Tool-use Actions Research Articles

Towards a digital preschool community: Applying activity theory to explore teachers’ views and use of digital tools in science activities

As a result of the increasing digitalisation of society, integration of digital tools has recently been made imperative in the Swedish preschool curricula. This study explores how experienced preschool teachers enact this task when teaching science. Thematic analysis of 13 teachers’ descriptions of why and how they integrate digital tools revealed that digital tools were purposefully used to simultaneously expand science learning and foster fundamental values according to the curriculum. Children’s perspectives, interests, and agency were foregrounded in all activities, and digital and analogue tools were combined to complement children’s various ways of learning and provide opportunities for creativity and exploration. The use of Activity Theory as an analytical lens showed that varying epistemological views within communities might cause tensions when experienced teachers pursue their visions of introducing digital tools. An implication of the study is that varying epistemological views and competences within preschool communities need to be resolved to pursue future digitalisation of preschool science at a larger scale.

Digital or analogue communication supports - does it matter?

ABSTRACT Digital tools are becoming more commonly used by older adults in daily life as well as in residential care to facilitate group activities. There is, however, limited research exploring how the participants orient to the tools and whether the choice of material affects the interaction between the participants. This study investigates the use of analogue and digital communication tools in group activities with older adults aged 70–90 with and without dementia in residential care. Interactions during group activities, in which analogue and digital pictures were used to stimulate conversations, were analyzed to identify differences and similarities in how the two different tools are used, as well as any potential differences between how the two groups (persons with and without dementia) orient to the materials. The analysis shows that the use of a communication supporting tool, be it analogue or digital, promotes conversations. However, the digital condition seems to afford shared focus around the device. The results also reveal that the two participating groups orient toward the material objects in a similar fashion. Thus, the choice of material objects used in group activities has consequences for the interaction and should be taken into account when planning for group activities involving persons with and without dementia.

Investigating the role of verbal cues on learning of tool-use actions in 18- and 24-month-olds in an online looking time experiment

Investigating the role of verbal cues on learning of tool-use actions in 18- and 24-month-olds in an online looking time experiment

Software Implementation of the Epps-Pulley Criterion in Matlab Modeling Environment

Purpose. Modeling systems and programming platforms provide ample opportunities for the use of statistical tools in research activities. Since the normal distribution is one of the most common distribution laws, the criterion for checking the sample for normality is in high demand among statistical assessment tools, among which the Epps-Pulley test has the status as one of the most powerful tests to check the deviation of the distribution from the normal one. There are a number of implementations of this test in the R and Python languages. However, this test is not implemented in one of the most popular Matlab modeling software. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop a software implementation of the Epps-Pulley criterion in the Matlab environment and verify the correctness of the performed calculations.Materials and Methods. We implemented the calculation of Epps-Pulley statistics by two methods – classical, using cycles, and matrix-vector, using linear algebra operations. The classical method requires calculating the intermediate values necessary to obtain the criterion statistics using two independent cycles, the second cycle being a double one, in which one cycle is nested into the other. The matrix-vector method requires fewer code by performing calculations using linear algebra operations on matrices and vectors. We obtained critical statistical values for the sample size from 8 to 1000 observations with two-dimensional linear interpolation of tabular values. We used an approximation by a beta function of the third kind for a sample of over 1000 elements.Results. An assessment of the computational efficiency of the methods showed that the cyclic approach is about three times higher than the matrix-vector approach in terms of consumed time, which is presumably due to the processing of insignificant elements in triangular matrices when performing component-by-component operations. The correctness of the software implementation of the Epps-Pulley criterion was tested on several examples, which confirmed the compliance of the calculated values of the criterion statistics, as well as the critical values of statistics, with known data. We carried out a criterion statistical evaluation based on the empirical values of the error of the first kind. We obtained the error values correspondence to the specified significance levels. We performed comparative estimates of the Epps-Pulley test with the Anders-Darling and Shapiro-Wilk tests in terms of the criterion empirical power and tabulated the evaluation results. We published the software implementation of the Epps-Pulley test on the MATLAB Central Internet resource and for free use.Conclusion. We developed software implementation of the Epps-Pulley criterion as a new research tool that was previously unavailable in the Matlab modeling environment. We used the time spent on calculations to make a reasonable choice of the calculation algorithm for the criterion statistics. We confirmed correctness of the calculation algorithms by a set of selective checks and statistical estimates that showed the compliance with well-known theoretical provisions.

