Activity-based Approach Research Articles

Scaffolding to Equip Taiwanese Medical Students with Fundamental Skills for Spoken English

This qualitative study aimed to investigate if a flipped classroom, activity-based approach could help equip tertiary Taiwanese medical students with fundamental English conversation abilities to prepare them for their future career. Relying on Vygotskian socio cultural conceptual framework, learning to accomplish an activity with scaffolding can help one internalize or acquire the targeted language skills, required to achieve fluent spoken English abilities. The participants of this research were twenty-two freshman medical students from the required freshman English conversation class at a university in southern Taiwan. The data sets included (1) pre-course questionnaire, (2) journal writing, (3) scripts of two informed speech, (4) two oral reports, (5) semi-structured interviews, and (6) field notes based on class observations. To cope with the common problems, found in today’s classroom in Taiwan, from students’ increasing range of individual differences, inactive students, time limit, frequent large class size, and limited opportunities for students to practice the targeted language skills, the findings suggested that this flipped classroom, strategy-based approach provided students obvious assistance to accomplish informed speeches.

Inequalities in access to cross-border resources? An analysis based on spatio-temporal behaviours in the cross-border area of Greater Geneva

With an activity-based approach, this article offers a new reading of cross-border integration by exploring the social and spatial conditions that predispose specific populations of Greater Geneva to cross its borders. Five different daily cross-border patterns were identified showing that travelling to the neighbouring country is still uncommon among the least qualified populations and women, and that this trend now extends beyond the mere cross-border labour market. Logistic regressions show that Greater Geneva is witnessing a functionalisation of its cross-border integration, revealing mechanisms where the increase of particular mobility may foster segregation and inequalities. This article argues for an approach where cross-border integration is not an objective but rather is a consequence of obligations and constraints that individuals face in their daily behaviours.

Social Behavior of University Students in Civic Sphere (Based on Results of Sociological Study in Rostov Region, Russia)

The specific features of social needs and life strategies of students as a special social group, the significant role of universities in the formation of civic consciousness and the peculiarities of the transformation of the civic sphere in Russia actualize the study of the social behavior of university students in the civic sphere. The main purpose of the study is to identify the features of the social behavior of university students in the civic sphere and to determine their types. The methodological framework is based on the synthesis of socially deterministic and neoinstitutional approaches, the theory of mental programs, M. Rokeach's value approach and the activity-based approach to studying social practices. As external factors, the authors examine the features of organizational and institutional conditions for the implementation of civil-social and civil-political practices by students. The authors investigate the following internal factors: conservative and liberal mental programs which include ideas about civic participation as a terminal and instrumental value, attitudes and motives behind practices. The study is based on the data of the author's questionnaire of 382 students from seven universities in the Rostov region. According to the results of the study, there are four types of social behavior of students in the civil sphere: civic type, career-leisure type, hybrid type and conformist type. The most common type of behavior remains conformist as it is formed under the influence of conservative mental programs and formal conditions for the implementation of civil practices. The most adaptive to modern realities in the civil sphere is the hybrid type of students' social behavior. The university is a platform of special social trust between students and determines broad prospects for the development of informal civic events.

A personalized activity-based spatiotemporal risk mapping approach to the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The outbreak of the unprecedented Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic calls for innovative risk assessment and mapping approaches to prompt public messaging. Most of the existing approaches aim to present population risks associated with geographic areas (e.g., county), thus providing limited values to guide individuals to take proactive measures against COVID-19. To better facilitate the general public to make informed decisions on daily activity plans, we propose an activity-based spatiotemporal risk mapping approach to capture and represent exposure risk at a personal level. This approach leverages the classical space-time representations to capture personal activity space and measures exposure risk in such activity space. This approach further implements geovisualization designs to communicate measured exposure information. To illustrate the usability of the approach, we have conducted a case study in Denver, Colorado with COVID-19 data from October 2020 and four representative travel profiles.

