title: Informed mutation of wind farm layouts to maximise energy harvest

authors: Mayo, Michael

subjects: Machine learning

abstract: Correct placement of turbines in a wind farm is a critical issue in wind farm design optimisation. While traditional "trial and error"-based approaches suffice for small layouts, automated approaches are required for larger wind farms with turbines numbering in the hundreds. In this paper we propose an evolutionary strategy with a novel mutation operator for identifying wind farm layouts that minimise expected velocity deficit due to wake effects. The mutation operator is based on constructing a predictive model of velocity deficits across a layout so that mutations are inherently biased towards better layouts. This makes the operator informed rather than randomised. We perform a comprehensive evaluation of our approach on five challenging simulated scenarios using a simulation approach acceptable to industry [1]. We then compare our algorithm against two baseline approaches including the Turbine Displacement Algorithm [2]. Our results indicate that our informed mutation approach works effectively, with our approach identifying layouts with the lowest aggregate velocity deficits on all five test scenarios.

text: Informed mutation of wind farm layouts to maximise energy harvest Correct placement of turbines in a wind farm is a critical issue in wind farm design optimisation. While traditional "trial and error"-based approaches suffice for small layouts, automated approaches are required for larger wind farms with turbines numbering in the hundreds. In this paper we propose an evolutionary strategy with a novel mutation operator for identifying wind farm layouts that minimise expected velocity deficit due to wake effects. The mutation operator is based on constructing a predictive model of velocity deficits across a layout so that mutations are inherently biased towards better layouts. This makes the operator informed rather than randomised. We perform a comprehensive evaluation of our approach on five challenging simulated scenarios using a simulation approach acceptable to industry [1]. We then compare our algorithm against two baseline approaches including the Turbine Displacement Algorithm [2]. Our results indicate that our informed mutation approach works effectively, with our approach identifying layouts with the lowest aggregate velocity deficits on all five test scenarios.

year: 2016

title: Teacher thinking and teacher actions: a study of six teachers

authors: Haigh, Neil John

abstract: This study is predicated on the assumption that teaching is an intentional behaviour and that a study of teaching therefore requires attention to teachers’ thoughts as well as their observable actions. It is an attempt to describe and account for: (a) the cognitive activities involved in teacher planning; (b) the contrastive features of teachers’ attention to and thoughts about elements of lessons; and (c) the relationship between planned and actual lessons. Data concerning these aspects of teaching were gathered from three experienced classroom teachers and three student teachers who were each asked to teach three small-group discussion lessons. 

Several data collection and analysis procedures were developed to help the teachers report fully on the focus of their thoughts prior to and in the course of their lessons, and to allow the researcher to categorise accurately the content of their self-reports. Pre-lesson planning thoughts were captured by having teachers make a written ‘stream of consciousness’ record of emerging thoughts, and a ‘stimulated-recall’ procedure was used to help them identify incidents in the course of lessons during which their attention and thoughts had been consciously registered. Additional data about the planning undertaken for specific lessons were obtained from questionnaire responses, while a structured interview technique was used to identify teachers’ perceptions of ‘typical’ features of their conscious experience of teaching. 

A comprehensive system for categorizing these data was developed and, as a means of ensuring that teacher self-reports were accurately categorized, the researcher systematically discussed their meaning with the teachers who were asked to confirm, disconfirm and where necessary correct the researcher’s interpretations.

The analysis of the data obtained revealed a number of significant similarities, differences, consistencies and inconsistencies in features of the teachers’ pre-lesson planning, their within-lesson attention and thoughts and plan-reality relationships. In accounting for these contrastive features, a number of explanatory propositions were formulated. These highlighted: (a) reasons why planning is likely to be undertaken before lessons; (b) the problem-solving nature of the planning process; (c) the contribution that factors internal and external to teachers may make to the nature of the planning process and the content of their plans (e.g. tolerance for uncertainty, teaching theories, information processing capabilities, availability of time and material resources); (d) factors that influence the focus of teachers’ within-lesson thoughts (e.g. the directive influence of plans, the ‘press’ of immediate events, significance and meaning attached to learner behaviours); and (e) the variables that influence teachers’ efforts to monitor learner behaviour (e.g. the availability, ambiguity and objectivity of behavioural cues). 

