Journal of
Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
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 ISSN: 1690-4524 (Online)    DOI: 10.54808/JSCI




SPECIAL ISSUE



TABLE OF CONTENTS





Editorial Board

Fostering Inter-Disciplinary Communication (FIC)
Nagib Callaos
Pages: 1-37
ABSTRACT:
The main objextives of this article are 1) ro show the impotance, even the necessity of inter-disciplinary communication, including its role in avoiding intra-disiciplinary intellectual/academic incest and 2) to provide conceptual, notional, and programmatic contexts to the papers published in this special issue.

First, we will to show that effective inter-disciplinary communication 1) develops critical thinking, in general, and, more specifically, in intra-disciplinary thinking, supporting more effective intra-disciplinary research, education, and communication, and 2) is a source of creativity via analogical thinking, which generates the analogies required for any kind of logical thinking, e.g., hypothesis formulation in inductive logic, conjectures (e.g., potential theorems) in deductive logic, plausible explications in abductive logic, possible means in ends/means logic, etc.

Consequently, effective inter-disciplinary communication is a great support to both intra- and inter-disciplinary research and education, as well as for knowledge integration. It supports, and even it is required in both analytical and synthetical thinking, i.e. in both: knowledge production and knowledge integration. The former is oriented to approach the “truth” (in its different meanings) and the latter is required for the solution real-life problems, at any level: individual, collective, and social levels.

This is why the International Institute of Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics (IIIS) has been since 1995 trying to foster inter-disciplinary communication.

This special issue of the Journal of Systemic, Cybernetics, and Informatics (JSCI), entitled “FOR Inter-Disciplinary Communication” is part of a larger program oriented to fostering inter-disciplinary communication, which has been conceived and being designed and implemented, by the IIIS via incremental planning (Braybrooke & Lindblom, 1970). The fundamental methodological bases are Action-Design (Callaos N. , Co-Evolutive Action-Design Methodology, 1997), (Callaos & Callaos, 2008) and Action-Learning. (Marquardt, Banks, Cauwelier, & Ng, 2018).

This is why we will briefly describe the program FIC in order to provide context for the purpose of this special issue. We will also, briefly, describe other projects in the same program FIC in order to support a systemic view that may include the relationships being generated with other projects; which are also being implemented in order to complement, and be complemented, by this special issue, in the context of the Program FIC.

This description of FIC will be oriented to WHAT FIC is, WHY FIC is important to be implemented and HOW we are trying to do it via Action-Learning, Action- Incremental-evolutive-Design, by means of initiallu smaller, then larger projects.


A Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Program to Totally Transform Education
Russell J. Hendel
Pages: 38-76
ABSTRACT:
This chapter provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary program for education, significantly increasing educational success and satisfaction, and solving many current educational problems. The proposed program envisions education as the interdisciplinary interaction of, and communication between, the fields of psychology, vocational counseling, legislative reform, information technology, instructional design, project management, and cybernetics. No method in this chapter is new. Methods advocated in the chapter are derived from successful implementations in various countries or various disciplines. The methods also reflect use of interdisciplinarity to justify a unification of, or supplement to, existing accepted approaches. Each method mentioned in the chapter has significantly solved major educational problems. The main purposes of the chapter are to gather these ideas into one place, and make readers aware of their availability, with the hope that this awareness can lead to a wider applicability of these methods resulting in more educational successes. The chapter covers major current educational areas including, student learning, educational infrastructure, educational research, delinquency and recidivism, motivation, as well as the instruction in traditionally difficult teaching areas including essay writing and verbal mathematical problems.


An Evaluation of Two Realist Philosophical Approaches for Rigorous Interdisciplinary Communication
Fr. Joseph R. Laracy
Pages: 77-89
ABSTRACT:
A major concern for scholars in the fields of systemics and cybernetics is promoting rigorous interdisciplinary communication. The Canadian philosopher and theologian, Bernard Lonergan, SJ, and the American physicist and theologian, Ian G. Barbour, have made significant contributions in this space. While their approaches are clearly distinct, both Lonergan and Barbour are philosophical realists. Each in their own way, they propose a shared epistemology and an inclusive metaphysical system for diverse fields, hence facilitating interdisciplinary communication. In this article, we concisely explicate their unique approaches as well as critique particular aspects. These rigorous approaches to interdisciplinary communication show promise for cybernetics and systems theory.


