Cultural Learning Environment Research Articles

Integration of Digital Repositories and Spatial Design within the Metaverse: the Evaluation of Features and Narratives to set Learning Environments on Cultural Heritage

Abstract. The Metaverse is rapidly advancing across cultural, professional, and service sectors, enhancing data compatibility and interaction. Its architectural design supports both visual interaction and information layers, characterising an ideal platform for the promotion of Digital Heritage. The digitisation of Cultural Heritage and the creation of Digital Repositories find complementarity in the Metaverse, which enables social interactions between Digital Heritage contents and virtual communities. This integration is pivotal for developing Learning Environments, where accessible virtual products can be combined with original digital storytelling and narratives.The paper presents methods and results from an Erasmus+ international school, which focused on using digital communication and 3D modelling tools to create immersive narratives on Mediterranean architectural modernity. Students from various Cultural Heritage disciplines designed virtual exhibitions within the Metaverse platform Spatial and open repository materials. The research concentrated on the application of Metaverse platforms for their spatial design and educational utility within the Heritage sector. The activities included developing digital narratives and interactive exhibitions enriched with multimedia data from digital repositories. The study discusses the limitations of customising visual materials, the importance of repository connections, user experience design, and the potential for future developments in Metaverse applications for Cultural Heritage learning environments and storytelling.

Embodied curriculum mapping as a foundation for critical self-reflection and culture change

This article describes a first-person qualitative research study to understand how common pedagogical approaches and cultural learning environments in STEM impact individuals. Prior to the study, the author observed that many students who were successful in advanced undergraduate neuroscience courses reported having struggled academically, socially, or emotionally in introductory STEM courses. The objective was to generate new ideas for approaches to address high rates of student attrition from introductory STEM courses related to this full range of issues through curriculum development. The author, a neurobiologist and tenured faculty member at the institution, audited four introductory STEM courses: Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology, Atoms & Molecules, Calculus 1, and Introductory Physics 2: Electromagnetism, Optics, and Modern Physics, offered by tenured colleagues in four different departments. A total of approximately 600 hours was spent by the author attending lectures, participating in classroom activities, completing homework, and studying for assessments. Homework, quizzes, and exams were marked by the course faculty using the same criteria as were applied for student work. In addition to measures of academic performance collected through the normal assessments, the author made note of her own emotional responses throughout the course of the study, which is why the process was dubbed ‘embodied’ curriculum mapping. The emotional responses revealed high levels of emotional stress associated with assessment, sensitivity to disciplinary boundary reinforcement, and a complex role of social and academic identity in all aspects of the experience. Given the first-person nature of the study, the potential future generalizability of the findings must be considered in light of the various revealed aspects of identity and experience of the author and subjected to further study using a broader range of empirical methodologies. The focus of this article’s conclusions and recommendations is therefore the impact of the process on the author and the potential for a similar process to serve as a foundation for critical self-reflection and learning for other STEM educators. The author recommends the process as a generative tool for pedagogical innovation and building faculty capacity for culture change in STEM.

Influence factors and research on higher vocational students' reluctance to advance to higher education based on random forest and structural equation modelling

This study aims to explore the key factors influencing Chinese higher vocational students' reluctance to pursue higher education. By combining two analytical methods, Random Forest and Structural Equation Modeling, the study targeted students enrolled in Guangdong Finance and Trade Vocational College, designed a questionnaire containing various aspects such as study habits, self-perception, and internship experience, and collected 107 samples for analysis. The study found that students' personal intention to pursue higher education was the most critical factor influencing whether they chose to continue their studies, followed by the evaluation of their own learning ability and economic considerations. In addition, family cultural resources and learning environment also influence students' attitudes towards further education to a certain extent. The study also reveals the effects of the positive interaction between personal factors and family cultural resources support, and the negative interaction between personal factors and economic factors on the intention to pursue higher education. Based on these findings, the article presents recommendations for the school, family, and social levels to promote higher education students' willingness to pursue higher education and educational equity.

The Urban-Rural Heterogeneous Effect of Family SES on Achievement: The Mediating Role of Culture.

