Ch 9

Gulsun EbyAnadolu University, Turkey

T. Volkan YuzerAnadolu University, Turkey

Project Management Approaches for Online Learning Design

Project management approaches for online learning design / Gulsun Eby and T. Volkan Yuzer, editors. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: “This book boldly focuses on a unique area of virtual learning by adopting a theoretical point of view and discussing the planning, organizing, securing and managing of resources to bring about the successful completion of online learning goals and objectives”--Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-4666-2830-4 (hardcover) -- ISBN 978-1-4666-2831-1 (ebook) -- ISBN 978-1-4666-2832-8 (print & perpetual access) 1. Instructional systems--Design. 2. Computer-assisted instruction--Management. I. Eby, Gulsun, 1964- II. Yuzer, T. Volkan, 1972- LB1028.38.P76 2013 371.33’44678--dc23 2012032525

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Chapter 9

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2830-4.ch009

Vardan MkrttchianHHH Technology Inc., Australia

Galina StephanovaAstrakhan State University, Russian Federation

Training of Avatar Moderator in Sliding Mode Control Environment for Virtual

Project Management

ABSTRACT

This chapter describes a development of algorithms, software, and hardware for avatar management and avatar moderator training systems, using the principle of practical tendency in sliding mode control environment and illustrating its applicability in virtual communications project management. The avatar is a computer-synthesized animated three-dimensional model, acting as a virtual representation of a real person, or as a visualization of the communication system of artificial intelligence. It is required to develop and evaluate realistic avatar interfaces as portals to intelligent software capable of relaying knowledge and skills in various subject areas. The chapter focuses on integrating speaker-independent continuous speech recognition, context technology of intelligent dialogue system in real-time, graphics rendering based on motion capture (motion capture is used by avatar to accompany the verbal information with gestures), and the development of applied information systems with avatar technology for different subject areas. Thus, created algorithms, software, and hardware are now use in collaboration works at the Astrakhan State University (Russian Federation) and at HHH University (Australian Federation and the Republic of Armenia) for the development of avatars for project management in design of real virtual control systems.

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Training of Avatar Moderator in Sliding Mode Control Environment for Virtual Project Management

INTRODUCTION

Teaching is a process of conveying ideas to the students. Good teaching means, mostly, more effective communication between learners. The prerequisite has been due to the fact that because teachers “maybe” have studied ideas longer, they understand them better and are therefore better able to communicate them. Other requirements, which are important to control, are that the strate-gies and methods used by us are empirically based and validated.

Whatever, the level of the distance education or teaching organization, many factors make teaching a distance education course different from the teaching in traditional classroom. When using the technology tools the material should be developed from the good point of learning theo-ries. Our work experience in virtual classroom explains what intelligent avatars or computer characters could be used to support or even to replace teachers in the classroom. The devotee is the human that makes sure the avatar and the student are properly matched.

Virtual classroom is a social network service environment focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who shares interest and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of the representation of every user (often a profile), his/her social connections, and a variety of addi-tional services. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the internet, such as e-mail and instant mes-saging. Although online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.

Information- and communication technology (ICT) provides us with a better prerequisite for

open distance learning. Now although the industry has yet to fully tap the immense learning potential of a 3D virtual environment, educators believe it’s the only matter of time. HHH University’s latest release Avatar has made online virtual worlds such as the Second Life (SL) more popular than ever as audiences sit up and take notice of the possibili-ties of these sites. Users are currently using these sites to socialize and to connect using free voice and the text chat through personalized avatars or computerized self-representations. However, these sites also hold out the possibility to become places where educators are discovering academic possibilities. SL, for example, provides virtual homes for some of the world’s most prestigious universities such as Harvard and Stanford who have bought virtual land with Linden Dollars. Although this seems to be somewhat of a trend in the West it has yet to catch on in the Russia, South Caucasus and Asia.

There is a widely accepted view that informa-tion systems entail a multitude of assumptions and claims, and that they serve some interest at the others expense. Therefore, discussions among all stakeholders for reaching mutual understand-ing about the desired features of systems are viewed as essential. For example, by regarding an information system in principle as a com-plex communication tool, several authors in the Language-Action Perspective used the notion of meta-communication to refer to communications about system’s communication concepts. They emphasized that many areas of information sys-tems from specification to design, implementation and use involve meta-communications. Others, without using the notion of meta-communication, emphasized the importance of discourses and reflections conceptual framework theoretically provides wider discursive concepts for reflective practice. Still others suggested further extensions of discursive approaches in order to deal with global challenges. The purpose of this chapter is to take the conceptual development of the research on reflective practice in information

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systems one step further. Previous discursive approaches have made valuable contributions by the application of “hhh” technology ideas (developed under V. Mkrttchian’s supervision). It describes a meta-communication model which integrates the previous approaches and extends them with additional relevant concepts from dis-course ethics and information systems literature. Thus, it provides a wider spectrum for reflective practice. The model can be used for collective sense-making, i.e. the articulation and possible contesting the ideas meaning and significance. It allows systematic and meaningful structuring and organizing of meta-level conversations, in order to enable effective meta-communication processes.

Instructional approaches which facilitate re-flective, critical dialogue provide students with opportunities to make the meaning from experien-tial based learning. When facilitated via Internet, curricula emphasizing such pedagogies hold the potential to guide and encourage a diverse range of students as they make meaning from learning situated in experiences. The increased techno-logical tools integration (such as synchronous conferencing platforms, asynchronous discussion structures, social networking environments, video sharing websites, and so forth) in educational programming provides the means to implement instructional approaches that are current, relevant and efficient. As a result of their academic lead-ers survey at 1200 Russian Federation institu-tions, double-digit growth rates in online post-secondary enrollments for the sixth consecutive year, clearly indicating a preference among this student population for studying using educational media. As technologies are increasingly integrated into curricula, there is a growing need for the strategies development which mobilizes ways to create collaborative, interactive and relevant applications specifically within the experiential learning framework. Moreover, the introduction of technology into practice-based learning al-lows the broad access which enables the diverse learning community’s development that may not

be possible among geographically bound college populations. Collaborative learning which is con-structed in such communities has the potential to reach beyond a single classroom to impact local communities on uniquely personal levels.

Teaching methods developed under the “hhh” concept should be implemented in technological solutions for virtual communications. In particular, the important task is creation of computer represen-tations - avatars - that support virtual educational process based on reflective discursive techniques. This requires the avatars to be empowered, as a purely computer models, with technologies to understand and communicate with real people in the context of the situation, topic and task. And the usage area of intelligent avatars technology will not be limited to the Internet education, as shown below.

Many existing intelligent systems that are used for tactical and training purposes rely on a traditional keyboard input for information input, and display information as a written/printed text or graphic images such as maps and charts. On the other hand, the interface in the form of an avatar can reduce the burden on the student’s human-machine interaction, and will allow the student to pay more attention to the essence of learning rather than the user interface.

The learning process has always been known to be organized in a way that enables a student to acquire necessary for one’s future independent activities knowledge and skills. It is no coincidence that in pedagogics this natural learning tendency is considered to be one of the guiding principles, e. i. the principle of practical tendency in stu-dents’ training (it used to be called the principle of interrelation between training and everyday activities). Same situation is available in training of avatar moderator.

Nowadays it seems difficult to bring the educa-tion content into compliance with this principle due to the intensive development of science and technologies and extent of knowledge growing rapidly. Furthermore, owing to the occupation and

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business scopes variety, the principle’s content has become uncertain which involved uncertainty in practical implementation thereof. It is scientific knowledge which is being emphasized in the education process. The scope and content of this knowledge are determined with the view of com-mon sense and time allocated for the study of a certain subject. Such knowledge is nearly never correlated with the activities it is applicable in, except the solution of intentionally created study problems. Galina Stephanova in 2011 use the search for direction was carried out in the follow-ing sequent order: 1) the evolution of the principle of practical tendency in training was studied with the consideration of its alteration during the progress of society and social and economic structures changing; 2) the following concept was taken as a theoretical basis of the research: while working out the goals of teaching a certain subject one has to distinguish a set of the routine problems students are being trained to solve; 3) the theoretical concept of the research was evolved, notably – the problem of the implementation of the principle of practical tendency in training can be resolved if the goals of teaching physics are presented as a set of the routine problems people solve during their lifetime together with methods of their solutions and ways of reaching these goals; 4) on the basis of this concept a model of training physics at a comprehensive school was developed; 5) the training practicability based on the above-mentioned model was tested.

