title: Behaviour of Captive North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)

authors: Davison, Katie Patricia Mary

subjects: Kiwi

abstract: The behaviour of captive North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) in nocturnal displays and how different aspects of their enclosure and management might affect their behaviour has been studied.  The most common behaviours expressed by all kiwi was feeding and sleeping/resting behaviour.  Kiwi behaviour was compared from observational data collected at four kiwi facilities in New Zealand; identified as Kiwi House A, Kiwi House B, Kiwi House C and Kiwi House D.  Kiwi husbandry (hutches and enrichment) and enclosure design (naturalistic and complex characteristics, size and lighting) varied between facilities.  There is evidence to suggest that kiwi husbandry and enclosure design may have had an effect on the behaviour of the kiwi, as well as the kiwi viewing experience for the public.  Disturbance sources (visitor-generated noise, visitor proximity, keeper disturbance and environmental disturbance) were observed to elicit abnormal behaviours (pacing, startle response) among the kiwi at Kiwi House A, Kiwi House B, and Kiwi House D.  Results suggest abnormal behaviours can be minimised among the captive kiwi population by eliminating or reducing disturbance sources.  The soundproofing qualities of the enclosure viewing windows at each facility were tested; the viewing window at Kiwi House C was the most effective in reducing sound.  Kiwi House C also had the most soundproof enclosures due to the insulation material (Bondor Panel) used throughout the structure of the building.  This research has resulted in more detailed information of captive kiwi and enclosures, as little information was available on the behaviour of captive kiwi.  Furthermore, this research can provide reasoning for normal and abnormal behaviour demonstrated by the kiwi as well as give recommendations on how management of captive kiwi, enclosure design and structure might be improved in the future.

text: Behaviour of Captive North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) The behaviour of captive North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) in nocturnal displays and how different aspects of their enclosure and management might affect their behaviour has been studied.  The most common behaviours expressed by all kiwi was feeding and sleeping/resting behaviour.  Kiwi behaviour was compared from observational data collected at four kiwi facilities in New Zealand; identified as Kiwi House A, Kiwi House B, Kiwi House C and Kiwi House D.  Kiwi husbandry (hutches and enrichment) and enclosure design (naturalistic and complex characteristics, size and lighting) varied between facilities.  There is evidence to suggest that kiwi husbandry and enclosure design may have had an effect on the behaviour of the kiwi, as well as the kiwi viewing experience for the public.  Disturbance sources (visitor-generated noise, visitor proximity, keeper disturbance and environmental disturbance) were observed to elicit abnormal behaviours (pacing, startle response) among the kiwi at Kiwi House A, Kiwi House B, and Kiwi House D.  Results suggest abnormal behaviours can be minimised among the captive kiwi population by eliminating or reducing disturbance sources.  The soundproofing qualities of the enclosure viewing windows at each facility were tested; the viewing window at Kiwi House C was the most effective in reducing sound.  Kiwi House C also had the most soundproof enclosures due to the insulation material (Bondor Panel) used throughout the structure of the building.  This research has resulted in more detailed information of captive kiwi and enclosures, as little information was available on the behaviour of captive kiwi.  Furthermore, this research can provide reasoning for normal and abnormal behaviour demonstrated by the kiwi as well as give recommendations on how management of captive kiwi, enclosure design and structure might be improved in the future.