Investigação do comportamento relativo a viagens encadeadas a partir de participação em atividades, variáveis socioeconômicas e características agregadas das alternativas modais

Este trabalho investiga o comportamento individual, relativo a viagens encadeadas, para uma amostra de trabalhadores através de participação em atividades e de características socioeconômicas. Além disso, este trabalho propõe a inclusão de características modais agregadas, obtidas através do algoritmo Classification And Regression Tree (CART) e da Pesquisa Origem-Destino (Preferência Revelada - PR) de 2007 associada ao município de São Paulo. Especificamente, se propõe a: (1) classificar os indivíduos em grupos que apresentem similares padrões de viagens encadeadas; (2) realizar uma caracterização das alternativas modais a partir de dados de PR; (3) propor um critério para formulação do modelo Logit Multinomial a partir da redução de parâmetros a serem estimados; e (4) mensurar o aprimoramento das estimativas através da inclusão de características das alternativas (tempos médios de viagens). Assim, este estudo está associado às seguintes lacunas: (1) a ausência de dados relativos às alternativas em Pesquisa de PR; (2) a falta de um critério para composição das funções utilidade para o caso de grande conjunto de alternativas e (3) modelagem com base na abordagem de demanda por viagens baseadas em atividades. Levando-se em conta os resultados obtidos, verificou-se a viabilidade do procedimento metodológico proposto considerando as restrições da ferramenta utilizada. Adicionalmente, a modelagem paramétrica apresentou melhoria no modelo a partir da inclusão da variável que caracteriza a alternativa, além de corroborar relações embasadas pela literatura.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APPLIED ORIENTATION OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS TO MODERN STUDENTS OF 5-6 GRADES

The article is devoted to the problem of finding effective ways and means of organization teaching mathematics process to modern students grades 5-6. On the basis of the researched psychological and pedagogical features of digital generation Z representatives to which modern schoolboys belong, the ways of realization of the applied orientation of teaching mathematics to students of 5-6 grades are considered. According to Theory of Generations, the generations of modern students are strikingly different from all previous ones. To organize effective cooperation, a modern school must respond to the changes that have taken place in the psychology and behavior of children and take them into account when organizing the learning process.
 The analysis of the psychological scientific literature shows that modern students have an active life position, unlimited opportunities to search for information, mainly visual perception, clip thinking. They perceive information quickly, but find it more difficult to memorize and quickly switch their attention, prefer an activity-based approach to learning, and depend on their own performance. The effectiveness of teaching mathematics to students in grades 5-6 is influenced by the level of development of their thinking, and such mental processes as perception, memory, attention, thinking, imagination. The specifics of the content of the subject "mathematics" requires increased attention and cognitive activity of students, so in the learning process it is important to encourage them to consciously and thoughtfully immerse themselves in learning, self-control, responsibility and independence by involving them in practice-oriented learning activities. By offering students tasks whose plots resonate with the modern life of students and their interests, the teacher has the opportunity to awaken students' interest in learning, encourage them to feel the need for new knowledge, organize purposeful learning activities and thus build a comfortable relationship between participants in the educational process. , which are most likely representatives of different generations.

Image as a Model in the German Language: Practices of Definitional Analyses

The paper considers the semantic structure of the concept IMAGE in the German language. The article presents the results of the definitional analysis of the lexeme “Image”. The procedure of the definitional analysis, which enabled us to identify cognitive integral elements in order to objectify the concept of IMAGE, is specified. The classification of all identified semes is given in accordance with the activity-based approach; and the dominants of the ideal cognitive model of IMAGE are singled out, which include SUBJECT, OBJECT, MOTIVES, RESULTATIVE, and PROCEDURAL-SUBSTANTIVE SIDES of the concept. The structure of the idealized cognitive model of IMAGE is constructed of the units identified at the three stages of componential analysis. It is argued that the idealized conceptual model is associated with positive characteristics of an individual or a group of people in the eyes of others. At the same time the terminals included in the slots of the cognitive model are attacked in order to discredit a political opponent or to indicate the negative consequences of the politics conducted by the members of the outgroup. The author comes to the conclusion that the speaker purposefully tries to present his political opponents as inconsistent with the idealized cognitive model of IMAGE, discrediting their positive image in the eyes of others.

Protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure measurement studies in 5th generation telecommunication networks

BackgroundThe general population is exposed to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMFs) used by telecommunication networks. Previous studies developed methods to assess this exposure. These methods will be inadequate to accurately assess exposure in 5G technologies or other wireless technologies using adaptive antennas. This is due to the fact that 5G NR (new radio) base stations will focus actively on connected users, resulting in a high spatio-temporal variations in the RF-EMFs. This increases the measurement uncertainty in personal measurements of RF-EMF exposure. Furthermore, a user’s exposure from base stations will be dependent on the amount of data usage, adding a new component to the auto-induced exposure, which is often omitted in current studies.GoalsThe objective of this paper is to develop a general study protocol for future personal RF-EMF exposure research adapted to 5G technologies. This protocol will include the assessment of auto-induced exposure of both a user’s own devices and the networks’ base stations.MethodThis study draws from lessons learned from previous RF-EMF exposure research and current knowledge on 5G technologies, including studies simulating 5G NR base stations and measurements around 5G NR test sites.ResultsTo account for auto-induced exposure, an activity-based approach is introduced. In survey studies, an RF-EMF sensor is fixed on the participants’ mobile device(s). Based on the measured power density, GPS data and movement and proximity sensors, different activities can be clustered and the exposure during each activity is evaluated. In microenvironmental measurements, a trained researcher performs measurements in predefined microenvironments with a mobile device equipped with the RF-EMF sensor. The mobile device is programmed to repeat a sequence of data transmission scenarios (different amounts of uplink and downlink data transmissions). Based on simulations, the amount of exposure induced in the body when the user device is at a certain location relative to the body, can be evaluated.ConclusionOur protocol addresses the main challenges to personal exposure measurement introduced by 5G NR. A systematic method to evaluate a user’s auto-induced exposure is introduced.

Long-Term Dietary and Physical Activity Interventions in the School Setting and Their Effects on BMI in Children Aged 6-12 Years: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials.

Preventive actions and potential obesity interventions for children are mainly researched throughout the school period, either as part of the school curricula or after regular school hours, via interventions mostly lasting less than 12 months. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis on randomized controlled clinical trials to evaluate the evidence of the efficacy of long-term school-based interventions in the management of childhood obesity in terms of BMI from a dietary and physical activity-based approach. Eleven randomized controlled clinical trials were examined using the random effects model, and the results showed that there were no significant effects associated with physical activity + nutrition intervention in school children aged 6–12 years, with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) (95% CI) of −0.00 (−0.05, 0.04). No effects were observed after subgroup analysis based on the intervention length. The findings from our study indicate that long-term school-based interventions on physical activity and dietary habits received by children aged 6–12 years seem to have no effect on BMI. However, the promotion of such interventions should not be discouraged, as they promote additional positive health outcomes for other domains of children’s health.

Features of the "education standardization" concept as a component of the research vocabulary for studying the foundations of the medical and pharmaceutical education development

The research analyses the legislative framework and scientific sources on the interpretation of the concepts of "educational standards" and "standardization of education" as components of the research vocabulary for studying the foundations of medical and pharmaceutical education development. The study of Ukrainian and foreign regulatory documents and scientific and pedagogical developments of medical scientists and educators has been conducted on the basis of a systematic generalizing approach. The sequence of the terms "educational standards" and "standardization of education" introduction in the Ukrainian education system is considered. Differences in the interpretation of the concept of "educational standards" from the point of view of the meaning that a particular organization (or person) puts into the definition of this concept are presented. It is indicated, that higher medical and pharmaceutical educational institutions still have educational standards, developed on the basis of an activity-based approach, which cannot fully satisfy the pedagogical and medical educational community. The paper studies the imperfection of the legislative framework in the State regarding the development of educational standards, the lack of educational standards for medical and pharmaceutical specialists of the junior specialist (junior Bachelor) educational level. Since the European and in Ukrainian education systems focus on the educational process, aimed at the development of employees' ability to solve practical problems in various fields of activity on the basis of acquired theoretical knowledge, the priority direction of the state educational policy for the development of educational standards for medical and pharmaceutical educational institutions is the need for a competence-oriented approach. The research states that updating the educational legislation, improving and modernizing the educational system and introducing a new generation of state education standards, will help increase the competitiveness of medical and pharmaceutical specialists in the labor market

