Analysis Of Artifacts Research Articles

Qualitative curriculum mapping of technological skills

Most programs in higher education promise to develop some sort of technology or information literacy in their students (Oliver & Jorre de St Jorre, 2018). This may include the ability to use specialised tools in their field or to think critically about the use and development of modern technologies. However, it is not always clear how these skills are actually developed within study units or subjects (Bone & Ross, 2021; Oliver & Jorre de St Jorre, 2018), which are often offered as separate modules within a program. On the other hand, curriculum mapping has become a popular method for tracking skill development throughout educational programs. However, mapping can sometimes result in box-ticking exercises (Bone & Ross, 2021; Spencer et al., 2012), focusing on whether skills are present or absent in different subjects, based on the description of learning outcomes and the topics covered across individual subjects. Approaching curriculum mapping as a qualitative inquiry (Spencer et al., 2012) can help bridge the gap between formal descriptions of learning outcomes at the program and subject level, and the actual learning activities that students engage in. By following a progressive model of curriculum design (Knight, 2001), a qualitative perspective on curriculum mapping aims to identify skills development beyond their mere presence or absence. Instead, it seeks to explore how students are introduced to these skills, the range of opportunities they have to practice them at different levels of complexity, and how different activities connect to one another. Additionally, by combining multiple sources of information such as document and artifact analysis, interviews, and more, the mapping process can help uncovering barriers and enablers for curriculum reform that may not be apparent through simple box-ticking exercises. This poster will present an excerpt of a qualitative curriculum mapping project, focusing on how specialised data analysis tools are taught in two biology majors. It will highlight the challenges of fully integrating these tools across subjects to provide students with progressive opportunities for practice. Based on this specific case, this poster will provide examples of the type of information that can be collected and the kind of questions that can be addressed through a qualitative curriculum mapping process, depending on the particular needs of each program and the technological skills to be incorporated.

Segmentation and visualization of the Shampula dragonfly eye glass bead CT images using a deep learning method

Micro-computed tomography (CT) of ancient Chinese glass dragonfly eye beads has enabled detailed exploration of their internal structures, contributing to our understanding of their manufacture. Segmentation of these CT images is essential but challenging due to variation in grayscale values and the presence of bubbles. This study introduces a U-Net-based model called EBV-SegNet, which enables efficient and accurate segmentation and visualization of these beads. We developed, trained, and tested the model using a dataset comprising four typical Shampula dragonfly eye beads, and the results demonstrated high-precision segmentation and precise delineation of the beads’ complex structures. These segmented data were further analyzed using the Visualization Toolkit for advanced volume rendering and reconstruction. Our application of EBV-SegNet to Shampula beads suggests the likelihood of two distinct manufacturing techniques, underscoring the potential of the model for enhancing the analysis of cultural artifacts using three-dimensional visualization and deep learning.

A study on the affordances of digital fairy-tale rewriting: A critical literacy approach to digital multimodal composing

Digital multimodal composing (DMC) is the production of texts using multimodal semiotic resources and digital tools. This study integrated critical literacy pedagogy into DMC in an EFL context through both course design and task design, proposing digital fairy-tale rewriting (DFTR) as a genre of DMC for critical literacy practices. Taiwanese university students in the study created multimodal videos of retold fairy tales addressing social issues to promote critical literacy. The study adopted a conceptual framework of DMC affordances to examine the possibilities afforded by DFTR. Affordances refer to the potential and limitations of a mode for meaning representation and communication, as perceived by teachers and students. Data collected included participants’ surveys, reflective writings, and analysis of the DMC artifacts. Results indicated substantial evidence of technological, educational, and social benefits of DFTR compared to past learning experiences, with enhanced affordances including transmediation, multiliteracies, creativity, and civic participation. Digital skills and multimodal literacy were developed to strengthen critical literacy learning across four dimensions, enriching prior studies on DMC affordances and critical literacy scholarship. The study also contributed a refined conceptual framework of DFTR affordances, expanded by new affordances of generating interest, nurturing creativity and multiple perspectives, and promoting more active civic participation.

