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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
61

"Man känner att man verkligen lyckas fånga dom" : En lärares uppfattningar om och användning av kunskapsreproducerande och kunskapsutforskande samtal / “You feel that you really succeed in capturing them” : A teacher’s perceptions and use of presentational and exploratory talk

Åstrand, Isabelle, Sandberg, Michelle January 2023 (has links)
Denna studies syfte är att ge djupgående kunskap om en lågstadieläraresuppfattningar om och användning av kunskapsreproducerande och kunskapsutforskande samtal i svenskundervisning. Studien har en teoretisk utgångspunkt i fenomenologi och är utformad som en fallstudie med tre klassrumsobservationer i årskurs 1 och en uppföljande intervju med klassläraren. Den insamlade datan har analyserats med en innehållsanalys som sorterat materialet i kategorier och underkategorier. Resultatet är att läraren inte benämner begreppen som kunskapsreproducerande och kunskapsutforskande samtal men använder och anpassar samtalen till sin undervisning efter hur gruppdynamiken i klassen fungerar. Vidare framkommer att det kollegiala samarbetet är viktigt för planeringen av klassrumssamtalen. När läraren reflekterade över de observerade lektionerna framkom det att hon var nöjd med att blanda samtalstyperna med såväl slutna som öppna frågor och att hon kunde styra lektionerna med valet av samtal. Hon hade planerat lektionerna så att eleverna skulle ta det största talutrymmet, vilket observationerna visade stämde.
62

Exploring the involvement of children in the decisionmaking process about their future

Moeketsi, Ramathabathe Rossy 09 1900 (has links)
The researcher wanted to explore the experiences of children who removal by a social worker either to an institution or to foster homes. The researcher wanted to find out if the behaviour of absconding could be explained by using systems theory, contructivism, cybernetics and person- centered theory. The researcher hypothesized that children abscond from alternative care as a means of communicating with the social worker involved as well as any other person significant in their lives. The study wanted to explore how these children perceived their involvement in the decision making process of their removal. The researcher only interviewed children who had absconded from the alternative care placements. The study found that all the children interviewed perceived that they were not involved in any way in the process of removal. They all saw their removal as a form of punishment for something they did wrong, but they did not get an opportunity to discuss with their parents or significant others. They also perceived their absconding as an effort to rectify the situation. A lot of anger and suspicion towards social workers was encountered during the study. In terms of the theories mentioned above, these perceptions are the children’s own reality, which might differ from the realities as created or perceived by social workers. It is hypothesized that social workers who use the Child Care Act 74/83 and its regulations in the removal of children, do it to protect the children from risky situations as their job responsibility requires. This study indicates that the children did not experience removal as protection. Instead of children feeling protected in the alternative care, they felt blamed, judged and unhappy about their removal and excluded from the process. The researcher made a few suggestions that could be considered when social workers removing children to alternative care. It is recommended that social workers involve the children and their parents or significant others in the entire process of deciding the future of any children in their (parents’) care. However, if removal is deemed necessary, just telling or informing children that they will be removed for their own safety is not enough. Children might not perceive the situation as dangerous. Instead, they might see the social worker as posing a danger to them and their families and thus try to shut the social worker and what s/he says out of their minds. Findings safe ways to involve children and families in the decisions about their future may require of social workers to revive their academically acquired knowledge in this respect. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Sciences (Mental Health))
63

Exploring students' academic performance in some fundamental concepts in chemistry through learning styles and instructional materials at two preparatory schools in Ethiopia

Dereje Andargie Kidanemariam 11 1900 (has links)
The main objective of the study was to explain how learning styles and instructional material influence students’ academic performance in some fundamental chemical concepts, and to integrate a specific learning styles model into the literatures of chemistry education and suggest how to apply it in the teaching-learning process of chemistry. To achieve the intended objective, a sequential explanatory mixed method design was applied. Out of 1676 science students in two preparatory schools, 326 participants were selected using a disproportionate random sampling and a sequential mixed method with a nested sampling strategy. Data were collected through Learning Styles Index, Chemistry test, and Semi-structured and open-ended questionnaire. The quantitative part of the data was analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including an independent sample t-test and multiple regression analysis. The qualitative part of the data was analysed using a framework analysis approach. This approach involves thematic analysis followed by comparisons both within and between themes, and between cases. The quantitative phase of the study found that the contributions of learning styles to academic performance in some fundamental chemical concepts have not statistically significant contribution. Therefore, it can be concluded that there was not any superior learning style that lead students to success in the fundamental chemical concepts considered in this study. The qualitative part of the study showed that the majority of students preferred the same nature of chemistry instructional materials. It also showed that nature of chemistry instructional materials used in the schools were different which can accommodate students’ with different learning styles. Based on the findings it is recommended that instructional designers and teachers take into consideration the representational nature of chemical concepts and then students learning styles when making instructional decisions. / Science and Technology Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (Chemistry Education))
64

