Validation and Psychometric Analysis of 32 cognitive item models spanning Grades 1 to 7 in the mathematical domain of numbers & operations

Scientific Conference (2022, November)

Today’s educational field has a tremendous hunger for valid and psychometrically sound items to reliably track and model students’ learning processes. Educational large-scale assessments, formative ... [more ▼]

Today’s educational field has a tremendous hunger for valid and psychometrically sound items to reliably track and model students’ learning processes. Educational large-scale assessments, formative classroom assessment, and lately, digital learning platforms require a constant stream of high-quality, and unbiased items. However, traditional development of test items ties up a significant amount of time from subject matter experts, pedagogues and psychometricians and might not be suited anymore to nowadays demands. Salvation is sought in automatic item generation (AIG) which provides the possibility of generating multiple items within a short period of time based on the development of cognitively sound item templates by using algorithms (Gierl & Haladyna, 2013; Gierl et al., 2015). The present study psychometrically analyses 35 cognitive item models that were developed by a team of national subject matter experts and psychometricians and then used for algorithmically producing items for the mathematical domain of numbers & shapes for Grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the Luxembourgish school system. Each item model was administered in 6 experimentally varied versions to investigate the impact of a) the context the mathematical problem was presented in, and b) problem characteristics which cognitive psychology identified to influence the problem solving process. Based on samples from Grade 1 (n = 5963), Grade 3 (n = 5527), Grade 5 (n = 5291), and Grade 7 (n = 3018) collected within the annual Épreuves standardisées, this design allows for evaluating whether psychometric characteristics of produced items per model are a) stable, b) can be predicted by problem characteristics, and c) are unbiased towards subgroups of students (known to be disadvantaged in the Luxembourgish school system). After item calibration using the 1-PL model, each cognitive model was analyzed in-depth by descriptive comparisons of resulting IRT parameters, and the estimation of manipulated problem characteristics’ impact on item difficulty by using the linear logistic test model (LLTM, Fischer, 1972). Results are truly promising and show negligible effects of different problem contexts on item difficulty and reasonably stable effects of altered problem characteristics. Thus, the majority of developed cognitive models could be used to generate a huge number of items (> 10.000.000) for the domain of numbers & operations with known psychometric properties without the need for expensive field-trials. We end with discussing lessons learned from item difficulty prediction per model and highlighting differences between the Grades. References: Fischer, G. H. (1973). The linear logistic test model as an instrument in educational research. Acta Psychologica, 36, 359-374. Gierl, M. J., & Haladyna, T. M. (Eds.). (2013). Automatic item generation: Theory and practice. New York, NY: Routledge. Gierl, M. J., Lai, H., Hogan, J., & Matovinovic, D. (2015). A Method for Generating Educational Test Items That Are Aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Journal of Applied Testing Technology, 16(1), 1–18. [less ▲]

Development of a test battery to diagnose specific learning disorder in mathematics in a multilingual education context

Scientific Conference (2022, November)

MO-Gym: A Library of Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning Environments

Scientific Conference (2022, November)

Experimentelle Bewertung der Spannungen und der zugehörigen Implantate bei anterioren Beckenfrakturen vom Typ I

Scientific Conference (2022, October 28)

Advertising media artifacts and their impact in the French youth magazine “Salut les Copains” (1960s)

Scientific Conference (2022, October 21)

“Small is impactful”. Memes and Politics

Scientific Conference (2022, October 20)

From the Hampster Dance and the Dancing Baby in the second half of the 1990s to the hijacking meme of Bernie and his mittens at the US presidential inauguration or the images of the Evergreen blocked in ... [more ▼]

From the Hampster Dance and the Dancing Baby in the second half of the 1990s to the hijacking meme of Bernie and his mittens at the US presidential inauguration or the images of the Evergreen blocked in the Suez Canal, memes have become in the last twenty years an important part of our digital cultures (Shifman, 2014), whose often absurd, playful, corrosive and viral character cannot hide also multiple political dimensions. To the question "Do Memes have politics", to paraphrase Langdon Winner (1980), the answer is undoubtedly yes and this presentation aims to analyse the many levels of politics and agencies at stake when studying memes and their impact, in terms of digital cultures, governance, curation, sharing (John, 2017), appropriation by several communities, but also writing of their history. The first part of the presentation unfolded several levels of politics, starting with the most obvious (memes address political aspects, see for example Denisova, 2019 or Askanius and Keller, 2021) to the more hidden levels (politics of meme generators, of heritagization platform like Know your Meme (Pettis, 2021), of curation …). Relying on a diachronic approach, from the Godwin Law to Distracted Boyfriend, through Leave Britney Alone, this part aimed to address both complementary sides of these Internet phenomena: memes as political forms and politics of memes, while underlying some economic, gendered, affective dimensions which are part of their impact. We then examined the consequences of the notion of “impact” and “politics” for the shaping of an history of memes, which is at stake in the Hivi (A history of online virality) project, we are currently conducting, may it be in terms of sources, methods (“scalable” and “medium” reading), or topics (notably claiming for a study of circulation and flow (Jenkins, 2009), of processes, of participation (Milner, 2018) and appropriation, beyond a sole semiotic approach of memes). References Tina Askanius, Nadine Keller, “Murder fantasies in memes: fascist aesthetics of death threats and the banalization of white supremacist violence”, Information, Communication & Society, 2021, vol. 0, n° 0, p. 1 18. Anastasia Denisova, Internet memes and society: social, cultural, and political contexts, New York, Routledge, 2019. Nicholas A. John, The age of sharing, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2017. Henry Jenkins, If It Doesn’t Spread, It’s Dead (Part One): Media Viruses and Memes, 2009 (http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2009/02/if_it_doesnt_spread_its_dead_p.html). Ryan Milner, The world made meme: Public conversations and participatory media, Cambridge MA, The MIT Press, 2018. Ben Tadayoshi Pettis, “Know your Meme and the Homogeneization of Web History”, Internet Histories, 2021 (to be soon published). Limor Shifman, Memes in digital culture, Cambridge MA, The MIT Press, 2014. Langdon Winner, “Do artifacts have politics ?”, Daedalus, vol. 109, n°1, 1980, p. 121-136. [less ▲]

Introductory Words of Conference: Voices from the War – Path to Peace: Ukrainian and international insights

Scientific Conference (2022, October 20)

“Challenge accepted”. The many sources to catch the history of virality and memes

Scientific Conference (2022, October 20)

Gifs and memes (Kaplan and Nova, 2016), “buzz” on the Web and social networks are inherent to digital cultures since the very first steps of the Web (i.e., Godwin’s Law, Dancing babies, Hamster Dance, cf ... [more ▼]

