Thursday, May 28, 2009

New Fall Course in Serious Games

Announcing a new survey course in Serious Games from the School of Education.

EDUC-F 401 TOPICAL EXPLORATIONS IN EDUC (3 CR)
VT: SURVEY OF SERIOUS GAMES
29718 RSTR 02:30P-03:45P TR ED 1250 Appelman R
NOTE: 15 seats are being reserved for FIGS.

This is one of the new "hot" topics in the gaming arena. EDUC-F 401 is a beginning level survey course for any undergraduate who is interested in exploring the realm of Serious Games. "Serious Games" refers to game-like environments where learning is a primary outcome and meaningful play is the process for gaining understanding. This course examines the potential of using games & simulations for the purposes of instruction. It addresses the social phenomenon of these immersive environments for their cognitive and affective impact on the users. Students will play video games, reflect on their impact in instruction, and design their own serious games. Students will then work in interdisciplinary teams to test games, and to explore the tools and skills necessary to function within an authentic development pipeline.

NB: Courses in the School of Education are "Outside Hours" for students pursuing a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Announced by:
Robert L. Appelman, PhD
Director: VX Lab for Game Play Analysis
Coordinator: Technology Education Program
Clinical Professor - IST
Indiana University School of Education
appelman@indiana.edu
http://www.indiana.edu/~games/F401/

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

SRL Talk: Nicholas Altieri, Andrew Kirk and David B. Pisoni

The Speech Research Lab's next meeting will feature a talk by Nicholas Altieri, Andrew Kirk and Prof. David B. Pisoni of IU Bloomington. All are invited and welcome to attend.

Friday, May 29, 2009
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Psychology 128

" Can Visual-Spatial Working Memory Training Improve Lip-reading Ability? A first report of negative findings" will be presented by Nicholas Altieri, Andrew Kirk, and David B. Pisoni.

Abstract:
Decades of research on audiovisual speech perception has led to a large body work examining accuracy on visual-only speech recognition (i.e., lip-reading). In contrast to accuracy scores for auditory-only stimuli in quiet for normal hearing listeners, visual-only accuracy is highly variable and the sources of this variability in lip-reading skills remain unknown. The first goal of our recent study was to investigate whether cognitive functions such as attention, the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, and visual-spatial working memory skills correlate with lip-reading performance on CUNY sentences. Secondly, we investigated whether lip reading skills could be improved after several days of training on a visual-spatial working memory task. In our experiment, subjects participated in three days of visual-spatial working memory training in which they received either probabilistic-adaptive sequences or random sequences. We also assessed attention and inhibition using the Stroop color-word naming test, verbal working memory using forward and backward digit span, and lip-reading skills using visual only sentence recognition on separate days before and after training. The results failed to yield significant correlations between any of the cognitive factors and lip-reading ability. We also failed to find evidence that training facilitated visual-only accuracy. We are currently considering different approaches and several new training paradigms that might improve visual-only speech recognition. Suggestions on these matters would be greatly appreciated from the IU research community.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Lecture: Katalin Bimbo

Please join us for a special logic talk.

"Nextand and Nallor" will be presented by Katalin Bimbo, University of Alberta Philosophy Department.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
3:00 p.m.
Ballantine 137

Abstract:
Various sets of connectives are known to be functionally complete for classical propositional logic -- including the singleton sets containing Nand or Nor. It is less well-known that the operator Nextand (introduced by Schoenfinkel) is sufficient for FOL as the only undefined logical constant. This talk is mainly concerned with the definition of operators like Nextand that turn out to be sufficient for FOL by themselves. There are four such binary operators. I define completely symmetric truth functions; the ternary completely symmetric truth functions give rise to 16 operators. (In order to provide a certain context, I will compare in the talk some of Peirce's and Sheffer's, as well as Schoenfinkel's and Quine's work.)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Exciting Fall Course: Mathematics from Language

We invite you to consider an exciting Fall Term 2009 course option: MATH-M 385, Mathematics from Language.

Are you fascinated by grammar? Would you like to learn some advanced topics in math that are motivated by contemporary linguistics? If so, please consider M385. It's an introduction to a number of math topics chosen from abstract algebra, formal language theory, logic, and probability. The emphasis is on learning the math, but all of the examples are from linguistics. And although the class will teach you to do proofs, it is not super-rigorous. It's not even intended for math majors. The official prerequisite is MATH-M 118, and courses such as CSCI-C 241 and COGS-Q 250 would be good to have as well. The real prerequisite is an interest in the subject.

MATH-M 385 Mathematics from Language
Section 27130
1:00-2:15 TR
BH 231
Professor Larry Moss

Inquiries about the course may be directed to Professor Moss at lmoss@indiana.edu.

