scholarly journals Innovative approaches for research led education: UCC’s Green Campus Living Laboratory Programme

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kirrane ◽  
◽  
John O'Halloran ◽  
Mark Poland ◽  
Sandra Irwin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Student Agency ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Academic Strategy

Ireland’s National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (2014-2020), highlights the need to equip students with “the relevant knowledge (the ‘what’), the key dispositions and skills (the ‘how’) and the values (the ‘why’)” to contribute to a more sustainable future (Department of Education and Skills, 2014). Delivering on this challenge requires embedding sustainability within both the formal and informal learning that occurs on campus (Hopkinson et al. 2008), while also integrating sustainability both within and across disciplines (Byrne et al., 2018). UCC is a global leader in sustainability in higher education, being the first University in the world to be awarded a Green Flag from the Foundation for Environmental Education (Reidy et al, 2015). Sustainability at UCC is “student-led, research-informed, and practice-focused” that is, the programme takes an integrated approach and aims to utilise the collective student agency and research capability to deliver real and lasting change on the ground (Pelenc et al. 2015). UCC’s Academic Strategy, with sustainability and interdisciplinarity as key components of the new “Connected Curriculum”, aims to “facilitate students to develop values, skills and aptitudes that promote civic participation, social inclusion, sustainability, digital fluency and impactful, global citizenship” (UCC, 2018). A key aim of delivering its Sustainability Strategy is that UCC would become a “Living Laboratory”, where students, academics and practitioners work together, using the campus itself as a testbed for solutions to today’s major societal challenges (UCC, 2016). A Living Laboratory project should aim to: • Solve a real-life problem • Be based on a partnership among key stakeholders, often crossing disciplinary and/or sectoral boundaries • Trial and test ideas in real life settings • Share data and findings generated openly (EAUC, 2017).

scholarly journals What affordances do open-ended real-life tasks offer for sharing student agency in collaborative problem-solving?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juuso Henrik Nieminen ◽  
Man Ching Esther Chan ◽  
David Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Student Agency ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Collaborative Problem ◽  
Mathematical Arguments ◽  
Life Tasks ◽  
Collaborative Construction

AbstractThe important role of student agency in collaborative problem-solving has been acknowledged in previous mathematics education research. However, what remains unknown are the processes of agency in open-ended tasks that draw on real-life contexts and demand argumentation beyond “mathematical”. In this study, we analyse a video recording of two student groups (each consisting of four students) taking part in collaborative problem-solving. We draw on the framework for collaborative construction of mathematical arguments and its interplay with student agency by Mueller et al. (2012). This original framework is supplemented by (i) testing and revising it in the context of open-ended real-life tasks, with (ii) student groups rather than pairs working on the tasks, and by (iii) offering a strengthened methodological pathway for analysing student agency in such a context. Based on our findings, we suggest that the framework suits this new context with some extensions. First, we note that differences in student agency were not only identified in terms of the discourse students drew on, but in how students were able to shift between various discourses, such as between “mathematical” and “non-mathematical” discourses. We identify a novel discourse reflecting student agency, invalidation discourse, which refers to denying other students’ agency by framing their contribution as invalid. Finally, we discuss the need to reframe “mathematical” arguments—and indeed student agency—while the task at hand is open-ended and concerns real-life contexts.

Analysis of Older Users’ Perceived Requests and Opportunities with Technologies

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Feli Gonzalez ◽  
David Facal ◽  
Ana Belen Navarro ◽  
Arjan Geven ◽  
Manfred Tscheligi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Meaningful Information ◽  
Pervasive Technology ◽  
Cognitive Assistance ◽  
Older Users ◽  
Elderly Users ◽  
The Way

The HERMES Cognitive Care and Guidance for Active Aging project proposes an integrated approach to cognitive assistance, promoting the autonomy of elderly users through pervasive technology. This work aims to describe elderly people’s opinions when they are presented scenarios developed in this project. Two focus groups were organized in Austria and Spain with a view to collecting their impressions about the way in which the technological device can cover their needs; complementarily, a second session was conducted including a quantitative questionnaire. Although some participants were reluctant to use the technology, they welcomed some functionalities of the HERMES system and they considered that using them can help them to become familiar with them. Usefulness, usability, and use of real-life information for functionalities such as cognitive games are considered to be key areas of the project. This evaluation has provided the developers of the system with meaningful information to improve it and it guarantees that the system addresses elderly people’s needs.

scholarly journals An Integrated Approach to Product Delivery Planning and Scheduling

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Merkuryeva ◽  
Vitaly Bolshakov ◽  
Maksims Kornevs
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Classification Model ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Planning And Scheduling ◽  
Delivery Planning ◽  
Product Delivery