Voices in Education: Bolstering Social Studies Education and Revitalizing Democracy Through Action Civics

The University of Southern California (USC) Democracy Project responds to the inadequacies of traditional civics education, particularly its failure to engage marginalized students in meaningful democratic participation. Grounded in the theories of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, the project uses an action civics model to connect students with real-world issues, promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and civic responsibility. This article describes the curriculum development process, highlighting partnerships with teachers and community stakeholders and a pilot study involving 23 diverse educators. Using a mixed methods approach—including pre-surveys, classroom feedback, and artifact analysis—the pilot revealed strong alignment with civics education standards. Notably, 95% of teachers rated the curriculum highly relevant, and students showed increased engagement and leadership in addressing issues like environmental justice and reproductive rights. Action civics helped bridge equity gaps by empowering students from underserved communities to take localized civic actions, such as public campaigns and advocacy projects. This research underscores the potential of action civics to revitalize civics education. The project calls for expanding across grade levels, integrating media literacy to help students critically navigate digital spaces, and scaling the curriculum to prepare students for the complex challenges of democratic life.

From past to future: digital methods towards artefact analysis

Abstract Over the past two decades, Digital Humanities has transformed the landscape of humanities and social sciences, enabling advanced computational analysis and interpretation of extensive datasets. Notably, recent initiatives in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore, focus on categorizing and archiving historical data such as artwork, literature and, most notably archaeological artefacts. This study illustrates the profound potential of Digital Humanities through the application of statistical methods on two distinct artefact datasets. Specifically, we present the results of an automated minting study of mid-first millennium CE struck and cast ‘Rising Sun’ coinage from mainland Southeast Asia, while subsequently utilizing unsupervised statistical methods on 2D images of 13th–14th-century earthenware ceramics excavated from the precolonial St. Andrew’s Cathedral site in central Singapore. This research offers a comparative assessment showcasing the transformative impact of statistics-based approaches on the interpretation and analysis of diverse archaeological materials and within Digital Humanities overall.

How the Affordances of Different Modeling Tools Impact Kindergartener‐Constructed Models and Modeling Reasoning

ABSTRACTThis study seeks to enrich our understanding of modeling‐based learning (MbL) in kindergarten science education, investigating the influences of different modeling tools on kindergarten child‐constructed models and their modeling reasoning. Therefore, this multi‐case study aimed at providing in‐depth descriptions of how MbL was enacted by 66 kindergarteners while combining the use of three modeling tools: paper‐and‐pencil, three‐dimensional structures, and dramatic play. We studied three different classes of children engaged in MbL who studied and modeled three different physical phenomena (wildflowers' parts and their functions, dissolving substances in water, shadow formation). We varied the modeling tools to investigate the ways these tools contributed to children's MbL. Data sources included the child‐constructed models, their modeling discourse, and mechanistic reasoning. From the videotaped lesson transcripts, we developed detailed accounts of the three MbL cases, and we analysed the discourse using modeling frame analysis and mechanistic reasoning analysis, along with the model component artifact analysis of the child‐constructed models. Findings suggested that the use of different modeling tools impacts child‐constructed models and their corresponding modeling‐based mechanistic reasoning. The findings also suggest that children's representational proficiencies seem to be related to the use of a variety of modeling tools, which enabled children to talk about the possible different ways of developing models and the different affordances of the various modeling tools' representational power. We use this evidence to argue that different modeling tools may afford different modeling possibilities that kindergarten children may draw upon possibly combining with modeling resources they have (e.g., role‐playing, storytelling, drawing).

Analysis of leakage artifacts and their impact on convergence of algebraic reconstruction in multi-contrast magnetic particle imaging

Objective.Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a tracer-based medical imaging modality with great potential due to its high sensitivity, high spatiotemporal resolution, and ability to quantify the tracer concentration. Image reconstruction in MPI is an ill-posed problem, which the use of regularization methods can address. Multi-contrast MPI reconstructs the signal from different tracer materials or environments separately, resulting in multi-channel images that enable quantification of, for example, temperature or viscosity. Single- and multi-contrast MPI reconstructions produce different kinds of artifacts. The objective of this work is threefold: first, to present the concept of multi-contrast specific MPI channel leakage artifacts; second, to ascertain the source of these leakage artifacts; and third, to introduce a method for their reduction.Approach.A definition for leakage artifacts is established, and a quantification method is proposed. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to establish a connection between the properties of the multi-contrast MPI system matrix and the leakage artifacts. Moreover, a two-step measurement and reconstruction method is introduced to reduce channel leakage artifacts between multi-contrast MPI channels.Main results.The severity of these artifacts correlates with the system matrix shape and condition number and depends on the similarity of the corresponding frequency components. Using the proposed two-step method on both semi-simulated and measured data a significant leakage reduction and speed up the convergence of the multi-contrast MPI reconstruction was observed.Significance.The multi-contrast system matrix analysis we conducted is essential for understanding the source of the channel leakage artifacts and finding methods to reduce them. Our proposed two-step method is expected to improve the potential for real-time multi-contrast MPI applications.

