Blended System Research Articles

Paradigm shift in medical education due to the COVID-19 pandemic: guidelines for developing a blended learning curriculum in medical education

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has transformed the world's economy, health and education in a blink of an eye. Almost 1 billion learners have been affected across the globe. This has resulted in a paradigm shift to blended learning. Therefore, it was felt necessary to provide practical guidelines for the development of blended curriculum in medical education. It would help to overcome the challenges faced due to unprecedented transformation of medical education on account of pandemic. Methods: Guidelines based on personal experience of the authors and literature search were developed using the complex adapted blended learning system (CALBS) framework. Seven experts developed these guidelines using the nominal group technique. The consent form and literature for CABLS framework was shared with experts. The experts developed the guidelines independently during phase one of the technique. After a given time, phase 2 started with moderator mediated discussion about the individual guidelines developed by the experts. After discussion and mutual consensus four types of guideline ideas were developed. During the third phase the experts ranked the guideline ideas on a scale of 1 to 5. The guideline idea that ranked highest was selected as a final guideline for developing a blended learning curriculum. Results: The group consensus resulted in developing seven guidelines for a blended course or curriculum in medical education. These guidelines are based on a conceptual framework supplemented by expert's own personal experience and current evidence from literature. Conclusions: These guidelines would provide a comprehensive and systematic approach to develop a blended learning curriculum in medical education.

Correlating the amorphous phase structure of vitrified bauxite residue (red mud) to the initial reactivity in binder systems

The initial reactivity in cementitious systems (i.e. alkali-activated and blended cement systems) of three slags produced using bauxite residue (BR) as the main raw material were assessed; these slags ranged from semi-vitrified to fully amorphous. Additions of C, SiO2 and CaO to BR decreased the liquidus, therefore, firing at 1200 °C was performed and slags with different amorphous contents were achieved after quenching. Results demonstrated that the content of amorphous phase (50–98 wt%) and composition of the amorphous phase, and thus the degree of polymerisation, vary significantly, depending on the amount and type of the additions. Some crystalline phases were detected, which, very beneficially, are able to incorporate potentially unwanted elements. The results of simplified heat flow reactivity tests that simulated alkali-activated binders (Na-silicate-solution as activator) and reactivity tests that modelled the situation in blended cements (reactivity assessment according to the RILEM-TC-267-TRM, rapid, relevant and reliable – R3test) coincided and demonstrated a correlation between the structure of the amorphous phase of the slags (i.e. degree of polymerisation) and reaction kinetics. The lower the degree of polymerisation of the amorphous phase, the faster the dissolution of the slag. The content of amorphous phase did not seem to have an influence on this early reactivity of the BR derived slags. As the results of both calorimeter tests demonstrated the same trend, it is likely that the R3reactivity test can also be used for Fe-rich slags and potentially as a tool to determine the reactivity of Fe-rich slags in alkali-activated systems.

Dose response of radiation-induced low-dose film dosimeter of inorganic salt and red cresol dye blended PVA

This work aims to study the effect of X-ray on the optical properties of film dosimeter based on a mixture of inorganic salt and red cresol dyed blended in Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. The magnesium sulphate MgSO4 was introduced to the blended polymeric system as a stabilizer and increase the sensitivity of the fabricated dosimetric film. The films were successfully prepared using the casting technique by dissolving magnesium sulphate powder with various molarity into PVA solution and red cresol dye was added to the solution. The films were cut into cuvette sizes and exposed to the X-ray with varying kinetic energy. The optical characterization was performed using UV–visible. It was found that the optical energy gaps values for both irradiated and unirradiated samples shifted to the higher energies for indirect optical bandgap and shifted to lower energies for direct optical bandgap.

