title: Supporting interactive system testing with interaction sequences

authors: Turner, Jessica Dawn

subjects: interactive systems

abstract: Despite extensive research into the modelling and testing of interactive systems, existing strategies do not adequately cover all parts of an interactive system. These existing strategies model and test either the functional or interactive components of an interactive system separately, however, issues may arise where these components intersect. Therefore, further investigation into the modelling and testing of this intersection is required. 
Interaction sequences are a series of steps a user can take to complete a specific task or to arbitrarily explore an interactive system. In this research interaction sequences are used as an abstraction of the interactive system to inform a model-based testing approach using lightweight formal methods. Interaction sequences provide an abstract view of the point at which the functional and interactive components intersect, and as a result also provide a good starting point for investigation into the modelling and testing of this area. Interaction
sequences are applicable to all types of interactive systems irrespective of the type of interaction, therefore modelling and testing approaches using this abstraction are also applicable to all types of interactive systems.
In this thesis the findings of our investigation into modelling and testing using interaction sequences are presented. We describe formalisation of interaction sequences and modelling of these sequences using Finite State Automata (FSA). We introduce the self-containment property and show how this is used to control the size and state space of FSA. We demonstrate simulating interaction sequences and discuss how these models can be applied within both model checking and testing techniques. Lastly, we present a new approach for generating tests from interaction sequences and their associated models.

text: Supporting interactive system testing with interaction sequences Despite extensive research into the modelling and testing of interactive systems, existing strategies do not adequately cover all parts of an interactive system. These existing strategies model and test either the functional or interactive components of an interactive system separately, however, issues may arise where these components intersect. Therefore, further investigation into the modelling and testing of this intersection is required. 
Interaction sequences are a series of steps a user can take to complete a specific task or to arbitrarily explore an interactive system. In this research interaction sequences are used as an abstraction of the interactive system to inform a model-based testing approach using lightweight formal methods. Interaction sequences provide an abstract view of the point at which the functional and interactive components intersect, and as a result also provide a good starting point for investigation into the modelling and testing of this area. Interaction
sequences are applicable to all types of interactive systems irrespective of the type of interaction, therefore modelling and testing approaches using this abstraction are also applicable to all types of interactive systems.
In this thesis the findings of our investigation into modelling and testing using interaction sequences are presented. We describe formalisation of interaction sequences and modelling of these sequences using Finite State Automata (FSA). We introduce the self-containment property and show how this is used to control the size and state space of FSA. We demonstrate simulating interaction sequences and discuss how these models can be applied within both model checking and testing techniques. Lastly, we present a new approach for generating tests from interaction sequences and their associated models.

year: 2019

title: Assessing the food preference of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecular) using fixed-ratio schedules

authors: Jenkins, Ayla Nicky Te Rau O Riwa

subjects: Food preference

abstract: The quality of different foods has been found in previous studies to effect an animal’s performance on fixed-ratio schedules. Foods that are of a higher quality should maintain behaviour to larger fixed-ratio values than foods of a lower quality. The present study examined the performance maintained by increasing fixed-ratio schedules by four different foods (Rolled Oats, Cocoa Puffs™ and flaked barley, All Bran™ and Soy Protein) with six brushtail possum (Trischosurus vulpecula). Overall response rates and running response rates both generally showed a bitonic function, and post-reinforcement pauses showed a modest increase with increases in the fixed-ratio. The equations of two quantitative models; Behavioural economics and mathematical principles of reinforcement (MPR) were fitted to the data to see how different food types affected the two models ability to predict behaviour. This was measured through two parameter estimates, alpha (α) and specific activation (αs). Both demand equations and the MPR equation described the data fairly well. The parameter estimates for specific activation (αs) showed a significant difference in value across the foods, but there was no significant difference across foods for parameter estimates of alpha (α). There was a weak correlation between parameter estimates of α and αs (r =-0.245, p =0.0926) . The four foods used in this study were also tested in a paired-stimulus preference assessment. The foods that were assessed as being of more value in the behavioural economic equations and the MPR model, for some possums were identified as being more preferred, but this was not consistent for all possums.

