molecules, where molecules repel each other according to an inverse fifth-power rule. Recent work has incorporated more traditional collision models such as BGK, S-model, and ES-BGK, the latter being important for thermal problems where the Prandtl number can vary. We are currently investigating the impact of these collision models on fundamental low-speed problems of particular interest to micro-scale flows that will be discussed and evaluated in the presentation. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council under Grant EP/I011927/1 and CCP12.

Students’ difficulties in probabilistic problem-solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arum, D. P.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Pramudya, I.

2018-03-01

There are many errors can be identified when students solving mathematics problems, particularly in solving the probabilistic problem. This present study aims to investigate students’ difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem. It focuses on analyzing and describing students errors during solving the problem. This research used the qualitative method with case study strategy. The subjects in this research involve ten students of 9th grade that were selected by purposive sampling. Data in this research involve students’ probabilistic problem-solving result and recorded interview regarding students’ difficulties in solving the problem. Those data were analyzed descriptively using Miles and Huberman steps. The results show that students have difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem and can be divided into three categories. First difficulties relate to students’ difficulties in understanding the probabilistic problem. Second, students’ difficulties in choosing and using appropriate strategies for solving the problem. Third, students’ difficulties with the computational process in solving the problem. Based on the result seems that students still have difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem. It means that students have not able to use their knowledge and ability for responding probabilistic problem yet. Therefore, it is important for mathematics teachers to plan probabilistic learning which could optimize students probabilistic thinking ability.

Your company's secret change agents.

PubMed

Pascale, Richard Tanner; Sternin, Jerry

2005-05-01

Organizational change has traditionally come about through top-down initiatives such as hiring experts or importing best-of-breed practices. Such methods usually result in companywide rollouts of templates mandated from on high. These do little to get people excited. But within every organization, there are a few individuals who find unique ways to look at problems that seem impossible to solve. Although these change agents start out with the same tools and access to resources as their peers, they are able to see solutions where others do not. They find a way to bridge the divide between what is happening and what is possible. These positive deviants are the key, the authors believe, to a better way of creating organizational change. Your company can make the most of their methods by following six steps. In Step 1, Make the group the guru, the members of the community are engaged in the process of their own evolution. Step 2, Reframe through facts, entails restating the problem in a way that opens minds to new possibilities. Step 3, Make it safe to learn, involves creating an environment that supports innovative ideas. In Step 4, Make the problem concrete, the community combats abstraction by stating uncomfortable truths. In Step 5, Leverage social proof, the community looks to the larger society for examples of solutions that have worked in parallel situations. In Step 6, Confound the immune defense response, solutions are introduced organically from within the group in a way that promotes acceptance. Throughout the steps, the leader must suspend his or her traditional role in favor of more facilitatory practices. The positive-deviance approach has unearthed solutions to such complicated and diverse problems as malnutrition in Mali and human trafficking in East Java. This methodology can help solve even the most extreme dilemmas.

Improving Energy Efficiency in CNC Machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavanaskar, Sushrut S.

We present our work on analyzing and improving the energy efficiency of multi-axis CNC milling process. Due to the differences in energy consumption behavior, we treat 3- and 5-axis CNC machines separately in our work. For 3-axis CNC machines, we first propose an energy model that estimates the energy requirement for machining a component on a specified 3-axis CNC milling machine. Our model makes machine-specific predictions of energy requirements while also considering the geometric aspects of the machining toolpath. Our model - and the associated software tool - facilitate direct comparison of various alternative toolpath strategies based on their energy-consumption performance. Further, we identify key factors in toolpath planning that affect energy consumption in CNC machining. We then use this knowledge to propose and demonstrate a novel toolpath planning strategy that may be used to generate new toolpaths that are inherently energy-efficient, inspired by research on digital micrography -- a form of computational art. For 5-axis CNC machines, the process planning problem consists of several sub-problems that researchers have traditionally solved separately to obtain an approximate solution. After illustrating the need to solve all sub-problems simultaneously for a truly optimal solution, we propose a unified formulation based on configuration space theory. We apply our formulation to solve a problem variant that retains key characteristics of the full problem but has lower dimensionality, allowing visualization in 2D. Given the complexity of the full 5-axis toolpath planning problem, our unified formulation represents an important step towards obtaining a truly optimal solution. With this work on the two types of CNC machines, we demonstrate that without changing the current infrastructure or business practices, machine-specific, geometry-based, customized toolpath planning can save energy in CNC machining.

Web-GIS based information management system to Bureau of Law Enforcement for Urban Managementenforcement for urban management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hai; Wang, Cheng; Ren, Bo

2007-06-01

Daily works of Law Enforcement Bureau are crucial in the urban management. However, with the development of the city, the information and data which are relative to Law Enforcement Bureau's daily work are increasing and updating. The increasing data result in that some traditional work is limited and inefficient in daily work. Analyzing the demands and obstacles of Law Enforcement Bureau, the paper proposes a new method to solve these problems. A web-GIS based information management system was produced for Bureau of Law Enforcement for Urban Management of Foshan. First part of the paper provides an overview of the system. Second part introduces the architecture of system and data organization. In the third part, the paper describes the design and implement of functional modules detailedly. In the end, this paper is concluded and proposes some strategic recommendations for the further development of the system. This paper focuses on the architecture and implementation of the system, solves the developing issues based on ArcServer, and introduces a new concept to the local government to solve the current problems. Practical application of this system showed that it played very important role in the Law Enforcement Bureau's work.