Gifs and memes (Kaplan and Nova, 2016), “buzz” on the Web and social networks are inherent to digital cultures since the very first steps of the Web (i.e., Godwin’s Law, Dancing babies, Hamster Dance, cf. McGrath, 2019). Virality has developed and changed over time, may it be related to forms (macro images, videos, etc.) and platforms (YouTube, 4Chan, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), audiences, curation and dissemination (with features encouraging spreadability within social platforms), etc., while relying on some patterns that were identified by Shifman (2014), Milner (2018), Jenkins (2009) and others. However, history and diachronic approaches still remain underrepresented in studies of online virality, although Finn Brunton’s Spam, Jason Eppink’s visual history of gifs (2014), or the Memes entry in The Sage Handbook of Web History (McGrath, 2019) can be mentioned. Historicizing virality through times, spaces and platforms is at the heart of the Hivi project at C2DH, University of Luxembourg (https://hivi.uni.lu). While starting to historicize these “Internet phenomena”, may it be Numa Numa Guy, Leave Britney Alone, Grumpy Cat, the Harlem Shake, Distracted Boyfriends, etc., challenges related to sources become more and more obvious: researchers have to deal with ephemerality as well as data overload, with several spaces of heritagization on the live and archived web, with gaps, silences and noises, issues of searchability in web archives, etc. This presentation focused on a case study, the Harlem Shake, to first demonstrate the variety of sources and spaces (physical and digital) that may be used to retrieve and rebuild this phenomenon (i.e., press, audiovisual content, archived web in several institutions, live web and platforms, etc.). It then presented the challenges related to this kind of reconstruction that is also strongly intertwining vernacular and commercial cultures; sound, video, textual contents; local as well as international spaces, etc. [less ▲]

Retrieve me if you can... Women and COVID through Web archives

Scientific Conference (2022, October 18)

The COVID crisis has been a shared worldwide and collective experience from March 2020 and lot of voices have echoed each other, may it be related to grief, lockdown, masks and vaccines, homeschooling ... [more ▼]

The COVID crisis has been a shared worldwide and collective experience from March 2020 and lot of voices have echoed each other, may it be related to grief, lockdown, masks and vaccines, homeschooling, etc. However, this unprecedented crisis has also deepened asymmetries and failures within societies, in terms of occupational fields, economic inequalities, health and sanitary access, and we could extend the inventory of these hidden and more visible gaps that were reinforced during the crisis. Women and gender were also at stake when it came to this sanitary crisis, may it be to discuss the better management of the crisis by female politicians, domestic violence during the lockdown, decreasing production of papers by female research scientists, homeschooling and mental load of women, etc. In December 2021, our AWAC2 team submitted several topics to the IIPC (International Internet Preservation Consortium) community and invited the international organization to select one of them that the team would investigate in depth, based on the unique IIPC Covid collection of web archives. Women, gender and COVID was the winning topic. As a cohort team within the AUT (Archives Unleashed Team) program, the AWAC2 team benefited from a privileged access to this collection, thanks to Archive-It and through ARCH, and from regular mentorship by the AUT team. It allowed us to investigate and analyse this huge collection of 5.3 TB, 161 757 lines for the CSV on domain frequency CSV, 8,738,751 lines for the CSV related to plain text of web pages. Accepting the challenge, the AWAC2 team organized a datathon in March 2022 in Luxembourg to investigate and retrieve the many traces of women, gender and COVID in web archives, while mixing close and distant reading. This panel, chaired by Valérie Schafer, aimed to present this research, entwining technical, epistemological, and methodological issues and challenges with our results. Valérie Schafer began the panel by presenting an overview of the project, including a presentation of the IIPC corpus, of the AUT cohort program and of the research topic. Karin de Wild and Joshgun Sirajzade presented the AUT tools and interfaces, the technical challenges of the corpus, the choices we made (and notably with regards to multilingualism) as well as the tools and methodologies that were used. Finally, Susan Aasman and Sophie Gebeil presented some results and challenges of this research. [less ▲]

Let’s talk about web archiving … three institutions, many possibilities

Scientific Conference (2022, October 18)

This presentation focused on three oral interviews I conducted during the COVID crisis, respectively with the BnL (Bibliothèque nationale du Luxembourg, Els, 2020) in Luxembourg and with INA (Institut ... [more ▼]

This presentation focused on three oral interviews I conducted during the COVID crisis, respectively with the BnL (Bibliothèque nationale du Luxembourg, Els, 2020) in Luxembourg and with INA (Institut national de l’audiovisuel, Schafer, 2020b) and BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gebeil et al., 2020) in France, to document their web archiving practices and choices during the pandemic. Oral histories not only document the collections and often hidden practices of crawling, selecting, curating and preserving data. They also provide a lot of information on living collections, on the challenges at stake and on human participation in this process. It also enlightens values and governance of web archives and web archiving practices (Schafer and Winters, 2021). Moreover, documenting web archiving is necessary for the current and future work of researchers and may help them to better understand their datasets, the representativeness of collections, bias and limits as well as the strengths of these web archives. Our presentation first compared the practices in the three institutions we selected as case studies for this presentation, in terms of perimeters, curation, stakeholders, targets - INA being a specific case as it focused more precisely on Twitter and retrieved data from the Twitter API, while the BnL and BnF targeted websites more widely (and some social networks but in a less systematic way). We also explained how these oral histories may help to better understand the shaping of web archives. We finally gave several concrete examples of the usefulness of this material for researchers who conduct research on web archives, and more specifically on the COVID crisis, in terms of transnational approaches, and silences and noises in web archives (Brügger, 2018), etc. [less ▲]

Literacy mit Kleinkindern mit Erzieher*Innen und Eltern in Kindertagestätten

Scientific Conference (2022, October 14)

In 2017 führte Luxemburg ein mehrsprachiges Programm in der frühkindlichen Bildung ein: kleine Kinder lernen Luxemburgisch und machen sich mit Französisch vertraut, außerdem werden ihre Familiensprachen ... [more ▼]

In 2017 führte Luxemburg ein mehrsprachiges Programm in der frühkindlichen Bildung ein: kleine Kinder lernen Luxemburgisch und machen sich mit Französisch vertraut, außerdem werden ihre Familiensprachen wertgeschätzt. Literacy Aktivitäten in mehreren Sprachen sowie eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern sollen dies gewährleisten. Eine Umfrage sowie Beobachtungen im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts „Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern und Multiliteracies“ (COMPARE) zeigen, dass viele Erzieher*Innen Kindern in mehreren Sprachen vorlesen, dass die Qualität der Interaktionen aber sehr unterschiedlich ist. Eine Umfrage mit Eltern verdeutlicht zudem, dass etwa die Hälfte der Teilnehmer ihren Kindern in der Familiensprachen vorlasen. Dieser Beitrag wird Einblicke in die ersten Ergebnisse der Studie COMPARE geben mit besonderem Fokus auf die Literacy Aktivitäten, die Eltern gemeinsam mit Erzieher*Innen in drei Kindertagesstätten in 2020-2021 durchführten. Wir zeigen, dass die gemeinsamen Aktivitäten mit den Eltern zur Entwicklung von Multiliteracy Praktiken und der Wertschätzung von Familiensprachen führen kann, wenn die Erzieher*Innen ein gutes Verständnis von Literacy haben, in Bildungspartnerschaften investieren und sich Sprachhierarchien bewusst sind. [less ▲]

