Core Courses Research Articles

Multidisciplinary Collaboration and Industry Partnership: Keys for the Development of the Masters of Geomatics in Disaster Risk Reduction Curriculum

Abstract. Despite the high susceptibility of the Philippines to natural disasters, there is a significant lack of human resources focused on disaster risk reduction (DRR). To address this, the University of the Cordilleras, in collaboration with the ERASMUS CBHE Plus Program: Geomatics in Disaster Risk Reduction of the European Union, has developed a curriculum for a GeoDRR program. This program is designed to produce professionals with expertise in disaster risk reduction, geomatics, and remote sensing. The curriculum development employed a mixed-methods approach using the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) Framework and the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) method. The ADDIE Framework guided the structured development process, while the DACUM method identified the necessary competencies for students. The resulting UC MGeoDRR curriculum comprises 15 units of Core Courses, 15 units of Professional Courses, 9 units of Electives, and a 6-unit Capstone project. The curriculum is designed to be localized and contextually relevant, integrating DRR into research, innovation, and extension activities. The pilot program is recommended for graduates of related undergraduate programs and DRR professionals and practitioners.

The Application of Hybrid Instruction Mode in the Course of Geographic Information System Principles

Abstract. Geographic Information System Principles is one of the professional core courses for the students majoring in Geographic Information Science. It plays an important role in providing a theoretical foundation and technical support for subsequent professional courses. The course is offered in the second semester of the freshman year and is the first professional core course for students. There are four key issues that need to be addressed. Firstly, the main content of this course is extensive and the difficulty level is relatively high. Secondly,theory and software operation are disconnected in traditional classes. Thirdly, the traditional teaching mode can not well stimulate students' interest. Fourthly, the traditional teaching and learning evaluation method focuses on results but not process. Hence, we rely on the online teaching platform of our school to carry out Hybrid Instruction Mode, hoping to improve students' learning effect and improve teaching quality. Based on the outcome-based education (OBE) concept, we refine the teaching objectives, and subsequently enhance the teaching materials. Then, we have built a blended teaching mode. The whole teaching process is divided into four parts including "course guidance", "pre-class self-study", "in-class practice", and "post-class research". Online and offline teaching are connected with various activities. Discussions, exercises, reflections, assessments, critical thinking, paper reading and homework are online activities. Guidance, analysis and practice are offline activities. During the teaching process, we also reformed teaching method and carried out ecological civilization and scientific spirit education.We optimized the assessment method using the formative evaluation. The course objectives are almost achieved.

Probabilistic Linguistic TODIM Method with Probabilistic Linguistic Entropy Weight and Hamming Distance for Teaching Reform Plan Evaluation

In the context of the construction of new liberal arts, the integration and intersection of disciplines have become a new trend in the development of higher education. How to promote the teaching reform of big data technology and application courses in the new liberal arts construction scenario has become an important issue in enhancing students’ digital talent literacy and social adaptability. In this study, an extended probabilistic linguistic TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for interactive multi-criteria decision making) with probabilistic linguistic entropy weight and Hamming distance is presented for teaching reform plan evaluation for the core course “big data technology and applications” in the digital economy major. Firstly, probabilistic linguistic entropy weight, based on the entropy of the additive linguistic term set, is applied to generate weight information. Secondly, parameter sensitivity analysis is carried out to prove the stabilization and effectiveness of the extended TODIM approach. Thirdly, this extended approach can integrate the psychological factors and cognitive behaviors of decision-makers for effectively responding to education management in the new liberal arts construction scenario. Finally, a case study on teaching reform plan evaluation is carried out, and a comparative analysis with different criteria weights and different methods is conducted to verify the extended approach. The results indicate that the extended approach can provide an effective technical tool for scientific decision-making, especially in the teaching reform plan evaluation scenario in order to promote high-quality development of education.

