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齐尔品研究在海外——兼及国内有关研究 =Qi Erpin yanjiu zai haiwai (Alexander Tcherepnin and His World - A Bibliographical perspective
No full text民国期间游弋东亚的外国音乐家中,声名显赫的不少,但恐怕没有任何一个人会像1934年4月首次踏足华土的俄国流亡作曲家、钢琴演奏家、音乐教育家、音乐评论家亚历山大·齐尔品(Alexander Nikolaevich Tcherepnin, 1899～1977)那样,在中日近代音乐教育和创作史上青史留名。有当代音乐家甚至用“有恩于我们民族”这样感情横溢的标题来感谢齐尔品对中国音乐的贡献。①作曲家周文中更是将齐尔品当成“自家人”,说其“是一个中国作曲家”。②由于齐尔品在中国的重大影响,国内近年来对齐氏的密切关注也就不足为奇了。早期的相关报道、回忆文章不算,仅2009年到2014年间完成的硕士论文就至少有5篇,博士论文一部。但是,迟至2013年,国内音乐学界对齐尔品的关照几乎毫无例外地集中在齐尔品与中国的关系上,具体所探求的是他在中国的行踪、齐尔品对中国近代作曲家的影响、齐尔品与中国音乐的世界性传播、齐氏有关中国音乐的理念、齐氏对中国现
Planet of the Long White Cloud : science fiction cinema in New Zealand cultural identity
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can the science fiction genre be used to explore cultural identities within New Zealand?
ABSTRACT:
Stargazing in the wilds of New Zealand is a wondrous thing. The cool, clean air chills your lungs, the only sound is the quiet rustle of trees and lonely birds and the sky. The bedazzled night seems to move with glittering stars, with distant galaxies resting in a milky swirl. Those existential thoughts kick in as you stare: what does the future hold for New Zealand? Will this brilliantly starry night still be here in 10 years? What will it be in 100 years? Will we ever settle on those stars?
Future pondering continue: maybe the world will become a cultural hotpot as in The Fifth Element (Besson, 1997). It could equally be a technological dystopia The Matrix (Wachowskis’, 1999). Maybe all the cultures will form their own worlds, each diverse and wonderful, like those in the Star Wars franchise(1977-2019). These worlds linger in the mind, allowing thoughts to wander on how close it is to your own reality and your own world; but how often does science fiction capture the identity New Zealand? The genre has seen global popularity on television and film for decades, with award winning works such as Black Mirror (Brooker, 2011 -2019), Interstellar (Nolan, 2014) or District 9 (Blomkamp, N., 2009) showing just a few examples of the genre’s strength. Following this consideration the focus of the following research is: How can the science fiction film genre be used to explore cultural identities within New Zealand?
New Zealand has a range of cultural identities, some old and some new. These cultures possess a range of perspectives and attitudes, over time showing that New Zealand holds no single identity, but an abundance of identity. Often explored and represented in cinema, New Zealand cultural identity is something audiences celebrate, adding these characteristics to our cultural agenda (Petrie & Stuart, 2008). However,is this representation balanced or honest?
Exploring New Zealand cultural identities would need to cover many perspectives, which is able to be covered in contemporary media using a webseries. These smaller episodes provide a way for stories to be told in an engaging and entertaining way, while simultaneously contributing to cultural discourse.
The research found three key categories in the literature review: the origin and purpose of the science fiction genre; the identifying features of New Zealand cinema; and the history of science fiction cinema in New Zealand
Engaging children with educational content via gamification
No full textGamification is the application of game mechanisms in non-gaming environments with the objective of enhancing user experience. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of gamification in an educational context, i.e. teaching numeracy at a primary school level. We study the appealing characteristics of engaging computer games from children’s point of view and investigate whether embedding the proposed characteristics into an educational tool enhances children’s learning. The main characteristics we identify are levels of difficulties, feedback from the current level, and graphical presentation. They were then embedded into a Java-based open-source program based on “Who wants to be a millionaire” TV show, with the aim of teaching children numeracy (level 5 New Zealand curriculum). Two versions were created: feature enriched game (FEG) with all the features enabled and feature devoid game (FDG) with no extra features. We present the results of an evaluation study done with primary school children (n = 120) over a period of two weeks. The effectiveness of the educational tool was measured using a pre-test and a post-test, as well as other indicators such as the frequency and duration of the interaction. Results show that the FEG version was more effective in enhancing children’s learning and they found it more engaging
Highly nurtured : child development in a high-rise typology
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can the high-rise typology be better designed to cater to the needs of young families and support the mental and physical health of both parents and children?