Nvidia Omniverse for Active Space Debris Removal Missions, an Overview

Scientific Conference (2022, October 13)

Earth orbits have an increasingly worrying space debris pollution problem caused by millions of human-made objects left in space. These are becoming a hazard for current and future space missions. Many ... [more ▼]

Earth orbits have an increasingly worrying space debris pollution problem caused by millions of human-made objects left in space. These are becoming a hazard for current and future space missions. Many solutions to deal with space debris problems have been proposed, including Active Space Debris Removal (ASDR) methods. In this thriving field, various technologies are under development, among them, systems based on tethers, nets, lasers, or robotic arms can be found. However, testing such systems on earth is challenging, recreating space-like conditions, such as accurate contact dynamics under microgravity, is particularly difficult. Nonetheless, it is of paramount importance to offer testing environments for clean space technologies, as space is unforgiving, and space devices must go through thorough evaluation processes to ensure peak efficiency. The HELEN project aims at fulfilling this very need. Building on one of the most advanced simulation frameworks, it will provide photo-realistic rendering, an accurate physical simulation of the space environment, and eventually, through Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL), simulation of microgravity in ground facilities. This project is the result of the collaboration between SpaceR (University of Luxembourg), and Spacety (Industry). This simulation will be used to test FlexeS, an ASDR capturing system, which is under development. In HELEN, the accuracy of the physics is particularly important, as FlexeS will be validated through simulated HIL scenarios. Hence, a lifelike depiction of the microgravity environment, as well as the collisions, is critical. Moreover, to intercept and grab the debris FlexeS will rely on computer vision algorithms, thus photo-realistic graphics, allowing for lifelike visualizations are required. Furthermore, for future HIL testing, the ROS bridge and real-time communication capacity are crucial to connect the virtual world with the Zero-G robotic facility of the University of Luxembourg. In such a manner, FlexeS will be visualized in the space surroundings while simultaneously undergoing hardware experiments. With all these constraints in mind, Nvidia's Issac Sim was selected to create on-orbit dynamic scenarios. It not only meets all the requirements above but also provides a variety of sensors. Consequently, HELEN is creating on-orbit simulations featuring a CubeSat embedded with FlexeS, and debris circling the Earth. The scenarios showcase the digital twin of the capturing system intercepting debris, corresponding to the approaching phase in ASDR missions. Visually speaking, the RTX render engine allows for photo-realistic image generation. Regarding the motion of these objects, force-based astrodynamics is implemented into the simulation following the gravitational equation. Faithful velocities, position, and contacts are inferred by Nvidia's physics engine, PhysX. Scaled real-life values are used for the mass, as well as the orbital velocity and altitude. Thus, accurate simulations of contact dynamics between the system and the debris can be achieved. In the future, using a ROS bridge, the simulation will be connected to the HIL testing system of the Zero-G facility, amounting to a wholesome ASDR testing framework. Overall, the realistic simulations created with Isaac Sim are promising for analyzing clean space technologies. They combine photo-realistic scenes, accurate physics, and in the future, a means to test real hardware systems. [less ▲]

Concept of an Active Debris Removal 2-step capturing system for small satellites in Low Earth Orbit

Scientific Conference (2022, October 12)

Space debris brings up two main critical issues: not only a non-sustainable space environment for satellite missions, with orbit saturation, but also the creation of an unsafe place for human-related ... [more ▼]

Space debris brings up two main critical issues: not only a non-sustainable space environment for satellite missions, with orbit saturation, but also the creation of an unsafe place for human-related space missions. Despite being extremely challenging, catching autonomously and harmlessly an uncooperative object tumbling at high velocity demand reliability, compliance, and robustness. Grasping an object in microgravity means having control during the impact, but also keeping the link between the chaser satellite and the debris secure enough to handle the deorbiting phase. Supposing that the GNC installed tackles the synchronization with the debris rotation, so that only a linear translation is necessary to capture, three main problems can occur. The first problem can occur at the impact between the servicer and the debris. Due to the motion-reaction law, the debris could be pushed away if the capturing system does not prevent that motion. Besides, a high stiffness of the system, added to an unexpected strong impact, could damage either the servicer and/or the debris, resulting in a mission failure. Moreover, the need for a secure attach is required to go-on with the deorbit phase without losing the debris. That’s why, thanks to the fruitful collaboration between industry and academia (Spacety Luxembourg - SpaceR research group at the University of Luxembourg), a cutting-edge concept of a two-step capturing mechanism is being designed. Data analysis of trackable objects in LEO reveals an abundant number of CubeSat-shaped satellites, that future constellations might also take advantage of. Consequently, the concept presented is focusing on capturing these, at their end of life. A first ‘soft capture’ ensures that the debris is received softly while dampening any vibrations generated. A gecko-inspired adhesive surface will first receive the debris, preventing it from being pushed away. The property of such dry adhesive is that they do not require a high preload to stick to the surface, while having a very strong adhesion. To absorb most of the vibrations or movements due to the first impact, a compliant mechanism will be integrated behind the adhesive part. To that extent, if the alignment is not perfect, the system has some degrees of freedom, so that no damage can be generated. This compliant and sticky system would prevent the first main two issues of capturing an uncooperative target in microgravity. Then, a ‘hard capture’ secures the debris so that it would be deorbited without being released on the way. This part of the system would either gently squeeze the debris, using controlled adhesive flexible arms, or encircle it, and would be designed in compliance of ESA guidelines for demise. A two-step capturing mechanism is here proposed, taking advantage of bio-inspired dry adhesive technology, and compliant mechanisms, while having ESA guidelines in mind. Bringing the advantage of removing a vast range of objects in orbit, it also allows a reliable capturing, removing risks of generating more debris. Later works would bring attention to architecture that would fit more than a box shape. [less ▲]

3D Modelling for AR and 3D printing in Teacher Training

Scientific Conference (2022, October 07)

School activities integrating students’ environments into teaching aim to develop skills and strategies to solve problems in real-world situations and can be useful in hybrid teaching. Such activities can ... [more ▼]

