Supporting group-work in a mixed reality educational experience

LAUREA MAGISTRALEPer decenni, la Realtà Mista (MR) si è diffusa in diversi settori, tra cui la formazione. È stata principalmente usata per replicare una serie di oggetti che potrebbero risultare pericolosi o impossibili da avere all’interno di ambienti scolastici, come macchinari, reperti archeologici, elementi anatomici... Tuttavia, mentre lo sviluppo di contenuti 3D è fiorito notevolmente, non c’è stata molta enfasi sullo sviluppo di attività didattiche che, combinate con i contenuti, creano un esperienza didattica completa. Il lavoro svolto per questa tesi è parte di un progetto più grande, intitolato Mixed Reality in Education (MIRE), che mira a colmare questo divario. L’obbiettivo principale di questo progetto è esplorare lo sviluppo di attività didattiche in MR, con un taglio specifico sul supportare gruppi impegnati in progetti collaborativi. Il focus specifico di questo lavoro di tesi è stato il design, l’implementazione e il test di una delle attività in questo scenario: il brainstorming collaborativo. Il requisito funzionale era supportare la discussione tra diversi individui (studenti) con un moderatore (l’insegnante). È stata sviluppata un’applicazione basata sul concetto di "word cloud", nella quale i concetti di cui si sta discutendo sono associati a delle sfere, le cui dimensioni relative rappresentano il grado di accordo sui concetti da parte dei partecipanti. L’applicazione è stata implementata in Unity e rilasciata per diversi dispositivi di MR disponibili sul mercato. L’attività Word Cloud è stata poi testata dal punto di vista dell’usabilità e dell’efficacia percepita in due contesti reali. In particolare, l’ultimo test è stato effettuato con studenti e insegnanti in un vero contesto scolastico. I risultati ottenuti, oltre ad aver confermato l’usabilità dell’applicazione, hanno indicato una accoglienza positiva da parte degli utenti finali e una percezione favorevole della sua utilità. Trattandosi di una applicazione creata per supportare l’apprendimento, gli sviluppi futuri includono una valutazione più ampia e a lungo termine del suo impatto educativo. I risultati sono stati presentati come “full paper” a una conferenza internazionale.For decades, Mixed Reality (MR) has been gaining attention across various sectors, particularly in the realm of education. Its primary objective is to replicate objects and experiences that may be difficult, hazardous, or simply unattainable within the confines of a traditional classroom, like machinery, archeological remains, anatomy. . . Interestingly, while the development of 3D content has flourished, there has been a noticeable lack of parallel emphasis on the educational activities that, when combined with this content, create a comprehensive educational experience. This thesis work is part of a larger project called Mixed Reality in Education (MIRE), by Vodafone Italy, a company (FifthIngenium), HOC-LAB at Polimi, and a group of Alta Scuola Politecnica (ASP). MIRE aims to bridge this gap, by exploring the development of educational activities in MR, with a specific emphasis on supporting groups engaged in collaborative projects. The specific focus of this thesis work has been the design, implementation, and testing of one of the activities within his scenario: collaborative brainstorming. Functional requirements stipulate that the application should support discussions among multiple individuals (students) with a moderator (the instructor). As such, an application based on the concept of a "word cloud" was developed, where discussed elements are connected to spheres, with their relative size indicating the degree of agreement with that concept among participants. The application was implemented in Unity and deployed on several MR devices available in the market. The Word Cloud activity underwent usability and perceived effectiveness testing in two real-world contexts. Notably, the latest round of testing involved students and teachers in a real school context. The test results, in addition to confirming the usability of the application, indicated a positive reception by the intended users and a favorable perception of its utility. Since it’s an application designed to support learning, future developments include a broader and longer-term assessment of its educational impact. The results of the project were published as full paper at a major international conference

