Bibhya N. Sharma

Bio: Bibhya N. Sharma is an academic researcher from University of the South Pacific. The author has contributed to research in topics: Lyapunov function & Motion planning. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 137 publications receiving 916 citations. Previous affiliations of Bibhya N. Sharma include Sewanee: The University of the South & Southwest University of Visual Arts.

Digital Literacy: a review of literature

Abstract: Information and communication technologies (ICT) along with the internet have fueled advancements and growth in banking, transportation, economics, and most of all in education in the 21st century. The 21st century citizens are provided with new opportunities that have been created with the advancement of ICT. Hence, individuals need a wide range of abilities, competencies, and skills to adapt to the technological era. This paper provides a literature review of the growing importance of ICT, its wide array of usage, and its influence on various facets of people's daily lives. In addition, the emerging concept of digital literacy through ICT developments, contribution of digital literacy towards the achievement of sustainable development goals, contribution of ICT towards the development of various sectors particularly the education sector, and the work done in this area of digital literacy are summarised. The paper concludes with three new models of digital literacy: four gear model, model for flexible learning, and a model showing the impact of ICT on the learning process.

Effectiveness of Online Presence in a Blended Higher Learning Environment in the Pacific.

Abstract: The widespread use of technology has facilitated many changes in the education sector including higher education. Academic institutes are concentrating their efforts on measuring the level of stude...

Motion planning and posture control of multiple n-link doubly nonholonomic manipulators

Abstract: The paper considers the problem of motion planning and posture control of multiple n-link doubly nonholonomic mobile manipulators in an obstacle-cluttered and bounded workspace. The workspace is constrained with the existence of an arbitrary number of fixed obstacles (disks, rods and curves), artificial obstacles and moving obstacles. The coordination of multiple n-link doubly nonholonomic mobile manipulators subjected to such constraints becomes therefore a challenging navigational and steering problem that few papers have considered in the past. Our approach to developing the controllers, which are novel decentralized nonlinear acceleration controllers, is based on a Lyapunov control scheme that is not only intuitively understandable but also allows simple but rigorous development of the controllers. Via the scheme, we showed that the avoidance of all types of obstacles was possible, that the manipulators could reach a neighborhood of their goal and that their final orientation approximated the desired orientation. Computer simulations illustrate these results. KEYWORDS: Lyapunov-based control scheme; Doubly nonholonomic manipulators; Ghost parking bays; Minimum distance technique; Stability; Kinodynamic constraints.

Early warning system as a predictor for student performance in higher education blended courses

Abstract: Early warning systems are being used to assist students in their studies as well as understanding student behaviour and performance better. A home-grown EWS plug-in for Moodle was used to predict t...

Flocking of Multi-agents in Constrained Environments

Abstract: Flocking, arguably one of the most fascinating concepts in nature, has in recent times established a growing stature within the field of robotics. In this paper, we control the collective motion of a flock of nonholonomic car-like vehicles in a constrained environment. A continuous centralized motion planner is proposed for split/rejoin maneuvers of the flock via the Lyapunov-based control scheme to anchor avoidance of obstacles intersecting the paths of flockmates. The control scheme inherently utilizes the artificial potential fields, within a new leader-follower framework, to accomplish the desired formations and reformations of the flock. The effectiveness of the proposed control laws are demonstrated through computer simulations.

Different countries, same science classes: Students’ experiences of school science in their own words

Abstract: This paper reviews the remarkably similar experiences of school science reported by high school students in Sweden, England, and Australia. It compares student narratives from interpretive studies by Lindahl, by Osborne and Collins, and by Lyons, identifying core themes relating to critical contemporary issues in science education. These themes revolve around the transmissive pedagogy, decontextualized content, and unnecessary difficulty of school science commonly reported by students in the studies. Their collective experiences are used as a framework for examining student conceptions of, and attitudes to, school science more generally, drawing on an extensive range of international literature. The paper argues that the experiences of students in the three studies provide important insights into the widespread declines in interest and enrolments in high school and university science courses.