Two legs, thing using and talking: The origins of the creative engineering mind

Instead of seeing technology as outside ourselves, it is argued that it is an innate human function and the main driving force in human evolution. Opportunistic thing using, long before stone tools appeared, was the likeliest cause of bipedalism. It also forced brain development and the emergence of creativity. The neural basis for this creative technical activity later provided the brain functions on which language could develop. This simple unifying hypothesis has interesting implications for the way that we see technology in history, and for determinist theories of the future. It also bears on the way engineers are trained, and more important, the human faculties which need to be fostered in children.     

Exploring creative thinking in graphically mediated synchronous dialogues

This paper reports on an aspect of the EC funded Argunaut project which researched and developed awareness tools for moderators of online dialogues. In this study we report on an investigation into the nature of creative thinking in online dialogues and whether or not this creative thinking can be coded for and recognized automatically such that moderators can be alerted when creative thinking is occurring or when it has not occurred after a period of time. We outline a dialogic theory of creativity, as the emergence of new perspectives from the interplay of voices, and the testing of this theory using a range of methods including a coding scheme which combined coding for creative thinking with more established codes for critical thinking, artificial intelligence pattern-matching techniques to see if our codes could be read automatically from maps and ‘key event recall’ interviews to explore the experience of participants. Our findings are that: (1) the emergence of new perspectives in a graphical dialogue map can be recognized by our coding scheme supported by a machine pattern-matching algorithm in a way that can be used to provide awareness indicators for moderators; (2) that the trigger events leading to the emergence of new perspectives in the online dialogues studied were most commonly disagreements and (3) the spatial representation of messages in a graphically mediated synchronous dialogue environment such as Digalo may offer more affordance for creativity than the much more common scrolling text chat environments. All these findings support the usefulness of our new account of creativity in online dialogues based on dialogic theory and demonstrate that this account can be operationalised through machine coding in a way that can be turned into alerts for moderators.     

Experiencing flow with instant messaging and its facilitating role on creative behaviors

The goal of this study is to explore how experiencing flow with IM, an Internet-based communication technology, can facilitate an individual’s perception on creativity. We argue that certain capabilities in IM, telepresence and perceived control, provide users a means to experience flow. We further investigate whether flow and its outcomes, positive affect and exploratory behavior have any influence on the perception of creativity of the users. Using an online survey with 207 observations we found that user’s perceived control over the technology and its ability to transport the user to a virtual environment were shown to facilitate the experience of flow. We found that flow in itself does not influence perceived expected creativity in its users but does indirectly influence perceived expected creativity through exploratory behavior and positive affect. From these initial findings we believe that our study provides implications for both users and designers on IT. Furthermore, managers can apply the findings during implementation and use of interactive information technologies for communications in the workplace.     

研究生阶段计算机网络理论课程教改初探

针对计算机专业研究生阶段计算机网络理论课程的教学方法改革进行了研究和探索。首先针对计算机网络学科发展的特点和目前在教学活动中存在的问题进行了归纳和总结,然后基于"三创"教学理念和研究生课程存在的问题,提出调整教学方法:在优化原有授课形式的情况下,引入研讨环节,加强学术交流活动在教学活动中的作用,调整课程设计考评机制,取得了显著的教学效果。     

基于文化鱼群算法的到达时间差定位技术

针对到达时间差(TDOA)定位估计中的非线性最优化问题,在鱼群算法中引入文化机制设计基于实数编码的文化鱼群算法,将Chan算法的解作为文化鱼群的一个个体初始位置,并利用文化鱼群算法搜索TDOA定位的最优坐标。仿真结果表明,该技术性能稳定,在鱼群规模较小的情况下能快速鲁棒地找到逼近全局最优点的解,并且具有较快的搜索速度和较高的搜索精度。     

Enhancing augmented reality with cognitive and knowledge perspectives: a case study in museum exhibitions

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present our results related to the definition of a methodology that combines augmented reality (AR) with semantic techniques for the creation of digital stories associated with museum exhibitions. In contrast to traditional AR approaches, we augment real-world elements by supplementing contents of a museum exhibition with additional inputs that provide new and different meanings. In this way we augment a cultural resource with respect to both its presentation and meaning. The methodology is framed in the cultural re-mediation theory and is grounded on a set of ontologies aimed at modelling a cultural resource and correlating it with external multimedia objects and resources. To provide an easy tool for the creation of museum narratives, the methodology makes use of a set of recognised practices widely adopted by museum curators that have been formalised through inference rules. The defined methodology has been experimented in a scenario related to Flemish paintings to validate the augmentation of cultural objects with two different approaches, the first basing on similarities and the second on dissimilarities.     

The impact of cultural differences in offshore outsourcing—Case study results from German–Indian application development projects

Offshore outsourcing to vendors in foreign countries causes unique challenges which need to be understood and managed effectively. This paper explores cultural differences in IS offshoring arrangements involving German client organizations that outsource application development activities to Indian vendors. For this purpose, a research framework is developed based on both theoretical considerations and specific empirical observations from multiple case studies. The goal is to (1) explore the nature of cultural differences in offshore outsourcing arrangements in depth and to (2) analyze the relationship between those cultural differences and offshore outsourcing success. Based on the case findings, implications and practices for the management of offshore development projects are outlined. The results indicate that cultural differences in terms of power distance, IS designer values, and an active versus passive working attitude critically affect several dimensions of relationship quality, thereby influencing offshore outsourcing success. A clear definition of roles and mechanisms, strong leadership, and an active management of culture by adapting to either the client’s or the vendor’s national culture appeared to be effective ways to manage cultural differences.

胨冻样芽孢杆菌(Bacillus mucilagininosus)的分离、筛选及其发酵培养基研究

本文报道了胨冻样芽孢杆菌 (Bacillusmucilaginosus)的分离、筛选及其对小麦苗期生长的作用 ,并对胨冻样芽孢杆菌的发酵培养基进行了优化 .结果表明 ,胨冻样芽孢杆菌 (B .mucilaginosus)生长的最适培养基 (g/L)为 :蔗糖 1 4、Na2 HPO4 1 .5、FeCl3 0 .0 0 2、CaCO3 1 .5、酵母膏 1 0 ,自来水 1 0 0 0ml、pH7.0～ 7.5;有机氮和无机铵态氮抑制胨冻样芽孢杆菌的生长 ;胨冻样芽孢杆菌液体培养物对小麦苗期生长具有促进作用 .     

Information technology use and creativity: Findings from the Children and Technology Project

This research examined relationships between children’s information technology (IT) use and their creativity. Four types of information technology were considered: computer use, Internet use, videogame playing and cell phone use. A multidimensional measure of creativity was developed based on  and  test of creative thinking. Participants were 491 12-year olds; 53% were female, 34% were African American and 66% were Caucasian American. Results indicated that videogame playing predicted of all measures of creativity. Regardless of gender or race, greater videogame playing was associated with greater creativity. Type of videogame (e.g., violent, interpersonal) was unrelated to videogame effects on creativity. Gender but not race differences were obtained in the amount and type of videogame playing, but not in creativity. Implications of the findings for future research to test the causal relationship between videogame playing and creativity and to identify mediator and moderator variables are discussed.