School activities integrating students’ environments into teaching aim to develop skills and strategies to solve problems in real-world situations and can be useful in hybrid teaching. Such activities can encourage and motivate exploring skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Hybrid teaching usually uses technologies and connects virtual and physical worlds. We use technologies like 3D modelling for Augmented Reality (AR) or 3D printing with GeoGebra and created an exercise introducing them in a lecture for pre-service mathematics students. The exercise combines the possibility to introduce these technologies, can be used in hybrid teaching and connects to the Austrian mathematics curriculum. The exercise consists of 3D modelling mathematical mazes that can be explored using AR on handheld devices and can also be 3D printed. We used it in online, offline and hybrid scenarios with pre- and in-service teachers and will show resulting presentations of teacher projects. [less ▲]

Augmented Reality in primary education: New learning opportunities for students with learning difficulties in mathematics education

Scientific Conference (2022, October 06)

Although there are manifold connections between mathematics, foremost geometry, and the real-world (e.g., architecture, arts, functional objects), integration seldom happens in daily learning lessons in ... [more ▼]

Although there are manifold connections between mathematics, foremost geometry, and the real-world (e.g., architecture, arts, functional objects), integration seldom happens in daily learning lessons in mathematics primary education. Learning three-dimensional geometric shapes, for example, is mainly done in a two-dimensional setting using textbooks instead of three-dimensional settings using technology or didactical material. This circumstance, however, makes it far more difficult for students with learning difficulties in mathematics to understand mathematical properties, recognize shapes in the real world, and understand the possibilities of modulating shapes. Students with learning difficulties learn efficient strategies to apply mathematics to their environment when shapes and connections are visualized with Augmented Reality within the real world. Based on several experiences and studies, we will present and discuss learning mathematics with Augmented Reality in primary education for students with learning difficulties. [less ▲]

L'espace frontalier franco-luxembourgeois vu depuis le Luxembourg

Scientific Conference (2022, October 02)

VARIABILITY-DRIVEN DESIGN CONFIGURATOR OF SPACE SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT DECISION-MAKERS

Scientific Conference (2022, October)

Children’s perspectives on their learning experiences during the pandemic

Scientific Conference (2022, October)

Enabling Elements of Simulations Digital Twins and its Applicability for Information Superiority in Defence Domain

Scientific Conference (2022, September 29)

The emerging concept of digital twins is the key enabler for modelling and simulations needs of any future-ready entity. Digital twins enable rapid transformation of requirements into capabilities at much ... [more ▼]

The emerging concept of digital twins is the key enabler for modelling and simulations needs of any future-ready entity. Digital twins enable rapid transformation of requirements into capabilities at much lower costs, compared to conventional methods, through enhancement of modularity and scalability. Elements of a modelling and simulations digital twin are discussed in this paper. These capabilities include, but are not limited to, surrogate modelling, optimization, parallelization, high performance computing, cloud architecture design, etc. These concepts are relevant for the integration of modelling and simulations technologies into a single interface digital twin for rapid prototyping and qualification of engineering systems. Use of these emerging technologies leads to significantly less simulation computation time (reduced from hours/days to seconds or even micro-seconds) compared to the conventional methods. Ease-of-collaboration with all stakeholders, reduced testing time, minimal on-site infrastructure requirements are the key cost-reducing advantages found in this study. Applicability of such intelligent and online digital twins for information superiority to enhance cybersecurity and on-board threat assessment of space-based (defence) services is analysed. The use of these synchronized and interoperable capabilities mitigates both reversible and non-reversible physical and cyber threats to defence space infrastructure. [less ▲]

The use of media in language teaching

Scientific Conference (2022, September 24)

Multilingual teaching and the promotion of multilingualism among students are important principles of the University of Luxembourg. For their implementation, a variety of e-learning resources are used ... [more ▼]

Multilingual teaching and the promotion of multilingualism among students are important principles of the University of Luxembourg. For their implementation, a variety of e-learning resources are used, adapted to the needs of the learners. We will give an overview of new multimodal communication practices and methods used by learners in multilingual contexts which naturally lead teachers to rethink their approach and incorporate media into their teaching strategies. The hybrid nature of devices (computers, tablets, televisions, smartphones, paper, interactive whiteboards, etc.) and digital tools (document sharing platforms, online correction tools, interactive exercises, online learning programmes, dictionaries, video editing software, automatic pronunciation correction, etc.) offer a great potential to interactive and mobile teaching and learning. We will illustrate this potential by giving an example of how to develop text production competence in Chinese as a foreign language in a motivating way using the content management system Moodle. Our reflection aims at optimising the quality of language teaching both in and out of the classroom. [less ▲]

Hardware-in-the-loop Proximity Operations in Cislunar Space

Scientific Conference (2022, September 20)

Space missions to Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs) in the Earth-Moon system are upcoming. A rendezvous technique in the cislunar space is proposed in this investigation, one that leverages coupled ... [more ▼]

Space missions to Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs) in the Earth-Moon system are upcoming. A rendezvous technique in the cislunar space is proposed in this investigation, one that leverages coupled orbit and attitude dynamics in the Circular Restricted Three-body Problem (CR3BP). An autonomous Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) technique is demonstrated in which a chaser spacecraft approaches a target spacecraft in the southern 9:2 synodic-resonant L2 Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO), one that currently serves as the baseline for NASA's Gateway. A two-layer control approach is contemplated. First, a nonlinear optimal controller identifies an appropriate baseline rendezvous path, both in position and orientation. As the spacecraft progresses along the pre-computed baseline path, optical sensors measure the relative pose of the chaser relative to the target. A Kalman filter processes these observations and offers precise state estimates. A linear controller compensates for any deviations identified from the predetermined rendezvous path. The efficacy of the GNC technique is tested by considering a complex scenario in which the rendezvous operation is conducted with a non-cooperative tumbling target. Hardware-in-the-loop laboratory experiments are conducted as proof-of-concept to validate the guidance algorithm, with observations supplemented by optical navigation techniques. [less ▲]

Investigating mental health of children in out-of-home care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Scientific Conference (2022, September 16)

A Communal Struggle: Team-Teaching at the University of Luxembourg

Scientific Conference (2022, September 15)

INTRODUCTION Team-teaching, also known as collaborative-teaching, co-teaching and pair-lecturing has been practiced for ages (Buckley 2000). It is generally described as a positive pedagogical practice ... [more ▼]