Pragmatism in Online Education – A Case Study Based on the E-learning Practices of Three Adult Trainers
Melpomeni Papadopoulou
Pages: 90-102
ABSTRACT:
Flipped classroom is a pedagogical method of blended learning. It alternates distant and face-to-face classes. The idea is simple: students learn the theoretical content of the course in distance via the numerical platform; they then apply it during class exercises and group work. The research question is: which model of flipped classroom would permit appropriate use of digital tools in adults’ education? Our qualitative research is based on the analysis of three semi-directive interviews of blended learning adult trainers.


Humanities and Mathematical Approaches in the Case of Arabic and Islamic Studies
Olga Bernikova, Oleg Redkin
Pages: 103-115
ABSTRACT:
Interdisciplinarity in the modern world is no longer considered a novelty. The joint work of representatives of various scientific fields of study allows achieving the maximum result. Examples of cooperation between computer specialists and humanitarians over several decades make it possible to analyze the peculiarities of interdisciplinary activities in diachrony and to outline possible prospects for the development of science and practice.

This study demonstrates how Arabic and Islamic studies have changed since the beginning of computer era, and the consequences it has brought. The authors also consider the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies along with traditional approaches in humanities as well as use of digital solution in education. Using the examples of some innovative projects the researchers demonstrate outcomes of interdisciplinary communication in the case of Arabic and Islamic Studies and review the development perspectives of this trend.


Inclusive Education and the Development of the Self-Concept Concerning Mathematical Competences
Sarah Wieckert
Pages: 116-125
ABSTRACT:
The encouragement of the development of a realistic self-concept of the children in their classes is an important challenge for school teachers worldwide. Children who know about their strengths and weaknesses can work on the competences, which need to be improved, more effectively (Irmler, 2015; Kammermeyer & Martschinke, 2003)

As Germany signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für die Belange von Menschen mit Behinderungen, 2018; Vereinte Nationen, 2006) the school system which is characterized by external streaming has to change in order to make inclusive settings of learning possible and create an environment in which heterogeneity is seen as a chance rather than as a problem for learning and teaching (Klemm, 2015; Aichele, 2008).

The development of mathematical competences can be seen as one part of the basic skills that should be acquired in primary school (Ministerium für Schule und Weiterbildung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, 2008). To gain an understanding of quantities is important in this context and may be a challenge for students – especially for children with visual impairment (Walthes & Degenhardt, 2016; Csocsán, 2003).

This contribution presents a study which focuses on the special time of first-grade when primary school students get to know their new learning environment. In that context a survey takes place in the German county of North-Rhine Westphalia and accompanies children with and without special needs in the field of vision which learn together in inclusive classroom environments. At three times during the school year the students become interviewed about their self-concept concerning mathematical competences as well as are participating in learning assessments in this subject. Furthermore interviews with the math teachers of the students take place in order to get an insight into the way they design math lessons in an inclusive classroom setting. Classroom observations of math lessons complete the triangulative research design in which different groups of people are part of the sample and different research methods are being used (Wieckert, 2013)

In this means the study depicts a variety of central topics concerning educational research which implies an interdisciplinary approach to school life and therefore addresses different disciplines which are connected with education (e.g. Mathematics, Pedagogy, Psychology, Rehabilitation Sciences).


Rights of Disabled Students in University Examination Procedures under Special Consideration of the COVID-19 Situation
Ulrike Quapp, Klaus Holschemacher
Pages: 126-144
ABSTRACT:
Social participation of disabled people is a challenging task of modern society. That includes access to higher education. Universities worldwide work hard to give handicapped students a chance to graduate. Thus, compensation of disadvantages in examination procedures is an important matter. Each year, millions of students worldwide apply for special examination arrangements as a compensation for disadvantages that disability entail. To ensure equal examination opportunities, university authorities must be creative to find individual compensation solutions. Especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, support of disadvantaged students becomes more important but also demanding for universities. To ensure equal opportunities, examination regulations of most universities know rules of compensation for these special cases. But, the question arises if they are still suitable in times of special situations, such as in the current COVID-19 pandemic. The paper analyzes examination regulations in different countries and offers solutions to compensate disabled and chronic ill students’ disadvantages. It discusses the necessity of compensation for different types of disability and chronic illness. In reaction to the current COVID-19 crisis, authors inform about alternative solutions for classical examination forms and resulting compensation difficulties. Finally, an overview of current German case law and solutions for compensation problems are provided. The conclusion is that the examination process entails a wide variety of risks for universities. That is why careful planning and realization of the examination process is half the battle. Universities are obliged to organize the exams in a way that no student will be discriminated but also overcompensation will be prevented.



