title: Yet another approach to compositional synthesis of discrete event systems

authors: Malik, Robi

subjects: computer science

abstract: A two-pass algorithm for compositional synthesis of modular supervisors for large-scale systems of composed finite-state automata is proposed. The first pass provides an efficient method to determine whether a supervisory control problem has a solution, without explicitly constructing the synchronous composition of all components. If a solution exists, the second pass yields an over-approximation of the least restrictive solution which, if nonblocking, is a modular representation of the least restrictive supervisor. Using a new type of equivalence of nondeterministic processes, called synthesis equivalence, a wide range of abstractions can be employed to mitigate state-space explosion throughout the algorithm.

text: Yet another approach to compositional synthesis of discrete event systems A two-pass algorithm for compositional synthesis of modular supervisors for large-scale systems of composed finite-state automata is proposed. The first pass provides an efficient method to determine whether a supervisory control problem has a solution, without explicitly constructing the synchronous composition of all components. If a solution exists, the second pass yields an over-approximation of the least restrictive solution which, if nonblocking, is a modular representation of the least restrictive supervisor. Using a new type of equivalence of nondeterministic processes, called synthesis equivalence, a wide range of abstractions can be employed to mitigate state-space explosion throughout the algorithm.

year: 2008

title: How to survive a plague of flesh-eating rats: An introductory guide to studying remediated ‎gameplay imaginations of medieval folklore and beliefs in A Plague Tale: Innocence

authors: Schott, Gareth R.

abstract: Popular digital games such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017), Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019), and Red: Dead Redemption (2010) possess merit for their faithful and authentic interactive representations of elements of the past that furnish games with pedagogical value. Both digital game studies and historical game studies have contributed research furthering understanding of the pedagogical value and applications of historical games for students’ learning of history in school education, particularly secondary schools and universities (Kee, 2014, McCall, 2013, &amp; Schrier, 2014). Despite the growing interest in the new forms of knowledge contained within games, and gameplay, the educational application of historical digital games can be limited to supplementary visual aids that do not fully account for the range and forms of historical investigation associated with the game development process. We forward a multi-modal perspective on the varied ways in which historical knowledge is present in both game design and the gameplay experience. Our approach is demonstrated with one of several under-investigated (yet valuable) modes of historical exploration, namely ‘Imaginative History.’ This is achieved using images from several sequences of recorded game footage in the Medieval historical fantasy game A Plague Tale: Innocence as a case example alongside supporting historical literature. This Medieval game is suitable for addressing this conference’s theme of crises or disasters as it is set in a re-imagination of the Black Death plague roughly within the south-western region of fourteenth century France, but one that personifies the real Black Death with a plague of supernatural flesh-eating rats and places players into the role of two fictional orphan children. This presentation seeks to demonstrate historical games’ value for teaching and learning by discussing A Plague Tale: Innocence’s fantastical adaptation of the plague as a model for exploring the role of re-mediation, and subversion, of past pre-modern folklore imaginations and beliefs. Fantasy or folkloric treatment of historical events or periods can provide insight into the experiential dimensions of a period in history re-told as an interactive folktale.

text: How to survive a plague of flesh-eating rats: An introductory guide to studying remediated ‎gameplay imaginations of medieval folklore and beliefs in A Plague Tale: Innocence Popular digital games such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017), Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019), and Red: Dead Redemption (2010) possess merit for their faithful and authentic interactive representations of elements of the past that furnish games with pedagogical value. Both digital game studies and historical game studies have contributed research furthering understanding of the pedagogical value and applications of historical games for students’ learning of history in school education, particularly secondary schools and universities (Kee, 2014, McCall, 2013, &amp; Schrier, 2014). Despite the growing interest in the new forms of knowledge contained within games, and gameplay, the educational application of historical digital games can be limited to supplementary visual aids that do not fully account for the range and forms of historical investigation associated with the game development process. We forward a multi-modal perspective on the varied ways in which historical knowledge is present in both game design and the gameplay experience. Our approach is demonstrated with one of several under-investigated (yet valuable) modes of historical exploration, namely ‘Imaginative History.’ This is achieved using images from several sequences of recorded game footage in the Medieval historical fantasy game A Plague Tale: Innocence as a case example alongside supporting historical literature. This Medieval game is suitable for addressing this conference’s theme of crises or disasters as it is set in a re-imagination of the Black Death plague roughly within the south-western region of fourteenth century France, but one that personifies the real Black Death with a plague of supernatural flesh-eating rats and places players into the role of two fictional orphan children. This presentation seeks to demonstrate historical games’ value for teaching and learning by discussing A Plague Tale: Innocence’s fantastical adaptation of the plague as a model for exploring the role of re-mediation, and subversion, of past pre-modern folklore imaginations and beliefs. Fantasy or folkloric treatment of historical events or periods can provide insight into the experiential dimensions of a period in history re-told as an interactive folktale.

