Associating Decision Support and Training: METAN: A Learning System for Material Observation and Analysis

This paper presents a reflection on the combination of decision support and training in engineering. In most decision support systems, several kinds of methods, suck as knowledge-based, model-based or case-based reasoning, are used to support decision of users, by providing analysis of the situation, relevant information and advice. Learning systems partly use this knowledge in association with tutoring knowledge, to train users to analyze situations, synthesize relevant information and take decisions. The similarity between these two activities is the starting point of this study: is it possible to design intelligent systems that may be used either for training or for decision support? We present the METAN system, a case study in the field of engineering: observation and analysis of materials.     

近代自然人性论的美学宣言——论明代童心说、性情论美学的思想方法

明代李贽、汤显祖等人的"童心说"与"性情论"是中国近代自然人性论的美学宣言。它所表现的是一种以先验公设的纯粹人性为标准,反对假道学与闻见道理对人的异化的思想方法。它将"情"提升到本体地位,以突出人的日常物质生活欲求的合理性和对它的表现的"迩言"、"真情"之美,成为以新的市民趣味为代表,以小说戏剧为主体的新的艺术观念。它与近代西方人文思潮及其艺术观具有一致性,体现了某种人类历史运动的共同规律。     

Language and Language Teaching in Plural Societies: an agenda for discussion

The intention is to define principles which will provide a focus for the discussion of language teaching in plural societies. The principles are concerned with policy decisions and with ways in which policy decisions can be translated into classroom practice in schools. The perspective is English, but the assumptions are pluralist.     

A COMPARISON OF SELECTED SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS MEASURES BASED ON LONGITUDINAL DATA1

The purpose of this study was to compare nine school effectiveness indices computed by five different methods from longitudinal data. The data consisted of Total Reading scores from the Metropolitan Primary II Achievement Test administered to third-graders in 70 elementary schools. The various school effectiveness indices differed somewhat from one another and had different correlational patterns with other variables. Further, most of the school effectiveness indices were highly stable across samples. The methods should be tried out in schools of reputed quality, so that the validities of the various indices can be studied. The stabilities of the various school effectiveness indices over time should also be studied.     

A User Interface Design for a Video-on-demand Service Trial in an Educational Setting

Video-on-demand (VOD) is one of a series of emerging interactive broadband services. VOD provides users with the capability to access a vast variety of interactive programmes on demand, and give them full VCR-like control over their programme selections. This paper presents and describes a user interface that was designed for a business VOD service trial operated by Stentor, which began in January 1994, at two universities in Ottawa, Canada. It describes the service architecture and trial setting, as well as presents some trial results. Finally, some recommendations based on these results, and future enhancements to the VOD user interface, are described.