An Integrated Approach to Product Delivery Planning and SchedulingProduct delivery planning and scheduling is a task of high priority in transport logistics. In distribution centres this task is related to deliveries of various types of goods in predefined time windows. In real-life applications the problem has different stochastic performance criteria and conditions. Optimisation of schedules itself is time consuming and requires an expert knowledge. In this paper an integrated approach to product delivery planning and scheduling is proposed. It is based on a cluster analysis of demand data of stores to identify typical dynamic demand patterns and product delivery tactical plans, and simulation optimisation to find optimal parameters of transportation or vehicle schedules. Here, a cluster analysis of the demand data by using the K-means clustering algorithm and silhouette plots mean values is performed, and an NBTree-based classification model is built. In order to find an optimal grouping of stores into regions based on their geographical locations and the total demand uniformly distributed over regions, a multiobjective optimisation problem is formulated and solved with the NSGA II algorithm.

scholarly journals The social mandate of the holistic/integrated approach to learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Callo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Integration ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Current Status ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Competencies ◽  
Specificity Of Learning ◽  
Relationship Of

The specific elements in the ontological planning of the social require the holistic approach of the social process, but also of the educational ones. The whole-part dichotomy as a relationship of complementarity raises the issue of the specificity of learning integration, starting from the educational purpose, marked by the formation of key competencies, recorded by knowledge, skills, attitudes. The current status of integration, of the action to make something full, complete, very complex, generates a series of renovations, including the issue of this article, focused on the idea of the need for a model of bio- (or eco-) functional integration, designating a useful process for the student in the sense of his real life or his concrete environment.

Integrated Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Student (Distance Learning) Education in Thermal Systems Design

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srinivas Garimella
Keyword(s):  
Community Involvement ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Design Studio ◽  
Thermal Systems ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
K 12

Abstract This paper describes an educational program in practical thermal systems design that encompasses design project-oriented teaching of undergraduate, graduate and off-campus professional students, industry-university collaboration, and community outreach. The program uses an integrated approach that treats thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer as parts of one interconnected area, in which solutions to real-life design problems can be obtained only when all these aspects are considered simultaneously. Cooperation between students at various stages of their educational and professional careers is fostered to maximize the synergy that results from combining insights gained in industry and those developed in structured classroom instruction. The program consists of a comprehensive portfolio of Thermal Systems Design Instruction Initiatives. An interactive design laboratory format is used for cooperative execution of open-ended mini-projects spanning two-to-three weeks, and a semester-long project. The use of virtual project groups through the web removes geographical barriers. Computer programs for the solution of projects are placed on-line to create a design library for use by students in future semesters as case studies. An Energy-Efficient Environmentally-Safe Design Studio is planned where projects on environmental responsibility, and energy efficiency can be conducted for the local community. Annual design studio conferences will be held to foster K-12 and community involvement, and to demonstrate sustainable technologies. Collaboration with local thermal systems related organizations such as the Iowa Energy Center is also being pursued, which will provide inherent mechanisms for technology transfer from course-related projects to industry and the community.

Analysis of Older Users’ Perceived Requests and Opportunities with Technologies

2014 ◽  
pp. 40-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Feli Gonzalez ◽  
David Facal ◽  
Ana Belen Navarro ◽  
Arjan Geven ◽  
Manfred Tscheligi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Meaningful Information ◽  
Pervasive Technology ◽  
Cognitive Assistance ◽  
Older Users ◽  
Elderly Users ◽  
The Way

The HERMES Cognitive Care and Guidance for Active Aging project proposes an integrated approach to cognitive assistance, promoting the autonomy of elderly users through pervasive technology. This work aims to describe elderly people’s opinions when they are presented scenarios developed in this project. Two focus groups were organized in Austria and Spain with a view to collecting their impressions about the way in which the technological device can cover their needs; complementarily, a second session was conducted including a quantitative questionnaire. Although some participants were reluctant to use the technology, they welcomed some functionalities of the HERMES system and they considered that using them can help them to become familiar with them. Usefulness, usability, and use of real-life information for functionalities such as cognitive games are considered to be key areas of the project. This evaluation has provided the developers of the system with meaningful information to improve it and it guarantees that the system addresses elderly people’s needs.

scholarly journals Penalising Unexplainability in Neural Networks for Predicting Payments per Claim Incurred

Risks ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky H. L. Poon
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Life Insurance ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Machine Learning Model ◽  
Loss Reserving ◽  
Risk Pricing

In actuarial modelling of risk pricing and loss reserving in general insurance, also known as P&C or non-life insurance, there is business value in the predictive power and automation through machine learning. However, interpretability can be critical, especially in explaining to key stakeholders and regulators. We present a granular machine learning model framework to jointly predict loss development and segment risk pricing. Generalising the Payments per Claim Incurred (PPCI) loss reserving method with risk variables and residual neural networks, this combines interpretable linear and sophisticated neural network components so that the ‘unexplainable’ component can be identified and regularised with a separate penalty. The model is tested for a real-life insurance dataset, and generally outperformed PPCI on predicting ultimate loss for sufficient sample size.