Educational implications that follow from these propositions centre on two recommendations. Firstly, those who wish to influence the actions of classroom teachers need to be aware of the manner in which the thoughts of teachers shape their overt behaviours, and to take account of factors that impose constraints on the capacity of teachers to attend to teaching situations in particular ways. Secondly, it is suggested that teachers will benefit from having opportunities to analyze, evaluate and experiment with a variety of ways of thinking about teaching situations.

text: Teacher thinking and teacher actions: a study of six teachers This study is predicated on the assumption that teaching is an intentional behaviour and that a study of teaching therefore requires attention to teachers’ thoughts as well as their observable actions. It is an attempt to describe and account for: (a) the cognitive activities involved in teacher planning; (b) the contrastive features of teachers’ attention to and thoughts about elements of lessons; and (c) the relationship between planned and actual lessons. Data concerning these aspects of teaching were gathered from three experienced classroom teachers and three student teachers who were each asked to teach three small-group discussion lessons. 

Several data collection and analysis procedures were developed to help the teachers report fully on the focus of their thoughts prior to and in the course of their lessons, and to allow the researcher to categorise accurately the content of their self-reports. Pre-lesson planning thoughts were captured by having teachers make a written ‘stream of consciousness’ record of emerging thoughts, and a ‘stimulated-recall’ procedure was used to help them identify incidents in the course of lessons during which their attention and thoughts had been consciously registered. Additional data about the planning undertaken for specific lessons were obtained from questionnaire responses, while a structured interview technique was used to identify teachers’ perceptions of ‘typical’ features of their conscious experience of teaching. 

A comprehensive system for categorizing these data was developed and, as a means of ensuring that teacher self-reports were accurately categorized, the researcher systematically discussed their meaning with the teachers who were asked to confirm, disconfirm and where necessary correct the researcher’s interpretations.

The analysis of the data obtained revealed a number of significant similarities, differences, consistencies and inconsistencies in features of the teachers’ pre-lesson planning, their within-lesson attention and thoughts and plan-reality relationships. In accounting for these contrastive features, a number of explanatory propositions were formulated. These highlighted: (a) reasons why planning is likely to be undertaken before lessons; (b) the problem-solving nature of the planning process; (c) the contribution that factors internal and external to teachers may make to the nature of the planning process and the content of their plans (e.g. tolerance for uncertainty, teaching theories, information processing capabilities, availability of time and material resources); (d) factors that influence the focus of teachers’ within-lesson thoughts (e.g. the directive influence of plans, the ‘press’ of immediate events, significance and meaning attached to learner behaviours); and (e) the variables that influence teachers’ efforts to monitor learner behaviour (e.g. the availability, ambiguity and objectivity of behavioural cues). 

Educational implications that follow from these propositions centre on two recommendations. Firstly, those who wish to influence the actions of classroom teachers need to be aware of the manner in which the thoughts of teachers shape their overt behaviours, and to take account of factors that impose constraints on the capacity of teachers to attend to teaching situations in particular ways. Secondly, it is suggested that teachers will benefit from having opportunities to analyze, evaluate and experiment with a variety of ways of thinking about teaching situations.

year: 1981

title: Taku manatawa, taku manapou. The learning of te reo Māori in adulthood: Perceptions of its contribution to overall wellbeing

authors: Rolleston, Jamie Huia

subjects: maori

abstract: Ko te tāhuhu o tēnei whare rangahau ko te toiora o te tangata. Ko te tūāpapa o te whare, ko te reo Māori. E toru ngā pou tūhono i te tāhuhu ki te papa, mō tēnei rangahau ko aua pou ko te oranga wairua, ko te oranga whānau, ko te oranga tinana. Ko tā tēnei rangahau he āta mātai i aua pou e toru e toko ana i te toiora o te tangata, ā, kia mātai hoki i te hononga o te reo Māori ki aua pou e toru me te toiora tangata.
Ko te pātai matua kei te aroaro o tēnei rangahau ko tēnei : He aha ngā hua o te ako i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua mō te hunga pakeke ake i te tekau mā waru tau?
E toru ngā wāhanga o te pātai matua:
1. He aha ngā hua ā-wairua?
2. He aha ngā hua ā-whānau?
3. He aha ngā hua ā-tinana?
E toru hoki ngā huarahi i whāia ai kia rapua he whakautu ki aua pātai. Tuatahi ake, i tirohia ngā mātātuhi maha e hāngai ana ki te toiora tangata (Upoko tuarua), arā, ko ngā kōrero a ngā mātanga o te ao whānui, o te ao Māori hoki kua whakawhārikitia kētia ki runga i tēnei kaupapa. Ka rua, i tīmata āku ake ketuketunga ki tētahi pākiki ā-ipurangi, ā, i tukuna atu tēnā ki te marea kia whai māramatanga mō ngā momo pānga a te reo Māori ki a rātou (Upoko tuatoru). Ka mutu, i uiuitia tokorima ngā tāngata kia rongo ai i ō rātou wheako ako i te reo me ngā hua i puta mai ki a rātou (Upoko tuawhā).
E ai ki te hunga i whai wāhi mai ki tēnei rangahau ko te hua nui o te reo Māori ko te whai hononga ki te ao Māori me te tuakiri Māori. I puta mai tēnei kōrero i roto i te pākiki me ngā uiuinga. He mātotoru ngā kōrero a te hunga nei mō te kimi i te mea ngaro, ā, mā te ako i te reo Māori i kitea te mea i te ngaro, anō nei i whakakīkīngia tētahi rua ki roto i te tangata. I roto i te pākiki me ngā uiuinga i kumea mai ai i te hunga nei ngā kōrero mō ō rātou oranga i mua i te ako i te reo, i te tīmatanga o te ako i te reo, me te nāianei hoki, ā, he mārakerake noa te kitea he hoa haere te whanaketanga o te reo Māori me te whanaketanga o te taha Māori o te tangata me tōna māramatanga ki a ia anō, ā, mā reira e piki ai he taha toiora o te tangata. I tua atu i wēnei hua, he maha kē atu ngā hua o te reo i puta mai ai i te rangahau nei, ko te whai hononga ki te taiao, ki te whakapapa, ko te whakapiki māia, ā, ko te whai mahi hoki ētahi o ngā hua i tino kitea i roto i ngā whakautu a tēnei hunga.

