Conceptual Material Research Articles

Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice

AbstractIn Onthe Affective Threshold of Power and Privilege (2023), Julie Rattray reflects on the impact of decolonising the curriculum (DtC) on threshold concept (TC) theory. In this paper, I focus on student troublesomeness in the context of DtC—troublesomeness being a key dimension in TC. I argue that such difficulty requires a bespoke analysis as it involves complex entanglements of politics, existential experiences, and epistemic difficulties. The result is twofold. First, these difficulties cannot be overcome using standard epistemic and pedagogical methods precisely because they arise out of tensions between decolonial, material, and hegemonic culture and pedagogical practices. Indeed, even where conceptual material is involved, students’ difficulty with that material cannot be properly characterised in terms of “acquisition”—the dominant model in educational theory, and TC specifically. Second, I argue that hegemonic student troublesomeness is necessary, desirable, and ongoing in these contexts. Again, this puts pressure on pedagogical commitments in TC. I mobilise my analysis through my teaching of Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s decolonial gender theory. I then draw upon Wittgenstein and Gramsci to elaborate the existential and political vectors of the problematics of students’ difficulty. I then draw specifically on Kristie Dotson’s work to think through these dynamics in the context of epistemic injustice. The paper concludes with practical strategies for educators to manage and embrace student troublesomeness, advocating for an approach that prioritises cultural understanding and existential reflection over traditional epistemic methods.

Применение концептуально-ориентированных опорных конспектов в инженерном образовании

The article is devoted to the results of a prospective randomized pedagogical study, in which a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of assimilation of conceptual material in the academic discipline “Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Management” was carried out as a result of the use of a specially developed abstract of the discipline in teaching. The new didactic format is based on conceptual ideas about engineering knowledge as dialectically related components of the fundamental conceptual component and the skills of obtaining information from the information sphere. The results obtained showed that in the study group, the efficiency of mastering the material, assessed by the average score, was pedagogically and statistically significantly higher. At the same time, the differences in qualitative performance were even higher.

The Effectiveness of Missouri Mathematics Project Learning Models for Improving Students’ Mathematical Connection Ability on Junior High School

Mathematical connection ability is one of the high level abilities but is still classified as low because students' understanding of the conceptual material given by the teacher, there are still students going through steps in working on the problems given, such as describing a symbol, in completing mathematical concepts, therefore This research aims to examine the effectiveness of using the Missouri Mathematics Project Learning Model carried out at MTs Ibnu Sina Jl. Tegal Overtime No. 105, Pamekaran, District. Soreang, Bandung Regency, West Java 4091, by taking a sample of 60 students consisting of control and experimental classes. The research method used in this action was the experimental method. Based on the results of descriptive analysis of students' mathematical ability data before being given treatment, it showed the highest score was 70, the lowest score was 55 and the average score was 61. Meanwhile, the results of descriptive analysis of students' mathematical ability data after being given The treatment showed the highest score of 70, the lowest score of 55 and the average score of 61. Those given the treatment showed the highest score of 87, the lowest score of 69, and the average score of 77.83. So the average mathematical connection ability of students after being given treatment is higher than the students' mathematical ability before being given treatment.

Free-listing and Semantic Knowledge: A Tool for Detecting Alzheimer Disease?

Impairment in semantic knowledge contributes to Alzheimer disease (AD)-related decline. However, the particulars of the impact AD has on specific domains of knowledge remain debatable. To investigate the impact of AD on specific semantic categories that are integral to daily functions-living things and man-made objects. We administered a free-listing task (written version) to 19 individuals with AD and 15 cognitively normal older adults and assessed the task's relationship with other cognitive and functional tests in clinical use. We compared the contents of the lists of salient concepts generated by the AD and control groups. Group membership (AD or control), after controlling for age, sex, formal education, and an estimate of premorbid intellectual ability, predicted the groups' performance on the free-listing task across two categories. Functional status was inversely related to performance on the free-listing task, holding demographic variables constant. Based on a comparison of the contents of the free lists that were generated by the two groups, it was possible to conclude that, in individuals with AD, conceptual knowledge central to the respective categories was well preserved, whereas the peripheral conceptual material showed evidence of degradation. The free-listing task, which is an easy-to-administer and cost-effective tool, could aid in the preliminary detection of semantic knowledge dysfunction, revealing concepts that are better preserved and, possibly, the characterization of AD. Cognitive assessment tools that can be applied across cultures are needed, and the free-listing task has the potential to address this gap.