INTRODUCTION Team-teaching, also known as collaborative-teaching, co-teaching and pair-lecturing has been practiced for ages (Buckley 2000). It is generally described as a positive pedagogical practice that can both enhance learning among students and the experience of teaching among instructors (Plank 2011, 2014). While it is acknowledged that team-teaching is not simple and requires great coordination among instructors, it is presented in gleaming terms for both instructors and students alike. More recent work highlights an increased necessity for collaborative-teaching due to the growing complexity in higher education combined with dwindling resources (Minett-Smith and Davis 2020), or as a deliberate cost-saving measure (Liebel et al. 2017). Yet, little quantitative evidence can be found in the literature showing the positive efficacy of this methodology, relative to Student Evaluation Teaching (SET) measures (for exception see: Carpenter et al. 2007). Thus, this study aims to answer: 1) how prevalent is team-teaching; 2) what are the most common team compositions (number of instructors, gender, instructor status and seniority); 3) are there any significant differences in SET scores relative to differences in composition; and 4) what can we learn from the open-text feedback to help us understand, or contextualize, any quantitative differences found between solo- versus team-taught courses? DATA & METHODS To address our research questions and investigate the contours of team teaching in the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) at the University of Luxembourg, we use SET data (course feedback), as an indirect measure of quality of education (Marsh 2007). We use descriptive statistics and regression analysis to examine the quantitative feedback for a total of 2908 courses collected over eight semesters (Winter semester 2015-Summer semester 2019). We compliment these results with content analysis of open-text comments that help us understand and contextualize the quantitative findings. PRELIMINARY RESULTS While course feedback data does not directly measure the quality of learning experienced by students (i.e., whether students learn better in team-taught courses vs. solo instructor courses), it does however shed light on the general sentiment experienced and reported by participating students. Preliminary analyses indicate that approximately 30% of courses are team-taught (60% with two-person teams and 40% with teams of 3 and 4+ instructors). Furthermore, we found that, on average, team-taught courses receive significantly lower ratings from students than solo instructor courses. In the remainder of this article, we analyse this basic finding and discuss the implications for team teaching. [less ▲]

Zum (vermeintlichen) Verschwinden des Reparierens seit den 1970er Jahren

Scientific Conference (2022, September 15)

In der Technikgeschichte wird oftmals angenommen, dass die industrielle Massenfertigung und die Herausbildung der so genannten Wegwerfgesellschaft zu einem Rückgang bzw. Verschwinden des Reparierens von ... [more ▼]

In der Technikgeschichte wird oftmals angenommen, dass die industrielle Massenfertigung und die Herausbildung der so genannten Wegwerfgesellschaft zu einem Rückgang bzw. Verschwinden des Reparierens von Konsumgütern geführt haben. In „Shock of the Old“ spricht David Edgerton z.B. davon, dass sich aufgrund der gesunkenen Anschaffungspreise, das Reparieren einfacher Haushaltsgeräte nicht mehr lohne. Das Hauptargument dieser These verweist also auf das sich seit der Vormoderne wandelnde Verhältnis von Personal- und Materialkosten, das letztlich den Neuerwerb von Konsumgütern günstiger gemacht habe, als die Reparatur gebrauchter Güter. Während der Begriff der Wegwerfgesellschaft bis in die 1950er Jahre zurückreicht, werden für westliche Industriegesellschaften vor allem die 1970er und 80er Jahre als Wendepunkte im Verhältnis von Neuanschaffungs- zu Reparaturkosten beschrieben. Ausgangspunkt für den Vortrag sind Zahlen der Luxemburger Statistikbehörde Statec, die zeigen, dass der Reparatursektor in Luxemburg in den 1980er Jahren einerseits zwar in Bewegung, andererseits keineswegs im Verschwinden war. Ausgehend von einer eingehenderen Betrachtung der verfügbaren Statistiken beschreibt der Vortrag die Veränderungen des Luxemburger Reparatursektors und diskutiert daran die These des vermeintlichen Verschwindens des Reparierens von Konsumgütern. [less ▲]

Modèles de mélanges finis pour une distribution de loi BETA sous-jacente avec une application à des données sur la COVID-19

Scientific Conference (2022, September 14)

3D printed mathematics visualisations by STEAM teachers

Scientific Conference (2022, September 12)

Visualising abstract concepts such as for example geometrical objects in mathematics can be a valuable support for learners. Visualisation, however, is a process involving several steps that influence ... [more ▼]

Visualising abstract concepts such as for example geometrical objects in mathematics can be a valuable support for learners. Visualisation, however, is a process involving several steps that influence each other. Duval (1998) uses steps connecting reasoning by an explanation or proof to a construction step involving tools creating a visualisation to a production of a visual representation leading to new insights about a geometrical object. Vágová (2020) argues that visualising geometrical objects needs the ability to create, manipulate, and transform mental images by an internal and an external representation which both require information about the spatial arrangement. 3D modelled and then visualised geometrical objects can support the development and train visualisation skills. Steps of visualisation processes require visuospatial competencies and are also important for other subjects in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education (Ng 2017). Being able to understand representations and their spatial rotations, transitions between 2D and 3D and being able to manipulate representations are valuable for STEAM related subjects (Kok 2020). Martin-Dorta et al. (2008) says that spatial abilities can be improved using real and computer-aided models. 3D printing can therefore be an interesting activity as it also combines the mentioned steps in a mathematical modelling way. This approach was used in a beginners course for pre-service mathematics teachers and some of them chose to create mathematical proofs as visualisation. We will look at 3D printed objects, which concepts they visualise and what teachers' ideas behind visualisations were. [less ▲]

Many-valued coalgebraic modal logic with a semi-primal algebra of truth-degrees

Scientific Conference (2022, September 07)

Applying an Intersectional Lens to Author Composition at Women’s Colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions in the United States

Scientific Conference (2022, September 07)

Analysis and comparison of gait impairments in patients with Parkinson’s disease and normal pressure hydrocephalus using wearable sensors and machine learning algorithms

Scientific Conference (2022, September 05)

Objectives. Gait impairments in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) are visually assessed by movement disorders experts for diagnoses and to decide on ... [more ▼]

Objectives. Gait impairments in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) are visually assessed by movement disorders experts for diagnoses and to decide on pharmaceutical and surgical interventions. Despite standardised tests and clinicians’ expertise, such approaches entail a considerable level of subjectivity. The recent development of wearable sensors and machine learning offers complementary approaches providing more objective, quantitative assessments of gait impairments. We aim to employ the data gathered from an inertial measurement unit synchronized with a novel foot pressure sensor embedded in the patient’s shoes to characterize gait impairments. We focus on distinguishing PD from NPH and on assessing gait impairment before and after surgical intervention. Methods. A cohort of 10 PD and 10 NPH patients was assembled and patients performed standardised walking tests. Measurements were performed employing wearable sensors comprising a three-axes gyroscope, a three-axes accelerometer and eight pressure sensors embedded in each patient’s shoe. To analyse the generated data, existing algorithms were implemented and adapted. These allow to compute gait cycle parameters such as step time and metrics characterizing the swing and stance phases. Machine learning algorithms where employed to identify major changes in gait cycle parameters between the two groups of patients, and for individual patients before and after surgical intervention as DBS implantation in PD and Shunt implantation in NPH. Results. The gait impairments of both disease groups were measured and quantified. An algorithm to extract gait cycle parameters from sensors was implemented, tested and employed on such patients. Gait cycle parameters within and between the groups of PD and NPH patients were compared, assessing what gait cycle parameters allow to distinguish between these groups. Gait cycle impairments of patients before and after surgery were compared, assessing the effect of DBS or Shunt implantation and which gait cycle parameters allow to monitor symptoms improvement. Conclusions. Wearable sensors measuring pressure, combined with gait cycle parameters extraction and machine learning algorithms, have a great potential for objective evaluation of gait impairment. In particular, they allow to characterize what differentiate such impairments between PD and NPH patients, and what allow to assess motor symptoms improvement after surgery. [less ▲]

