Software radio is a radio that is substantially defined in software and whose physical layer behavior can be significantly altered through changes to its software. As a primary goal of software radio is the ability to support existing and future wireless protocols, software radio necessitates the use of a rapidly reprogrammable baseband processing solution. However third generation wireless protocols represent a significant increase in complexity over second generation protocols. Due to the natural performance sacrifices that must be made when moving an application from an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to a general purpose processor or a digital signal processor, it is feared that reprogrammable processing solutions may not suffice for the emerging wireless protocols, which would significantly hinder the realization of software radio, particularly in the handheld domain where power consumption and chip area are critical. Recently, the Configurable Computing Lab at Virginia Tech developed a new breed of reprogrammable processor which they called "custom computing machine" (CCM). Representing a dramatic departure from traditional architectures used for baseband processing solutions, CCMs utilize a large number of optimized and programmable processing cores connected through a programmable mesh. Due to this architectural approach, CCMs have been promoted as supplying a level of processing power and power efficiency similar to ASICs while providing a level of reconfigurability similar to that of a DSP. Subsequently, Dr. Srikathyayani Srikanteswara proposed a new software radio architecture, known as the Layered Radio Architecture, which is intended to facilitate the inclusion of CCMs into a software radio. The primary goal of the research presented in this thesis is to demonstrate how a particular CCM, Stallion, can be used within the Layered Radio Architecture to provide sufficient processing performance, power efficiency, and reconfigurability to meet the constraints of the handheld domain through implementations of a single user adaptive receiver with adaptive complex filtering and a W-CDMA downlink rake receiver. These metrics are measured from a detailed simulation of Stallion and the Configuration Layer of the Layered Radio Architecture using advanced object oriented programming techniques that facilitate the inclusion of statistics gathering routines into normal operation. To provide perspective, these statistics are compared to the performance that could be expected from an implementation on a top-of-the-line DSP. / Master of Science

Práce se zabývá implementací simulátoru superskalárního procesoru. Implementace se odvíjí od existujících simulátorů a jejich chybějících částí. Simulátor umí vykonávat instrukční sadu RISC-V, ovšem je umožněno přidání jakékoli RISC instrukční sady. Simulátor má deterministickou predikci skoku. Části procesoru lze upravovat. Součástí je i editor kódu pro danou instrukční sadu.

This master's thesis deals with the problem of real-time rendering of computer graphics using the method of frameless rendering} as counterpart to the traditional way, which is based on switching between two output buffers. Frameless rendering method is defined and studied in greater depth and its adaptive variant, which delivers better output quality without a~significant reduction of latency, is described in detail. In addition, this thesis describes the implementation of the application which has been developed to demonstrate the principle and functionality of the frameless rendering on the selected scenes. It also includes evaluation of performed tests focused to the output quality.

Summaries in German, English and Afrikaans / Text in German / Die vorliegende Masterarbeit untersucht mittels empirisch-theologischer Forschung, inwiefern ‚Offene Jugendarbeit‘ einen Ort interreligiöser Lernprozesse darstellt. Aufbauend auf theologischer und sozialwissenschaftlicher Grundlegung wurden Mitarbeitende von ‚Offenen Jugendarbeiten‘ in und um Dillenburg in Form von qualitativen Experteninterviews nach ihrer Einschätzung bezüglich der Religiosität der Jugendlichen und der Chancen, Grenzen und Anknüpfungspunkte für interreligiöse Lernprozesse befragt. Dabei dient der empirisch-theologische-Praxiszyklus nach Faix als methodologischer Rahmen. Als Ergebnis der Untersuchung können fünf Aspekte für gelingende interreligiöse Lernprozesse in ‚Offenen Jugendarbeiten‘ festgehalten werden: Offenheit, Orientierung an den Jugendlichen, Religionssensibilität, Miteinander und Austausch. Unter Berücksichtigung dieser und der theologischen und sozialwissenschaftlichen Vorüberlegungen werden sowohl Konsequenzen für