Observational learning can enhance the acquisition and performance quality of complex motor skills. While an extensive body of research has focused on the benefits of synchronous (i.e., concurrent physical practice) and non-synchronous (i.e., delayed physical practice) observational learning strategies, the question remains as to whether these approaches differentially influence performance outcomes. Accordingly, we investigate the differential outcomes of synchronous and non-synchronous observational training contexts using a novel dance sequence. Using multidimensional cross-recurrence quantification analysis, movement time-series (...) were recorded for novice dancers who either synchronised with (n = 22) or observed and then imitated (n = 20) an expert dancer. Participants performed a 16-count choreographed dance sequence for 20 trials assisted by the expert, followed by one final, unassisted performance trial. Although end-state performance did not significantly differ between synchronous and non-synchronous learners, a significant decline in performance quality from imitation to independent replication was shown for synchronous learners. A non-significant positive trend in performance accuracy was shown for non-synchronous learners. For all participants, better imitative performance across training trials led to better end-state performance, but only for the accuracy (and not timing) of movement reproduction. Collectively, the results suggest that synchronous learners came to rely on a realtime mapping process between visual input from the expert and their own visual and proprioceptive intrinsic feedback, to the detriment of learning. Thus, the act of synchronising alone does not ensure an appropriate training context for advanced sequence learning. (shrink)

We ask how to use machine learning to expand observability, which presently depends on human learning that informs conceivability. The issue is engaged by considering the question of correspondence between conceived observability counterfactuals and observable, yet so far unobserved or unconceived, states of affairs. A possible answer lies in importing out of reference frame content which could provide means for conceiving further observability counterfactuals. They allow us to define high-fidelity observability, increasing the level of correspondence in question. To (...) achieve high-fidelity observability, we propose to use generative machine learning models as the providers of the out of reference frame content. From an applied point of view, such a role of generative machine learning models shows an emerging dimension of human-machine cooperation. (shrink)

Interpreting others' actions is essential for understanding the intentions and goals in social interactions. Activity in the motor cortex is evoked when we see another person performing actions, which can also be influenced by the intentions and context of the observed action. No study has directly explored the influence of reward and punishment on motor cortex activity when observing others' actions, which is likely to have substantial relevance in different social contexts. In this experiment, EEG was recorded while participants watched (...) movie clips of a person performing actions that led to a monetary reward, loss or no change for the observer. Using the EEG mu rhythm as an index of motor resonance, our results demonstrate that observation of rewarding actions produce significantly greater motor cortex activity than punishing or neutral actions, with punishing actions producing greater activity than neutral ones. In addition, the dynamic change in the mu rhythm over sensorimotor cortex is modulated by reward and punishment, with punishing actions producing a prolonged suppression. These findings demonstrate that the associated reward value of an observed action may be crucial in determining the strength of the representation of the action in the observer's brain. Consequently, reward and punishment is likely to drive observational learning through changes in the action observation network, and may also influence how we interpret, understand, engage in and empathize with others' actions in social interaction. (shrink)

This study aims to describe the learning motivation of students using virtual media when they are learning mathematics in grade 5. The research design applied in this research is classroom action research. The research is conducted in two phases which involve planning, action and observation and reflection. The results of the study revealed that intrinsic motivation to learn is most prevalent in the form of fun to learn mathematics with virtual media. Other forms of intrinsic motivation include curiosity, (...) need and interests, and satisfaction. Extrinsic motivation in the form of awarded and clarity of learning objectives. The most enjoyable learning experience for students was when they feel like they're learning more than they actually are. This level of enthusiasm increases with the level of learning complexity. The students are more active and motivated to learn. This can be evidenced by the increase in motivation to learn after the first phase. Unfortunately, the lack of bandwidth and time allocated for conducting experiments are some of the obstacles in the way of learning through virtual media. This study revealed that the use of virtual media could improve student's motivation for learning. (shrink)

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate how professionals learn from varying experiences with errors in health-care digitalization and develop and use negative knowledge and digital ignorance in efforts to improve digitalized health care. Design/methodology/approach. A two-year qualitative field study was conducted in the context of a public health-care organization working with digital patient communication. The data consisted of participant observation, semistructured interviews and document data. Inductive coding and a theoretically informed generation of themes were applied. Findings. The (...) findings show that both health-care and digital communication professionals learn through experiences with digital “rule-” and “knowledge-based” errors in patient communication and develop negative knowledge and awareness of digital ignorance. In their joint efforts, they use negative knowledge to “bend the rules” and to explore digital ignorance in efforts to improve patient communication. Originality/value. This study provides insight into the importance of collaboration between professionals with varying experience of errors in digitalizing patient communication. Such collaboration is required to acknowledge own shortcomings and create complementary negative knowledge to improve digital patient communication. This is particularly important when working with innovative digitalization in health care. (shrink)

Computational complexity is a discipline of computer science and mathematics which classifies computational problems depending on their inherent difficulty, i.e. categorizes algorithms according to their performance, and relates these classes to each other. P problems are a class of computational problems that can be solved in polynomial time using a deterministic Turing machine while solutions to NP problems can be verified in polynomial time, but we still do not know whether they can be solved in polynomial time as well. A (...) solution for the so-called NP-complete problems will also be a solution for any other such problems. Its artificial-intelligence analogue is the class of AI-complete problems, for which a complete mathematical formalization still does not exist. In this chapter we will focus on analysing computational classes to better understand possible formalizations of AI-complete problems, and to see whether a universal algorithm, such as a Turing test, could exist for all AI-complete problems. In order to better observe how modern computer science tries to deal with computational complexity issues, we present several different deep-learning strategies involving optimization methods to see that the inability to exactly solve a problem from a higher order computational class does not mean there is not a satisfactory solution using state-of-the-art machine-learning techniques. Such methods are compared to philosophical issues and psychological research regarding human abilities of solving analogous NP-complete problems, to fortify the claim that we do not need to have an exact and correct way of solving AI-complete problems to nevertheless possibly achieve the notion of strong AI. (shrink)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differentiated learning training program at the mathematics subject teachers' meeting (MGMP). A descriptive quantitative approach was used to identify the successes of the program and areas that require improvement. The sample included 21 mathematics teachers in Sub Rayon 2 of Lebak District. The instruments used were questionnaires in which data on participants' responses to resource persons, materials, and suggestions for future activities were collected, and the results of direct observations. Data (...) analysis was carried out using descriptive statistical methods to describe the overall evaluation results. Based on the findings, it is expected to provide an in-depth view of the differentiated learning program, contribute to the development of the program in the future, and become a guideline for improving the quality of mathematics learning in the Lebak district. The results of this training program evaluation show that the differentiated learning training activities have been well implemented in MGMP Mathematics Sub Rayon 2 Lebak District. This is evidenced by the level of teacher satisfaction in participating in the training, the majority of which were at scores 4 and 5, namely agreeing and strongly agreeing. This was also the case with the resource persons, materials, and training facilities, and organization. It is hoped that in the future continue to carry out ongoing training related to differentiated learning by current needs and to improve the competence of mathematics teachers in particular, as well as teachers of other subjects in general. (shrink)