Assessment of opportunities to optimize the content of training courses during the transition to distance learning is considered from system perspective, viewing the learning process as the sum of several discrete processes, combined in an integrated system - the course. The course material is split into some portions and sent to student for learning, with a constant self-testing and correc-tion of gaps in learning. This training technology, known as “hhh” technology, developed under the supervision of V. Mkrttchian, is successfully used in the All Armenian Internet University, where

course material is divided into portions and sent for the monthly learning. Such view of the problem, in turn, allows us to use well-known control theory and to examine the process of learning rate as a closed system with feedback, exposed to external uncontrolled disturbances that could interfere with the process of learning. Since the control action in the form of transmitted discontinuous portions is inherently discrete, and then there are all signs of a sliding mode in a learning management system. Control in the sliding mode gives a number of advantages that are absent in normal control. In terms of training, in the sliding mode the system becomes invariant to external disturbances, thus the quality of learning, that is assimilation of the material in general, is due only to the dynamics of the student, his static characteristics, and with the feedback it is adjusted by adapting portions of training material and can be solved for each student individually, which is an advantage of distance learning.

Under the supervision of V. Mkrttchian in the All Armenian Internet University (HHH Univer-sity) together with scientists from Astrakhan State University (ASU) the first prototype of the avatar management system for virtual biology teacher was developed and tested. ASU researchers now develop a universal service-oriented architecture based on adaptive personalized services. Adapta-tion of services is performed in three dimensions: user, context and goal. Architecture allows to automatically performing dynamic linking of separate services into integrated services. The basis for adaptation is a mechanism of ontolo-gies - object-oriented dictionaries. Using the user ontology, context ontology, domain ontology and Data Mining technology, it is possible to imple-ment adaptive service-oriented applications in various domains. The developed software will become the basis for intellectual and adaptive module for avatars management in sliding mode. The ASU also possesses the unique technology and equipment for this research and development of high quality images of avatars.

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BACKGROUND

There is no other area which reflects turning points of the society more than education does. It is be-ing altered under the influence thereof as well. Let us retrace the development of the principle of practical tendency in training during the changes of the society living conditions.

Initially the content of this principle was not defined at all. Its content was considered to be clear enough to anyone: one has to how to solve problems which might occur successfully. During the progress of society the ways of the principle’s implementation varied. In the primitive society the only way of its implementation was considered, it is teaching how to make and use simple tools.

In the slaveholding system the manual labor used to be the slaves’ lot. Sacrifices’, military leaders, courtiers, dyke and building construction managers ran state affairs, exercised administra-tion, performed religious rites. The content of the above-mentioned principle became as fol-lows: the children whose parents belonged to propertied classes were supposed to be prepared for management activities whereas slaves’ kids were supposed to acquire manual labor skills. Such content of the principle of practical tendency in training was reflected in newly developed philosophic conceptions of Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato. They believed knowledge is needed for “self-improvement”, self-actualization and cognition of world spirit and concepts.

At that time the implementation of this principle required formal education. Teachers and schools sprang up. It is known that there were schools in Athens, Sparta, and Alexandria, Republican Rome (gymnasiums, elementary and grammar schools). The children belonging to privileged and govern-ing classes studied there to acquire theoretical knowledge. The slaves were not allowed to be educated. Specific practical activities made them master their working skills.

There were two concurrent tutorial systems developed in the early feudal society: religious

education and secular education. The content of the principle in question was as follows: those children who chose the former way of getting education were supposed to get ready for serv-ing Lord whereas knights-to-be were supposed to be well grounded in military art for battles and tourneys.

Such content was implemented via a specially generated instruction in two ways. Here is the essence of one of them. The student read eccle-siastical literature, memorized what he had read or learnt from the teacher and represented the prepared speech word for word. Generally this kind of teaching was carried out by the clergy and was of a verbal and dogmatic nature. The other method presented a system of numerous practice exercises and duels.

The XII-XIII centuries are marked with urban expansion, trade and handicraft development. This is the time when such estates as the craftsmen and the merchants were formed. The content of the principle in question was reconsidered because at that time the children who belonged to the above-mentioned estates were supposed to be prepared to deal with craft and trade issues. There were set up guild and municipal schools where children were taught reading, writing, counting, trade and religious studies.

During Renaissance (XIV-XV cc.) the trade and craft development and growth of cities kept on going. Manufacture and a new class – bourgeoi-sie were formed. Such sciences as mathematics, astronomy, mechanics, geography, literature, art, history were being rapidly developed. So, all chil-dren needed primary education and good breeding to be ready to live under these circumstances.

In XVI-XVII centuries craft and manufacture growth and trade development increased the need in clerks. At that time the concept of general education was formed and the advanced schools and pedagogical theories were set up in France, Germany and England. In such schools kids were taught classical disciplines such as Greek and Latin and classical literature of the antiquity as well as

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the “real” mathematical, geographical, historical, architectural, constructional and legal knowledge.

Thus, the principle of practical tendency in training was implemented while school students were being taught scientific knowledge and ap-plied sciences which were necessary in various areas of life.

During the times of capitalism bourgeoisie and work-hands were the most significant classes. The bourgeois representatives were supposed to be prepared for financial and economic, manage-ment, legal, scientific and other suchlike kinds of activities. On the contrary, the workers’ children were to be trained for productive labor and techni-cal equipment application.

Capitalism is marked with the intensive scientific and technical progress which created necessary prerequisites for the replacement of the manual nonproductive labor by the automatic one. Thus, there was a need in people who were knowledgeable about various technical objects and were able to operate them as well as to pos-sess technology of production, i. e. in training of craftsmen and engineering skills.

To meet such a need, social schools and institu-tions of higher education were set up and to study in there one had to have some basic training. In the majority of schools the basic training content was made up by the outlines of the sciences. Such educational content drew progressive teachers’ objections due to the lack of relevance to the practical application of the knowledge. Capitalist development displayed one more significant trend which influenced the content of the principle of practical tendency in training, i.e. the release of workplaces as a result of mechanization and au-tomation of production. Consequently, one had to change the scope of activity and such a change of trade was supposed to be carried out smoothly and within minimum periods. The term of “polytechnic education” was recognized. Polytechnic education was aimed at organizing the education process which would introduce “children or teenagers to basic principles of all manufacturing operations

together with some facility of using all kinds of elementary machines”. “The theoretical instruc-tion would most likely achieve its goal the easiest way if it provided schoolchildren with general technical knowledge which can make it easier to switch over to other lines of industry”. However, the ways of this concept implementation haven’t been worked out.

The carried out analysis reveals the fact that the content of the principle of practical tendency in training was being formed in each social order by division into classes and by the duties performed by all the classes in the society. Moreover, as the development of human society progressed the emphasis on particular practical and occupa-tional tendency was being substituted for social and cultural area, so increasingly more time was being allotted for the studying of outlines of the sciences whilst less and less time was left for the maintenance of practical skills.

The implementation of this principle was be-ing transformed from teaching practical skills to the verbal transfer of information on designed technical objects and processes.

The study of the principle’s content evolution in Russia until 1917 confirmed its dependency on the existent classes and estates whose representatives performed various duties in the human society.

In Russia the organization and further trans-formation of the educational system was based chiefly on the concept of polytechnic education. The ways of concept’s implementation were being changed from the formation of comprehensive labor schools with labor activities in all of their aspects to the combination of studies with the productive labor. Such schools were called the comprehensive polytechnic labor schools. By the time of graduation a student had learnt the trade or got qualified as well as acquired general education knowledge.

Considerable part of natural and mathemati-cal studies was of applied polytechnic nature. The instructional material involved functional

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description of the technical objects and principles of operation thereof.

In the late 60s – early 80s of the XX century scientific and technical progress necessitated the introduction of world-wide scientific and engi-neering achievements into teaching classroom disciplines. The educational reform of 1968 changed significantly the educational content of schools and resulted in scientific theories of the liberal arts being made the subject matter.

These reorganizations were ended in the 1984 reform (The Major Thrusts of the Comprehensive and Career Schools Reform). The educational programs were thoroughly reconsidered with respect to the increase in the scientific level again. Practical implementation of information technologies was innovative in schooling. Thus, the classrooms for teaching the foundations of computer science appeared. While studying at comprehensive schools schoolchildren were also supposed to get a profession there.

