3DSSE – A 3D Scene Search Engine: Exploring 3D scenes using keywords

The evolution of real time 3D graphics technologies in combination with high bandwidth Internet connections and modern Web browsers enable users to explore complex 3D scenes. As a rule, a virtual visitor has to manually explore the geometrically complex 3D model in order to discover points of interest. This manual exploration is a time consuming process that, in some cases, can be assisted by sets of predefined points of interest. In this paper, we propose the annotation of 3D scenes in order to equip the user with a text based 3D scene search engine. The search engine provides a query mechanism that unburdens the user from the time consuming process of manually exploring vast 3D scenes. It responds to queries by exploiting the metadata of each 3D model and returns textual and visual information along with a group of links that correspond to relative points of interest within the 3D scene. The search engine allows the virtual visitor to automatically be transferred to a specific point of interest. We have built a Web accessible prototype system that is able to handle queries related to historical data, topological relationships and architectural properties of buildings. A number of 3D reconstructions covering urban areas of cultural importance located in Northern Greece have been annotated and used in the search engine as case studies. The prototype system is based on open source technologies and on a hybrid metadata schema that is derived from the MIDAS Heritage and MACE schemas.     

Assessing the strength of democratic institutions associated with modern universities: the case of the Greek university

Tertiary Education and Management - This paper proposes the establishment of a systematic framework for measuring dimensions of democracy within a university. It is shown that certain indicators...     

Reengineering Academic Teams Toward a Network Organizational Structure*

This article examines student teamwork in the academic field from a structural perspective. Student teams are often prearranged and then left to organize themselves and get on with their work, without any further structural support; this, however, can become a negative experience on teamwork. A varied contribution among team members often occurs and unavoidably leads to friction and reduced performance. The aim of this project is to explore the main problems in academic teamwork and investigate tools that provide relevant solutions. We present the concept of network organizational structure and discuss how this can improve collaboration and communication. The main tools to achieve a structural transformation from the more traditional form of team organization to the fairer network form, and their implications are discussed.     

Social and socio‐mathematical norms in collaborative problem‐solving

Based on the notions of social and socio‐mathematical norms we investigate how these are established during the interactions of pre‐service teachers who solve mathematical problems. Norms identified in relevant studies are found in our case too; moreover, we have found norms related to particular aspects of the problems posed. Our results show that most of these norms, once established, enhance the problem‐solving process. However, exceptions do exist, but they have a local orientation and a relatively small influence.

En s'appuyant sur les concepts des normes sociales et ‘socio‐mathématiques’, nous avons étudié comment ces normes se sont établies au cours des interactions entre les enseignants et les étudiants en activité de résolution des problèmes mathématiques. Aux résultats de la recherche apparaissent d'une part les mêmes normes qui ont été déjà remarquées à d'autres recherches relatives et d'autre part des normes liées plus particulièrement aux problèmes posés. Les résultats de la recherche montrent que dans la majorité des cas les normes aident le processus de la resolution des problèmes. Il existe bien sûr des exceptions, mais elles ont une influence et une orientation locale.

Basierend auf den Begriffen der sozialen und sozio‐mathematischen Normen untersuchen wir, wie diese in die Interaktionen von angehenden Lehrern beim Lösen von mathematischen Problemen einfliessen. Normen, welche in relevanten Studien identifiziert werden, wurden in unserem Fall ebenfalls gefunden. Wir haben ausserdem Normen gefunden, welche sich auf bestimmte Aspekte der Fragestellungen beziehen. Unsere Resultate zeigen, dass die meisten Normen, sind sie einmal etabliert, die Problemlösungsprozess verbessern. Es bestehen zwar Ausnahmen, doch diese haben eine lokale Orientierung und einen relativ kleinen Einfluss.

Basados en las nociones de la norma social y sociomatemática, estamos investigando cómo se establecen dichas normas durante las interacciones de los profesores en pre‐servicio, que resuelven problemas matemáticos. Las normas identificadas en estudios relevantes también se encuentran en nuestro caso; de hecho, hemos hallado normas relacionadas con aspectos particulares de los problemas expuestos. Nuestros resultados demuestran que la mayor parte de estas normas, una vez establecidas, mejoran el proceso de solución de problemas. Sin embargo, existen también excepciones pero éstas tienen una orientación local y una relativamente menor influencia.     

Evaluating an induction training program for Greek teachers using an adjusted level model approach

This study is about the evaluation of an induction training program for Greek teachers. The program was evaluated by adopting an adjusted level model approach. Qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures were applied in order to assess the value of the training. The induction training was provided to Greek teachers who are appointed as permanent public employees at the beginning of each academic year. The results were encouraging for the applicability of the level model based evaluation in educational settings. The sequential hierarchy of the model was also tested and supported for the levels that were assessed quantitatively. Further evidence is needed in order to support the integration of methods and the sequential order of the level model approach.     

History of Science and Conceptual Change: The Formation of Shadows by Extended Light Sources

This study investigates the effectiveness of a teaching conflict procedure whose purpose was the transformation of the representations of 12–16-year-old pupils in Greece concerning light emission and shadow formation by extended light sources. The changes observed during the children’s effort to destabilize and reorganise their representations towards a model that was compatible with the respective scientific model were studied using three groups of pupils belonging to different age groups. The methodological plan implemented was based on input from the History of Science, while the parameters of the geometrical optics model were derived from Kepler’s relevant historic experiment. The effectiveness of the teaching procedure was evaluated 2 weeks after the intervention. The results showed that the majority of the subjects accepted the model of geometrical optics, i.e. the pupils were able to correctly predict and adequately justify the experimental results based on the principle of punctiform light emission. Educational and research implications are discussed.     

Differences in fatigability between the sexes during a sustained submaximal contraction protocol in prepubertal children

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the fatigability of plantar flexor muscles during sustained submaximal contractions in prepubertal boys and girls. Fifteen boys (age 10.0 +/- 1.0 years) and 15 girls (age 9.8 +/- 0.9 years) participated in the study. The fatigue protocol consisted of a 10 min isometric plantar flexion at 20% of the maximal voluntary contraction. Immediately after this, five maximal isometric contractions were performed with a 3 min interval between contractions. During the experiment, electromyograms of the agonist muscles soleus and medial gastrocnemius and antagonist tibialis anterior were recorded. We observed no differences between the sexes (P < 0.05) in the decrease in torque or in the recovery rate after the fatigue protocol. Nor were there any differences between the sexes (P < 0.05) in agonist or antagonist muscle activation during the fatigue protocol and recovery period. The results indicate that there are no differences in fatigability between prepubertal boys and girls during submaximal sustained contractions, probably because the agonist and antagonist muscles were activated similarly in both sexes.     

Les Sciences Physiques à L’école Maternelle: Un Cadre Sociocognitif Pour La Construction Des Connaissances ET/OU LE Développement Des Activités Didactiques

NATURAL SCIENCES IN KINDERGARTEN: A SOCIO-COGNITIVE FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING – The present study presents a socio-cognitive framework for the construction of the scientific knowledge of natural phenomena among pre-school children and for the development of science activities at kindergarten. It involves elements from theories of social interaction; social psychology of development and cognitive functioning; and research in natural-science teaching methods which acknowledge the importance and fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognitive operations and learning. The study also presents some of the more significant results of the research carried out on different aspects of this topic. The discussion unfolded here supports the hypothesis that the construction of natural-scientific knowledge at the pre-school age and corresponding scholastic activities are necessary and effective.