Lecture: Charles van den Heuvel

You are cordially invited to join us for the following Summer Talk.

May 26, 2009
3:00 p.m.
Wells Library 030

"Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web in Research from a Historical Perspective: The designs of Paul Otlet (1868-1944) for telecommunication and machine readable documentation to organize research and society" will be presented by Charles van den Heuvel, Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

Abstract:
Tim Berners-Lee describes in Weaving the Web (1999), his future vision of the World Wide Web in two parts. In the first one, nowadays called Web 2.0, people collaborate and enrich data together in a shared information space. In the second part, exchanges extend to computers, resulting in a “Semantic Web” (Berners-Lee 1999). Most historical studies of World Wide Web begin with the American roots of the Internet in ARPANET or follow a historiographical line of post war information revolutionaries, from Vannevar Bush to Tim Berners-Lee. This paper follows an alternative line. At the end of the nineteenth and in the first decades of the twentieth century various European scholars, like Patrick Geddes, Paul Otlet, Otto Neurath, Wilhelm Ostwald explored the organisation, enrichment and dissemination of knowledge on a global level to come to a peaceful, universal society. We focus on Paul Otlet (1868-1944) who developed a knowledge infrastructure to update information mechanically and manually in collaboratories of scholars. First the Understanding Infrastructure (2007) report, that Paul N. Edwards et al. wrote on behalf of NSF, will be used to position Otlet’s knowledge organization in their sketched development from information systems to information networks or webs. Secondly, the relevance of Otlet’s knowledge infrastructure will be assessed for Web 2.0 and Semantic Web applications for research. The hypothesis will be put forward that the instruments and protocols envisioned by Otlet to enhance collaborative knowledge production, can still be relevant for current conceptualizations of “scientific authority” in data sharing and annotation in Web 2.0 applications and the modeling of the Semantic Web.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Lecture: Karen Gunther

The School of Optometry invites you attend a guest lecture in their Research Seminar Series.

"How do we see Orange?" will be presented by Karen Gunther, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN.

Friday, 22 May, 2009
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Room 105, Optometry Building

Abstract:
Color vision begins in the cones, of which there are three types: long-wavelength-sensitive ("red"), medium-wavelength-sensitive ("green"), and short-wavelength-sensitive ("blue"). Before these signals leave the retina, they have recombined into a red vs. green axis, a violet vs. chartreuse axis, and a black vs. white axis. But how do we see colors such as orange and turquoise? As the red/green, violet/chartreuse, and black/white axes are known as the cardinal axes of color space, people have proposed the existence of non-cardinal color mechanisms, appearing in the cortex, to underlie our perception of colors such as orange and turquoise. The evidence supporting the existence of such non-cardinal mechanisms has been mixed, with some studies, or some subject within studies, showing their existence and others not. I will present data from two experiments that I have conducted in the search for non-cardinal color mechanisms. I will also discuss some hypotheses for why the literature has been inconclusive.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Seeking Study Participants

The User Experience Group at Indiana University is looking for usability study participants for the new http://www.iub.edu/ website. Participants will be paid.

The study will be conducted at the Wrubel Computing Center (10th & the Bypass) and will take approximately one hour. Participants will be asked to complete a series of tasks using the website and will be presented with $20 Barnes & Noble gift cards as our appreciation for their feedback.

The scheduled session times will be during the week of May 18-22, with the following time slots:
Monday-Friday, May 18-22, 2009.
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact the User Experience Group at usable@indiana.edu with the following information:

1. Your IU affiliation – undergraduate/graduate/staff/faculty (please indicate current or prospective)
2. Your preferred session time and 2 alternate times (we will do our best to accommodate your first choice)

Thank you,
User Experience Group
Indiana University

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Lecture: Isabelle Darcy

Please join us for the Speech Research Lab's first summer lab meeting.

Friday, May 15, 2009
Psychology 128
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

"Category formation and lexical encoding of a new contrast" will be presented by Professor Isabelle Darcy, Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University.

With: Laurent Dekydtspotter, Rex A. Sprouse (Dept. of Second Language Studies); Christiane Kaden, John H. G. Scott (Dept. of Germanic Studies); Vance Schaefer (Dept. of Second Language Studies), Michael McGuire (Dept. of Linguistics).