The implemented reforms in numerous cases resulted notably in lack of students’ interest in study generally, and particularly in studying mathematical and natural sciences as well as dis-interest in practical skills learnt at school. Among other reasons, this one provoked the next trend in reorganization of schooling – its differentiation, humanization and humanitarization. As a result, the concept of the system of polytechnic educa-tion was lost which was reflected in the current education act stipulating that the education shall be directed towards personality development, self-fulfillment and self-actualization.

Thus, the carried out research exhibits tendency to the uncertainty of the principle’s content. Indeed, while studying different individual school subjects student’s training for life in the contemporary context seems to be utterly incomprehensible nowadays.

From our point of view, such tendency can’t be considered the right one. The army of unemployed can find a niche for themselves only by getting

a new profession at least possible cost and only certain polytechnic schooling can enable that.

The polytechnic education concept has been developed by scholars in various directions. In 1920s-1930s such educators as S. T. Shatskiy, P. P. Blonskiy, A. S. Bubnov suggested trade school foundation where schoolchildren might work on-the-spot in school workshops, thus directly producing material valuables. They believed that there must be a special labor management program concerning students’ work at the enterprises or school grounds.

The research task of Y. K. Vasiliev’s study doesn’t involve a detailed elaboration of the general education polytechnic content. Instead, it formulates the following requirements to school polytechnic education: manual, machine and au-tomatically controlled labor training adjusted for agile manufacturing; polytechnic skills formation; providing polytechnic training with scientific basis; human creativity development. Relying on these requirements Y. K. Vasiliev believes that high school graduate’s training must include the formation of:

• General scientific, general technical and business knowledge, which complex forms the scientific basis of the present-day production;

• Polytechnic skills (general capacity for work as well as intellectual and practical skills);

• Technical mindset, creative and research work ability;

• The kind of personality which reflects one’s attitude to work.

Y. K. Vasiliev classifies the polytechnic skills by the nature of activity (e. i., calculative, mea-surement, project-designing and graphic skills, equipment and facility management and devices control), by the functional features (organizational, processing, assembling, search skills and others); by the scientific principles forming the activity

182


basis (mechanical and technical, electro technical, chemical and technical, biotechnical, social and technical ones). According to Y. K. Vasiliev, each of the skill groups is of didactic importance and should take its place in the polytechnic education system. For instance, to form functional skills there should be generated some study situations adequate to certain modern industry employees’ duties. Teaching aids are necessary to form skills distinguished by the nature of activity, e. i., pro-duction and technical tasks as well as problems on obtained results estimation. To form the scientific principles skill group there should be established inter subject communications of a polytechnic nature as well as certain school subjects should be ranked in the certain polytechnic skills group formation.

Thus, according to Y. K. Vasiliev, complete polytechnic schooling shall involve theoretical, practical and educational aspects.

The implementation methodology of such polytechnic schooling content hasn’t been worked out by the researcher.

The research concerning theoretical content, methods and organization of the polytechnic edu-cation has been carried out recently. Its theoretical and methodological issues elaboration is covered in studies of K. A. Ivanovich, I. D. Zverev, V. G. Zubov, M. N. Skatkin, S. G. Shapovalencko, A. A. Shibanov, D. A. Epstein, P. R. Atutov and others. The scholars considered possible approaches to the polytechnic education content determination (M. N. Skatkin, S. G. Shapovalencko, P. R. Atutov). It was found that polytechnic knowledge has unique features. It is integral to chemical, mathematical and other kinds of scientific knowledge. Scientific as well as production and technical knowledge have scientific functions under certain conditions only, namely while displaying scientific basis of the present-day production. That’s why it seems impossible to accomplish polytechnic schooling by implementation of a single school subject.

P. R. Atutov also suggests including labor activ-ity general theory with respect to contemporary

technology into polytechnic schooling. Besides, the general engineering theory, or technology he worked out has its logical structure; basic concepts, notions, facts, ideas and methods. The researcher doesn’t elaborate this structure’s components con-tent; however, he sees the way to distinguish this science foundation into a separate school subject.

Thus, “the system of polytechnic knowledge consists of different sciences notions set, which content and logical connection reflect the general basis and principles of means of labor and duties in the contemporary industry”.

The ways of such content’s implementation the scholar sees in students’ labor and technical industrial activities which he considers to be a requirement to acquisition of knowledge in ques-tion and polytechnic (work) skills formation. As to organizational aspect of this approach, it is suggested that schoolchildren should be taught some classes on the basis of educational institu-tions of the secondary professional learning or directly at the enterprises. As a result, high school graduates can obtain a profession. Such general labor and special training combination shall result in the comprehensive and career schools coming together.

V. S. Lednev, having analyzed different sci-ences and corresponding school subjects, states that still there hasn’t been created a skills system which covers all work skills and enables to contain all basic scientific knowledge with their com-prehensive value being kept. In 1962 the scholar suggested appropriateness of teaching cybernetics at comprehensive schools.

Other scholars worked out production branches polytechnic content (D. A. Epshtein, K. A. Iva-novich, A. A. Shibanova), polytechnic education ecological aspects (I. D. Zverev), industrialists performance analysis (P. I. Stavskiy).

P. I. Stavskiy suggests that polytechnic educa-tion content should be the activity similar to typical industrialists’ labor activities. An industrialist is understood to be not only an industrial worker but also a worker of wide range production in which

183


industrial methods of manufacturing and industrial working methods are already used. In the context of scientific and technical progress such worker’s labor becomes multifunctional and is carried out with these duties being flexible. P. I. Stavskiy sug-gests that variety of employment functions should be placed in two categories: working functions and “free-of-operation” functions at the same industry. The first category includes technical and economic improvement functions (e. i., adjusting, resetting, control, maintenance, operation). The second category contains technical and technological, or-ganizational, economical, functions (for example, work-site arrangement, crew labor management, material saving, working tome arrangements, etc.). By function the scholar means certain activity, whereas an activity is a sequence of carried out skills. Thus, each function corresponds to a certain set of skills. Flexibility and functions change are generalized skills transfer which is included as an invariant in the above-mentioned categories. P. I. Stavskiy distinguishes five kinds of invariant skills: mechanical ant technical, electro technical, automatic, management and economic ones. This is exactly what polytechnic skills are. A certain skill is carried out by a worker based on his or her specific knowledge system. Each knowledge system includes four kinds of knowledge (A, B, C, D). For example, for the activity which involves technical objects A-knowledge will be used. This is the knowledge of basic laws of nature used in the objects, the object mode of functioning and object identification principles. B-knowledge is the knowl-edge of production problem-solving approaches related to the object, applicable laws and problem-solving approach ways selection. C-knowledge is the knowledge concerning general course of object-related actions and this course logical sequence of steps. According to the scholar, on the basis of these workers’ knowledge and interrelation thereof the fourth kind of knowledge, D-knowledge, should be formed. This is the knowledge of how to deal with an unfamiliar object in case the situation changes in the context of polytechnic skill transfer.

According to P. I. Stavskiy, these specific knowledge systems are inherent in typical in-dustrialist activities. He considers the specific knowledge systems to be polytechnic knowledge systems which must be taught at schools.

P. I. Stavskiy formulated interesting ideas and worked out a new approach to polytechnic school-ing content. However, this approach methodology implementation remains unelaborated.

The carried out research enabled to conclude that in spite of a great number of various affirma-tive approaches to this problem solution, none of those didn’t have any practically meaningful effect, e. i., failed to demonstrate the way to get the students ready for life in the rapidly changing socio-economic environment.

The discussed above study makes it possible to conclude that as the development of human society progressed the principle of practical tendency in training was being diluted as well as the ways of the principle’s implementation have become uncertain. This fact makes even contemporary researches specify the principle’s content and seek ways of its implementation. For example, it is offered to teach for personal creative develop-ment; educate for life by acquiring knowledge from personal life experience, etc. As easy to see, these “new ideas” can’t be regarded as principles either because they can’t serve as a “tool” neither in teachers’ work nor in work of scholars who determine school subjects’ content.

SLIDING MODE CONTROL ENVIRONMENT FOR AVATAR LIFE

A) Theoretical Basis

The Sliding Mode Control Environment (SMCE) objective is to avatar life. The mathematical model of SMCE is very useful in determining the sliding surfaces and control functions and is represented by the nonlinear SISO system with partially known parameters. Model equations simulate the dynam-

184


ics within SMCE, which include the response of the avatar with a sensor inside.