ІНСТРУМЕНТИ ШТУЧНОГО ІНТЕЛЕКТУ У ВИКЛАДАННІ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ГУМАНІТАРНИХ ДИСЦИПЛІН

Due to the rapid development of information technologies, the use of digital solutions for educational purposes is becoming increasingly relevant and promising. This encourages the evaluation and development of new methods that provide a personalized approach to teaching and learning, including integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can revolutionize education. However, the question of teachers’ qualifications regarding the use of AI tools in their pedagogical activities, especially in social and humanitarian disciplines, remains unexplored. Therefore, the research goal is to investigate the level of competence of teachers of social and humanitarian disciplines when using AI tools in educational activities which involves educating users about the capabilities, limitations and proper use of these tools, understanding how to benefit from AI and how to avoid misuse. The article reveals the advantages and challenges of applying AI tools, and provides an analysis of some specifics when implementing various AI tools in social and humanitarian disciplines. During the pedagogical experiment, the authors did not limit themselves to the use of the ChatGPT tool; the teachers had an opportunity to explore the features of a number of AI tools that contribute to lesson planning, and generate visual content, text materials, and tasks for them. The expediency of using various AI tools was experimentally verified. Advantages and significant disadvantages as well as subject nuances were determined in practice. In addition, the authors found out the current level of competence of teachers of social and humanitarian disciplines. At the control stage, the authors analysed and summarized the dynamics of the levels of formation of the indicators of teachers’ competence like awareness of the use of AI tools in educational activities; flexibility and ability to adapt when working with AI tools; assessment of confidence when implementing AI tools in educational activities. The conclusions emphasize both the need for further study of the issues of using the educational potential of AI tools and the development of teachers’ digital competence, as well as the formation of a conscious understanding of the risks and limitations in this area by students and teachers.

Digital Competence Among the Key Components of Future Masters of Primary Education Professional Training: Theoretical Interpretations

The article draws attention to the issue of professional training of future masters of primary education and the role of digital competence in it. It involves addressing various challenges and considerations to ensure that educators are well-equipped to meet the diverse needs of primary school students. The author outlines several aspects in this direction: innovative pedagogical knowledge and skills, active technology integration, proper classroom management, appropriate assessment and evaluation, and professional development. It is proved that integration of technology into the classroom results in digital competence improvement of future educators. Numerous interpretations of digital competence by Ukrainian and foreign researchers are presented. The international scientific findings proved, the concept of “information and communication competence” is not limited to technological or digital spheres only, on the contrary, it is transformed in a wider context and applied in almost all spheres of an individual’s life. In the context of digitalization of the education system, it is assured that the possession of digital competence aims at purposeful and independent use of ICT tools in educational activities, as well as in the process of methodical and research work; maximum use of the potential of digital technologies in the process of identifying and solving pedagogical tasks. The experience of formation of digital competence of future masters of primary education within their professional training at PNU is presented n the article.

Use of digital marketing tools in library activities

Use of digital marketing tools in library activities

Stone tools beyond traditional functions: the journey of lithics from profane to ceremonial

The production of flint tools evolved and diversified in response to the increasing and newly appearing demands of the early societies. The maintenance of this tradition coupled with the durability of stone tools resulted in the development of the lithic tool kit and the accumulation of large lithic assemblages mainly in settlements. The twentieth century witnessed the wide investigation of those assemblages through techno-typological approaches that aim at classifying and interpreting lithic assemblages and using them to reconstruct the chronological and cultural phases of given societies. The wide use of stone tools in daily-life activities i.e. hunting, gathering, farming, and food processing, enhanced the perception of lithics as functional objects that are mainly associated with secular activities. However, investigating the changing roles of stone tools over time remained partially overlooked. Apart from finely-made flint knives, the ritual functions of stone tools remain an unexplored research area. The current paper focuses on assessing the symbolic roles of the Predynastic lithics based on their use as grave goods. The results show that varied classes of tools were recruited for funerary purposes and that the evolving roles of lithics were influenced by a long process of human-nature and people-object interactions.