text: Taku manatawa, taku manapou. The learning of te reo Māori in adulthood: Perceptions of its contribution to overall wellbeing Ko te tāhuhu o tēnei whare rangahau ko te toiora o te tangata. Ko te tūāpapa o te whare, ko te reo Māori. E toru ngā pou tūhono i te tāhuhu ki te papa, mō tēnei rangahau ko aua pou ko te oranga wairua, ko te oranga whānau, ko te oranga tinana. Ko tā tēnei rangahau he āta mātai i aua pou e toru e toko ana i te toiora o te tangata, ā, kia mātai hoki i te hononga o te reo Māori ki aua pou e toru me te toiora tangata.
Ko te pātai matua kei te aroaro o tēnei rangahau ko tēnei : He aha ngā hua o te ako i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua mō te hunga pakeke ake i te tekau mā waru tau?
E toru ngā wāhanga o te pātai matua:
1. He aha ngā hua ā-wairua?
2. He aha ngā hua ā-whānau?
3. He aha ngā hua ā-tinana?
E toru hoki ngā huarahi i whāia ai kia rapua he whakautu ki aua pātai. Tuatahi ake, i tirohia ngā mātātuhi maha e hāngai ana ki te toiora tangata (Upoko tuarua), arā, ko ngā kōrero a ngā mātanga o te ao whānui, o te ao Māori hoki kua whakawhārikitia kētia ki runga i tēnei kaupapa. Ka rua, i tīmata āku ake ketuketunga ki tētahi pākiki ā-ipurangi, ā, i tukuna atu tēnā ki te marea kia whai māramatanga mō ngā momo pānga a te reo Māori ki a rātou (Upoko tuatoru). Ka mutu, i uiuitia tokorima ngā tāngata kia rongo ai i ō rātou wheako ako i te reo me ngā hua i puta mai ki a rātou (Upoko tuawhā).
E ai ki te hunga i whai wāhi mai ki tēnei rangahau ko te hua nui o te reo Māori ko te whai hononga ki te ao Māori me te tuakiri Māori. I puta mai tēnei kōrero i roto i te pākiki me ngā uiuinga. He mātotoru ngā kōrero a te hunga nei mō te kimi i te mea ngaro, ā, mā te ako i te reo Māori i kitea te mea i te ngaro, anō nei i whakakīkīngia tētahi rua ki roto i te tangata. I roto i te pākiki me ngā uiuinga i kumea mai ai i te hunga nei ngā kōrero mō ō rātou oranga i mua i te ako i te reo, i te tīmatanga o te ako i te reo, me te nāianei hoki, ā, he mārakerake noa te kitea he hoa haere te whanaketanga o te reo Māori me te whanaketanga o te taha Māori o te tangata me tōna māramatanga ki a ia anō, ā, mā reira e piki ai he taha toiora o te tangata. I tua atu i wēnei hua, he maha kē atu ngā hua o te reo i puta mai ai i te rangahau nei, ko te whai hononga ki te taiao, ki te whakapapa, ko te whakapiki māia, ā, ko te whai mahi hoki ētahi o ngā hua i tino kitea i roto i ngā whakautu a tēnei hunga.

year: 2015