Experts In Disciplines Research Articles

A Collective Action Formation to Address Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health in Schools: The District 87 Wellness Collaborative

The District 87 Wellness Collaborative is a multi-dimensional, interprofessional initiative in the Midwest region of the United States that was co-designed to facilitate collaboration, civic engagement, and partnerships among university scholar-practitioners, community agencies, and school administrators and personnel. The primary aims of the Wellness Collaborative are to develop, enhance, and extend school initiatives that address mental, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes of school-age children, their families, and the education workforce. The Wellness Collaborative is composed of disciplinary expertise in kinesiology, school counseling and psychology, social work, nursing, geography, and community health. Broader campus and community partners include specialists from civic and community engagement offices, extension services, and healthcare providers. This ecologically framed initiative supports strategic and system-level change within the district (system) and individual schools (sub-systems). It addresses complex school-level organizational factors (i.e., environment, norms, organizational culture, incentives, etc.) that influence wellness behaviors that affect school and physical education workforce professionals.

Co‐designing enduring learning analytics prediction and support tools in undergraduate biology courses

AbstractEven highly motivated undergraduates drift off their STEM career pathways. In large introductory STEM classes, instructors struggle to identify and support these students. To address these issues, we developed co‐redesign methods in partnership with disciplinary experts to create high‐structure STEM courses that better support students and produce informative digital event data. To those data, we applied theory‐ and context‐relevant labels to reflect active and self‐regulated learning processes involving LMS‐hosted course materials, formative assessments, and help‐seeking tools. We illustrate the predictive benefits of this process across two cycles of model creation and reapplication. In cycle 1, we used theory‐relevant features from 3 weeks of data to inform a prediction model that accurately identified struggling students and sustained its accuracy when reapplied in future semesters. In cycle 2, we refit a model with temporally contextualized features that achieved superior accuracy using data from just two class meetings. This modelling approach can produce durable learning analytics solutions that afford scaled and sustained prediction and intervention opportunities that involve explainable artificial intelligence products. Those same products that inform prediction can also guide intervention approaches and inform future instructional design and delivery.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Learning analytics includes an evolving collection of methods for tracing and understanding student learning through their engagements with learning technologies. Prediction models based on demographic data can perpetuate systemic biases. Prediction models based on behavioural event data can produce accurate predictions of academic success, and validation efforts can enrich those data to reflect students' self‐regulated learning processes within learning tasks. What this paper adds Learning analytics can be successfully applied to predict performance in an authentic postsecondary STEM context, and the use of context and theory as guides for feature engineering can ensure sustained predictive accuracy upon reapplication. The consistent types of learning resources and cyclical nature of their provisioning from lesson to lesson are hallmarks of high‐structure active learning designs that are known to benefit learners. These designs also provide opportunities for observing and modelling contextually grounded, theory‐aligned and temporally positioned learning events that informed prediction models that accurately classified students upon initial and later reapplications in subsequent semesters. Co‐design relationships where researchers and instructors work together toward pedagogical implementation and course instrumentation are essential to developing unique insights for feature engineering and producing explainable artificial intelligence approaches to predictive modelling. Implications for practice and/or policy High‐structure course designs can scaffold student engagement with course materials to make learning more effective and products of feature engineering more explainable. Learning analytics initiatives can avoid perpetuation of systemic biases when methods prioritize theory‐informed behavioural data that reflect learning processes, sensitivity to instructional context and development of explainable predictors of success rather than relying on students' demographic characteristics as predictors. Prioritizing behaviours as predictors improves explainability in ways that can inform the redesign of courses and design of learning supports, which further informs the refinement of learning theories and their applications.

