Humanoid robots in higher education: Evaluating the acceptance of Pepper in the context of an academic writing course using the UTAUT

This study investigates the acceptance of social robots by higher education students in the social sciences. Pepper, a humanoid social robot from SoftBank Robotics, provided a sample of its capabilities during a first semester, large-scale, university course, “Introduction to academic writing.”From this course, 462 freshmen participated in our survey. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) acts as the conceptual framework, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) as the method for data analysis. The four perceived characteristics—trustworthiness, adaptiveness, social presence and appearance—all predict the intention to use the robot for learning purposes; anxiety regarding making mistakes in handling the robot and about privacy issues are not significant predictors. An importance-performance map analysis indicated adaptiveness as the robot’s most important characteristic for predicting student behavioural intention. Overall, however, the study shows that students do not have the intention to rely on social robots for learning purposes at the current level of state-of-the-art technology: behavioural intention reaches only 36.6% of the theoretical maximum.     

The use of ‘Circle of Friends’ strategy to improve social interactions and social acceptance: a case study of a child with Asperger's Syndrome and other associated needs

The study outlined here was an attempt to examine the use of ‘Circle of Friends’ as a single intervention approach in addressing the issue of inappropriate social interactions in a child with Asperger Syndrome. The child selected was in a mainstream setting, as the main feature of a circle of friends is peers supporting peers. The child was involved in the selection of peers for the development of the circle of friends and it was hoped the approach would challenge children's attitudes in relation to the child with Asperger Syndrome and also improve social understanding for the focus child. The results clearly indicated that the intervention had been successful in reducing the stigma around ‘difference’ for the focus child and it was clearly evident that the ‘circle of friends’ approach had provided a much needed network of social support in a mainstream school. The conclusion highlighted that the focus child was able to understand far more easily the ‘hidden curriculum’ that neuro‐typical children find so easy to decipher.     

Preservice teachers' in‐the‐moment teaching decisions in reading

This study examines the types of in‐the‐moment teaching decisions 97 preservice teachers made while teaching reading and how their growing bodies of teacher knowledge influenced their abilities to think, know, feel and act like a teacher (Feiman‐Nemser, 2008 ). Findings indicated that the teacher educator's use of “metacognitive decision‐making” to promote a culture of identifying, drawing attention to, reflecting on and evaluating teaching decisions influenced the preservice teachers' abilities to think, know, feel and act like a teacher. These findings have implications for teacher education and for those who support novice teachers.     

复杂应力条件下土与结构物相互作用接触面的力学特性

为研究外加荷载对接触面力学特性的影响,通过土与结构物相互作用的物理试验和数值模拟研究接触面最大剪应力的变化规律,运用PFC2D模拟土与结构物相互作用过程中颗粒位移和颗粒接触力的不同响应.结果表明:当法向应力一定时,最大剪应力随围压的增大而近似线性增大;当平均应力一定时,最大剪应力随法向应力的增大而近似线性增大;当法向应力一定、围压逐渐增加时,颗粒位移和颗粒接触力的分布与法向应力与围压的比值有关.     

基于信息运动视角的虚拟社区互动机理研究

[目的/意义]虚拟社区的信息互动作为社区成员交流和开展社区活动的主要运动表现形式,是社区信息利用和再生的有效途径,也是社区信息功能的凸显,深入了解和有效把握虚拟社区信息互动机理,对促进虚拟社区信息互动的良性发展具有实践指导意义。[方法/过程]基于信息运动过程视角,从信息互动的触发、信息互动的放大、信息互动的持续和信息互动的转换等方面揭示虚拟社区信息运动互动机理。[结果/结论]虚拟社区信息互动表现为一个过程,信息互动的触发、放大、持续和转换4个阶段组成一条因果链,虚拟社区成员间信息互动的深化有赖于对信息互动过程合理引导与控制。     

论稿件退修过程中编辑与作者的互动

在稿件退修过程中,编辑和作者良性互动关系的建立能促进编著双方信息交换和优化,提升稿件质量,培育优质作者群体.编辑应根据自身在稿件退修中的职责、作用及要实现的预期目标来明确其角色和定位:因“人”制宜的了解者、“辅”而不越的指导者和“严”而有据的评价者.编辑应从多方面促进与作者的互动,其中:以“人”为本、强化服务意识是根本;树立公关思维、讲究沟通艺术是关键;提高职业素养、完善知识结构是基础;达成目标契合、促进共同发展是前提.     