Abstract:
The question whether category formation is a prerequisite for U.S.-English learners of French to encode a non-native contrast in lexical representations is investigated, looking at front [y-oe] and back [u-o] rounded vowels. An ABX categorization experiment revealed no group difference between advanced and inexperienced learners. Both made significantly more errors than French controls (p<.01) on the [u-y] contrast, despite a good global discrimination (15% error). The possibility that minimal pairs of difficult contrasts (e.g. sourd [sur] deaf vs. sur [syr] sure) are stored as homophones was tested in a lexical decision task with repetition priming. French words and non-words were paired with either themselves (repetition) or a minimal-pair-counterpart (minimal pair) in a 260 item list. Correct RTs were measured for each item. Given a comparable RT-advantage on the repetition and the minimal pair condition, merged lexical representations were assumed. Advanced learners, like native speakers, showed no RT-advantage for minimal pair conditions; inexperienced learners displayed significant facilitation for [u-y] minimal pair (but not [i-y] control condition). This suggests that successful lexical contrast is possible for advanced English-French users despite persistent perception errors-the hallmark of an insecure category establishment-presenting an argument for the dissociation of both mechanisms.

New A & H and Culture Studies Course

Announcing a new Art History course to be offered Fall Term 2009. The course carries A & H and Culture Studies credit (List A). This is an introductory course, so it is appropriate for all students.

INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN ART
FINA-A 155
Class Number 29975
3 credit hours

Mondays and Wednesdays
11:15 – 12:05 p.m., plus Friday Discussion
Fine Arts 102
Instructor: Diane Pelrine

From masks as tall as people to figures bristling with nails, African art presents an exciting visual diversity. This course surveys the major themes and art traditions of sub-Saharan Africa, examining materials, styles, functions, meanings and the contexts in which art is used. It also provides considerable cultural background and makes extensive use of our outstanding collections in the IU Art Museum. The focus is on traditional arts, but contemporary art is also discussed.

Requirements: readings, map quiz, 3 non-cumulative exams, 2 short papers.

2009 Gill Symposium

Please join us for the 2009 Gill Symposium.

Wednesday, May 20
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Indiana Memorial Union - Whittenberger Auditorium
IU Bloomington

The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science at Indiana University-Bloomington is pleased to announce the 2009 Gill Award Symposium and Ceremony to be held Wednesday, May 20, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Whittenberger Auditorium located in the Indiana Memorial Union. The annual Gill Symposium is held to honor two scientists whose research has had profound impact on shaping the field and enhancing public understanding of neuroscience.
This year, please join us to honor 2009 Gill Award recipient Daniel Johnston, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin and 2009 Gill Young Investigator Award recipient Linda Hsieh-Wilson, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology.

For more information please visit the Gill website at: http://www.indiana.edu/~gillctr/

New this year, please register for the symposium via this link: http://www.indiana.edu/~gillctr/registrationform.shtml

For poster submissions, please sign up via this link: http://www.indiana.edu/~gillctr/poster.shtml

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Job: Indiana Statistical Consulting Center

The Indiana Statistical Consulting Center (ISCC) is expecting to hire a Student Academic Appointee to be a Consulting Associate in the center for the 2009-2010 academic year. This will be a 20 hour/wk position. The Consulting Associate will work under the supervision of Senior Consultants to meet with clients, advise on statistical methods, and explain the procedures within relevant software. He or she will also perform data management and analyses on large projects through the center.

Requirements: Knowledge in basic statistical methods (ANOVA, Regression,...) and experience in SPSS, SAS, or R programming. Specialized methods such as Structural Equation Modeling, Bayesian methods, Time-series, Hierarchical Linear Models, etc, are also of interest.

Please reply by e-mail to iscc@indiana.edu with a short letter of interest including a description of relevant knowledge & experience.

For more information about the Center, please visit http://www.indiana.edu/~iscc/.

Lecture: Albert Newen

Please join us for the following talk.

"Self-Consciousness, Agency and Ownership. An investigation from the perspectives of philosophy and cognitive sciences" will be presented by Albert Newen, Ruhr-Universität Bochum Institut für Philosophie.

Friday, May 8, 2009
Ballantine 005
2:00-4:00 p.m.

Abstract:
The structure of the acting self is still perplexing and remains an often confounded issue in the recent debates. This talk provides a new systematic theory of self-consciousness in general and of two of its main features, the sense of agency and the sense of ownership.

Furthermore, the phenomenon of responsibility can be separated from both phenomena. The theoretical framework will be shown to be fruitful in the context of the recent experiments in neuroscience including own studies worked out in cooperation with Kai Vogeley.

An important background of the new approach is a theory of levels of mental representation. It will be argued that we have to distinguish at least nonconceptual representations, conceptual representations and meta-representations. On the basis of clearly defined levels of representation it will be argued that one has to differentiate (i) an individual-orientated cognitive dimension of agency and ownership from
(ii) a socio-normative dimension of responsibility.