From nonlinear optimization to convex optimization through firefly algorithm and indirect approach with applications to CAD/CAM.

PubMed

Gálvez, Akemi; Iglesias, Andrés

2013-01-01

Fitting spline curves to data points is a very important issue in many applied fields. It is also challenging, because these curves typically depend on many continuous variables in a highly interrelated nonlinear way. In general, it is not possible to compute these parameters analytically, so the problem is formulated as a continuous nonlinear optimization problem, for which traditional optimization techniques usually fail. This paper presents a new bioinspired method to tackle this issue. In this method, optimization is performed through a combination of two techniques. Firstly, we apply the indirect approach to the knots, in which they are not initially the subject of optimization but precomputed with a coarse approximation scheme. Secondly, a powerful bioinspired metaheuristic technique, the firefly algorithm, is applied to optimization of data parameterization; then, the knot vector is refined by using De Boor's method, thus yielding a better approximation to the optimal knot vector. This scheme converts the original nonlinear continuous optimization problem into a convex optimization problem, solved by singular value decomposition. Our method is applied to some illustrative real-world examples from the CAD/CAM field. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme can solve the original continuous nonlinear optimization problem very efficiently.

From Nonlinear Optimization to Convex Optimization through Firefly Algorithm and Indirect Approach with Applications to CAD/CAM

PubMed Central

Gálvez, Akemi; Iglesias, Andrés

2013-01-01

Fitting spline curves to data points is a very important issue in many applied fields. It is also challenging, because these curves typically depend on many continuous variables in a highly interrelated nonlinear way. In general, it is not possible to compute these parameters analytically, so the problem is formulated as a continuous nonlinear optimization problem, for which traditional optimization techniques usually fail. This paper presents a new bioinspired method to tackle this issue. In this method, optimization is performed through a combination of two techniques. Firstly, we apply the indirect approach to the knots, in which they are not initially the subject of optimization but precomputed with a coarse approximation scheme. Secondly, a powerful bioinspired metaheuristic technique, the firefly algorithm, is applied to optimization of data parameterization; then, the knot vector is refined by using De Boor's method, thus yielding a better approximation to the optimal knot vector. This scheme converts the original nonlinear continuous optimization problem into a convex optimization problem, solved by singular value decomposition. Our method is applied to some illustrative real-world examples from the CAD/CAM field. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme can solve the original continuous nonlinear optimization problem very efficiently. PMID:24376380

Multi-UAV Routing for Area Coverage and Remote Sensing with Minimum Time.

PubMed

Avellar, Gustavo S C; Pereira, Guilherme A S; Pimenta, Luciano C A; Iscold, Paulo

2015-11-02

This paper presents a solution for the problem of minimum time coverage of ground areas using a group of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) equipped with image sensors. The solution is divided into two parts: (i) the task modeling as a graph whose vertices are geographic coordinates determined in such a way that a single UAV would cover the area in minimum time; and (ii) the solution of a mixed integer linear programming problem, formulated according to the graph variables defined in the first part, to route the team of UAVs over the area. The main contribution of the proposed methodology, when compared with the traditional vehicle routing problem's (VRP) solutions, is the fact that our method solves some practical problems only encountered during the execution of the task with actual UAVs. In this line, one of the main contributions of the paper is that the number of UAVs used to cover the area is automatically selected by solving the optimization problem. The number of UAVs is influenced by the vehicles' maximum flight time and by the setup time, which is the time needed to prepare and launch a UAV. To illustrate the methodology, the paper presents experimental results obtained with two hand-launched, fixed-wing UAVs.

Development of a problem solving evaluation instrument; untangling of specific problem solving assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Wendy Kristine

The purpose of my research was to produce a problem solving evaluation tool for physics. To do this it was necessary to gain a thorough understanding of how students solve problems. Although physics educators highly value problem solving and have put extensive effort into understanding successful problem solving, there is currently no efficient way to evaluate problem solving skill. Attempts have been made in the past; however, knowledge of the principles required to solve the subject problem are so absolutely critical that they completely overshadow any other skills students may use when solving a problem. The work presented here is unique because the evaluation tool removes the requirement that the student already have a grasp of physics concepts. It is also unique because I picked a wide range of people and picked a wide range of tasks for evaluation. This is an important design feature that helps make things emerge more clearly. This dissertation includes an extensive literature review of problem solving in physics, math, education and cognitive science as well as descriptions of studies involving student use of interactive computer simulations, the design and validation of a beliefs about physics survey and finally the design of the problem solving evaluation tool. I have successfully developed and validated a problem solving evaluation tool that identifies 44 separate assets (skills) necessary for solving problems. Rigorous validation studies, including work with an independent interviewer, show these assets identified by this content-free evaluation tool are the same assets that students use to solve problems in mechanics and quantum mechanics. Understanding this set of component assets will help teachers and researchers address problem solving within the classroom.