Exploring community resilience strategies on challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in EkurhuleniMetropolitan Municipality, Gauteng

Ngonyama, Luyanda George 11 1900 (has links)
Evidence suggests that caring for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS remains one of the greatest challenges facing South Africa. Statistics indicate that there are 1.91 million AIDS orphans in the country (UNICEF, 2012; Statistics South Africa, 2009:8)). The majority of these orphans live in rural and poor urban households. Caring for orphans and vulnerable children places severe strain on support systems, such as the extended family; this spills over into the community. Providing care and support also places an extra burden on the already overstretched welfare sector and drains state resources. The primarily objective of this study was to explore community resilience strategies on challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng. A purposive sample of 32 participants was selected and field data were collected over a period of two months using a structured research guide. A combination of data collection methods was employed in order to explore different perspectives of community resilience strategies on challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in Benoni. Emerging data illustrate a clear account on the impact of the AIDS epidemic in Benoni. All of the respondents were directly or indirectly affected by the epidemic. This should be located within the high prevalence of HIV and AIDS and the high number of orphans in Ekurhuleni. The study findings further suggest a correlation between socioeconomic challenges and the AIDS epidemic in Ekurhuleni. This is demonstrated through the challenges experienced by orphans and vulnerable children in Benoni, which include: non-disclosure by parents of their illness; economic deprivation and disrupted schooling; children caring for an ill parent with AIDS and child-headed households; emotional, sexual and economic exploitation, stigmatisation and discrimination. Despite these challenges, through community resilience the Benoni community has taken some initiatives to mitigate against these challenges. This includes the establishment of a community based organisation which provides basic services to orphans and vulnerable children in Benoni. To date this organisation has successfully provided material and psychosocial to more than 278 orphans. The success of this initiative confirms the importance of community driven interventions using the resilience framework to supports orphans and vulnerable, rather than dependency on the government imposed programmes- top down approach. However, community based programmes need to be strengthened by the government and non-governmental organisations in order to maximise benefits. / Psychology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies)
65

Exploring the involvement of children in the decisionmaking process about their future

Moeketsi, Ramathabathe Rossy 09 1900 (has links)
The researcher wanted to explore the experiences of children who removal by a social worker either to an institution or to foster homes. The researcher wanted to find out if the behaviour of absconding could be explained by using systems theory, contructivism, cybernetics and person- centered theory. The researcher hypothesized that children abscond from alternative care as a means of communicating with the social worker involved as well as any other person significant in their lives. The study wanted to explore how these children perceived their involvement in the decision making process of their removal. The researcher only interviewed children who had absconded from the alternative care placements. The study found that all the children interviewed perceived that they were not involved in any way in the process of removal. They all saw their removal as a form of punishment for something they did wrong, but they did not get an opportunity to discuss with their parents or significant others. They also perceived their absconding as an effort to rectify the situation. A lot of anger and suspicion towards social workers was encountered during the study. In terms of the theories mentioned above, these perceptions are the children’s own reality, which might differ from the realities as created or perceived by social workers. It is hypothesized that social workers who use the Child Care Act 74/83 and its regulations in the removal of children, do it to protect the children from risky situations as their job responsibility requires. This study indicates that the children did not experience removal as protection. Instead of children feeling protected in the alternative care, they felt blamed, judged and unhappy about their removal and excluded from the process. The researcher made a few suggestions that could be considered when social workers removing children to alternative care. It is recommended that social workers involve the children and their parents or significant others in the entire process of deciding the future of any children in their (parents’) care. However, if removal is deemed necessary, just telling or informing children that they will be removed for their own safety is not enough. Children might not perceive the situation as dangerous. Instead, they might see the social worker as posing a danger to them and their families and thus try to shut the social worker and what s/he says out of their minds. Findings safe ways to involve children and families in the decisions about their future may require of social workers to revive their academically acquired knowledge in this respect. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Sciences (Mental Health))
66

Application of Randomized Algorithms in Path Planning and Control of a Micro Air Vehicle