A Convergence Science Approach to Understanding the Changing Arctic

AbstractScience, engineering, and society increasingly require integrative thinking about emerging problems in complex systems, a notion referred to as convergence science. Due to the concurrent pressures of two main stressors—rapid climate change and industrialization, Arctic research demands such a paradigm of scientific inquiry. This perspective represents a synthesis of a vision for its application in Arctic system studies, developed by a group of disciplinary experts consisting of social and earth system scientists, ecologists, and engineers. Our objective is to demonstrate how convergence research questions can be developed via a holistic view of system interactions that are then parsed into material links and concrete inquiries of disciplinary and interdisciplinary nature. We illustrate the application of the convergence science paradigm to several forms of Arctic stressors using the Yamal Peninsula of the Russian Arctic as a representative natural laboratory with a biogeographic gradient from the forest‐tundra ecotone to the high Arctic.

Improved Marine Predators Algorithm and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) for shipment status time prediction

Shipment Status Time Prediction (STP) is a complex problem requiring expertise in many disciplines, including Machine Learning (ML) and logistics management, to develop effective solutions. Estimating every possible shipment step before creation plays a vital role in e-commerce sale channels. In this point of view, a novel STP approach was proposed to predict shipment status times. The proposed approach involves two phases. The first leg of the novel STP approach is to build an ML model for estimating shipment statuses using a dataset acquired from a real-world application. The Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) and popular ML algorithms were compared for the classification of shipment status prediction first. The XGB algorithm performed best among the compared algorithms, with 99.92% and 96.16% accuracy for training and test sets. Moreover, the ML algorithms were run on the public New York City taxi trip dataset. The XGB algorithm exhibited the best performance. The accuracy for training and test sets are 97.40% and 97.33%, respectively. The second phase of the proposed approach is shipment status time estimation, designed as an optimization problem. The Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA) is a recently proposed optimization algorithm for numerical function optimization. An improved MPA algorithm for STP (STPMPA) was proposed in this study. The performance of the STPMPA algorithm was scrutinized on numerical benchmark problems first. The STPMPA algorithm outperformed all the algorithms in the experiment. Then, the most feasible shipment status times are searched by optimizers using the XGB model. The proposed STPMPA algorithm put forth a superior performance for the STP problem than the compared optimization algorithms. Consequently, experimental studies reveal that the proposed STP approach is able to generate efficient estimations in reasonable times for real-time systems.

553 Creating an In-Person Workshop Series Addressing Core Team Science Principles for Early Career Investigators

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: A barrier to the proliferation of team science is that academicians are often trained in disciplinary silos where “independent” research contributions are lauded. To tackle some of the most pressing scientific challenges, dismantling silos and increasing team science training efforts that focus on early career investigators is a must. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A team science training workshop for early career investigators from varied disciplinary backgrounds was informed by a 20-item needs assessment that addressed essential team science competencies and was completed by early career investigators participating in federally funded professional development programs on our campus. During the workshop, the benefits of cross-disciplinary teaming was discussed. Strategies including team formation, team effectiveness and/or dysfunction, diagnosing team strengths and weaknesses, and teaming in community settings were discussed. Instructional methods included short presentations, video clips, case studies, group discussions, pair and share activities, and panel discussions with expert role models encouraged active learning. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The impact and value of the workshop series to participant’s professional development and knowledge of team science concepts will be evaluated before and after the workshop. Multiple Likert-scale items focused on team science competencies (e.g., confidence in your ability to carry out responsibilities specific to your role on a team, recognize when the team is not functioning well; engage team science practices in on-going research), and open-ended questions (e.g., importance of engaging community partners in academic research teams, vision of what factors contribute to an effective team science collaboration) will be completed by program participants before and after completing the workshop. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Effective collaboration among scientists with expertise in different disciplines is needed to address and solve complex scientific problems. We believe our interactive approach to team competency training sessions would work in a variety of settings and improve team skills.