Age differences in everyday problem-solving effectiveness: older adults select more effective strategies for interpersonal problems.

PubMed

Blanchard-Fields, Fredda; Mienaltowski, Andrew; Seay, Renee Baldi

2007-01-01

Using the Everyday Problem Solving Inventory of Cornelius and Caspi, we examined differences in problem-solving strategy endorsement and effectiveness in two domains of everyday functioning (instrumental or interpersonal, and a mixture of the two domains) and for four strategies (avoidance-denial, passive dependence, planful problem solving, and cognitive analysis). Consistent with past research, our research showed that older adults were more problem focused than young adults in their approach to solving instrumental problems, whereas older adults selected more avoidant-denial strategies than young adults when solving interpersonal problems. Overall, older adults were also more effective than young adults when solving everyday problems, in particular for interpersonal problems.

Spontaneous gestures influence strategy choices in problem solving.

PubMed

Alibali, Martha W; Spencer, Robert C; Knox, Lucy; Kita, Sotaro

2011-09-01

Do gestures merely reflect problem-solving processes, or do they play a functional role in problem solving? We hypothesized that gestures highlight and structure perceptual-motor information, and thereby make such information more likely to be used in problem solving. Participants in two experiments solved problems requiring the prediction of gear movement, either with gesture allowed or with gesture prohibited. Such problems can be correctly solved using either a perceptual-motor strategy (simulation of gear movements) or an abstract strategy (the parity strategy). Participants in the gesture-allowed condition were more likely to use perceptual-motor strategies than were participants in the gesture-prohibited condition. Gesture promoted use of perceptual-motor strategies both for participants who talked aloud while solving the problems (Experiment 1) and for participants who solved the problems silently (Experiment 2). Thus, spontaneous gestures influence strategy choices in problem solving.

Too upset to think: the interplay of borderline personality features, negative emotions, and social problem solving in the laboratory.

PubMed

Dixon-Gordon, Katherine L; Chapman, Alexander L; Lovasz, Nathalie; Walters, Kris

2011-10-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with poor social problem solving and problems with emotion regulation. In this study, the social problem-solving performance of undergraduates with high (n = 26), mid (n = 32), or low (n = 29) levels of BPD features was assessed with the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised and using the means-ends problem-solving procedure before and after a social rejection stressor. The high-BP group, but not the low-BP group, showed a significant reduction in relevant solutions to social problems and more inappropriate solutions following the negative emotion induction. Increases in self-reported negative emotions during the emotion induction mediated the relationship between BP features and reductions in social problem-solving performance. In addition, the high-BP group demonstrated trait deficits in social problem solving on the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised. These findings suggest that future research must examine social problem solving under differing emotional conditions, and that clinical interventions to improve social problem solving among persons with BP features should focus on responses to emotional contexts.

Current status of Kampo medicine curricula in all Japanese medical schools

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There have been a few but not precise surveys of the current status of traditional Japanese Kampo education at medical schools in Japan. Our aim was to identify problems and suggest solutions for a standardized Kampo educational model for all medical schools throughout Japan. Methods We surveyed all 80 medical schools in Japan regarding eight items related to teaching or studying Kampo medicine: (1) the number of class meetings, target school year(s), and type of classes; (2) presence or absence of full-time instructors; (3) curricula contents; (4) textbooks in use; (5) desire for standardized textbooks; (6) faculty development programmes; (7) course contents; and (8) problems to be solved to promote Kampo education. We conducted descriptive analyses without statistics. Results Eighty questionnaires were collected (100%). (1) There were 0 to 25 Kampo class meetings during the 6 years of medical school. At least one Kampo class was conducted at 98% of the schools, ≥4 at 84%, ≥8 at 44%, and ≥16 at 5%. Distribution of classes was 19% and 57% for third- and fourth-year students, respectively. (2) Only 29% of schools employed full-time Kampo medicine instructors. (3) Medicine was taught on the basis of traditional Japanese Kampo medicine by 81% of the schools, Chinese medicine by 19%, and Western medicine by 20%. (4) Textbooks were used by 24%. (5) Seventy-four percent considered using standardized textbooks. (6) Thirty-three percent provided faculty development programmes. (7) Regarding course contents, “characteristics” was selected by 94%, “basic concepts” by 84%, and evidence-based medicine by 64%. (8) Among the problems to be solved promptly, curriculum standardization was selected by 63%, preparation of simple textbooks by 51%, and fostering instructors responsible for Kampo education by 65%. Conclusions Japanese medical schools only offer students a short time to study Kampo medicine, and the impetus to include Kampo medicine in their curricula varies among schools. Future Kampo education at medical schools requires solving several problems, including curriculum standardization. PMID:23122050

An Investigation of Secondary Teachers’ Understanding and Belief on Mathematical Problem Solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuli Eko Siswono, Tatag; Wachidul Kohar, Ahmad; Kurniasari, Ika; Puji Astuti, Yuliani

