Attended information is perceived quicker than unattended information. This is known as prior entry. When making judgments on the temporal order of two successive stimuli, performance is influenced based on attention. We were interested in whether this same attentional shift would occur when we adopt a crossed hands posture. Typically when making these tactile temporal order judgments, performance declines when the hands are crossed. This may be due to a greater influence of the external environment in the crossed posture. We investigated this by providing an exogenous visual cue at one or both of the hands prior to making judgments about the temporal order of two successive vibrations. This was completed with the hands crossed and uncrossed. In Experiment 1 responses were to which stimulus occurred first. In Experiment 2 participants responded to which stimulus occurred second. Changing the response requirement did not influence overall performance. In both experiments we observed prior entry that was in the same direction for both crossed and uncrossed postures. The size of the prior entry effect was larger when the hands were crossed. We remap tactile information quickly to external coordinates, however we are less certain of the hand’s location. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Matematiken är en abstrakt vetenskap. Laborativt arbete med konkret material sägs kunna överbrygga glappet mellan abstrakt och konkret. Denna kvalitativa studie syftar utforska vilka möjligheter och begränsningar lågstadielärare erfar kring konkret material. Resultatet visar att en vanlig uppfattning bland lågstadielärare är att konkret material besitter den positiva egenskapen att stötta elever i alla åldrar och nivåer i arbetet med att utveckla matematisk förståelse. Detta genom att konstruera inre bilder av matematiken hos eleverna, vilka sedan kan stötta eleverna på vägen mot matematisk abstraktion och generalisering. Arbetssättet tycks också kunna väcka intresse, nyfikenhet och lust att lära matematik samt bjuda in till rikare möjligheter till kommunikation jämfört med läroboksfokuserad undervisning. Dock har valet av konkret material betydelse. Negativa faktorer som uppmärksammats är att leklust riskerar ta fokus från matematiken samt att duktiga elever särskiljer laborativ matematik med konkret material från "riktig" matematik i läroboken. Dokumentationen av arbetet kring det konkreta materialet är dessutom tidskrävande. En slutsats som dras är att laborativt arbete med konkret material inte ensamt kan stå som bas för elevers matematiska utveckling. Däremot kan arbetssättet kombineras med lärobokens färdighetsträning och matematikdiskussioner och tillsammans bidra till fördjupad förståelse genom att eleverna i ett varierat arbetssätt tillåts möta matematikens olika uttrycksformer. / <p>Matematik</p>

A method is presented for stably grasping 2 dimensional polygonal objects with a dextrous hand when object models are not avaiable. Basic constraints on object vertex angles are found for feasible grasping with two fingers. Local tactile information can be used to determine the finger motion that will reach feasible grasping locations. With an appropriate choice of finger stiffness, a hand can automatically grasp these objects with two fingers. The bounded slip of a part in a hand is shown to be valuable for adapting the fingers and object to a stable situation. Examples are given to show the ability of this grasping method to accomodate disturbance forces and to perform simple part reorientations and regrasping operations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of using novel demonstrations and hands-on activities on promoting student interest and positive perception of learning environment. Thirty-six 8th graders participated in the experimental group in which they were involved in prediction-observation-explanation of discrepant events or novel hands-on activities for 14 weeks. Their interest of learning science and perception of learning environment were compared with that of a control group, which also consisted of 36 8th graders in the same school. The results of the analysis of covariance revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group on both instruments documenting students¡¦ level of interest in learning science and their perception of learning environment. The post-treatment interview results further consolidated the quantitative finding of the experimental group students¡¦ significant progress on their emotions of learning science.