text: Assessing the food preference of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecular) using fixed-ratio schedules The quality of different foods has been found in previous studies to effect an animal’s performance on fixed-ratio schedules. Foods that are of a higher quality should maintain behaviour to larger fixed-ratio values than foods of a lower quality. The present study examined the performance maintained by increasing fixed-ratio schedules by four different foods (Rolled Oats, Cocoa Puffs™ and flaked barley, All Bran™ and Soy Protein) with six brushtail possum (Trischosurus vulpecula). Overall response rates and running response rates both generally showed a bitonic function, and post-reinforcement pauses showed a modest increase with increases in the fixed-ratio. The equations of two quantitative models; Behavioural economics and mathematical principles of reinforcement (MPR) were fitted to the data to see how different food types affected the two models ability to predict behaviour. This was measured through two parameter estimates, alpha (α) and specific activation (αs). Both demand equations and the MPR equation described the data fairly well. The parameter estimates for specific activation (αs) showed a significant difference in value across the foods, but there was no significant difference across foods for parameter estimates of alpha (α). There was a weak correlation between parameter estimates of α and αs (r =-0.245, p =0.0926) . The four foods used in this study were also tested in a paired-stimulus preference assessment. The foods that were assessed as being of more value in the behavioural economic equations and the MPR model, for some possums were identified as being more preferred, but this was not consistent for all possums.

year: 2014

title: E Toru Ngā Reo: A Case Study of a Spanish Language Programme in a Kura Kaupapa Māori

authors: Flavell, William

subjects: Kaupapa Maori Research

abstract: Learning Languages is a new area in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum.  However there have not been many studies in this subject.  Kura Kaupapa Māori, established in 1985 in New Zealand with over 6,000 students currently attending, have English language programmes (Hill, 2010), however few, if any, studies of the teaching of other languages have been conducted.  The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate an additional international language programme at a Kura Kaupapa Māori.

This qualitative case study describes the views of the Principal, five teachers, five students and three parents of a Kura Kaupapa Māori about an additional Spanish language programme. The primary means of gathering data was through individual semi-structured interviews.  Interviews were used to collect data in the areas of identifying the attitudes of the participants towards learning an additional international language, the perceived benefits, if any, of learning an additional international language and if there is a relationship between the learning of an  additional international language, and Kaupapa Māori.  The narrative data was transcribed, coded and categorised into four themes related to the research questions.  

 The success of this Spanish language programme can be understood in terms of several factors such as whānau support, programme leadership, quality teachers, international excursions and positive attitudes to foreign language learning.  

These findings will contribute to literature concerning additional language learning programmes, specifically those based in indigenous language immersion settings and they will also provide useful information and ideas which other Kura Kaupapa Māori can take advantage of when implementing additional international language learning programmes.

text: E Toru Ngā Reo: A Case Study of a Spanish Language Programme in a Kura Kaupapa Māori Learning Languages is a new area in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum.  However there have not been many studies in this subject.  Kura Kaupapa Māori, established in 1985 in New Zealand with over 6,000 students currently attending, have English language programmes (Hill, 2010), however few, if any, studies of the teaching of other languages have been conducted.  The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate an additional international language programme at a Kura Kaupapa Māori.

This qualitative case study describes the views of the Principal, five teachers, five students and three parents of a Kura Kaupapa Māori about an additional Spanish language programme. The primary means of gathering data was through individual semi-structured interviews.  Interviews were used to collect data in the areas of identifying the attitudes of the participants towards learning an additional international language, the perceived benefits, if any, of learning an additional international language and if there is a relationship between the learning of an  additional international language, and Kaupapa Māori.  The narrative data was transcribed, coded and categorised into four themes related to the research questions.  

 The success of this Spanish language programme can be understood in terms of several factors such as whānau support, programme leadership, quality teachers, international excursions and positive attitudes to foreign language learning.  

These findings will contribute to literature concerning additional language learning programmes, specifically those based in indigenous language immersion settings and they will also provide useful information and ideas which other Kura Kaupapa Māori can take advantage of when implementing additional international language learning programmes.

year: 2012