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The relevance of e-learning for higher education has resulted in a wide variety of online self-learning materials over the last decade like pedagogical agents (PA) or learning games. Regardless of this variety, educators wonder whether they can make use of these tools for their goals and if so, which tool to choose and in which context a specific tool performs best. To do so, the collection and analysis of learning data – referred to as Learning Analytics (LA) – is required. Along with digital learning environments the possibilities of applying LA are growing. Often, LA focuses on data that can easily be quantified: drop-out quota, time or grade performance. To facilitate learning in a more procedural sense, a deeper understanding of learners’ behavior in specific contexts with specific exercise designs is desired. This study therefore focuses on usage patterns. Learners’ movements through three different designs of mathematical exercises – (i) plain exercises, (ii) PA supported and (iii) fantasy game design – are analyzed with Markov chains. The results of an experiment with 503 students inform about which design facilitates what kind of learning. While the PA design lets learners enter more partial solutions, the fantasy game design facilitates exercise repetition.
Inspection of underground sewerage channel infrastructure by deploying a wireless sensor network
(2024)
Meteorological disasters are soon to be more likely due to climate change. To oppose this expected development regular inspection and maintenance of sewage networks becomes increasingly mandatory. Applying customized swimming sensor nodes also called wireless sensor system could be a possibility to ensure real time information on this matter. Interconnecting sensor nodes resemble a wireless sensor network with mesh topology. Gateways installed in inspection hambers hand data over to a back-end.
Thermal 360° micro drone: Operational exercise under a fire roller at the Dortmund fire house
(2024)
The 360° video shows an operational exercise of our new 360° + thermal camera video mini drone (18x18x18 cm) in the fire house in Dortmund. The thermal video is overlaid with the 360° video. The exercise was also accompanied by WDR (https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/wdr-dok/unser-leben-mit-ki-wie-kuenstliche-intelligenz-unsere-arbeit-revolutioniert/wdr/Y3JpZDovL3dkci5kZS9CZWl0cmFnLXNvcGhvcmEtODRjYWI5NjQtYjAxYS00NjdiLThjODgtYzViMGVmNTY3OThj from minute 7:16). The winds occurring during the fire are a particular challenge for the small drone and the pilot.
The 360° video shows an operational exercise under smoke of our new 360° + thermal camera video mini drone (18x18x18 cm) in the fire house in Dortmund. The thermal video is overlaid with the 360° video. The exercise was also accompanied by WDR (https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/wdr-dok/unser-leben-mit-ki-wie-kuenstliche-intelligenz-unsere-arbeit-revolutioniert/wdr/Y3JpZDovL3dkci5kZS9CZWl0cmFnLXNvcGhvcmEtODRjYWI5NjQtYjAxYS00NjdiLThjODgtYzViMGVmNTY3OThj from minute 7:16). The winds occurring during the fire are a particular challenge for the small drone and the pilot.
Abstract
Understanding intricate microbial interactions in the environment is crucial. This is especially true for the relationships between nutrients and bacteria, as phosphorus, nitrogen and organic carbon availability are known to influence bacterial population dynamics. It has been suggested that low nutrient conditions prompt the evolutionary process of genome streamlining. This process helps conserve scarce nutrients and allows for proliferation. Genome streamlining is associated with genomic properties such as %GC content, genes encoding sigma factors, percent coding regions, gene redundancy, and functional shifts in processes like cell motility and ATP binding cassette transporters, among others. The current study aims to unveil the impact of nutrition on the genome size, %GC content, and functional properties of pelagic freshwater bacteria. We do this at finer taxonomic resolutions for many metagenomically characterized communities. Our study confirms the interplay of trophic level and genomic properties. It also highlights that different nutrient types, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, impact these properties differently. We observed a covariation of functional traits with genome size. Larger genomes exhibit enriched pathways for motility, environmental interaction, and regulatory genes. ABC transporter genes reflect the availability of nutrients in the environment, with small genomes presumably relying more on metabolites from other organisms. We also discuss the distinct strategies different phyla adopt to adapt to oligotrophic environments. The findings contribute to our understanding of genomic adaptations within complex microbial communities.
