title: Syntax-driven argument identification and multi-argument classification for semantic role labeling

authors: Lin, Chi-San Althon

subjects: Semantic Role Labeling

abstract: Semantic role labeling is an important stage in systems for Natural Language Understanding.  The basic problem is one of identifying who did what to whom for each predicate in a sentence.  Thus labeling is a two-step process: identify constituent phrases that are arguments to a predicate, then label those arguments with appropriate thematic roles.

Existing systems for semantic role labeling use machine learning methods to assign roles one-at-a-time to candidate arguments.  There are several drawbacks to this general approach.  First, more than one candidate can be assigned the same role, which is undesirable.  Second, the search for each candidate argument is exponential with respect to the number of words in the sentence.  Third, single-role assignment cannot take advantage of dependencies known to exist between semantic roles of predicate arguments, such as their relative juxtaposition.  And fourth, execution times for existing algorithm are excessive, making them unsuitable for real-time use.

This thesis seeks to obviate these problems by approaching semantic role labeling as a multi-argument classification process.  It observes that the only valid arguments to a predicate are unembedded constituent phrases that do not overlap that predicate.  Given that semantic role labeling occurs after parsing, this thesis proposes an algorithm that systematically traverses the parse tree when looking for arguments, thereby eliminating the vast majority of impossible candidates.   

Moreover, instead of assigning semantic roles one at a time, an algorithm is proposed to assign all labels simultaneously; leveraging dependencies between roles and eliminating the problem of duplicate assignment.

Experimental results are provided as evidence to show that a combination of the proposed argument identification and multi-argument classification algorithms outperforms all existing systems that use the same syntactic information.

text: Syntax-driven argument identification and multi-argument classification for semantic role labeling Semantic role labeling is an important stage in systems for Natural Language Understanding.  The basic problem is one of identifying who did what to whom for each predicate in a sentence.  Thus labeling is a two-step process: identify constituent phrases that are arguments to a predicate, then label those arguments with appropriate thematic roles.

Existing systems for semantic role labeling use machine learning methods to assign roles one-at-a-time to candidate arguments.  There are several drawbacks to this general approach.  First, more than one candidate can be assigned the same role, which is undesirable.  Second, the search for each candidate argument is exponential with respect to the number of words in the sentence.  Third, single-role assignment cannot take advantage of dependencies known to exist between semantic roles of predicate arguments, such as their relative juxtaposition.  And fourth, execution times for existing algorithm are excessive, making them unsuitable for real-time use.

This thesis seeks to obviate these problems by approaching semantic role labeling as a multi-argument classification process.  It observes that the only valid arguments to a predicate are unembedded constituent phrases that do not overlap that predicate.  Given that semantic role labeling occurs after parsing, this thesis proposes an algorithm that systematically traverses the parse tree when looking for arguments, thereby eliminating the vast majority of impossible candidates.   

Moreover, instead of assigning semantic roles one at a time, an algorithm is proposed to assign all labels simultaneously; leveraging dependencies between roles and eliminating the problem of duplicate assignment.

Experimental results are provided as evidence to show that a combination of the proposed argument identification and multi-argument classification algorithms outperforms all existing systems that use the same syntactic information.

year: 2007

title: Personalising Learning: Exploring the principles and processes of the IEP for young, gifted readers

authors: Mazza-Davies, Laurie Lynn

subjects: personalising learning

abstract: This small-scale qualitative, action research study sought to establish the efficacy of using the Individualised Education Programme (IEP) as an assistive tool towards the differentiation of reading programmes for young, gifted and talented readers. Despite a growing awareness about the importance of curriculum differentiation for all students, research indicates how little some classroom teachers do to meet the needs of gifted readers.  The literature reviewed reveals how the prolonged mismatching of instructional reading programmes to the academic and emotional maturity of the gifted reader may well result in underachievement, and a diminished opportunity to learn how to react to challenge.