Assessment of Safety Culture in Recreational Scuba Diving Course among Selected Chinese Colleges: Basis for Enhanced Safety Management System

This research assesses the safety culture within recreational scuba diving courses at selected Chinese colleges, aiming to establish a foundation for an enhanced safety management system. The study not only evaluates existing safety practices and attitudes but also examines the underlying cultural factors that influence safety behaviors, aiming to propose targeted improvements that enhance overall safety and effectiveness. Grounded in Edgar Schein’s Organizational Culture Theory, the research explores safety culture through the analysis of Artifacts, Espoused Values, and Underlying Assumptions. A mixed-method approach was employed, with quantitative data collected through surveys from students and teachers and qualitative data gathered via in-depth interviews with experienced scuba diving teachers. The findings revealed significant insights into the safety culture of these courses, including the strengths and weaknesses in current safety practices. Key issues identified include the lack of availability and non-compliance with standard safety requirements for first aid equipment and emergency aid during scuba diving classes, a gap or mismatch between students' theoretical knowledge and practical scuba diving skills, poor equipment management and maintenance. The study concludes with recommendations for improving safety management systems, emphasizing the need for stricter adherence to safety protocols, enhanced teacher training, and the integration of safety culture into the broader educational framework of Chinese colleges. These recommendations aim to reduce accidents and enhance the overall safety and enjoyment of recreational scuba diving, benefiting both students and teachers.

Readiness of hospitality and tourism curricula for digital transformation

The digital transformation imperative requires hospitality and tourism firms to rapidly build and continuously upgrade the competitiveness of specific digital transformation and digital business capabilities. Using thematic and quantitative content analysis of online curricula artifacts from top-ranked universities globally, we investigate the extent to which these digital capabilities are integrated into hospitality and tourism management curricula, as well as the approaches to their integration. We add to the literature by providing empirical evidence of integration levels, by identifying various curricula integration approaches, and by discussing their integration strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we contribute to the industry's readiness for digital transformation.

Material Analysis and Conservation Treatment of Wooden Artifacts Excavated at the Ssangbuk-ri 280-10 Site in Buyeo, Korea

Numerous Baekje historical sites are located in Ssangbuk-ri, Buyeo, where a diverse array of wooden artifacts, including lacquerware, was excavated in a waterlogged condition. Consequently, comprehensive analysis and conservation treatments were undertaken. The study encompassed four wooden artifacts and one lacquerware. Species identification was conducted for all five artifacts, and the coating residue on the surface of one lacquerware was discerned using FT-IR. The results revealed that the Y-shaped and Drill-shaped wooden artifacts were crafted from Hard pine, the Square container with a handle from <i>Juglans</i> spp., the Arrow-shaped wooden object from <i>Pyrus</i> spp., and the Lacquerware from <i>Castanea</i> spp.. Additionally, the surface coating of the lacquerware was confirmed to be lacquer. Conservation treatments involved PEG(Polyethylene glycol) impregnation and freeze-drying methods, ensuring the stable storage and display of these artifacts.

Investigating the Microarchaeological Record at Underwater Sites: Operating an On-Site Laboratory During the Antikythera Shipwreck Excavation

AbstractUnderwater excavations require an immense amount of logistics and have inherent time limitations. Underwater challenges such as nitrogen toxicity, underwater color change, and dive time limits increase with working depths, affecting the interpretation of archaeological contexts. Thus, underwater excavations involve methods and approaches to extract the maximum information from small areas while providing a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological record. Here, we present the benefits of using an on-site laboratory comprising a microscope, binocular microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and blue light inspection device. Three case studies are presented, focusing on the identification of stratigraphic boundaries, as well as the preservation and identification of archaeological materials. The results show a complex stratigraphic sequence containing seven layers divided into four mineralogical units: (1) Calcite, (2) Calcite and aragonite, (3) Aragonite, and (4) Dolomite. Additionally, the use of an on-site laboratory is effective in preventing the misidentification of archaeological materials, which could affect the final interpretation of the archaeological site (e.g., glass, lead, bone), and enabling the identification of materials invisible to the naked eye, such as opaline phytoliths. In the case of the Antikythera shipwreck, the on-site laboratory facilitated the examination of stratigraphy and quality of the archaeological context while streamlining excavation practices and documentation. Furthermore, the on-site laboratory allowed for the assessment of material preservation and provide crucial insights to inform post-excavation treatments and analysis of artifacts.