In the world of digital media. The role of information technology in Polish and Czech secondary education

Public schools have a basis for creating a new offer of multimedia activities. Every school should plan its development based on its resources and competences. Keeping up with the ever-changing reality, rather than sticking to once chosen directions, is the way to digital school individualization. Only such a school model allows to achieve beneficial for society educational results in the beginning of the 21st century. The types and scopes of proposed activities depend on the requirements for audiovisual equipment, and the competence of teachers. Multimedia is a combination of several different ways of conveying information in order to provide the audience with better prepared information. The article presents the results of a survey on the use of Information Technology in upper secondary education by teachers, which shows the extent of teachers’ knowledge of media education of young people, the support for this education, and the opinions about it at school. A selection of two secondary schools with similar fields of study in Poland and the Czech Republic is juxtaposed. The school should play a major role in the blended learning system by initiating and enabling remote learning (using the equipment of laboratories - computers with Internet access and the knowledge and skills of teachers).

Dynamic Mechanical and Chemorheology Analysis for the Blended Epoxy System with Polyurethane Modified Resin

As the important matrix material, epoxy resin has been widely used in the composites for various fields. On account of the poor toughness of epoxy resin limiting their suitability for advanced applications, considerable interests have been conducted to modify the epoxy resin to meet the engineering requirements. In this study, the bio-based polyurethane (PU) modified resin was adopted to modify the pure bisphenol-A epoxy by blending method with various proportions. Aiming to illuminate the curing behavior, mechanical and thermal properties, the blended epoxy systems were characterized by viscosity-time analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) at different frequencies and temperatures, mechanical tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results indicated that the introduction of PU modified epoxy was found to significantly inhibit the viscosity growth rates especially when the content of PU modified epoxy resin is higher than 60%. Notwithstanding the dynamic modulus and Tg reduced with the increment of PU modified epoxy, remarkable increment on the elongation at break was found and the flexibility was greatly promoted with the introduction of PU modified epoxy. The proportion of PU modified epoxy in the blends should be put balance considerations to obtain optimal mechanical properties. TGA results and FTIR spectrum demonstrated that the addition of PU modified epoxy did not change the thermal decomposition mechanism and chemical reaction mechanism, but the addition of PU modified epoxy inhibits the curing reaction of epoxy resin by measured and calculated the damping temperature domain ΔT from 35.7°C to 48.9°C.

Prediction of strength and shrinkage of ternary blended concrete with fly ash, slag and silica fume

In the recent years, there has been increased in concern on shrinkage response of concrete systems as abundant cases of premature deterioration were reported. The major factors affecting the deterioration of a concrete system are quality, composition and the surrounding environment. In connection with this, the work concentrates on the study of long-term effects on materials used in the concrete (supplementary cementitious materials SCMs) such as fly ash, slag and silica fume as a blended concrete system. To carry out the experimental work, nine concrete mixes were designed for varying proportions of SCMs and w/b. Evolution of compressive strength, elastic modulus, shrinkage and selected durability parameters were tested under a controlled laboratory condition. Based on the work, it was found that the inclusion of fly ash, slag and silica fume on the concrete systems enhance the compressive strength in long-term, also the shrinkage response of the ternary systems shows a substantial reduction in the measured strain. Durability performance like chloride penetration and sorptivity had a better performance in comparison with the conventional concrete systems.

IMPLEMENTING OF BLENDED LEARNING IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY READINESS AND TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE: AN ANALYSIS

Blended learning has become an attractive learning model in the world of education, especially as an application of innovative new information technology. However, the face-toface learning process using information technology has not been able to provide an effective and efficient solution. To achieve success in the learning process, blended learning needs to rely on solid learning theories and pedagogical strategies. This research aims to know how technology readiness and technology acceptance of lecturers in implementing Blended Learning. Data collection using questionnaires from lecturer respondents who have received blended learning training, at the Faculty of Economics, Bhayangkara Jaya University as many as 52 people. Data processing using path analysis from AMOS. The results showed that Optimism had a significant positive effect on perceptions of ease of use and perceptions of usefulness. Innovation has a significant positive effect on perceived ease of use. Insecurity has a significant negative effect on perceptions of ease of use. Perceived ease of use has a significant positive effect on perceived usefulness. As an implication of this research, there needs to be the development of an integrated blended learning system as well as training for lecturers and students in order to improve technology readiness, so that the implementation of Blended Learning will be maximized.