The Role of Spatial Ability in Academic Success: The Impact of the Integrated Hybrid Training Program in Architecture and Engineering Higher Education

Spatial ability (SA) is a critical cognitive skill across various disciplines, particularly in architecture and engineering. This research, comprising two main studies, investigates the relationship between SA and academic performance among first-year students. The first study examines the impact of the targeted Integrated Hybrid Training (IHT) SA intervention on the achievements of two main groups: engineering (electrical, software, and chemical) students and architecture students. The results indicate that, while the intervention significantly improved SA, the impact on academic performance varied. Architecture students, whose curriculum relies heavily on spatial reasoning, showed significant gains in courses such as studio design, with higher SA scores correlating with improved grades. Engineering students exhibited SA improvement without corresponding gains in the first-year core courses like calculus and physics. The second study focuses on architecture students who did not receive the intervention, revealing a strong positive correlation between inherent SA and success in architecture-specific courses. Correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.46 to 0.67, with adjusted p-values between 0.007 and 0.024, underscoring SA’s importance in architecture. These findings suggest that integrating SA training into architectural education can enhance academic performance, while disciplines might benefit from specialized SA training introduced or expanded in later years. This research contributes to educational theory by demonstrating SA’s impact across disciplines and supports the development of customized SA training programs. Future studies should explore long-term benefits, advanced SA training technologies, and individual differences in response to spatial interventions, providing insights for curriculum development in spatially demanding fields.

Lessons learned during the design implementation of a digital construction site module

Our paper discusses a collaborative project between built environment professionals and academic educators. The project is about digitalising construction site visits as an online Canvas module for senior architecture students as part of their third-year core course titled: Project Management. The course is one of two courses that are required upon graduation to become a registered architect in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The module is designed with two key aspects in mind: the learning objectives that adhere to school accreditation requirements and the ‘Signature pedagogical practices’ determined by the educational institution: Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. In this paper, we discuss our insights gained from designing an interactive, immersive, and hybrid learning experience.

Extending curricular analytics to analyze undergraduate physics programs

Curricular analytics (CA) is a quantitative method that analyzes the sequence of courses (curriculum) that students in an undergraduate academic program must complete to fulfill the requirements of the program. The main hypothesis of CA is that the less complex a curriculum is, the more likely it is that students complete the program. This study compares the curricular complexity of undergraduate physics programs at 60 institutions in the United States. The institutions were divided into three tiers based on national rankings of the physics graduate program, and the means of each tier were compared. No significant difference between the means of each tier was found, indicating that there is not a relationship between program curricular complexity and program ranking. Further analysis focused on the physics, chemistry, and mathematics courses, defined as the core courses of the curriculum. Significant differences in the number of required core courses and the complexity per core course were measured between the tiers; both were measured as large effects. Programs with the highest rankings required fewer core courses while having a higher complexity per core course. These institutions have more strict prerequisite requirements than lower ranking programs. This study also showed complexity was quantitatively related to curricular flexibility operationalized as the number of available eight-semester degree plans. The number of available degree plans exponentially decreased with increasing core complexity per course. Modifications to a curriculum at one institution were analyzed; a similar relationship between the number of available degree plans and increasing complexity per core course was found. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Research on the Construction of Translation Technology Teaching and Language Service Talent Training System under the New Liberal Arts Context

The rise of technologies like machine-assisted translation and terminology management is transforming translation education and industry. The 2020 Teaching Guide for Undergraduate Translation Major formalized translation technology as a core course, supporting professionalization. However, research on translation technology teaching in China remains limited and often lacks practical application. Ethical issues, such as AI-related privacy and intellectual property concerns, are also growing. This study proposes a framework to enhance translation technology education, aiming to better align teaching with industry needs and cultivate skilled professionals.

Study on the Teaching Reform of Translation Technology in the Context of New Liberal Arts

At present, the world is in a period of great change and development. Driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things, the translation technology requirements for translation talents are higher. The study of translation technology has become the core curriculum of translation major, which has a profound impact on translation education under the background of the construction of new liberal arts. Guided by the new requirements of the development of language service industry, this paper discusses in detail the teaching mode of the core course of translation technology under the background of the new liberal arts from the aspects of the dilemma of translation curriculum, the principles of the design of translation technology curriculum, course content, teaching methods and course assessment. This paper explores how to reform the translation technology curriculum and realize the innovative development of education and teaching.