Communication between Children with Deafness,Blindness and Deafblindness and their Social Partners: An Intersubjective Developmental Perspective

Trevarthen’s theory of innate intersubjectivity is relevant to understanding communication problems in children with sensory disabilities. Trevarthen and Aitken used the term “intersubjectivity” to describe “the ability of humans to detect and change each other’s minds and behavior”. When children lack auditory and/or visual means of interaction, they may not be able to fully develop intersubjectivity, which impedes the development of more complex interpersonal communication. This article presents a review of 31 studies about intersubjectivity in children with sensory disabilities. The results indicate that the intersubjective development of children with sensory disabilities is often delayed. The studies also describe similar strategies for mediating intersubjectivity in children with sensory disabilities and in typical children, but say that specific adaptations may be needed. From an intersubjectivity perspective, symbolic communication delays in children with sensory disabilities may be improved through specific, purposeful forms of social interaction.     

Increasing Knowledge Flows between the Agricultural Research and Advisory System in Italy: Combining Virtual and Non-virtual Interaction in Communities of Practice

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to analyse the use of Communities of Practice and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance knowledge sharing between researchers and advisors. The associated research question is to what extent ICT supported a virtual Community of Practice and has been effective in counteracting fragmentation between research and advisory systems in terms of knowledge sharing between these two pillars of the Italian Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS).

Design/Methodology/approach: The paper uses a mixed methods approach: a questionnaire submitted to the Community of Practice participants on their experiences, observation of interaction between Community of Practice participants and data on the use of the ICT platform.

Findings: The ICT supported Community of Practice approach appears to improve knowledge sharing between researchers and advisors, and also draws in other actors of the broader Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System in which the AKS is embedded. However, ICT based tools alone are not sufficient and need to be complemented with face-to-face (non-virtual) interactions. A clear theoretical implication of this study is that this is an iterative process in which virtual and non-virtual interaction mutually reinforce each other: ICT interaction spurs real life and face-to-face interaction, and ICT supports follow-up on real life face-to-face interaction.

Practical Implications: Communities of Practice can be a useful tool for knowledge sharing between research and advisory systems, but should have a degree of flexibility in terms of the topics they address and should accommodate new members when appropriate. ICT is supportive, but should be complemented by real life meetings.

Originality/Value: The paper connects recent frameworks of the use of Communities of Practice with literature on ICT in agriculture and adds insights on the contribution of combining virtual and non-virtual interaction in Communities of Practice aimed at knowledge sharing.     

Adapted Verbal Feedback,Instructor Interaction and Student Emotions in the Landscape Architecture Studio

In light of concerns with architectural students’ emotional jeopardy during traditional desk and final‐jury critiques, the authors pursue alternative approaches intended to provide more supportive and mentoring verbal assessment in landscape architecture studios. In addition to traditional studio‐based critiques throughout a semester, we provide privately held, one‐on‐ one feedback at the semester's close that follows a mentor–trainee model of purposeful interface and a vision of where the student is going. This article reports 82 landscape architecture students’ experience of this adapted verbal feedback. The findings suggest an overwhelming positive student experience, and we conclude that these sessions help balance the emotional challenge of architectural study with nurturing support. Furthermore, the students’ positivity was not influenced by their experiences in the previous class. We therefore conclude that the adapted feedback sessions provide appropriate closure, even when (perhaps particularly when) a student has had a negative emotional experience during the class.     

政社互动与社会工作机构行为策略

随着国家大力推动社会治理创新,政府与社会工作机构之间的互动关系已发生深刻变化,社会工作机构的行为策略也随之改变。在政府与社会工作机构互动博弈的过程中,社会工作机构往往采取"既合作,又竞争"、"有所为,有所不为"的策略。在政府加大购买社会服务的当下,要进一步强化政社互动,转变服务理念,优化执行策略。