The Inter/Trans-Disciplinary Balancing Act: The Exclusive/Inclusive Determinants, Processes, and Consequences That Impact our Socio-Economic Systems
Susu Nousala, Marie Davidová
Pages: 145-157
ABSTRACT:
In order to understand present conditions and the complexities, a review of past thinking that links us to a range of future, emergent possibilities may be necessary. Financial, digital and social landscapes are seldom static and those with the responsibility of maintaining and striving for natural-socio-economic equilibrium, have a never-ending task of sweeping back a dynamic, systemic tide.

The undesirable impacts of an unbalanced ICT (information, communication technology) focus based progress was voiced almost two decades ago by Huesing and Selhofer (2002), an argument that was reflected in the term “info-exclusion”. Observations regarding the digital age being “not so much as exclusion from information but rather by information” (ibid). This discussion relates purely to humans, not consider other species and other impacts.

Fast-forwarding to current experiences and observations, and we see how the close links between societal structures, financial landscapes and individuals currently interact. There seem to be echos from the past regarding basic questions of imbalance between the pace of ICT infrastructures, and the skills sets or accessibility of the societies it strives to service. This imbalance seems to suggest an emergent result, one of disconnection (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015) but also cyclical, emergent impact (Nousala & Whyte, 2010) that repeats when the imbalance approaches a tipping point between the determining elements of the natural-socio-economic fabric.


Challenges for e-Health Use and Administration Efficiency in the Health Care Sector, an Interdisciplinary Research
Jesús Salvador Vivanco
Pages: 158-171
ABSTRACT:
The intention of this research is to identify whether it is possible to increase the average of life expectancy in Latin America. With this purpose, this work tries to find evidence and proof of information and communication technologies (ICTs) need through the use of e-health devices, in the health care industry, as well as the need of administrative practices improvement for the proper use of budgets in the critical health care areas, such as medicines and medical devices. Therefore, it is necessary to make an interdisciplinary merge of knowledge fields, specifically ICTs and administration, in order to find some options for increasing this average of life expectancy in Latin American countries.

This investigation was held through the qualitative research method. It consisted of the compilation, revision and analysis of literature related to ICTs and administration in the health care sector. It was found that in countries, in which the correct use of these two disciplines is implemented, an efficient system of attention and prevention of diseases is attained. Based on these findings, it is considered that the life expectancy in Latin American countries or any other country with similar issues can be improved, by correctly implementing the use of ICTs and good administration practices in the health care area.


A Study on the Use of Deep Learning for Detecting Subsurface Structures
Luan Rios Campos, Peterson Nogueira Santos, Davidson Martins Moreira, Erick Giovani Sperandio Nascimento
Pages: 172-189
ABSTRACT:
Beneath the earth there are many structures, such as different types of rocks and salts. Among them are also hydrocarbons that are a valuable resource for the oil and gas industry. One way of studying sub surfaces is using seismograms, which offers a seismic-wave representation with many valuable information of the area. By studying the patterns within the seismic data one can generate a representation of the subsurface based on some parameters that are able to show each one of underlying structures, such as the velocity that the waves propagated. With the advancement of computer-related technology, such as multi-core processors and GPUs, the processing power of computers have increased and the possibility of working with a much larger amount of data and using new and more powerful computational techniques, such as deep learning, was made possible in a variety of fields. Recently, deep learning methods are being applied to solve many geophysical problems, including the estimation of subsurface structures based on the velocity parameter. This work shows an interdisciplinary approach to estimate velocity models from computer modeling seismograms of non-real sub surfaces using a supervised learning artificial intelligence technique. The results obtained can contribute much to the scientific community as it demonstrates how changes in the seismic data modeling process reflects in the velocity model estimation.


Algorithm of Problem Solving in Educational Data Mining Approach
Premysl Zaskodny
Pages: 190-210
ABSTRACT:
The presented article “Algorithm of Problem Solving in Educational Data Mining Approach” is following in the previous article “Data Mining Tools in Science Education” (Zaskodny, 2012, JSCI). The main principle of previous article was data mining in science education as problem solving. The main goal was consisting in delimitation of complex data mining tool and partial data mining tool in area of science education. The procedure of previous article was consisting of data preprocessing in science education, data processing in science education, description of curricular process as complex data mining tool, description of analytical synthetic modeling as partial data mining tool and finally the application via physics education.

The presented article is based on partly the widening of previous article, partly the innovation of previous article procedure, partly the presentation of new results. The presented article is respecting all the quoted sources which were utilized in the previous article (Zaskodny, 2012). The presented article is also closely issuing from monographs processed by Zaskodny et al,. 2014, Zaskodny, 2016.

