NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Enhanced Exploration Least-Squares Methods for Optimal Stopping Problems
No full textThis letter presents an Approximate Dynamic Programming (ADP) least-squares based approach for solving optimal stopping problems with a large state space. By extending some previous work in the area of optimal stopping problems, it provides a framework for their formulation and resolution. The proposed method uses a combined on/off policy exploration mechanism, where states are generated by means of state transition probability distributions different from the ones dictated by the underlying Markov decision processes. The contraction mapping property of the associated projected Bellman operator is analysed as well as the convergence of the resulting algorithm
Diversity Curriculum: A modularised Training Curriculum for Adult Education Providers
No full textAdult education (AE) as a field is ever evolving and the
challenges of the last decade have shown our
adaptability and our commitment to supporting societal
advancement and to strengthening social cohesion.
The refugee crisis of 2015/16 offered both challenges and
opportunities to AE, seeing the investment of
unprecedented sums of money to enable the system to
absorb the influx of migrants with pressing needs for
linguistic and cultural knowledge. The sector responded
capably and creatively during the crisis. However, it is
now evident that these funds, especially allocated to
integration efforts, will not extend far into the future. As
funding dries up, the structures built to accommodate
the huge temporary demand may be dismantled. But
was this ‘it’ for migrants in AE? Do we just return to
‘business as usual’?
Statistics show that few migrants transition into the
‘regular’ programmes after having completed mandatory
integration courses. There are many reasons – lack of
money and time, a utilitarian view of education only
being a few examples. However, migrants are likely to
make up an increasing share of our societies and are
thus a target group we should aspire to activate longer
term
A Systematic Review of the Provision of Sexuality Education to Student Teachers in Initial Teacher Education
No full textTeachers, and their professional learning and development, have been identified as playing an integral role in enabling children and young people’s right to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). The provision of sexuality education (SE) during initial teacher education (ITE) is upheld internationally, as playing a crucial role in relation to the implementation and quality of school-based SE. This systematic review reports on empirical studies published in English from 1990 to 2019. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, five databases were searched: ERIC, Education Research Complete, PsycINFO, Web of Science and MEDLINE. From a possible 1,153 titles and abstracts identified, 15 papers were selected for review. Findings are reported in relation to the WHO Regional Office for Europe and BZgA (2017) Training Matters: Framework of core competencies for sexuality educators. Results revealed that research on SE during ITE is limited and minimal research has focused on student teachers’ attitudes on SE. Findings indicate that SE provision received is varied and not reflective of comprehensive SE. Recommendations highlight the need for robust research to inform quality teacher professional development practices to support teachers to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to teach comprehensive SE
Independence, Interdisciplinarity, Internationality: Toward “Higher Bildung” in Doctoral Education
No full textIn this article, we introduce the concept of “higher Bildung,” which we
developed as a pedagogical approach to doctoral supervision and mentoring guided
by principles of emancipation and individual freedom. The pedagogical framework
builds on a combination of higher education and the educational concept of Bildung
to foster an idea of higher education that highlights growth, cooperation, and sustainability. We discuss three fundamental pillars for this concept – independence,
interdisciplinarity, and internationality – and explain how we applied this conceptual
framework in an international seminar for early-stage researchers, which resulted in
articles published in the special section of this peer-reviewed journal
Boundaryless careers and algorithmic constraints in the gig economy
No full textWith low barriers to entry and ease of access to work, the
gig economy offers the prospect of boundaryless opportunities for flexible working arrangements characterised by
increased autonomy. This form of work, however, may leave
individuals without development opportunities and could
stymie career progression. Drawing on boundaryless career
theory, this study examines the potential of gig workers to
develop the transferable career competencies required to
effectively pursue opportunities beyond these precarious
roles. Through insights from 56 gig worker interviews, we
analyse the lived experiences of workers in attempting to
develop ‘knowing-why’, ‘knowing-how’, and ‘knowing-whom’
competencies. In so doing, we find that the potentially
unmovable boundaries posed by algorithmic management
practices within platform organisations constrains workers’