Bera, Titas January 2015 (has links) (PDF)
This thesis focuses on the design and development of a fixed wing micro air vehicle (MAV) and on the development of randomized sampling based motion planning and control algorithms for path planning and stabilization of the MAV. In addition, the thesis also contains probabilis-tic analyses of the algorithmic properties of randomized sampling based algorithms, such as completeness and asymptotic optimality. The thesis begins with a detailed discussion on aerodynamic design, computational fluid dy-namic simulations of propeller wake, wind tunnel tests of a 150mm fixed wing micro air ve-hicle. The vehicle is designed in such a way that in spite of the various adverse effects of low Reynolds number aerodynamics and the complex propeller wake interactions with the airframe, the vehicle shows a balance of external forces and moments at most of the operating conditions. This is supported by various CFD analysis and wind tunnel tests and is shown in this thesis. The thesis also contains a reasonably accurate longitudinal and lateral dynamical model of the MAV, which are verified by numerous flight trials. However, there still exists a considerable amount of model uncertainties in the system descrip-tion of the MAV. A robust feedback stabilized close loop flight control law, is designed to attenuate the effects of modelling uncertainties, discrete vertical and head-on wind gusts, and to maintain flight stability and performance requirements at all allowable operating conditions. The controller is implemented in the MAV autopilot hardware with successful close loop flight trials. The flight controller is designed based on the probabilistic robust control approach. The approach is based on statistical average case analysis and synthesis techniques. It removes the conservatism present in the classical robust feedback design (which is based the worst case de-sign techniques) and associated sluggish system response characteristics. Instead of minimizing the effect of the worst case disturbance, a randomized techniques synthesizes a controller for which some performance index is minimized in an empirical average sense. In this thesis it is shown that the degree of conservatism in the design and the number of samples used to by the randomized sampling based techniques has a direct relationship. In particular, it is shown that, as the lower bound on the number of samples reduces, the degree of conservatism increases in the design. Classical motion planning and obstacle avoidance methodologies are computationally expen-sive with the number of degrees of freedom of the vehicle, and therefore, these methodologies are largely inapplicable for MAVs with 6 degrees of freedom. The problem of computational complexity can be avoided using randomized sampling based motion planning algorithms such as probabilistic roadmap method or PRM. However, as a pay-off these algorithms lack algorith-mic completeness properties. In this thesis, it is established that the algorithmic completeness properties are dependent on the choice of the sampling sequences. The thesis contains analy-sis of algorithmic features such as probabilistic completeness and asymptotic optimality of the PRM algorithm and its many variants, under the incremental and independent problem model framework. It is shown in this thesis that the structure of the random sample sequence affects the solution of the sampling based algorithms. The problem of capturing the connectivity of the configuration space in the presence of ob-stacles, which is a central problem in randomized motion planning, is also discussed in this thesis. In particular, the success probability of one such randomized algorithm, named Obsta-cle based Probabilistic Roadmap Method or OBPRM is estimated using geometric probability theory. A direct relationship between the weak upper bound of the success probability and the obstacle geometric features is established. The thesis also contains a new sampling based algorithm which is based on geometric random walk theory, which addresses the problem of capturing the connectivity of the configuration space. The algorithm shows better performance when compared with other similar algorithm such as the Randomized Bridge Builder method for identical benchmark problems. Numerical simulation shows that the algorithm shows en-hanced performance as the dimension of the motion planning problem increases. As one of the central objectives, the thesis proposes a pre-processing technique of the state space of the system to enhance the performance of sampling based kino-dynamic motion plan-ner such as rapidly exploring random tree or RRT. This pre-processing technique can not only be applied for the motion planning of the MAV, but can also be applied for a wide class of vehicle and complex systems with large number of degrees of freedom. The pre-processing techniques identifies the sequence of regions, to be searched for a solution, in order to do mo-tion planning and obstacle avoidance for an MAV, by an RRT planner. Numerical simulation shows significant improvement over the basic RRT planner with a small additional computa-tional overhead. The probabilistic analysis of RRT algorithm and an approximate asymptotic optimality analysis of the solution returned by the algorithm, is also presented in this thesis. In particular, it is shown that the RRT algorithm is not asymptotically optimal. An integral part of the motion planning algorithm is the capability of fast collision detection between various geometric objects. Image space based methods, which uses Graphics Pro-cessing Unit or GPU hardware, and do not use object geometry explicitly, are found to be fast and accurate for this purpose. In this thesis, a new collision detection method between two convex/non-convex objects using GPU, is provided. The performance of the algorithm, which is an extension of an existing algorithm, is verified with numerous collision detection scenarios.
67