In November 2006, the New Zealand Ministry of Education launched its personalising learning initiative, which promotes the active participation of students in their education by creating their own learning pathways.  Students are encouraged to articulate their learning needs and preferences, and set goals in collaboration with their parents and family/whanau and teachers.  With its underlying principles based on collaboration and communication, together with its seemingly flexible structure, this study utilised the IEP as a personalising learning framework for young gifted and talented readers, and as a differentiation tool for their teachers. 

Over a five month period, the researcher worked alongside three Year Two/Three teachers from an urban, decile five primary school as they each identified one gifted reader from their classes, and together with the student and the student's parents, set about planning and implementing an IEP, using strategies and approaches suggested by the literature as the most apposite for gifted readers.  Data was gathered through in-class observations, participants' journals, focus group meetings, IEP meetings, and semi-structured interviews.  

This study reveals the use of the IEP holds great promise as a differentiation tool towards the personalisation of learning programmes for young, gifted readers.  Each student attended his or her own IEP meetings, indicated their learning preferences and needs, helped to set his or her own learning goals, and assessed their own achievement using the IEP goal indicators.  Significantly, for the teachers involved in this project, the IEPs proved not only useful as qualitatively differentiated planning frameworks for the students in the study, but many of the goals and strategies used proved pertinent for all children, in particular, for the 'top' reading groups.  In this regard, IEPs proved to be 'work-smarter' tools for the teachers involved, serving as planning blueprints for the most able readers in their classes, thereby creating inclusive rather than exclusive conditions for the gifted readers.  Furthermore, the insights gained by the teachers involved into the needs of their gifted readers ultimately challenged their personal teaching philosophies, and resulted in changes to their teaching practices for their gifted students.

text: Personalising Learning: Exploring the principles and processes of the IEP for young, gifted readers This small-scale qualitative, action research study sought to establish the efficacy of using the Individualised Education Programme (IEP) as an assistive tool towards the differentiation of reading programmes for young, gifted and talented readers. Despite a growing awareness about the importance of curriculum differentiation for all students, research indicates how little some classroom teachers do to meet the needs of gifted readers.  The literature reviewed reveals how the prolonged mismatching of instructional reading programmes to the academic and emotional maturity of the gifted reader may well result in underachievement, and a diminished opportunity to learn how to react to challenge.

In November 2006, the New Zealand Ministry of Education launched its personalising learning initiative, which promotes the active participation of students in their education by creating their own learning pathways.  Students are encouraged to articulate their learning needs and preferences, and set goals in collaboration with their parents and family/whanau and teachers.  With its underlying principles based on collaboration and communication, together with its seemingly flexible structure, this study utilised the IEP as a personalising learning framework for young gifted and talented readers, and as a differentiation tool for their teachers. 

Over a five month period, the researcher worked alongside three Year Two/Three teachers from an urban, decile five primary school as they each identified one gifted reader from their classes, and together with the student and the student's parents, set about planning and implementing an IEP, using strategies and approaches suggested by the literature as the most apposite for gifted readers.  Data was gathered through in-class observations, participants' journals, focus group meetings, IEP meetings, and semi-structured interviews.  

This study reveals the use of the IEP holds great promise as a differentiation tool towards the personalisation of learning programmes for young, gifted readers.  Each student attended his or her own IEP meetings, indicated their learning preferences and needs, helped to set his or her own learning goals, and assessed their own achievement using the IEP goal indicators.  Significantly, for the teachers involved in this project, the IEPs proved not only useful as qualitatively differentiated planning frameworks for the students in the study, but many of the goals and strategies used proved pertinent for all children, in particular, for the 'top' reading groups.  In this regard, IEPs proved to be 'work-smarter' tools for the teachers involved, serving as planning blueprints for the most able readers in their classes, thereby creating inclusive rather than exclusive conditions for the gifted readers.  Furthermore, the insights gained by the teachers involved into the needs of their gifted readers ultimately challenged their personal teaching philosophies, and resulted in changes to their teaching practices for their gifted students.