year: 2015

title: Coordinating knowledge to improve optical music recognition

authors: McPherson, John

abstract: Optical Music Recognition (OMR) is the process of automatically processing and understanding an image of a music score. This process involves various distinct phases to transform the image into primitive shapes, musical objects, and ultimately into a syntactic model representing the music's semantics. In general, OMR systems have performed these tasks in a linear sequence, so that the output of one component is the input to the next. However, this means that processing errors that occur in one of the tasks propagate through the system, and often when the error is eventually detected it is too late to reconsider the decisions leading to the incorrect classification or information. 
This thesis describes how OMR can be improved by modifying the recognition process from a sequence of linear tasks to a collection of modules that coordinate the information extracted from the data. Methods for_ data representation and controlling the system's flow of execution are investigated, and a practical implementation of such a system is described. This system has a message-passing design for providing contextual information from one module to another, such as suggesting possible classifications for an object. These messages are used to aid decision-making and to correct faulty decisions. This helps the system to adapt to a particular score while processing the image, increasing accuracy. 
This system is designed to aid in the research and evaluation of algorithms to achieve the above aims; therefore it is straightforward to modify various aspects of the system's behaviour, such as adding support for different music symbols. Examining the implemented system's behaviour clearly shows that this coordinated approach can correct many errors and can even identify some objects by only using syntactic information, based on the surrounding objects.

text: Coordinating knowledge to improve optical music recognition Optical Music Recognition (OMR) is the process of automatically processing and understanding an image of a music score. This process involves various distinct phases to transform the image into primitive shapes, musical objects, and ultimately into a syntactic model representing the music's semantics. In general, OMR systems have performed these tasks in a linear sequence, so that the output of one component is the input to the next. However, this means that processing errors that occur in one of the tasks propagate through the system, and often when the error is eventually detected it is too late to reconsider the decisions leading to the incorrect classification or information. 
This thesis describes how OMR can be improved by modifying the recognition process from a sequence of linear tasks to a collection of modules that coordinate the information extracted from the data. Methods for_ data representation and controlling the system's flow of execution are investigated, and a practical implementation of such a system is described. This system has a message-passing design for providing contextual information from one module to another, such as suggesting possible classifications for an object. These messages are used to aid decision-making and to correct faulty decisions. This helps the system to adapt to a particular score while processing the image, increasing accuracy. 
This system is designed to aid in the research and evaluation of algorithms to achieve the above aims; therefore it is straightforward to modify various aspects of the system's behaviour, such as adding support for different music symbols. Examining the implemented system's behaviour clearly shows that this coordinated approach can correct many errors and can even identify some objects by only using syntactic information, based on the surrounding objects.

year: 2006

title: Ngā Whanaketanga: Minimising contradictions and maximising opportunities for teacher learning.

authors: Hohepa, Margie Kahukura

subjects: Māori medium teacher professional development

abstract: In 2010 the assessment of student progress and achievement against National Standards became mandatory in English medium schooling in Aotearoa New Zealand. In that same year information gathering and revision work was carried out on the then draft Whanaketanga, developed in 2009. The Whanaketanga are deemed to be the equivalent to National Standards for classrooms implementing Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the curriculum for immersion Māori medium settings. The information gathering and revision work was carried out in readiness for mandatory implementation of the Whanaketanga in 2011. The work also provided important opportunities for Māori medium teacher professional learning and development. The introduction of National Standards has been controversial. The development of Whanaketanga has also been controversial and challenging in nature. The first half of this paper provides an overview of Whanaketanga development and the challenges its developers worked hard to address. The second part discusses implications for Māori medium teacher professional learning and development, drawn from findings from research case studies of the information gathering and revision work.

text: Ngā Whanaketanga: Minimising contradictions and maximising opportunities for teacher learning. In 2010 the assessment of student progress and achievement against National Standards became mandatory in English medium schooling in Aotearoa New Zealand. In that same year information gathering and revision work was carried out on the then draft Whanaketanga, developed in 2009. The Whanaketanga are deemed to be the equivalent to National Standards for classrooms implementing Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the curriculum for immersion Māori medium settings. The information gathering and revision work was carried out in readiness for mandatory implementation of the Whanaketanga in 2011. The work also provided important opportunities for Māori medium teacher professional learning and development. The introduction of National Standards has been controversial. The development of Whanaketanga has also been controversial and challenging in nature. The first half of this paper provides an overview of Whanaketanga development and the challenges its developers worked hard to address. The second part discusses implications for Māori medium teacher professional learning and development, drawn from findings from research case studies of the information gathering and revision work.

year: 2012