Methodologies for non-linear dynamic simulations in product development

In this thesis the efficient numerical simulation of non-linear dynamic systems is addressed through the use of reduced models. The problem of reducing simulation time with marginal loss of accuracy has been studied for many decades, with the purpose of accelerating the design phase and allowing the use of more accurate virtual prototypes. The process of transforming an original model and describing a complex physical system into a less computational demanding one, is generically defined as model order reduction or model reduction. The resulting model is therefore known as reduced model. Despite decades of attempts and several successfully applied methods, this topic still represents an open point, especially for what concerns complex non-linear systems. The aim of this thesis is to develop methodologies which exploit the linear modal analysis as a reliable and consolidated tool in reducing the computational cost of non-linear systems. Formulations which retains the non-linear behaviour while exploiting well established linear analyses are sought. Non-linearities in non-linear systems can then be retained or linearised around linearisation points. After a review of the literature, in Chapter 2, both approaches are examined. First, a reduced model which dedefines the non-linearities in a cubic form is implemented (Chapter 3). Then, a novel reduction method based on the linearisation in the configurations space is proposed in Chapter 4 and 5. Chapter 4 discusses the linearisation procedure, with the use of a specific base for each linearisation point, so that the non-linear system is globally approximated by a piecewise linear system, described through a set of linear ones. Interactions between them are then used to retain the non-linear properties, with the local linearised systems named subsystems. The reduction of the model is discussed in Chapter 5, with a focus on the mode selection procedure in generating reduced linear subsystems, while in Chapter 6, after an application to a simple lumped system, two categories of examples are proposed, defining two possible interaction methods regarding the set of subsystems. In the first category a discrete interaction is used, with a subsystem replacing the previous one, while in the second category a continuous interaction is implemented, with more reduced linear subsystems evolving simultaneously. For each category single and multi-parameters examples are proposed, with an analysis of the performance included. The method discussed in Chapter 3 is implemented, developing a non-linear beam element and testing the reduction on both numerical and experimental cases. Good agreement in reproducing the reference data is proven for the considered examples. The novel method developed in Chapter 4 and 5 is described, discussed and applied to several numerical examples. This method proves effective in reducing the computational time while maintaining a good approximation. An energy-based mode selection algorithm is introduced and applied, showing positive effects on the model reduction method performance

Dibattito su Storie di imprese

Storie di imprese (TAO Digital Library, 2010), dedicated to the organizational transformations of five enterprises (Fiat Auto, Finmeccanica, Ciba Specialty chemicals, Zurich, Poste Italiane) during the 2000-2010 decade, stimulated a wide debate. This publication, which collects the commentaries and discussions of three seminar that took place in different Universities with the participation of scholars from different disciplines, continues the reflection about the crucial question: How do enterprises change

Hosting, producing and brokering: How collaborative spaces engage with local innovation ecosystems

In recent years, we have witnessed a proliferation of settings reflecting a culture of collaboration and openness, such as coworking spaces, incubators/accelerators, makerspaces, and creative hubs. Such settings are labeled as “collaborative spaces”, as they are expected to facilitate collaborative relationships both among their users and with external actors, thus favoring creativity and innovation at the individual, organizational, and territorial level. Recent studies recognize that collaborative spaces sustain collaboration among multiple local actors and, thus, favor open and participative innovation processes. However, the question of how collaborative spaces engage with their local innovation ecosystem is still left pending. The present study aims to fill this gap. Drawing on an interpretive review and a qualitative multiple case study, our paper identifies three forms of engagement - i.e., “hosting”, “producing”, and “brokering” - that can be enacted by collaborative spaces through a complex set of specific actions. We suggest that brokering embraces and enables both hosting and producing to activate a “virtuous cycle” that couples inbound and outbound innovation processes, as the hosting of external actors (and externally produced activities) favors the production of activities by and within collaborative spaces, after which these activities are projected outward, and so forth

Modélisation électromagnétique 3D d'inducteurs multibrins - Développement d'une méthode intégrale parallélisée

In order to enable to use high frequencies in the domain of the industrialinductive heating, the use of multi-wires inductors is considered. But, lossesoccurring into that inductors can be important and strongly depend on their complexinternal geometry. To facilitate the design of lossless multi-wires inductors, it isnecessary to under stand their electromagnetic behavior. In this thesis, we presentthe development of a software of parallel computation intended to the 3D electromagneticmodeling of multi-wires inductors. We describe an original method ofbuilding of the geometry of that inductors. This software is based on an integralmethod in which the meshing of spaces between the wires is unnecessary. The useof parallel computing is one of the great forces of this software. The studies werealized show the impact of the geometry on the behavior of that type of inductor.Afin de permettre l’utilisation de hautes fréquences dans le domainedu chauffage par induction industriel, l’emploi d’inducteurs multibrins est envisagé.Or, les pertes occasionnées dans ces inducteurs peuvent être importantes etdépendent fortement de leur géométrie interne qui est complexe. Pour faciliter laconception d’inducteurs multibrins à faibles pertes, il est nécessaire d’en comprendrele comportement électromagnétique. Dans cette thèse, nous présentons ledéveloppement d’un logiciel de calcul parallèle dévolu à la modélisation électromagnétique3D d’inducteurs multibrins. Nous décrivons une méthode originale deconstruction de la géométrie des inducteurs. Ce logiciel est basé sur une méthodenumérique de type intégrale ayant l’avantage de ne pas nécessiter le maillage desespaces entre les brins. L’emploi du calcul parallèle est une des grandes forces de celogiciel. Les études réalisées montrent l’impact de la géométrie sur le comportementde ce type d’inducteur