Submitted by Daniel Mathias Alves Pinto (poli372@hotmail.com) on 2015-01-13T16:50:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DESEMPENHO DOS FUNDOS DE INVESTIMENTO DE AÇÕES BRASILEIRO. UM ESTUDO DO PERÍODO DE 2000 a 2014.pdf: 2795101 bytes, checksum: ee7f73118bd8ebaf7cb32a2a7709b31e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by JOANA MARTORINI (joana.martorini@fgv.br) on 2015-01-13T17:13:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DESEMPENHO DOS FUNDOS DE INVESTIMENTO DE AÇÕES BRASILEIRO. UM ESTUDO DO PERÍODO DE 2000 a 2014.pdf: 2795101 bytes, checksum: ee7f73118bd8ebaf7cb32a2a7709b31e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-01-13T17:45:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DESEMPENHO DOS FUNDOS DE INVESTIMENTO DE AÇÕES BRASILEIRO. UM ESTUDO DO PERÍODO DE 2000 a 2014.pdf: 2795101 bytes, checksum: ee7f73118bd8ebaf7cb32a2a7709b31e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-10-29 / The primary objective of this work is to answer if Brazilian equity funds were capable of creating value, as measured by Jensen’s alpha, during the selected period. After that it tried to identify the significate factors to value creation. Using the methodology developed by Jensen (1968), funds with significant alphas were separated from funds without them. The market portfolios used as benchmarks were Ibovespa and IBRx and the risk free rates were CDI, Selic and Account Savings (poupança). Regardless of the risk free rate or market portfolio, results obtained indicated that Brazilian equity mutual funds were not capable of generating alphas. Nevertheless, when compared with IBRx, mutual funds’ performance was even worse. After going through this process, a cross section regression was used to find the alpha generating significant variables, and the conclusion was that the larger the fund, the greatest the alpha it would generate. However, the older the fund and the higher the fees, the lower the alpha generated. Finally, for fund managers with positive significant alphas, risk was positively correlated with performance and for the ones with negative significant alphas, risk was negatively correlated with performance / O objetivo primário deste trabalho é verificar se os fundos de investimento em ações brasileiros criaram valor, medido pelo alpha de Jensen, dentro do período selecionado. Em seguida, busca-se identificar os fatores determinantes dessa criação de valor. Utilizando a metodologia desenvolvida por Jensen (1968), inicialmente foram separados os fundos que geram alphas significativos dos que não geram. Os benchmarks de mercado utilizados foram Ibovespa e IBRx e as taxas livres de risco foram Taxa Selic, CDI e Poupança. A conclusão foi que os fundos de ações brasileiros, nos períodos estudados, não foram capazes de gerar alpha, independentemente do benchmark ou da taxa livre de risco. No entanto, os resultados foram piores quando comparados com o IBRx. Após esse processo, foi utilizada uma regressão cross section para encontrar quais as variáveis significativas para geração de alpha. Concluiu-se que quanto maior o fundo, maior o alpha gerado. No entanto, quanto mais velho o fundo e quanto maior a taxa de administração menor será o alpha gerado. Por fim, para gestores que geram alphas positivos, cada unidade adicional de risco gera valor e, para gestores com alpha negativo, cada unidade adicional de risco destrói valor

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / In today's world, the importance of training for telemetry systems continues to grow as new technologies provide users with ever-increasing capabilities. Successful training programs ensure telemetry systems quickly become operational yielding the acquisition of critical test data. Over the years, training programs have been greatly impacted by the changes in defense contracts -- specifically funding. Today's aggressive telemetry market requires contractors to develop complex telemetry systems within the constraints of Firm Fixed price (FFP) contracts and within very short schedules. As a result of these conditions, training programs have changed significantly over the last ten years. Projects which used to have dedicated training personnel (instructors, technical writers, etc.) now rely on the system developers to provide the training. In actuality, the quality of training has improved with this new approach. Now students benefit from having the most knowledgeable personnel teach them about the system and, often times, latent problems with the system are efficiently identified and corrected. This paper will summarize the evolution of training programs for telemetry systems developed by Computer Sciences Corporation. The benefits of a scenario where the system architects train the end users with the use of increased "hands-on" training will be explored.