An Overview of Channel Models for NGSO Satellites

Scientific Conference (2022, September)

Integration of young migrants in Luxembourg: A focus on social identity and intergroup processes

Scientific Conference (2022, August 26)

In the past years, more and more young migrants from third countries have arrived to Europe. While the economies of ageing European societies can profit from an influx of young people in their labour ... [more ▼]

In the past years, more and more young migrants from third countries have arrived to Europe. While the economies of ageing European societies can profit from an influx of young people in their labour market, the integration of young third-country nationals poses also challenges both to individuals and societies. The integration of young migrants is a dynamic process that encompasses developmental and adaptive processes at multiple levels and over time. In particular young migrants in vulnerable conditions might be at risk for social exclusion. In order to understand the factors that foster or hinder integration, it is therefore particularly important to analyze the ingroup-outgroup processes involved here from a societal, institutional and individual perspective. The present study is part of the larger EU-funded H2020 MIMY project (EMpowerment through liquid Integration of Migrant Youth in vulnerable conditions) which involves 13 multinational and interdisciplinary partners to study the integration processes of young non-EU migrants across 9 countries (Luxembourg, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Hungary). The MIMY project applies a mixed methods approach, including secondary data analysis as well as qualitative data from young migrants and their parents, from host society nationals and stakeholders through narrative, biographical and expert interviews as well as focus groups. For the present contribution, we will concentrate on qualitative data collected in Luxembourg. More precisely, drawing on focus group interviews regarding the challenges and resources in the integration processes of migrant youth, we will analyze here the ingroup-outgroup processes as described by migrant youth themselves as well as by migrant parents of adolescents/emerging adults living in Luxembourg. We will in particular identify processes of social identity, intergroup attitudes and patterns of social contact. Thereby, a special focus will be put on the experiences of social inclusion/exclusion and host societal attitudes toward migrants as experienced by our study participants. Our results will be discussed in relation to current integration policies, and ideas for an improvement of the situation of young migrants in Luxembourg and Europe will be formulated. [less ▲]

Interactions Between Defaults and Roles in Defeasible Description Logics

Scientific Conference (2022, August 18)

Organising a “Temporary History Lab” in Esch-sur-Alzette (2019)

Scientific Conference (2022, August 17)

Country-Level Availability and Generosity of Healthcare Services, and Ageism’s Effects upon COVID-19 Era Missed Healthcare

Scientific Conference (2022, August 08)

Goodness Groceries! A mobile sustainable food shopping app advocating for food literacy and ethical choices. Entailments for suppliers, consumers and researchers.

Scientific Conference (2022, August)

Within the currently rising concerns around sustainability of food systems, in the related economic areas of regenerative production modes, responsible supply chains and informed consumption, there often ... [more ▼]

Within the currently rising concerns around sustainability of food systems, in the related economic areas of regenerative production modes, responsible supply chains and informed consumption, there often remains a practice gap between what people know they should do and what they actually do. This is preceded by a knowledge gap: the knowledge of what a sustainable product specifically is tends not to be entirely consensual, blurred with potentially contradicting injunctions between different claims of sustainability. Instead of trying to solve this puzzle with metrics, we propose an App that makes various components of sustainability transparent, thus qualifying sustainability complexity. Our aim is not to hierarchically determine ‘the best’ sustainable choice, but rather to relationally empower consumers to choose the product with the sustainability criteria that most fit their values and priorities. Goodness Groceries is a University of Luxembourg consumer study piloting a mobile sustainable food shopping app in partnership with a supermarket chain. The App acts as a virtual shopping companion providing eco-responsible and ethical product information of selected staple food products, each time for up to four types: local organic, local conventional, imported organic and imported conventional. The information provided is based on self-assessments made by product suppliers. Each food item is granted criteria in the four main areas of Environment, Social Well-being, Economic Well-being and Good Governance, subdivided into relevant indicators (cf. SAFA guidelines, FAO 2014) – marked with easy-to-recognise icons. The user-friendly App is designed to scan alternatives of the same product via a QR code whilst shopping, to analyse if this helps consumers make an informed choice – or not, and why. Starting in Spring 2022, entailments of the (ongoing) study and App in terms of structural obstacles for researchers, necessary supply chain adaptations for suppliers and analysis of consumers’ shopping habits and App usage feedback will be discussed. [less ▲]

Four Cables-Suspended Parallel Robot with Reconfigurable platform

Scientific Conference (2022, August)

Nonlinear analysis of thin-walled structures based on tangential differential calculus with FEniCSx

Scientific Conference (2022, August)

We present an approach to implement the Tangential Differential Calculus (TDC) for a variety of thin-walled structures (beams, membranes, shells) in the framework of nonlinear kinematics and/or material ... [more ▼]

We present an approach to implement the Tangential Differential Calculus (TDC) for a variety of thin-walled structures (beams, membranes, shells) in the framework of nonlinear kinematics and/or material behaviour. In contrast to classical formulations the TDC describes kinematics, equilibrium and constitutive relation of the thin structure (as two-dimensional manifold) on the basis of a full three-dimensional deformation state. This allows to introduce the undeformed configuration of e.g. a shell directly in terms of a mesh of topological dimension 2 and geometrical dimension 3. Of particular interest is the use of finite elements of higher-order geometrical order to capture the (interpolated) curvature of the manifold with high accuracy. Numerical examples and reference implementations of this work to support nonlinear stress and post-buckling analyses (using a realisation of the classical arc-length method in FEniCSx) will be provided as a part of the package dolfiny (https://github.com/michalhabera/dolfiny). [less ▲]

Etzels Vielvölkerhof – ein Modell europäisch vernetzter Herrschaft?

