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Taif University using ClearOne Beamforming microphone arrays to improve distance learning

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Driven by a variety of market forces, distance learning is becoming more and more of a mainstay at institutions of higher education around the world, including Taif University in Saudi Arabia, which recently completed a major upgrade of its audio capabilities in partnership with Smart Cities Technologies (SCT) and ClearOne, a global market leader enabling conferencing, collaboration, and network streaming solutions.

“When it comes to distance learning at a Taif, instructors use video conferencing in the lecture halls to collaborate with the undergraduate and graduate student population of Taif University’s women’s campus,” explained Moath M Yousef, senior audiovisual pre-sales and product manager of SCT. “And university staff members were facing many problems with the audio, mainly echo and disconnection issues.”

In addition, according to Yousef, classes with many students found it very difficult to constantly move the microphone between participants for the far end of the room to clearly hear questions and discussions. In fact, these video collaboration classes often required dedicated supervisors to be present to move the microphones between participants to ensure that classes would run smoothly. [Read more…] about Taif University using ClearOne Beamforming microphone arrays to improve distance learning

Wayve raises $200 million to accelerate development of ‘next wave of autonomous vehicles’

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Wayve, a UK-based start-up reimagining autonomous mobility through embodied intelligence, announced today its $200 million Series B backed by a prominent group of global financial and strategic investors.

This latest round of funding brings total equity raised to over $258 million since inception and reinforces Wayve’s position as a leader in autonomous driving, pioneering an artificial intelligence led approach to autonomous vehicles on a global scale.

Eclipse Ventures, long-time supporter of Wayve, led the round with participation from new global financial investors. [Read more…] about Wayve raises $200 million to accelerate development of ‘next wave of autonomous vehicles’

Remembering faces and names can be improved during sleep

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For those who rarely forget a face, but struggle with names, the remedy for boosting learning may as near as your pillow.

New research by Northwestern University is the first to document the effect reactivating memory during sleep has on face-name learning.

The researchers found that people’s name recall improved significantly when memories of newly learned face-name associations were reactivated while they were napping. Key to this improvement was uninterrupted deep sleep. [Read more…] about Remembering faces and names can be improved during sleep

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    Positive outlook predicts less memory declineWe may wish some memories could last a lifetime, but many physical and emotional factors can negatively impact our ability to retain information throughout life. A new study published in the journal Psychological Science found that people who feel enthusiastic and cheerful – what psychologists call "positive affect" – are less…
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  • Experiences of loneliness may differ by age
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    Experiences of loneliness may differ by ageLoneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.   The research concludes that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to reducing loneliness, as factors associated with it, such as contact with friends and family, perceived…
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  • Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder
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    Empathy may be in the eye of the beholderEmpathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent. We encourage empathy for those inflicted with Covid-19 and those struggling with unemployment. We reminisce about the…
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How birds, mammals and children learn sounds

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Alex the grey parrot, who famously asked “what color?” when looking in the mirror, had astonishing abilities to mimic human speech.

Interest in the ability of animals to learn sounds dates back thousands of years. Research on this ability, known as vocal learning, can shed light on the evolution of communication and human speech and language.

According to MPI’s Sonja Vernes, “comparative work investigating this trait across different types of animals is particularly important”. [Read more…] about How birds, mammals and children learn sounds

Learning foreign languages can affect the processing of music in the brain

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Research has shown that a music-related hobby boosts language skills and affects the processing of speech in the brain. According to a new study, the reverse also happens – learning foreign languages can affect the processing of music in the brain.

Research Director Mari Tervaniemi from the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Educational Sciences investigated, in cooperation with researchers from the Beijing Normal University (BNU) and the University of Turku, the link in the brain between language acquisition and music processing in Chinese elementary school pupils aged 8-11 by monitoring, for one school year, children who attended a music training programme and a similar programme for the English language.

Brain responses associated with auditory processing were measured in the children before and after the programmes. Tervaniemi compared the results to those of children who attended other training programmes.

“The results demonstrated that both the music and the language programme had an impact on the neural processing of auditory signals,” Tervaniemi says. [Read more…] about Learning foreign languages can affect the processing of music in the brain

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  • Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain
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    Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brainAn enhanced learning environment during the first five years of life shapes the brain in ways that are apparent four decades later, say Virginia Tech and University of Pennsylvania scientists writing in the June edition of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. The researchers used structural brain imaging to detect the developmental…
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  • Measurable changes observed in brain activity during first few months of studying a new language
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    Measurable changes observed in brain activity during first few months of studying a new languageA study with first-time learners of Japanese has measured how brain activity changes after just a few months of studying a new language. The results show that acquiring a new language initially boosts brain activity, which then reduces as language skills improve. "In the first few months, you can quantitatively…
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Deep learning model classifies brain tumors with single MRI scan

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A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have developed a deep learning model that is capable of classifying a brain tumor as one of six common types using a single 3D MRI scan, according to a study published in Radiology: Artificial Intelligence.

“This is the first study to address the most common intracranial tumors and to directly determine the tumor class or the absence of tumor from a 3D MRI volume,” said Satrajit Chakrabarty, M.S., a doctoral student under the direction of Aristeidis Sotiras, Ph.D., and Daniel Marcus, Ph.D., in Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology’s Computational Imaging Lab at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. [Read more…] about Deep learning model classifies brain tumors with single MRI scan

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Improved prediction of Indian Monsoon onset three months in advance using machine learning

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The onset of the Indian summer monsoon has been predicted three months ahead for the last 40 years with the highest precision up until today.

The result indicates longer seasonal forecasts based on machine learning may be a way to mitigate the consequences of an erratic monsoon system under future global warming.

Dr. Takahito Mitsui and Dr. Niklas Boers of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK Potsdam), Germany, published the results in Environmental Research Letters. The work is part of the European TiPES project, Coordinated from The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark and PIK Potsdam. [Read more…] about Improved prediction of Indian Monsoon onset three months in advance using machine learning

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Introducing play to higher education reduces stress and forms deeper connection material

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A new study found higher education students are more engaged and motivated when they are taught using playful pedagogy rather than the traditional lecture-based method.

The study was conducted by University of Colorado Denver counseling researcher Lisa Forbes and was published in the Journal of Teaching and Learning.

While many educators in higher education believe play is a method that is solely used for elementary education, Forbes argues that play is important in post-secondary education to enhance student learning outcomes. [Read more…] about Introducing play to higher education reduces stress and forms deeper connection material

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Study shows how taking short breaks may help our brains learn new skills

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In a study of healthy volunteers, National Institutes of Health researchers have mapped out the brain activity that flows when we learn a new skill, such as playing a new song on the piano, and discovered why taking short breaks from practice is a key to learning.

The researchers found that during rest the volunteers’ brains rapidly and repeatedly replayed faster versions of the activity seen while they practiced typing a code.

The more a volunteer replayed the activity the better they performed during subsequent practice sessions, suggesting rest strengthened memories. [Read more…] about Study shows how taking short breaks may help our brains learn new skills

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Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain

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An enhanced learning environment during the first five years of life shapes the brain in ways that are apparent four decades later, say Virginia Tech and University of Pennsylvania scientists writing in the June edition of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

The researchers used structural brain imaging to detect the developmental effects of linguistic and cognitive stimulation starting at six weeks of age in infants.

The influence of an enriched environment on brain structure had formerly been demonstrated in animal studies, but this is the first experimental study to find a similar result in humans. [Read more…] about Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain

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