Employee attitudes and (Digital) collaboration data: a preliminary analysis in the HRM field

The digital transformation of organizations is making workplace collaboration more and more powerful and work always "observable"; however, the informational and managerial potential of the generated data is still largely unutilized in Human Resource Management (HRM). Our research, conducted in collaboration with business engineers and economists, aims at exploring the relationship between digital work behaviors and employee attitudes. This paper is a work-in-progress contribution that presents a preliminary phase of data analysis we performed on a collection of Enterprise Collaboration Software (ECS) data. In the exploratory data analysis step, we analyze data in their original table format and elaborate it according to the user who performed the action and the performed action. Then, we move to a graph representation in order to make explicit the interaction between users and the objects of their actions. Finally, we introduce the concept of employee-attitude-oriented pattern as a mean to derive significant views over the overall graph and discuss Social Network Analysis (SNA) approaches that can be exploited for our purposes

Fellatio in ore: ¿"un supuesto de ‘violación"?, ¿una interpretación que viola el principio de legalidad?

Existe unanimidad en la doctrina al sostener que el principal objetivo de la reforma introducida por la ley 25.087, ha sido el de incluir dentro de la figura de la violación al sexo oral, mas, mayoritariamente se ha dicho que el modo elegido a tal fin no ha sido el correcto, pues sólo se ha conseguido al agregar la frase “cualquier vía”, introducir incertidumbre y mayor amplitud en la posibilidad de interpretación por parte de quienes deben aplicar las normas penales.Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociale

Managing boundaries between work and non-work domains in a coworking space

Even though CWs are believed to promote work-life balance (Kojo & Nenonen, 2014) there is still little knowledge about exactly how this happens (Smékalovà et al., 2022). This paper is an attempt to overcome this gap, by observing how freelancers, who usually work from home (especially in the first steps of their career) or detached from traditional organizational workspaces, and employees who may work remotely manage the different boundaries (e.g., physical/spatial, temporal, social, mental) between work and non-wok domains through their experience in a CW space. The paper is based on a case study conducted in a CW space that has been recently established in a community center located in a very distinctive neighborhood near the historic center of a medium-size city in North Italy. Preliminary results suggest that both freelancers and employees leverage on the distinctive characteristics of the CW space to engage in a boundary work aimed at managing the boundaries between their work and non-work. However, while freelance manage their boundaries basically to find in the CW space a surrogate of a traditional organizational workspace but looking for an integration between the work and the non-work spheres of their life, remote workers manage a boundary work aimed to overcome the limits of working exclusively from the employer or from home but maintaining the separation between work and non-work domains. In this different boundary work the urban area in which the CW space is located and policies by local institutions play a crucial role

Fellatio in ore: ¿"un supuesto de ‘violación"?, ¿una interpretación que viola el principio de legalidad?

Existe unanimidad en la doctrina al sostener que el principal objetivo de la reforma introducida por la ley 25.087, ha sido el de incluir dentro de la figura de la violación al sexo oral, mas, mayoritariamente se ha dicho que el modo elegido a tal fin no ha sido el correcto, pues sólo se ha conseguido al agregar la frase “cualquier vía”, introducir incertidumbre y mayor amplitud en la posibilidad de interpretación por parte de quienes deben aplicar las normas penales.Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociale

Dubbi di una docente di organizzazione aziendale

Il volume 'Storie di imprese' (TAO Digital Library, 2013), dedicato alle trasformazioni organizzative di cinque imprese (Fiat Auto, Finmeccanica, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Zurich, Poste Italiane) durante la decade 2000-2010, ha stimolato un ampio dibattito. In questa pubblicazione, che colleziona i commenti e le discussioni di tre seminari che hanno avuto luogo in tre diverse universit\ue0 con la partecipazione di studiosi di differnti discipine, continua la riflessione su un tema cruciale: come cambiano le imprese? Il contribuo di Annachiara Scapolan, in particolare, manifesta le perplessit\ue0 di una giovane docente di organizzazione aziendale di fronte a un testo, Storie di imprese, che si pone in contraddizione con le tesi sostenute dai manuali della disciplina, propone casi costruiti e utilizzati in modi assai diversi dal tradizionale modello harvardiano, e invita a interpretarli secondo diverse prospettive teoriche che presuppongono contrapposte visioni del mondo