De La Salle University

About: De La Salle University is a education organization based out in Manila, Philippines. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Computer science. The organization has 2951 authors who have published 4374 publications receiving 49567 citations. The organization is also known as: Pamantasang De La Salle.

Size classification of tomato fruit using thresholding, machine learning and deep learning techniques.

Abstract: The size of tomato fruits is closely related to the market segment and price. Manual sorting in tomato is very dependent on human interpretation and thus, very prone to error. The study presents thresholding, machine learning, and deep learning techniques in classifying the tomato as small, medium, and large based from a single tomato fruit image implemented using Open CV libraries and Python programming. Tomato images with different sizes are gathered where features like area, perimeter, and enclosed circle radius are extracted. The experiment shows that using thresholding, a classification accuracy of 85.83%, 65.83%, and 80% was achieved for area, perimeter, and enclosed circle radius, respectively. For machine learning, the training accuracy rates were recorded as 94.00%-95.00% for SVM, 97.50-92.50% for KNN and 90.33-92.50% for ANN. Comparison of models revealed that SVM is the most model without over fitting. The deep learning approach, regardless of the algorithm, produced low performances with 82.31%-78.21%-55.97% training-validation-testing accuracy for VGG16, 48.17%-41.44%-37.64% for InceptionV3, and 56.05%-44.96%-22.78% for ResNet50 models. Comparative analysis showed that machine learning technique bested the performance of the thresholding and deep learning techniques in classifying the tomato fruit size in terms of accuracy performance.

A weighted fuzzy linear programming model in economic input–output analysis: an application to risk management of energy system disruptions

Abstract: Climate change exposes economic systems to numerous risks, including reduced agricultural production and electric power supply shortages. The interdependent nature of economic systems causes disruptions in any sector to cascade to other sectors via forward and backward linkages. This work develops an optimization model with which allocation of scarce goods or resources can be optimized; the model uses an overall index of satisfaction of fuzzy economic output goals under conditions of scarcity caused by climatic disruptions. The proposed model includes a vulnerability measure that integrates information elicited from expert judgment. A case study based on a scenario of drought-induced electricity shortage in the Philippine economy is examined. Results show that trade, transportation and service-oriented industries suffer losses in gross domestic product in the Philippine case.

Exploring the Links between Social Axioms and the Epistemological Beliefs about Learning held by Filipino Students