服務業者在銀髮族服務創新測試階段的組織學習機制之探討 / Exploring Organizational Learning Mechanisms of Senior Citizen's Service Innovation in Testing Stage

金雅蘭, Chin,Ya-Lan Unknown Date (has links)
隨著國內廠商生產線的外移,許多產業已發展至成熟的階段,各種企業經營都越來越倚重以服務為基礎的商業運作,服務業的生產與規模日益成長,大部分服務性質的工作已囊括在各類經濟活動中,根據主計處統計2013年台灣服務業占GDP比重約68.29%,顯見發展服務創新活動對於國家經濟成長而言之重要性,服務創新已成為當前相關服務業者重要投入的新興領域。 由於服務創新角色與地位重要性日趨提昇,相關的服務與創新活動不斷的推陳出新加上科技的進步,醫療水準的提高,使得人類的壽命能不斷地延長,人口老化已成為全球皆關注的現象。然面對於科技發達,高齡者越來越長壽,老年人口增加的情況下,卻少有人探討有關服務創新之議題,且又以銀髮族研究在服務創新上仍有待釐清。 當前各個國家都同時面臨了人口老化與服務業成長幅度快速的攀升,對於銀髮族服務廠商而言需要不斷的學習與調整以創造競爭力,其中服務創新「測試階段」雖然在服務業服務創新流程中扮演著重要的角色,但目前在服務業中服務測試階段的研究,不論是新產品開發流程亦或是新服務開發流程,對於測試階段的構面與內容都是相較於其他階段的研究較為缺乏。 鑑於此,本研究方法上採取個案研究法,並以中國銀髮族服務業者進行深入的個案研究,本研究採取「理論取樣」方法,選取中國人口老齡化程度最高的地區之一北京市銀髮族人口密集度最高作為主要的研究場域,針對銀髮族服務業者在服務創新測試階段之流程以及測試過程中的組織學習與調整為核心的敘事研究,並就服務創新測試階段、組織學習及銀髮族服務創新進行相關學理文獻的彙整及個案的訪談進行研究。 本研究得到的主要結論,包含:(1)銀髮族服務業者服務創新測試的過程依序分為四個階段,包含:形成期、風暴期、規範期、穩定期,並在服務創新測試不同的階段中展現不同的摸索特徵、內容與過程;(2)服務業者在服務創新測試階段的組織學習上,除了會考量服務本身的學習與調整之外,也會考量服務創新流程方面的學習與調整;(3)銀髮族服務業者在服務創新測試的不同階段中,不同的服務人力涉入程度之服務業者會採不同的學習方式,以提升測試中服務的績效;(4) 銀髮族服務業者在服務創新測試階段的過程中,會考量服務人力涉入需求的不同,而選擇不同專精程度的團隊組成與服務內容;(5)銀髮族服務業者在服務創新的測試過程中,會在不同的測試階段中設置不同的關卡類型;(6)銀髮族服務業者在服務創新測試的不同階段中,會透過不同的傳遞方式來提供服務,以提升測試服務過程中的組織學習效果;(7)在服務創新的測試過程中,銀髮族服務業者會就不同的服務內容與特性(顧客化程度與資訊化程度),選擇不同的溝通方式,以提升測試服務過程中的組織學習效果;(8)在服務創新測試階段中,銀髮族服務業者會就不同的銀髮族群特性(社會化程度、互動化程度),採取不同的溝通方式,以提升測試服務過程中的組織學習效果。 本研究在學術上的主要貢獻,包括:(1)本研究特別就服務創新的測試來探討,彌補了服務創新領域相關研究上的不足;(2)本研究特別針對銀髮族服務業者來探討,彌補了服務創新領域相關研究上的不足;(3)本研究特別從組織學習的理論切入,彌補了過往服務創新研究在此議題上的不足;(4)本研究提出組織學習機制的概念作為銀髮族服務創新的切入點。 本研究最後並提出服務創新測試階段的組織學習機制相關的實務意涵及後續研究建議,進一步地提出服務創新測試四階段模式、服務創新測試作為、組織學習機制,提供服務創新測試階段組織學習過程的影響因素做為服務業者進行服務創新測試管理與提升測試階段的學習成效時的參考依據。而對於未來有意願投入或開發銀髮族服務業相關服務的創新團隊,本研究亦提供銀髮族服務創新測試階段之組織學習機制的整體性架構的空間。 / With the continuous development of service industries, many industries have bundled with service roles to improve their business and economic activities. The industry for senior service has grown rapidly and has become a market target industry due to the increase in prolonged lives and a healthy aging population. This service industry has become a phenomenon worldwide, and Taiwan currently ranks second in aging populations among Asian countries. Taiwan’s senior service industry is an emerging industry, the majority of which is supported by smaller companies. Therefore, little researching has been done on the innovative services handling this quickly growing aging population. Furthermore, service innovation remains immature within senior sectors. This opportunity continues to be an interesting topic for all business sectors, but little research has scrutinized the relationship and meaning in service innovations for seniors. Currently, countries around the world are facing the rapid rise of aging populations and service industry growth, which requires constant learning and adjustment in order to create competitive power. While the “testing stage” of service innovation plays an important role in the service innovation process, the research on service testing stage, whether about the new product development process or the service development process, for the testing stage of the structure and content compared to other stages is scarce. Therefore, in this research, we adopt the case study method and recruit people from the Chinese elderly service industry to carry out a thorough case study. In particular, this study adopts the “theoretical sampling” method to determine one of the most aging areas in China, with the highest population density in Beijing being the main research field. In this study, we focus on the service innovation test stage’s process in the senior citizen industry, as well as the organization study and narrative research in the testing process, the core of which involves organizational learning and adjustment. Such organizational learning and service innovation for the elderly are both examined in this study through relevant academic literature and case interviews. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: 1. The process of service innovation testing of the senior citizen industry is divided into four stages: formation period, storm period, normative period, and stable period, all of which have different characteristics, content, and processes; 2. In the service innovation testing stage of organizational learning, in addition to considering the study and adjustment of the service itself, the study and adjustment of the service innovation process shall also be considered; 3. In the different stages of service innovation testing, the service providers adopt different ways of learning to improve the performance of the service being tested; 4. In the process of service innovation testing, the senior-citizen service providers will consider the manpower requirements involved in different service patterns and choose different team compositions and service contents accordingly; 5. In the process of service innovation testing, different types of tasks are established at different test stages; 6. In the different stages of service innovation testing, services are provided through different communication methods to enhance the organizational learning effect in the testing service process; 7. In the process of testing service innovation, the service provider acts according to the differences in the service content and characteristics (customizing degree and information level) and chooses different methods of communication to improve the effectiveness of organizational learning; 8. In the service innovation testing stage, senior citizen service providers adopt different communication methods to improve the organizational learning effect in the process of testing services for the different characteristics of the senior citizen group (socialization degree and interactivity degree). This study aims to make the following contributions in the academic field: 1. This study discusses specifically the testing of service innovation, which complements the lack of relevant research in the field of service innovation; 2. Focus on the service providers for senior citizens also makes up for deficiencies in the field of services innovation; 3. Use of organizational learning theory as the leverage point supplements the insufficient research on service innovation in the past; 4. This study proposes the concept of organizational learning mechanism as an entry point for senior-citizen service innovation. Based on this study’s results, we propose some practical implications of the organizational learning mechanism in the service innovation testing stage, as well as some follow-up research suggestions. Furthermore, we put forward the four-stage model of service innovation testing and the organizational learning mechanism and provide the influential factors of the organizational learning process as a reference for service providers to innovate test management and improve the learning effectiveness of the testing stage. In the future, the industry will have to invest in or develop services related to the service of the innovative team. This study also provides the family service innovation testing stage of the organizational learning mechanism for the overall framework of space.
68

