title: Improving Digital Library Support for Historic Newspaper Collections

authors: Lin, Leo

subjects: OCR

abstract: National and international initiatives are underway around the globe to digitise the vast treasure troves of historical artefacts they contain and make them available as digital libraries (DLs). The developed DLs are often constructed from facsimile pages with pre-existing metadata, such as historic newspapers stored on microfiche or generated from the non-destructive scanning of precious manuscripts. Access to the source documents is therefore limited to methods constructed from the metadata. Other projects look to introduce full-text indexing through the application of off-the-shelf commercial Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. While this has greater potential for the end user experience over the metadata-only versions, the approach currently taken is best effort in the time available rather than a process informed by detailed analysis of the issues. In this thesis, we investigate if a richer level of support and service can be achieved by more closely integrating image processing techniques with DL software.

The thesis presents a variety of experiments, implemented within the recently published open-source OCR System (Ocropus). In particular, existing segmentation algorithms are compared against our own based on Hough Transform, using our own created corpus gathered from different major online digital historic newspaper archives.

text: Improving Digital Library Support for Historic Newspaper Collections National and international initiatives are underway around the globe to digitise the vast treasure troves of historical artefacts they contain and make them available as digital libraries (DLs). The developed DLs are often constructed from facsimile pages with pre-existing metadata, such as historic newspapers stored on microfiche or generated from the non-destructive scanning of precious manuscripts. Access to the source documents is therefore limited to methods constructed from the metadata. Other projects look to introduce full-text indexing through the application of off-the-shelf commercial Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. While this has greater potential for the end user experience over the metadata-only versions, the approach currently taken is best effort in the time available rather than a process informed by detailed analysis of the issues. In this thesis, we investigate if a richer level of support and service can be achieved by more closely integrating image processing techniques with DL software.

The thesis presents a variety of experiments, implemented within the recently published open-source OCR System (Ocropus). In particular, existing segmentation algorithms are compared against our own based on Hough Transform, using our own created corpus gathered from different major online digital historic newspaper archives.

year: 2009

title: Mapping and cartography futures in secondary geography

authors: Chalmers, Lex

subjects: geography

abstract: In an era of change such as that induced by the NCEA, questions about the role and relevance of traditional skills tend to be overlooked. In my opinion, an important component in our `bank of skills' Ministry of Education, 1990, 17; New Zealand Geographical Society, 1992, 10-11 are threatened by institutional sidelining and lack of awareness of the potential for their technological resuscitation. With reference to skills, the use of prepared maps and map construction cartography are fundamental geographic skills. Having asserted this, I also want to make it clear that, in my view, these skills should be as broadly applied as possible.

text: Mapping and cartography futures in secondary geography In an era of change such as that induced by the NCEA, questions about the role and relevance of traditional skills tend to be overlooked. In my opinion, an important component in our `bank of skills' Ministry of Education, 1990, 17; New Zealand Geographical Society, 1992, 10-11 are threatened by institutional sidelining and lack of awareness of the potential for their technological resuscitation. With reference to skills, the use of prepared maps and map construction cartography are fundamental geographic skills. Having asserted this, I also want to make it clear that, in my view, these skills should be as broadly applied as possible.

year: 2002

title: Nga Wahi Ipurangi - Digital Places

authors: Reilly, Alan Howard

subjects: mLearning

abstract: The Waipa district, unbeknown to many New Zealanders, is home to some of the country’s most significant historical sites and stories.  As a Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) educator, one of my roles is facilitating the understanding of these places and stories with school students.  
Currently, historical sites of national significance in this area are geographically hard to recognise, and have little or no physical interpretation. The ability of students to learn at these sites relies heavily on the educator’s oratory abilities.  Recent development in mobile technology can now provide access to interpretive internet-based content anytime, anywhere and this research investigates potential for mobile technology to be used as a tool to provide meaningful learning experiences that connect students to our unique history in the environment that these events actually took place in.
This research compares different mobile learning methods’ effectiveness in increasing student understanding and retention of social history content. A mobile learning (mLearning) programme was created for the purpose of this research, with the internet-hosted content divided equally between 3 mobile learning methods and one presenter-based method. 
Three groups consisting of Yr 5-6, Yr 7-8 and Yr 9-10 school students participated in the programme. Students completed multi-choice tests before, immediately after and 4 months following the trial programme. The multi choice results were used to compare improvement in student understanding and retention. Focus group interviews were conducted immediately and 4 months after the trial and were used to explore students metacognitive reflections of the learning methods used. 
The results of the study suggest that the mobile audio method was the most effective at increasing student understanding of the learning content and also had the highest level of content retention.  Results also suggest that environmental and technological distraction may have negatively influenced the effectiveness of the two visual mobile learning methods. Distraction may account for the differences between the learning methods effectiveness suggested by the multi-choice testing. Focus group interviews indicate the importance of mobile learning in an authentic context.
Discussion around the reduction, and where possible, elimination of the identified distractions; appropriateness and feasibility of new programme development including: game/trail based mLearning; the importance of authentic contexts for Māori students; student involvement in design; student-centred methods; connection to the classroom; and the relevance of social media are explored.
This research provides a clear direction for future programme development, aligning with the Ministry of Education’s LEOTC review priorities that emphasise raising student achievement for priority students; improving student engagement; and innovative, future focused learning.

text: Nga Wahi Ipurangi - Digital Places The Waipa district, unbeknown to many New Zealanders, is home to some of the country’s most significant historical sites and stories.  As a Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) educator, one of my roles is facilitating the understanding of these places and stories with school students.  
Currently, historical sites of national significance in this area are geographically hard to recognise, and have little or no physical interpretation. The ability of students to learn at these sites relies heavily on the educator’s oratory abilities.  Recent development in mobile technology can now provide access to interpretive internet-based content anytime, anywhere and this research investigates potential for mobile technology to be used as a tool to provide meaningful learning experiences that connect students to our unique history in the environment that these events actually took place in.
This research compares different mobile learning methods’ effectiveness in increasing student understanding and retention of social history content. A mobile learning (mLearning) programme was created for the purpose of this research, with the internet-hosted content divided equally between 3 mobile learning methods and one presenter-based method. 
Three groups consisting of Yr 5-6, Yr 7-8 and Yr 9-10 school students participated in the programme. Students completed multi-choice tests before, immediately after and 4 months following the trial programme. The multi choice results were used to compare improvement in student understanding and retention. Focus group interviews were conducted immediately and 4 months after the trial and were used to explore students metacognitive reflections of the learning methods used. 
The results of the study suggest that the mobile audio method was the most effective at increasing student understanding of the learning content and also had the highest level of content retention.  Results also suggest that environmental and technological distraction may have negatively influenced the effectiveness of the two visual mobile learning methods. Distraction may account for the differences between the learning methods effectiveness suggested by the multi-choice testing. Focus group interviews indicate the importance of mobile learning in an authentic context.
Discussion around the reduction, and where possible, elimination of the identified distractions; appropriateness and feasibility of new programme development including: game/trail based mLearning; the importance of authentic contexts for Māori students; student involvement in design; student-centred methods; connection to the classroom; and the relevance of social media are explored.
This research provides a clear direction for future programme development, aligning with the Ministry of Education’s LEOTC review priorities that emphasise raising student achievement for priority students; improving student engagement; and innovative, future focused learning.

year: 2013