As machine learning (ML) models become increasingly integrated into mission-critical applications and production systems, the need for robust and scalable MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) practices has grown significantly. This paper explores key strategies and best practices for building scalable MLOps pipelines to optimize the deployment and operation of machine learning models at an enterprise scale. It delves into the importance of automating the end-to-end lifecycle of ML models, from data ingestion and model training to testing, deployment, and (...) monitoring. Approaches for implementing continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines tailored for ML workflows are discussed, enabling efficient and repeatable model updates and deployments. The paper emphasizes the criticality of implementing comprehensive monitoring and observability mechanisms to track model performance, detect drift, and ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of deployed models. The paper also addresses the challenges of managing model versioning and governance at scale, including techniques for maintaining a centralized model registry, enforcing access controls, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive guide for organizations seeking to establish scalable and robust MLOps practices, enabling them to unlock the full potential of machine learning while mitigating risks and ensuring responsible AI deployment. (shrink)

This paper presents a human-computer interaction model with a three layers learning mechanism in a pervasive environment. We begin with a discussion around a number of important issues related to human-computer interaction followed by a description of the architecture for a multi-agent cooperative design system for pervasive computing environment. We present our proposed three- layer HCI model and introduce the group formation algorithm, which is predicated on a dynamic sharing niche technology. Finally, we explore the cooperative reinforcement learning (...) and fusion algorithms; the paper closes with concluding observations and a summary of the principal work and contributions of this paper. (shrink)

There are (at least) three approaches to quantifying information. The first, algorithmic information or Kolmogorov complexity, takes events as strings and, given a universal Turing machine, quantifies the information content of a string as the length of the shortest program producing it [1]. The second, Shannon information, takes events as belonging to ensembles and quantifies the information resulting from observing the given event in terms of the number of alternate events that have been ruled out [2]. The third, statistical (...) class='Hi'>learning theory, has introduced measures of capacity that control (in part) the expected risk of classifiers [3]. These capacities quantify the expectations regarding future data that learning algorithms embed into classifiers. Solomonoff and Hutter have applied algorithmic information to prove remarkable results on universal induction. Shannon information provides the mathematical foundation for communication and coding theory. However, both approaches have shortcomings. Algorithmic information is not computable, severely limiting its practical usefulness. Shannon information refers to ensembles rather than actual events: it makes no sense to compute the Shannon information of a single string – or rather, there are many answers to this question depending on how a related ensemble is constructed. Although there are asymptotic results linking algorithmic and Shannon information, it is unsatisfying that there is such a large gap – a difference in kind – between the two measures. This note describes a new method of quantifying information, effective information, that links algorithmic information to Shannon information, and also links both to capacities arising in statistical learning theory [4, 5]. After introducing the measure, we show that it provides a non-universal analog of Kolmogorov complexity. We then apply it to derive basic capacities in statistical learning theory: empirical VC-entropy and empirical Rademacher complexity. A nice byproduct of our approach is an interpretation of the explanatory power of a learning algorithm in terms of the number of hypotheses it falsifies [6], counted in two different ways for the two capacities. We also discuss how effective information relates to information gain, Shannon and mutual information. (shrink)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant public health challenge. The hippocampus is one of the most affected brain regions and a readily accessible biomarker for diagnosis through MRI imaging in machine learning applications. However, utilizing entire MRI image slices in machine learning for AD classification has shown reduced accuracy. This study introduces the novel 'select slices' method, which involves identifying and focusing on specific landmarks within the hippocampus region in MRI images. This approach aims to improve classification accuracy (...) by eliminating irrelevant information from the analysis. Our research aims to identify which views of MRI images produce higher accuracy for AD classification. We used multiclass classification using the publicly available Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset, utilising Resnet50 and LeNet models to evaluate the value of three specific views (sagittal, coronal, and axial) and categories (normal, mild, and severe AD). The dataset comprised 4,500 MRI slices across these three views and categories. Our findings unequivocally demonstrate that the 'select slices' approach surpasses the use of entire slices in MRI images for AD classification. Specifically, our method elevates machine learning accuracy, with the coronal view showcasing exceptional performance. This methodology is a game-changer in improving the accuracy of machine learning models for AD classification, with results closely mirroring those of medical experts, the gold standard for AD diagnosis. Moreover, we observed that LeNet models hold great promise as effective tools for AD classification. (shrink)

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, several changes have been forcibly made and observed in various fields and areas of society, one of which include the field of education; the foundation of the formation of intellect and knowledge. After two years of studying indoors and private educational institutions holding virtual classes, the time has finally come for students to be re- adjusted once more to the blended mode of learning; a combination of virtual and in-person classes. Thus, this study aimed (...) to investigate the development of students’ study habits and how these habits could potentially affect the students’ academic achievement or performance. The study utilized a descriptivecorrelational design to examine the impact of study habits to the academic performance of 137 senior high school students. The study made use of the Palsane and Sharma’s Study Habits Inventory, or also known as PSSHI, and using this instrument, the study has been able to procure sufficient results that will answer the present study’s problems. Using linear regression analysis, the present study found that there was a significance between the study habits and academic performance of the senior high school students, thus the study’s null hypothesis was eventually rejected. (shrink)