2016-02-01

Weaknesses on problem solving of Indonesian students as reported by recent international surveys give rise to questions on how Indonesian teachers bring out idea of problem solving in mathematics lesson. An explorative study was undertaken to investigate how secondary teachers who teach mathematics at junior high school level understand and show belief toward mathematical problem solving. Participants were teachers from four cities in East Java province comprising 45 state teachers and 25 private teachers. Data was obtained through questionnaires and written test. The results of this study point out that the teachers understand pedagogical problem solving knowledge well as indicated by high score of observed teachers‘ responses showing understanding on problem solving as instruction as well as implementation of problem solving in teaching practice. However, they less understand on problem solving content knowledge such as problem solving strategies and meaning of problem itself. Regarding teacher's difficulties, teachers admitted to most frequently fail in (1) determining a precise mathematical model or strategies when carrying out problem solving steps which is supported by data of test result that revealed transformation error as the most frequently observed errors in teachers’ work and (2) choosing suitable real situation when designing context-based problem solving task. Meanwhile, analysis of teacher's beliefs on problem solving shows that teachers tend to view both mathematics and how students should learn mathematics as body static perspective, while they tend to believe to apply idea of problem solving as dynamic approach when teaching mathematics.

The Impact of Teacher Training on Creative Writing and Problem-Solving Using Futuristic Scenarios for Creative Problem Solving and Creative Problem Solving Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayel Al-Srour, Nadia; Al-Ali, Safa M.; Al-Oweidi, Alia

2016-01-01

The present study aims to detect the impact of teacher training on creative writing and problem-solving using both Futuristic scenarios program to solve problems creatively, and creative problem solving. To achieve the objectives of the study, the sample was divided into two groups, the first consist of 20 teachers, and 23 teachers to second…

Personalized Privacy-Preserving Frequent Itemset Mining Using Randomized Response

PubMed Central

Sun, Chongjing; Fu, Yan; Zhou, Junlin; Gao, Hui

2014-01-01

Frequent itemset mining is the important first step of association rule mining, which discovers interesting patterns from the massive data. There are increasing concerns about the privacy problem in the frequent itemset mining. Some works have been proposed to handle this kind of problem. In this paper, we introduce a personalized privacy problem, in which different attributes may need different privacy levels protection. To solve this problem, we give a personalized privacy-preserving method by using the randomized response technique. By providing different privacy levels for different attributes, this method can get a higher accuracy on frequent itemset mining than the traditional method providing the same privacy level. Finally, our experimental results show that our method can have better results on the frequent itemset mining while preserving personalized privacy. PMID:25143989

Personalized privacy-preserving frequent itemset mining using randomized response.

PubMed

Sun, Chongjing; Fu, Yan; Zhou, Junlin; Gao, Hui

2014-01-01

Frequent itemset mining is the important first step of association rule mining, which discovers interesting patterns from the massive data. There are increasing concerns about the privacy problem in the frequent itemset mining. Some works have been proposed to handle this kind of problem. In this paper, we introduce a personalized privacy problem, in which different attributes may need different privacy levels protection. To solve this problem, we give a personalized privacy-preserving method by using the randomized response technique. By providing different privacy levels for different attributes, this method can get a higher accuracy on frequent itemset mining than the traditional method providing the same privacy level. Finally, our experimental results show that our method can have better results on the frequent itemset mining while preserving personalized privacy.

Multiple-solution problems in a statistics classroom: an example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Chi Wing; Chan, Kevin L. T.; Chan, Wai-Sum; Kwong, Koon-Shing

2017-11-01

The mathematics education literature shows that encouraging students to develop multiple solutions for given problems has a positive effect on students' understanding and creativity. In this paper, we present an example of multiple-solution problems in statistics involving a set of non-traditional dice. In particular, we consider the exact probability mass distribution for the sum of face values. Four different ways of solving the problem are discussed. The solutions span various basic concepts in different mathematical disciplines (sample space in probability theory, the probability generating function in statistics, integer partition in basic combinatorics and individual risk model in actuarial science) and thus promotes upper undergraduate students' awareness of knowledge connections between their courses. All solutions of the example are implemented using the R statistical software package.

Problem-solving skills in high school biology: The effectiveness of the IMMEX problem-solving assessment software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palacio-Cayetano, Joycelin