Teaching Reform and Practice Based on Four Dimensions and One Penetration for Sensing and Detection Technology

Sensing and Detection Technology is a core course in engineering specialties. Traditional sensor teaching methods have obvious deficiencies in cultivating students’ ability. To better foster students’ comprehensive qualities, this study explored a 4D1P (Four Dimensions and One Penetration) teaching mode. We independently developed an industrial sensor teaching platform with intellectual property rights, integrating classroom and sensor experiments to address the disconnection between traditional sensor teaching and practical application. This mode combined the teaching platform with SPOC (small private online courses) and Rain Classroom teaching software, enriching classroom teaching and stimulating students’ interest. By applying industry-academia-research integration to sensor teaching, students’ horizons were broadened and their creative thinking enriched. The mode set up discussion-based learning in the classroom, making the class atmosphere lively. Throughout the teaching process, data-driven learning and teaching evaluation were consistently applied, allowing teachers to promptly understand students’ learning situations. Data shows that under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, students’ grades improved and they were satisfied with this teaching mode. This mode solves most current problems in university classroom teaching and significantly enhances students’ practical abilities. It also has certain significance for education in other disciplines.

An exploration of teaching reform of management course based on rain class and participatory teaching under OBE concept

Management is the core course of business administration majors. In order to drive educational modernization through educational informatization, this article explores the teaching reform of management based on the concept of learning output education (OBE). It is guided by student output and follows the principle of "reverse design and positive implementation". In terms of implementation, it is specifically divided into learning goal reconstruction, course content integration The teaching process and the construction of an evaluation system are four steps. During the teaching process, the implementation of rain classroom and participatory teaching mode has broken through traditional time and space limitations, extending the interaction and communication between teachers and students from the classroom to pre class and post class, achieving a good loop of "pre class in class after class". This teaching reform practice can promote the improvement of the quality of management teaching and is conducive to cultivating high-quality management talents.

Curriculum SIG: The Ethics and Evolution of Truth and Information

The Curriculum SIG will examine how library science education curricula can prepare future librarians to engage with the ethics and evolution of truth and information. The session will begin with presentations of each paper, followed by an interactive discussion inviting attendees to participate in an open dialogue and Q&A with the presenters about the issues raised by the papers, implications for practice, and potential areas for future research. Dr. Natalie Taylor will deliver a presentation titled “Core Competencies, Core Courses: How Accredited MLIS Programs Interpret the ALA’s Core Competencies through their Curriculum.” This paper aims to examine the way that the 66 accredited degree programs describe their programs’ relationship with the ALA Core Competencies (ALACCs) and whether these descriptions can demonstrate a measurement of the influence of the ALACCs on curriculum. This finding will serve two purposes: 1) a representation of the strength (or weakness) of the connection between the library profession (as represented by the American Library Association) and MLIS degree programs and 2) a better understanding of how the curriculum of these programs represents the competencies called for by ALA. Dr. Cynthia Stogdill and Dr. Elizabeth Burns will present “Information Literacy: A Case Study in Inquiry Instruction.” Information literacy is a set of skills we expect school librarians to teach K-12 learners. AASL embeds these competencies within their instructional standards for learners and school librarians however, there is little agreement on a model of inquiry that should be used with K-12 learners. Further, there is little consistency in pre-service school librarian information literacy instruction. This exploratory case study examines the information literacy instructional models used with one cohort of pre-service school librarians. Findings discuss practices that can be shared and further developed for LIS education. Dr. Rhonda Clark, Dr. Xiaofeng Li, and Dr. Angela Jones will present “A Study of US Public Library Strategic Plans: Trends and Trajectories.” This paper reports the results of a content analysis, reviewing strategic plans from public libraries across multiple states in the U.S. The presenters will make recommendations based on their analysis to help library educators teach an effective writing style for strategic plans. They will also advocate for the importance of strategic planning as a necessary skill in the curriculum. Additionally, they will invite attendees to discuss how library schools implement curriculum development through strategic planning. Overall, these presentations will provide valuable insights into how library science education programs address core competencies, information literacy instruction, and strategic planning to better prepare future librarians for the evolving challenges of the profession.