Multiscale Structural Engineering Boosts Piezoelectricity in Na0.5Bi2.5Nb2O9-Based High-Temperature Piezoceramics.

High-temperature piezoelectric materials, which enable the accurate and reliable sensing of physical parameters to guarantee the functional operation of various systems under harsh conditions, are highly demanded. To this end, both large piezoelectricity and high Curie temperature are pivotal figures of merit (FOMs) for high-temperature piezoceramics. Unfortunately, despite intensive pursuits, it remains a formidable challenge to unravel the inverse correlation between these FOMs. Herein, a conceptual material paradigm of multiscale structural engineering was proposed to address this dilemma. The synergistic effects of phase structure reminiscent of a polymorphic phase boundary and refined domain morphology simultaneously contribute to a large piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 30.3 pC/N and a high Curie temperature TC of 740 °C in (LiCeNd) codoped Na0.5Bi2.5Nb2O9 (NBN-LCN) ceramics. More encouragingly, the system has exceptional thermal stability and is nonsusceptible to mechanical loading. This study not only demonstrates that the high-performance and robust NBN-LCN high-temperature piezoceramics hold great potential for implements under harsh conditions but also opens an avenue for integrating antagonistic properties for the enhancement of the collective performance in functional materials.

Introduction: Verticality, radicalism, resistance

In recent decades urban scholarship has witnessed a ‘vertical’ or ‘volumetric’ turn that has advanced understandings of the multi-modal power asymmetries cutting through and organising urban space. Yet, this volumetric scholarship often remains locked into binary critiques – of success/failure, inclusion/exclusion, luxury/abjection, dispossession/accumulation, arborescent/rhizomatic, horizontal/vertical. This special issue tinkers with the limitations of these (unwittingly) binary urban geometries and volumetrologies – material as well as metaphorical ones. By building the etymological opposition of ‘the vertical’ with ‘the radical’ into the title of the volume (via the Latin root radix, meaning ‘root’), we seek to make the radical itself work with geometric and morphological associations. The papers in this special issue proffer diverse ethnographic, geographic and conceptual material for considering and theorising urban verticality in concert with rather than in opposition to its incumbent horizontalisms, diagonals, curls, zigzags and scattered planes. As we completed work on the special issue, the horrors of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory played out before our eyes. Accordingly, we make use of the introduction to reflect upon the insight that the war in Ukraine brings to bear on the intersection between domains of the urban, the vertical and the radical in the fraught, tense, vicious, fragile – but resistant – urban worlds of today. In doing so, we seek not only to render more clearly visible the violent effects of power verticals on lives, worlds and cities, but also to find seeds of hope in emergent, insurgent forms of (vertical as well as horizontal, and neither vertical nor horizontal) resistance.

Upaya Meningkatan Kapasitas Guru dalam Melakukan Asessmen di SLB Melalui Kegiatan Workshop

Increasing teacher capacity in carrying out assessments is crucial in special education units. Class teachers in special schools need to have the skills and courage to carry out informal assessments so that the learning program is appropriate to the students' conditions. This research aims to describe the implementation of increasing teacher capacity in conducting assessments in Special Schools. Data collection used a qualitative approach in the form of unstructured interviews, participant observation, and documentation studies. Data were analyzed by means of data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions (Miles & Hubberman). The validity of this research data was carried out by data triangulation, researcher diligence, and member checking. The results of this research reveal that the assessment workshop process can be carried out in a flip class with online sessions for conceptual material related to assessment, while offline sessions are for practice in preparing instruments and implementing assessments. Teacher capacity building activities are indeed important, but their implementation requires effective and efficient arrangements so that teachers are ready to receive the material. However, it is recognized that the assessment workshop can provide teachers with an understanding of how to make instruments. The description of the implementation of the assessment workshop in this research can be used as a reference for managers of other special education institutions by emphasizing attention to better management of the implementation of activities.