Previous studies have fully discussed the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and achievement, but few of them regarded urban-rural differences as the moderating factor, which is an essential issue in urban-rural educational equalization in terms of educational outcomes. This study discusses the urban-rural heterogeneous effect of family SES on achievement and manifests the mediating role of education-related cultural factors. Based on the China Education Panel Survey data of 18,672 junior high school students, this study found the following: (1) family SES had a weaker positive effect among rural children than among urban children; (2) the urban-rural heterogeneous effect could be mediated by education-related cultural factors, i.e., learning environments and beliefs; and (3) in this regard, contemporary China is experiencing cultural reproduction rather than a cultural mobility mode. In Conclusion, although the urban-rural achievement gap will be maintained or even expanded in China, improving rural children's learning environments and beliefs opens up the possibility of alleviating disadvantages in achievement resulting from family socioeconomic disadvantages. Therefore, narrowing down the urban-rural achievement gap from a cultural perspective provides policy implications for educational development in rural areas.

Key tips to providing a psychologically safe learning environment in the clinical setting

Having psychological safety embedded in preceptorship relationships facilitates positive interpersonal and educational experiences for students. Psychological safety refers to a student’s belief as to whether or not it is safe for them to take interpersonal risks, such as asking questions, sharing an idea for improvement or speaking up to maintain patient safety. Having psychological safety leads to collaboration, positive student learning experiences and effective patient care. This article presents key guidelines for preceptors to provide a psychologically safe learning environment for their students. Guidelines fall under four categories 1) before meeting students, 2) first meeting students, 3) continued relationship with students, and 4) general rules. These guidelines are informed by current literature on psychological safety and preceptorship and the author's clinical expertise in nursing preceptorship. We conceptualise psychological safety in a nursing preceptorship for preceptors to denote the experience of inclusivity, empowerment, and well-being of students within the social, cultural and physical clinical learning environment. A crucial attribute to cultivating a psychologically safe environment involves being an accessible and approachable preceptor.

Exploring the Intersectional Development of Computer Science Identities in Young Latinas

Background: There has been a dearth of research on intersectional identities in STEM, including the fields of computing and engineering. In computing education research, much work has been done on broadening participation, but there has been little investigation into how the field of computer science (CS) presents opportunities for students with strong intersectional identities. This study explores the strengths and connections among the unique identities and the symbiotic relationships that elementary Latina students hold in CS identity attainment. Purpose: The aim of this article is to better understand how predominantly low-income, multilingual Latina students experience identity development through the lens of diverse group membership. We examine how young Latinas, through their participation in a yearlong culturally and linguistically responsive CS curriculum, leverage their intersecting identities to rewrite the formula of what a computer scientist is and can be, leaving space to include and invite other strong identities as well. Research Design: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used that analyzed data from predominantly low-income, multilingual Latinas in upper elementary grades, including pre- and post-CS identity surveys (N = 50) delivered before and after implementation of the curriculum, and eight individual semi-structured student interviews. Findings: We found that Latina students developed significantly stronger identification with the field of CS from the beginning to the end of the school year with regard to their experiences with CS, perception of themselves as computer scientists, family support for CS and school, and friend support for CS and school. Interviews revealed that perception of their CS ability greatly influenced identification with CS and that girls’ self-perceptions stemmed from their school, cultural, and home learning environments. Conclusion: Our results highlight the wealth of resources that Latinas bring to the classroom through their home- and community-based assets, which are characterized by intersecting group membership. Students did not report on the intersection between language and CS identity development, which warrants further investigation.

The Formation and Role of Social Belonging in On-Campus Integration of Diverse First-Generation College Students

First-generation college students (FGCS) experience high rates of attrition compared to continuing generation college students. FGCS frequently identify with several other historically marginalized identities on college campuses. The development of a sense of belonging on-campus is one of the main drivers of retention. The current study examines how sense of belonging on-campus develops during the first-year of college for different FGCS and how attitudes about on-campus relationships evolve over time. Thirteen participants were interviewed at three time points during their first year of college. Grounded theory analysis revealed four themes: 1) higher education provides a cultural learning environment; 2) multiple factors create challenges to relationship building; 3) extreme value differences create hard limits around friendships; and 4) within group friendships provide social and psychological value. Findings extend the current literature on the importance of social belonging for retention of diverse FGCS and highlight the importance of intersectionality in this work.