Stone tools beyond traditional functions: the journey of lithics from profane to ceremonial

The production of flint tools evolved and diversified in response to the increasing and newly appearing demands of the early societies. The maintenance of this tradition coupled with the durability of stone tools resulted in the development of the lithic tool kit and the accumulation of large lithic assemblages mainly in settlements. The twentieth century witnessed the wide investigation of those assemblages through techno-typological approaches that aim at classifying and interpreting lithic assemblages and using them to reconstruct the chronological and cultural phases of given societies. The wide use of stone tools in daily-life activities i.e. hunting, gathering, farming, and food processing, enhanced the perception of lithics as functional objects that are mainly associated with secular activities. However, investigating the changing roles of stone tools over time remained partially overlooked. Apart from finely-made flint knives, the ritual functions of stone tools remain an unexplored research area. The current paper focuses on assessing the symbolic roles of the Predynastic lithics based on their use as grave goods. The results show that varied classes of tools were recruited for funerary purposes and that the evolving roles of lithics were influenced by a long process of human-nature and people-object interactions.

Modelling of Library Activity: Analytical Tools

The purpose of the research is to systematise and summarise known and new knowledge about analytical tools for modelling the activity of modern libraries in Ukraine. The research methodology is based on general scientific principles of comprehensive knowledge, complexity, systematicity, unity of theory and practice. The achievement of the set goal was facilitated by the use of general scientific (observation, analysis, synthesis, modelling, system approach, generalisation) and special (bibliographic, information diagnostics (express analysis), grouping) methods at the theoretical and empirical levels of research. The scientific novelty of the work consists in the systematization and generalisation of known (about models and modelling) and new knowledge (about the use of analytical modelling tools in the practical activities of Ukrainian libraries) from the point of view of the present and the perspectives of their development within the scope of one study. Conclusions. The place and role of the modern library in the global system of civilizational development is determined by its ability to be an information base for the development of human potential. That is, in today's changing world, the library is responsible for preserving, spreading and multiplying knowledge, comprehensive communication, providing a free, safe and comfortable space for learning and development, uniting communities and individual citizens. Researchers propose various models of modern library development: "Library – cultural and educational centre", "Library – scientific and information centre", "Library – public educational centre", "Library – digital hub", "Library – information and analytical centre" and others. It is clear that some models can be prioritised or combined. To build one or another effective model of the functioning and development of a modern library, appropriate analytical tools are involved in modelling: building a model canvas, brainstorming, visualisation, empathy map, SWOT analysis, and others. They help specialists generate innovative ideas, change the "rules of the game" to more effective ones, and practically transform the established form of library activity into a more perfect and modern one. Accordingly, during the implementation of the new model, document and information resources are updated, the level of communication is increased, the technological infrastructure is strengthened, the level of informatisation is increased, and the development of new competencies of specialists takes place. Keywords: library, information and analytical activity, model, modelling, information process, innovation.

Artificial Intelligence in Education: Awareness, Readiness and Practice of Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Professional Activities by University Faculty

Daily artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being implemented deeper and deeper in all spheres of human life, including education. At the same time, the degree of integration of AI tools into the pedagogical process largely depends on the awareness, readiness and practice of using the entire AI arsenal by teachers in their professional activities. The purpose of this study is to identify the awareness of university faculty in the use of AI tools in teaching activities, as well as to determine the degree of their readiness and practice of using AI technology in the educational process. The survey participants were 426 teachers from 18 universities of the Russian Federation. The results of the survey showed that the integration of AI tools in education is currently at an early stage. In general, university faculty lack a systematic understanding of the organizational, teaching and learning potential of AI tools. Many educators have segmental knowledge, related to a greater extent directly to their professional activities in teaching specific disciplines, and are not able to create a complete picture of the possibilities of AI in education. At the same time, most university professors express a neutral attitude or readiness to use AI tools in teaching activities. The experience of practical application of AI tools in the pedagogical process is limited to a few cases of using specific technologies in teaching specific aspects of disciplines.

Implementation of modern marketing tools in entrepreneurial activity

Marketing activity focuses on new forms of relations with consumers, and marketing communications determine the current research topic and its relevance. The purpose of the study was to substantiate the use of modern marketing tools in business activities to ensure the sustainable development of the enterprise. During the research, empirical methods were used to review and comprehensively present indicators and features of marketing activity and marketing tools, analysis, and synthesis for a visual representation of the features of marketing tools in use in modern conditions of entrepreneurial activity. Objective information on the state of the industrial products market and the presented elements of the industrial enterprise’s marketing activities have been systematized and analysed. A detailed analysis of current trends in the development of marketing activities and the impact of information technology on the development of entrepreneurship is carried out, which is now the basis for the formation of the necessary set of marketing tools that can be used to improve the efficiency of the enterprise. It was determined that in the transition to market mechanisms of functioning, Ukrainian machine-building enterprises needed to optimize their activities, considering the mutual influence of the components of each enterprise’s external market and internal marketing environment. It was concluded that Ukrainian enterprises are forced to pay great attention to the processes in a rapidly changing external environment to adapt and adapt to them promptly; this is especially important for industrial enterprises focused on marketing activities. The presented research in the form of recommendations for using marketing tools has practical significance for modern business structures