The presented article is describing the role of algorithms in problem solving as significant result mainly of educational data mining approach, but also marginally of data mining approach in statistics and theory of financial derivatives (an expression of inter-disciplinary communication) The problem solving is expressing very often the essence of data mining and the algorithm of problem solving is showing the way how to reach the concrete results. It is showing not only how to substantiate the concrete results, but also how to continue by an expression of needful textbook structure (in the case of educational data mining approach) or how to continue in the form of programming language application (in the case of data mining in statistics and financial derivatives theory).

Within presented article it will be shown the concrete applications of problem solving by means of the algorithm of curricular process as complex tool of educational data mining. Also the algorithms of statistics and financial derivatives theory will be indicated.

The structure of delimitation of the role of algorithm in problem solving (within educational data mining approach) will be described through following succession of steps:

1. Data Mining Approach as Realization of Data Mining Cycle
2. Complex Tool of Educational Data Mining – Curricular Process
3. Significant Partial Tool of Data Mining – Analytical Synthetic Modeling
4. Significant Partial Tool of Data Mining – Matrix Modeling and Main Diagonal of Matrix
5. Algorithm of Curricular Process
6. General Role of Algorithms in Data Mining Approach


An Interdisciplinary Machine Learning Approach for Wind Speed Forecasting
Pedro Junior Zucatelli, Erick Giovani Sperandio Nascimento, Alejandro Mauricio Gutiérrez Arce, Davidson Martins Moreira
Pages: 211-236
ABSTRACT:
Multidisciplinary researchers have collaborated with industry to develop advanced high-fidelity simulation and optimization tools for wind power plants and turbine interactions with the atmosphere. These tools are capable of modeling the processes needed to predict plant interactions and provide state-of-the-art simulation and analysis capabilities that allow industry stakeholders to perform a wide variety of forecasting and optimization to lower the energy costs and mechanical impacts. Insights from machine learning and computational intelligence have the potential to transform nearly every aspect of the world as we know it. Today, these insights are being applied to accelerate the pace of discovery in a wide variety of areas including materials science, wind and solar energy, health care, national security, emergency response, and transportation. In order to provide effective wind speed forecasting, an interdisciplinary approach based on artificial intelligence (AI) by supervised machine learning with human judgment is presented in this work. An approach is proposed for a representative site in the Colonia Eulacio, Soriano Department, Uruguay. The statistical results are evaluated, and a quantitative interpretation given to choose the machine learning configuration that best forecasts the actual data. These machine learning methods have lower computational costs than other techniques such as numerical models for weather or climate prediction. The proposed method is a scientific contribution to reliable large-scale wind energy prediction and integration into existing grid systems in Soriano, Uruguay, and is a powerful tool that can help the UTE manage the national energy supply.


Data Mining Tools in Science Education and Their Resources
Premysl Zaskodny
Pages: 237-246
ABSTRACT:
The main principle of paper is Data Mining in Science Education (DMSE) as Problem Solving. The main goal of paper is consisting in Delimitation of Complex Data Mining Tool and Partial Data Mining Tool of DMSE. The procedure of paper is consisting of Data Preprocessing in Science Education, Data Processing in Science Education, Description of Curricular Process as Complex Data Mining Tool (CP-DMSE), Description of Analytical Synthetic Modeling as Partial Data Mining Tool (ASM-DMSE) and finally Application of CP-DMSE and ASM-DMSE via Physics Education. The presented paper as an expression of inter-disciplinary communication of natural sciences and pedagogy through data mining is a supplement to the paper Zaskodny 2012 (published within JSCI) by newer publications.


Extension to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): For Elderly
Sandra D. Orantes Jiménez, María E. Reyes Castellanos, Guohua Sun
Pages: 247-264
ABSTRACT:
This research was aimed at the use of technology by elderly, due to the national and global increase in this population sector, which has its own characteristics, since it is considered care for the elderly, a global trend.

For this reason, this article presents an extension of the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model), which is one of the most used models and has proven to be effective, to predict the use of any technology and in this case, providing a perspective focused on the older adult and in this new extension, external variables are integrated, establishing the relationship between the proposed variables and the variables of the original TAM model.

A questionnaire was used as instrument with 26 questions that evaluate the 8 proposed constructs 4 of the proposed external variables and 4 of the original model and two questionnaires proposed by the World Health Organization that evaluates the Basic Activities of Daily Living (ABVD) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), these instruments were applied to 146 older adults. Due to the lack of response from INAPAM (Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores, National Institute of Older Adults), the surveys were applied in parks and neighborhoods where older adults attend.

With the results obtained, it was possible to demonstrate the validity, robustness and consistency of the extension of the original TAM model to assess the acceptance of Information and Communication Technologies by older adults.