die Praxis Sozialer Arbeit als auch für die Missionswissenschaft als theologische Disziplin gezogen. Die Studie will zudem einen Beitrag zur Diskussion um die Verhältnisbestimmung von Theologie und Sozialer Arbeit leisten und Handlungsoptionen für ‚Offene Jugendarbeit‘ aufzeigen. / Based on the empirical-theological research approach, this thesis examines how “open youth work” can be seen as a place for interreligious learning. Referring to theological and socio-scientific foundations, employees of open youth work in Dillenburg (Germany) were asked to give an assessment of the youth’s religiousness and opportunities, limitations, and contact points for interreligious learning in open youth work. The empirical-theological practical cycle serves as methodological framework. In summary, five aspects of successful interreligious learning were identified: openness, youth orientation, religious sensitivity, togetherness and exchange. Taking into account the given results and the theological and socio-scientific preliminary considerations, the consequences for missiology and the practice of social work will be drawn together. The study aims to contribute to the discussion about the relationship between theology and social work, identifying courses of action for open youth work. / Op grond van die empiries-teologiese navorsingsbenadering ondersoek hierdie tesis hoe “oop jeugwerk” beskou kan word as 'n geleentheid vir interreligieuse leer. Met verwysing na teologiese en sosiaal-wetenskaplike grondslae is jeugwerkers in Dillenburg (Duitsland) versoek om die godsdienstigheid van jongmense asook die geleenthede, beperkings en kontakpunte vir interreligieuse leer in oop jeugwerk te beoordeel. Die empiries-teologiese praktiese siklus dien as metodologiese raamwerk. Vyf aspekte van geslaagde interreligieuse leer is aangedui: oopheid, jeugoriëntasie, godsdiensgevoeligheid, samehorigheid en uitruiling. Met inagneming van die uitslag en die teologiese en sosiaal-wetenskaplike voorlopige beskouings word afleidings gemaak oor die gevolge vir die missiologie en die praktyk van maatskaplike werk, en word 'n handelswyse vir oop jeugwerk aangetoon. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Die Arbeit untersucht die Realisierungsmöglichkeiten der Potenziale des objektorientierten Paradigmas im Bereich der Management Support Systems (MSS). Die Untersuchung konzentriert sich dabei auf die grundlegende Datenhaltungskomponente, das Data Warehouse (DWH) respektive Object Warehouse. Dazu wird im ersten Teil zunächst nach einer ausführlichen Analyse der Begriffslandschaft im Bereich der Management Support Systems und einer geeigneten Neudefinition und Einordnung des Data Warehouse auf den Entwicklungspfad des Data Warehouse eingegangen, bei welchem insbesondere die Anforderungen und Zielsetzungen des Data-Warehouse-Konzeptes herausgearbeitet werden. Darauf aufbauend wird ein generelles, systemunabhängiges Data-Warehouse-Konzept entwickelt und gegenüber den in der Literatur und Praxis vorherrschenden, konventionellen Konzepten bewertet. Basierend auf einer umfassenden Klassifizierung und Analyse des objektorientierten Paradigmas und seiner MSS- und DWH-spezifischen Verbesserungspotenziale erfolgt anschließend die Konzeption für ein Object Warehouse. Angesichts der erheblichen Anzahl bezüglich Konzepten und Zielsetzungen sehr unterschiedlicher Objekt-Paradigmata, muss die gleichwohl notwendige Paradigmen-Diskussion und Integration teilweise beschränkt auf den Teilaspekt der Objectbase Management Systems (OBMS) erfolgen, speziell auf solche, die die geforderten semantischen Modellierungsmöglichkeiten des Objekt-Paradigmas für den Reconciled Object Layer des Data Warehouse unterstützen. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit werden die in konkreten Projekten gewonnenen Erkenntnisse bezüglich der Umsetzung des Object-Warehouse-Konzeptes in der Praxis vorgestellt und einer kritischen Würdigung unterzogen. Dabei werden erhebliche Diskrepanzen bezüglich der Umsetzung methodischer Konzeptionen in realen Software-Werkzeugen expliziert, was eine umfassende Umsetzung des Object-Warehouse-Konzeptes zur Zeit noch erheblich einschränkt.

This master's thesis describes artificial intelligence algorithms based on the book Artificial Inteligence: A Modern Approach by S. Russel and P. Norvig and implementation of the algorithms in the Squeak Smalltalk programming language with object oriented approach. Algorithms are based on pseudocode in the book and existing implementations in Lisp, Python and Java language. Main concepts are intelligent agents, agent simulation environments, state space search, game playing, planning, uncertainty and learning.