562 AI Translation Advisory Board: Mastering team science to facilitate implementation of AI into clinical practice

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Healthcare sectors are rushing to develop AI models. Yet, a dearth of coordinated practices leaves many teams struggling to implement models into practice. The Enterprise AI Translation Advisory Board uses across-disciplinary team to facilitate AI translation. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The Mayo Clinic Enterprise AI Translation Advisory Board was established to assess AI solutions lever aging cross-disciplinary team science to accelerate AI innovation and translation. The 23-member board reflects expertise in data science, qualitative research, user experience, IT, human factors, informatics, regulatory compliance,ethics, and clinical care, with members spanning thought leadership, decision-making, and clinical practice. Taking an approach of respectful communication, transparency, scientific debate, and open discussion, the Board has consulted onover two dozen projects at various stages of the AI life cycle. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Common issues identified for projects earlier in the AI life cycle, sometimes fatal but often address able once identified, include a lack of buy-in from potential product users, a lack of planningabout integration into clinical workflow, inadequately labeled data, and attempting to use machine learning when what is desired is really a causal model for intervening. Recommendations for projects later in the AI life cycle include details of a testing plan (silent evaluation, pragmatic clinical trials), advice about clinical integration, both post-hoc and on going auditing for performance disparities, and planning for regulatory clearance. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Advising is more valuable for projects at the ideation phase, when multi disciplinary interrogation can identify weaknesses. But at all phases, projects have gaps related to a lack of specific disciplinary expertise. A multi disciplinary cluster like the AI Translation Advisory Board seeks to address these gaps.

Students' reading in higher education: Challenges and ways forward

AbstractThis article deals with reading as a significant challenge for higher education students. The study aimed to understand students' experiences of challenges in reading during their first three semesters at university and how they handled these challenges. It is a qualitative case study built on in‐depth interviews with nine people studying to be primary teachers and their diaries about reading experiences in the academy. The findings show that students experience considerable anxiety and stress regarding finding enough time for reading tasks and comprehending what they read. They soon discover that extensive reading is a prerequisite for writing, questioning, and active participation in lectures and seminars. Despite experiences of lack of support from their teachers, most students identify new approaches and strategies to develop their reading, moving from passive to active engagement with texts. The findings implicate that continuous support from disciplinary experts is crucial for students' reading and writing development. Such support includes inviting students to participate in disciplinary practices, its tools, concepts, ways of thinking, genres used, approaches to reading, and what it means to reason, analyze, and argue in a discipline.

Developing QualNotes: A collaborative and cross-disciplinary ethnography

Rarely do academics reveal the ‘backend’ of their research; the hours of labour invested into question generation, ethics compliance, transcription, translation, and data analysis, and in our case, coding. Further, when working collaboratively, the conversations that occur between collaborators seldom appear in final publications either. The development of the mobile application QualNotes, provided a productive digital space for collaboration across disciplines. In this paper, we use three vignettes to explicate the ‘backend’ of the development of that mobile application. We chart howour collaborative cross-disciplinary ethnography revealed the generative potential of thinking-with the digital and across disciplinary divides. This paper's contribution is in revealing ‘how’ we work using our disciplinary expertise, but at the same time at the edges of those disciplines too, where we contest, argue, adapt, understand, and, where we learn.