Dignity of Nursing Students in Clinical Learning Environments

As an important professional value, dignity has always been an ethical concern in nursing education and practice. However, the dignity of nursing students in clinical environments has remained a little-discussed topic. This study aims to explore and describe nursing students' dignity in clinical learning environments. This study is a qualitative descriptive work in which data were collected via semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews and subsequently analyzed according to conventional content analysis. Based on the inclusion criteria of the study, nursing students were selected from different departments of university hospitals in the south of Iran from October 2019 to December 2020 (n = 21). Sampling continued to the point of data saturation. This study has been approved by the institutional review board of the university. Two themes emerged from the data collected in the interviews: trust-based relationships and formation of professional identity. The findings of the study show that nursing students need to be supported by their instructors and perceive that the personnel and patients believe in their ability. In an effectively supportive, trust-based atmosphere, these factors can contribute to maintaining nursing students dignity. Also, showing respect for their personal identity, projecting a positive image of nursing, and giving them authority to perform executive and clinical tasks in hospital departments play a major role in the formation of nursing students' professional identity and development of their dignity. Accordingly, it is recommended that in cultural contexts and clinical learning environments, more attention should be given to nursing students' dignity.

Cemeteries as Cultural Heritage: Implementing the Model of Cemeteries-Cultural Heritage as Education Environment

Nowadays we can notice significant changes and variations in dealing with death around Europe which requires adaptation of services that cemeteries provide in their vast space. Providing new services is a challenging management issue that first requires a change in the perception of cemetery away from burial space. Purpose of this paper is to analyse how cemeteries can be used as education environment.
 Analysis of cases in 3 cities around Europe provides insights into how a cemetery can become perceived and used as rich cultural heritage learning environment for schools in combination of use of modern IT solutions. In discussion we are exploring the positive effects of this development on cemetery management.

Uncovering Cultural Barriers to Quality Improvement Learning in a Trauma Program: An Ethnographic Study

Quality improvement (QI) training is an essential component of postgraduate surgical education and can occur through formal and informal education programs. Informal QI education requires that faculty take advantage of learning opportunities in the hospital setting. Trauma rotations appear ideal opportunities for informal QI learning given that performance improvement is a mandatory component of care at verified trauma centers. It is unclear, however, whether QI initiatives within trauma programs are well integrated into trainee education. This study explored the QI learning environment in a level 1 academic trauma center. An ethnographic study using observation and interviews methods. The theoretical lens of hidden curriculum was used to interpret the data and generate hypotheses around faculty and trainee experiences. University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. Twenty-seven observations involving more than 50 faculty and trainees; seventeen interviews with faculty and surgical trainees. All faculty and trainees endorsed QI and informal QI learning. Discrepant experiences were found regarding opportunities to learn and do QI in the clinical setting. Faculty viewed themselves as perpetually doing and teaching QI while trainees perceived little to no QI learning. Trainees identified Morbidity and Mortality rounds as the main opportunity for QI learning; however, traditional teaching style through "pimping" and a largely clinical focus acted as barriers to QI education. Furthermore, trainees chiefly viewed QI as service to the institution, rather than as a form of learning, which contributed to their disinterest in taking up informal QI lessons. Informal QI education is highly valued and desired in academic trauma centers but enduring teaching methods, inconsistencies in the cultural learning environment and a hidden curriculum devaluing QI learning are persistent barriers to change.

A comparison of science classroom environments between Korea and Thailand with a focus on their cultural features