Abstract: The study explores the possible relationships between social axioms and epistemological beliefs about learning. Two hypotheses are considered: (a) social axioms and epistemological beliefs show conceptual consistency and (b) social axioms and epistemological beliefs relate to each other in complementary and/or compensatory ways. Filipino university students were asked to complete locally validated versions of the Social Axioms Survey and the Schommer Epistemological Questionnaire. The responses were analyzed using canonical correlation procedures that revealed several significant correlations among canonical roots. The results of the study did not show consistency or convergence in the concepts and themes of the two sets of beliefs. Instead, there may be various forms of complementary and/or compensatory relationships among the specific types of beliefs depending on the societal environment facing the learner. Such complementary and compensatory relationships might indicate some attempt on the part of students to mesh their cognitive appraisals and beliefs about their learning experiences with the larger social environment within which these learning processes take place. The results of the study raise important questions regarding how various beliefs held by individuals may relate to each other as they are contextualized in particular domains in a person’s life. In recent years, researchers have explored how different social axioms are related to various social psychological variables (e.g., Bond, Leung, Au, Tong, & Chemonges-Neilson, 2004; Kurman & Ronen-Eilon, 2004; Safdar, Lewis, & Daneshpour, 2006) and personality variables (e.g., Chen, Bond, & Cheung, 2006; Chen, Cheung, Bond, & Leung, 2006; Chen, Fok, Bond, & Matsumoto, 2006; A.B.I. Bernardo De La Salle University—Manila, The Philippines * This research was supported by a grant (Proj/ No. 43 B U/C 3 03) from the University Research Coordinating Office of De La Salle University. I acknowledge the assistance of Arnulfo Reganit, Ofelia Posecion, and Elizabeth Rivera in facilitating the administration of the research questionnaires, and of Wainwright Yu, Emerald Sy, and Alpha Zamora Tan in preparing the questionnaires and encoding the research data. I especially thank Michael Bond and Kwok Leung for very insightful suggestions incorporated into the Discussion of the study. Leung_Ch10.indd 163 10/22/2008 1:30:00 PM U n c o rr e c te d P ro o f 164 A.B.I. Bernardo Singelis, Hubbard, & Her, 2003). Such studies have demonstrated the usefulness of social axioms as an explanatory construct that accounts not only for cross-cultural differences in psychological phenomena, but also for within-culture variations related to a variety of psychological constructs. There have not been many attempts to investigate how social axioms may be related to psychological variables in the domains of learning and education. Bernardo (2004) explored correlations among the five dimensions of social axioms and Filipino university students’ achievement goal orientations and learning strategies. He found that reward for application and social complexity were positively related to mastery goals (or the focus on learning for its intrinsic value and for the purpose of improving one’s competence in a domain, Ames, 1992). It seems that mastery goals are likely to be adopted when the student believes that with effort, one can adjust and succeed in a complicated social environment. On the other hand, social cynicism, fate control, and religiosity were positively associated with performance goals (or the focus on social comparison, competition, and on self-worth as indicated by being recognized as performing better than others, Ames, 1992) and work avoidance (or the motivation to do schoolwork with minimal effort, Archer, 1994). Interestingly, performance goals and work avoidance have been associated with numerous negative, learning-related variables, such as maladaptive attributions for failure (Dweck & Leggett, 1988), less time spent and less persistence on tasks (Ames, 1992), less cognitive engagement, and more use of surface-processing strategies (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1993), and lower overall achievement (Ames, 1992). Thus, it seems that these goals are likely to be adopted when the student holds beliefs that express low perceived self-instrumentality and agency (i.e., social cynicism, and fate control) and beliefs about the positive influence of spiritual forces on social outcomes. Bernardo (2004) also explored how social axioms may be related to the different types and levels of learning strategies adopted by students. However, there was no clear interpretable pattern of relationships revealed by the correlations. The present study is another step towards exploring how social beliefs may relate to psychological processes and constructs in the educational domain. In particular, it explores the possible relationships among the different dimensions of social axioms and the epistemological beliefs about learning held by Filipino university students. Epistemological Beliefs About Learning Epistemological beliefs are defined as conceptions “about the nature of knowledge and the nature or process of knowing” (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997, p. 117). As it has been defined in the research literature, epistemological beliefs also include attitudes and norms, and as such are not the same as social axioms which embody “pure” beliefs (cf., Leung et al. , 2002). The more mature epistemological beliefs (i.e., that knowledge is complex, that learning is influenced by one’s effort and strategies Leung_Ch10.indd 164 10/22/2008 1:30:00 PM U n c o rr e c te d P ro o f Exploring the Links Between Social Axioms and the Epistemological Beliefs 165 and not by ability, etc.) have been shown to be associated with various higher-order thinking and learning processes and strategies, such as argumentative reasoning (Kuhn, 1991), critical thinking (King & Kitchener, 1994), choice and use of learning strategies (Kardash & Howell, 2000; Schommer, Crouse, & Rhodes, 1992), need for cognition and interpretation of evidence (Kardash & Scholes, 1996). These mature epistemological beliefs are also related to more positive learning motivations, such as the mastery achievement goal orientation (Braten & Stromso, 2004). As a consequence of the combination of these higher-order learning strategies and positive learning motivations, mature epistemological beliefs are also associated with better learning outcomes, including deeper comprehension during reading (Kardash & Scholes, 1996; Schommer, 1990), conceptual change learning (Qian & Alvermann, 1995), and better general academic performance (Schommer, 1993). Research has shown that epistemological beliefs generally change as a person grows older and becomes more educated (Bendixen, Schraw, & Dunkle, 1998; Schommer, 1998). However, it is not clear whether education brings about changes in epistemological beliefs or merely covaries with them. Nevertheless, many scholars have proposed classroom-related interventions to promote epistemic development among students (e.g., Baxter-Magolda, 1992, 1999; Conley, Pintrich, Vekiri, & Harrison, 2004; Kardash & Scholes, 1996; King & Kitchener, 2002). None of these interventions has actually linked change in epistemological beliefs to variables beyond the range of teaching, learning, and knowledge-related outcomes. There has been no documented link between social–psychological variables and epistemological beliefs. There have been studies that looked at possible cultural influences on epistemological beliefs of students. These studies looked into epistemological beliefs in different cultures, and, collectively, they indicate that the dimensions of epistemological beliefs might vary across cultures. Different dimensions of epistemological beliefs have been found in studies involving Hong Kong Chinese students (Chan & Elliot, 2000, 2002, 2004), Dutch-speaking students in Belgium and the Netherlands (Clarebout, Elen, Luyten, & Bamps, 2001), Norwegian students (Braten & Stromso, 2005), and American students (Schommer, 1993). A study on the epistemological beliefs of Filipino students (Bernardo, in press) identified two related dimensions of epistemological beliefs that both refer to beliefs about the nature of the learning process. The first dimension, “simple learning,” refers to the belief that learning is a bare, elementary, and uncomplicated process. The opposite of this belief assumes that learning is a complex process that can be critiqued, further improved, and elaborated. The second dimension, “structured learning,” refers to the belief about the importance of organization, precision, and certainty in the learning processes. The opposite of this belief assumes that learning is a loose, inexact, and even ambiguous process. In the cultural studies on epistemological beliefs, cultural differences on the different dimensions have been attributed to differences in the educational system. However, Chan and Elliot (2002) proposed that cultural differences may be due to differences in related values (e.g., value attached to expert and authoritative knowledge, and value attached to either effort or ability in learning). Youn, Yang, and Choi [Au2] Leung_Ch10.indd 165 10/22/2008 1:30:00 PM U n c o rr e c te d P ro o f 166 A.B.I. Bernardo (2001) also proposed that differences in epistemological beliefs may be related to differences associated with interdependent vs. independent self-construals.