CONCENTRATION OF INVESTMENT CAPITAL IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS: PREREQUISIGTES FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the prerequisites for systemic economic shifts based on the analysis of the structure of capital investments and mergers and acquisitions. Methodology of research. General scientific and special methods were used in the course of the study, in particular, analysis, synthesis, and generalization were applied while working with statistical data on the mergers and acquisitions market, and the monographic method was used when studying literary sources on issues related to the research topic. Financial analysis techniques (specifically, ratio and horizontal anal-ysis) were used in assessing the structure of capital investments in various sectors of the economy over the past twelve years (up to 2022). Additionally, the analysis of structural changes and shifts, as well as meth-ods of comparison and graphical analysis, were employed to study the dynamics of structural shifts in the economy under the influence of investment capital movement. Findings. The study of the preconditions for structural economic transformations was conducted through the assessment of the dynamics of investment capital concentration in economic sectors and the analysis of the dynamics of the number and value of mergers and acquisitions in pre-war and wartime peri-ods, as well as a review of the motives behind these transactions. The preconditions for structural changes in the economy, which are being laid at this stage through the investment decisions of investors and the political decisions of government representatives, were analyzed. The conducted research indicates the need to maintain a high share of industrial capital concentration alongside the decline in the share of indus-try in GDP due to the substantiated necessity for significant modernization of certain sectors. Originality. The study for the first time highlighted the role of investment capital by analysing the dominance of progressive industries with high added value in the structure of mergers and acquisitions, which can become the beginning of the structural transformation of the Ukrainian economy with the concen-tration of investment capital in high-income sectors. The use of analysis of the structure of capital invest-ments by economic sectors has further developed as a tool for determining the investment attractiveness of individual sectors and the dynamics of changes in the investment preferences of entities. Practical value. The results of the study can be used by government bodies in the development and refinement of the country's investment strategy, the formulation of the principles of the state's investment policy, and the adjustment of existing plans for post-war recovery; by private companies and investors (both local and foreign) for developing plans for the analysis and investment in Ukrainian economic assets, adjusting their expectations and priorities; by members of the scientific community who are interested in further development of this research topic; and by experts in related disciplines to expand their understand-ing of the issue, which may be relevant to their area of expertise, among others. Key words: investments, capital investments, capital concentration, capital market, mergers and ac-quisitions.

Sheikh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani’s Contribution to the 20th Century Nusantara-Haramain Ulama Intellectual Network in Manuscript Al-'Iqdu al-Farid min Jawahir al-Asanid

This study examines the intellectual network of Nusantara ulama (Muslim scholars) through the chain of transmission (sanad) found in Sheikh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani’s al-Iqdu al-Farid min Jawahir al-Asanid. Sheikh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani was a prominent Muslim scholar in Mecca and of Minangkabau descent. He was renowned for his extensive knowledge of the intellectual networks of Muslim scholars worldwide in the 20th century. Hence, this study investigates Sheikh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani’s contributions to the intellectual network of Nusantara scholars with the scholars of Haramain, focusing on the manuscript al-Iqdu al-Farid min Jawahir al-Asanid. This study utilized a literature review to analyze Sheikh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani’s contributions and his manuscript. The findings of this research explain that Sheikh Muhammad Yasin al-Fadani’s al-Iqdu al-Farid min Jawahir al-Asanid provides crucial information regarding the intellectual network of Nusantara ulama with those in Haramain and the Middle East in the 20th century. It successfully revealed their expertise in various Islamic studies disciplines and their contributions to scholarly development.

Matching the right study design to decision-maker questions: Results from a Delphi study.

Research evidence can play an important role in each stage of decision-making, evidence-support systems play a key role in aligning the demand for and supply of evidence. This paper provides guidance on what type of study designs most suitably address questions asked by decision-makers. This study used a two-round online Delphi approach, including methodological experts in different areas, disciplines, and geographic locations. Participants prioritized study designs for each of 40 different types of question, with a Kendall's W greater than 0.6 and reaching statistical significance (p<0.05) considered as a consensus. For each type of question, we sorted the final rankings based on their median ranks and interquartile ranges, and listed the four study designs with the highest median ranks. Participants provided 29 answers in the two rounds of the Delphi, and reached a consensus for 28 (out of the 40) questions (eight in the first round and 20 in the second). Participants achieved a consensus for 8 of 15 questions in stage I (clarifying a societal problem, its causes, and potential impacts), 12 of 13 in stage II (finding options to address a problem) and four of six in each of stages III (implementing or scaling-up an option) and IV (monitoring implementation and evaluating impact). This paper provides guidance on what study designs are more suitable to give insights on 28 different types of questions. Decision-makers, evidence intermediaries (, researchers and funders can use this guidance to make better decisions on what type of study design to commission, use or fund when answering specific needs.