New thermodynamic activity-based approach allows predicting the feasibility of glycolysis

Thermodynamic feasibility analyses help evaluating the feasibility of metabolic pathways. This is an important information used to develop new biotechnological processes and to understand metabolic processes in cells. However, literature standard data are uncertain for most biochemical reactions yielding wrong statements concerning their feasibility. In this article we present activity-based equilibrium constants for all the ten glycolytic reactions, accompanied by the standard reaction data (standard Gibbs energy of reaction and standard enthalpy of reaction). We further developed a thermodynamic activity-based approach that allows to correctly determine the feasibility of glycolysis under different chosen conditions. The results show for the first time that the feasibility of glycolysis can be explained by thermodynamics only if (1) correct standard data are used and if (2) the conditions in the cell at non-equilibrium states are accounted for in the analyses. The results here will help to determine the feasibility of other metabolisms and to understand metabolic processes in cells in the future.

Competence of the research and education center: definition, list and structure

Introduction. The article substantiates the need to introduce the concept of "REC competencies", associated with the emergence of a new type of partnership of education, science and business – world-class research and educational centers. The emergence of new positions within the REC and their dynamic changes also pose the task of continuous work with competencies. The article presents an analysis of the methodological results of the work of the competence group within the framework of the strategic sessions of the scientific and educational center of the Nizhny Novgorod region, research and approaches to the definition of competencies.Materials and Methods. Systematic and activity-based approaches were used as the methodological basis of the study. To solve the tasks set by the authors of the work, general scientific, psychological, pedagogical and practical methods of scientific research were used. Theoretical and empirical research methods were used: analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, comparison, scientific theorization. For the analysis, the materials collected by the working group "Competencies" within the framework of the strategic sessions of the REC of the Nizhny Novgorod region were used.Results. The article defines the concept of "REC competence", for the formulation of which an activity-based approach was used. The types of REC competencies are identified-meta-competencies (for the key activities of the research and educational center: research, innovation, entrepreneurship, engineering and technology, education) and cross-cutting competencies, the presence of which is necessary and sufficient for the REC project team in order to close the entrepreneurial contour of the project and make it successful on the world market. The structure of REC competence is defined, including motivational, cognitive, operational and vector components. The structure of cross-cutting competencies is described.Discussion and Conclusion. It is concluded that the description of the structure of end-to-end REC competencies can be used to improve the competencies of professionals involved in the creation and promotion of world-class projects in the REC structure. The conditions that must be provided to achieve the designated goals are defined.

Oxidative Indole Dearomatization for Asymmetric Furoindoline Synthesis by a Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenase Involved in the Biosynthesis of Bicyclic Thiopeptide Thiostrepton.

The interest in indole dearomatization, which serves as a useful tool in the total synthesis of related alkaloid natural products, has recently been renewed with the intention of developing new methods efficient in both yield and stereoselective control. Here, we report an enzymatic approach for the oxidative dearomatization of indoles in the asymmetric synthesis of a variety of furoindolines with a vicinal quaternary carbon stereogenic center. This approach depends on the activity of a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, TsrE, which is involved in the biosynthesis of bicyclic thiopeptide antibiotic thiostrepton. TsrE catalyzes 2,3-epoxidation and subsequent epoxide opening in a highly enantioselective manner during the conversion of 2-methyl-indole-3-acetic acid or 2-methyl-tryptophol to furoindoline, with up to >99 % conversion and >99 % ee under mild reaction conditions. Complementing current chemical methods for oxidative indole dearomatization, the TsrE activity-based approach enriches the toolbox in the asymmetric synthesis of products possessing a furoindoline skeleton.

