voyeurism

the Life2Well Project to be shared during the 10th International Conference on Human Interaction & Emerging Technologies

we are very happy to share that we have been given the opportunity to share our work on Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being (the Life2Well Project) during the 10th International Conference on Human Interaction & Emerging Technologies in the track on Human-computer interaction. IHIET 2023 will be held in Nice from the 22nd till the 24th of August.

Designing for the investigation of microclimate stressors and physiological and neurological responses from the perspective of maker culture is co-authored with Nguyen Duc Minh Anh and Nguyen Thien Minh Tuan. its abstract reads:

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) resulted in the Glasgow Climate Pact. Initial work in the study reported in this paper investigated relationships between environment and physiological measurements using smartwatches, and self-designed bespoke environmental modules which are wearable around the waist. Data from this initial phase was analysed with a Random Forest regression model. The next phase of this project involves neurophysiological measurement, specifically electroencephalography (EEG). EEG was introduced to the model to explore how the changes in environmental or biometric measurements correlate with changes in neurophysiological measurements. In this latter phase, EEG data is viewed as an independent data type that is distinct from environmental and other physiological data. The headset model used to record EEG data is again a bespoke hand-made design, comprising a combination of biosensing board and electrodes from OpenBCI and widely available items like adhesive tapes and staples. A subsequent step involved validation of this DIY EEG headset data against research grade equipment, of which the analysis of different features of EEG data have shown to be of statistically comparable trends. For data collection, all data recorded is stored in Google Drive; Python is used to synchronize, pre-process data and train regression models. The first headset prototype was assembled in mid-October 2021, and was tested and developed in early November. From mid-November to late January 2022, the authors wore the devices for one to two hours per day to collect data. For EEG data, eight channels were recorded, basic filters (bandpass and notch) and REST re-referencing are applied. In this project, EEG time-series are used as input in regression models with other data types as output. Two regression models were trained then compared, the first being convolutional neural network with pre-built architecture and the other being a Random Forest model with features extracted from EEG time-series. Inferences are made from the models using open-source interpreters, with an eventual aim to infer how one’s local environment might impact one’s emotions and health. The results suggest that sound level, carbon dioxide concentration, and dust concentration feature more importantly in the regression models trained on collected datasets. These factors were continually associated with high feature importance scores in the EEG data signal and in both the objective scores recorded from the electronic instruments and the more subjective self-report forms. Furthermore, it was found that visual stimulus and problem processing, in terms of information, touch, and spatial relationships, are the most influential factors affecting the participants’ physiological well-being in this research. Most recently, one aspect that is currently being investigated is electrodermal activity (EDA). EDA is marker of sympathetic network activity (Zangróniz et al., 2017). As such, it is an indication of human stress and emotion arousal, (Rahma et al., 2022). It is hoped that analyses of EDA data will further strengthen the emerging model describing the intersections between local microclimate and physiological and neurological stress. Early validation experiments comparing DIY EDA devices against research-grade Empactica E4 sets have shown promising results.

the Life2Well Project as part of the UNESCO's first online interactive learning webinar, themed on ESD-Net 2030

my team and i are thrilled to share that - by God's grace - we have been afforded the rare opportunity to share our work on Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being (the Life2Well Project) as part of UNESCO's first online interactive learning webinar, for the benefit of its global network of education stakeholders: ESD-Net 2030. The webinar will be held on the 30th of March, and our work will be shared alongside parallel sessions facilitated by the Association for Learning Design and Sustainable Development (represented by Maria Toro-Troconis and Norita Ahmad), the OPEDUCA Project (represented by Jos Eussen), and the International Association of Universities (represented by Hilligje van't Land and Isabel Toman).