Every classroom environment reflects the cultural features of the country where it is located. In this study, with a focus on cultural features, we compared the science classroom environments of two Asian countries: Korea and Thailand. For this, What Is Happening In this Class (WIHIC) and the Cultural Learning Environment Questionnaire (CLEQ) were administered to 1575 students (765 from Korea and 810 from Thailand) in Grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. The results of two instruments were analyzed and discussed with a particular focus on the four cultural dimensions in science classrooms, which were reframed from Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions. The results of the analysis can be summarized as follows. First, regarding the first dimension, relationships between individuals and groups, students in both countries liked collaborative activities and had many emotional exchanges in their classrooms. However, cognitive collaborative activities occurred more frequently in Thailand than in Korea. Second, regarding the second dimension, equity issues, almost all students in Korea perceived that they participated equally in science classrooms. However, in Thailand, students thought they had equal participation in science classrooms except for the gender aspects. That is, Thai boys and girls were reported themselves to be participating in different ways in their classrooms. Third, regarding the third dimension, relationships between students and teachers, two kinds of relationships were investigated: teacher authority and teacher support. In terms of teacher authority, the extent of psychological distance between students’ and their teachers’ power was similar in the two countries. However, in terms of teacher support, Thai students had more positive perceptions about teacher support than Korean students did. Fourth, regarding the features of science teaching and learning processes, Korean students had more negative perceptions of involvement, investigation, and task orientation than Thai students did. The negative responses of Korean students could be the cause of the low engagement of Korean students in their science classrooms. Based on these results, educational implications are discussed in terms of culturally appropriate pedagogies in science classrooms.

A case study examination of exemplary literacy teaching in a cross-linguistic, cross-cultural learning environment

ABSTRACTThis case study examined the experiences of one non-Latina bilingual teacher who was nominated as being an exemplary literacy educator of bilingual learners in a cross-linguistic and cross cultural learning environment. Findings demonstrated three characteristics that accompanied the focus teacher’s conventional knowledge of literacy teaching. These characteristics included a) an ongoing and evolving self-reflection on language and culture; b) an unwavering commitment to understanding bilingual identities; and c) a mindset oriented in action and advocacy. The implications for teacher education programs emphasize a focus on guiding students in traversing borders, cultivating quality practices, and building capacity for equity-oriented actions. This research was conducted through sociocultural-constructivist and culturally responsive frameworks with the intent of understanding ways of educating all teachers to be effective in classrooms of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Between a rock and a hard place, third space practitioners exercise agency

Academics as well as educational and academic development practitioners often find themselves in an ambiguous space in which personal and professional transformation can take place. Moving constantly between contexts and cultural learning environments at the university, these practitioners inhabit a strange, in-between space between mainstream academic support work, leadership and advocacy and other roles at the periphery.This space known as the third space from which other positions emerge, displaces the histories that constitute it and sets up new structures of authority, practice and discourses which are not always congruent with the university at large. This paper critically reflects on the experiences and insights of academics in a specific professional development course for new academics.Using a critical discourse analysis of in-depth, semi-structured narrative interviews, the authors explore the journey of new academic practitioners as they exercise their agency to carve out a hybrid identity in the third space across institutional boundaries.While resistance and struggle are challenging aspects of third space work, these constitute legitimate processes of identity construction and socialisation through contestation of traditional roles at the university. This paper interrogates the university’s role in creating and sustaining enabling institutional conditions so that academics can work in creative, responsive and relevant ways in a changing higher education landscape.

Creating Collaborative Learning Opportunities for Indigenous Youth with Archaeology-Based Environmental Education

AbstractArchaeologists are in a unique position to promote heritage and preservation through environmental education, the fundamentals of which have overlapping and parallel themes in archaeology education and outreach. Recently, successful community-based collaborative research and archaeology fieldwork initiatives between archaeologists and Native American/First Nations communities have prompted tribal leaders to pursue ways for youth in their communities to engage in contemporary cultural and natural resources work, thus inspiring future stewardship and introducing youth to professional pathways. With the guidance of archaeologists and tribal community educators, youth can participate in authentic, hands-on archaeological activities that place them into the roles of scientists and researchers and allow them to interpret their own archaeological heritage. A July 2015 partnership between archaeologists and the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin provided a place-based archaeological learning experience at a site area that was personally relevant to the student participants. A solid and collaborative planning process between archaeologists and tribal staff contributed to a successful workshop where all parties met their goals of strengthening partnerships and providing an enriching experience for the students. The integration of science-based archaeology with a traditional cultural learning environment provided a comfortable setting that resulted in noticeable engagement and enthusiasm.

