title: Driving on familiar roads: Automaticity and inattention blindness

authors: Charlton, Samuel G.

subjects: driving simulator

abstract: This paper describes our research into the processes that govern driver attention and behavior in familiar, well-practiced situations. The experiment examined the effects of extended practice on inattention blindness and detection of changes to the driving environment in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Participants were paid to drive a simulated road regularly over 3 months of testing. A range of measures, including detection task performance and driving performance, were collected over the course of 20 sessions. Performance from a yoked Control Group who experienced the same road scenarios in a single session was also measured. The data showed changes in what drivers reported noticing indicative of inattention blindness, and declining ratings of mental demand suggesting that many participants were “driving without awareness”. Extended practice also resulted in increased sensitivity for detecting changes to road features associated with vehicle guidance and improved performance on an embedded vehicle detection task (detection of a specific vehicle type). The data provide new light on a “tandem model” of driver behavior that includes both explicit and implicit processes involved in driving performance. The findings also suggest reasons drivers are most likely to crash at locations very near their homes.

text: Driving on familiar roads: Automaticity and inattention blindness This paper describes our research into the processes that govern driver attention and behavior in familiar, well-practiced situations. The experiment examined the effects of extended practice on inattention blindness and detection of changes to the driving environment in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Participants were paid to drive a simulated road regularly over 3 months of testing. A range of measures, including detection task performance and driving performance, were collected over the course of 20 sessions. Performance from a yoked Control Group who experienced the same road scenarios in a single session was also measured. The data showed changes in what drivers reported noticing indicative of inattention blindness, and declining ratings of mental demand suggesting that many participants were “driving without awareness”. Extended practice also resulted in increased sensitivity for detecting changes to road features associated with vehicle guidance and improved performance on an embedded vehicle detection task (detection of a specific vehicle type). The data provide new light on a “tandem model” of driver behavior that includes both explicit and implicit processes involved in driving performance. The findings also suggest reasons drivers are most likely to crash at locations very near their homes.

year: 2013

title: The use of learning technologies to facilitate engagement in an online course

authors: Gedera, Dilani S.P.

subjects: learning technologie

abstract: E-learning is becoming increasingly popular in many countries for its flexibility in terms of time, place and pace. Research affirms that learning technologies support interaction and collaboration among learners and improve learning outcomes. However, current practices of e-learning are not without constraints and there is a need for empirical research to assist practitioners in determining the best uses of learning technologies. This paper seeks to develop an understanding of students’ experiences and their perspectives of learning with the educational technologies of ‘Adobe virtual classroom’ and ‘Moodle’ that facilitated activities in a university course. The study was conducted using a case study method over a period of one semester. With Activity Theory as its research framework, the research methods of this study include individual interviews, online observation and document analysis. This paper includes some of the initial findings of the research and a brief discussion on how the educational technologies facilitated students’ engagement in this course. This may inform practitioners of the pragmatic constraints and affordances of existing technologies, learning activities and strategies used in online learning environments.

text: The use of learning technologies to facilitate engagement in an online course E-learning is becoming increasingly popular in many countries for its flexibility in terms of time, place and pace. Research affirms that learning technologies support interaction and collaboration among learners and improve learning outcomes. However, current practices of e-learning are not without constraints and there is a need for empirical research to assist practitioners in determining the best uses of learning technologies. This paper seeks to develop an understanding of students’ experiences and their perspectives of learning with the educational technologies of ‘Adobe virtual classroom’ and ‘Moodle’ that facilitated activities in a university course. The study was conducted using a case study method over a period of one semester. With Activity Theory as its research framework, the research methods of this study include individual interviews, online observation and document analysis. This paper includes some of the initial findings of the research and a brief discussion on how the educational technologies facilitated students’ engagement in this course. This may inform practitioners of the pragmatic constraints and affordances of existing technologies, learning activities and strategies used in online learning environments.

year: 2013

title: Te whakahuatanga i te reo Māori: Kua ahatia e tātou i roto i ngā tau 100 kua hipa nei? (The pronunciation of Māori: What have we done to it in the last 100 Years?)

authors: Harlow, Ray

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: In the words of the proverb: 'The land remains, but humankind vanishes.' One should perhaps extend this to read: 'The land remains, humankind vanishes, and language changes.' For languages are old, handed down from one generation to another, but no matter what, they change. Present-day English is not Shakespeare's or Chaucer's language. The pronunciation has changed, new words have entered the language, some words have been lost, the grammar is now different. Māori is like that as well. Over the last two centuries, many aspects of the language have become different. Many words have been borrowed from English, and become part of the language. Many new words have been created in recent years to accommodate the new topics now being spoken about in Māori. Many words have changed their meaning, e.g., 'pūtea' originally a type of basket, but now a 'fund', source of money. In the grammar, there are now constructions being used which were not correct in earlier centuries.So far as the pronunciation is concerned, how is one to observe its development? That is the substance of a research project which has only just now begun, and it is the purpose of this paper to explain the nature of that research and show some of the preliminary findings. Hence the title: The pronunciation of Māori: What have we done to it in the last 100 years? The project is supported by the Marsden Research Fund.

text: Te whakahuatanga i te reo Māori: Kua ahatia e tātou i roto i ngā tau 100 kua hipa nei? (The pronunciation of Māori: What have we done to it in the last 100 Years?) In the words of the proverb: 'The land remains, but humankind vanishes.' One should perhaps extend this to read: 'The land remains, humankind vanishes, and language changes.' For languages are old, handed down from one generation to another, but no matter what, they change. Present-day English is not Shakespeare's or Chaucer's language. The pronunciation has changed, new words have entered the language, some words have been lost, the grammar is now different. Māori is like that as well. Over the last two centuries, many aspects of the language have become different. Many words have been borrowed from English, and become part of the language. Many new words have been created in recent years to accommodate the new topics now being spoken about in Māori. Many words have changed their meaning, e.g., 'pūtea' originally a type of basket, but now a 'fund', source of money. In the grammar, there are now constructions being used which were not correct in earlier centuries.So far as the pronunciation is concerned, how is one to observe its development? That is the substance of a research project which has only just now begun, and it is the purpose of this paper to explain the nature of that research and show some of the preliminary findings. Hence the title: The pronunciation of Māori: What have we done to it in the last 100 years? The project is supported by the Marsden Research Fund.

year: 2005-05