Analysis of Fiqih Textbooks for Madrasah Aliyah Grade X : A Contextual Learning Review

Improving education quality is a crucial policy in Indonesia, yet Fiqh education in Madrasah Aliyah faces challenges due to potentially unengaging teaching methods. Textbooks play a pivotal role as the primary source of knowledge. This study evaluates the appropriateness of the Class X Fiqh Textbook in the context of contextual learning, aligning teaching material with real-world scenarios for practical student connections. The article specifically focuses on analyzing Class X Fiqh Textbooks in the context of contextual learning. This exploratory and descriptive study uses checklists and documentation to analyze data, incorporating theoretical insights from literature studies. The findings reveal the absence of the constructivism element, the presence of standardized procedural topics like Hajj, Umrah, Qurban, and Aqiqah, and predominantly conceptual material in discussions about wealth ownership release, usury, banks, and insurance. Consequently, students acquire knowledge without a genuine understanding of the content. The findings reveal a deficiency in constructivism within Grade X Fikih teaching materials, particularly in conceptual areas like asset ownership transfer, usury, banks, and insurance. Procedural content related to Hajj and Umrah, Qurban, and Akikah is already standardized. This gap may lead to students acquiring knowledge without a thorough understanding. To enhance comprehension, adjustments or additional constructivist elements are essential in the learning process.

Sketch Engine Implementation in Arabic Vocabulary Learning

This study aims to understand how to analyse the language corpus and be able to apply it properly and to improve the Arabic vocabulary of new students of UIN Jakarta majoring in Arabic Language Education (PBA) through the application of sketch engine. The application of sketch engine in learning Arabic vocabulary is still very rarely applied. This sketch engine is the first time applied to new students of UIN Jakarta in the special guidance of al-'Arabiyah al-Mukasyafah. The research method used is descriptive method with qualitative approach (field research). While data collection techniques are done by observation, interviews, and documentation. Based on the results of the study, there are three stages carried out; 1) presentation of conceptual material 2) presentation of skill material 3) evaluation of activities 4) reflection of activities. From these four stages, students are able to apply their applicative knowledge in using the sketch engine. All students who were divided into 4 groups were able to follow the steps of corpus analysis very well through reports in the form of working papers. In addition, the application of this sketch engine is able to increase students' Arabic vocabulary skills through finding word collocations and finding various meanings that fit the vocabulary.