"Problem-solving through reflective thinking should be both the method and valuable outcome of science instruction in America's schools" proclaimed John Dewey (Gabel, 1995). If the development of problem-solving is a primary goal of science education, more problem-solving opportunities must be an integral part of K-16 education. To examine the effective use of technology in developing and assessing problem-solving skills, a problem-solving authoring, learning, and assessment software, the UCLA IMMEX Program-Interactive Multimedia Exercises-was investigated. This study was a twenty-week quasi-experimental study that was implemented as a control-group time series design among 120 tenth grade students. Both the experimental group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60) participated in a problem-based learning curriculum; however, the experimental group received regular intensive experiences with IMMEX problem-solving and the control group did not. Problem-solving pretest and posttest were administered to all students. The instruments used were a 35-item Processes of Biological Inquiry Test and an IMMEX problem-solving assessment test, True Roots. Students who participated in the IMMEX Program achieved significant (p <.05) gains in problem-solving skills on both problem-solving assessment instruments. This study provided evidence that IMMEX software is highly efficient in evaluating salient elements of problem-solving. Outputs of students' problem-solving strategies revealed that unsuccessful problem solvers primarily used the following four strategies: (1) no data search strategy, students simply guessed; (2) limited data search strategy leading to insufficient data and premature closing; (3) irrelevant data search strategy, students focus in areas bearing no substantive data; and (4) extensive data search strategy with inadequate integration and analysis. On the contrary, successful problem solvers used the following strategies; (1) focused search strategy coupled with the ability to fill in knowledge gaps by accessing the appropriate resources; (2) targeted search strategy coupled with high level of analytical and integration skills; and (3) focused search strategy coupled with superior discrimination, analytical, and integration skills. The strategies of students who were successful and unsuccessful solving IMMEX problems were consistent with those of expert and novice problem solvers identified in the literature on problem-solving.

A hybrid genetic-simulated annealing algorithm for the location-inventory-routing problem considering returns under e-supply chain environment.

PubMed

Li, Yanhui; Guo, Hao; Wang, Lin; Fu, Jing

2013-01-01

Facility location, inventory control, and vehicle routes scheduling are critical and highly related problems in the design of logistics system for e-business. Meanwhile, the return ratio in Internet sales was significantly higher than in the traditional business. Many of returned merchandise have no quality defects, which can reenter sales channels just after a simple repackaging process. Focusing on the existing problem in e-commerce logistics system, we formulate a location-inventory-routing problem model with no quality defects returns. To solve this NP-hard problem, an effective hybrid genetic simulated annealing algorithm (HGSAA) is proposed. Results of numerical examples show that HGSAA outperforms GA on computing time, optimal solution, and computing stability. The proposed model is very useful to help managers make the right decisions under e-supply chain environment.

Replacing textbook problems with lab experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Register, Trevor

2017-10-01

End-of-the-chapter textbook problems are often the bread and butter of any traditional physics classroom. However, research strongly suggests that students be given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in multiple contexts as well as be provided with opportunities to do the process of science through laboratory experiences. Little correlation has been shown linking the number of textbook problems solved with conceptual understanding of topics in mechanics. Furthermore, textbook problems as the primary source of practice for students robs them of the joy and productive struggle of learning how to think like an experimental physicist. Methods such as Modeling Instruction tackle this problem head-on by starting each instructional unit with an inquiry-based lab aimed at establishing the important concepts and equations for the unit, and this article will discuss ideas and experiences for how to carry that philosophy throughout a unit.

Pre-Service Class Teacher' Ability in Solving Mathematical Problems and Skills in Solving Daily Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aljaberi, Nahil M.; Gheith, Eman

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate the ability of pre-service class teacher at University of Petrain solving mathematical problems using Polya's Techniques, their level of problem solving skills in daily-life issues. The study also investigates the correlation between their ability to solve mathematical problems and their level of problem solving…

The Association between Motivation, Affect, and Self-regulated Learning When Solving Problems.

PubMed

Baars, Martine; Wijnia, Lisette; Paas, Fred

2017-01-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are essential for learning during school years, particularly in complex problem-solving domains, such as biology and math. Although a lot of studies have focused on the cognitive resources that are needed for learning to solve problems in a self-regulated way, affective and motivational resources have received much less research attention. The current study investigated the relation between affect (i.e., Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale), motivation (i.e., autonomous and controlled motivation), mental effort, SRL skills, and problem-solving performance when learning to solve biology problems in a self-regulated online learning environment. In the learning phase, secondary education students studied video-modeling examples of how to solve hereditary problems, solved hereditary problems which they chose themselves from a set of problems with different complexity levels (i.e., five levels). In the posttest, students solved hereditary problems, self-assessed their performance, and chose a next problem from the set of problems but did not solve these problems. The results from this study showed that negative affect, inaccurate self-assessments during the posttest, and higher perceptions of mental effort during the posttest were negatively associated with problem-solving performance after learning in a self-regulated way.

Tensor-GMRES method for large sparse systems of nonlinear equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, Dan; Pulliam, Thomas H.

1994-01-01

This paper introduces a tensor-Krylov method, the tensor-GMRES method, for large sparse systems of nonlinear equations. This method is a coupling of tensor model formation and solution techniques for nonlinear equations with Krylov subspace projection techniques for unsymmetric systems of linear equations. Traditional tensor methods for nonlinear equations are based on a quadratic model of the nonlinear function, a standard linear model augmented by a simple second order term. These methods are shown to be significantly more efficient than standard methods both on nonsingular problems and on problems where the Jacobian matrix at the solution is singular. A major disadvantage of the traditional tensor methods is that the solution of the tensor model requires the factorization of the Jacobian matrix, which may not be suitable for problems where the Jacobian matrix is large and has a 'bad' sparsity structure for an efficient factorization. We overcome this difficulty by forming and solving the tensor model using an extension of a Newton-GMRES scheme. Like traditional tensor methods, we show that the new tensor method has significant computational advantages over the analogous Newton counterpart. Consistent with Krylov subspace based methods, the new tensor method does not depend on the factorization of the Jacobian matrix. As a matter of fact, the Jacobian matrix is never needed explicitly.