The Problems of Meta-Subject Outcomes Assessment in General Education

The article is devoted to the problem of meta-subject outcomes evaluation in general education. The need to consider this issue is justified by the contradictions between the existing approaches to evaluating new results and the lack of approved, accepted diagnostic tools. In addition, there are clear gaps between the activity-based learning framework of the Federal State Educational Standard and the traditional (knowledge-information) system for evaluating educational results. In the course of comparative and problem analysis, a number of benchmarks is identified. This allows to distinguish between approaches, concepts and their bases. Thus, the reference points are the educational system itself and the methods of teaching in which the school and the teacher work (developmental training, Pedagogy of mental and action approach, competence-based approach, etc.). For example, the basis for evaluating the meta-subject results of education in the activity-based approach are the stages of forming mental actions from simple to complex. The criteria basis for evaluating the meta-subject results of education are the concepts of “thinking”, “activity” and “result”, as the indicators of personal development level. The assessment of meta-subject skills in the competence-based approach is focused on “outcome results”. The description of theoretical approaches to the assessment of meta-subject results of education gives grounds for proper selection and application of the necessary assessment tools, thereby contributing to the improvement of general education quality. Keywords: evaluation, diagnostics, activity approach, meta-subject outcomes, educational outcomes

РАЗВИТИЕ ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ ГРАМОТНОСТИ ПРИ ИЗУЧЕНИИ ШКОЛЬНОГО КУРСА МАТЕМАТИКИ С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ МЕЖПРЕДМЕТНЫХ СВЯЗЕЙ

The article considers the issue of the formation of functional literacy when conducting mathematics lessons in a secondary school, taking into account the use of intrasubject communications. Methodology and research methods. Research is based on a system-structural and activity-based approach. Results. First of all, attention is paid to the consideration of the concept of functional literacy, the question of assessing the level of development of functional literacy and the means to assess this level of development is considered. Examples of specific tasks of an interdisciplinary nature that are used to determine the level of development of the Federal State Educational Standard of Basic General Education are given. Formal and substantive approaches in mathematics, the possibilities of their application in the framework of intrasubject communications as a means of developing functional literacy of high school students are considered. The issues of synchronization of educational material as a key element in the implementation of intrasubject communications are considered. The practical significance of the work. The directions of changing approaches to the implementation of intrasubject relations of mathematics with other areas of knowledge as the basis for achieving meta-subject educational results of the Federal State Standard of Basic General Education are revealed. The question of the connection of meta-subject educational results as the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of LLC and the functional literacy of students, as well as means of assessing the level of formation of functional literacy, is considered. Particular attention is paid to mathematical literacy as one of the key components of functional literacy. In this regard, examples of tasks from other subject areas are considered that require the use of mathematical literacy as a component of functional literacy as part of the assessment of subject achievements of students. The main recommendations on the implementation of intrasubject communications to achieve meta-subject educational results are formulated.

E-grocery: comparing the environmental impacts of the online and offline purchasing processes

ABSTRACT The growth of e-commerce has been accompanied by concerns about its environmental sustainability compared to that of bricks-and-mortar offline shopping. The media often considers e-commerce to be less sustainable despite the lack of conclusive studies to support this viewpoint. There are a few quantitative studies available in the literature that demonstrate that the differences in overall emissions strongly depend on the type of industry and the boundaries considered. This study applies an activity-based approach to assess the environmental impacts (in terms of kgCO2e) of the online and offline purchasing processes in the grocery industry for all shopping phases: replenishment, pre-sale and sale, picking and assembly, delivery and post-sale. The assessment model was applied in Italy, where e-grocery has experienced significant annual growth. Overall, the results indicate that e-grocery is potentially more sustainable than bricks-and-mortar shopping, with emissions ranging from 10%–30% lower, depending on the specific context.

Activity-Based Approach In Social Workers’ Professional Training

Social work education in Ukraine has changed dramatically over the last decades. It has a strong connection with the evolution of social work education as a field of professional practice. Recent changes in Ukrainian social policy, in particular the implementation of professional education requirements, based on the competency-oriented approach, the implementation of professional standards for social workers, the distinction of social work in a separate field of science and the complexity of social practice require the creation of unified training curriculum that corresponds to social needs and practice requirements. Creating a meaningful learning environment and raising awareness of professional objectives would be achievable by applying an activity-oriented approach to the professional education of social workers. This means that knowledge could never be isolated from activity. Activity-oriented educational practices contain the core components of professional activities and concern different aspects of social work. Profession-oriented practice includes general (volunteer activities, research, social project design, organizational and management) and additional (communicative, play and game, teamwork) forms and technologies, which demand from students to accumulate their experience in obtaining the essential forms of professional activities. Professional practice encompasses a set of principles, based on the prioritization of the social work profession, individual activity, participation and reflection, which make possible the development of the student's personal maturity and independence.