The transfer function of the system is:

ΥΧ( )( )

exp( )

( )( )pp

k p

T p T pT T

T TO

=−

+ +

τ1 1

, (1)

where k k kT T T=

1 2 - is the gain value, that is a

teacher avatar of a teaching avatar gain ( )kT1

and classroom’s gain ( )k

T 2; τ

T is delay; TT – is time

constant of a teaching avatar; TT.O. - Time constant of a sensor.

From (1) yields:

ΥΧ( )( )

exp( )

[ ]

pp

k p

T T p T p T pT T

T TO T TO

=−

+ + +

τ2 1

(2)

Applying Laplace transform, yields

d Y

dtT T

dYdtT T Y k t x

T TO T TO T

2

2+ + + = −( ) ( )τ

(3)

Dividing both parts of the equality (3) onT TT TO

, yields

d Y

dt

T T

T TdYdt T T

Yk

T Tx tT TO

T TO T TO

T

T TO

2

2

1+

+

+ = −( )τ

(4)

Denote

TT T

T TT TO

T TO1=

+; T

T TT TO

2

1= ; T

k

T TT

T TO3= ,

Then,

d Y

dtTdYdt

TY T x t2

2 1 2 3+ + = −( )τ (5)

The description of the system in normal form is shown as

Y Y=1;

Y Y1 2

.

= ;

Y YT YT T x t.

( )2 2 1 1 2 3= − − + − τ (6)

A set of differential equations can be presented in matrix form:

Y

YT T

Y

Y T1

22 1

1

2 3

0 1 0.

.

=− −

+

−x t( )τ (7)

B) Sliding Mode Indicator Design

This section synthesizes the sliding mode control-ler algorithm. Nowadays there are many works (Utkin, 2004; Basin et al., 2004) devoted to the development of various types of regulators on Sliding Mode technique. In the suggested algo-rithm a new block called Sliding Mode Indicator for Avatar virtual control system is presented. The block determines the occurrence of Sliding Mode in the system. If the Sliding Mode does not occur, the indicator block deliberately introduces the system in Sliding Mode.

Control within sliding mode enables us to decrease the sensitivity to variations of chip characteristics making them independent upon of the environment. The mentioned problems can be overcome by using asymptotic observers of state and anticipatory devices eliminating delays. Dis-continuity of control results in a discontinuity of the right-hand parts of the differential equations describing the system’s dynamic properties. Delib-erate introduction of objects into the sliding-mode

185


operation will necessitate a continuous monitor-ing of the sliding-mode occurrence and stability.

Our purpose is to achieve a model suitable for use with all types of solution simulation. There-fore it should be presented as a simple equivalent circuit. The circuit elements are derived from physical concepts, which are more often than not lost whenever a complex model for a solution is extracted from an optimization model. For the Finite Difference Time Domain computation of the object ports are defined on the coaxial lines as it is used in most simulators by observing wave ratios. The ports for solution’s equivalent circuit are concentrated or internal ports defined by voltage and current. The resulting S-parameters of the ports are used to extract equivalent circuit elements leading to well defined values with physical senses. The essential components of the solution model are the sliding-mode indicator, observer and the anticipatory device.

As already noted, the approach used is oriented toward a deliberate introduction of sliding modes over the intersection of surfaces on which the control vector components undergo discontinu-ity. Realization of such an approach implies the

knowledge of the conditions of the occurrence of sliding mode. Designed for this purpose was the indicator of sliding modes. From the point of view of mathematics, the problem may be reduced to that of finding the area of attraction to the manifold of the discontinuity surfaces intersection (Dubrovsky and Kortnev, 1968). On the indicator input two signals x and g from the equivalent circuit are sup-plied. The indicator compares those two signals recording the moment of changing the signs of function x and g, see (8).

g t C x Cdxdt

( )= +1 2

, (8)

where C1 and C2 are constants of object control; g is function of switching; x is parameter of sys-tem; t is time.

According to Mkrttchian and Boiko 2007 the existing indicator diagram is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The diagram of the sliding mode indicator for avatar control process

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THE PRINCIPLE OF PRACTICAL TENDENCY IN AVATAR TRAINING

A) Theoretical Basis

To solve a problem of the implementation of the principle of practical tendency in training at the present stage it is necessary to find a theoretical concept which would make it possible to specify the principle’s content the way its practical imple-mentation would be completely transparent and well-defined (Stephanova, 2011).

A pedagogical and a psychological research were carried out on this issue. In the studied pedagogical literature we couldn’t find a concept which would make it possible to solve the problem in question.

Psychologists believe that “the pedagogical process should be worked out the way which would make students’ acquired knowledge, skills and endeavors direct their future”.

We believe this concept to be perfectly con-cretized by the following idea of N. F. Talyzina: “while working out the goals of teaching a certain subject, first of all one has to distinguish a basic set of problems students are being trained to solve”. In addition to that, the author explains that “… education goal description is recognition of a set of the routine problems (emphasis added). The “routine problem” doesn’t mean a stock or an uncreative one. Instead, nowadays creative tasks are exactly routine ones”.

We believe that if the routine problems are understood to mean the types of professional and everyday problems and if the set of such problems is distinguished then the principle of practical tendency in training can be effectively implemented.

This is the reason for choosing N. F. Talyzina’s concept as a theoretical basis of the research. We believe that the problem of the principle of practical tendency in training implementation can be resolved if the goals of teaching physics are presented as a set of the routine problems people

solve during their lifetime together with methods of their solutions and ways of reaching these goals. To turn the concept into reality it is necessary to implement the following research tasks:

1. To specify the meaning of the “routine problem” term.

2. To find out what kinds of routine problems people solve using their knowledge in physics.

3. To select the routine problems involving solution methods which students can be taught while studying physics at school.

4. To distinguish the solution methods of all the routine problems (or develop a “mechanism” of distinguishing the action system on the routine problems solution).

These tasks solution would make it possible to formulate the goals of teaching physics and the content of the principle of practical tendency in training at the same time.

The following tasks are connected with the ways of reaching the set goals in teaching physics, i. e., training methods elaboration.

5. Distinguish the principles of selection of those routine problems which solution in-volves the knowledge in certain subjects of school physics.

6. Elaborate the “mechanism” of routine prob-lems concretization needed while studying certain subjects of physics at school.

7. Work out the principles of structuring the subjects’ content following which a teacher would be able to create favorable conditions for a faster students’ mastering of the meth-ods of the routine problems solution. The solving of the tasks from 1 to 4 is described below in consecutive order.

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B) The Content of the “Routine Problem” Term for Avatar Training

To prepare a set of the routine problems it is nec-essary to define the “routine problem” term first. We find it to be very important because the notion of “problem” is extremely frequent in psychologi-cal, pedagogical and sociological literature and is often being used equally with such terms as “challenge” and “issue”.

The implemented research demonstrated that there are several approaches to the definition of the “problem” term.

Empirical Definitions

This kind of definitions is not based on any regu-larities or pieces of evidence of psychological research. They basically reflect traditional beliefs and correspond to the accepted word use. This leads to the situation when the “problem” term is determined via the terms which don’t have a precise meaning themselves. For instance, in encyclopedias you would find the following definition of the word “problem”:

1. “An issue that needs a solution based on certain knowledge and consideration”;

2. “An assignment, a task” or “something which requires execution or solution”;

3. A challenge.

Such definitions cause some questions which require solving themselves. Indeed, what is understood by “issue”? How is it related to the “challenge” term and why is the “problem” term defined via the issue notion instead of the chal-lenge one?

It seems to be clear that these definitions are ambiguous and incomplete. Empirical defini-tions can be hardly used as operational ones in scientific research.

Etymological Definitions

This kind of definitions refers to the “problem” term as to its original meaning. However, this approach is not effective either.

From Greek the word “problem” means “a chal-lenge”. But if “a problem” is understood to be any challenge without regard for specific differences then the question concerning the definition of the “problem” term would have to be withdrawn.

This approach replaces one word by another (e. i., the “problem” term by a “challenge” one), but it doesn’t promote the determination of the essence of the “problem” term itself.

Genetic Definitions

This kind of definitions denotes the problem origin conditions only. For example, the works which specialize in the solutions of intellectual (or cogitative) problems contain the following definition: “a problem emerges from a situation which involves non-transparency in respect of the goal set”.