Implicit time-integration method for simultaneous solution of a coupled non-linear system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Justin Kyle

Historically large physical problems have been divided into smaller problems based on the physics involved. This is no different in reactor safety analysis. The problem of analyzing a nuclear reactor for design basis accidents is performed by a handful of computer codes each solving a portion of the problem. The reactor thermal hydraulic response to an event is determined using a system code like TRAC RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE). The core power response to the same accident scenario is determined using a core physics code like Purdue Advanced Core Simulator (PARCS). Containment response to the reactor depressurization in a Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA) type event is calculated by a separate code. Sub-channel analysis is performed with yet another computer code. This is just a sample of the computer codes used to solve the overall problems of nuclear reactor design basis accidents. Traditionally each of these codes operates independently from each other using only the global results from one calculation as boundary conditions to another. Industry's drive to uprate power for reactors has motivated analysts to move from a conservative approach to design basis accident towards a best estimate method. To achieve a best estimate calculation efforts have been aimed at coupling the individual physics models to improve the accuracy of the analysis and reduce margins. The current coupling techniques are sequential in nature. During a calculation time-step data is passed between the two codes. The individual codes solve their portion of the calculation and converge to a solution before the calculation is allowed to proceed to the next time-step. This thesis presents a fully implicit method of simultaneous solving the neutron balance equations, heat conduction equations and the constitutive fluid dynamics equations. It discusses the problems involved in coupling different physics phenomena within multi-physics codes and presents a solution to these problems. The thesis also outlines the basic concepts behind the nodal balance equations, heat transfer equations and the thermal hydraulic equations, which will be coupled to form a fully implicit nonlinear system of equations. The coupling of separate physics models to solve a larger problem and improve accuracy and efficiency of a calculation is not a new idea, however implementing them in an implicit manner and solving the system simultaneously is. Also the application to reactor safety codes is new and has not be done with thermal hydraulics and neutronics codes on realistic applications in the past. The coupling technique described in this thesis is applicable to other similar coupled thermal hydraulic and core physics reactor safety codes. This technique is demonstrated using coupled input decks to show that the system is solved correctly and then verified by using two derivative test problems based on international benchmark problems the OECD/NRC Three mile Island (TMI) Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) problem (representative of pressurized water reactor analysis) and the OECD/NRC Peach Bottom (PB) Turbine Trip (TT) benchmark (representative of boiling water reactor analysis).

Design of LED projector based on gradient-index lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Liyong; Zhu, Xiangbing; Cui, Haitian; Wang, Yuanhang

2018-01-01

In this study, a new type of projector light path is designed to eliminate the deficits of existing projection systems, such as complex structure and low collection efficiency. Using a three-color LED array as the lighting source, by means of the special optical properties of a gradient-index lens, the complex structure of the traditional projector is simplified. Traditional components, such as the color wheel, relay lens, and mirror, become unnecessary. In this way, traditional problems, such as low utilization of light energy and loss of light energy, are solved. With the help of Zemax software, the projection lens is optimized. The optimized projection lens, LED, gradient-index lens, and digital micromirror device are imported into Tracepro. The ray tracing results show that both the utilization of light energy and the uniformity are improved significantly.

A logic-based method for integer programming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooker, J.; Natraj, N.R.

1994-12-31

We propose a logic-based approach to integer programming that replaces traditional branch-and-cut techniques with logical analogs. Integer variables are regarded as atomic propositions. The constraints give rise to logical formulas that are analogous to separating cuts. No continuous relaxation is used. Rather, the cuts are selected so that they can be easily solved as a discrete relaxation. (In fact, defining a relaxation and generating cuts are best seen as the same problem.) We experiment with relaxations that have a k-tree structure and can be solved by nonserial dynamic programming. We also present logic-based analogs of facet-defining cuts, Chv{acute a}tal rank,more » etc. We conclude with some preliminary computational results.« less

Extraction of a group-pair relation: problem-solving relation from web-board documents.

PubMed

Pechsiri, Chaveevan; Piriyakul, Rapepun

2016-01-01

This paper aims to extract a group-pair relation as a Problem-Solving relation, for example a DiseaseSymptom-Treatment relation and a CarProblem-Repair relation, between two event-explanation groups, a problem-concept group as a symptom/CarProblem-concept group and a solving-concept group as a treatment-concept/repair concept group from hospital-web-board and car-repair-guru-web-board documents. The Problem-Solving relation (particularly Symptom-Treatment relation) including the graphical representation benefits non-professional persons by supporting knowledge of primarily solving problems. The research contains three problems: how to identify an EDU (an Elementary Discourse Unit, which is a simple sentence) with the event concept of either a problem or a solution; how to determine a problem-concept EDU boundary and a solving-concept EDU boundary as two event-explanation groups, and how to determine the Problem-Solving relation between these two event-explanation groups. Therefore, we apply word co-occurrence to identify a problem-concept EDU and a solving-concept EDU, and machine-learning techniques to solve a problem-concept EDU boundary and a solving-concept EDU boundary. We propose using k-mean and Naïve Bayes to determine the Problem-Solving relation between the two event-explanation groups involved with clustering features. In contrast to previous works, the proposed approach enables group-pair relation extraction with high accuracy.