his study aims to determine whether the application of brain-friendly learning through whole brain teaching gives a positive effect on the creative character of students, to know the response of the students against the application of brain-friendly learning through whole brain teaching, and to find out if the student response against the application of brain-friendly learning through whole brain teaching correlates positively with the creative character of students in learning mathematics. The research method used that is (...) quantitative. The instruments used, namely the now student response related application of brain-friendly learning through whole brain teaching, and sheets of observation about the creativity of students in learning mathematics after implementing this method. The correlation analysis with the results of the study showed that the value of the larger significance of the alpha values (5%) which means accepting and rejecting H0 Ha which means student response against the application of brain-friendly learning through whole brain teaching not correlated positively with the creative character of students in learning mathematics. The average student response score against this method is found on very good i.e. amounted to 85%. As for the observations of the creative character of the students, after this method is applied, the average score of 68% is found quite creative. (shrink)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are now widely used in a variety of fields to aid with knowledge acquisition and decision-making. Health information systems, in particular, can gain the most from AI advantages. Recently, symptoms-based illness prediction research and manufacturing have grown in popularity in the healthcare business. Several scholars and organisations have expressed an interest in applying contemporary computational tools to analyse and create novel approaches for rapidly and accurately predicting illnesses. In this study, we present a paradigm for assessing (...) the efficacy of combining Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies in a disease prediction system. We scraped a disease-symptom dataset with NLP characteristics from one of the UK's most trusted National Health Service (NHS) websites as an example. In addition, we will thoroughly examine our data using symptom frequency, similarity, and clustering analysis. As a consequence, we can observe that the forecast has a high efficiency rate, but there are still some challenges to work out. (shrink)

Primary objective: This study represents the first large-scale research on high school philosophy in a public education curriculum in North America. Our objective was to identify the impacts of high school philosophy, as well as the challenges of teaching it in its current format in Ontario high schools. Research design: The qualitative research design captured the perspectives of students and teachers with respect to philosophy at the high school level. All data collection was structured around central questions to provide insight (...) into the dynamics of their shared process of teaching/learning. Methods and procedures: We conducted semi-structured with interviews philosophy teachers (n = 9), classroom observations (n = 142), and student focus groups at 16 diverse high schools. Transcripts were coded according to themes. Results: Our findings reflect the complicated nature of philosophy as a discipline characterized by abstract thinking. Participants found it mind-opening, yet challenging, providing educational opportunities that are largely absent in conventional schooling. They saw multiple connections between philosophy and other subjects, but also appreciated its distinctive benefits. Teachers relied primarily on textbooks and contemporary media to deliver the curriculum. We found that a teacher’s background in philosophy may influence what is taught in philosophy courses and how, especially given the flexibility of the provincial curriculum. Conclusions: The findings suggest that philosophy is a unique, beneficial subject that teachers enjoy teaching and students greatly value, characterizing it as both difficult and rewarding. Our study revealed that considerable differences exist in how philosophy is taught and learned around the province. The flexibility of the provincial curriculum appears to be an invitation for creative and responsive teaching; however, philosophy teachers’ weak preparation can, by their own admission, be a hindrance to effective curriculum delivery. Studying philosophy enhances students’ thinking about other academic areas of study and in some cases opens them up to new ways of thinking. (shrink)

Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 incident, basic education institutions have faced different challenges in their teaching-learning activities. Particularly conducting assessments remotely during COVID-19 has posed extraordinary challenges for basic education institutions owing to lack of preparation superimposed with the inherent problems of remote assessment. Descriptive-evaluation research was employed since the present study attempts to examines the assessment practices and competences on remote learning assessment of teachers in Graceville National High School. For the study, questionnaires were prepared and data (...) nine (9) senior high school teachers and forty-two (42) junior high school teachers were collected and analyzed. The gathered data from this study were subjected to the descriptive and inferential statistics. The data revealed that the most frequent number of the teacher- respondents in the study was 36 - 40 years old at age, female, Technology Livelihood Education (TLE) major, 6 - 10 years in service in Department of Education, and bachelor's degree holders. More so, the teacher respondents' level of teacher competencies on remote learning assessment was observed high competent. In addition, level of assessment practices in terms of clarity of assessment, time and effort on task, quality of feedback, motivational belief and self-esteem to learners, self-assessment and reflection of learning of the learners, and assessment - content and process in adapting teaching to students needs was mostly practice. However, it was completely practicing the interaction and dialogue about learning progress. The results confirmed that there was a significant difference on the teacher respondents' level of competence on the remote learning assessment when group according to their age, gender, areas of specialization, and training attended. On the other hands, teacher year of teaching and educational attainment revealed it has no significant difference on their level of competence on the remote learning assessment. Looking forward, that age, gender, year of teaching, areas of specialization, educational attainment, and training attended significantly differs to the level of assessment practices of the teachers. It also observed that the teachers experiencing highly challenges encountered on the remote learning assessment. It is recommended to implement the proposed school-based testing reforms and should be monitored and evaluated for the optimum advantage of the school and community. (shrink)

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the practices of secondary public school teachers in preparing for classroom observation amidst the new normal of education. The emphasis of this study was drawn from the central question, "What are the practices of secondary public school teachers in preparing for classroom observation amidst the new normal of education?". Research Methodology: This study used a qualitative research design. It employed a phenomenology design to explore the practices of secondary public school teachers in preparing the (...) new normal classroom observation. Results: Teachers believe that classroom observation is a measuring tool for achieving their professional goals or performance level. They also think that classroom observation can evaluate and assess the students' learning outcomes effectively and efficiently. Limitations: This study was limited to 22 secondary public school teachers in Cagayan, Philippines. Contribution: It can be helpful for teachers to improve their teaching techniques, strategies, methods, and instructional materials to be used amid this new normal of education. (shrink)

Cumulative cultural knowledge [CCK], the knowledge we acquire via social learning and has been refined by previous generations, is of central importance to our species’ flourishing. Considering its importance, we should expect that our best epistemological theories can account for how this happens. Perhaps surprisingly, CCK and how we acquire it via cultural learning has only received little attention from social epistemologists. Here, I focus on how we should epistemically evaluate how agents acquire CCK. After sampling some reasons (...) why extant theories cannot account for CCK, I suggest that things aren’t as bleak as they might look. I explain how agents deserve epistemic credit for how CCK is transmitted in cultural learning by promoting a central need of their social group: The efficient and safe transmission of CCK. A good initial fit exists between this observation and Greco’s knowledge-economy framework. Ultimately, however, Greco’s account doesn’t straightforwardly account for CCK because of its strict focus on testimony. I point out two issues in the framework due to this focus. The resulting view advocates giving epistemic credit to agents when they act to promote their communities’ epistemic needs in the right way and highlights the various ways in which agents come to do this. (shrink)