Корпоративная культура преподавателя вуза: теоретико-методологические основания исследования

Based on the analysis of current scientific literature on the issues of improving the corporate culture of a university lecturer, the author’s definition of the concept of “corporate culture of a university lecturer” is formulated. The methodological basis of the study is represented by the following approaches. The ideas of systematic approach were the basis for considering the phenomenon under study as an integral, orderly, complexly organized education and building the process of its improvement. A culturological approach enriched the cultural foundations of considering and understanding the essence of the corporate culture of the lecturer, the process of its improvement by relying on value constructs of interaction, the presentation of cultural forms of self-development. The ideas of personal approach formed the basis for considering the personality of the lecturer with their value orientations, individuality, and subjective position as the main criterion and result of the productive transformation of corporate culture. An activity-based approach has determined the targeted, procedural, and effective components of the activity and interaction of lecturers, the special organization of which is the most important condition for the development of the lecturer’s personality and his corporate culture. The provisions of acmeological approach presented the essence of the development of the corporate culture of the lecturer by taking into account the individual nature of development, as a movement towards maturity, through its contradictions resolved by the lecturer-subject. We note the principles of consistency, humanization, unity of objective and subjective, joint activity, cultural conformity of the development of corporate culture of a university lecturer.

Дидактична сутність міжкультурної іншомовної комунікативної компетентності учнів 5–6 класів гімназій

The article proposes a definition of the concept of intercultural foreign language communicative competence as a personal resource that determines a person's ability to effectively realize himself in the conditions of intercultural communication. It is emphasized that the formation of the intercultural foreign language communicative competence of students in grades 5-6 of the gymnasium is based on a systemic, personality-oriented and activity-based approach, which largely determines the selection of educational material, methods, forms and means of teaching taking into account the age characteristics and potential of students of the gymnasium, their educational needs and the content potential of the material, its role in the formation of the IFLCC and the construction of systematic work in foreign language lessons. The didactic essence of intercultural foreign language communicative competence of students in grades 5–6 of gymnasiums, characterized by target, motivational, cognitive, activity, emotional-evaluative, reflexive aspects has been determined. A special role is given to the characterization of situational tasks that contribute to the transition of students from activities in an educational situation to activities in a real life situation that meets the requirements of competence-based learning. It was found that the formation of intercultural foreign language communicative competence should become a key task of teaching a foreign language in general secondary schools, especially in primary and specialized schools. It is emphasized that to ensure the effectiveness of this process, it is important for teachers to take into account the age characteristics of students, the achievements of modern teachers and psychologists, the requirements of the State Standard.

Training teacher-tutors for developing giftedness in children during research

The article deals with the issues of teacher training in the higher education system. The purpose of the study is to justify the possibility of forming a pedagogue’s readiness for tutor support of students’ research in the context of developing giftedness in children. The prerequisites for the study are the challenges of the rapidly changing society and the resulting focus of the education policy on nurturing professionals who are competitive in the labor market, increased interest of researchers and organizers of the higher education system in the search for ways to increase the training quality of specialists in every area of social life including the training of specialists in pedagogy. Scholarly achievements in the development of a teacher’s professionalism, tutor support in the education process, teaching research, and promotion of giftedness in children are also key factors in the study. The main research method is the method of theoretical analysis of scientific pedagogical and psychological-pedagogical literature. The authors have selected and explored a substantial set of sources in Russian and English published predominantly over the last five years in science-driven databases such as the Russian Science Citation Index, Web of Science, Scopus, and other peer-reviewed outlets. Results and novelty: the context of the recent developments in pedagogical science in the field of training professionals is adequate to the trends and goals of modern education – the inclusion of student teachers in the actual practice of tutor support of students, the organization of teaching research to schoolchildren, and the development of giftedness in children. The solution to these problems is ensured by streamlining the educational process at the university based on a universal model for developing the teacher’s professionalism, through the implementation of the reflexive and activity-based approach.