Career planning matters: Intelligence-based career path predictions using data mining models - A longitudinal study

It is essential for students to plan their careers because selecting the right career path shapes a person’s life. In such disciplines as computer science, information technology, and software engineering, assisting students toward appropriate employment is even more helpful. Thus, throughout the student’s education, they must evaluate their strengths to determine which professional sector corresponds to their abilities. It is for this reason that this research introduces an intelligencebased career recommendation system that will incorporate the analysis of such factors as the student’s academic performance, economic status, and demographic features to use data mining models in determining the best prospective career path to offer the student a more transparent and more informed vision and course to set on in the future. Three key aspects were addressed: first, one or another model and classifier for assessing the impact of pre-university education on the choice of a profession and, consequently, the selection of technologies were used. Second, these models accurately forecast students' careers using core courses, CGPA, and FYP data. Third, socioeconomic or demographic data was incorporated into the prediction to make it more accurate. Regarding the method of class distribution balancing, the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) approach was used. The study reveals that variables specifying preuniversity education directly impact students’ career choices and that, employing data mining techniques, career choices could be forecasted considering academic performance and other related factors.

A Study on the Implementation Path of the Blended Teaching Model in Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation

Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation is the core course of Environmental Geological Engineering, aiming to cultivate skilled talents with solid theoretical knowledge and excellent practical skills. At present, the course faces several issues, including a teaching environment disconnected from real-world work scenarios, course content that deviates from job-related tasks, a lack of digital teaching resources, and reliance on a single teaching method, leading to students’ poor feedback from employers. Based on the concept of outcome-based education, the course team of Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation establishes a “five-step double-rotation” blended teaching model with the help of a Small Private Online Course platform. The program is designed to improve the teaching environment and expand the digitalized teaching resources in order to improve students’ learning motivation, enhance learning effectiveness, and cultivate skillful talents who meet employers’ satisfaction.

Exploration of the Three in One Professional Course Ideological and Political Teaching Model of Virtue, Knowledge, and Creativity -- Taking the statistics major course Probability Theory as an example

Professional courses are important carriers of ideological and political education in courses. Probability Theory, as a core course in statistics, is of great significance in cultivating students ability to think randomly and solve complex problems. The existing ideological and political research on the course of Probability Theory mainly focuses on public basic courses. In depth analysis of the characteristics and curriculum features of statistics major, propose a deep integration of morality, knowledge, and creativity in the curriculum ideological and political education model, including the formation of morality, knowledge, and creativity integrated curriculum ideological and political education goals, the improvement of morality, knowledge, and creativity integrated curriculum ideological and political teaching links, the deepening of morality, knowledge, and creativity integrated curriculum ideological and political teaching content, and the innovation of morality, knowledge, and creativity integrated curriculum ideological and political teaching methods. Practice has shown that the three in one curriculum ideological and political model of morality, knowledge, and creativity effectively stimulates students interest in learning and enhances their professional confidence.

Practice and Reflection of English Major Courses under the Background of Teacher Certification Examination—A Case Study of English Teaching Methodology

In the context of the national examination for teacher certification, curriculum reform of English majors in particular have raised concerns. The course of English Teaching Methodology, as one of the core courses for English major, has a key role to play in its practice and reflection for improving the quality of teaching. This study examines the English Teaching Method course in detail, analyzing the particular strategies employed in the design of the course content, the teaching methods and practices used, and the processes of reflection and improvement associated with the course. It is hoped that this study will provide some practical experience for the reform and some ideas for reference in other English major courses.

Teaching reform and practice of the postgraduate course "Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering" under the "dual-drive and dual-guide" model

Value shaping and innovation capability improvement are two important goals of postgraduate course teaching. Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering is a core course for postgraduates majoring in bioengineering. Our teaching team established a "dual-drive and dual-guide" teaching model, that is, "double drive" (value-driven + innovation-driven) as the traction, this model integrated professional quality with industry needs, engineering ethics, and scientist spirit, combined theoretical teaching with research frontiers, industrial cases, and engineering practice, and incorporated thematic lectures, group peer evaluation, and review papers into course assessment. The teaching under this model achieved the teaching objectives of "double guide" (guiding ideology and ability), and improved the postgraduates' value identification, innovation awareness, engineering thinking, and ability to solve practical engineering problems.

