title: Efficiently correcting machine learning: considering the role of example ordering in human-in-the-loop training of image classification models

authors: Holmes, Geoffrey

subjects: computer science

abstract: Arguably the most popular application task in artificial intelligence is image classification using transfer learning. Transfer learning enables models pre-trained on general classes of images, available in large numbers, to be refined for a specific application. This enables domain experts with their own—generally, substantially smaller—collections of images to build deep learning models. The good performance of such models poses the question of whether it is possible to further reduce the effort required to label training data by adopting a human-in-the-loop interface that presents the expert with the current predictions of the model on a new batch of data and only requires correction of these predictions—rather than de novo labelling by the expert—before retraining the model on the extended data. This paper looks at how to order the data in this iterative training scheme to achieve the highest model performance while minimising the effort needed to correct misclassified examples. Experiments are conducted involving five methods of ordering, using four image classification datasets, and three popular pre-trained models. Two of the methods we consider order the examples a priori whereas the other three employ an active learning approach where the ordering is updated iteratively after each new batch of data and retraining of the model. The main finding is that it is important to consider accuracy of the model in relation to the number of corrections that are required: using accuracy in relation to the number of labelled training examples—as is common practice in the literature—can be misleading. More specifically, active methods require more cumulative corrections than a priori methods for a given level of accuracy. Within their groups, active and a priori methods perform similarly. Preliminary evidence is provided that suggests that for “simple” problems, i.e., those involving fewer examples and classes, no method improves upon random selection of examples. For more complex problems, an a priori strategy based on a greedy sample selection method known as “kernel herding” performs best.

text: Efficiently correcting machine learning: considering the role of example ordering in human-in-the-loop training of image classification models Arguably the most popular application task in artificial intelligence is image classification using transfer learning. Transfer learning enables models pre-trained on general classes of images, available in large numbers, to be refined for a specific application. This enables domain experts with their own—generally, substantially smaller—collections of images to build deep learning models. The good performance of such models poses the question of whether it is possible to further reduce the effort required to label training data by adopting a human-in-the-loop interface that presents the expert with the current predictions of the model on a new batch of data and only requires correction of these predictions—rather than de novo labelling by the expert—before retraining the model on the extended data. This paper looks at how to order the data in this iterative training scheme to achieve the highest model performance while minimising the effort needed to correct misclassified examples. Experiments are conducted involving five methods of ordering, using four image classification datasets, and three popular pre-trained models. Two of the methods we consider order the examples a priori whereas the other three employ an active learning approach where the ordering is updated iteratively after each new batch of data and retraining of the model. The main finding is that it is important to consider accuracy of the model in relation to the number of corrections that are required: using accuracy in relation to the number of labelled training examples—as is common practice in the literature—can be misleading. More specifically, active methods require more cumulative corrections than a priori methods for a given level of accuracy. Within their groups, active and a priori methods perform similarly. Preliminary evidence is provided that suggests that for “simple” problems, i.e., those involving fewer examples and classes, no method improves upon random selection of examples. For more complex problems, an a priori strategy based on a greedy sample selection method known as “kernel herding” performs best.

year: 2022

title: The role of local communities in community-based tourism development in traditional tea production areas in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam

authors: Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Dung

subjects: local communities

abstract: This thesis is a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of local communities in sustainable tourism development through community-based tourism. It reveals how community participation and empowerment in tourism could be enhanced from listening to, understanding, and integrating the voices of local people. It conceptualises a way that uniquely accounts for, and celebrates, local people’s understandings and expressions of themselves, their community and local tourism development. I argue that reclaiming and acknowledging local people’s power and collective responsibility in upholding their central role has the potential to transform experiences of/about local people and enable them to achieve what they desire in tourism. A mixed methodology was used, the majority of which was qualitative, to help draw better comprehensive answers for my research questions. Data collected from 28 interviews, 130 questionnaires, 3 focus groups and participation in local daily activities gave me a better insight into the community, whether they participated or not in CBT, and in managerial affairs.
Empirical material is arranged around four key themes. The first highlights the needs to recommit to local characteristics as the roots of tourism development, drivers of attractiveness and competitiveness in the face of globalisation. The dialogue between tourism and local development can be more effective if decision-makers, actors in tourism, and the hosting community develop policies and attitudes resulting from an understanding of the significance of local characteristics. The second theme determines the barriers that prevent more local people from participation in community-based tourism development. This reveals how communities themselves become a source of challenges to the practical implementation of sustainable tourism. Third, this study provides a deeper understanding of how shifts in power can be achieved and lead to social change. It is important to re-confirm that the power to act is within local people’s hands. Local people’s role and participation can and must be promoted for successful implementation of sustainable tourism development by acknowledging their power and enabling them to exercise that power. This study also unpacks the significance of collaboration of all the stakeholders as it generates collective power in CBT development. Finally, this thesis reveals the importance to address and promote the concept of inclusive tourism, which is meaningful for collective responsibility in upholding the central role of the local people to achieve sustainable tourism development. 
This research responds to the scarcity of existing academic scholarship pertaining to the power of local people within tourism development, and provides an opportunity to advance the innovative and forward thinking of inclusive tourism. I argue that inclusive tourism should be the answer to a changing world. Given the challenges that each stakeholder faces today, this study demonstrates that the concept of looking beyond each stakeholder and the need for collective action and collaboration have never been clearer.