Lviv (Lemberg) Artefacts Of Theobald Böhm’s Flute Workshop

The analysis of artefacts from Theobald Böhm’s Second Flute Workshop is crucial for understanding 19th-century music industry developments and craftsmanship. This study aims to analyze the reception of Böhm’s reforms and their popularization among specialists and intellectuals, particularly in the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, part of the Austrian Empire. The main methods include analysis of archival materials, comparison of newly manufactured flutes with previous forms, and retrospective analysis. The study examines Böhm’s activities and focuses on his second workshop (1855-1858). The investigation of Lviv artefacts from Böhm’s workshop is of significant scientific and cultural interest, enhancing our understanding of flute evolution and Böhm’s contributions. The study highlights the importance of Böhm’s flute artefacts in the history of flute art, refining and complementing existing knowledge and supporting further research. The early years following Böhm’s 1847 reform reveal the shock and varied reactions of industry experts, including rejection, refutation, adaptation, or acceptance of Böhm’s inventions. The initial stages of mastering these new instruments in European provincial centers, such as Lviv, provide unique insights into the professional crisis triggered by the reform. The Lviv example illustrates distinct attitudes towards Böhm’s innovations and general trends filtered through Galician consciousness and mentality. This study utilizes previously unpublished archival information and facts, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of this pivotal event in flute history.

Good Measures: Developing a Process for Authentic Assessment Creation in Food Education.

This paper presents the process taken by a nonprofit educational organization to create authentic evaluation tools for Food Education in K-12 schools. Development was a collaborative effort between organization staff and teachers during an Evaluation Summit. The program background, development of the Summit, and plans for post-Summit work continuation are described. The Summit included 14 teacher participants (3-4 per grade band in preK-1, 2-5, 6-8, 9-12). The process of tool development was captured via direct observations and analysis of artifacts (eg, participants' brainstorming chart paper, online development documents) to identify themes in successful approaches and challenges. Additional post-Summit activities were also captured via surveys and artifacts. Outcomes of this work are outlined, including the challenges in carrying out the creation of authentic assessments that accurately reflect the classroom teaching experience, and the value of in-person community building in the Food Education space. Key findings relate to the importance of in-person collaboration amongst teachers, centering students in evaluation, and equity and accessibility in tool development. Although outlining challenges and outcomes was not an a priori goal of this work, it provides important information for others working in the education nonprofit space-especially as it pertains to new approaches to classroom evaluation.

I’m Still Nigerian: Navigating Race Through Digital Literacies

Literacy scholarship captures immigrant youth of color ethnoracial identity constructions through their digital literacy practices. Still, few studies examine how immigrant youth of African origin use digital literacy to navigate ethnoracial tensions and craft racialized identities. Drawing on raciolinguistic and postcolonial theory, this study extends and nuances existing scholarship by examining the digital literacy practices and ethnoracial identity formations of a 13-year-old Nigerian girl who migrated to the United States. Positioning my analysis within the intersection of race, language, and identity, I inquire: How does Isioma leverage digital literacies to navigate U.S. racialization and negotiate U.S. racial identity categories? Furthermore, how does Isioma employ digital literacies to construct and negotiate her ethnoracial identities? I employ a narrative analysis of home observations, semistructured interviews, and literacy artifacts. Findings illustrate how digital tools disrupt raciolinguistic perspectives against minoritized languages. Digital literacies also enable the preservation of ethnic identities and languages while influencing racialized and hybrid identity formation and narration in the physical world.

FLUEnT: Transformer for detecting lung consolidations in videos using fused lung ultrasound encodings

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children around the world. According to WHO, a total of 740,180 lives under the age of five were lost due to pneumonia in 2019. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has been shown to be particularly useful for supporting the diagnosis of pneumonia in children and reducing mortality in resource-limited settings. The wide application of point-of-care ultrasound at the bedside is limited mainly due to a lack of training for data acquisition and interpretation. Artificial Intelligence can serve as a potential tool to automate and improve the LUS data interpretation process, which mainly involves analysis of hyper-echoic horizontal and vertical artifacts, and hypo-echoic small to large consolidations. This paper presents, Fused Lung Ultrasound Encoding-based Transformer (FLUEnT), a novel pediatric LUS video scoring framework for detecting lung consolidations using fused LUS encodings. Frame-level embeddings from a variational autoencoder, features from a spatially attentive ResNet-18, and encoded patient information as metadata combiningly form the fused encodings. These encodings are then passed on to the transformer for binary classification of the presence or absence of consolidations in the video. The video-level analysis using fused encodings resulted in a mean balanced accuracy of 89.3 %, giving an average improvement of 4.7 % points in comparison to when using these encodings individually. In conclusion, outperforming the state-of-the-art models by an average margin of 8 % points, our proposed FLUEnT framework serves as a benchmark for detecting lung consolidations in LUS videos from pediatric pneumonia patients.