Neural network model to predict compressive strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete elements incorporating supplementary cementitious materials

During the recent past,the problem of early deterioration of concrete structures and durability of concrete structures has remained major issue posed to engineers. we have reported here the incorporation of Metakaolin,fly ash,GGBS & silica fume at binary and ternary blended system with diverse Water binder ratio. Various concrete mixes with supplementary Cementitious material (SCM) and Normal Concrete of Grade M40 (NC40) has been prepared and Steel Fiber & plasticizer dosage has been varied. This Research Paper Explore the Neural Network Model comprising Compressive strength of various binary and ternary blended Supplementary Cementitious concrete elements. ANN model, then contrasted with MS-Excel, is created with R programming. The right algorithm and neuronal numbers have been determined for optimizing the model architecture via a responsive analysis,. It was found that the prediction of compressive strength with a neuron network was highly accurate. The relative mean squared error, coefficient of decision (R2) and mean absolute relative error is calculated for the experimental outcomes and model outputs. Levenberg Marquardt as algorithm employed for performance analysis. Paramount and Least Value of R2 is 97.2 % and 95.2 % for training data sets in the ANN model. Statistical performance demonstrate that proposed ANN models for compressive strength is accurate and extremely nearer to the experimental values. There is a close harmonization between actual data and ANN compressive strength outputs. The ANN model therefore seems to be a valuable tool to forecast compressive strength.

Characteristics of flax oil and milk mixture

In order to develop milk products both with better taste and more health benefits, it is studied that a blended system of dairy products and flax oil based on the Budwig diet. The amounts of flax oil added to the pure milk or yogurt were varied and the system was fully mixed without adversely affecting the flavor. The effects of flax oil addition on the frictional and rheological properties of different dairy products were investigated, and the optimal addition ratio was determined combined with the sensory evaluation. The experimental results showed that the addition ratio of flax oil significantly affected the friction characteristics and rheological properties of dairy products, in which the friction coefficient of the mixture tended to decrease as the addition of flax oil increased, and with the added increase the viscosities of both ordinary yogurt mixture and pure milk mixture tended to increase. Furthermore, based on physical characteristics and sensory properties the optimal addition ratios of flax oil to pure milk, ordinary yogurt, and non-fat yogurt are obtained, which are 2.5wt%, 2.5wt%, and 5wt%, respectively. The study provides a quantified analysis way for the additions to the dairy products and the obtained data can be used for reference in production. Keywords: rheology, tribology, flax oil, milk, yogurt, mixture, characteristics DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221504.7108 Citation: Chen C S, Liu P, Li M F, Zhang X. Characteristics of flax oil and milk mixture. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(4): 264–270.

Analisis Motivasi Berprestasi Mahasiswa Dalam Sistem Pembelajaran Berbasis blended learning Era

The purpose of this study was to determine student profiles and the percentage of student achievement motivation in a blended learning-based learning system in the industrial era 4.0. The sampling technique used was stratified random sampling with cluster sampling. Total sample: 120 participants (30 x 4 classes = 120). From the data analysis, it can be seen that achievement motivation data results include, 33% of students have very high motivation, 38% high motivation, 17% moderate motivation, 8% less motivation, and 4% very low motivation. Overall student motivation in digital-based learning systems is very good, it can be seen from the results of data analysis that has been carried out, learning systems that can provoke interest in learning are very influential on increasing motivation, and conversely high motivation will be able to form a personality that is ready in various situations. no exception to the adaptation of the learning system that continues to grow.

Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Fairness in the Evaluation Systems for Non-Face-to-Face Classes －Focusing on the Case of I University Students

The purpose of this study is to improve the fairness in the evaluation systems for non-face-to-face classes, and to propose improvement plans ensure their quality. It is based on a questionnaire survey regarding the undergraduate students’ perceptions of fairness in the evaluation systems for non-face-to face classes, focusing on the case of I University students. We investigated the undergraduate students’ perceptions of fairness in the evaluation standards, evaluation methods and evaluation results for non-face-to-face classes in order to discover what important factors have an influence on these evaluation criteria.</br>From the results, we found that students believe that evaluation systems for non-face-to-face classes should be differentiated from those of face-to-face classes. They consider the fairness in the evaluation systems of non-face-to-face classes to be differentiated from face-to-face classes. However, they do not differentiate between the two when it comes to actual evaluation results, and they were even more highly satisfied with the evaluation results under non-face-to-face systems, showing a degree of duplicity in their assessment. Further, they consider evaluation methods to be the most important factor for the fairness in the evaluation system for non-face-to-face classes. These results are also differentiated according to the students’ different class experiences.</br>From these results we propose that a blended learning system should be adopted for face-to-face and non-face-to-face classes, in order to overcome the problems inherent in the non-face-to-face classes, such as a shortage of actual contact and communication between professors and students. We also suggest that universities develop individualized education and evaluation systems applying various online education techniques to improve the quality of education that must now cope with the problems and challenges of providing non-face-to-face classes.

Influence of metakaolin and limestone on chloride binding of slag activated by mixed magnesium oxide and sodium hydroxide

The layered double hydroxides (LDH) formed in alkali-activated slag (AAS), i.e. hydrotalcite and AFm phases, play a considerable role in its chloride binding behaviours. In addition to slag chemistry, the formation of LDH and chloride binding capacity of AAS are highly influenced by the activator composition and incorporation of other precursors. Considering their potential in enhancing LDH formation, this study investigates the influence of metakaolin and limestone incorporation on the phase assemblages, composition, and chloride binding capacity of AAS activated by mixed reactive magnesium oxide (MgO)-sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The results show that the chloride binding capacity of AAS is increased by up to 50% with 20% metakaolin or limestone substitution. However, different mechanisms for the binding enhancement are proposed for these two blended AAS systems. For metakaolin-blended AAS, the hydrotalcite formation is probably limited by the mobility of the dissolved Mg during MgO hydration and its interaction with dissolved Al from metakaolin; thus the increased chloride binding is primarily attributed to the sorption by C-A-S-H and formation of chloride-bearing chabazite. For limestone-blended AAS, carbonate-AFm phase is identified which enhances the formation of Friedel's salt and its polymorphs, thus showing increased binding capacity. These findings suggest that the enhanced chloride resistance of AAS materials could be achieved with the use of combinational raw precursors if appropriately designed.

Internalisasi Nilai-Nilai Karakter pada Anak Usia Dini di Era Pandemi Covid-19

<p>This study aims to find out how the teacher’s efforts to internalize character values in early childhood during the covid-19 pandemic at Masyithoh Cebolek Margoyoso Pati Kindergarten and the problems they face. In its implementation, it uses a qualitative case study approach with data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. Research subjects include teachers and literature searches. The results showed that the first; character values instilled in early childhood consist of 18 character values as referred to by the Ministry of Education and Culture, second; teachers’ efforts to internalize character values during the Covid-19 pandemic through several ways including a) continuous habituation, b) application of blended learning systems, c) application of multiple methods in every learning and d) strengthening of parenting parents offline and online. Third; the emergence of problems in the implementation of internalization such as the lack of responsiveness of parents in assisting learning, technological stuttering, inadequate network availability, loss of children’s independence due to excessive parental assistance, limited parental assistance time. All of these problems are dealt with by forming a communication platform in the form of a parent association as a medium for sharing, communicating, and sharing information and experiences.</p>

Enriching Existing 3D Pavement Condition Survey Datasets to Support Paving Project Cost Estimates, Project Planning, Designs, and Automated Machine Guidance