Developing a curriculum cluster in "Synthetic Biology" to cultivate inter-disciplinary and innovative talents for biomanufacturing

Synthetic Biology, as an emerging discipline, has gained widespread attention and is developing rapidly, profoundly impacting the fields of life sciences and biotechnology. Concurrently, as emerging engineering education programs take shape, accelerated cultivation of multifaceted innovative talents represents a new mission and imperative for higher education in China. In the context of the flourishing development of Synthetic Biology, East China University of Science and Technology has established a curriculum cluster in Synthetic Biology, focusing on microbiological drug discovery and biomanufacturing. The teaching team initially reviewed the curriculum system related to Synthetic Biology and its upstream and downstream courses. Subsequently, they expanded the core courses in Synthetic Biology, creating a curriculum cluster that encompasses not only the theoretical foundations and cutting-edge technologies but also integrates with related disciplines. Moreover, the curriculum cluster leverages lectures from renowned domestic and international professors in the State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, and harnesses the rich resources of the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (the "111 plan"), aiming to enhance students' innovation capabilities. With the support of this curriculum cluster and teaching team, undergraduate students actively participate in international Synthetic Biology competitions like international genetic engineering machine competition (iGEM), consistently achieving gold awards. Furthermore, many students have applied for patents and made contributions to research paper publications. This work stands as a valuable exemplar for cultivating multifaceted talents with exceptional innovative capabilities.

Teaching Innovation Design and Practice Analysis in Chemical Engineering Principal Course

The Principle of Chemical Engineering is the core course of chemical engineering and technology, pharmaceutical engineering and other related majors, which occupies an important position in the engineering discipline. However, the complexity of the Principle of Chemical Engineering course itself and the tedious teaching content led to the problems of single teaching method, disconnection between theory and practice in the course teaching, which led to low interest of students and difficulty in effectively improving the teaching quality of the course. Starting from the existing problems in the teaching of the Principle of Chemical Engineering, this paper discusses the innovative design and practical countermeasures of the Principle of Chemical Engineering course from the aspects of transforming, adjusting and improving the teaching content, innovating the teaching methods, and improving the assessment and evaluation system, so as to provide references for the further development of the principles of chemical engineering course.

Identifying skills required of new epidemiologists: a content analysis of Canadian job postings and master's programs.

The rise of emerging public health threats has increased the need for qualified epidemiologists in Canada. Our study aimed to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required of epidemiologists entering the workforce and determine whether these align with those taught in graduate epidemiology programs. An inductive content analysis of Canadian job postings from May to December 2023 containing the keyword "epidemiology" and requiring master's degrees in epidemiology or related fields was conducted to identify the KSAs required in the workforce. Inductive content analysis of Master of Science (MSc) program descriptions and core course descriptions was completed to discern skills gained through Canadian graduate epidemiology and public health programs. Based on the 295 job postings analyzed, five KSA categories were identified: communication skills (n = 268, 90.8%), analytical skills (n = 267, 90.5%), soft skills (n = 254, 86.1%), research methodology (n = 217, 73.6%), and knowledge of epidemiological concepts (n = 170, 57.6%). Analysis of 18 MSc programs found that that all of them described analytical skills, research methodology, and epidemiological concepts within their curriculum. Communication skills were described in 94.4% (n = 17) of programs, while soft skills were mentioned in 50.0% (n = 9). However, only 66.7% (n = 12) of programs outlined learning objectives or specified the skills acquired from their programs in their descriptions. There was alignment between the needs of the Canadian epidemiology job market and MSc programs, particularly in analytical skills and research methodology. However, development of soft skills should be emphasized within graduate epidemiology programs to better prepare graduates for the job market. Future research should aim to develop competency statements for epidemiologists in training to ensure consistency across graduate programs and promote career readiness.

Research on the Construction of Power System Relay Protection Course System in Electrical Engineering Discipline

Power system relay protection is one of the core courses in the discipline of electrical engineering, which is directly related to the students' professional ability in the field of power system operation and protection. With the rapid development of power system, especially the popularization of smart grid technology, the existing curriculum system gradually exposes problems such as obsolete content, insufficient practical teaching, and disconnection with cutting-edge technology. By analyzing the current situation of the existing curriculum system, this paper proposes key elements such as the combination of theory and practice, the introduction of cutting-edge knowledge, the optimal allocation of teaching resources, and the innovation of teaching methods, and discusses the implementation strategy of curriculum system reform. The study aims to build a relay protection curriculum system that better meets the development needs of modern power systems, and to enhance students' practical ability and innovative thinking to meet the challenges of the future power industry.