ABSTRACT:
Currently, the population is growing at an exponential and unsustainable rate. Land is becoming scarce and cities are becoming denser, with the current solution being to‘build vertically’. As people become more reliant on high-rise buildings, it is becoming apparent that the current typology does not meet the psychological and physical needsof humans. This creates a somewhat hostile social and psychological environment forthe building’s inhabitants.
The largest growing demographic within the high-rise typology is young families.Despite statistics, architects and developers are choosing not to design and meet the needs of these families due to developers’ economic priorities. As a result, young children who occupy high-rise apartments are at a higher risk of suffering from negative health effects during their most important years of development. These effects include numerous behavioural, mental and physical health difficulties.
Within this project the environmental design needs of young families, in particular children, are identified and the deficiencies of high-rise apartments are revealed. This project also highlights the effects the existing high-rise typology has on families, revealing how inadequate the current reality is.
Further research is divided into two inter-related design stages. Design stage one examines the current typology and investigates an existing case study, which is then redesigned to suit the needs of young families. This stage produces design elements which can be implemented in the existing typology.
Findings from the first phase inform the second phase that redesigns the existing typology, using the same site. Phase two aims to result in the optimal high-rise typology design, meeting the needs of young families.
With children at the forefront of society and our future, it is crucial that we design environments which nurture and support their development. Architecture can be about the people, not the profit
Drone acquired imagery for a GIS supporting ecological restoration
No full textDrone acquired imagery was used as the basis for a geographic information system (GIS) of ecological restoration projects in Northland including Waipoua Forest and Whirinaki areas in Northland. Advantages included convenience in the conduct of surveys, ease of use in flight planning, very high-resolution imagery, lower costs compared to satellite or plane surveys and the ability to conduct repeat flights readily. Limits include battery endurance, weather conditions, terrain, access to survey sites and the processing required.
Results included orthomapped products, digital surface models, classification of the ground and story maps. Outputs also include 3D models that allow different viewpoints of the landscape and provide much-needed information on areas that are not readily accessible and where satellite images are not updated regularly nor are of sufficiently high resolution
Multi-level language teaching in a New Zealand secondary school : a practitioner research study
No full textRESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1. What are the challenges and advantages associated with teaching and learning in multilevel language classes?
2. How can learner-centred practices contribute to improved teaching and learning in my multilevel language class?
3. What recommendations can be shared for improvements in multilevel language learning in languages classes
ABSTRACT:
Effective teaching of multilevel language classes is considered problematic and stressful by many language teachers. However, studies investigating ways to improve the learning experience in a multilevel language class in New Zealand secondary schools are few and far between. This study explored a shift from teacher-led practice to a learner-centred approach, in an attempt to make the learning experience more positive for both teacher and student.
The study involved a qualitative approach using practitioner research, notably action research self-study. The data gathering methods included a reflective journal, questionnaires and lesson observations. Regular entries into a reflective journal were made to record observations, reactions to, and reflections on, what was happening in the classroom. The participants were surveyed before the change of practice was introduced and again afterwards to ascertain their opinions on the effectiveness of the different approaches. Colleagues in the role of critical friends observed lessons pre and post-change of practice to provide rich and live feedback.
The key findings of the study revealed a need for changes in role for teachers and students in a learner-centred environment. Students in this study preferred learning in a learner-centred environment which resulted in improved confidence and self-regulation skills. Teacher workload was perceived to be heavy in both teacher-led and learner-centred approaches, although lessons in the latter were less frenetic due to careful curriculum design.
The recommendations of the study suggest that the challenges teachers experience when faced with multilevel language classes could be overcome by a new approach to teaching. However, this would necessitate new roles and attitudes for both teacher and students. For change to occur, it is imperative that there be more support and professional development opportunities available for language teachers. Furthermore, moving towards a learner-centred approach would require additional time to plan an effective programme
Raising resilience
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can architecture assist in building confidence in children, so they are resilient when faced with mental distress?