Revisiting Duvensee 13: Additional Analyses of Lithic Artefacts and Site Contexts of a Small Dwelling at the Ancient Lake Duvensee, Germany

ABSTRACT The paper re-examines the Duvensee 13 site at Lake Duvensee, Germany, dating from 9900 to 8600 calBP, the latest in a series of well-known hazelnut roasting sites of a larger Mesolithic site complex. While the site has previously been studied, its lithic assemblage has not been fully analysed and published. This study presents this previously unstudied material, offering a comprehensive overview of its composition, metric information, and its spatial distribution. Lithic analysis revealed specialised production of pointed and triangular microliths. Additional elements of the assemblage (narrow blades, small cores) suggest microlith production as the primary goal. High-resolution spatial data revealed concentrations of microliths and microburins, pointing towards focussed areas of production. However, the overall assemblage is affected by a redistribution of artefacts through the reworking of the layers surrounding the hearth and repeated overlapping site occupations. Additional archaeological features suggest that in addition to hazelnut roasting, the site likely also accommodated dwelling, tool crafting, and game surveillance during off-harvest times.

Exploring the role of virtual exhibition and media design rhetoric in learning history

This paper investigates the intersection of media and design literacies in learners becoming more competent in developing complex ideas within a history classroom. Drawing from multiliteracies, design literacy, and media literacy, this paper conceptualizes media design rhetoric as a process. It utilizes a virtual exhibition as a facilitator to deepen the understanding of propaganda. We accumulate qualitative data from artifacts created by 10th and 11th graders (age range: 15–17) in a history classroom within a suburban high school in Western Canada, with written reflections on their artifacts. artefact analysis is followed by thematic and subject analysis in NVivo 12. Results show that media design rhetoric supports learners in deepening their understanding of propaganda, critically reading media, and creatively communicating messages. Results suggest that virtual exhibitions can be pivotal in creating new artifacts with complex but interest-driven topics. This research introduces media design rhetoric as a bridging concept (between multiliteracies, design literacy, and media literacy) and situates virtual exhibitions as a facilitator for developing complex ideas. This research highlights the significance of critical thinking and creativity in the media design rhetoric, as students critically engaged with historical content and creatively adapted it to modern contexts.

Circulation of Goods and Information in Southern Patagonia During the Late Holocene: An Integrated Analysis of Engravings and Black Obsidian Artefacts

Circulation of Goods and Information in Southern Patagonia During the Late Holocene: An Integrated Analysis of Engravings and Black Obsidian Artefacts

High Prevalence of Artifacts in Optical Coherence Tomography With Adequate Signal Strength.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of artifacts in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images with acceptable signal strength and evaluate the performance of supervised deep learning models in improving OCT image quality assessment. We conducted a retrospective study on 4555 OCT images from 546 patients, with each image having an acceptable signal strength (≥6). A comprehensive analysis of prevalent OCT artifacts was performed, and five pretrained convolutional neural network models were trained and tested to infer images based on quality. Our results showed a high prevalence of artifacts in OCT images with acceptable signal strength. Approximately 21% of images were labeled as nonacceptable quality. The EfficientNetV2 model demonstrated superior performance in classifying OCT image quality, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.950 ± 0.007 and an area under the precision recall curve of 0.985 ± 0.002. The findings highlight the limitations of relying solely on signal strength for OCT image quality assessment and the potential of deep learning models in accurately classifying image quality. Application of the deep learning-based OCT image quality assessment models may improve the OCT image data quality for both clinical applications and research.

Analysis and identification of ancient glass artifacts based on component data

This study explores the classification of glass artifacts based on their chemical composition. Using the stratified chi-square test method, the correlation between the chemical characteristics of glass artifacts and their susceptibility to weathering was analyzed. A decision tree model was constructed to predict and analyze the types of glass artifacts. To further study the types of glass artifacts, factor analysis was employed to reduce the dimensionality of the data, simplifying the data structure. Based on the reduced data, the K-means clustering algorithm was used to further classify the glass artifacts into three subcategories.