State departments of transportation (DOTs) typically perform annual pavement condition inspections, which serve as an important input into pavement management systems (PMS) software. Road surface defects (cracking, rutting, smoothness, etc.) are analyzed by PMS software to model the deterioration of pavements and to make budget and performance-based recommendations about which roads to maintain and how and when to maintain them. Increasingly at the state DOT level, these data are captured using high-speed 3D lasers (laser triangulation systems) that acquire the 3D shape of the road surface to evaluate its condition. Traditionally the capture of road elevation data relied entirely on the use of survey crews. Although accuracy can be quite high, the process of capturing elevations can require a lot of manpower, is time-consuming, requires lane closures, and results in a relatively small number of points per kilometer of road with which to perform all of the tasks from early project planning through construction. This paper explores an alternate approach that leverages existing 3D laser technology utilized by DOTs to measure the condition of in-service pavements. Typically, these laser systems capture “relatively referenced” 3D profiles of the roadway to evaluate pavement condition based on surface distortion. However, there is often no connection between these “relative” 3D profiles and real-world locations. This new approach involves the addition of high-accuracy blended global navigation satellite system + inertial navigation system positioning systems, as well as specialized software, to map the absolute position of 3D profiles in real-world coordinates.

Organization of Individual Work of Students in Blended Learning of Foreign Languages at Higher Educational Institutions

The purpose of the academic paper is as follows: to evaluate the effectiveness of individual work of students in blended learning of foreign languages at higher educational institutions in order to identify problems and prospects for autonomous learning. Methodology. The paper uses the online form of the questionnaire to conduct a survey of 260 students of Ukrainian universities in September-October 2020. The results demonstrate several important conclusions. Social-demographic characteristics of students affect the effectiveness of self-organization of students in the study of foreign languages with application of technologies. The basic problems of individual work of students in blended learning of foreign languages at HEI are determined as follows: technical and the need for support from a technical specialist; inconvenience of a blended learning system; the need for additional technical skills; the complexity of blended learning. The effectiveness of the learning process based on the system and technologies of blended learning has been also assessed at the average level.

HAMBATAN DAN SOLUSI PEMBELAJARAN JARAK JAUH PADA ERA PANDEMI COVID-19 DI JAWA TENGAH

Abstract: Online learning during the Covid 19 pandemic had implications for the quality of education, on the other hand it led to innovation. The objectives of this study are: 1) To analyze the condition of senior high school in the Covid-19 pandemic era in Central Java (problems and progress); 2) Identifying the readiness of teachers and schools; 3) Identifying the need for quality education; and 4) Analyze the policies needed to improve the quality of education in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. This research is descriptive, mixed method approach, qualitative and quantitative. This research involving 260 informants (principal, teachers, parents, and students). This study also used a survey method involving 84 principals, 831 teachers, 4,124 parents and 10,048 students. The data collection instruments were questionnaires and FGD. Qualitative analysis uses an interactive model developed by Miles and Huberman, quantitative analysis is descriptive, namely mean and percentage. The conclusions of this study: First, education in the Covid-19 pandemic era with a home learning strategy (daring) faces the problem of lack of facilities and infrastructure, mastery of technology, quota/internet data packages, internet network/signal. The advantages are increased mastery of technology, learning innovation, introduction of new methods, time/ energy/cost efficiency. Second, many teachers were not ready, but schools had also prepared adequate facilities, and encouraged new innovations. Third, what is needed to realize quality education through increasing the capacity of teachers, subsidizing facilities and infrastructure, improving the education system, and learning innovation. Fourth, the policy required is the implementation of a blended learning system, e-learning/LMS, curriculum adjustments, and encouraging innovation.

Quality blended learning systems for improving undergraduate students’ skills

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effects of quality blended learning systems (QBLS) on the improvement of undergraduate students’ skills through the use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample includes 1,200 subjects of which 126 and 1,074 are lecturers and students, respectively. The subjects were selected from seven post-secondary institutions in Nigeria. A stratified sampling technique was used in data collection. Collected data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.FindingsThe results reveal that QBLS influences the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control towards intentions that culminate in the usage of blended learning tools (BLTs).Originality/valueThe study supports the belief that QBLS enhances users’ behaviour towards system usage with the TAM and the TPB predicting real usage of BLTs via users’ intentions. Practically, teachers should adjust the existing BLTs not only to create new ones but also to suit personalized teaching and learning activities.