The development and evaluation of a medical imaging training immersive environment

PubMed Central

Bridge, Pete; Gunn, Therese; Kastanis, Lazaros; Pack, Darren; Rowntree, Pamela; Starkey, Debbie; Mahoney, Gaynor; Berry, Clare; Braithwaite, Vicki; Wilson-Stewart, Kelly

2014-01-01

Introduction A novel realistic 3D virtual reality (VR) application has been developed to allow medical imaging students at Queensland University of Technology to practice radiographic techniques independently outside the usual radiography laboratory. Methods A flexible agile development methodology was used to create the software rapidly and effectively. A 3D gaming environment and realistic models were used to engender presence in the software while tutor-determined gold standards enabled students to compare their performance and learn in a problem-based learning pedagogy. Results Students reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived value and the software enabled up to 40 concurrent users to prepare for clinical practice. Student feedback also indicated that they found 3D to be of limited value in the desktop version compared to the usual 2D approach. A randomised comparison between groups receiving software-based and traditional practice measured performance in a formative role play with real equipment. The results of this work indicated superior performance with the equipment for the VR trained students (P = 0.0366) and confirmed the value of VR for enhancing 3D equipment-based problem-solving skills. Conclusions Students practising projection techniques virtually performed better at role play assessments than students practising in a traditional radiography laboratory only. The application particularly helped with 3D equipment configuration, suggesting that teaching 3D problem solving is an ideal use of such medical equipment simulators. Ongoing development work aims to establish the role of VR software in preparing students for clinical practice with a range of medical imaging equipment. PMID:26229652

Students’ Mathematical Problem-Solving Abilities Through The Application of Learning Models Problem Based Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, M. L.; Yerizon, Y.; Gusmiyanti, R.

2018-04-01

One of the purpose mathematic learning is to develop problem solving abilities. Problem solving is obtained through experience in questioning non-routine. Improving students’ mathematical problem-solving abilities required an appropriate strategy in learning activities one of them is models problem based learning (PBL). Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine whether the problem solving abilities of mathematical students’ who learn to use PBL better than on the ability of students’ mathematical problem solving by applying conventional learning. This research included quasi experiment with static group design and population is students class XI MIA SMAN 1 Lubuk Alung. Class experiment in the class XI MIA 5 and class control in the class XI MIA 6. The instrument of final test students’ mathematical problem solving used essay form. The result of data final test in analyzed with t-test. The result is students’ mathematical problem solving abilities with PBL better then on the ability of students’ mathematical problem solving by applying conventional learning. It’s seen from the high percentage achieved by the group of students who learn to use PBL for each indicator of students’ mathematical problem solving.

Case-study experiments in the introductory physics curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arion, D. N.; Crosby, K. M.; Murphy, E. A.

2000-09-01

Carthage College added inquiry-based case study activities to the traditional introductory physics laboratory. Student teams designed, constructed, and executed their own experiments to study real-world phenomena, through which they gained understanding both of physic principles and methods of physics research. Assessment results and student feedback through teacher evaluations indicate that these activities improved student attitudes about physics as well as their ability to solve physics problems relative to previous course offerings that did not include case study.

Next Generation Learning: Transforming the Role of Educators Today for the Students of Tomorrow. The Report of the NASBE Study Group on Developing the 21st Century Educator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of State Boards of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

The current education model in the United States, a relic of the Industrial Age, is increasingly out of touch with the needs of society and the students it serves. The traditional model of education--where a teacher imparts knowledge to students through lecture and students recite memorized facts and solve fundamental math and science problems to…

Concurrent Computational and Dimensional Analyses of Design of Vehicle Floor-Plates for Landmine-Blast Survivability

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

soil, etc.) (Ref 6); (b) the kinematic and structural response of the target to blast loading including the role of target design and use of blast...both the role of material behavior under transient-dynamic loading conditions as well as the kinematic and structural responses of the target structure... seats , ammunition storage racks, power-train lines, etc.). Tradition- ally, the floor-rupture problem is solved through the use of thicker floor-plates

Real-Time Parameter Estimation Using Output Error

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grauer, Jared A.

2014-01-01

Output-error parameter estimation, normally a post- ight batch technique, was applied to real-time dynamic modeling problems. Variations on the traditional algorithm were investigated with the goal of making the method suitable for operation in real time. Im- plementation recommendations are given that are dependent on the modeling problem of interest. Application to ight test data showed that accurate parameter estimates and un- certainties for the short-period dynamics model were available every 2 s using time domain data, or every 3 s using frequency domain data. The data compatibility problem was also solved in real time, providing corrected sensor measurements every 4 s. If uncertainty corrections for colored residuals are omitted, this rate can be increased to every 0.5 s.