According to U. Raytman, “a system has a problem when there is a description of something but the system misses the other thing which would meet the description”. S. L. Rubinstein writes that if a problematic situation contains some unrevealed sections and is being analyzed by a human, it leads to the formulation of the problem. In these definitions the problem is being identified with the situation of its origin but the distinctive features of a “problem” term are not distinguished, instead, they are overshadowed by a situation description the problem emerges in.

The definitions which indiscriminate a “chal-lenge” and a “problem” terms.

The usage of these terms as synonyms can be faced in works of many authors who believe that the thought is inherently challenging, there-fore, any problem which is solved in thinking, is challenging. An example of such an approach can serve the position of S. L. Rubinstein who

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described the problem formation on the basis of a problematic situation using the terms “problem” and “challenge” as equally applicable ones. In S. L. Rubinstein’s definition “problem” is a goal which corresponds to the conditions. There is no definition of “challenge” there but it is used as a synonym to “problem”.

This approach doesn’t grant the right to self-existence of the “challenge” term. “A problem is always intrinsically a verbal expression of a chal-lenge… One and the same problem (challenge) can be defined in different ways”.

The “problem” and “challenge” terms identi-fication can be found in works by A. V. Brush-linsckiy who believes that thinking is always of a challenging and creative nature.

Logical Definitions

To find a logical definition it is necessary to dis-tinguish a concept this notion can be applicable to and specific characters which distinguish the class denoted by this notion from all the other classes which are included in this concept, too.

A number of authors consider a problem the broadest notion whereas a challenge is just a particular case of an intellectual problem (Stepha-nova, 2011).

A challenge is defined as a special kind of intellectual problems that is characterized by three main distinctive features: 1) the intellectual goal or the object of research is of a fundamental novelty; 2) reaching the goal involves fulfillment of meaningful actions on the part of the person solving the problem; 3) reaching the goal (or the object of research) presents extreme difficulty. A “challenge” takes place only under the conditions of interaction between the subject of the activity and reality as well as of contradiction between the subject’s pursuing of the object cognition and limited opportunities at this cognition phase. What becomes a challenge for a particular person is just an ordinary problem for another one or is not included in sphere of one’s thinking at all”.

Thus, “a challenge” is a highly psychological and subjective concept. Psychologists tend to say that a challenge has to be taken by a subject.

To get rid of this psychological aspect it is better to use the “problem” term. To determine a logical definition of the “problem” term we should find a genus it is applicable to. A number of psychological researches emphasize correlation between psychic activity and problems:

• “A problem always acts as a need of an adequate action connected with either a reflection (perception) of reality or a be-havior control”.

• “A problem is a certain goal which achieve-ment is determined by available means”.

A. N. Leontiev offers a general definition of any problem: “a problem is a goal given in certain conditions”.

In the given definitions it is possible to distin-guish a concept the “problem” term is applicable to, e. i., the goal of an activity, and its specific differences, notably – the existence of conditions which would promote the goal achievement.

In our research a “problem” will be under-stood to mean a goal given in certain conditions. Besides, we should bear in mind that these goals should meet the following requirement, i. e., it must state: 1) an activity which has to be carried out; 2) the final product of the activity; 3) the final product properties.

We have clarified the meaning of the “problem” term and now it’s time to define what a “routine problem” is.

Let us refer to the meaning of the word “rou-tine”. In the contemporary language this term means “something that corresponds to a certain mode which contains features of other things”. It is known that distinguishing general properties and characteristics of things and phenomena, etc., is carried out as a result of the human activity therewith in all (or most of all) cases.

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Thus, by reference to the “routine” word meaning and the accepted meaning of the term “problem” we can conclude the following defi-nition of the “routine problem” term: a routine problem is a goal one repeatedly sets in different reality situations.

We are going to distinguish the necessary routine problems subject to this definition.

EVERYDAY ROUTINE PROBLEMS WHICH SOLUTION INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE IN AVATAR TRAINING PROCESS

Apparently, even one’s everyday practical activi-ties and household situations often evolve prob-lems which solution evolves knowledge in physics.

Let us check whether these problems cor-respond to the kinds of problems distinguished in professional activities. We were looking for concrete everyday problems in our own and other people’s personal experiences, numerous problem books and other kinds of literature, i. e., popular science, imaginative, etc.

Everyday problems can be classified into the same categories as the professional ones, except that in the second kind of the problem statement we had to omit the “production” term (Stepha-nova, 2011).

Thus, it can be stated that there are the follow-ing kinds of routine problems:

1. Tailor-made object creation;2. Process design (working-out of method) of

a certain task solution;3. Elimination of abnormal parameter values

of the object state4. Storage or transportation of the object with

no alteration of tailor-made properties5. Information transmission and processing6. Finding or estimation of physical quantity

values which describe the object properties in certain state

7. Industrial process control or technical object operation

8. Technical object operation

The distinguished routine problems can be cast in the block diagram in Figure 2.

THE GOALS OF AVATAR TEACHING WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTEMPORARY CONTENT OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PRACTICAL TENDENCY IN TRAINING

The avatar activity on the achievement of the set goal consists of three phases. At the first one, so-called tentative phase, avatar design a program converting the objects of the activity into the final tailor made product. While the program design the material issues are being considered as well as the necessary means are selected which allows reaching the goal the most optimal way.

During the operation phase avatar deal with the material objects and means according to the launched program, creates the final product and obtains the information about its properties.

At the third phase, e. i., testing and corrective phase, one compares the obtained final product properties to those which were designed in the goal and discovers the reasons for any lack of correspondence. It helps to correct the launched program and create a new final product with the maximum identity of properties to the ones set in the goal.

The activity content is determined due to the following regularity. Each action which is included in the activity has its own goal but such goals are intermediate versus the goal of the whole activ-ity. The logic connection among the actions is ensured due to the fact that the final product of each previous action becomes an object or means in the following one. Eventually, this is succes-sive performance of all the actions that results in

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getting the final product which corresponds to the set goal.

Using these propositions we can present the action system one has to implement to distinguish the routine problem methods solutions:

• to distinguish the goal of the activity;• to check whether the goal wording includes

the necessary components: the activity, the final product and its properties;

• if it does, distinguish the action system which must be implemented to launch a program converting the object of the ac-tivity into the final tailor made product (so-called action system at the tentative

phase); if it doesn’t, restate the goal and then launch a program;

• to distinguish the action system at the op-eration phase;

• to distinguish the action system at the test-ing phase.

This system of actions can be cast in the Figure 3.

The main phase is the tentative one. Judging by the quality of the launched program one would be able to specify whether it is possible to derive the final product properties with the maximum identity with properties set in the goal. That’s why we should distinguish the system of actions that

Figure 2. Routine problems

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must be implemented for composing a program of activities for solving any kind of problem.

Making such system of actions we believe that the final product is always derived from the activity object with certain properties whereas the transformation of this object to the final product is implemented via certain physics, physical phe-nomena and physical effects in certain conditions. As a result we got s system of actions shown in Figure 4.

1. Distinguish the final product which should be derived and its properties in the goal wording;

2. Select the activity object the required final product should be derived from;

3. Distinguish those properties of the activ-ity object which can be significant for the creation of the required final product with the required properties;

4. Distinguish the phenomena, processes and effects which would allow transforming

Figure 3. The generalized logic chart presenting teacher’s actions on the distinguishing solution methods of the routine problems

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the object of the activity with its properties to the given final product with the required properties (or leave without changing);

5. Distinguish the conditions which are neces-sary to implement (or to keep to a minimum) phenomena, processes and effects which would allow transforming (or leaving with no changes) the object of the activity with its properties to the given final product with the required properties;

6. Design a basic diagram of a technical object (or an experimental facility) for a) reproducing phenomena, processes, effects and b) creation the necessary conditions for implementation thereof;

7. Examine the compliance of the elaborated technical object diagram (or of the experi-

mental facility) with the safety and environ-mental security requirements;

8. Estimate the expenditure of energy;9. Make a list of equipment the technical

device (or an experimental facility) can be assembled of;

10. Launch a conversion program enabling to transform the activity object to the final product using the elaborated technical device (or an experimental facility).

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

Let us distinguish the generalized methods of the routine problems solution.

Problem 1: Create an Object with Tailor-Made Properties

1. First, we distinguish the goal of the activity, i. e., to create the object with tailor-made properties.

2. Then we check whether the goal wording includes the above-mentioned components (the activity, the final product and its prop-erties): so, we have an activity –to create, the final product is the object and the final product properties are tailor made properties.

