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No description available.

The study employed Ernest (2006) Theory of Semiotic Systems to investigate the use of and exposure to multiple representations in a 10th grade algebra II suburban high school class located in the southeastern region of the United States. The purpose of this exploratory case study (Yin, 2014) was to investigate the role of multiple representations in influencing and facilitating algebra II students’ conceptual understanding of piece-wise function, absolute-value functions, and quadratic functions. This study attempted to answer the following question: How does the use of and exposure to multiple representations influence algebra II students’ understanding and transfer of algebraic concepts? Furthermore, the following sub-questions assisted in developing a deeper understanding of the question: a) how does exposure to and use of multiple representations influence students’ identification of their pseudo-conceptual understanding of algebraic concepts?; b) how does exposure to and use of multiple representations influence students’ transition from pseudo-conceptual to conceptual understanding?; c) how does exposure to and use of multiple representations influence students’ transfer of their conceptual understanding to other related concepts? Understanding the notion of pseudo-conceptual understanding in algebra is significant in providing a tool for examining the veracity of algebra students’ conceptual understanding, where teachers have to consistently examine if students accurately understand the meanings of the mathematical signs that they are constantly using. The following data collection techniques were utilized: a) classroom observation, b) task based interviews, and c) study of documents. The unit of analysis was students’ verbal and written responses to task questions. Three themes emerged from the analysis of in this study: (a) re-imaging of conceptual understanding; (b) reflective approach to understanding and using mathematical signs; and (c) representational versatility in the use of mathematical signs. Findings from this study will contribute to the body of knowledge needed in research on understanding and assessing algebra students’ conceptual understanding of mathematics. In particular the findings from the study will contribute to the literature on understanding; the process of algebraic concepts knowledge acquisition, and the challenges that algebra students have with comprehension of algebraic concepts (Knuth, 2000: Zaslavsky et al., 2002).

A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo investigar como a palavra paz é entendida, em termos de conceito, pelo Conselho de Segurança da Organização das Nações Unidas. Para tanto, são analisados trinta e sete relatórios oficiais produzidos pelo Conselho de Segurança, no período de agosto de 1994 a junho de 2009, acerca das missões de paz realizadas em trinta e uma regiões/países que apresentavam ameaça à paz e à segurança internacionais durante aquele período. De acordo com a Conselheira Gilda Santos Neves, chefe da Divisão das Nações Unidas do Ministério das Relações Exteriores, em seu texto O Brasil e a Criação da Comissão para a Consolidação da Paz (2008), a paz é algo que se consolida e não se constrói. Tal posição norteia a presente pesquisa, uma vez que o objetivo aqui é mapear as expressões linguísticas realizadas através da palavra paz. As bases teóricas desta pesquisa encontram-se fundamentadas na teoria da metáfora cognitiva, de Lakoff e Johnson (1980), bem como no estudo de Deignan (2005) em seu livro intitulado Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics, que visa a fornecer os benefícios que a abordagem cognitiva de metáforas pode obter através da análise de corpora digitalizados. Após compilar os relatórios do Conselho de Segurança e prepará-los para serem lidos pelo programa computacional WordSmith Tools 3.0, foram extraídas todas as ocorrências da palavra paz dos referidos relatórios. Das 686 ocorrências geradas, foram deixadas para análise somente aquelas com sentido metafórico e, no total, nove esquemas conceptuais foram construídos. A pesquisa feita sugere que, para o Conselho de Segurança, a paz é algo profundamente desejado tanto pela população das zonas de conflito quanto pela comunidade internacional. No entanto, a paz não é facilmente construída ou estabelecida. Alcançar a paz implica seguir um processo com diferentes etapas, ou seja, com início, meio e fim, bem como superar obstáculos e retrocessos que surgem no meio do caminho. Para tanto, diversos investimentos têm de ser feitos por todos aqueles envolvidos e realmente interessados na paz mundial. Por fim, vê-se que a visão da Conselheira Gilda Santos Neves, de acordo com as metáforas aqui analisadas, está correta, já que, conforme apontam os resultados do presente estudo, o conceito de paz, para o Conselho de Segurança, não é o de algo a ser construído do zero / The present research aims at investigating how the word peace is understood, in terms of meaning, by the Security Council of the United Nations. In order to do so, thirty seven official reports written by the Security Council, from August 1994 to June 2009, about the peace missions in thirty one areas/countries which presented threat to international peace and to international security during that period are analyzed. According to the Counselour Gilda Santos Neves, Head of UN Division, Ministry of External Relations, in her book O Brasil e a Criação da Comissão para a Consolidação da Paz (2008), peace is something which is consolidated, not built. This statement guides the present research, as the aim here is to map the linguistic expressions realized through the word peace. This research draws on the theory of the cognitive metaphor, by Lakoff and Johnson (1980), as well as the study proposed by Deignan (2005) in her book entitled Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics, which aims at providing the benefits the cognitive metaphor approach can obtain through the analysis of digitalized corpora. After compiling the reports of the Security Council and preparing them to be read by the software used, all the occurrences of the word peace were extracted. From 686 occurrences found, only the ones with metaphorical meanings were taken into consideration and nine conceptual metaphors were created altogether. The research suggests that, for the Security Council, peace is deeply desired not only by the population of the conflict zones but also by the international community. In spite of this fact, peace is not easily built or established. Achieving peace implies following a process with different phases, as well as overcoming obstacles and drawbacks which appear in the middle of the course. Therefore, several investments must be made by everyone involved and interested in global peace. Finally, it can be concluded that, according to the metaphors analysed here, the point of view of the Counselor Gilda Santos Neves is right, as the results of this study show that the concept of peace, for the Security Council, is not of something which must be built from its very beginning

