title: Investigating the use of coreboards by children with developmental disabilities and teachers in a school environment.

authors: Oldfield, Ainsley

subjects: Autism

abstract: Coreboards have become popular as an aid for individuals with disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who may have issues with speech-language production, but who also often lack more fundamental functional communication skills. The aims of this study were to explore the extent coreboards as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) were a useful tool for children with developmental disabilities and their teachers to communicate independently and functionally, if they were used effectively in the school environment, if they were used for their intended purpose, and if they were used to facilitate functional communication skills for children with developmental disabilities. The research in this project involved data collection on student and teacher communicative behaviour. The participants in this study were three children aged 9 to 10 with developmental disabilities and their teacher and learning support assistants. The study is a mixed-methods descriptive design and data was collected by direct observations being recorded on a data sheet. The main findings are the student participants did use the coreboard for independent communication as they each individually initiated with the coreboard less than 3% of the time and two of the student participants purpose of initiating use of the coreboard was unknown over half the time. Furthermore, if the adult participants are unable to determine what the purpose of the coreboard use is from the student participants, then the communication act will not be successful as the adult participant will not be able to respond appropriately to the student participant and the lack of success will discourage the student participants from initiating in the future.

text: Investigating the use of coreboards by children with developmental disabilities and teachers in a school environment. Coreboards have become popular as an aid for individuals with disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who may have issues with speech-language production, but who also often lack more fundamental functional communication skills. The aims of this study were to explore the extent coreboards as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) were a useful tool for children with developmental disabilities and their teachers to communicate independently and functionally, if they were used effectively in the school environment, if they were used for their intended purpose, and if they were used to facilitate functional communication skills for children with developmental disabilities. The research in this project involved data collection on student and teacher communicative behaviour. The participants in this study were three children aged 9 to 10 with developmental disabilities and their teacher and learning support assistants. The study is a mixed-methods descriptive design and data was collected by direct observations being recorded on a data sheet. The main findings are the student participants did use the coreboard for independent communication as they each individually initiated with the coreboard less than 3% of the time and two of the student participants purpose of initiating use of the coreboard was unknown over half the time. Furthermore, if the adult participants are unable to determine what the purpose of the coreboard use is from the student participants, then the communication act will not be successful as the adult participant will not be able to respond appropriately to the student participant and the lack of success will discourage the student participants from initiating in the future.

year: 2021

title: Thermoplastic composites in sustainable construction: Topology optimisation and additive manufacturing for a recyclable and modular building system

authors: Allouche, William

subjects: Additive Manufacturing

abstract: Despite the significant environmental impact of the building sector, sustainable building practices are yet to be widely adopted. This paper describes a practical approach based on computational design and additive manufacturing (AM) to generate modular and structural walls, following design for disassembly and recyclability principles. In this research, the anisotropy of recyclable
short-fibre reinforced thermoplastic (SFRTP) composites is utilised. The proposed methodology involves starting from the building’s typology and using topology optimisation (TO) as a form-finding tool in the design of structural wall modules. The finite element analyses (FEA) guiding the TO are based on conventional building-codes used for load calculations. The TO-defined modules are then further optimised in stiffness by matching the principal stress directions with the AM printing path. Two case studies, the ground floor of a 3-storey building and a bus shelter, are used to illustrate the outcome of the approach. This comprehensive workflow generates structural elements with built-in optimised and tailored performance while enabling unique geometries that combine structural efficiency with architectural creativity.

text: Thermoplastic composites in sustainable construction: Topology optimisation and additive manufacturing for a recyclable and modular building system Despite the significant environmental impact of the building sector, sustainable building practices are yet to be widely adopted. This paper describes a practical approach based on computational design and additive manufacturing (AM) to generate modular and structural walls, following design for disassembly and recyclability principles. In this research, the anisotropy of recyclable
short-fibre reinforced thermoplastic (SFRTP) composites is utilised. The proposed methodology involves starting from the building’s typology and using topology optimisation (TO) as a form-finding tool in the design of structural wall modules. The finite element analyses (FEA) guiding the TO are based on conventional building-codes used for load calculations. The TO-defined modules are then further optimised in stiffness by matching the principal stress directions with the AM printing path. Two case studies, the ground floor of a 3-storey building and a bus shelter, are used to illustrate the outcome of the approach. This comprehensive workflow generates structural elements with built-in optimised and tailored performance while enabling unique geometries that combine structural efficiency with architectural creativity.

year: 2025

title: AI: a new (r)evolution or the new colonizer for Indigenous peoples?

authors: Whaanga, Hēmi

abstract: We are often told that there is one constant in life and that is change; it is inevitable, inescapable. When the forces of power begin to blow and conditions are right, change will happen. As the planet undergoes a period of transformation brought about by the advances of data science and the convergence of technologies, the Internet of All Things and AI, the potential of AI to be change agent for Indigenous peoples is a thought-provoking, and to a certain degree, daunting proposition. The rapid progress of technology and innovation, in terms of its volume, complexity, and exponential growth in computing power, have drastically changed how we socialize, communicate, access, share, distribute and view knowledge and information. Is AI inevitable, inescapable, a fait accompli for Indigenous peoples?

text: AI: a new (r)evolution or the new colonizer for Indigenous peoples? We are often told that there is one constant in life and that is change; it is inevitable, inescapable. When the forces of power begin to blow and conditions are right, change will happen. As the planet undergoes a period of transformation brought about by the advances of data science and the convergence of technologies, the Internet of All Things and AI, the potential of AI to be change agent for Indigenous peoples is a thought-provoking, and to a certain degree, daunting proposition. The rapid progress of technology and innovation, in terms of its volume, complexity, and exponential growth in computing power, have drastically changed how we socialize, communicate, access, share, distribute and view knowledge and information. Is AI inevitable, inescapable, a fait accompli for Indigenous peoples?

year: 2020