Recursos educativos abiertos, artefactos culturales, concepciones de los profesores de física para ingeniería: análisis de dos estudios de caso

Esta investigación trata de responder preguntas como: ¿cuáles son las concepciones de los profesores de física, que trabajan en la Facultad de Ingeniería, sobre el uso de los recursos educativos abiertos (REA)? Este artículo se focaliza en develar las concepciones de los profesores de física que trabajan en la Facultad de Ingeniería en relación con los REA. Metodológicamente el proyecto tiene un componente cuantitativo y uno cualitativo. Este artículo es resultado de una fase cualitativa e interpretativa a partir de entrevistas extensas a profesores activos que regentan asignaturas de física en las carreras de ingeniería en instituciones de educación superior de carácter público o privado. Las entrevistas se desarrollaron a partir de situaciones elicitadoras que emergen de las categorías que surgieron de la revisión bibliográfica (artefacto cultural, ambiente de aprendizaje, sociocientífico, técnico y tecnológico). La interpretación de las entrevistas apunta a que hay concepciones en la realidad del laboratorio y su relación con los modelos, que hacen considerar que ésta puede distar de los modelos cuando los experimentos se tratan a través de simulaciones (las que pueden ser engañosas). Las conclusiones señalan que la matemática es la mediación más importante en la construcción y reconstrucción de modelos físicos, aunque no de forma unánime; se infiere que se pueden incorporar los REA como elementos complementarios de mediación posibilitando un espectro de opciones didácticas en la enseñanza de la física.

Adaptation of Foreign Students to the Foreign Culture Learning Environment Using the Six Thinking Hats Method

The contemporary life is characterized by various ways and forms of communication, sometimes but not always successful and leading to conflict situations. When a man occurs in the environment, alien to him, he meets misunderstanding and is overwhelmed with incomprehensible emotions as if he were covered with an avalanche. He has to solve problems that seem quite unnecessary, not reasonable to him. As a result–the increased state of anxiety, which is warmed up by weak knowledge of the foreign language and cultural and social aspects. A foreign language teacher, whose task is to search for optimal teaching methods, oriented to the expectations of the group and facilitating favourable adaptation of each student with mental and social experience, characteristic only of him, is very helpful in this case. A set of methods, as a teaching approach offered in this article, has shown itself to good advantage as one of the rational and optimal methods used by a teacher who is not afraid of risking. The method assists foreign students in being involved in the university learning environment enabling them to use the most of interpersonal activity potential and basic motivation to perceive a foreign culture in the shortest possible time and with minimum losses.

연소의 과학적 모형형성 수업에서 나타난 중학생의 사회적 상호작용 특징

이 연구는 연소의 과학적 모형형성 수업에서 나타난 중학생들의 사회적 상호작용의 특징을 문화적, 언어적 상호작용, 토론유형도(map)를 통해 분석한 것이다. 중학생의 연소에 대한 모형형성 과정을 사회적 상호작용 측면에서 CLEQ (Cultural Learning Environment Questionnaire)를 살펴보고 모형형성 측면에서 언어적 상호작용, 토론유형도를 통해 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 중학생들의 문화적 특징은 경쟁보다는 협동 측면에서의 집단주의를 선호하지만 과학학습 태도는 타인의존적인 경향이 높고, 모형형성 과정에서 스스로의 의견을 소극적으로 제시하는 것으로 조사되었다. 둘째, 언어적 상호작용의 특징은 모형형성에 관련된 지식을 단순하게 제시한 형태가 많았고, 상대방의 의견에 대한 반응과 피드백을 하는 메타인지 영역이 상대적으로 낮게 나타난 것으로 조사되었다. 셋째, 토론유형도는 특정한 학생에 의존하여 의견제시만 하는 개념제시 상호작용과 응답진술을 반복하며 이루어지는 반응 상호작용이 많은 것으로 나타났고, 의견교환 할 때 새로운 의견제시, 수정, 근거를 들어 설명하는 등의 정교화 상호작용은 적은 것으로 조사되었다. 이 연구는 모형형성에 영향을 주는 상호작용 유형에 대한 이해와 우리나라 학생들의 상황을 고려한 사회적 상호작용을 위한 교수 설계의 기초 자료로 활용할 수 있을 것이다. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of social interaction on cultural aspects, verbal interaction, and discussion maps in scientific modeling instruction on combustion in middle school. Revised-CLEQ (Cultural Learning Environment Questionnaire), verbal interaction framework, discussion maps analysis were implemented for this study. The results of study follow respectively. First, the characteristics on cultural aspects of middle school students showed cooperation rather than competition in terms of collectivism. Students' attitudes to learning science tended to depend on others' idea, and students were passive and reluctant to present their comments when they were modeling work. Second, for the characteristics of verbal interaction, they simply presented knowledge related to build a model. The response to comments and feedback was relatively few. Third, discussion maps showed a lot of interaction for reponses that was alternatively brought the concept of commenters, which students were depended on a specific one, and responses. There were not many interaction for elaboration, which were described to have new presented ideas, corrections, and reasons when they exchange their ideas. In this study the model type of interaction affecting the formation of the students understanding of and in our country, it makes a lot of social interactions as the basis for teaching system could be utilized.