Teaching English for Specific Purposes in Tertiary Contexts: Navigating Education and Assessment Challenges

ABSTRACT Since its inception in the early 1960s, English for specific purposes (ESP) has been characterised as a materials-driven and a teacher-led movement. Distinctively separated from general English teaching, ESP teachers often function as designers and implementers in curriculum development. Attaining a certain degree of disciplinary expertise is the greatest challenge that they encounter while transitioning from general to specific language teaching. Recognising a dearth of research on ESP teacher development, this study has emerged from in-depth, unstructured interviews conducted with both novice and expert educators. This qualitative inquiry examines the collaborative strategies employed and hurdles encountered by ESP educators within the tertiary education arena, with a specific emphasis on their vital contributions to the English language instruction of undergraduate students in India. The findings offer insights into the evolving specificity of English language education in India, particularly for educators and institutions committed to improving language teaching practices in higher education.

The green ceiling for NRM careers in public service

Actors involved in environmental decision-making bring personal values that extend into the professional sphere, to varied effect. NRM professionals are encouraged to set aside personal values in the workplace. Using semi-structured interviews, this research investigated how ecocentric values are contested in public service NRM in local government in South-East Queensland, Australia. Eight participants described challenges advocating from their disciplinary expertise, communication tactics they found necessary to find purchase within their organisations, and how they felt disciplinary contestations and their workplace identity affected their career. From personal accounts, we theorise and describe a ‘green ceiling’, acting as both a social barrier and structural force limiting the expression of ecocentric values and constrains the influence of those perceived to be ecocentric in public service NRM. The green ceiling presents a framework for understanding how NRM professionals who espouse ecocentric qualities, experience slowed career progress, low job security, career interruption and workplace grief.

Guidelines for Rational Clinical Use of Fentanyl Transdermal Patch.

Pain is one of the most common clinical symptoms of cancer patients, seriously affecting the quality of life of patients and bringing heavy mental and economic burden to families and society. The treatment of cancer pain in China is facing numerous challenges, one of which includes the irrational usage of analgesic drugs in clinical practice. As a strong opioid analgesic, transdermal fentanyl patch has been widely used due to its convenient clinical application and obvious therapeutic effect. Several basic-level hospitals and even general hospitals in China fail to appropriate the application of drugs in clinical application due to the lack of understanding of the pharmacological characteristics and clinical application of fentanyl transdermal patch by medical staff, seriously affecting the treatment quality. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen the rational use and management of fentanyl transdermal patches. Accordingly, the initiation by the Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Treatment Professional Committee of the Hubei Anti-cancer Association launched the compilation of the "Guidelines for Rational Clinical Use of Fentanyl Transdermal Patch" (from now on referred to as the "Guidelines") in Hubei Province, China. The experts in the preparation group are experts in many disciplines, such as medicine, pharmacy, and nursing. The expert group determines the outline, prepares the required regulations, and revises it repeatedly. Moreover, these experts put forward suggestions for revision to strictly control the accuracy and scientific authenticity of the contents of the "Guide". Finally, all experts of the preparation team certify and finalize the draft. This "Guide" prepared by experts of the Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Treatment Professional Committee of the Hubei Anti-cancer Association and the expert advisory group with joint efforts, aims to play a positive role in promoting the rational clinical use of fentanyl transdermal patch, reducing the mental and economic burden of patients, and ensuring medical quality and medical safety.