text: The role of local communities in community-based tourism development in traditional tea production areas in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam This thesis is a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of local communities in sustainable tourism development through community-based tourism. It reveals how community participation and empowerment in tourism could be enhanced from listening to, understanding, and integrating the voices of local people. It conceptualises a way that uniquely accounts for, and celebrates, local people’s understandings and expressions of themselves, their community and local tourism development. I argue that reclaiming and acknowledging local people’s power and collective responsibility in upholding their central role has the potential to transform experiences of/about local people and enable them to achieve what they desire in tourism. A mixed methodology was used, the majority of which was qualitative, to help draw better comprehensive answers for my research questions. Data collected from 28 interviews, 130 questionnaires, 3 focus groups and participation in local daily activities gave me a better insight into the community, whether they participated or not in CBT, and in managerial affairs.
Empirical material is arranged around four key themes. The first highlights the needs to recommit to local characteristics as the roots of tourism development, drivers of attractiveness and competitiveness in the face of globalisation. The dialogue between tourism and local development can be more effective if decision-makers, actors in tourism, and the hosting community develop policies and attitudes resulting from an understanding of the significance of local characteristics. The second theme determines the barriers that prevent more local people from participation in community-based tourism development. This reveals how communities themselves become a source of challenges to the practical implementation of sustainable tourism. Third, this study provides a deeper understanding of how shifts in power can be achieved and lead to social change. It is important to re-confirm that the power to act is within local people’s hands. Local people’s role and participation can and must be promoted for successful implementation of sustainable tourism development by acknowledging their power and enabling them to exercise that power. This study also unpacks the significance of collaboration of all the stakeholders as it generates collective power in CBT development. Finally, this thesis reveals the importance to address and promote the concept of inclusive tourism, which is meaningful for collective responsibility in upholding the central role of the local people to achieve sustainable tourism development. 
This research responds to the scarcity of existing academic scholarship pertaining to the power of local people within tourism development, and provides an opportunity to advance the innovative and forward thinking of inclusive tourism. I argue that inclusive tourism should be the answer to a changing world. Given the challenges that each stakeholder faces today, this study demonstrates that the concept of looking beyond each stakeholder and the need for collective action and collaboration have never been clearer.

year: 2019

title: “This is not a riot, it is a protest”: A discourse analysis of prison violence in New Zealand news media

authors: Membery, Liam

subjects: Prison Violence

abstract: This thesis examines the discourses of prison violence in the New Zealand news media. Prison violence is a pressing social issue that harms those involved and has permeating consequences for the institution. Prison riots, specifically, involve serious instances of disorder and violence that incur physical, psychological, social and economic harm. Despite prisons being private institutions, prison riots are public events that amass large social responses through news media coverage. The public often use news media to co-construct their perceptions of social phenomena, and policymakers use both public opinion and the news media to guide their decisions when shaping policy. Subsequently, the ways in which the news media discursively construct prison riots will have direct consequences for public attitudes and policy relating to prison violence, a phenomenon that exists outside of the public eye. However, there is currently no research that has examined discourses of prison violence and, further, what the consequences of these discourses may be. Therefore, using a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, this study examined the discourses in the news media representations of the large-scale prison violence at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility (2013) and Waikeria Prison (2020-2021). The results uncovered three discourses: the riot discourse, the gang discourse, and the protest discourse. The riot discourse was identified as dominant and constructed prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by inherently violent prisoners. The gang discourse worked in conjunction with the riot discourse, constructing prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by gang members. The protest discourse was identified as a counter-discourse and constructed the unrest at both facilities as protests against living conditions and inhumane treatment. Each discourse has consequences for public attitudes and in turn, penal policy and practice.

text: “This is not a riot, it is a protest”: A discourse analysis of prison violence in New Zealand news media This thesis examines the discourses of prison violence in the New Zealand news media. Prison violence is a pressing social issue that harms those involved and has permeating consequences for the institution. Prison riots, specifically, involve serious instances of disorder and violence that incur physical, psychological, social and economic harm. Despite prisons being private institutions, prison riots are public events that amass large social responses through news media coverage. The public often use news media to co-construct their perceptions of social phenomena, and policymakers use both public opinion and the news media to guide their decisions when shaping policy. Subsequently, the ways in which the news media discursively construct prison riots will have direct consequences for public attitudes and policy relating to prison violence, a phenomenon that exists outside of the public eye. However, there is currently no research that has examined discourses of prison violence and, further, what the consequences of these discourses may be. Therefore, using a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, this study examined the discourses in the news media representations of the large-scale prison violence at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility (2013) and Waikeria Prison (2020-2021). The results uncovered three discourses: the riot discourse, the gang discourse, and the protest discourse. The riot discourse was identified as dominant and constructed prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by inherently violent prisoners. The gang discourse worked in conjunction with the riot discourse, constructing prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by gang members. The protest discourse was identified as a counter-discourse and constructed the unrest at both facilities as protests against living conditions and inhumane treatment. Each discourse has consequences for public attitudes and in turn, penal policy and practice.

year: 2022