Exploring students' academic performance in some fundamental concepts in chemistry through learning styles and instructional materials at two preparatory schools in Ethiopia

Dereje Andargie Kidanemariam 11 1900 (has links)
The main objective of the study was to explain how learning styles and instructional material influence students’ academic performance in some fundamental chemical concepts, and to integrate a specific learning styles model into the literatures of chemistry education and suggest how to apply it in the teaching-learning process of chemistry. To achieve the intended objective, a sequential explanatory mixed method design was applied. Out of 1676 science students in two preparatory schools, 326 participants were selected using a disproportionate random sampling and a sequential mixed method with a nested sampling strategy. Data were collected through Learning Styles Index, Chemistry test, and Semi-structured and open-ended questionnaire. The quantitative part of the data was analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including an independent sample t-test and multiple regression analysis. The qualitative part of the data was analysed using a framework analysis approach. This approach involves thematic analysis followed by comparisons both within and between themes, and between cases. The quantitative phase of the study found that the contributions of learning styles to academic performance in some fundamental chemical concepts have not statistically significant contribution. Therefore, it can be concluded that there was not any superior learning style that lead students to success in the fundamental chemical concepts considered in this study. The qualitative part of the study showed that the majority of students preferred the same nature of chemistry instructional materials. It also showed that nature of chemistry instructional materials used in the schools were different which can accommodate students’ with different learning styles. Based on the findings it is recommended that instructional designers and teachers take into consideration the representational nature of chemical concepts and then students learning styles when making instructional decisions. / Science and Technology Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (Chemistry Education))
69