A Scientific Theory of the Development of Meditation in Practicing Individuals: Patañjali’s Yoga, Developmental Psychology, and Neurobiology

This article considers the psychology of meditation and other introverted forms of mystical development from a neo-Piagetian perspective, which has commonalities with biogenetic structuralist and neurotheological approaches. Evidence is found that lines of meditative development unfold through Patanjali’s stages at different rates in an echo of the unfolding of lines of cognitive development through Piaget’s stages at different rates. Similar factors predicting the degree of independence of development apply to both conventional cognitive and meditative contents. As the same brain and the same nervous system are involved in both cognitive developmental psychology and meditation there are likely to be commonalities between conventional psychological and transpersonal development. Neo-Piagetian transpersonal psychology predicts a variable landscape of spiritual development across traditions and individuals, in line with variability in the cultural learning environment.

Cultural Learning Environment in Structural Engineering Courses of Architecture and Civil Engineering Students in Qassim University

This study aimed to determine the learning environment variables related to students interest and perceived competencies of 190 students in Qassim University during the First and Second semester of school year 2011-2012. The study made use of the standardized Cultural Learning Environment (CLEQ) Questionnaire (Fisher and Waldrip, 1998)[1] to determine the cultural factors comprising the classroom learning environment in Structural Engineering courses as perceived by the Architecture & Civil Engineering students. The students’ level of interest and perceived competencies in Structural Engineering courses were measured by adapting the Perception of Engineering Classes Survey (PECS) Questionnaire [2]. Some interesting insight of the study are: 1). Students are more likely to collaborate, challenge their teachers, use modeling in learning Structural Engineering, and perceive what they learn in the class as matching their learning at home; 2). Students have a generally low level of interest and perceived competencies in Structural Engineering courses; 3). There is a significant relationship between collaboration and congruence factors and perceived competencies in Structural Engineering courses.

Corporate culture change: adaptive culture structuration and negotiated practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present adaptive culture structuration, a new approach for theorizing and analyzing culture change and for creating an “adaptive cultural structurated learning environment”. Design/methodology/approach – Incorporating a case study in the financial sector the paper explores 12 employees' narrated accounts of living through a culture change initiative. A constructivist, interpretive, qualitative research study followed grounded theory principles. Organizational documentation provided secondary data. Semi structured interview data were analyzed using content analysis, constant comparison and theoretical sensitivity and were managed by ATLAS.ti software. Findings – Three themes emerged: respondents' investment of self, accepting the culture change initiative and its values; employees' epistemic analyses of the embedded value promises including experiencing a critical incident that interrupted managers' enactment of values; employees' resulting “received practice” which represented the enacted (versus the espoused) values and was not visible to managers. Practical implications – An adaptive culture structurated learning environment fosters a relationship of “negotiated practice” instead of “received practice” between managers and employees in the constitution of corporate culture change. In this space, employee interpretations and assessments, which may otherwise remain hidden from managers and thereby prevent workplace learning opportunities, can be drawn upon, shared meaning co-produced and psychological contract issues explained. Originality/value – While much has been written on espoused culture change, this is the first theoretical model to examine the process from an employee perspective through an adaptive culture structurated lens.