ABSTRACT:
“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” This quote from religious leader Dieter F. Uchtdorf suggests we have the power to decide how much we let disappointment and challenges affect us. Children and adolescents often face many difficulties, and many are unable to understand how to cope with these difficulties. How can architecture assist in building confidence in children, so they are resilient when faced with mental distress? This investigative research focuses on the design of an after-school care facility that seeks to teach children aged 5-12, resilience. The premise of this design is students can build inner strength if they can learn to push their comfort zone, through playful architecture. New Zealand possesses the highest youth suicide rate for the age bracket of 15-19 years across 34 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and EU countries - a statistic that demands urgent action. This design aims to provide a solution before a problem even develops, by preparing children to be strong through free play, providing an architecture that will allow children to fail and keep persevering in an encouraging environment. The design aims to create a dialogue about overcoming fears and build a supportive network through friendships formed with mentors and peers. This project responds to the public’s desire to change the mental health system. The recent ‘Mental Health and Addictions Report’ calls for a system that prevents mental stress rather than one that responds to psychiatric illness. Theory and precedents are drawn from architectural history, the He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addictions, Salutogenesis and the Te Aranga Design Principles, all of which will inform the investigation and guide the design outcome
Additional records and observations of monocotyledons naturalised or casual in Manawatu Ecological Region, New Zealand, 1980–2019
No full textIt has been 38 years since a comprehensive account of adventive monocotyledons in New Zealand was published, other than for grasses. This paper examines new adventive monocotyledon records from the Manawatu Ecological Region (MER), in the south-west of the North Island. Evidence is given for accepting five taxa as Naturalised and 64 as Casual. Of the Casual records, 36 are recorded in MER as New records for New Zealand. Three of the Naturalised taxa and 13 New Casual plant records are from the sand-country portion of MER, namely Foxton Ecological District (FED). Ten of the New Casual taxa have established from garden discards or plantings in dunes, two are recent garden escapes. Twenty-three New Casual plant records are from the marine terrace portion of MER (Manawatu Plains Ecological District, MPED), most being cultivation escapes within gardens. Several of these Casual taxa are sufficiently well established, in one or more sites, that it is likely they will naturalise in the future.
In addition to New records, we include 33 Casual occurrences of monocotyledon taxa in MER, taxa which have been collected elsewhere in New Zealand, some of which have been published in reports or newsletters in the past
A cluster-driven energy routing protocol for optimal network lifetime in ad hoc networks
No full textMobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) is a group of networked mobile devices working in a cooperative manner. Due to usage, these devices quickly run out of battery power in critical situations and consequently fail in packet transmission. Power-Efficient Gathering in Sensor Information Systems (PEGASIS) and Dynamic State algorithm are two research works with unique energy efficiency concepts that, if harmonized and refined, will deliver a better optimized energy-efficient routing protocol for MANETs. This study, therefore, proposes PEGADyn – a hybrid version of PEGASIS and Dynamic State algorithm for a new energy-efficient routing protocol in ad hoc networks. PEGADyn creates a virtual grid classification of nodes based on current location, followed by a cluster formation of nodes in each virtual grid created. In each cluster and virtual grid formed, cluster heads (CHs) and designated cluster heads (dCH) are selected based on their energy levels. CHs and dCHs are used for communication between clusters and virtual grids. The use of CHs and dCHs limits communication overheads among nodes, reducing the energy expended and increasing the network lifetime. A simulation comparison of PEGADyn with PEGASIS and Dynamic State shows PEGADyn to be better in extending network lifetime and maintaining network throughput
Prediction of electricity consumption for residential houses in New Zealand
No full textResidential consumer’s demand of electricity is continuously growing, which leads to high greenhouse gas emissions. Detailed analysis of electricity consumption characteristics for residential buildings is needed to improve efficiency, availability and plan in advance for periods of high electricity demand. In this research work, we have proposed an artificial neural network based model, which predicts the energy consumption of a residential house in Auckland 24 hours in advance with more accuracy than the benchmark persistence approach. The effects of five weather variables on energy consumption was analyzed. Further, the model was experimented with three different training algorithms, the levenberg-marquadt (LM), bayesian regularization and scaled conjugate gradient and their effect on prediction accuracy was analyzed