Analysis of the possibilities of artificial intelligence for investigation of fraud

Background. As a result of the digitalization of society, the number of fraudulent activities using information and telecommunication technologies is growing. The technological complexity of the investigation is such that it requires the use of similar tools in investigative and operational-search activities. Such tools can be artificial intelligence. Aim. Determine the potential of artificial intelligence in investigative and operational activities. Methods. The analysis method was used to evaluate existing solutions for use in investigative and operational activities, such as face recognition, based on Haar rules, imitator programs and voice control, solutions of the Incident Management service, Papillon AFIS, Zerkalo GIS, Forver project, IS Obraz++, machine learning capabilities, neural networks. Results. Some relevant solutions are shown that require integration into a single system of technological and intelligent solutions (artificial intelligence) for investigative actions and operational-search activities. Conclusion. Presented are modern automated information tools that require their integration into a single intelligent technological system (artificial intelligence) for investigating crimes.

The visual dorsal stream processes tool-use actions regardless of body part even in people born without hands

The visual dorsal stream processes tool-use actions regardless of body part even in people born without hands

Development managing stages of hybrid intelligent learning environment for student’s mathematics research activities

Problem and aim. The search for relevant solutions to the restructuring of the architecture of modern education, elements of a new system through the organization of an intellectual learning environment adapted to the research activities of schoolchildren on the development of complex mathematical knowledge is a research problem. Materials and methods. 52 teachers and 234 students of schools in Moscow (Russian Federation) took part in the survey. Diagnostic methods were aimed at obtaining data on the use of various digital resources and tools in everyday learning activities and the level of their intellectualization. The methods of descriptive statistics were used (variation series, histograms, measures of central tendency and scatter), as well as Pearson's χ2-test. The results of the study. About 90% of the surveyed teachers and 80% of schoolchildren spoke in favor of the idea of introducing intelligent systems into the learning process, but more than 75% of respondents cannot give examples of such systems and environments. The opinion of trainees on the introduction of digital tools into the educational process differs significantly from the opinion of their mentors (χ2 emp=33,4> χ2 cr (0,01)=2,65). The main stages of designing an intelligent learning system are presented: the development of methodological provisions for the intelligent management of the educational process; determination of personalized parameters of scientific potential that determine the structure of educational and research content; development of a database and knowledge of the subject of project activities; choice of architecture and functionality of the hybrid neural network. Conclusion. The author's methodological and technological solutions will provide scientists with a reference point for further research in the field of improving high-tech forms of e-learning, and teachers will have the opportunity to explore practical ways to implement personalized and adaptive distance learning through automated intelligent systems. Keywords: intelligent systems, research activities, teaching mathematics, complex knowledge

COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT IN SOCIAL TRANSPARENCY RISKS MANAGEMENT OF ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

One of the areas of improvement of communicative management tools in the conditions of modern challenges is the relevant provision of actual changes in the formats of work organization. Remote work and mixed formats of work are gaining popularity. Remote work means using information and communication technologies to work outside the workplace. The Covid-19 crisis and the full-scale war in Ukraine have led to an increase in the use of social media tools in enterprises. The directions of their use control, inform, and coordinate cooperation between employees. In such conditions, communicative management must consider not only the requirements but also the risks of social transparency. Transparency is one of the aspects of corporate social responsibility at the organizational level, which is intended to contribute to the growth of the efficiency and productivity of the enterprise. Social transparency is carried out through social networks or corporate social software, refers to the voluntary sharing of personal and contextual information, such as information about their own and team status, intentions, motivations, capabilities, priorities, goals, updates of physical and social information, contacts with others colleagues. Social transparency practices can create risks such as information overload, professional burnout, and stress. There is a lack of systematic communication management methods that would identify and assess the risks of social transparency. In the presented study, we substantiate the method of identification and assessment of such risks at enterprises. An appropriate algorithm for the method of identification and assessment of such risks in the organizational context has been developed. As a result of the research, a specific toolkit of communicative management is proposed for the study of potential risks of social transparency in corporate information systems in the conditions of social transparency. The use of such tools in the practical activities of enterprises will improve the validity of management decisions in the context of the transparency of corporate information systems based on the identification of relevant risks and their prioritization.