As online learning becomes more prevalent, colleges and universities have increasingly turned to remote proctoring services that claim to detect and deter student cheating during exams. However, many students have begun to voice concerns about the discomfort and anxiety these services can cause. This chapter aims to illuminate the existential and phenomenological nuances present in student testimony by reevaluating the proctor's gaze as an objectifying and alienating force. Specifically, I argue that the anxiety students describe is a response to (...) feeling seen. In most cases, remote proctoring involves the surveillance of student behavior by a stranger or artificial intelligence, and the empirical literature suggests that students are often falsely penalized for innocuous or unintentional "disruptions" during their exams. Thus, rather than be "caught up" in the exam process (and invisible to oneself), students are forced to attend to their bodily comportment and engage in a self-reflective awareness of their behavior as a body for-others. In the most extreme cases, the proctor's gaze is not only a distraction for students; it is also alienating such that students no longer feel free to appraise the character of their own actions but must instead see themselves through the eyes of the proctor. (shrink)

This study aims to (1) describe the application of the roundtable cooperative model on narrative text teaching materials, (2) describe students’ responses to the application of the roundtable cooperative model on narrative text teaching materials, (3) describe the increase in students’ knowledge of narrative text teaching materials. The type of research used was classroom action research. Data collection techniques were observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and documentation. The data in this study were in the form of application, response, and increase in (...) students’ knowledge of implementing the roundtable cooperative model on narrative text teaching materials. Data were analyzed using interactive techniques, including data reduction, presentation, and concluding. The data validation technique used data and method triangulation. The study results show that (1) applying the roundtable cooperative model to narrative text teaching materials can improve students’ understanding and writing skills. These improvements include structure, storyline or sequence of events, writing development, and completeness of information according to the theme; (2) students’ responses to the application of the roundtable cooperative model show that 90.3% agree to use the cooperative model in narrative text teaching materials and 9.7% do not agree; (3) there is an increase in student learning outcomes. Before applying the roundtable cooperative model, the students get an average score of 56, and after applying it, they get an average score of 69. The results show that the roundtable cooperative model can be used in the learning process by using media that supports the roundtable cooperative model and teaching materials. (shrink)

As online learning becomes more prevalent, colleges and universities have increasingly turned to remote proctoring services that claim to detect and deter student cheating during exams. However, many students have begun to voice concerns about the discomfort and anxiety these services can cause. This chapter aims to illuminate the existential and phenomenological nuances present in student testimony by reevaluating the proctor's gaze as an objectifying and alienating force. Specifically, I argue that the anxiety students describe is a response to (...) feeling seen. In most cases, remote proctoring involves the surveillance of student behavior by a stranger or artificial intelligence, and the empirical literature suggests that students are often falsely penalized for innocuous or unintentional "disruptions" during their exams. Thus, rather than be "caught up" in the exam process (and invisible to oneself), students are forced to attend to their bodily comportment and engage in a self-reflective awareness of their behavior as a body for-others. In the most extreme cases, the proctor's gaze is not only a distraction for students; it is also alienating such that students no longer feel free to appraise the character of their own actions but must instead see themselves through the eyes of the proctor. (shrink)

As online learning becomes more prevalent, colleges and universities have increasingly turned to remote proctoring services that claim to detect and deter student cheating during exams. However, many students have begun to voice concerns about the discomfort and anxiety these services can cause. This chapter aims to illuminate the existential and phenomenological nuances present in student testimony by reevaluating the proctor's gaze as an objectifying and alienating force. Specifically, I argue that the anxiety students describe is a response to (...) feeling seen. In most cases, remote proctoring involves the surveillance of student behavior by a stranger or artificial intelligence, and the empirical literature suggests that students are often falsely penalized for innocuous or unintentional "disruptions" during their exams. Thus, rather than be "caught up" in the exam process (and invisible to oneself), students are forced to attend to their bodily comportment and engage in a self-reflective awareness of their behavior as a body for-others. In the most extreme cases, the proctor's gaze is not only a distraction for students; it is also alienating such that students no longer feel free to appraise the character of their own actions but must instead see themselves through the eyes of the proctor. (shrink)

This mixed methods case study employed Vygotsky’s theory to show how peer and teacher contingent support created individualized zones of proximal development for three students with learning differences in a high school makerspace class at a special education institution. Our results expand extant literature by highlighting the intra- and interpsychological potential of makerspace curricula, specifically for students with learning differences. We employ mixed methods analyses of self-reported responses related to emergent problem navigation, a narrative of class fieldnotes, and (...) visuals of whole class projects to describe full class and individual project-based learning activities. Aggregated results from three students showcase stability in design thinking perceptions through the course of weekly whole class design challenges involving TinkerCAD, Homestyler, and material fabrication techniques. A single student example articulates how similar self-reported perceptions were observed in the non-linear development of an individual project for an end-semester Arts Festival. (shrink)

This contribution proposes how beholders may internally process unfinished works of art. It does so by considering five of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s interrupted sculptures and pointing out their empathic and imaginative potential. The beholder focused on the surface, I propose, is inclined to mentally simulate the artist’s gesture that drafted the sculptures through the visible graphic signs of the chisels. This inner simulation takes place within the activation of various brain networks, located in the brain’s motor system. Renaissance authors associated the (...) observation of the unfinished to learning and, as this article shows, this assumption seems to find confirmation in recent neuroscientific studies on mirror neurons and imitation learning. In this way, the empathic engagement established between the beholder and the work of art observed – as well as the role played by embodied simulation and imagination in this kind of visual perception – clarifies how the incompleteness can also have that pedagogical function recognised by Giorgio Vasari and Benvenuto Cellini. (shrink)

In recent epistemology many philosophers have adhered to a moderate foundationalism according to which some beliefs do not depend on other beliefs for their justification. Reliance on such ‘basic beliefs’ pervades both internalist and externalist theories of justification. In this article I argue that the phenomenon of perceptual learning – the fact that certain ‘expert’ observers are able to form more justified basic beliefs than novice observers – constitutes a challenge for moderate foundationalists. In order to accommodate perceptual (...) class='Hi'>learning cases, the moderate foundationalist will have to characterize the ‘expertise’ of the expert observer in such a way that it cannot be had by novice observers and that it bestows justification on expert basic beliefs independently of any other justification had by the expert. I will argue that the accounts of expert basic beliefs currently present in the literature fail to meet this challenge, as they either result in a too liberal ascription of justification or fail to draw a clear distinction between expert basic beliefs and other spontaneously formed beliefs. Nevertheless, some guidelines for a future solution will be provided. (shrink)