3. Third, we distinguish the actions which are supposed to be carried out at the tentative phase:i. Determine the kind of an object and

the features of its properties needed to be derived;

ii. Select an object from which the re-quired one can be derived;

iii. Distinguish the properties of the se-lected object which can be useful for the creation of the required object with the required properties;

iv. Identify physical phenomena, pro-cesses and effects which can result in

Figure 4. The generalized logic chart on the elabo-ration of a program on a set goal achievement

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the object transformation to the tailor-made object;

v. Specify the conditions which would make it possible to implement these phenomena, processes and effects in this case;

vi. Design a basic diagram of the facility enabling to derive the required tailor-made object from the selected object with its properties;

vii. Examine the compliance of the basic diagram of the facility (of the engi-neering device) with the safety and environmental security requirements;

viii. Estimate the power consumption of the tailor-made object creation using the worked-out method;

ix. Make the list of equipment for the experimental facility;

x. Design a conversion program enabling to transform the selected object to the tailor-made object.

4. Then the actions which are supposed to be carried out at the operational phase should be distinguished: ◦ Assemble an experimental facility; ◦ Launch a program which brings the

facility into operation; ◦ Fulfill the actions listed in the

program.5. At the testing phase we check whether the

derived object ant its properties correspond to the required ones.

Problem 2: Engineer the Process (or a Method) of Solution of a Certain Task

1. Let’s distinguish the goal of the activity, i. e., to engineer the process (or a method) of solution of a certain task.

2. Now let’s check whether the goal wording includes the above-mentioned components: the activity, the final product and its proper-

ties. There is an activity – to engineer, the final product is the process (or a method), but the goal wording doesn’t say anything particular about the final product properties, so it’s not clear what this system of action is needed for.

We should try to restate the goal wording the way it would reflect all the components. The analyses of concrete professional and everyday problems of this kind proved that there is a tech-nology of deriving an object with tailor-made properties and there is a method of operation of certain objects in certain conditions, for example, a technology of modules design and marine and under water parts and production engineering and adjustment of marine and under water technology.

In everyday activities one might have to solve the same kind of problems: a paper “flying wind-mill” production process engineering and working out the ways of friction reduction while dragging heavy articles of furniture on the floor surface Thus, this is the purpose of the elaborated action system what would indicate the final product properties of the activity.

That’s why there are two ways to restate the goal of the activity:

• Work out the system of actions on the cer-tain tailor-made object creation;

• Work out the system of actions on the operation of certain objects in certain conditions.

Hence, problem #2 can be sort of divided into two problems.

3. The method solution of the first one sim-mers down to the tentative phase of routine problem #1.

Let us distinguish the method solution of the second problem on the basis of the action system specified in Figure 3:

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1. Distinguish the goal of the activity the tech-nology needs to be designed for;

2. Distinguish the object which has to be activated;

3. Distinguish the object properties which must be altered according to the set goal;

4. Select phenomena, processes and effects which would make it possible to alter the distinguished properties the way they would correspond to the required ones;

5. Distinguish the conditions which are nec-essary to implement these phenomena, processes and effects;

6. Design a basic diagram of a technical object (or an experimental facility);

7. Examine the compliance of the basic diagram of the experimental facility (or of the techni-cal object) with the safety and environmental security requirements;

8. Estimate the expenditure of energy;9. Make a list of equipment;10. Create a program which enables to alter the

properties of the given object in accordance with the specified goal.

Problem 3: Eliminate the Abnormal Parameter Values of the Object State

1. First of all we distinguish the goal of the activity. It’s to eliminate the abnormal pa-rameter values of the object state.

2. Now let’s check whether the goal wording includes the above-mentioned components. There is an activity – to eliminate; the object of the activity is the abnormal parameter values of the object state, but there is neither final product nor its properties.

To restate the wording of the activity goal the way it would include the final product and its properties, we would derive the final product following our in-tuition: it’s the object in its specified state. Then the activity goal can be formulated this way: to obtain specified parameter values of the object state.

3. Let us distinguish the actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the tentative phase. While doing that we would follow the gen-eralized logic chart on designing a reaching a goal program (see Figure 4) considering the specific character of the final product which has to be derived:i. Distinguish an object which state pa-

rameter values should correspond to the specified ones;

ii. Distinguish the specified parameter values of the object state;

iii. Distinguish the abnormal parameter values of the object state;

iv. Find the phenomena which might be a reason for such abnormalities;

v. Detect which of the phenomena is the one which causes the abnormal parameter values of the object state;

vi. Distinguish the conditions under which the phenomenon-reason can’t exist;

vii. Select the equipment which would allow implementation of these conditions;

viii. Work out a system of actions on the practical implementation of the condi-tions under which the phenomenon-reason can’t exist.

4. Let’s distinguish the actions which must be fulfilled at the operational phase, i. e., to implement the worked-out method.

5. Let’s distinguish the actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the testing phase of the activity, namely, to check whether the parameter values of the object state corre-spond to the specified ones.

Problem 4: Store or Transport the Object with no Alteration of Tailor-Made Properties

1. Let us distinguish the goal of the activity:i. To store the object with no alteration of

tailor-made properties; b) to transport

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the object with no alteration of tailor-made properties.

2. We establish that in both wordings the goal of the activity is specified: a) to store; b) to transport; the objects are final products; the final product properties are specified, too: the specified properties of the object are not supposed to be altered over a long period of time.

3. Let us distinguish the actions which are nec-essary to be fulfilled at the tentative phase:i. Distinguish an object the properties of

which ought to be invariable;ii. Distinguish the object properties which

ought to be invariable for a long period of time;

iii. Distinguish the conditions under which the specified object properties are likely to remain invariable for a long period of time;

iv. Distinguish phenomena, processes and effects which might violate these conditions;

v. Distinguish the conditions under which these phenomena, processes and effects cannot exist (or are kept to a minimum);

vi. Design a basic diagram of a device which would allow to keep these phe-nomena and processes (create condi-tions under which the specified object properties would be able to remain invariable for a long period of time) to a minimum;

vii. Examine the compliance of the elaborated device diagram with the safety and environmental security requirements;

viii. Make a list of equipment which would make it possible to create the conditions under which the specified object prop-erties are likely to remain invariable for a long period of time.

4. Let us distinguish the actions which are supposed to be fulfilled at the operational phase: ◦ Select the equipment; ◦ Assemble the device; ◦ Bring the device into operation.

5. Let us distinguish the actions which are necessary to be fulfilled at the testing phase of the activity, i. e., check whether the object properties are invariable during its storage or transportation over a long period of time.

Problem 5: Transmit and Process Information

1. Let us distinguish the goal of the activity. We believe this problem should be divided into two problems, namely: 1) to transmit information; 2) to process information. Let us consider the goal of the activity, i. e., to transmit information.

2. We establish that the activity, i. e., to transmit, is specified in this goal wording. Neither the final product nor its properties are specified here. In this case information is a subject of the activity. So, the goal must be restated and for this purpose we should make “to transmit” and “information” concept contents more precise.

The term “to transmit” means “to pass from one point to another”.

“Information is data…”. Data include their content aspects as well as character design and are kept at a material object (for example, paper, air, a disk, magnetic tape, etc.), so we shall call it “a data carrier”. Apparently, during information transmission from one point to another the content must remain invariable. Character design and data carriers can be subjects to alteration.

Thus, the goal of the activity can be restated, for instance, the following way: to pass the data with no alteration of its content from one point to another.

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Let us distinguish the actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the tentative phase of the activity:

i. Establish what kind of character design the information which must be received should involve;

ii. Establish what kind of data carrier it should be kept at;

iii. Find out what kind of character design the information to be transmitted involves;

iv. Find out what kind of the data carrier the information to be transmitted is kept at;

v. Establish whether the character design and the data carrier have to be changed;

vi. If they do, distinguish actions which would allow conversion of the character design and the data carrier while transmission of information from this point and its reception at the other one; if they don’t, distinguish the phenomena and processes which would allow transmission of the information from one point to another with no alteration of the character design only, the data carrier only or the character design and the data carrier at the same time;

vii. Design the basic diagram of the device which would make it possible to implement the selected phenomena and processes;

viii. Examine the compliance of the elaborated information transmission diagram with the safety and environmental security requirements;

ix. Make a list of equipment to design the tech-nical device;

x. Work out the system of actions to implement information transmission and reception based on the elaborated diagram.