Scientific Conference (2022, July 29)

Developing collaborative practices in ECE in Luxembourg 

Scientific Conference (2022, July 22)

Translanguaging pedagogy and creative activism for preschool teachers, parents, and children

Scientific Conference (2022, July 14)

There are 64 % of four-year old children who not speak Luxembourgish at home (MENJE, 2018). The government proclaimed multilingual early education mandatory in 2017, obliging teachers to develop ... [more ▼]

There are 64 % of four-year old children who not speak Luxembourgish at home (MENJE, 2018). The government proclaimed multilingual early education mandatory in 2017, obliging teachers to develop children’s Luxembourgish, familiarizing them with French, and valuing their home languages. Thus, the present project was threefold: (1) to offer an 18-hours professional development (PD) course in translanguaging pedagogy to 40 teachers over 6 months, (2) to strengthen home-school collaboration, and (3) to support children’s linguistic, socio-emotional, and cognitive development and engagement in the classroom. The results from teacher questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews, showed that there was some positive change regarding the attitudes towards children’s home languages. The interviews with 17 parents indicated that there was a need for more home-school collaboration. The tests in early literacy and numeracy with 23 preschool children over one year, identified that children performed higher in their home languages. The video observations showed that every time the teacher used children’s languages in the classroom, this impacted positively their well-being. Following the principles of creative activism, the author produced three outcomes: (1) the website with over 100 practical activities on how teachers can involve children’s languages and families, (2) the illustrated book Sumak for parents, showing difficulties with integration in a new country, and (3) the illustrated book, Mara’s song for preschool children, showing how Mara, a girl who is laughed at because of her language and culture, finds her way through singing a song inspired by a bird. [less ▲]

Jewish History and the Politics of Digitisation

Scientific Conference (2022, July 13)

This paper discusses the politics of Jewish Studies by focusing on the digitisation of Jewish cultural heritage and its effects for research into Jewish history(ies). In the past few years we have ... [more ▼]

This paper discusses the politics of Jewish Studies by focusing on the digitisation of Jewish cultural heritage and its effects for research into Jewish history(ies). In the past few years we have witnessed the emergence of what could be termed the critical turn in digital humanities with an increasing focus on how digital resources shape various parts of the research process and its outcomes. One aspect of that turn is more attention to digital source criticism and the politics of digitisation of cultural heritage. There are many aspects of digitisation that can be considered “political”, from selection for digitisation to modes of access to broader questions about the political aspects of infrastructure or ‘infrapolitics’. None of these is specific to our digital age nor to Jewish Studies, and historical context is crucially important.  This paper builds upon my recent reseach into the politics of digitisation and considers the case of Jewish Studies, framed within the broader context of the politics of heritage and its preservation. It set outs a number of broad parameters for discussion, with the aim to encourage further debate. Questions to be addressed include: what Jewish heritage is being digitised and which stories about the Jewish past can (and cannot) be told on its basis? Which players are involved in digitisation and how do both top-down national strategies and bottom-up community initiatives guide the process? How do memory politics influence selection processes? And how does transnational heritage fare in an age where many digitisation programs are nationally framed and funded? The paper will use the historical example of the digitisation of Yiddish heritage to illustrate these questions and provide a concrete example.  [less ▲]

Le parcours de vie entre défense sociale et maladie mentale de Maxence C. Etude d’un cas de dégénéré délinquant dans la Belgique du XXème siècle

Scientific Conference (2022, July 08)

« L’intelligence et le sens moral d’un enfant de 8 ans », c’est par ces mots qu’en août 1933, le médecin-chef de l’Etablissement de Défense Sociale de Tournai qualifie l’état psychique de Maxence C., un ... [more ▼]

« L’intelligence et le sens moral d’un enfant de 8 ans », c’est par ces mots qu’en août 1933, le médecin-chef de l’Etablissement de Défense Sociale de Tournai qualifie l’état psychique de Maxence C., un débile mental (sic) reconnu coupable du chef de vol et d’escroquerie mais jugé incapable du contrôle de ses actions. A l’aube de ses 27 ans, ce « demi-fou » enchaîne depuis vingt ans les séjours en institution. Entre internats médico-pédagogiques, asiles d’aliénés et établissements de défense sociale, le parcours de vie de Maxence C. est jalonné de multiples interactions avec les autorités judiciaires, médicales et administratives qui tantôt le condamne à l’incarcération, tantôt favorise sa réhabilitation au sein de la société. Arrimé à cette identité de marginal dans un « monde faux et crapuleux » selon ses dires, Maxence C. peine à acquérir une pleine autonomie synonyme de liberté (re)trouvée. Travail, suivi médical, tutelle morale et accompagnement familial semblent toujours vains. Devenu sexagénaire, il demeure ainsi un « danger social » balloté entre asiles-prisons et prisons-asiles aux quatre coins du royaume. A travers l’examen minutieux d’un dossier de plusieurs centaines de pages élaboré par la Commission de défense sociale de Forest, cette communication propose de mettre en lumière la complexité de la trajectoire de vie d’un individu à la fois criminel et aliéné, visé par un dispositif hybride de sécurité et de soins. Si cette étude considère la perspective du patient à travers une histoire par le bas, elle dépasse celle-ci pour entrouvrir la possibilité d’un récit polyphonique sur des temps longs qui confronte de multiples voix (celle de l’administration et de la police, celle des médecins et des magistrats, celle du malade et de ses proches). Nourrit par les enseignements de la micro-histoire et de l’étude de cas dans la recherche historique, cette contribution offre un regard original sur l’évolution des normes qui conditionnent un mouvement vers ou, au contraire, hors de l’institution. Les phases d’entrée et de sortie des établissements sont en effet des moments charnières de l’affirmation du pouvoir des acteurs. Dès lors, quels sont les motifs à une incarcération et quelles sont les conditions à un élargissement ? Comment s’organise la prise de la décision entre les différents intervenants ? Et qui en assure le contrôle et le suivi ? Enfin, quelles sont les marges de manœuvre et les capacités d’actions du « malade » face à eux ? Cette étude d’une trajectoire de vie individuelle constitue également une opportunité de s’interroger sur l’évolution des systèmes de prise en charge des criminels malades mentaux dans le royaume au XXème siècle. Ainsi durant l’existence de Maxence C. se créent de nouvelles structures psychiatriques (dispensaires d’hygiène mentale, annexes psychiatriques dans les prisons et les hôpitaux généraux, établissements de défense sociale, etc.) se construisent des nouvelles politiques sociales (INAMI, CPAS, mutualités, etc.), s’élaborent des nouvelles législations (loi relative à la défense sociale, au handicap, à la maladie mentale), s’affirment de nouveaux métiers de la santé mentale (psychologue, infirmière psychiatrique, assistants sociaux, etc.), s’établissent de nouveaux rapports à la folie, au handicap et à la criminalité. [less ▲]

If there’s something strange in your [cyber]hood – who you gonna call?