Effective stress management strategies correlate with improved academic performance in college students, yet inconsistent findings in existing research warrant further investigation. This study explored the intricate interplay between stress levels, coping strategies, and academic achievement in HyFlex learningenvironments. A stratified random sample of 111 students from five specializations within the Bachelor of Secondary Education program participated. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected through validated self-report questionnaires and a weighted general average. Subsequent descriptive statistics and bivariate correlation analysis revealed moderate (...) stress levels among participants who preferred task-oriented coping strategies. Interestingly, a significant positive association was observed between stress levels and academic achievement and emotion-oriented coping strategies, while a negative correlation emerged between stress and task-oriented coping strategies. Avoidance-oriented coping strategies, conversely, displayed a significant negative association with academic success. These findings underscore the crucial role of educational institutions in providing robust support mechanisms for stress management and cultivating a task-focused learning environment to optimize student well-being and academic performance within the HyFlex model. (shrink)

This study is intended to determine the effects of using Teacher-Tech Instructor, a technology-aided intervention designed for independent learning sessions, on improving the scientific mastery of grade 4 learners of Mataas na Parang Elementary School. The intervention utilizes interactive presentations with basic programming features to facilitate and enhance the learning process. This study utilized the pretest-posttest single group design to determine the changes in the learning performance before and after the utilization of the intervention. Pretest and posttest (...) assessments, along with a survey, measured the intervention's effect. The data were analyzed using the mean, median, MPS, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test at a significance threshold of 0.05. The findings revealed that the learners have low mastery or low achievement in the pretest while closely approximating mastery in the posttest, marking a significant improvement after using the intervention. It can also be observed that the MPS improved from 20.79% to 90.73% upon the use of the intervention, while the Wilcoxon test statistic of 0.00 which is less than 0.05, also suggests that the null should be rejected. Lastly, the learners strongly agree that the intervention helped with their independent learning study. These findings conclude that Teacher-Tech Instructor intervention improved the learning performance of grade 4 pupils in science effectively. Further, learners strongly agreed that the teacher tech-instructor, a tech-based instructional material, aided their independent learning effectively. The findings also highlight the importance of developing tech-based educational tools for independent learning in improving science proficiency among grade 4 learners. The study recommends extending these materials to other subjects and conducting SLAC sessions on interactive materials to maximize learning outcomes. (shrink)

This study investigated the impact of collaborative learning on mathematics achievement and attitudes in sixth-grade students, comparing it to traditional didactic teaching. A quasi-experimental research design was utilized in which sixth-grade students were randomly assigned to either control or experimental groups. Pre- and post-tests assessed mathematics achievement using curriculum-aligned tests. In addition, attitudes toward mathematics were measured using the ‘attitude towards mathematics’ inventory developed by Tapai and Marsh in 2004. Both groups exhibited similar pre-test levels. The experimental group received (...) collaborative learning, while the control group received traditional teaching. Post-tests after a 12-week intervention showed significant improvements in the experimental group’s mathematics achievement, regardless of initial achievement levels. Positive changes in attitudes toward mathematics were also observed in the experimental group, with some progress in the control group. Collaborative learning appears promising for enhancing mathematics achievement and nurturing positive attitudes in elementary students. (shrink)

Consider a set of shuffled observations drawn from a fixed probability distribution over some instance domain. What enables learning of inductive generalizations which proceed from such a set of observations? The scenario is worthwhile because it epistemically characterizes most of machine learning. This kind of learning from observations is also inverse and ill-posed. What reduces the non-uniqueness of its result and, thus, its problematic epistemic justification, which stems from a one-to-many relation between the observations and many learnable (...) generalizations? The paper argues that this role belongs to any complexity regularization which satisfies Norton’s Material Theory of Induction (MTI) by localizing the inductive risk to facts in the given domain. A prime example of the localization is the Lottery Ticket Hypothesis (LTH) about overparameterized neural networks. The explanation of MTI’s role in complexity regularization of neural networks is provided by analyzing the stability of Empirical Risk Minimization (ERM), an inductive rule that controls the learning process and leads to an inductive generalization on the given set of observations. In cases where ERM might become asymptotically unstable, making the justification of the generalization by uniform convergence unavailable, LTH and MTI can be used to define a local stability. A priori, overparameterized neural networks are such cases and the combination of LTH and MTI can block ERM’s trivialization caused by equalizing the strengths of its inductive support for risk minimization. We bring closer the investigation of generalization in artificial neural networks and the study of inductive inference and show the division of labor between MTI and the optimality justifications (developed by Gerhard Schurz) in machine learning. (shrink)

Discipline and interest are aspects of parenting that affect children’s behavior and academic performance. This study explores the parents’ disciplinary strategies to promote children’s learning interests. The researchers conducted this study due to society’s issue and observation that elementary pupils have a low interest in learning and manifested inappropriate behaviors inside and outside the classroom. The participants were the ten selected parents with children enrolled in 5th Grade in one of the private Catholic elementary schools in Pagadian City, (...) Philippines. A single case study was utilized. It was found that parents experienced challenges in disciplining their children to promote learning interests due to different kinds of behaviors that the children manifest. The participants identified the following behaviors: Too Much Screen Time in Playing Mobile Games and Being Disrespectful. Despite the challenges they have encountered, they were able to overcome those by implementing positive discipline, offering the problem to God, and effective communication to build good relationships with their children. It is important to be gentle and firm in implementing discipline to promote the learning interest of the pupils. Positive discipline inside the classroom allows the pupils to develop skills of responsibility, resiliency, and proper behavior with the use of positive and negative reinforcements that will motivate them to be interested in learning and excel academically. (shrink)

