This degree thesis explores the potential use of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel Half of a Yellow Sun as a tool in literature education to enhance students' understanding of complex themes such as war, identity, and cultural influence. Through a combination of in-depth analysis of the novel and integration of secondary literature and educational resources, the study highlights how various theoretical perspectives and reading strategies can improve students' comprehension and interpretation of the text. By focusing on the novel's exploration of characters' identity and meaning in turbulent times, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of literature's pedagogical potential and its ability to promote students' reflection and discussion on central topics. The conclusion drawn by this paper is that through the application of different theoretical perspectives and educational strategies such as reading strategies and critical literacy, literature education can contribute to a more rewarding learning environment for students as they become more engaged and involved in their learning.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

With recent research advances, the dream of bringing domestic robots into our everyday lives has become more plausible than ever. Domestic robotics has grown dramatically in the past decade, with applications ranging from house cleaning to food service to health care. To date, the majority of the planning and control machinery for these systems are carefully designed by human engineers. A large portion of this effort goes into selecting the appropriate models and control techniques for each application, and these skills take years to master. Relieving the burden on human experts is therefore a central challenge for bringing robot technology to the masses. This work addresses this challenge by introducing a physics engine as a model space for an autonomous robot, and defining procedures for enabling robots to decide when and how to learn these models. We also present an appropriate space of motor controllers for these models, and introduce ways to intelligently select when to use each controller based on the estimated model parameters. We integrate these components into a framework called Physics-Based Reinforcement Learning, which features a stochastic physics engine as the core model structure. Together these methods enable a robot to adapt to unfamiliar environments without human intervention. The central focus of this thesis is on fast online model learning for objects with under-specified dynamics. We develop our approach across a diverse range of domestic tasks, starting with a simple table-top manipulation task, followed by a mobile manipulation task involving a single utility cart, and finally an open-ended navigation task with multiple obstacles impeding robot progress. We also present simulation results illustrating the efficiency of our method compared to existing approaches in the learning literature.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The problem addressed in this theoretical study was that although current knowledge and research indicate clearly that intelligence can be raised in the regular classroom, there did not exist a model to guide teachers in doing so. The purpose of this study, then, was to construct a model which would guide teachers in adapting their instruction so that "teaching was thinking," or teaching to raise intelligence be deliberately addressed by the way existing subjects are taught, rather than (or in addition to) as a separate subject. In other words, the purpose of the study was to propose a model which would help teachers deliberately and systematically improve students' generic skills of intelligence in the course teaching normal curricular subjects--a way of teaching rather than a separate subject. The first issue addressed is the historical context surrounding the debate over the construct of intelligence as alterable--that intelligence is not an immutable "amount," but the orchestration and use of malleable, teachable processes. Second, philosophic, psychological and educational foundations were laid and examined, and the model was proposed and discussed. Particular emphasis was given discussion of model theory, including the need for and structural parameters of academically honest models. Third is the review and discussion of research and writing relating to the instructional attempts to raise intelligence. This review begins with seminal theoretical works, and progressing through to those with increasingly specific applications to actual instruction in the classroom. Fourth, the model was used to generate specific, substantive examples--lessons plans--of instructional strategies within various subjects. Although the content used is from elementary school curricula, the model is equally applicable to high school, college, or any other instructional area. Fifth and finally, the problems and promises inherent in the attempt to implement such a curricular effort were examined.

No description available.