Assessing the response of an urban stream ecosystem to salinization under different flow regimes
(2024)
Abstract
Urban streams are exposed to a variety of anthropogenic stressors. Freshwater salinization is a key stressor in these ecosystems that is predicted to be further exacerbated by climate change, which causes simultaneous changes in flow parameters, potentially resulting in non-additive effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, the effects of salinization and flow velocity on urban streams are still poorly understood as multiple-stressor experiments are often conducted at pristine rather than urban sites. Therefore, we conducted a mesocosm experiment at the Boye River, a recently restored stream located in a highly urbanized area in Western Germany, and applied recurrent pulses of salinity along a gradient (NaCl, 9 h daily of +0 to +2.5 mS/cm) in combination with normal and reduced current velocities (20 cm/s vs. 10 cm/s). Using a comprehensive assessment across multiple organism groups (macroinvertebrates, eukaryotic algae, fungi, parasites) and ecosystem functions (primary production, organic-matter decomposition), we show that flow velocity reduction has a pervasive impact, causing community shifts for almost all assessed organism groups (except fungi) and inhibiting organic-matter decomposition. Salinization affected only dynamic components of community assembly by enhancing invertebrate emigration via drift and reducing fungal reproduction. We caution that the comparatively small impact of salt in our study can be due to legacy effects from past salt pollution by coal mining activities >30 years ago. Nevertheless, our results suggest that urban stream management should prioritize the continuity of a minimum discharge to maintain ecosystem integrity. Our study exemplifies a holistic approach for the assessment of multiple-stressor impacts on streams, which is needed to inform the establishment of a salinity threshold above which mitigation actions must be taken.
Abstract
Remote participation in school is possible today with the help of telepresence robots. Such technologies can offer great opportunities for children with long-term illnesses to continue attending school. Consequently, telepresence robots are already used in some schools when children are absent for long periods. However, despite their positive impact, such robots also create challenges for the privacy of people involved in such a setting. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss the user needs of such robots in this specific and privacy-sensitive application field. We held three workshops with different user groups with and without experience with the robots. Among them were formerly and currently ill children, parents, teachers, head teachers, media educators, and supporting personnel. We discussed their experiences (if any), ideas, expectations, and concerns with a focus on privacy aspects to find out about the user needs of different user groups. Our results reveal various interrelationships and conflicts between the individual actors. They serve as a basis to discuss the implications for the design of future telepresence robots for schoolchildren.
Abstract
Future social robots will act autonomously in the world. Autonomous behavior is usually realized by using AI models built with real-world data, which often reflect existing inequalities and prejudices in society. Even if designers do not intend it, there are risks that robots will be developed that discriminate against certain users, e. g. based on gender. In this work, we investigate the implications of a gender-biased robot that disadvantages women, which unfortunately is a bias in AI that is often reported. Our experiment shows that both men and women perceive the gender-biased robot to be unfair. However, our work indicates that women are more aware that a gender bias causes this unfairness. We also show that gender bias results in the robot being perceived differently. While the gender bias resulted in lower likability and intelligence ratings by women, men seem to lose trust in the robot if it behaves unfairly.
Abstract
Telepresence robots offer great opportunities for children with long-term illnesses to continue attending school. Consequently, they are already used if children are absent for long periods. When designing such systems, the privacy of various stakeholders must be considered. However, conflicts often arise because the privacy requirements of different user groups cannot be fulfilled simultaneously. In this paper, we analyze the corresponding trade-offs that have to be made when designing telepresence robots under conflicting privacy requirements. We analyzed previous literature and held three workshops with different user groups (children, parents, teachers, head teachers, media educators, and supporting personnel) with and without experience with telepresence robots in schools. Based on the literature and the workshop results, we present four major privacy trade-offs we identified and discuss design approaches for them. With this work, we contribute to the design research on telepresence robots in schools by revealing the major privacy-related conflicts and potential design approaches to overcome the conflicts.

