Tiled Sparse Coding in Eigenspaces for Image Classification

The automation in the diagnosis of medical images is currently a challenging task. The use of Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems can be a powerful tool for clinicians, especially in situations when hospitals are overflowed. These tools are usually based on artificial intelligence (AI), a field that has been recently revolutionized by deep learning approaches. blackThese alternatives usually obtain a large performance based on complex solutions, leading to a high computational cost and the need of having large databases. In this work, we propose a classification framework based on sparse coding. Images are blackfirst partitioned into different tiles, and a dictionary is built after applying PCA to these tiles. The original signals are then transformed as a linear combination of the elements of the dictionary. blackThen, they are reconstructed by iteratively deactivating the elements associated with each component. Classification is finally performed employing as features the subsequent reconstruction errors. Performance is evaluated in a real context where distinguishing between four different pathologies: control versus bacterial pneumonia versus viral pneumonia versus COVID-19. blackOur system differentiates between pneumonia patients and controls with an accuracy of 97.74%, whereas in the 4-class context the accuracy is 86.73%. The excellent results and the pioneering use of sparse coding in this scenario evidence that our proposal can assist clinicians when their workload is high.

MCCRNet: A Multi-Level Change Contextual Refinement Network for Remote Sensing Image Change Detection

Change detection based on bi-temporal remote sensing images has made significant progress in recent years, aiming to identify the changed and unchanged pixels between a registered pair of images. However, most learning-based change detection methods only utilize fused high-level features from the feature encoder and thus miss the detailed representations that low-level feature pairs contain. Here we propose a multi-level change contextual refinement network (MCCRNet) to strengthen the multi-level change representations of feature pairs. To effectively capture the dependencies of feature pairs while avoiding fusing them, our atrous spatial pyramid cross attention (ASPCA) module introduces a crossed spatial attention module and a crossed channel attention module to emphasize the position importance and channel importance of each feature while simultaneously keeping the scale of input and output the same. This module can be plugged into any feature extraction layer of a Siamese change detection network. Furthermore, we propose a change contextual representations (CCR) module from the perspective of the relationship between the change pixels and the contextual representation, named change region contextual representations. The CCR module aims to correct changed pixels mistakenly predicted as unchanged by a class attention mechanism. Finally, we introduce an effective sample number adaptively weighted loss to solve the class-imbalanced problem of change detection datasets. On the whole, compared with other attention modules that only use fused features from the highest feature pairs, our method can capture the multi-level spatial, channel, and class context of change discrimination information. The experiments are performed with four public change detection datasets of various image resolutions. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, our MCCRNet achieved superior performance on all datasets (i.e., LEVIR, Season-Varying Change Detection Dataset, Google Data GZ, and DSIFN) with improvements of 0.47%, 0.11%, 2.62%, and 3.99%, respectively.

Teacher Competences for Active Learning in Engineering Education

The implementation of active learning strategies in engineering education still encounters barriers when facing conventional teaching-learning practices. This work aims to contribute to the discussion on teachers’ pedagogical competences required for active learning. This contribution is developed from the perceptions of 205 engineering teachers of Brazilian higher education institutions, centered on significant teaching competences necessary for teachers of engineering courses and how to develop them in the active learning context. The results show that essential competences identified by the participants are (I) teamwork (teachers’ cooperation); (II) teacher–student relationships (empathy); (III) feedback about students’ performance throughout the learning process; (IV) information and communication technology (ICT) competences; (V) selecting and adapting the teaching-learning methodologies to the class context; and (VI) creativity. A complementary logistic regression model suggested that female Ph.D. full-time teachers are more likely to employ active learning. Differences in active learning adoption among Brazilian regions were also captured by the model. The identified competences are essential for the sustainability of the innovation of teaching practices in the context of active learning, which may be used to inform more effective professional training of engineering teachers in the current globalized scenario.

Uncovering New Paths to Adaptation: A Case Study of Malaysian English as a Second Language Pre-service Teachers

This study aims to explore how English as a Second Language ESL Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) employ adaptation strategies in response to the surrounding constraining context to develop their professional identities. The research question is “How do pre-service teachers (PSTs) employ adaptation strategies to develop their professional identity (PI) during their simulated teaching class and practicum?”. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and classroom observation from PSTs in a Malaysian university and public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur. Findings showed that the positive notions of belonging to a Community of Practice (CoP) proved to be applicable in the simulated teaching class context, so PSTs used their adaptation process of observation-experimentation and evaluation to attempt different teaching practices. Nonetheless, the positive notions of the CoP were inapplicable in the teaching practicum context. Hence, PSTs struggled to construct their Professional Identity (PI) and had to alter their adaptation strategies to negotiate PI construction. The study concludes with some recommendations for further use. Program designers need to consider social interaction and integration within the professional context. That could enable adaptation processes to enhance PSTs’ PI development.