Sound-action symbolism in relation to precision manipulation and whole-hand grasp usage.

It has been suggested that actions can provide a fruitful conceptual context for sound symbolism phenomena, and that tight interaction between manual and articulatory processes might cause that hand actions, in particular, are sound-symbolically associated with specific speech sounds. Experiment 1 investigated whether novel words, built from speech sounds that have been previously linked to precision or power grasp responses, are implicitly associated with perceived actions that present precision manipulation or whole-hand grasp tool-use or the corresponding utilisation pantomimes. In the two-alternative forced-choice task, the participants were more likely to match novel words to tool-use actions and corresponding pantomimes that were sound-symbolically congruent with the words. Experiment 2 showed that the same or even larger sound-action symbolism effect can be observed when the pantomimes present unfamiliar utilisation actions. Based on this we propose that the sound-action symbolism might originate from the same sensorimotor mechanisms that process the meaning of iconic gestural signs. The study presents a novel sound-action phenomenon and supports the view that hand-mouth interaction might manifest itself by associating specific speech sounds with grasp-related utilisations.

The social cognitive dimension of pantomime

Pantomime production is commonly interpreted as reflecting tool-use-related cognitive processes. Yet, in everyday life, pantomime deserves a communication function and the exaggeration of amplitude found during pantomime compared to real tool use may reflect the individual’s attempt to communicate the intended gesture. Therefore, the question arises about whether pantomime is a communicative behavior that is nevertheless supported only by non-social cognitive processes. We contribute to answering this question by using kinematic analyses. Participants performed the pantomime of using a saw or a hammer from visual presentation in three conditions: Free (no specific instructions), Self (focus on the real tool-use action), and Others (focus on the communicative dimension). Finally, they used the tool with the corresponding object (Actual condition). Participants’ social cognition were assessed using gold standard questionnaires. Our results indicated that the manipulation of instructions had a minor effect on the exaggeration of amplitude during pantomime. We reported a link between the social cognition score and the amplitude in the Others condition for the hammer, which suggests that social cognitive processes could take part in pantomime production in some conditions. Nevertheless, this result does not alter our conclusion that social cognitive processes might be far from necessary for pantomime production.

Bringing cumulative technological culture beyond copying versus reasoning.

The dominant view of cumulative technological culture suggests that high-fidelity transmission rests upon a high-fidelity copying ability, which allows individuals to reproduce the tool-use actions performed by others without needing to understand them (i.e., without causal reasoning). The opposition between copying versus reasoning is well accepted but with little supporting evidence. In this article, we investigate this distinction by examining the cognitive science literature on tool use. Evidence indicates that the ability to reproduce others' tool-use actions requires causal understanding, which questions the copying versus reasoning distinction and the cognitive reality of the so-called copying ability. We conclude that new insights might be gained by considering causal understanding as a key driver of cumulative technological culture.

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR PREPARING MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS FOR THE USE OF VIRTUAL CLARITY MEANS

In the article, the authors touch on the problem of professional training of teachers of mathematics and computer science in the context of the development of digital technologies and the demand of society for visual support of training. The generalization of scientific and pedagogical research on the training of teachers of mathematics and informatics is presented. The conceptual contradictions of the educational sector, which are proposed to be resolved through the implementation of the author's concept of preparing future teachers of mathematics and computer science for the use of virtual clarity in professional activities, are singled out. Based on the results of the analysis and systematization of scientific sources and own experience of teaching, the requirements for the training of teachers of mathematics and computer science were clarified, taking into account the requests of stakeholders for the effective implementation of professional pedagogical activity. The leading ideas of the concept of professional training of future teachers of mathematics and computer science for the use of virtual clarity in professional activities are revealed. The implementation of the concept is described on the methodological (the provisions of philosophy regarding the development, self-realization, self-improvement of the individual and the unity of the theory and practice of conscious human activity as a subject of cognitive activity, as well as systemic, acmeological, cognitive-visual, synergistic, reflexive-activity, BYOD-approach, made-self-approach), theoretical (based on the formation of teachers' readiness to use virtual clarity as a complex personal education) and practical (characterizes the practical aspects of the implementation of the concept) levels. It is expected that the developed concept will determine the fundamental positions of designing a pedagogical system of professional training of future teachers of mathematics and computer science for the use of virtual clarity tools in professional activities at the level of higher education institutions.