Gallagher introduced the distinction between agency and ownership. We need this distinction to account for passive movement of my arm since I still have the feeling of ownership in such a case but no feeling of agency. Furthermore, it is shown that we have to distinguish the feeling of agency and the judgment of agency. I can develop a feeling of agency in everyday automatic doings without explicitly judging that I am the agent. The feeling of agency is realized by nonconceptual representations. I may also develop a judgment of agency without any feeling of agency: The judgment of agency is realized by conceptual representations. Furthermore, it is shown that responsibility is a separate dimension from both aspects. I can judge that I am the agent of an action but deny responsibility by arguing that I just followed a strict order. This indicates that the ascription of responsibility is presupposes a theory of social interaction. Responsibility is relying on meta-representations which are typically involved in the so-called theory-of-mind ability. Analogous distinctions have to be made concerning the phenomenon of ownership. The proposed theory of self- consciousness is shown to be very fruitful from the perspectives of psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Cognitive Lunch Abstract for May 6

The next Cognitive Lunch will be held Wednesday, May 6.
12:10-1:10 p.m.
Psychology Conference Room (room 128)

"Can there ever be too many flowers blooming? Re-visiting the effect of choice overload" will be presented by Benjamin Scheibehenne, Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University.

Abstract:
The choice overload- or too-much-choice effect states that having too many options to choose from may lead to negative consequences such as a decreases the motivation to choose and/or a lower satisfaction with the finally chosen option. A number of studies in the past found strong instances of this effect in the lab and in the field that raised a lot of attention in the scientific community as well as in the media. In my talk I will lay out that the theoretical explanations of the effect are somewhat sparse. I will further present a series of experiments that could not replicate the effect. Based on a meta-analysis on published and unpublished experiments on choice overload I will then show that its mean effect size is zero with hardly any effective moderators. Together these results seem to suggest that choice overload is not a reliable psychological phenomenon. However, I will also review some moderators that might still explain the diverging results between those studies that found the result and those that did not, some of which might be worth testing in the future.

New Career Course for Fall 2009

The Career Development Center is pleased to announce a new career course for Fall Term 2009.

The Art of Meaningful Work
ASCS-Q 377
Class Number 30180
3 cr
Wed. 6:00-8:30 p.m
WH 204
Instructor: Doug Hanvey (dhanvey@indiana.edu)

NOTE: THIS CLASS IS RESERVED FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN ASCS-Q 294.

Description:
In the 20th century, the illustrious psychologist and concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl wrote: "The truth is that as the struggle for survival has subsided, the question has emerged – survival for what? Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for." Now, in the rapidly changing world of the 21st century and contemporary issues of economic, social, and environmental concern, most of us would like to find meaning in our work, and the sense that there is a deeper purpose to our lives. Each of us wants to serve the world in our own unique way, and yet it is easy to lose touch, or never really become clear about, what this might mean for us. In this course we will examine the idea that each of us has a “calling” or unique gift to bring into the world. We will ask questions such as, What kind of world do I want to live in? What are the personal gifts that I can bring into my work, and to others? What moves me to want to act? Through experiential and self-reflective individual and group exercises from a variety of perspectives, you will be challenged to deeply explore personal issues of meaning, spirituality, authenticity, purpose, creativity and service. The discussion component of this class will be emphasized, and you will be asked to dig deep in order to help yourself and your peers discover your own authentic way of being in the world of work, and the calling to which you are led.

Colloquium: Amal Ahmed

You are cordially invited to attend the following School of Informatics Colloquium.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
3:00 p.m.
Persimmon Room, IMU

Amal Ahmed, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, will present, “Logical Relations: A Step Towards More Secure and Reliable Software.”

Abstract:
Logical relations are a promising proof technique for establishing many important properties of programs, programming languages, and language implementations. They have been used to show type safety, to prove that one implementation of an abstract data type (ADT) can be safely replaced by another, to show that languages for information-flow security ensure confidentiality, and to establish the correctness of compiler transformations and optimizations. Yet, despite three decades of research and much agreement about their potential benefits, logical relations have only been applied to "toy" languages, because the method has not easily scaled to important linguistic features, including recursive types, mutable references, and (impredicative) generics. Previous approaches have tried to address some of these features through sophisticated mathematical machinery (domain or category theory) which makes the results difficult to formalize and/or extend. In this talk, I will describe *step-indexed* logical relations which support all of the language features mentioned above and yet permit simple proofs based on operational reasoning, without the need for complicated mathematics. To illustrate the effectiveness of step-indexed logical relations, I will discuss three new contexts where I have been able to successfully apply them: secure multi-language interoperability; imperative self-adjusting computation, a mechanism for efficiently updating the results of a computation in response to changes to some of its inputs; and security-preserving compilation, which ensures that compiled code is no more vulnerable to attacks launched at the level of the target language than the original code is to attacks launched at the level of the source language.