Efficacy, safety and prospects of using a combination of native type II collagen, methylsulfonylmethane, boswellic acids, vitamin C and vitamin D&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; in knee osteoarthritis: a resolution of the Expert panel

A meeting of the Expert Council on September 9, 2023 considered the last challenges in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) including OA in comorbid patients. Leading experts in rheumatology, traumatology and other relevant disciplines participated in the meeting. The key goal of Expert Council was the discussion of potential application of a combination of undenatured (native) type II collagen, methylsulfonylmethane, boswellic acids, vitamins C and D (Artneo complex) as a part of complex OA therapy. The experts concluded that Artneo for stage I–III knee OA patients is not just non-inferior in comparison with a combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride but excels it in the decrease of magnetic resonance imaging synovitis markers and dynamics of Lequesne index for knee osteoarthritis severity. The proven efficacy and the favorable safety profile of 6-months Artneo course deserve the attention of medical community and the active implementation of Artneo complex into ambulatory practice, first of all, for the treatment of patients with mild or moderate synovitis and/or burdened with comorbidities.

Justice theory as a framework for policy-making consultation

In this paper, we respond to the call by Brockner and Bobocel for leveraging justice research to address critical social issues. Pulling from research within the areas of policy studies and liberal philosophy, we make three major arguments: a) Critical social issues are “wicked problems,” which combine high decision stakes, high diversity of actors, and high uncertainty, and therefore require the simultaneous and coordinated expertise of multiple disciplines for effective intervention; b) to tackle more far-reaching issues such as these requires a broadening of what is considered “just;” and c) those working within the policy realm are aware of and actively applying many of the justice principles outlined by Brockner and Bobocel. We conclude by converting Brockner and Bobocel's evidence-based insights (along with our extensions) into a consultative framework with which policy makers can audit their progress, decisions, and actions. We argue that it is through this sort of application of justice principles that uncertainty can be managed, durable agreements can be reached, and positive social change can be achieved.

Evaluation of a multi-site health services psychology training program for telehealth and integrated behavioral health.

Training future providers in telehealth and integrated care models can improve access and outcomes, especially among rural and underserved populations. The (blinded) project implemented behavioral health training for health service psychology doctoral students with three partner organizations. Trainees received both experiential and didactic training in telehealth and integrated behavioral health. Telehealth was utilized for remote warm hand-offs, hybrid shared appointments, therapy sessions, coordination with providers, and supervision. Program elements included opportunities for consultations with experts in other disciplines, supportive mentorship, exposure to various parts of a healthcare system, and interactions with diverse clients. The (blinded) training program evaluated trainee outcomes using fourteen interviews and three focus groups. Interviews and focus groups examined aspects of the program that contributed to trainees' knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Evaluation results revealed increased levels of trainee confidence, autonomy and independence. Training reportedly enabled improved ability to collaborate and communicate with other professions, increased flexibility and adaptability, and openness to others' ideas. Trainees reported the program's use of telehealth enhanced awareness of their own skills and team members' perspectives of technology in care delivery. Descriptions of the three care models, lessons learned, and qualitative results about trainee outcomes can be translated into best practices for workforce development and enhance psychology trainees' self-awareness and ability to incorporate others' viewpoints about technology and treatment approaches into healthcare.

Exploring Doctoral Writing Self-Efficacy and Apprehension in a Dissertation Writing Course