ESD-Net 2030 was set up in October 2022 to take the lessons learned from the Global Action Programme and subsequently facilitate the implementation of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for 2030 framework and its roadmap. To this end, the webinar series is designed with a focus on sharing and strengthening pedagogical approaches and key competencies in ESD. The inaugural March webinar will be opened by the Chief of Section of ESD, Education Sector, UNESCO - Jun Morohashi - and facilitated by Mark Manns, Sarah Margono, and Takanori Kusaka.

for our particular project, we describe the scope of our session thus:

Have you wondered how we may nurture values among our students in support of sustainable development? What about how curricula may be designed to develop climate literacy among youth and the leaders of tomorrow? In this workshop, you will hear the voices of young people themselves, as they share four examples of how they have conceptualised, designed, and enacted citizen science investigations inspired by observations from their own respective local environments. From promoting appreciations of ecological biodiversity, to understanding sleep and concentration better, to exploring the relationships between microclimatic stressors and our physiological and neurological responses - the examples all have in common that they do not rely on expensive and fragile industrial-grade equipment which cannot be taken out of the lab. Be inspired by the stories of the students as they share their ups and downs through their respective investigative journeys, and their hopes as young makers for the future.

the Life2Well Project to be shared during the FOSS Asia summit

on the 15th of April my team and i are privileged to be given the opportunity to share Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being (The Life2Well Project) at the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Asia summit to be held at the Lifelong Learning Institute, Singapore.

we would like to thank the hardworking team from FOSS Asia for kindly extending the invitation to us :-)

the Life2Well Project: invited to share during the NIE Innovations in Teaching and Learning seminar 2023

my team and i were thrilled to receive today an invitation to share our work on Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being (the Life2Well Project) during the Innovations in Teaching and Learning (iTL) seminar, organised by the Centre for Innovation in Learning, National Institute of Education.

the seminar will take place on the 3rd of March 2023. It provides opportunities for participants to collaborate and cross-pollinate ideas, learn about new pedagogical innovations, and share best practices across the teaching community.

iTL 2023 will be held in a so-called Design-a-thon format, facilitated by the Design Thinking Framework, enabling participants to come together and discuss problems in education collectively, which in turn, brings a variety of perspectives into the discussion. it allows participants to co-create innovative ideas that lead to enriching discussions where they can more deeply understand their learners.

concurrent with the Design-a-thon, there will be a Human Library segment, which will serve as an educational platform for participants to learn more about NIE projects related to teaching and learning. this segment allows participants to listen, relate, and ask questions about the projects shown in order to be inspired to come up with ideas for their design solutions to the design-a-thon problem statements. it is in this context that the Life2Well Project will be shared.

thanks be to God for so graciously granting us this opportunity to share and learn together.

Call for Proposals: Geographies of the here and now: inquiry of the hyperlocal as afforded by Data Science and the Internet of Things

Call for Proposals for a session to be held at the Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society, London, 29 August to 1 September 2023

 

Geographies of the here and now: inquiry of the hyperlocal as afforded by Data Science and the Internet of Things

 

The Internet of Things (IoT) has afforded the investigation of geographies at scales that have hitherto not been practicable. The relatively low cost of open-source hardware means that localized spaces can potentially be saturated with IoT sensors, with the resulting datasets analysed through modelling in Data Science. Examples include their use in monitoring microclimates in urban farming and to improve energy efficiencies in so-called ‘smart’ homes and workplaces. Vey and Storring (2022) have appropriated the term ‘hyperlocal’ to refer to “place governance in a fragmented world”, by which they describe the distinct geographies of places at the scale of downtowns, waterfronts, and innovation districts. Similarly, in a presentation at the 2020 Geography Teacher Educators’ Conference hosted by the Geographical Association, Witt has described the hyperlocal as referring to “a very small geographical community, such as … a local patch”. Matthews (2020) has reminded us that the pandemic has catalysed renewed interest in the hyperlocal and in personal geographies. This session aims to explore the intersections of such geographies (of the hyperlocal and personal) through the lenses afforded by Data Science and the Internet of Things. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

 

• Methodological approaches to investigations of the hyperlocal;

• Ethical implications of the use of IoT and Data Science in such investigations;

• Empirical studies of hyperlocal and / or personal geographies;

• Personal geographies of health and well-being, particularly as seen through the lenses of IoT and Data Science; and

• Citizen science and the democratization of geographical investigation of the hyperlocal.

 

Enquiries to Kenneth Y T Lim (kenneth.lim at nie.edu.sg) are welcome.