abilities to navigate their roles and develop transferable
competencies. The study lends empirical support to the
bounded effect of gig work on individuals’ careers in a
domain characterised by precarity where organisations dismiss the existence of an employment relationship, where
individuals may simultaneously work for multiple platforms,
and where secretive algorithms heavily influence the experience of work
College to University... 'The Start of Something Bigger'
No full textThis comic zine came from research we carried out in 2022 with 58 college students in 7 Further Education colleges in the greater Dublin area, where we asked them about their experience in college and their thoughts around progressing to university
Inferences to estimate consumer’s diet using stable isotopes: Insights from a dynamic mixing model
No full textStable isotope ratios are used to reconstruct animal diet in trophic ecology via mixing models. Several assumptions of stable isotope mixing models are critical, i.e., constant trophic
discrimination factor and isotopic equilibrium between the consumer and its diet. The isotopic turnover rate (λ and its counterpart the half-life) affects the dynamics of isotopic incorporation for an organism and the isotopic equilibrium assumption: λ involves a time lag
between the real assimilated diet and the diet estimated by mixing models at the individual
scale. Current stable isotope mixing model studies consider neither this time lag nor even
the dynamics of isotopic ratios in general. We developed a mechanistic framework using a
dynamic mixing model (DMM) to assess the contribution of λ to the dynamics of isotopic
incorporation and to estimate the bias induced by neglecting the time lag in diet reconstruction in conventional static mixing models (SMMs). The DMM includes isotope dynamics of
sources (denoted δs), λ and frequency of diet-switch (ω). The results showed a significant
bias generated by the SMM compared to the DMM (up to 50% of differences). This bias can
be strongly reduced in SMMs by averaging the isotopic variations of the food sources over a
time window equal to twice the isotopic half-life. However, the bias will persist (*15%) for
intermediate values of the ω/λ ratio. The inferences generated using a case study
highlighted that DMM enhanced estimates of consumer’s diet, and this could avoid misinterpretation in ecosystem functioning, food-web structure analysis and underlying biological
processes
Interactive Slice Visualization for Exploring Machine Learning Models
No full textMachine learning models fit complex algorithms to arbitrarily large datasets. These algorithms are well
known to be high on performance and low on interpretability. We use interactive visualization of slices
of predictor space to address the interpretability deficit; in effect opening up the black-box of machine
learning algorithms, for the purpose of interrogating, explaining, validating and comparing model fits.
Slices are specified directly through interaction, or using various touring algorithms designed to visit high-occupancy sections, or regions where the model fits have interesting properties. The methods presented here are implemented in the R package condvis2. Supplementary files for this article are available online
Different yet the same? Differentiated integration and flexibility in implementation in the European Union
No full textDifferentiated integration (DI) and flexibility in implementation (FI) are two
forms of differentiation that can be used to cope with heterogeneity among
EU member states. Given the different ways in which they do so, this article
asks whether DI and FI are alternatives for each other or whether they serve
different functions in EU legislation. Based on a dataset that maps the occurrence of opt-outs and flexibility provisions in EU directives, the analysis shows
that DI and FI tend to be used together. A qualitative analysis of directives
that combine different levels of DI and FI shows that, within that overall
pattern, DI is used to accommodate individual outliers, while FI is used to
address widespread concerns among member states. This suggests that DI
and FI are two forms of differentiation in the EU, which are used to address
different aspects of a common underlying set of concerns
Social media marketing strategy in English football clubs
No full textThe aim of this study is to explore the evolving social media marketing
strategies of football clubs involved in the English Premier League (EPL), in
a constantly changing sporting and digital landscape. Interviews conducted
with practitioners from a range of clubs revealed that social media marketing has been fully adopted as a key strategic marketing channel. Other
insights include the importance of trust to clubs being able to harness the
collective of passionate fans on social media platforms. Also, how clubs are
using social media to grow their global reach and capitalize on worldwide
EPL exposure. The paper also highlights some of the negatives of social
media, as experienced by football club social media marketing practitioners.
Finally, a social media marketing strategy framework applied to football is
proposed, based on the social media marketing strategy of football clubs
and their understanding of why and how their fans use social media