The research investigates the influence on the human body on a communication system. To understand this, the effect of hands free kit (HFK) on energy absorption in the body was investigated when operating a smart phone at 2G. Findings on the research are given in the thesis report. Also, the influence of the way in which a phone is held on a phone s received power was investigated. The result was compared to that obtained using a hand phantom acquired from SPEAG. This was to check if the hand phantom best represents the human hand when using it in experiments. The setup for the experiment was in an anechoic chamber at Loughborough University. The mobile phone transmitted in the 2G system. In further experiments carried out on the body, two antennas were attached to the body in six different orientations to receive power from a source creating a Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) system. The antennas used were monopoles mounted on a circular ground plane. These antennas were designed and constructed with the influence of the body taken into consideration. The use of diversity techniques to improve transmission to an on-body system is investigated with the antennas on the body. For each alignment, the transmission to the on-body was compared with the transmission to the corresponding off-body (free space). Experiments for this work were carried out in three environments.

Mobile technologies now afford unprecedented opportunities, resources, and possibilities for learning. Among them, is the opportunity for students to engage in hands-on, out-of-classroom learning activities such as Adventure Learning. Since 2007, Adventure Learning has developed as an educational framework for using information and communication technologies to connect learners with expeditionary teams where video-based communication provides a sense of adventure for learners. The study was conducted in a public high school where an Environmental Science teacher used mobile learning technologies to create Adventure Learning projects where students participated both fin the classroom and as members of an “expeditionary team.” It was also intended to examine both the benefits and challenges in implementing ubiquitous mobile technologies in the field, combined with the use of student-centered pedagogies in their classrooms. The major questions of the study asked how did a teacher leverage mobilized Adventure Learning to design learning activities? And how did active participation in a mobilized Adventure Learning project affect student interest in the subject of Environmental Science? The study involved examining the ways the teacher leveraged the affordances of mobile technologies to create a hands-on, collaborative, and Adventure Learning environments outside of the classroom. The hands-on learning activities were designed to enable students to gather first-hand information related to environmental science. Subjects in the study included a high school Environmental Science teacher along with 104 participating students. Using a mixed methods approach, qualitative data were gathered through observations of learning activities, interviews and focus groups and artifacts. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys administered to the students before and after the treatment. The results indicated that, contrary to the teacher’s expectations, students indicated a preference for learning through book and lecture rather than hands-on discovery of information in both pre and post treatment surveys. Results of the study also demonstrated differences in learning preference relating to percentage of students participating in field-based, hands-on learning activities or in lecture-book classroom learning activities. Recommendations for future research and for educational practice are offered. Limitations of the study include the small sample size and short time duration of the study. / text

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Bruce Babin / To keep students engaged in the learning process, educational engineering institutions need to enhance their curricula. Courses within an undergraduate curriculum need to be connected in a way that is meaningful and promotes student engagement through hands-on learning. Courses are currently designed like silos of knowledge with no connection between them, yet, there needs to be a realistic and practical tie between them. Prior research that addresses course integration, hands-on learning and student engagement has guided the development of this thesis. Building on prior research, a Fundamental Learning Integration Platform (FLIP) has been developed that uses a physical object to integrate traditionally mechanical engineering taught courses with the use of a single ubiquitous object. This learning platform has three desired outcomes: 1) it connects the entire curriculum, 2) it creates a physical connection between theoretical and practical engineering concepts, and 3) it engages and includes every student in the learning process. After identifying research to guide the development of the FLIP as well as identifying courses in a mechanical engineering curriculum, a desktop steam engine was developed and is shown that it is applicable to each course. This physical object acts as the FLIP. Ultimately, it will create a physical connection between theoretical and practical engineering concepts while integrating courses together and actively engaging each student in the learning process. Utilizing the same assessment methods used in the identified research, higher retention rates, increased passing rates of the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, and increased student inclusion in the classroom are all desired measurables of the FLIP. The results of this research have provided a well-developed FLIP that utilizes a physical object to increase student engagement while integrating traditional mechanical engineering courses together.