Uncovering New Paths to Adaptation: A Case Study of Malaysian English as a Second Language Pre-service Teachers

This study aims to explore how English as a Second Language ESL Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) employ adaptation strategies in response to the surrounding constraining context to develop their professional identities. The research question is “How do pre-service teachers (PSTs) employ adaptation strategies to develop their professional identity (PI) during their simulated teaching class and practicum?”. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and classroom observation from PSTs in a Malaysian university and public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur. Findings showed that the positive notions of belonging to a Community of Practice (CoP) proved to be applicable in the simulated teaching class context, so PSTs used their adaptation process of observation-experimentation and evaluation to attempt different teaching practices. Nonetheless, the positive notions of the CoP were inapplicable in the teaching practicum context. Hence, PSTs struggled to construct their Professional Identity (PI) and had to alter their adaptation strategies to negotiate PI construction. The study concludes with some recommendations for further use. Program designers need to consider social interaction and integration within the professional context. That could enable adaptation processes to enhance PSTs’ PI development.

Looking at the Levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in a Flipped Classroom Utilizing Study Guide and Interactive Assignment for Undergraduate Medical Students

Our aims were determining the student’s views about the effect of using the study guide on advance preparation in a flipped class setting and testing the effect of flipped class on higher cognition. Using a quasiexperimental design in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, one batch was taught using a flipped classroom and another batch by a lecture in 3 sessions. The student’s views were assessed using a questionnaire, and the effect of flipped class on levels of higher cognition based on Bloom's taxonomy was measured using two tests in two-time intervals. Seventy-two students believed that the study guide helped them to devote their time to study. Data did not support our hypothesis that flipped class could result in higher cognition one month and four months after the intervention T=-0.75, df=197, P=0.45 in knowledge Questions, T=-1.08, df=197, P=0.28 in comprehensive questions, T=-0.30, df=197, P=0.76 in an application, and T=-0.91, df=197, P=0.36 in analytical questions. Study guides could be effective tools to get students to interact with pre-assigned readings in a flipped class context. Our hypothesis that flipped class could result in higher cognition was not supported.

Kobiety a neoliberalna biopolityka. Przypadek polskich reality shows

Celem artykułu jest pogłębiona analiza wizerunku kobiet w polskiej Reality TV, przeprowadzona przy użyciu kategorii biopolityki Michela Foucaulta, uzupełnionej przez myśl Marksowską i marksistowską. Tekst składa się z trzech rozdziałów. Pierwszy dotyczy show Superniania, które pomogło zwrócić uwagę na kwestię biowładzy w sferze reprodukcji. Drugi rozdział omawia show randkowe, Hotel Paradise i Love Island. Wyspa Miłości, poruszając zagadnienia seksu i miłości. Ostatnia część skupia się na programie Damy i wieśniaczki, który pokazuje klasowy wymiar sprawowania biowładzy nad kobietami. Women and Neo-Liberal Biopolitics: A Case of Polish Reality Shows The aim of this article is to analyze women’s image in Polish Reality TV, using Michel Foucault’s category of biopolitics and Marxian and Marxist thought. Text contains three chapters. Firstly, authors are describing show Superniania (Supernanny) and depiction of biopower in an area of reproduction. Then, two dating shows, Hotel Paradise (Paradise Hotel) and Love Island. Wyspa Miłości (Love Island), are crucial in understanding important issues of sex and love. Last chapter is devoted to the show Damy i wieśniaczki (Ladies and Peasant Women), especially in a class context of biopower over women.

Harnessing the Potential of Storytelling and Mobile Technology in Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case Study in Early Childhood Education in Sustainability

Digital storytelling can offer multiple benefits both to students and teachers, and new media provide multimodal ways to produce, transmit and communicate stories. In parallel, the need to engage preschool children with the creative use of technology emerges in order to address concerns that arise from the modern way of life and the need to safeguard intangible cultural heritage and to communicate its value for sustainable development. The current study presents an example of digital storytelling utilization in a preschool class to raise awareness on sustainability issues. A linear digital storytelling was created, representing a local myth about watermills, then an educational intervention was conducted, where the myth’s digital representation was used as an educational tool to raise awareness on local cultural heritage and sustainability issues and also as an example to inspire and guide teachers and students to create their own stories. Results showed that the digital storytelling was an effective educational tool to the acquisition of new knowledge and the motivation of preschool children’s interest about the cultural asset of watermills and that the production of digital storytelling is feasible in the class context. These findings prove the potential of digital storytelling and mobile technology by using low-cost devices and applying simple techniques in preschool education.

Music therapist collaboration with teaching assistants for facilitating verbal and vocal development in young children with special needs: A mixed methods study

Music Therapists increasingly work collaboratively alongside other professionals and families. This article presents research into transdisciplinary work with teaching assistants in a school. A mixed methods investigation was carried out to evaluate the development of verbal and vocal skills in young children who received both individual music therapy and additional music sessions carried out by teaching assistants. Qualitative data were gathered to support quantitative video analysis results. The Music Therapist organised music sessions for the teaching assistants to carry out independently, to assess whether this enhanced the children’s verbal development. Statistical analysis of vocal scores from video material utilising bootstrapping techniques indicated that there was a statistically significant difference pre- and post-intervention for the children who had additional teaching assistant music sessions. This indicated that the collaborative approach was effective in enhancing verbal skills. The qualitative evidence also supported this theory. Due to the small number of participants, these results cannot be generalised to other situations and larger scale research could be carried out to demonstrate conclusive results. This study shows that Music Therapists and teaching assistants in schools can work collaboratively and this may potentially enhance the progress children make, with reinforcement of verbal development strategies in the class context.