4. Let us distinguish the system of actions which is supposed to be implemented at the operational phase of the activity: ◦ Select the equipment; ◦ Assemble the facility;

◦ Bring it into operation5. Let us distinguish the system of actions which

is supposed to be fulfilled at the testing phase of the activity, namely, to check whether the data content transmitted from point A and received at point B remained invariable.

1. Let us consider the goal of the activity, i. e., to process information.

2. We establish that the activity is specified in this goal wording, it is to process. Neither the final product nor its properties are specified here.

Information is a subject of an activity. To restate the goal wording, we shall specify the definition of “to process” term.

To process means to change, analyze, convert or prepare for something.

For the reason that information involves three aspects, the changes, transformations, etc., can apply to the data content, character design and the object, which is a data carrier. This can be done with one of them only, or with any two of them, or with the three of them at the same time. We believe that data content transformation is not related to physics. Thus, the goal of the activity can be restated the following way: to convert the character design of the information; to convert the object, which is the data carrier; to convert both the character design of the information and the object, or the data carrier.

3. Let us distinguish the actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the tentative phase:i. Establish what kind of character design

is required to present the specified information;

ii. Establish at what kind of object – data carrier – it should be presented;

iii. Find out what kind of character design the information involves;

iv. Find out what kind of the material object the information is kept at;

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v. Establish whether the character design and (or) the data carrier have to be changed;

vi. Distinguish actions which would allow conversion of the character design and (or) the data carrier;

vii. Design the basic diagram of the de-vice which would make it possible to implement the selected phenomena and processes;

viii. Examine the compliance of the elabo-rated transformation of information diagram with the safety and environ-mental security requirements;

ix. Make a list of equipment;x. Work out the system of actions to imple-

ment transformation of the specified information.

4. Let us distinguish the system of actions which is supposed to be implemented at the operational phase of the activity: ◦ Select the equipment; ◦ Assemble the device; ◦ Bring it into operation.

5. Let us distinguish actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the operational phase of the activity, i. e., to check whether the data content remained invariable during its transformation based on the elaborated diagram.

Problem 6: Find or Estimate Physical Quantity Values which Describe the Object Properties in Certain State

1. First we distinguish the goal of the activity. It is to find or estimate physical quantity values which describe the object properties in certain state.

2. Then we establish that the goal wording includes the activity, it is to find or estimate; the final product of the activity is physical quantity values; the final product properties are specified, too: these are physical quanti-

ties which describe the object properties in certain state.

3. Let us distinguish actions which are supposed to be fulfilled at the tentative phase:i. Distinguish the physical quantity which

needs to be found and estimated and specify which object property and in what kind of state the sought physical quantity describes;

ii. Formulate an equation (or a system of equations) which contains the sought physical quantity;

iii. Check whether the formulated equation (or a system of equations) matches the physical analog of a situation described in the problem;

iv. Check whether the number of unknown quantities in the equation (or a system of equations) matches the number of equations;

v. Solve the equation (or a system of equations) for the sought quantity;

vi. Find or estimate the sought physical quantity value;

vii. Check whether the found physical quantity matches the real ones.

Action 2 is the most complicated. Its imple-mentation requires to:

1. Generate a physical analog of the problem situation;

2. Find a law which describes physical analog of a situation;

3. Bring a mathematical notation of the law in balance with the concrete problem situation. Such procedure is described in detail in “Practical methodology of teaching physics” by Stephanova. 2011.

4. Let us distinguish actions which are supposed to be fulfilled at the operational phase: ◦ Check whether the values of all the

known physical quantities are ex-pressed in the same system of units.

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◦ Insert the values of the known physi-cal quantities in the formula to find or estimate values of the sought physical quantities.

◦ Make calculations.5. Let us distinguish the actions at the test-

ing phase of the activity, i. e., to estimate the reality of the found values of physical quantities.

Problem 7: To Control Industrial Process or Technical Object Operation

1. Let us distinguish the goal of the activity, i. e., to control industrial process or technical object operation.

2. We establish that the goal wording includes the activity, it is to control. It doesn’t specify the final product and its properties (techno-logical process and technical object opera-tion are the subjects of the activity). Thus, the goal should be restated and for this purpose we shall make “technological process” and “to control” concept contents more precise. Technological process is a certain system of actions to obtain certain final product. To control means to influence the object for a definite purpose (for example, for retention of structure, implementation of a program, etc.). Then, “industrial process control” shall be understood to mean technological process corrective actions if there are departures from the specified technology of tailor-made final product manufacture. Let us check whether the goal wording contains all the components now: the activity is actions; the final prod-uct is the corrections of the technological process; the final product properties are the compliance of the technology of final product manufacture with tailor-made properties if it departures from the designed one.

3. Let us distinguish actions which are neces-sary to be fulfilled at the tentative phase of the activity;i. Determine what kind of product and

what kind of properties should be cre-ated (manufactured);

ii. Determine the actions, their order and time intervals which must be carried out to manufacture the final product with tailor-made properties;

iii. Distinguish the final product of the first action and the conditions of its manufacture;

iv. Determine whether the conditions for the implementation of the first action of the designed technology are created;

v. Distinguish the final product of the second (the third, the fourth, etc.) action and the conditions of its manufacture;

vi. Determine whether the conditions for the implementation of the second action of the designed technology are created and whether the projected final product is likely to be manufactured. In case the results of actions 4, 6, etc. are negative, one should:a. Distinguish abnormalities of the

results of action implementation;b. Determine possible reasons for

these abnormalities;c. Work out a way of elimination

of reasons for abnormal action results.

4. Let us distinguish actions which are neces-sary to be fulfilled at the operational phase, i. e., to implement the designed ways of elimination of reasons for abnormal action results.

5. Let us distinguish actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the testing phase, namely, to determine whether the projected final product with tailor-made properties is likely to be manufactured.

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Problem 8: Technical Object Operation

1. Let us distinguish the goal of the activity, it is technical object operation.

2. We establish that the goal wording includes the activity, it is operation. Neither the final product nor its properties are not specified (technical object is the subject of the activ-ity). Thus, the goal should be restated.

To restate the goal of the activity, we should specify the term “operation” (“exploitation”). “Exploitation (from French exploitation which is the usage of something, getting benefit from something) is the usage of natural resources, buildings, means of transport, machinery, devices, etc., for some purposes”.

Technical objects are created to satisfy some needs of people and it determines their purpose. For example, means of transport can be used for transportation of people, containers, vehicles or animals.

Besides, all technical objects have certain operational characteristics. Their knowledge is necessary for correct operation of the object whereas the correct operation consists in the imple-mentation of the system of actions in accordance with certain rules. That’s why it seems reasonable stated the goal of the activity this way: to obtain the result which would satisfy certain need of people. So, this wording contains the activity, it is to obtain; the final product, it is the result and the final product properties, which is satisfaction of certain need of people.

3. Let us distinguish actions which are supposed to be carried out at the tentative phase of the activity when the set goal is reached:i. Determine what kind of result can be

obtained with this technical object (or, what kind of need it can satisfy and what its purpose is);

ii. Distinguish operational characteristics of this technical object;

iii. Determine in what kind of environment the object would be operated;

iv. Determine whether the object can be operated in this kind of environment;

v. Find out the object operating rules;vi. Work out the system of actions to

operate this technical object in this environment.

4. Let us distinguish actions which are sup-posed to be fulfilled at the operational phase of the activity which is to carry out actions to operate the object in accordance with its purpose and operating rules.

If the technical object works successfully at the operational phase of the activity it means the distinguished system of actions is correct. That’s why the operational phase of the activity is the testing one at the same time.

The discussed above research enables to formulate the current content of the principle of practical tendency this way: while studying any subject students have to master the generalized methods of problem solutions which one performs in the lifetime repeatedly with the application of knowledge of a certain subject. Taking this principle content into consideration the goals of teaching can be stated the following way: while studying physics at school students should mas-ter the generalized methods of the eight routine problems solutions.

The Avatar Training and Virtual Project Management

The goal of the virtual project is the creation of algorithms, hardware and software products for avatars management systems in sliding mode, and to explore the possibilities of avatars usage in various areas.