year: 2008

title: Te Kotahitanga Phase 3 School Reform: The impact of a professional development programme within a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand.

authors: Cranston, Shirley Ann

subjects: Te Kotahitanga Phase 3

abstract: This thesis examines the impact of Te Kotahitanga on leaders, teachers and Māori students within the context of a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand. This school was one of twelve secondary schools invited to join Phase 3 of the Te Kotahitanga Research and Development Project from 2003 to 2010. This initiative aimed to work with teachers and school leaders to improve the engagement and success of Māori students. 
This thesis presents and reflects on qualitative evidence from interviews with the leaders, the Te Kotahitanga facilitation team and teachers in this school. Evidence from the Rongohia te Hau survey and teachers’ classroom walkthroughs provide further qualitative and quantitative evidence.  To observe some of the results of teachers’ work with Māori students, it then discusses Māori students’ Rongohia te Hau survey data and their NCEA results from 2004 – 2010, and post 2010 up to the reactivation of Te Kotahitanga in this school in 2013.
There are three themes that emerged from my findings. The first theme identifies leadership as a key emerging concept and the important role of Rangatira (school leaders) in bringing people together around a common vision. The spread of the programme across the school clearly emerged as the second theme, where this education reform was spread through relationships of whānautanga. Thirdly, the theme of ownership towards sustainability emerged from the findings. Ownership required working as one towards the common unity of purpose (Kotahitanga). The evidence shows that when Te Kotahitanga was fully implemented in this school and it did work during the period of this study and again when Te Kotahitanga was reactivated in 2013. However, although the school had been working on ownership towards sustainability of positive changes, sustainability did not ensue.
This thesis suggests that once a school has established a common vision that is clearly understood by all the leaders and teachers in the school, everyone has to remain committed to that vision. To be successful the moral imperative for any reform towards social justice has to be fully committed to and understood by the leaders of the school and all the teachers.  
This thesis hopes to contribute to the journey other schools might take in their commitment to raising the participation and academic achievement of Māori students.

text: Te Kotahitanga Phase 3 School Reform: The impact of a professional development programme within a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand. This thesis examines the impact of Te Kotahitanga on leaders, teachers and Māori students within the context of a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand. This school was one of twelve secondary schools invited to join Phase 3 of the Te Kotahitanga Research and Development Project from 2003 to 2010. This initiative aimed to work with teachers and school leaders to improve the engagement and success of Māori students. 
This thesis presents and reflects on qualitative evidence from interviews with the leaders, the Te Kotahitanga facilitation team and teachers in this school. Evidence from the Rongohia te Hau survey and teachers’ classroom walkthroughs provide further qualitative and quantitative evidence.  To observe some of the results of teachers’ work with Māori students, it then discusses Māori students’ Rongohia te Hau survey data and their NCEA results from 2004 – 2010, and post 2010 up to the reactivation of Te Kotahitanga in this school in 2013.
There are three themes that emerged from my findings. The first theme identifies leadership as a key emerging concept and the important role of Rangatira (school leaders) in bringing people together around a common vision. The spread of the programme across the school clearly emerged as the second theme, where this education reform was spread through relationships of whānautanga. Thirdly, the theme of ownership towards sustainability emerged from the findings. Ownership required working as one towards the common unity of purpose (Kotahitanga). The evidence shows that when Te Kotahitanga was fully implemented in this school and it did work during the period of this study and again when Te Kotahitanga was reactivated in 2013. However, although the school had been working on ownership towards sustainability of positive changes, sustainability did not ensue.
This thesis suggests that once a school has established a common vision that is clearly understood by all the leaders and teachers in the school, everyone has to remain committed to that vision. To be successful the moral imperative for any reform towards social justice has to be fully committed to and understood by the leaders of the school and all the teachers.  
This thesis hopes to contribute to the journey other schools might take in their commitment to raising the participation and academic achievement of Māori students.

year: 2018