The most commonly used programming languages for modern software development usually belong to either the Imperative Paradigm (IP) or Declarative Paradigm (DP). These paradigms often come with drawbacks like code coupling and structural and/or temporal redundancy. The Notification Oriented Paradigm (NOP) comes as a new approach for software development that works based on small, smart, and reactive notifiable entities. That is how NOP facilitates software development to achieve several features like responsiveness by avoiding code redundancy and distributiveness by allowing code decoupling. This research focused on examining some of NOP green potentials in a simulated sensor correlation application, in smart city-like, by comparing the performance of a NOP Implementation with other common and popular object-oriented programming languages. The NOP implementation is the so-called NOP C++ Framework 4.0, which is the current state of the technics in this domain. In order to explore the NOP C++ Framework 4.0, an air quality monitoring system prototype was developed considering the presence of air quality sensors in three different locations of a supposed smart city. Beyond the prototype implemented in NOP C++ framework 4.0, it was as well implemented in C++ and Java programming languages in order to compare them. The aim is to evaluate the performance of the NOP state of technics, which will help to identify the green potentials of NOP and also its applicability in a smart city context. Two air quality datasets collected from real-time sensors located in two different cities of different countries were used to evaluate the performance of the applications. The performance analysis shows that the NOP application outperformed the other two for both datasets in terms of execution time, memory usage, and energy consumption. Future works should consider the prototypical NOP programming language, the so-called NOP state of the art, that has better performance than the NOP C++ Framework 4.0 because its compiler generates low-level-like code.

The ongoing debate about the capacity of distance learning (DL) to assist in the development of teaching skills and to improve teaching practice is the focus of many inquiries in the field of teacher education. The practice-based nature of Foundation Phase teaching poses unique challenges for professional development of teachers through DL programmes. In order to address inadequacies identified in the literature and previous research, a practical component was designed and included in the revised version of the Advanced Certificate: Education - Foundation Phase, as part of a bursary project. In 2011 the Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDoE) enrolled 50 practising Foundation Phase teachers for this distance learning programme as the first of three cohorts in the bursary project. A learning portfolio and audio-visual resources, designed according to principles derived from previous research and related literature, formed part of this practical component. The aim was to support teacher applied competence through developing pedagogical content knowledge, self-directedness, and a professional attitude, and through guiding the application of new knowledge and skills in practice. The completed portfolios further served as an instrument for the assessment of teacher performance with regard to applied competence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of the practical component of the revised Foundation Phase ACE programme delivered by the NWU via distance learning with specific focus on the way this component facilitates the development of applied competence and the way the portfolio provides for the assessment of professional classroom competencies of practising Foundation Phase teachers. The study further aimed to put forward a model for the development of applied practice based on the findings of the study. In order to attain the aims of the study, the literature was explored to firstly determine the elements which contribute to applied competence in effective teacher professional development programmes. The literature was further explored to determine what the body of scholarship indicates with respect to programme design features that support applied competence in DL programmes for teacher professional development. An implementation evaluation study was then conducted on the programme by collecting data from 50 Foundation Phase teachers as the first of three cohorts enrolled for the bursary project. Data were primarily collected through multiple qualitative methods including a focus-group interview, individual interviews, written expectations as well as open ended questions of questionnaires. Descriptive data were also collected through semi-structured questionnaires. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis to determine the theoretical and conceptual implications of the profile and teaching context of the Northern Cape Foundation Phase teacher enrolled for the DL Foundation Phase ACE programme, the expectations of these teachers regarding the way the practical component would support their applied competence in their contexts, and the teachers’ experiences of the way the programme component supported the development of their applied competence. The study further determined the extent to which the learning portfolios interrogate the elements of applied competence. Quantitative data collected through semi-structured questionnaires were statistically analysed and served to support the interpretation of qualitative data. The investigation was approached from a constructivist paradigm; an approach that falls under an interpretivist philosophical orientation. Although quantitative methods were used to gather descriptive statistical data in support of the qualitative data, the study is grounded in qualitative research methodology where the concern is with the formative evaluation of the DL programme component The findings strongly confirm the value of such a practical component as part of a DL programme to support the elements of applied competence. However, the way the programme accommodates teacher profiles and teaching contexts will greatly influence the sustainability of the programme outcomes in practice. The findings further show that the portfolio as instrument for the assessment of applied competence requires careful planning and should provide strong guidance in the reflective process to support sustained outcomes of the programme in practice. A suggested model for a DL programme for the professional development of Foundation Phase teachers is based on the findings of the study. / PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The ongoing debate about the capacity of distance learning (DL) to assist in the development of teaching skills and to improve teaching practice is the focus of many inquiries in the field of teacher education. The practice-based nature of Foundation Phase teaching poses unique challenges for professional development of teachers