Evaluation of rheological and durability characteristics of sugarcane bagasse ash and rice husk ash based binary and ternary cementitious system

Implementation of biomass based power plants is substantially increased worldwide, and hence large quantity of agro-waste ashes is disposed as waste. The reuse of agro-waste ashes as supplementary cementitious materials helps to solve problems associated with intensive carbon emission from cement plants and the disposal of agro-waste ashes. Although earlier studies are reported on the use of sugarcane bagasse ash and rice husk ash as a pozzolan in concrete, studies on their combined use in the production of ternary cement are highly limited. Hence, the present study focuses on the performance evaluation of the sugarcane bagasse ash and rice husk ash based ternary blended cementitious system. The performance of the ternary blended concrete is also compared with sugarcane bagasse ash based binary blended concrete. Rheological characteristics, compressive strength, rapid chloride penetration test, water sorptivity index, and porosity of the blended concrete is investigated. The yield stress, plastic viscosity and consistency index are increased with the increase in the addition of sugarcane bagasse ash and rice husk ash. The highest compressive strength is observed for ternary blended concrete with 10% bagasse ash and 5% rice husk ash, followed by blended binary concrete with 20% bagasse ash. The decrease in portlandite was evidently observed for binary and ternary blended samples with the addition of bagasse ash and rice husk ash using X-ray diffractogram and thermal analysis. Reduction in chloride permeability, water sorptivity index and porosity was observed for agro-waste ashes blended concrete than control concrete.

Pozzolanic reactivity and drying shrinkage characteristics of optimized blended cementitious composites comprising of Nano-Silica particles

Measurement of reaction rate amid Pozzolans and portlandite (Ca(OH2) in the pore solution of cementitious system is the essential mechanism that need to be quantified for any blended cementitious system. So, in this study pozzolanic reactivity of multi-blended cementitious composites (binary, ternary and quaternary) was determined and corroborated using three different techniques i.e., strength activity index (SAI), selective dissolution method (SDM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, efforts were made to correlate the measured drying shrinkage values of multi-blended cementitious mix with pozzolanic reactivity indices. Theory of particle packing which works on the basis of modified Andreasen and Andersen model was adopted to design the optimized blended cementitious mixes. It is observed that pozzolanic reactivity was found to be the highest for 3% nano-silica admixed binary cementitious mix, however, this binary mix reported that associated drying shrinkage is a cause of concern. Further measurement on ternary and quaternary blended mix revealed that SCMs at triplet scale (quaternary blended) is found to be equally pozzolanic and also sustainable with respect to the phenomenon of drying shrinkage. This is attributed to the fact that synergic effect of multiple SCMs (quaternary blend) triggered the pozzolanic activity by enhancing the CH consumption rate from the pore solution. From the results of the experimental investigation, it is also proposed that there exists a “three-phase drying system” for all kind of cementitious mixes. Drying shrinkage results also showed best fit in correspondence to measured pozzolanic reactivity indices.

Understanding Blended Learning Strategy in Increasing Students Motivation After Reopening Schools

This exploration is expected to search many insightful articles on mixed helping blended learning strategies to upgrade understudy learning results in complex and routine circumstances. To all the more likely comprehend and scholarly involvement in mixed learning, we accumulated information and data by doing a virtual information search on some notable distributions on educational issues and utilizing innovation to improve learning results. We utilized the expressions "distributions" to allude to information from ERIC, Google Books, Taylor&France, Elsevier, and Sagepub. We directed a top-to-bottom review utilizing an inside and out evaluation and coding framework to find the solutions utilizing a phenomenological technique. Subsequently, given the assessment of the principal discoveries, we can presume that a hybrid or blended learning system is a learning approach that consolidates a scope of instructive procedure techniques to help understudies accomplish more prominent degrees of accomplishment than traditional methodologies alone. A mixture and blended learning framework joins vis-à-vis guidance with PC helped training. It is expected that these outcomes would fill in as supporting writing for future examinations and applications.