Aim/Purpose: This study explored changes in writing self-efficacy and writing apprehension among online doctoral students throughout their first dissertation writing course. By examining the facilitators and obstacles to online doctoral student writing success, we concluded that receiving specific, concrete, and iterative feedback is instrumental for the growth of doctoral students’ confidence during the early stages of the dissertation process. Background: Previous scholarship has recognized that the dissertation writing process is a key contributor to attrition rates in doctoral programs. However, there is limited research on how online doctoral students experience writing apprehension and self-efficacy during this crucial stage. Drawing upon self-efficacy theory as a framework, our study sought to fill this gap by investigating changes in these constructs among 53 participants as they composed their first two chapters. Methodology: This convergent mixed methods study employed both quantitative surveys and qualitative reflections collected before and after the completion of a one-term dissertation writing course intervention. We examined participants’ self-perceptions of their mechanics skills, essentials efficacy (overcoming difficulties), relational-reflective efficacy (connecting with others), and relationship building. Contribution: This study contributes to existing research on online doctoral student dissertation writing experiences by revealing the importance of specific, concrete, and iterative feedback in fostering students’ writing confidence. Findings: Our findings revealed small effect sizes in participants’ overall confidence levels related to their academic writing self-efficacy but no statistically significant changes. Nonetheless, qualitative data indicated positive experiences of growth in terms of scholarly proficiency development, which contributes to existing literature gaps. Recommendations for Practitioners: Faculty working with online doctoral students who are writing their dissertations should provide specific, concrete, and iterative feedback to support the growth of students’ writing confidence during the early stages of the dissertation process. Recommendation for Researchers: Future researchers on this topic should expand the scope of their focus beyond just the first term or course and conduct longitudinal studies that encompass different phases of dissertation work in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of changes in writing self-efficacy and apprehension among online doctoral students. Impact on Society: By providing specific, concrete, and iterative feedback to doctoral students during the dissertation writing process, faculty can empower them towards disciplinary mastery and expertise, enabling successful completion of the program and equipping them with expert knowledge to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields and industries. Future Research: Future research should expand the scope of the focus on doctoral student writing apprehension, anxiety, and self-efficacy to include other stages of the dissertation research and writing process, perhaps also examining these writing constructs and how they vary given student characteristics.

Afrofuturistic Translanguaging: Pathways to Students' Wellbeing in Disciplines

This study highlights the drawbacks of monolingual instruction in university disciplines and its adverse effects on students’ knowledge acquisition, mental, emotional, and academic well-being. Incorporating Afrofuturism, the research introduces translanguaging as an innovative component to explore the advantages of employing multilingual strategies. The goal is to mitigate limitations posed by monolingual approaches and actively contribute to safeguarding students’ comprehensive well-being in the academic context. Incorporating Afrofuturist principles, this study utilizes textual analysis with the researcher as a research instrument. It analyses how multilingual teaching not only addresses limitations associated with monolingual instruction but also positively impacts African students’ well-being. Innovative studies on translanguaging practices are highlighted, offering multilayered insights into the dynamic interplay of languages and knowledge in disciplines. The research offers an innovative approach by integrating Afrofuturist translanguaging strategies, providing valuable insights for enhancing student well-being across university disciplines. Identifying the limitations of monolingual instruction on disciplinary expertise, the study underscores its detrimental impact on African scholars’ mental, emotional, and academic well-being. By introducing Afrofuturist-aligned translanguaging practices, the research illuminates innovative strategies that surpass these limitations, demonstrating the advantages of embracing multilingualism in disciplinary settings. This Afrofuturist-inspired approach promotes a more inclusive understanding of linguistic diversity, nurturing belonging and resilience among students. Recognizing the detrimental effects of monolingual instruction on holistic growth in Africa’s universities, this study champions a transformative transition towards multilingualism.

Integrated impact assessment for land and water management

Impact assessment considers the future consequences of current or proposed actions, but multiple impact assessment types and silos of expertise make integration difficult. When faced with the development of policy and planning for the complex bio-physical and social-economic systems found in river catchments, integrated impact assessment (IIA) becomes imperative. IIA has well-recognised potential when considering multiple, intersecting impact domains in one impact assessment verses siloed technical workstreams, often not linked until the decision-making stage, and with little transparency around how integration transpires. A “collective” and systemic view of all impacts is essential for understanding the causal relationships between system components and their full consequences including cumulative impacts. In land and water management, the development and integrated assessment of scenarios of change requires integration of disciplinary expertise, and local and indigenous knowledge systems. The challenge here is to turn practice towards less technocratic, more collaborative, and better integrated approaches. This paper therefore advances a participatory approach to IIA that uses participation and co-production of knowledge throughout. Here IIA is facilitated by broad leadership and iterative communication of concepts, ideas, methods, and accessible data between all participants through purposeful management of the process.