774. Trivia Game for Learning Zoonotic Diseases in Pre-clinical Medical Curriculum

Abstract Background Zoonotic diseases are high-yield material, frequently tested on USMLE Step 1. For learning infectious diseases, many medical students supplement or replace coursework with outside resources that are personalizable and utilize active learning1,2, but these resources can be prohibitively expensive, have questionable reliability, and align imperfectly with course content2. Spencer Fox Eccles SOM historically used a Team-Based Learning (TBL) format for teaching zoonotic diseases, but this content is primarily memorization-based, while TBL is well suited for conceptual material. To teach zoonotic diseases, we created a trivia game3 (“ZooTrivia”) to mimic the low-stakes, fast-paced, engagement of outside resources, while still capturing the cooperative learning environment of TBL. Methods We used the Kirkpatrick model for student reaction and learning to assess efficacy of ZooTrivia. The session was opt-in and students chose their own teams to answer trivia questions. All answers were provided at the end. We used attendance data and surveys to assess student enjoyment of and perceived learning from ZooTrivia. Results Twenty (20/125) students reported attending ZooTrivia. Three students, who do not usually attend class, chose to attend ZooTrivia, which suggests that trivia is an attractive format. 60% of attendees reported that they would like more games like this in their education. 30% responded that they would “maybe” want more games like this. For enjoyment, students on average reported preferring trivia over both TBL and outside resources (average 3.9 and 3.6, respectively on a scale of 1-5). However, for student learning, students on average reported TBL and outside resources as better learning formats (average 2.8 for both, on a scale of 1-5). Conclusion Trivia is an alternative to TBL-based learning of zoonotic disease that students report enjoying more but learning slightly less than TBL. Analysis of student learning was limited by incomparable attendance of ZooTrivia and TBL; ZooTrivia was an optional session, while TBL was required attendance. This comparison is a direction for future study. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Diklat Makalah Sebagai Implementasi Potensi Kepenulisan Dalam Upaya Meningkatkan Kualitas Mahasiswa Selama Pandemi Covid19

During the pandemic, changes in the methodology of teaching and learning process impacted students' comprehension of how to write academic studies. As a new student, you should clearly understand how to publish a paper as an aspect of each course's assessment task. This facility utilizes paper training methods, with the speaker having to deliver conceptual material and two tutors within every group designed to assist in the strategy of making paper. This voluntary work had 400 attendees, and the implementation was split into three multiple places to avoid the growth of COVID19 during the pandemic and also via media zoom meetings for attendees who stayed in distant regions. The content includes the definition, goal, and procedure for constructing a paper from title classification, introductions, and table of contents. Moreover, the learning is effective for creating citations and bibliographies, and it is offered in full compliance with science regulations. After bringing the content and supporting the conception of papers, it is reasonable to conclude that the value of new students has increased as they were successful in making papers as part of the assessment of the achievement of this operation.

The Effect of Drawing Microbiology Concepts on Short-Term Retention Before and After Interrupted Learning.

Throughout the preclinical education curriculum, medical students learn numerous concepts that must be retained and added to over time. Previous studies have shown that utilizing drawing leads to improved retention of concepts. However, limited studies have investigated the use of drawing at the medical school level. The goal of this study was to utilize mechanism-based drawing aimed at presenting conceptual material rather than strict memorization before and after interrupted learning. Participants were randomly assigned to a drawing group or a text-only group and both groups received text #1 that explained a microbiology concept. The groups were instructed to read the text, but only the drawing group received a drawing prompt. The groups then completed post-test #1. During part #2 of the study, the groups were instructed to read text #2 with no drawing prompt. The two groups were instructed to complete post-test #2 which covered topics from text #1 and #2. p<0.05 was considered significant. The drawing group performed significantly better on post-test #1 compared to the text-only group. There were no significant differences on overall performance on post-test #2. However, the drawing group performed significantly better on questions related to the material covered in text #1 on post-test #2. Results presented here demonstrate that students who draw perform significantly better when assessed on complex microbiology concepts, even after interrupted by the introduction of an unrelated concept. A future study should investigate the effectiveness of drawing after interruption by learning on long-term retention and performance.

A Functional Study of Meta-discourse

With the development of the discourse analysis theory, researchers have begun to pay attention to the meaning of discourse itself, and the meta-discourse has become a hot spot in discourse research. The definitions of meta-discourse in different schools are different and have their own biases, but the meta-discourse role has been widely accepted of organizing the discourse, expressing the author’s views, and considering the reader’s reflection, which is a way for the author to carry out the structure of the paper and organize ideas. From the perspective of Halliday’s system and function, this paper analyzes the three major functions of metadiscourse: ideational, interpersonal and textual metafunctions. The ideational metadiscourse can affect the propositional content and semantic interpretation of discourse to a certain extent. The interpersonal metadiscourse helps understand and evaluate propositional information, establish the relationship between the author and the reader and emphasize the interaction between them. The textual meta-discourse helps the writer express how they connect conceptual materials and how the text produces meaning in the context. In addition, the author believes that the use of the meta-discourse also reflects the interactive, inter-subjective, and dialogic features of the discourse.