Aim: This study attempted to assess the organizational resiliency in the implementation of Basic Education School Learning Continuity Plan and to design a resilient basic education school learning continuity plan. -/- Methodology: The study used mixed method which is quantitative and qualitative. The data for the quantitative part of the study were gathered through a survey with the 19 school heads and 345 teacher- respondents while the qualitative method was conducted through focus group discussion interview with 19 key (...) informants who were composed of the teachers, school heads and stakeholders. The research instrument that was used for the perceived organizational resiliency was a survey questionnaire that was validated by the experts and which the reliability was tested through Cronbach’s alpha with excellent level of internal consistency. The statistical treatment for quantitative results used mean and standard deviation to determine the perception of the respondents with regards to the organizational resiliency on the implementation of the BE-SLCP and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, testing its significance at the 0.05 level was used in finding out the relationship between the evaluation of the basic education school learning continuity plan and school performance indicators and organizational resiliency. While content analysis was employed for the qualitative results. -/- Results: The salient findings of the study were as follows: The result showed that the rate of enrollment during pandemic is low while the drop-out rate fostered a positive rate. The school heads and teacher respondents perceived the schools’ organizational resiliency as high. Based on the feedback of the key informants the lessons learned from the implementation of Basic Education School Learning Continuity Plan are strong collaboration, consistent communication, and enhanced ICT Skills. The best practices that were observed are sustained partnership and continuous implementation of programs, projects, and activities. The challenges encountered include authenticity of assessment and low capability of learning facilitators at home. The respondent assessed the developed learning continuity plan as very highly satisfactory. -/- Conclusion: The organizational resiliency of schools is high in its performance of continuing education during pandemic. The study suggests that the schools may developed creative strategies on increasing enrolment; the school may strengthen its school-based management level to ensure that the plans and goals for continuity of education will be achieved; the school may also consider strengthening the stakeholders’ involvement and the school may consider the strategy of close coordination and constant monitoring and follow-ups with parents/guardians on the implementation of learning delivery. (shrink)

Holding students to high standards and assessing, measuring and evaluating their learning with challenging, authentic problems in the midterm and final exams is the goal of the professors who teach core signal processing concepts. However, the heavy reliance of these subjects on mathematics makes it difficult for students to genuinely grasp the concepts and relate to a conceptual framework. Specifically, analyzing the signals and the functionality of systems in Fourier domain; separating the system level analysis from signal level analysis; (...) and understanding how they are related in time domain and frequency domain are among the most challenging concepts. Students’ lower grades observed over past years in the introductory signal processing course exposed a potential disconnect between the actual level of learning and the high expectations set by the professors. In this paper, we present the active learning techniques that we implemented in one of the summer session offerings of this course in our department. The research explored Peer Instruction, pre-class reading quizzes and post-lecture quizzes. In addition to the mid and end of the quarter survey results, the comparison analysis of the grades students achieved in the active learning integrated course in the second summer session and the standard course offered in first summer session is discussed. According to our results, the developed techniques helped students in the active classroom perform significantly better than their peers participating in standard lectures when tested by challenging questions in their exams. (shrink)

In a remarkable and utterly original work of philosophical history, Richard Allen revivifies David Hartley's Observations on Man, his Frame, his Duty, and his Expectations (1749). Though it includes a detailed and richly annotated chronology, this is not a straight intellectual biography, attentive as it might be to the intricacies of Hartley's Cambridge contacts, or the mundane rituals of his medical practice, or the internal development of the doctrine of association of ideas. Instead Allen brings Hartley's book, a psychological epic (...) with a mystical finale, sympathetically to life in a generous and ambitious historical gesture of mutual recognition. Late 20th-century readers "are in a better position to understand Hartley's work" than were earlier sympathizers like Joseph Priestley and John Stuart Mill; and in turn, Allen argues that "Hartley has something to say to us" about just how rich and strange a full mechanistic psychology might be. (shrink)

This research aimed to explain the defense of oral interactions in the presence of information and communication technologies such as WhatsApp (WA) as well as to explore some of the positive contributions of WA used in building the Real Life Communication, especially in the learning environment. By applying the Exploratory design, this research involved 4 participants from various educational backgrounds as a purposively selected data source indicated as WA users at once. Data were collected through Focus Group Discussion, Interview, (...) and Observation and analyzed by several stages i.e. data reduction, displaying data, categorizing, and verifying and concluding. The results showed that oral interactions can decrease both in the language community and learning environment as the dominant use of WA that is not wise. Nevertheless, the use of WA applications also had some positive contributions in building a real relationship. Finally, the assumption that the negative impact of using the WA application should be able to change the mindset and positive attitude of the scholars in initiating and defending an oral interaction in the learning environment. (shrink)

Hermann von Helmholtz allows for not only physiological facts and psychological inferences, but also perspectival reasoning, to influence perceptual experience and knowledge gained from perception. But Helmholtz also defends a version of the view according to which there can be a kind of “perspectival truth” revealed in scientific research and investigation. Helmholtz argues that the relationships between subjective and objective, real and actual, actual and illusory, must be analyzed scientifically, within experience. There is no standpoint outside experience from which we (...) can reason, no extra-sensory knowledge of the constitution of the “ideal subject” or of the properties of “real objects.” In the tradition of psychophysics inherited by Helmholtz, we can arrive at a kind of perspectival analysis of perceptual experience, which embeds an account of that experience within the context of the history and situation of the perceiving subject. That analysis is relative to the perceiving subject, but the perspectival explanations Helmholtz constructs are not thereby relativist: in fact, for Helmholtz, the more squarely the perceiving subject is placed in a scientific, perspectival context, the more facts we are able to learn about her experience and the objects with which she interacts. (shrink)

For Insect Classification there are many methods proposed. To find the more suitable classifier we have implemented two different methods of classification, Custom CNN and Transfer Learning. We observed the accuracy and loss parameters during training phase and validation phase on both Custom CNN and Transfer learning methods. In Transfer Learning we have created the base model from the pre-trained model MobileNetV2. This model is further trained on Imagenet Dataset which consists of 1.2M labeled images .We compared (...) all attributes of both models on this dataset. Recorded Accuracy and Loss for training and Validation. From the results we found that Custom CNN model works better than Transfer Learning for this dataset. This model can also be used for education and farming purpose. (shrink)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of four game-based activities (GBAs) in teaching ecosystems to Grade 7 Biology students. Involving 69 students (34 control, 35 experimental), the quasi-experimental study used a mixed-methods approach. The researcher utilized a static-group comparison design for the quantitative phase and a thematic analysis for the qualitative phase. Quantitative analysis revealed significant improvements in the experimental group's social skills (p<0.05; Cohen’s d = 0.63) and conceptual understanding (p<0.05; Cohen’s d = 0.86). Descriptive statistical analysis also suggests that (...) GBAs can foster positive attitudes toward using GBAs and learning. Qualitative data from journal entries and teacher-observer interviews highlighted enhanced communication, collaboration, confidence, and participation among students using GBAs. The study also recognized the interconnection between conceptual understanding, social skills, and attitude toward learning, not just as pedagogical tools but also as practical tools in improving students’ affective domain, creating a safe environment beneficial for the learning process in general. (shrink)