The multi resource leveling and materials procurement problem: an integrated approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 2135-2161
Author(s):  
Hessa Almatroushi ◽  
Moncer Hariga ◽  
Rami As'ad ◽  
AbdulRahman Al-Bar
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Project Scheduling ◽  
Lot Sizing ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Project Schedule ◽  
Sequential Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordering Policy ◽  
Solution Methods

PurposeThis paper proposes an integrated approach that seeks to jointly optimize project scheduling and material lot sizing decisions for time-constrained project scheduling problems.Design/methodology/approachA mixed integer linear programming model is devised, which utilizes the splitting of noncritical activities as a mean toward leveling the renewable resources. The developed model minimizes renewable resources leveling costs along with consumable resources related costs, and it is solved using IBM ILOG CPLEX optimization package. A hybrid metaheuristic procedure is also proposed to efficiently solve the model for larger projects with complex networks structure.FindingsThe results confirmed the significance of the integrated approach as both the project schedule and the material ordering policy turned out to be different once compared to the sequential approach under same parameter settings. Furthermore, the integrated approach resulted in substantial total costs reduction for low values of the acquiring and releasing costs of the renewable resources. Computational experiments conducted over 240 test instances of various sizes, and complexities illustrate the efficiency of the proposed metaheuristic approach as it yields solutions that are on average 1.14% away from the optimal ones.Practical implicationsThis work highlights the necessity of having project managers address project scheduling and materials lot sizing decisions concurrently, rather than sequentially, to better level resources and minimize materials related costs. Significant cost savings were generated through the developed model despite the use of a small-scale example which illustrates the great potential that the integrated approach has in real life projects. For real life projects with complex network topology, practitioners are advised to make use of the developed metaheuristic procedure due to its superior time efficiency as compared to exact solution methods.Originality/valueThe sequential approach, wherein a project schedule is established first followed by allocating the needed resources, is proven to yield a nonoptimized project schedule and materials ordering policy, leading to an increase in the project's total cost. The integrated approach proposed hereafter optimizes both decisions at once ensuring the timely completion of the project at the least possible cost. The proposed metaheuristic approach provides a viable alternative to exact solution methods especially for larger projects.

The New Age of Communication Research: Discourse, Cognition and Behaviour

2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skye McDonald ◽  
Leanne Togher
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injuries ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injuries ◽  
Integrated Treatment ◽  
Communication Breakdown ◽  
Socially Relevant

AbstractResearch into communication disorders has been undergoing a slow revolution over the past few decades with some fascinating advances and some exciting new directions ahead. The major change in emphasis that has emerged is an interest in assessing communication as this relates to real-life everyday type situations. In particular, three major thrusts can be identified. The first is the application of socially relevant linguistic theory to communication disorders. Thus, theorists such as Halliday have provided useful frameworks for identifying patterns in discourse. In turn, these have revealed the strengths and weakness of speakers with aphasia or other communication disorders (e.g., traumatic brain injuries) and also what their conversational partners do to help or hinder this process. The second is an examination of how cognitive processes, including memory, inferential reasoning and social cognition, contribute to communicative competence in people who have communication disorders but not aphasia, such as those with Alzheimer's disease, with traumatic brain injuries and with right hemisphere lesions. The third is the adoption of a more integrated approach, whereby verbal and nonverbal behaviours are examined in detail for their communicative meaning, for both the purposes of characterising communication breakdown and for developing an integrated treatment approach.

scholarly journals How does a (Smart) Age-Friendly Ecosystem Look in a Post-Pandemic Society?

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 8276
Author(s):  
Hannah Ramsden Marston ◽  
Linda Shore ◽  
P.J. White
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Living Will ◽  
Opportunities To Respond ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Agile Approach

COVID-19 has impacted not only the health of citizens, but also the various factors that make up our society, living environments, and ecosystems. This pandemic has shown that future living will need to be agile and flexible to adapt to the various changes in needs of societal populations. Digital technology has played an integral role during COVID-19, assisting various sectors of the community, and demonstrating that smart cities can provide opportunities to respond to many future societal challenges. In the decades ahead, the rise in aging populations will be one of these challenges, and one in which the needs and requirements between demographic cohorts will vary greatly. Although we need to create future smart age-friendly ecosystems to meet these needs, technology still does not feature in the WHO eight domains of an age-friendly city. This paper extends upon Marston and van Hoof’s ‘Smart Age-friendly Ecosystem’ (SAfE) framework, and explores how digital technology, design hacking, and research approaches can be used to understand a smart age-friendly ecosystem in a post-pandemic society. By exploring a series of case studies and using real-life scenarios from the standpoint of COVID-19, we propose the ‘Concept of Age-friendly Smart Ecologies (CASE)’ framework. We provide an insight into a myriad of contemporary multi-disciplinary research, which are capable to initiate discussions and bring various actors together with a positive impact on future planning and development of age-friendly ecosystems. The strengths and limitations of this framework are outlined, with advantages evident in the opportunity for towns, regions/counties, provinces, and states to take an agile approach and work together in adopting and implement improvements for the greater benefits of residents and citizens.

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