year: 2021

title: “She didn’t ask me about my grandma”. Using process drama to explore issues of cultural exclusion and educational leadership.

authors: Kana, Pare

subjects: dramatization

abstract: Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to describe a collaborative project from the University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand, in which the authors used process drama to engage final year teaching students with complex issues of cultural diversity, enabling them to “grow into” different kinds of leadership positions in an imagined educational setting. The paper describes the project and makes a case for process drama as a means of providing opportunities for leadership and as a potent tool for learning about issues of social justice. Design/methodology/approach – The drama was based on a fictional scenario described by Hall and Bishop, where a beginner teacher (of European descent) unwittingly diminishes the experiences of Maori and other non-European children in her class. Using a three-phase process planning model and with facilitators in role alongside the students, the drama explored the scenario from all points of view. Students were encouraged to build empathy for the beginner teacher and for the children and also to explore the dilemma faced by the teacher's tutor in deciding whether, and how, to confront the teacher on the issue. Findings – Through the drama, students built a sense of empathy for all sides of the issue and engaged in deep thinking about the experience of cultural exclusion. The safety and distance provided by the drama “frame” spurred students to take leadership roles and “stand up” for issues of social justice. The authors suggest that through such dramas students gain skills and perspectives that they may carry into their professional lives. Research limitations/implications – The paper describes a small project, over one lesson with a specific group of students. More research is needed into the effectiveness of process drama as a sustained strategy for teacher education. Originality/value – This scenario explored in the drama has currency in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the population is increasingly culturally diverse, where underachievement of Maori students continues to be of concern, and where research has shown the centrality of teacher-student relations in raising educational achievement for Maori. The authors believe this paper makes a compelling case for the value of drama as a tool for student teachers to encounter social justice issues in a meaningful way, and suggest that the paper is a valuable contribution to more than one discipline, as it straddles the fields of professional practice and drama as pedagogy.

text: “She didn’t ask me about my grandma”. Using process drama to explore issues of cultural exclusion and educational leadership. Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to describe a collaborative project from the University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand, in which the authors used process drama to engage final year teaching students with complex issues of cultural diversity, enabling them to “grow into” different kinds of leadership positions in an imagined educational setting. The paper describes the project and makes a case for process drama as a means of providing opportunities for leadership and as a potent tool for learning about issues of social justice. Design/methodology/approach – The drama was based on a fictional scenario described by Hall and Bishop, where a beginner teacher (of European descent) unwittingly diminishes the experiences of Maori and other non-European children in her class. Using a three-phase process planning model and with facilitators in role alongside the students, the drama explored the scenario from all points of view. Students were encouraged to build empathy for the beginner teacher and for the children and also to explore the dilemma faced by the teacher's tutor in deciding whether, and how, to confront the teacher on the issue. Findings – Through the drama, students built a sense of empathy for all sides of the issue and engaged in deep thinking about the experience of cultural exclusion. The safety and distance provided by the drama “frame” spurred students to take leadership roles and “stand up” for issues of social justice. The authors suggest that through such dramas students gain skills and perspectives that they may carry into their professional lives. Research limitations/implications – The paper describes a small project, over one lesson with a specific group of students. More research is needed into the effectiveness of process drama as a sustained strategy for teacher education. Originality/value – This scenario explored in the drama has currency in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the population is increasingly culturally diverse, where underachievement of Maori students continues to be of concern, and where research has shown the centrality of teacher-student relations in raising educational achievement for Maori. The authors believe this paper makes a compelling case for the value of drama as a tool for student teachers to encounter social justice issues in a meaningful way, and suggest that the paper is a valuable contribution to more than one discipline, as it straddles the fields of professional practice and drama as pedagogy.

year: 2007