The avatar is a computer-synthesized animated three-dimensional model, acting as a virtual rep-

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resentation of a real person, or as a visualization of the communication system of artificial intel-ligence. It is required to develop and evaluate realistic avatar interfaces as portals to intelligent software capable of relaying knowledge and skills in various subject areas. These interfaces are designed to support voice conversations in a particular subject area, and provide opportuni-ties for self-training to maintain their knowledge in current and accurate status. The research will focus on integrating speaker-independent continu-ous speech recognition, context technology of intelligent dialogue system in real-time, graph-ics rendering based on motion capture (motion capture is used by avatar to accompany the verbal information with gestures), and the development of applied information systems with avatar tech-nology for different subject areas.

To implement the goal the following tasks, implemented in stages, were formulated:

1. Search and analysis of existing technol-ogy for management and control of virtual communications, avatars design, software and models, and for protecting information when working in a virtual environment

2. Monitoring of the demand for virtual com-munication in the following thematic areas: ◦ Avatars programming and artificial

intelligence systems; ◦ Virtual systems for care for the elder-

ly and the management of the aging process;

◦ Virtual educational systems; ◦ Control system for production of

electronic memory chips; ◦ The e-government and virtual

advocacy; ◦ Management of multiple processes

and management of complex sys-tems under random, uncontrollable disturbances;

◦ Individual media systems that pro-vide e-democracy

3. Development of a universal model for the avatar for a virtual environment.

4. Development of sliding mode indicator and device model for information protection in a virtual environment

5. Development of software for the correction of information delivery in the sliding mode

6. Development of information technology and avatar-based applications in the above subject areas.

7. Forming of an interdisciplinary distributed learning community, which includes levels of “School - Higher Education – Enterprise” that implements the developed principles of virtual communications to improve practice-oriented online education.

The virtual project management is conducted in several directions the main area of the research is development of the basic technological founda-tion - algorithms and software tools for avatars management. The software will consist of the following components:

• A component for recognition of speech, written and graphical information for input into the system. It is support diverse meth-ods of user input (user communications): speaking, typing, etc.

• A component for intelligent analysis and management, which is determine the re-action of the avatar to external influences and user input, thus implementing behav-ior management and avatar generation of responses, formulating output data flows. The component is able to adapt to the user of the system due to the accumulation of data on previous user interaction in the on-tological user model. Also the collective ontological memory will be used to ac-count for the behavior of other users with similar characteristics. The component is adapt to the current context of interaction through the usage of the ontological model

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of context, the accumulation of informa-tion into it, and analysis of avatars services usage in different contexts by different us-ers. For the adaptive control of the amount of information the control theory in the sliding mode is used, with software and hardware developed based upon it.

• A component for output, combining the three-dimensional modeling of an avatar based on motion capture system (with head and eyes tracking and the user gestures rec-ognition) with the speech synthesis system;

• A component for information security in a virtual environment, ensuring the safety information in the system.

All base-level components will be domain-independent. Binding to a specific area can be performed by connecting the relevant ontological domain model through the developed interfaces. The software will have an open modular plug-gable architecture and will support all relevant current standards: APIs for speech recognition and generation systems interfaces for ontologies based on RDF and OWL. This will allow to cre-ate custom applications for various subject areas and to expand the system without modifying the internal components.

Using developed basic information technol-ogy for avatars management in sliding mode is explore and develop commercial-capable software and hardware applications in the following areas:

• Virtual education systems: As shown in studies of V. Mkrttchian and other scien-tists, the pedagogical effect with the use of interactive intelligent systems in distance education substantially increases. In addi-tion, a set of virtual learning technologies based on avatars will implement innova-tive teaching methods based on discourse-reflexive process. The developed products will be tested and applied in an existing distributed learning environment “School

- Higher Education - Enterprise” on the basis of Astrakhan State University, thus enabling it to further expand and develop.

• Virtual systems for caring for the elderly and the management of processes of ag-ing: Experience shows that older, single people prefer to die alone, including among such as them, even if elderly people live in extra-class homes for the elderly. Thus, the society isolates them, the aging process is accelerated, and society loses the people who otherwise could do a lot. The only way is to create for them, individually, a virtual environment to which they are ac-customed, in which they would be useful to society, the conditions that are created with avatar communications.

• Control systems for the production of electronic memory chips: It is well known that the stable operation of any chip, par-ticularly memory chips, is connected with the establishment for them a comfortable environment with temperature and hu-midity parameters. There is a problem of sensitivity, so if their production control system is deliberately entered into the slid-ing mode and strictly maintains it during the whole process, we have the invariant conditions, i.e., the environment, or, more precisely, its changes, is no longer sensi-tive. Since the process of control is carried out by robots equipped with artificial intel-ligence systems, the communication with these systems can be implemented using the avatars managed in sliding mode.

• e-Government and virtual advocacy: The widespread introduction of e-govern-ment has a substantial difficulty, which of-ten makes it a sham government: for the customers, especially those poorly familiar with information technology, online work with computer software is uncomfortable. If instead of the program they will commu-nicate with the avatars, the communication

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process is more efficient. Similarly the vir-tual advocacy can be implemented.

• Control of multilinked processes and management of complex systems under random, uncontrollable disturbanc-es: In his doctoral thesis, V. Mkrttchian has improved a theory of Vadim I. Utkin and created his own method of con-trol: Discontinuous Control & Setting Adjustment - DC & SA. Later, he extend-ed it to the management system, that is to managing people, there are works about managing the large numbers of people. We suggest applying these principles to virtual communication with avatars.

• Individual media systems that provide e-democracy: Under individual media system it is understood everything what an individual does in the network, in the “cloud”. Some people believe that by spraying with impunity, dirt, slander and gossip the network (“cloud”) democracy is provided. According to V. Mkrttchian, that kind of democracy is absent, and there is a continuous and unpunished dictate. The same view is supported by a recent UN re-port. UN included free Internet access in a list of basic human rights. As highlighted in the report, the Internet - is “an indis-pensable tool to a number of human rights, fighting against inequalities and promoting progress.” The report highlights support for the free use of the Internet as a commu-nication platform for all democratic societ-ies. “The huge potential and advantages of the Internet lies in the speed of transmis-sion of information, accessibility and ano-nymity. At the same time, those properties that allow individuals to distribute infor-mation in real time... sow fear among gov-ernments. This leads to restrictions on the Internet through the use of modern tech-nologies to block content (information), to

identify activists to punish them and make laws that allow to do it “- says the report.

Only the transition to a virtual communications with adapted avatars that operate and are managed by the individuals in sliding mode will make a virtual environment truly democratic.

CONCLUSION

• The universal model for the avatar in a vir-tual environment is developed, based on a modular service-oriented architecture, which enables integration into existing system, independent of subject area, and with the ability to adapt to the user and context of use. Patent and utility models applications are submitted, the developed software is registered in the Russian Patent Office.

• Sliding mode indicator is designed, the model of the device for protecting infor-mation when working in virtual environ-ments is developed, application for patent and utility model are submitted.

• The software for correction of information delivery in the sliding mode is developed and registered in the Russian Patent Office.

• The applications for commercialization of information technology systems based on avatar management in the following subject areas are developed and regis-tered with the Russian Patent Office: vir-tual systems of care for the elderly and the management of the aging process; virtual educational system; management system for production of electronic memory chips, electronic government and virtual advo-cacy; management of multiple processes and management of complex systems un-der random, uncontrollable disturbances, individual media systems that provide e-democracy.

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• The interdisciplinary distributed learning community is formed, including levels “School - Higher Education – Enterprise”, implementing the developed principles of virtual communications to improve prac-tice-oriented online education.

REFERENCES

Mkrttchian, V. (2010). Use “HHH” technology in the transformative models of online education. In Kurubacak, G., & Volkan Yuzer, T. (Eds.), Handbook of research on transformative online education and liberation: Models for social equal-ity. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Mkrttchian, V. (2011). Avatar manager and student reflective conversations as the base for describ-ing meta-communication model. In Demiray, U., Kurubacak, G., & Volkan Yuzer, T. (Eds.), Meta-communication for reflective online conver-sations: Models for distance education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Mkrttchian, V., & Boiko, I. (2007). Design of sliding mode indicator. Proceedings of the 2007 American Control Conference, 2007.

Mkrttchian, V., & Stephanova, G. (2011). De-scription of the meta-communication model and design web-based courses which are implemented in reflective pedagogies in Russia. In Lasker, G. E., & Kljajic, M. (Eds.), Simulation-based deci-sion support (Vol. 2).

Stephanova, G. (2011). Theoretical fundamentals of realizing the principle of practical tendency of training in teaching physics. AGU, 2011.

Ch 9

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Transcript of Ch 9