Education is a developmental process that may be improved by using a range of strategies to develop engaging classes. It stands for the educators' personal philosophy and utmost aspiration. This study aimed to assess and identify the strategies, methods, and trends of teaching-learning on students’ perspectives and their effectiveness in the new normal of education. The study employed the descriptive approach with a quantitative research design in analyzing the strategies, methods, and trends of teaching-learning. The participants of the (...) study are the professional teachers in the selected 2 public schools in the Agusan del Sur division under the San Luis District, particularly at San Luis National High School and San Mariano Elementary School. Based on the findings, it was gleaned from the findings, it was definitely concluded that the overall weighted mean value was 4.08 with a descriptive level of observation and interpretation of very satisfied based on the results. Additionally, it was revealed that the z-computed value in the result obtained with 105.329 is greater than the z-critical value of 1.87, which definitely resulted in the rejection of the hypothesis of the study. Thus, there is a statistically significant difference in the strategies, methods, and trends of teaching in the new normal learning perspective as observed by the participants of the study. Therefore, the strategies, methods, and trends in teaching shows to lay the foundation of why and how to conduct the class and helps set expectations by the students at school, also creating a shared class culture where students take more responsibility and understanding for their class participation. (shrink)

Education is a developmental process that may be improved by using a range of strategies to develop engaging classes. It stands for the educators' personal philosophy and utmost aspiration. This study aimed to assess and identify the strategies, methods, and trends of teaching-learning on students’ perspectives and their effectiveness in the new normal of education. The study employed the descriptive approach with a quantitative research design in analyzing the strategies, methods, and trends of teaching-learning. The participants of the (...) study are the professional teachers in the selected 2 public schools in the Agusan del Sur division under the San Luis District, particularly at San Luis National High School and San Mariano Elementary School. Based on the findings, it was gleaned from the findings, it was definitely concluded that the overall weighted mean value was 4.08 with a descriptive level of observation and interpretation of very satisfied based on the results. Additionally, it was revealed that the z-computed value in the result obtained with 105.329 is greater than the z-critical value of 1.87, which definitely resulted in the rejection of the hypothesis of the study. Thus, there is a statistically significant difference in the strategies, methods, and trends of teaching in the new normal learning perspective as observed by the participants of the study. Therefore, the strategies, methods, and trends in teaching shows to lay the foundation of why and how to conduct the class and helps set expectations by the students at school, also creating a shared class culture where students take more responsibility and understanding for their class participation. (shrink)

The purpose of this study was to determine the form of teacher readiness and difficulty when implementing the mathematics curriculum in high school, measured from four teacher competency assessments. Schools in Indonesia are still 50% learning from home until 2022, this situation has an impact on the achievement of student learning outcomes. In 2020, the ministry conducted a survey of 4000 students and the results of the survey and out of 100% of the participants, 58% were of the (...) opinion that online learning was ineffective, 38% lacked attention from the teacher, 35% had poor communication, 62% had poor internet access, and 80% had difficulty learning mathematics online. The method in this research is descriptive qualitative. The technique of collecting data is by means of field observations, interviews and collecting documentary evidence. Data analysis techniques by presenting data, data reduction and intersecting data are drawn into conclusions. The number of people who were observed was 2 with a total of 58 and 13 people interviewed sources. Findings, difficulties arise from unprepared pedagogic competence and professional competence. Teachers have no self-constructed modules, difficulty writing symbols and mathematical proofs online. Students provide an assessment of teacher competence online, from 100% of respondents 80% disagree with pedagogic and 90% disagree with professional competence. This is due to the lack of readiness of the two competencies. In conclusion, online learning is expected by students and teachers to have their own modules. Students argue that the teacher's difficulties when writing symbols, providing examples of questions and proving mathematical formulas can be written in modules and modules can be given to students to study at home. (shrink)

In modern days, person-computer communication systems have gradually penetrated our lives. One of the crucial technologies in person-computer communication systems, Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) technology, permits machines to correctly recognize emotions and greater understand users' intent and human-computer interlinkage. The main objective of the SER is to improve the human-machine interface. It is also used to observe a person's psychological condition by lie detectors. Automatic Speech Emotion Recognition(SER) is vital in the person-computer interface, but SER has challenges for accurate recognition. (...) In this work to resolve the above problem, automatic Speech enhancement shows that deep learning techniques effectively eliminate background noise. Using Deep leaning models for four states were created: happy, sad, angry, and intoxicated. Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) algorithm used to reduce the possibility of over fitting by randomly omitting neurons in the hidden layers. The proposed RNN method could be implemented in personal assistant systems to give better and more appropriate state-based interactions between humans. In the simulation results shows Improving accuracy, Time complexity, Error rate is also reduced to using the proposed method. -/- . (shrink)

Second-order cybernetics conceives of human beings as agents and participants in the making of worlds, embedded in the design process. This conception of designing as a practice of living with and in a world grants it both urgency and hope. -/- The paper proposes that design practitioners, in the widest sense, can learn from design cybernetics when conceiving new methodologies for the post-Anthropocene era. Further, it proposes that these methodologies’ development can take advantage of comparative studies of design cybernetics and (...) design strategies found in traditional Chinese culture. Significantly, Chinese landscape poetry and landscape painting, and, in relation to this, Chinese classical garden design, emphasise elements that are also present in cybernetics discourse: circularity, a floating observer, and the continuity of observer and environment. The paper proposes that these ideas create the necessary conditions for the development of design approaches that re-connect human beings to their environments and permit future agents to initiate change from within. It concludes with an example of a public art installation that implements these ideas. (shrink)

Abstract: Over the past fifty years in developing world, the role of the state intervention in promoting economic growth and social progress has been a subject of disputing among political elites, international development experts and policy analysts. Recognition of the economic growth success of East Asia has led to new thinking on what developmental states idea should be accomplished. The observable optimism performance of East Asian Tigers on the contextual of developmental states is keen in the fact that economic growth (...) can be achievable when states commitment is concerned with respect to capitalist based economy. Since Tanzania is in a unique position of possessing some resources in which other East Asian Tigers did not posses thou their commitment and high standard of responsibility were imperative to their success. It is in this line therefore this paper attempts to draw attentions of Tanzanian Elites and Policy makers on how they can learn from the story of development states in East Asia so as to invent it into the development agenda in building sustainable development for the people of Tanzania. (shrink)