Using a general problem-solving strategy to promote transfer.

PubMed

Youssef-Shalala, Amina; Ayres, Paul; Schubert, Carina; Sweller, John

2014-09-01

Cognitive load theory was used to hypothesize that a general problem-solving strategy based on a make-as-many-moves-as-possible heuristic could facilitate problem solutions for transfer problems. In four experiments, school students were required to learn about a topic through practice with a general problem-solving strategy, through a conventional problem solving strategy or by studying worked examples. In Experiments 1 and 2 using junior high school students learning geometry, low knowledge students in the general problem-solving group scored significantly higher on near or far transfer tests than the conventional problem-solving group. In Experiment 3, an advantage for a general problem-solving group over a group presented worked examples was obtained on far transfer tests using the same curriculum materials, again presented to junior high school students. No differences between conditions were found in Experiments 1, 2, or 3 using test problems similar to the acquisition problems. Experiment 4 used senior high school students studying economics and found the general problem-solving group scored significantly higher than the conventional problem-solving group on both similar and transfer tests. It was concluded that the general problem-solving strategy was helpful for novices, but not for students that had access to domain-specific knowledge. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Revising explanatory models to accommodate anomalous genetic phenomena: Problem solving in the context of discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafner, Robert; Stewart, Jim

Past problem-solving research has provided a basis for helping students structure their knowledge and apply appropriate problem-solving strategies to solve problems for which their knowledge (or mental models) of scientific phenomena is adequate (model-using problem solving). This research examines how problem solving in the domain of Mendelian genetics proceeds in situations where solvers' mental models are insufficient to solve problems at hand (model-revising problem solving). Such situations require solvers to use existing models to recognize anomalous data and to revise those models to accommodate the data. The study was conducted in the context of 9-week high school genetics course and addressed: the heuristics charactenstic of successful model-revising problem solving: the nature of the model revisions, made by students as well as the nature of model development across problem types; and the basis upon which solvers decide that a revised model is sufficient (that t has both predictive and explanatory power).

Parent-Teacher Communication about Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Examination of Collaborative Problem-Solving

PubMed Central

Azad, Gazi F.; Kim, Mina; Marcus, Steven C.; Mandell, David S.; Sheridan, Susan M.

2016-01-01

Effective parent-teacher communication involves problem-solving concerns about students. Few studies have examined problem solving interactions between parents and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on identifying communication barriers and strategies for improving them. This study examined the problem-solving behaviors of parents and teachers of children with ASD. Participants included 18 teachers and 39 parents of children with ASD. Parent-teacher dyads were prompted to discuss and provide a solution for a problem that a student experienced at home and at school. Parents and teachers also reported on their problem-solving behaviors. Results showed that parents and teachers displayed limited use of the core elements of problem-solving. Teachers displayed more problem-solving behaviors than parents. Both groups reported engaging in more problem-solving behaviors than they were observed to display during their discussions. Our findings suggest that teacher and parent training programs should include collaborative approaches to problem-solving. PMID:28392604

Parent-Teacher Communication about Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Examination of Collaborative Problem-Solving.

PubMed

Azad, Gazi F; Kim, Mina; Marcus, Steven C; Mandell, David S; Sheridan, Susan M

2016-12-01

Effective parent-teacher communication involves problem-solving concerns about students. Few studies have examined problem solving interactions between parents and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on identifying communication barriers and strategies for improving them. This study examined the problem-solving behaviors of parents and teachers of children with ASD. Participants included 18 teachers and 39 parents of children with ASD. Parent-teacher dyads were prompted to discuss and provide a solution for a problem that a student experienced at home and at school. Parents and teachers also reported on their problem-solving behaviors. Results showed that parents and teachers displayed limited use of the core elements of problem-solving. Teachers displayed more problem-solving behaviors than parents. Both groups reported engaging in more problem-solving behaviors than they were observed to display during their discussions. Our findings suggest that teacher and parent training programs should include collaborative approaches to problem-solving.

Errors analysis of problem solving using the Newman stage after applying cooperative learning of TTW type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rr Chusnul, C.; Mardiyana, S., Dewi Retno

2017-12-01

Problem solving is the basis of mathematics learning. Problem solving teaches us to clarify an issue coherently in order to avoid misunderstanding information. Sometimes there may be mistakes in problem solving due to misunderstanding the issue, choosing a wrong concept or misapplied concept. The problem-solving test was carried out after students were given treatment on learning by using cooperative learning of TTW type. The purpose of this study was to elucidate student problem regarding to problem solving errors after learning by using cooperative learning of TTW type. Newman stages were used to identify problem solving errors in this study. The new research used a descriptive method to find out problem solving errors in students. The subject in this study were students of Vocational Senior High School (SMK) in 10th grade. Test and interview was conducted for data collection. Thus, the results of this study suggested problem solving errors in students after learning by using cooperative learning of TTW type for Newman stages.