Scientific Conference (2022, July 07)

Centrality and city size effects on NO2 ground and tropospheric concentrations within European cities

Scientific Conference (2022, July 06)

Which Factors Play a Role in Coco Issuance? Evidence from European Banks.

Scientific Conference (2022, July 06)

Economic Sanctions and International Investment Law: Investor and State Defences

Scientific Conference (2022, July 04)

This workshop examines the law and practice of economic sanctions in light of current developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. It explores the legality and implementation of, and possible challenges ... [more ▼]

This workshop examines the law and practice of economic sanctions in light of current developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. It explores the legality and implementation of, and possible challenges to, economic sanctions imposed by a number of international actors (including the US, the EU and the UK), as well as their potential impact on businesses and dispute resolution. [less ▲]

Towards real-time patient-specific breast simulations: from full-field information to surrogate model

Scientific Conference (2022, July)

In breast cancer treatment, surgery is one of the most common practices [DeSantis et al., 2019]. The surgery involves a complex pipeline, principally due to the difference between the imaging and the ... [more ▼]

In breast cancer treatment, surgery is one of the most common practices [DeSantis et al., 2019]. The surgery involves a complex pipeline, principally due to the difference between the imaging and the surgical posture [Mazier et al., 2021]. Indeed, because of the stance difference, the surgeon has to rely on radioactive or invasive markers to predict the tumor position in the surgical setup. Biomechanical simulations could predict such complex tumor displacements but often require patient-specific data (material properties, organs geometries, or loading and boundary conditions). Full-field acquisitions coupled with landmark identifications allow obtaining relative deformation between the different configurations. Having this information and assuming a finite element model, an identification procedure of the model parameters can be carried out. Finally, finding a suitable computational model allowing for a compromise between accuracy and speed, one may consider surrogate models for real-time simulations (20 to 50 FPS). In this work, we obtained the patient-specific geometry through micro-computed tomography in 8 different configurations, including 15 bio-markers. Assessing the displacement of the bio-markers enabled us to infer the relative strains between the different configurations. A heterogeneous neo-Hookean model was assumed for simulating soft tissue behavior. Based on the displacements and the position of the biomarkers, model parameters identification was performed to calibrate the experimental data with the finite element method results. To overcome speed performance issues, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) trained with a synthetic simulation-based dataset generated by applying different gravity directions is used. Preliminary results show that CNN can predict the displacement of anatomical landmarks to millimetric precision and is 100 times faster than the finite element method, satisfying our real-time objective. Plus, the use of Bayesian inferences involves a longer prediction time but allows a 95% confidence interval of the biomarkers' displacements. For a given precision, contrary to CNNs, optimization methods are computationally expensive and depend on an initialization point. Although CNNs require new training for each patient, optimization algorithms can be applied regardless of the patient's geometry. Through this study, we observed that material properties were playing an essential role but not as much as the anatomical structures e.g. infra-mammary or Copper’s ligaments. [less ▲]

Student-Situation Relations in Students’ Real-Time Perceptions of Instructional Quality

Scientific Conference (2022, July)

When the “vulnerable” talk back: subjective responses and individual experiences of young refugees

Scientific Conference (2022, June 30)

In the context of international protection and reception, an increasing amount of interest has been given to the assessment of vulnerability among forced migrants in order to provide special provisions ... [more ▼]

In the context of international protection and reception, an increasing amount of interest has been given to the assessment of vulnerability among forced migrants in order to provide special provisions and guarantees to ‘vulnerable refugees’. However, a common definition of vulnerability does not exist. The systematisation of individuals’ experiences in pre-defined bureaucratic categories risks ignoring the contextual and contingent nature of migrants’ vulnerability, the subjective and biographical differences among those considered vulnerable and the agency of each individual facing conditions of vulnerability. Thus, in the context of the H2020 project MIMY, this paper proposes to explore the experiences and feelings of the people living in an apparent condition of vulnerability. Based on in-depth interviews with young adults who obtained refugee status in Luxembourg but still live in ‘temporary’ reception centres, the current study wants to move beyond the bureaucratic vulnerability label, questioning the relationship between structural, contingent and material conditions of vulnerability and the subjective experiences and responses of the active agents who occupy them. Additionally, bringing the stories and perspectives of young refugees living in Luxembourg to the forefront, the study points to the variability of vulnerability at the individual level in the context of integration. We propose to analyse such plurality of stories through the lens of agency and temporality, as the unique product of past personal experiences, current situations of difficulty and conditions of(in)security (based on the interrelationship between obstacles and resources) and individual future perspectives and feelings of self-efficacy. [less ▲]

Femmes (monoparentales) en difficultés de logement

Scientific Conference (2022, June 30)

Le projet SOHOME (Social Housing and Homelessness) poursuit des questions de recherché liées aux personnes en difficultés de logement au Luxembourg. Il dresse un état de lieu actuel en explorant les ... [more ▼]

Le projet SOHOME (Social Housing and Homelessness) poursuit des questions de recherché liées aux personnes en difficultés de logement au Luxembourg. Il dresse un état de lieu actuel en explorant les offres d’aide et les pistes de solution dans le champ de l’intervention sociale. Les principales questions de recherche sont les suivantes : (1) Qu’est-ce qui caractérise la population concernée au Luxembourg ? (2) Comment les politiques sociales et le travail social répondent-ils aux enjeux identifiés ? (3) Quels sont les principaux défis du travail social dans le domaine du sans-abrisme et de l’exclusion liée au logement ? Par le biais d’une méthodologie de recherche qualitative, le projet permet de nombreux aperçus dans le champ de l’intervention sociale. La présente communication aborde la problématique des femmes en difficultés de logement qui sont accueillies seules ou avec leurs enfants dans un foyer d’urgence pour femmes. Deux questions précises guident cette partie du projet de recherche : (1) Qu’est-ce qui caractérise les femmes en difficultés de logement au Luxembourg ? (2) Quelles sont les offres d’aide du travail social et les défis rencontrés face aux femmes concernées ? Les femmes touchées par des grandes difficultés liées au logement forment un groupe statistiquement plutôt invisible parce qu’elles cherchent d’autres solutions de logement que l’hébergement en foyer d’urgence (Batista, 2010). Les résultats de notre étude montrent que les femmes encadrées sans enfants arrivent souvent plus rapidement à stabiliser leur situation (cf. Finfgeld-Connett, 2010). Par contre, les femmes de 45 ans et plus ainsi que les femmes avec enfants semblent être les groupes les plus vulnérables pris en charge par les différents foyers d’urgence pour femmes au Luxembourg. La communication abordera les résultats liés aux deux questions ciblées sur les femmes concernées en les mettant en lien avec la politique sociale au Luxembourg. [less ▲]