Exploring How Material Demonstrators Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Bioeconomy

Taking ideas to market can be a long, iterative, and complex process. When dealing with new bio-based materials, understanding factors that help bridge the lab-to-market gap and how materials are selected for new product development have the potential to speed up the transition to a circular bioeconomy. This article defines abstract and conceptual material demonstrators and explores how they support the innovation process in different ways. Nine roles are identified, including how material demonstrators contribute to generating and expressing new ideas, enable a shared understanding of technology, support the discovery of market value and the visualization of potential applications as well as helping to articulate internal and external strategies and communications. Abstract and conceptual material demonstrators are exemplified with both technology-driven and market-driven bio-based materials used in packaging.

Pengembangan Materi Video Pembelajaran dengan OpenShot untuk Meningkatkan Kompetensi Digital Guru Sekolah Dasar

Learning by video makes teachers explain complex or conceptual material, motivate students, create a less boring learning atmosphere, and students can repeat watching videos to understand the material better. The skills of making and editing videos for classroom needs have not been mastered yet by elementary school teachers in Cisauk Subdistrict, Tangerang. This community service activity aims to develop the digital competence of elementary school teachers in Cisauk District through training on making learning video materials using OpenShot Video Editor. The participants were 20 people from 12 public elementary schools. The methods used are training, assignment or project, mentoring, monitoring, and evaluation. The training was delivered online and offline, with one meeting each. Assistance and monitoring of video assignments were carried out online for three meetings. The results of the evaluation were observed from the resulting videos and interviews. This training provides the teachers with new knowledge, insights, and skills. The teachers are not used to editing videos yet. The videos produced by teachers still need to be improved and prepared carefully, including by utilizing mentoring to discuss the video-making process and prepare storyboards better

Overtone Window. Practical Application of the Theory of Social and Economic Mechanisms

The article elaborates the conceptual material published earlier in the journal (Russia has Spread its Wings. Phenomenology of Developing the Global System Contradiction of Our Era// Vestnik of the Russian Plekhanov University of Economics. – 2022. – Vol. 19. – N 5 (125). – pp. 44-53), which requires a specific approach to resolving vital problems facing Russia today. It is caused by unprecedented after the World War 2 institutional challenges launched by the collective West that aim at destruction of the Russian state system, at elimination of Russian identity, at eradication of Russia as it is, as a nation. Earlier the authors revealed specific features of the current stage in developing the global system contradiction ‘creditors – debtors’ and the origin of its sharp phase in view of diverse forms of total hybrid and informational war. Within the context of the present publication the authors characterize a sharp phase of developing the global system contradiction in the current era. Recognition of social and economic contradiction as a global phenomenon of our age was confirmed in the speech by President of Russia V.V.Putin at the plenary session of the 19th annual forum of the International Discussion Club ‘Valdai’: ‘…This forms the principle contradiction of the current epoch… the situation is revolutionary.’ In order to apply and promote social technologies which were chosen and announced a political doctrine the US and UK elites devised and started a keen, rather inventive, cynical propaganda machine, i.e. the machine of lie. The global start of the machine took place on September 11, 2001 that can be called the beginning of the World War 3 – the hybrid war. It was followed by informational and power attacks on countries and nations, peoples of the Earth innocent towards the US and UK. Anglo-Saxon elites shale public opinion in the format of cash-masters’ ideological paradigm, develop and implement mechanisms for transforming public opinion, use the doctrine ‘Overtone Window’, the manipulation matrix of political and social management. Massed informational flow is used to form a ‘smoke-screen’, which can hide true grounds and intentions of architects of global predomination. Military pressure on thoughts, souls and bodies of people, first of all bloody slaughters unleashed by the US, are meant to disrupt foundations of humanistic civilization and secure global predomination over the world and cash masters’ control. Russia has accepted the challenge. Today Russia is facing numerous crucial problems, which must be resolved by all means.