 

Session organizer:

 

Name: Kenneth Y T Lim

Affiliation: National Institute of Education, Singapore

 

Presenters are kindly invited to submit their proposals to the session organizer by the 10th of March 2023. Proposals should minimally comprise the title of the paper, an abstract (of up to 150 words), and full contact details.

co-hosting students from CHIJ Secondary for their Work Experience Programme

my team and i are happy to be given the opportunity to co-host some students from the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary School, with a few of my colleagues from the Sustainability Learning Lab, National Institute of Education.

this opportunity comes under the auspices of the school's Work Experience Programme, and our team will be co-hosting on the afternoon of the 1st of November.

the objectives of the programme are:

- to provide an experience in which the students familiarise themselves with a variety of work situations through attachment to a workplace and they learn through direct participation and observation;

- to build life skills for the world of work; and

- to help the students make informed decisions regarding career selection.

we are happy and grateful to be part of this opportunity :-)

hosting a Senior Lecturer from the School of Infocomm, Republic Polytechnic

my team and i are very excited and happy to welcome a Senior Lecturer from the School of Infocomm, Republic Polytechnic, as she prepares to begin her year-long Industrial Attachment with us.

the polytechnic was established in July 2002 and celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. we will host the Senior Lecturer - with expertise in Financial Technology - from November this year, till October 2023.

we look forward to a journey of learning together!

The Life2Well Project: new student-initiated investigations under its aegis

for about a year, we have been sharing our work on Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being (The Life2Well Project). 

its mandate is deliberately framed broadly to encompass student-initiated inquiry in to their own health and well-being.

this year, we are excited and happy to share that students whom we mentor are currently working on the next suite of projects; these include:

- Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Sleep Analysis systems;

- An investigation on the effects of different types of fragrance on stress level of junior college students;

- Design and prototyping of an AI-based real-time detector for the calisthenic push up exercise;

- Investigation of the effects of microclimate on concentration levels; and

- Mitigating anxiety and stress: Investigating features of Lo-fi Music as attributed to its calming effects.

Disciplinary Intuitions: welcoming college students to NTU's Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) AY 2022 / 2023

further to my post two months’ ago, my team and i are really happy and privileged to welcome four college students (from a total of twenty-three applicants) to our projects offered under NTU’s Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) programme for the Academic Year 2022 / 2023.

 

three of our students are from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and the fourth is pursuing a Double Major from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the School of Computer Science and Engineering.

 

the opportunity to participate in URECA is extended through invitation only to select second- and third-year undergraduates, who will subsequently be conferred as NTU President Research Scholars.

 

the projects we have offered are:

 

NIE22349 – Investigating local micro-climate and thermal comfort with open-source

 

NIE22355 – Designing a neural network-based approach for generating custom feedback based on stakeholder specifications for novice coders

 

NIE22356 – Designing a tool to analyse and score the readability of source code with a view towards encouraging programmers to improve the readability of their code

 

NIE22357 – Training Natural Language Processing (NLP) models to parse and analyse Python code in order to predict logic errors with the aim of improving the process of debugging code

The Life2Well Project: Investigating the Relationship between Physiological Stress and Environmental Factors through Data Science, the Internet of Things and Do-it-Yourself Wearables

my team and i are very happy to share news of our second publication in the field of the Science of Learning :-) our chapter - The Life2Well Project: Investigating the Relationship between Physiological Stress and Environmental Factors through Data Science, the Internet of Things and Do-it-Yourself Wearables - is published in the book 'Citizen Science - Methods, Approaches and New Perspectives' edited by Alessio Vovlas.

since April 2021, we have been working hard on Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being (the Life2Well Project), in which we aim to afford learners opportunities to learn about their own learning, while they are learning, from a citizen science perspective.

the abstract of our chapter reads:

This chapter reports a study conducted by students as an independent research project under the mentorship of a Research Scientist at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. In the Life2Well Project (Learning at the intersection of AI, physiology, EEG, our environment and well-being) identical units of a wearable device containing environmental sensors (such as ambient temperature, air pressure, infrared radiation and relative humidity) were designed and worn respectively by five adolescents from July to December 2021. Over the same period, data from these sensors was complemented by that obtained from smartwatches (namely blood oxygen saturation, heart rate and its variability, body temperature, respiration rate and sleep score). More than 40,000 data points were eventually collected, and were processed through a random forest regression model, which is a supervised learning algorithm that uses ensemble learning methods for regression. Results showed that the most influential microclimatic factors on biometric indicators were noise, and the concentrations of carbon dioxide and dust. Subsequently, more complex inferences were made from Shapley value interpretation of the regression models. Such findings suggest implications for the design of living conditions with respect to the interaction of microclimate and human health and comfort.