The object of the present study is to propose a technologically-based method for developing Regulation of Cognition (RC) among pre-service teachers in a pedagogical problem context. The research intervention was carried out by two groups during a Teaching Training Workshop, based on the IMPROVE instructional method, which was implemented in the Learning Management System (LMS). The first group (N=53) investigated the pedagogical problems with "dual perspectives (teacher and learner), and the other group (N=47) analyzed the same problems from a (...) teacher perspective only. The triangulated research design provided three sets of data of RC (e.g. statements on Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, Educational Data Mining, and observations on actual teaching). The results were indicative of the advantage that was obtained by the dual perspective group (LMS+2P), which has manifested in most components of RC, as compared with the single based intervention (LMS+1P). (shrink)

Phishing is one of the most effective ways in which cybercriminals get sensitive details such as credentials for online banking, digital wallets, state secrets, and many more from potential victims. They do this by spamming users with malicious URLs with the sole purpose of tricking them into divulging sensitive information which is later used for various cybercrimes. In this research, we did a comprehensive review of current state-of-the-art machine learning and deep learning phishing detection techniques to expose their (...) vulnerabilities and future research direction. For better analysis and observation, we split machine learning techniques into Bayesian, non-Bayesian, and deep learning. We reviewed the most recent advances in Bayesian and non-Bayesian-based classifiers before exploiting their cor- responding weaknesses to indicate future research direction. While exploiting weaknesses in both Bayesian and non-Bayesian classifiers, we also compared each performance with a deep learning classifier. For a proper review of deep learning-based classifiers, we looked at Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and Long Short Term Memory Networks (LSTMs). We did an empirical analysis to evaluate the performance of each classifier along with many of the proposed state-of-the-art anti-phishing techniques to identify future research directions, we also made a series of proposals on how the performance of the under-performing algorithm can improved in addition to a two-stage prediction model. (shrink)

Ruwet observed that subjunctives indicate a discontinuity between action and will, typically resulting in a disjoint reference effect known as obviation (unacceptable "Je veux que je parte"). In a certain set of cases, however, the attitude-holder can felicitously bind the pronominal subject of the subjunctive clause (exemption from obviation). This seminar handout examines the phenomenon in Hungarian, with additional data from Russian, Polish, and Romanian.

The journal of Cognitive Computation is defined in part by the notion that biologically inspired computational accounts are at the heart of cognitive processes in both natural and artificial systems. Many studies of various important aspects of cognition (memory, observational learning, decision making, reward prediction learning, attention control, etc.) have been made by modelling the various experimental results using ever-more sophisticated computer programs. In this manner progressive inroads have been made into gaining a better understanding of the (...) many components of cognition. Concomitantly in both science and science fiction the hope is periodically re-ignited that a manmade system can be engineered to be fully cognitive and conscious purely in virtue of its execution of an appropriate computer program. However, whilst the usefulness of the computational metaphor in many areas of psychology and neuroscience is clear, it has not gone unchallenged and in this article I will review a group of philosophical arguments that suggest either such unequivocal optimism in computationalism is misplaced—computation is neither necessary nor sufficient for cognition—or panpsychism (the belief that the physical universe is fundamentally composed of elements each of which is conscious) is true. I conclude by highlighting an alternative metaphor for cognitive processes based on communication and interaction. (shrink)

Participant observation ethnography as a primary methodology, while common in other areas of social science, has been underrepresented in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) literature. In many studies, ethnography is used to supplement findings or address questions arrived at through other methodologies, whereas the present pilot study promotes its viability as a primary method. In the Fall of 2017, graduate student researchers (GSRs) and other staff at the “Teaching Center” (TC) used ethnographic methodology as a means of meeting (...) the TC’s mandate for the 2017- 2018 year. The TC wanted to gather data on the efficacy of the classes as well as the staff members’ own processes of curriculum design and implementation. By adopting participant observation ethnography, the GSRs provided data for the TC and also discovered the utility of ethnography as a tool for designing research questions. This paper has five core sections devoted to describing the pilot study. These sections cover the aims of the TC and the context in which this pilot study was developed; a review of SoTL literature and the presence of ethnography as a primary methodology within it; an outline of the development of the methods used in this study; and how ethnography served as a tool for designing subsequent research projects. It concludes by offering several recommendations and comments to SoTL practitioners who are considering using ethnographic methods in higher education. (shrink)

While more species are being identified as cultural on a regular basis, stark differences between human and animal cultures remain. Humans are more richly cultural, with group-specific practices and social norms guiding almost every element of our lives. Furthermore, human culture is seen as cumulative, cooperative, and normative, in contrast to animal cultures. One hypothesis to explain these differences is grounded in the observation that human children across cultures appear to spontaneously over-imitate silly or causally irrelevant behaviors that they observe. (...) The few studies on over-imitation in other species are largely taken as evidence that spontaneous over-imitation is not present in other species. This leads to the over-imitation hypothesis – that the differences between human culture and animal cultures can be traced to the human unique tendency to over-imitate. In this paper, we analyze the current state of the literature on animal over-imitation and challenge the adequacy of the over-imitation hypothesis for the differences between humans and animal cultures. To make this argument, we first argue that the function of human over-imitation is norm-learning and that over-imitation, like skill-learning, should be subject to selective social learning effects. Then we review the empirical evidence against animal over-imitation and argue that these studies do not take into account the relevant variables given the normative and selective nature of over-imitation. We then analyze positive empirical evidence of over-imitation in great apes and canids from the experimental literature and conclude that the current body of evidence suggests that some canids and primates may have the capacity for over-imitation. This paper offers a methodological suggestion for how to study animal over-imitation, and a theoretical suggestion that over-imitation might be much more widely found among species. The larger implication for claims about human uniqueness suggests that if we do find widespread evidence of over-imitation across species, many of the current theories of human uniqueness that focus on human hyper-cooperation or social norms may have only identified a difference of degree, not of kind, between humans and other animals. (shrink)

Perceptual malleability and diversity can stem from perceptual learning, expertise, genetics, disease, or accident. Perceptual malleability and diversity force us to reject the claim that perceptual capacities, perceptual experience, and perceptual content are universal across subjects and times. And it casts doubt on the presumption of a universal human perceptual nature. However, it does not directly challenge perceptual objectivity, understood as the claim that one can perceive a world of things and features that are independent from oneself and one's (...) experiences and that could be perceived by other subjects. (shrink)