A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo investigar como a palavra paz é entendida, em termos de conceito, pelo Conselho de Segurança da Organização das Nações Unidas. Para tanto, são analisados trinta e sete relatórios oficiais produzidos pelo Conselho de Segurança, no período de agosto de 1994 a junho de 2009, acerca das missões de paz realizadas em trinta e uma regiões/países que apresentavam ameaça à paz e à segurança internacionais durante aquele período. De acordo com a Conselheira Gilda Santos Neves, chefe da Divisão das Nações Unidas do Ministério das Relações Exteriores, em seu texto O Brasil e a Criação da Comissão para a Consolidação da Paz (2008), a paz é algo que se consolida e não se constrói. Tal posição norteia a presente pesquisa, uma vez que o objetivo aqui é mapear as expressões linguísticas realizadas através da palavra paz. As bases teóricas desta pesquisa encontram-se fundamentadas na teoria da metáfora cognitiva, de Lakoff e Johnson (1980), bem como no estudo de Deignan (2005) em seu livro intitulado Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics, que visa a fornecer os benefícios que a abordagem cognitiva de metáforas pode obter através da análise de corpora digitalizados. Após compilar os relatórios do Conselho de Segurança e prepará-los para serem lidos pelo programa computacional WordSmith Tools 3.0, foram extraídas todas as ocorrências da palavra paz dos referidos relatórios. Das 686 ocorrências geradas, foram deixadas para análise somente aquelas com sentido metafórico e, no total, nove esquemas conceptuais foram construídos. A pesquisa feita sugere que, para o Conselho de Segurança, a paz é algo profundamente desejado tanto pela população das zonas de conflito quanto pela comunidade internacional. No entanto, a paz não é facilmente construída ou estabelecida. Alcançar a paz implica seguir um processo com diferentes etapas, ou seja, com início, meio e fim, bem como superar obstáculos e retrocessos que surgem no meio do caminho. Para tanto, diversos investimentos têm de ser feitos por todos aqueles envolvidos e realmente interessados na paz mundial. Por fim, vê-se que a visão da Conselheira Gilda Santos Neves, de acordo com as metáforas aqui analisadas, está correta, já que, conforme apontam os resultados do presente estudo, o conceito de paz, para o Conselho de Segurança, não é o de algo a ser construído do zero / The present research aims at investigating how the word peace is understood, in terms of meaning, by the Security Council of the United Nations. In order to do so, thirty seven official reports written by the Security Council, from August 1994 to June 2009, about the peace missions in thirty one areas/countries which presented threat to international peace and to international security during that period are analyzed. According to the Counselour Gilda Santos Neves, Head of UN Division, Ministry of External Relations, in her book O Brasil e a Criação da Comissão para a Consolidação da Paz (2008), peace is something which is consolidated, not built. This statement guides the present research, as the aim here is to map the linguistic expressions realized through the word peace. This research draws on the theory of the cognitive metaphor, by Lakoff and Johnson (1980), as well as the study proposed by Deignan (2005) in her book entitled Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics, which aims at providing the benefits the cognitive metaphor approach can obtain through the analysis of digitalized corpora. After compiling the reports of the Security Council and preparing them to be read by the software used, all the occurrences of the word peace were extracted. From 686 occurrences found, only the ones with metaphorical meanings were taken into consideration and nine conceptual metaphors were created altogether. The research suggests that, for the Security Council, peace is deeply desired not only by the population of the conflict zones but also by the international community. In spite of this fact, peace is not easily built or established. Achieving peace implies following a process with different phases, as well as overcoming obstacles and drawbacks which appear in the middle of the course. Therefore, several investments must be made by everyone involved and interested in global peace. Finally, it can be concluded that, according to the metaphors analysed here, the point of view of the Counselor Gilda Santos Neves is right, as the results of this study show that the concept of peace, for the Security Council, is not of something which must be built from its very beginning