through DL programmes. In order to address inadequacies identified in the literature and previous research, a practical component was designed and included in the revised version of the Advanced Certificate: Education - Foundation Phase, as part of a bursary project. In 2011 the Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDoE) enrolled 50 practising Foundation Phase teachers for this distance learning programme as the first of three cohorts in the bursary project. A learning portfolio and audio-visual resources, designed according to principles derived from previous research and related literature, formed part of this practical component. The aim was to support teacher applied competence through developing pedagogical content knowledge, self-directedness, and a professional attitude, and through guiding the application of new knowledge and skills in practice. The completed portfolios further served as an instrument for the assessment of teacher performance with regard to applied competence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of the practical component of the revised Foundation Phase ACE programme delivered by the NWU via distance learning with specific focus on the way this component facilitates the development of applied competence and the way the portfolio provides for the assessment of professional classroom competencies of practising Foundation Phase teachers. The study further aimed to put forward a model for the development of applied practice based on the findings of the study. In order to attain the aims of the study, the literature was explored to firstly determine the elements which contribute to applied competence in effective teacher professional development programmes. The literature was further explored to determine what the body of scholarship indicates with respect to programme design features that support applied competence in DL programmes for teacher professional development. An implementation evaluation study was then conducted on the programme by collecting data from 50 Foundation Phase teachers as the first of three cohorts enrolled for the bursary project. Data were primarily collected through multiple qualitative methods including a focus-group interview, individual interviews, written expectations as well as open ended questions of questionnaires. Descriptive data were also collected through semi-structured questionnaires. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis to determine the theoretical and conceptual implications of the profile and teaching context of the Northern Cape Foundation Phase teacher enrolled for the DL Foundation Phase ACE programme, the expectations of these teachers regarding the way the practical component would support their applied competence in their contexts, and the teachers’ experiences of the way the programme component supported the development of their applied competence. The study further determined the extent to which the learning portfolios interrogate the elements of applied competence. Quantitative data collected through semi-structured questionnaires were statistically analysed and served to support the interpretation of qualitative data. The investigation was approached from a constructivist paradigm; an approach that falls under an interpretivist philosophical orientation. Although quantitative methods were used to gather descriptive statistical data in support of the qualitative data, the study is grounded in qualitative research methodology where the concern is with the formative evaluation of the DL programme component The findings strongly confirm the value of such a practical component as part of a DL programme to support the elements of applied competence. However, the way the programme accommodates teacher profiles and teaching contexts will greatly influence the sustainability of the programme outcomes in practice. The findings further show that the portfolio as instrument for the assessment of applied competence requires careful planning and should provide strong guidance in the reflective process to support sustained outcomes of the programme in practice. A suggested model for a DL programme for the professional development of Foundation Phase teachers is based on the findings of the study. / PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The quest for a better way to learn and teach programming, in particular object-oriented programming, is a challenge that continues to intrigue computer science educators. Even after decades of research in learning to program, educators still search for the optimal instructional approach that will solve the `learning to program effectively' problem among introductory programming students. The aim of this study was to gain insight into, and to suggest possible explanations for, the "qualitatively different ways" in which students experience learning to program using an object-oriented programming language, and to recommend teaching and learning strategies as a result of the outcomes of the research. In order to achieve these aims, a combination of phenomenographic research methods and elements of activity theory have been employed to gain an in depth understanding of pre- and in-service teachers' learning experiences. The categories of description for the phenomenon, learning to program and the influence of the learning context have been analysed and described in detail. It is argued that understanding learning to program using Java, in order to teach programming involves more than understanding learning to program as it is normally taught in university programming courses. In addition to object-oriented concepts such as message passing, inheritance, polymorphism, delegation and overriding, it entails understanding how learning to program is reflected in the goals of instruction and in different instructional practices. Knowledge of learning to program must also be linked to knowledge of students' thinking, so that teachers have conceptions of typical trajectories of student learning, and can use this knowledge to recognize landmarks of understanding in individuals. The findings suggest relationships among students' affective appraisals of the value of learning to program, their conceptions of learning to program, their approaches to learning it, their evaluations of their performance in tests and examinations and outcomes of their actions. The relationships emerged from student descriptions of their actions and the way in which different aspects of their learning and outcomes related to one another were qualitatively described and in some cases, quantified. In particular, the tensions between prior programming knowledge of a procedural language and current learning of an object-oriented language have emerged in the study. This has implications for teaching, as this study was set against the backdrop of the change in programming language in high schools, from a procedural to an object-oriented language. / Mathematical Sciences / PhD (Maths, Science and Technology Education)