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Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) are a new type of computer interface which have human-like bodies and conversational skills. Users interacting with agents will be more engaged and participative if the agents exhibit behaviors which look coherent across different situations and emotional states. In the present work, we aim at increasing agents' believability by looking at two main aspects of the problem: - an agent must be able to show its emotional state and communicative intentions not only through specific facial expressions, gestures, etc., but also by varying the quality of its mov...

Co-teaching originated in the 1960’s, when it was popularized as an example of progressive education. Progressivism mandates that schools should be "child-centered" with the curriculum and instruction tailored to facilitate the development of the individual, based on scientific methodology. John Dewey was instrumental in advancing the merits of a progressive education and co-teaching is just one tenet utilized to advance his theories for development and learning. Due to the ever-changing nature of education in an increasingly more diverse society, modified forms of instruction, such as co-teac...

Creating a life vision for oneself is something that can have a significant and profound impact in one's life. It can influence and direct choices, environments, and occupations. Very little has been written in occupational therapy literature about this important aspect of life. In this paper, a heuristic and organic new paradigm research approach is used to uncover in-depth the implicit and explicit qualities, processes, and themes. The study includes life vision narratives from the researcher and seven participants, as well as a group process and a creative synthesis. Findings indicate that ...

Lay participation in the criminal justice process in the form of a jury is a celebrated phenomenon throughout the common law jurisdictions. While not claiming credit for its origin, England, as the latent cradle of the modern jury, disseminated this mode of trial to a great part of the world through colonization. Yet, trial by jury does not enjoy constitutional protection under English law. The system has been under severe criticism, curtailment and considerable pressure in recent times, perhaps far more than in other countries. Critics have demanded reform or outright abolition and supporters...

There is a need to understand the factors correlating with teachers' instructional use of computers, because much of the present research focuses on students rather than teachers. This study examines several factors relating to the use of computers in the classroom by teachers. The factors examined include teacher attitudes, emotions, beliefs, and outside influences. This was done by a review of the present literature, administering two surveys, and analyzing the survey data. Questionnaires were distributed to faculty at five randomly selected high schools in a Midwest city participating in th...

This dissertation demonstrates a breadth and depth of knowledge about its subject that can only come from a truly experienced businessman. Drawing upon his life experience as well as scholarly sources, Dr. Amaya clearly and precisely sheds a fresh light of insight upon such subjects as renewable energy, market conditions and operations, and the effects of government policies on emerging economies. Dr. Amaya rigorously develops his argument that "the so- called energy problem has implications for the whole structure of modern society." Fully documented and persuasively argued, this dissertation...

The thesis consists of two main divisions. The first presents an original interpretation of Martin Heidegger's philosophy. The second - premised on the first - presents a fundamental and internal critique of his philosophy. The interpretative division demonstrates the way in which the history of being is structurally grounded in the ontological conformation of Dasein. This amounts to evincing the unity of Heidegger's development of his basic philosophical project: the raising of the question of being, and requires an original account of both the philosophy of the history of being and the exis...

The military defeat of the LTTE by the Government of Sri Lanka in May 2009 ended twenty-six years of war which have caused the displacement of more than 1.1 million Sri Lankans and claimed more than 150,000 lives. Winning the war represented a great achievement for the Government, and allowed Colombo to lay the foundations for the long-term prevention of a recurrence of war. The victory of a comprehensive peace is, however, still to be achieved. This dissertation analyses the case of Sri Lanka to adapt existing theories of post-war recovery to the aftermath of civil wars ending through a decis...

In this research, the author analyzes Derrida's understanding of the way society is created out of a collection of individuals, how the individuals preserve their singularity and freedom within a social system and the meaning of ethics, as it comes out in his early writings. In this work, the researcher used a phenomenological method of research and Cassirer's way of analyzing the symbolic forms as a framework to analyze the early writing of Derrida. Although it is not a common approach to combine Derrida's philosophy with that of Cassirer's, the researcher found that Cassirer's ideas help to...

Due to recent climate change, the character of environmental regional planning has shifted to address the anticipated extreme increases in sea level rise. As such, this project, based on existing scientific research/data, proposes a spatial, habitable landscape architectural solution as a model for flood mitigation for the East coastal edge. This proposal tests the potential for resilient coastal landscapes through a particular site located on Revere Beach, along with the New England coast in Massachusetts. The study demonstrates how through new public spaces designed to renew and protect the ...