Impact of LMS-mediated readiness assurance testing on performance in pharmacy calculations

ObjectiveReadiness assurance testing has enjoyed increased use as a tool for the delivery and reinforcement of pharmacy concepts. This study was conducted to determine the influence of the readiness assurance test (RAT) on major examination outcomes in pharmacy calculations.MethodsThe Blackboard Learning Management System was identified as an efficient platform for RAT implementation. The outcomes of three consecutive offerings of pharmacy calculations were compared. Cohorts 1 and 2 were exposed to recitation and standard assessments in lecture and laboratory sessions. Cohort 3 was additionally administered weekly individual (IRAT) and team (TRAT) readiness assurance tests for concept areas. All cohorts were exposed to a common comprehensive final exam.ResultsSignificant differences were observed in major lecture exam scores among cohorts. Cohort 3’s mean final exam score was significantly greater than that of Cohort 1, which received the most conventional method of subject delivery. Students feedback was generally positive regarding use of RAT.ConclusionsUse of RAT assessment was positively associated with final exam score outcomes in pharmacy calculations, including a positive shift in final exam score distribution in Cohort 3. Use of RAT promotes increased student exposure to conceptual material and instruction in pharmacy calculations.

Exploring Inquiry Skills During Home Experiments about Science in the Online Instruction

Inquiry is an essential skill in science learning which includes designing, conducting, and interpreting the results of scientific investigations. Inquiry skills are usually taught by applying instruction by doing science-based education. Experiments are essential in training students' inquiry skills in science learning. Online science learning is effectively used to teach theoretical or conceptual material and becomes a challenge when applied in education that provides practical experience in the laboratory by involving experiments methods with hands-on exercises. This study tried online science learning by integrating experimental activities using hands-on activities carried out by students in their respective homes. During science lessons, students choose a topic about science and conduct experiments at home. Students design experiments, collect data, analyze data, and formulate conclusions to construct scientific knowledge. The results showed that practical activities carried out at home in online science learning could help students develop their inquiry skills. Students can carry out scientific investigations by applying various inquiry skills to obtain valid scientific knowledge.

Soft Magneto‐Responsive Shape Memory Foam Composite Actuators

Front Cover: A novel conceptual material and design of magneto-responsive shape-memory polyurethane (SMP) foam composites with excellent stability and reversibility is introduced by Mohammadreza Lalegani Dezaki and Mahdi Bodaghi in article 2200490. They are lightweight, stable, shape-recoverable, soft, and programmable and are expected to be game changer in the soft robotics field.

The creative minds of Arab cartoonists: metaphor, culture and context

Abstract This article addresses the question of whether context plays a role in creating novel multimodal metaphors. Or, to put the question differently, from where do Arab political cartoonists (as members of several, overlapping or hierarchically related knowledge communities) recruit creative conceptual materials for metaphorical purposes? Specifically, it draws a distinction between direct and indirect sources of metaphor, where embodied experience is classified as direct, and communication (watching TV, reading books and newspapers, etc.) as indirect. Discourse, albeit a major source of human knowledge and hence of metaphor, has received much less attention than it deserves. Using a large-scale corpus of 300 Arabic political cartoons, this study is intended to fill this research gap. It would be difficult to talk about multimodal metaphor without other construal operations such as metonymy and conceptual integration. To clarify the meaning of this, metaphor is seen as a byproduct of blending; and the visual representation of an abstract domain requires choosing a metonym, or chain of metonyms, from a specific domain that in the given context stands for the domain as a whole and that is eminently depictable. Thus, it is of interest to discuss why a cartoonist uses one metonym rather than another. This research is considered relevant for intercultural and cognitive studies, because it also addresses the question of how regional variation in knowledge is related to similar variation and diversity of metaphorical creativity.