‘I feel like I can’t do a lot’: Affectivity, reflection and action in ‘Transformative’ genocide education

Guided tours of memorial museums have sought to have an impact on visitors through an affective learning environment and critical reflection leading to ‘action’. However, there is limited work investigating the pedagogical underpinnings of such guided tours in order to understand whether they can facilitate action. This paper presents reflections of 21 students’ experiences of educational visits to the former Nazi extermination and concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland between 2017 and 2018. Students identified the guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau as having an affective dimension that enhanced understanding and brought about a perspective transformation but action was ill-defined. In considering ill-defined action, this paper attempts to frame understanding of the guided tour of the memorial museum within the context of Transformative Learning. It concludes that guiding practices should incorporate space for reflection and provide examples of potential ‘action’ so that visitors can mobilise their deeper understanding and experience long-term personal ‘change’.

A New Approach to Images’ Pespective Transformation in Robotics Telemetry

Remotely controlled robots are the majority of contemporary robots’ population. As a rule such robots are used for inspection, patrolling, mines disposal. This is caused by a fact that today’s level of robots’ autonomy is rather low and autonomous robots can not secure reliable performance. However performance of remotely operated robots depends largely on efficiency of information perception by human-operator. This paper studies images representation to operators on robots’ control pendants. More specifically it studies 3D images representation on flat displays. The goal of this study is to increased reaction rate and decrease errors done by robot’s operator due to image’s uncertainty or poor quality. Our main attention is paid to the development of software that implements the technology of transforming the perspective of images. Matrixes for perspective transformation are studied. Hence application of these matrixes within remotely operated robots is discussed. A novelty of this research is in new knowledge about perspective transformation which is done for a better information perception by human-operator and, as an outcome, to increase efficiency of remotely operated robots. The related technologies in the field of telemetry and technical vision systems have been investigated. Also considered are works in medical fields, in particular, the psychology of perception of images and space. A static software model has been developed. The video camera has been implemented with the introduction of perspective distortions to improve the reliability of the transmission of the necessary areas in the image. Research on the technology is carried out jointly with the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A special prototype for perspective transformation basing on various scenarios is being developed.

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF PRE-SERVICE EARLY YEARS TEACHERS: INSIGHTS FROM A GREEK HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

This study aimed to investigate the transformative learning experiences of university students, namely pre-service teachers from an Early Years University Department in Greece. A total of 127 students were involved. The data were collected by using the Learning Activities Survey (L.A.S.). The questionnaire is divided into four parts, consisting of closed and two open-ended questions (King, 2009). The basic research questions were: (a) What stages of perspective transformation students went through during their studies, (b) What educational experiences and what personal events that experienced during their studies contributed to their perspective transformation, and (c) What elements related to students’ participation-presence at school contributed to change. It was noticed that critical reflection on assumptions, the third most important precursor step in fostering transformative learning, was one of the less common stages that students went through along with self-examination. Only 4 students went through all the stages of perspective transformation as described by Mezirow (2012). However, certain patterns of transformative learning experience were identified. The respondents were found to face disorienting dilemmas causing their awareness to be raised in terms of: (a) Previously held values, beliefs, points of view or expectations regarding children (b) Their role as early years practitioners and its impact on children, (c) The need to exceed taken for granted ideas and obsolete pedagogical perceptions and (d) The importance of self-awareness, personal growth, and empowerment. It was shown that specific educational/learning activities, especially those engaging their experience, their active participation, mutual understanding, support (between classmates or classmates and teacher) and cooperation as well as exercising theory in practice, triggered perspective transformation. These findings imply the need for cultivating a higher education learning environment that supports the practicing of strategies and the development of skills that can help learner’s transformation and promote a more sustainable, socially-just and fulfilling world. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0946/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Detection of Thread Roll’s Margin Based on Computer Vision

The automatic detection of the thread roll’s margin is one of the kernel problems in the textile field. As the traditional detection method based on the thread’s tension has the disadvantages of high cost and low reliability, this paper proposes a technology that installs a camera on a mobile robot and uses computer vision to detect the thread roll‘s margin. Before starting, we define a thread roll‘s margin as follows: The difference between the thread roll‘s radius and the bobbin’s radius. Firstly, we capture images of the thread roll‘s end surface. Secondly, we obtain the bobbin’s image coordinates by calculating the image’s convolutions with a Circle Gradient Operator. Thirdly, we fit the thread roll and bobbin’s contours into ellipses, and then delete false detections according to the bobbin’s image coordinates. Finally, we restore every sub-image of the thread roll by a perspective transformation method, and establish the conversion relationship between the actual size and pixel size. The difference value of the two concentric circles’ radii is the thread roll’s margin. However, there are false detections and these errors may be more than 19.4 mm when the margin is small. In order to improve the precision and delete false detections, we use deep learning to detect thread roll and bobbin’s radii and then can calculate the thread roll’s margin. After that, we fuse the two results. However, the deep learning method also has some false detections. As such, in order to eliminate the false detections completely, we estimate the thread roll‘s margin according to thread consumption speed. Lastly, we use a Kalman Filter to fuse the measured value and estimated value; the average error is less than 5.7 mm.

Measurement of Apparent Building Damage by Using a Single Image

In the proposed detection method, a single image was used for the rapid quantitative measurement of the damage area of a building. By using cross-ratio invariability between real and image coordinates, the damage area and the side lengths of the selected region were measured using the vanishing point, the vanishing line, and a line segment with a known length. Perspective transformation and image binarisation were performed on the selected frame to convert the length into area information. The damage area was obtained rapidly from the proportion of pixels in the damage region to pixels in the selected region. Corner detection and subpixel methods were combined to determine measurement errors because of the selection of measurement points. The experimental results from the example test revealed that quantitative area measurement of surface damage on buildings could be realised using the proposed method.

Covid-19 and Technology: Higher Education’s Responses to Inclusive Practices for Pre-Service Teachers with Disabilities

Transforming the learning experiences of pre-service teachers with disabilities from stigma and social exclusion to experiencing a sense of belonging, is a desirable imperative for learning mediators in the South African Higher Education (SAHE) context. This paper presents a relational content analysis of the concepts, theories and policies, related to effecting transformation in the meaning schemes of pre-service teachers with disabilities and to provide HEIs with inclusive responses to addressing their learning support needs. The theory of perspective transformation, which highlights the process of effecting change in a frame of reference, is applied. The theory expands on three dimensions, including psychological (changes in understanding of the self), convictional (revision of belief systems) and behavioural (changes in lifestyle) with a sound foundation of inclusion aimed at drawing on practices for the prevention of exclusion of the pre-service teacher with disabilities in SAHE spaces. The paper further analyses discourses extracted from Section 47 of the Salamanca Statement, (1994) that build on inclusion artefacts in addressing perspective transformation. The findings in terms of belonging show that affirmations of the discourses, related to an interpersonal connection with others, have the scope to affect pre-service teachers with disabilities’ need for a positive regard as a prerequisite to foster the inclusion of individuals within any given relationship. This paper recommends that SAHE institutions embrace an ethos of inclusivity to achieve transformative equity for pre-service teachers with disabilities and offers an inclusive response framework to ensure that they are able to participate, learn and be welcomed as appreciated associates of HEIs.

Teaching Sexuality and Religion in Higher Education: Embodied Learning, Trauma Sensitive Pedagogy, and Perspective Transformation

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