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An apparel product (or “apparel”) is a human product. The design of an apparel product (or “apparel design”) should share many features of general product design and be conducted with a high degree of systematics and rationality. However, the current practice of apparel design is relatively more experience-based and ad-hoc than it should be. Besides, computer support to apparel design is quite limited in that there are several software systems available for supporting apparel design but they are isolated. Two reasons may explain this above situation: (1) absence of the ontology of apparel and apparel design, and (2) absence of a systematic and rational apparel design process. Furthermore, apparel is a specialized type of product in that all three inherent requirements (i.e., function, comfort related to ergonomics, and pleasure related to aesthetics) are equally important, especially the latter, which creates positive affects in the human wearer. In general, knowledge of how to design an apparel product for pleasure/affects is missing from the current design. The general motivation for the research conducted in this thesis is to locate and articulate this “missing knowledge” in order to advance design technology including computer-aided design for modern apparel products. The specific objectives of the research presented in this thesis are: (1) development of a model for the ontology of apparel or apparel system so that all basic concepts and their relationships related to the apparel system are captured; (2) development of a systematic design process for apparel that captures all the inherent characteristics of design, namely iteration and open-endedness; and (3) development of a computer-aided system for affective design for apparel, whereby human feeling once described can be computed with the result that an apparel product meets the wearer’s “feeling needs” (functional and ergonomic needs are assumed to be satisfied or not the concern of this thesis). There are several challenges to achieving the foregoing objectives. The first of these is the understanding of ontology for apparel and apparel design, given that there are so many types of apparel and ad-hoc apparel design processes in practice. The second challenge is the generalization and aggregation of the various ad-hoc apparel design processes that exist in practice. Third is the challenge presented by imprecise information and knowledge in the aspect of human’s affect. All three above challenges have been tackled and answered in this thesis. The first challenge is tackled with the tool of data modeling especially semantic-oriented data modeling. The second challenge is tackled with the general design theory such as general design phase theory, axiomatic design theory, and FCBPSS knowledge architecture (F: function, C: context, B: behavior, P: principle, SS: state and structure). The third challenge is tacked with the data mining technique and subjective rating technique. Several contributions are made with this thesis. First is the development of a comprehensive ontology model for apparel and apparel design that provides a basis for computer-aided design and manufacturing of apparel in the future. Second is the development of a general apparel design process model that offers a reference model for any specific apparel design process. Third is the provision of new “data mining” technology for acquiring words in human language that express affects. It should be noted that this technology is domain-independent, and thus it is applicable to any other type of product for affective design. The final contribution is the development of a method for searching apparel design parameters which describe an apparel product meeting a wearer’s required feelings described by “feeling words”. The database of words and the algorithm can be readily incorporated into commercial software for computer aided design of apparel products with the new enabler (i.e., design for affect or feeling).

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.