Exploring community resilience strategies on challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in EkurhuleniMetropolitan Municipality, Gauteng

Ngonyama, Luyanda George 11 1900 (has links)
Evidence suggests that caring for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS remains one of the greatest challenges facing South Africa. Statistics indicate that there are 1.91 million AIDS orphans in the country (UNICEF, 2012; Statistics South Africa, 2009:8)). The majority of these orphans live in rural and poor urban households. Caring for orphans and vulnerable children places severe strain on support systems, such as the extended family; this spills over into the community. Providing care and support also places an extra burden on the already overstretched welfare sector and drains state resources. The primarily objective of this study was to explore community resilience strategies on challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng. A purposive sample of 32 participants was selected and field data were collected over a period of two months using a structured research guide. A combination of data collection methods was employed in order to explore different perspectives of community resilience strategies on challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in Benoni. Emerging data illustrate a clear account on the impact of the AIDS epidemic in Benoni. All of the respondents were directly or indirectly affected by the epidemic. This should be located within the high prevalence of HIV and AIDS and the high number of orphans in Ekurhuleni. The study findings further suggest a correlation between socioeconomic challenges and the AIDS epidemic in Ekurhuleni. This is demonstrated through the challenges experienced by orphans and vulnerable children in Benoni, which include: non-disclosure by parents of their illness; economic deprivation and disrupted schooling; children caring for an ill parent with AIDS and child-headed households; emotional, sexual and economic exploitation, stigmatisation and discrimination. Despite these challenges, through community resilience the Benoni community has taken some initiatives to mitigate against these challenges. This includes the establishment of a community based organisation which provides basic services to orphans and vulnerable children in Benoni. To date this organisation has successfully provided material and psychosocial to more than 278 orphans. The success of this initiative confirms the importance of community driven interventions using the resilience framework to supports orphans and vulnerable, rather than dependency on the government imposed programmes- top down approach. However, community based programmes need to be strengthened by the government and non-governmental organisations in order to maximise benefits. / Psychology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies)
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Exploring the Training Data for Online Learning of Autonomous Driving in a Simulated Environment

Kindstedt, Mathias January 2020 (has links)
The field of autonomous driving is as active as it has ever been, but the reality where an autonomous vehicle can drive on all roads is currently decades away. Instead, using an on-the-fly learning method, such as qHebb learning, a system can,after some demonstration, learn the appearance of any road and take over the steering wheel. By training in a simulator, the amount and variation of training can increase substantially, however, an on-rails auto-pilot does not sufficiently populate the learning space of such a model. This study aims to explore concepts that can increase the variance in the training data whilst the vehicle trains online. Three computationally light concepts are proposed that each manages to result in a model that can navigate through a simple environment, thus performing better than a model trained solely on the auto-pilot. The most noteworthy approach uses multiple thresholds to detect when the vehicle deviates too much and replicates the action of a human correcting its trajectory. After training on less than 300 frames, a vehicle successfully completed the full test environment using this method. / Autonom körning är ett aktivt område inom både industrin och forskarvärlden, men ännu är en verklighet där förarlösa fordon kan ta sig fram oavsett väg, decennier bort. Istället kan man genom att använda en adaptiv inlärningsmodell som qHebb learning uppnå ett system som kan ta sig fram självmant på alla vägar, efter en initial inlärningsperiod. Genom att använda en simulator skulle möjligheten att träna en sådan modell öka avsevärt, likaså variationen av vägtyper och det omgivande landskapet. Dock klarar inte en enformig autopilot att fylla modellens lärningsrymd. Detta arbete stävar efter att utforska koncept som kan öka variationen på träningsdatan, medan fordonet kör. Tre prestandalätta metoder presenteras som alla överträffar autopiloten och resulterar i en modell som lärt sig att följa en väg längs kurvor och raksträckor. Det främsta konceptet använder sig av två tröskelvärden för att korrigera fordonets styrning då den avviker för mycket från den korrekta rutten. Efter träning på färre än 300 bilder lyckas denna metod slutföra alla testsegment utan kollision.

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