Educational Activities Research Articles

Pharmacy students' knowledge, perceptions, and satisfaction in a nutrition course

Background and purposeLittle is known about nutrition education in pharmacy programs. This study reports on the outcomes assessment of pharmacy students' knowledge, perceptions, and satisfaction in a clinical nutrition course. Educational activity and settingA 2-credit required course in clinical nutrition and diet therapy provides third-year professional pharmacy students with knowledge on various diet and nutrition topics. These relate to nutrition concepts in health and disease, the prevention and treatment of diet- and nutrition-related health conditions, and enteral and parenteral nutrition. FindingsBetween the academic years 2012 and 2021, 720 students were enrolled in the course. Direct assessment data were collected from 227 students, and indirect assessment data from 173 students. On average, 85.7% of students acquired the necessary knowledge on all 23 course learning objectives. Average course evaluation ratings by students on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree = 1; disagree = 2; somewhat agree = 3; agree = 4; strongly agree = 5) were high (4.43). High ratings were also recorded for students' satisfaction with the course structure (4.46) and teaching effectiveness (4.39). Students appreciated the clear presentation of the course learning objectives, requirements, and teaching effectiveness. They also acknowledged the quality of the learning experience and the course's relevance to pharmacy. DiscussionStudents highly rated the course in achieving its learning objectives in addition to their satisfaction with its content, structure, delivery, and relevance to pharmacy education and practice. Furthermore, the course content addressed the accreditation requirements for nutrition education and covered the topics listed in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkits. SummaryThe clinical nutrition and diet therapy course was well received. Educating pharmacy students on diet and nutrition prepares graduates for expanding their role in these domains in the community, hospital and clinical practice settings.

The stress level of future teachers depending on the direction of professional subject training

The article describes the influence of university educational environment on the formation of resistance to stress in future teachers. A theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of psychological stress as a state of mental tension manifested in emotional, behavioural and somatic sensations is presented. The results of testing 529 students, who were examined in April 2022, using the PSN-25 methodology were analysed. The features of the stress level of future teachers are formulated and statistically substantiated, depending on the direction of professional subject training (foreign language, music, physical education), course of study, gender. It was found that more than half of all respondents do not experience excessive mental stress. The number of students with a low level of stress increases from the first year to the third one, regardless of the direction of professional subject training. Among future foreign language teachers, a relatively higher level of mental stress prevails. This trend is statistically significant for the first-year students of the sample. Future of physical education and music teachers are more normalised in terms of mental stress which may be due to the peculiarities of educational environment of these faculties and due to the nature of educational and professional activities. Significant gender differences in the prevalence of higher stress levels in young ladies compared to young men were revealed in a sample of these two directions of training.

Conceptualising language MOOC diversity: The creation of a defined taxonomy through the analysis of course indicators

Abstract Language MOOC research has experienced a notable evolution from practice to conceptuality since its emergence as a subdiscipline of computer-assisted language learning. The versatility of the MOOC format for language learning has led to experimental designs that combine linguistic acquisition with other educational activities. This has been considered to be conducive to new ways of understanding how language learning occurs in LMOOCs, although there is no solid classification of LMOOCs subtypes to date based on course design. This study aimed to contribute to the conceptualisation of the field by creating a taxonomy for existing LMOOCs. Grounded theory strategies were adopted, so evidence was systematically collected to develop conceptual categories based on a thorough analysis process of the syllabus and short description of 432 courses. As a result, six LMOOC modalities emerged from the analysis: general language learning LMOOCs, LMOOCs for academic purposes, LMOOCs for professional purposes, LMOOCs focused on a specific language skill development, cultural-oriented LMOOCs, and meta-language learning LMOOCs. This study means a significant contribution to the LMOOC research field inasmuch as it is one of the first empirical-based attempts to broaden the definition of LMOOC.

Civilian ‘soft’ militarism through informal education in Israel: learning to protect and connect to the land

ABSTRACT The civil society organization HaShomer HaChadash (The New Guard) attempts to fill a security gap in Israel’s periphery by tackling the continuous threat of what it frames as ‘agricultural terrorism’ by securing farms in combination with a wide array of educational activities that emphasize the importance of agriculture, and simultaneously include the teaching of military themes (such as leadership, heroism, and sacrifice) and military skills training (guarding, navigation, and Krav Maga). The proposed paper investigates the nexus of militarism and informal education as manifested in Israeli civil society through the activities of HaShomer HaChadash. While the entanglement of militarism and education has deep roots in Israeli political culture, it has usually been nurtured by the government and not by non-state organizations. We argue that the combination of security and educational activities can be interpreted as a renaissance or evolution of Israeli civilian militarism, which we term ‘soft militarism’ in the margins of the state.

Finger Painting Revolutionizes Early Childhood Education by Boosting Fine Motor Skills

This classroom action research investigates the efficacy of finger painting activities in enhancing the fine motor skills of 5-6-year-old children at Ittihadul Ummah Ngoro Kindergarten. Conducted over two cycles with 20 students in Group B, the study employs observation, tests, interviews, and documentation for data collection. Results indicate a notable improvement in children's fine motor skills, with average achievements rising from 61% to 78% between Cycle I and Cycle II. The findings underscore the value of integrating sensory-rich, hands-on activities like finger painting into early childhood education to support holistic development and academic readiness. Highlight: Finger painting enhances fine motor skills. Integration of sensory-rich activities in early childhood education. Importance of holistic development for academic readiness. Keywoard: Fine motor Skills, Finger Painting, Early Childhood Education, Sensory-rich Activities, Academic Readiness.

Interactive Batik & HR Incubation for Art-Technopreneurship: Mantraman Village Pilot Project

The implementation of this activity presents an innovative approach to promote the sustainability of the Javanese batik industry by developing interactive batik designs and fostering human resources in the arts and technopreneurship fields. The research project undertaken in Mantraman Village, Pagelaran, aims to brand Mantraman Village as a unique destination embodying Javanese Cultural Village characteristics. The cutting-edge approach combines age-old batik techniques with the latest in digital augmented reality technology. By doing so, it aims to boost visitor engagement and offer a hands-on experience in the batik design process. This implementation also focuses on fostering human resources in the arts and technopreneurship fields. These educational activities are designed to impart both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, empowering individuals to venture into or further develop their own art-technopreneurial pursuits. Training programs and workshops are conducted to develop participants’ skills and knowledge in batik design, business management, marketing, and related technological aspects. This implementation methodology involves conducting participatory surveys, observations, and interviews with relevant stakeholders, as well as testing and evaluating prototypes of interactive batik design systems. The data collected will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to measure the project’s impact on increasing public interest, improving the quality of batik products, and developing human resources in the arts and technopreneurship fields. The results of the implementation of this activity made a positive contribution through an inventory of interactive batik motif designs with augmented reality technology, contributing to the development of the batik industry in Mantraman Village, Pagelaran Village as an iconic tourism village branding. Through these efforts, the project contributes positively to the sustainable growth of the batik industry and cultural branding of the village. Keywords: interactive, pattern, batik, mantraman village, pagelaran

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching learning process in pre clinical medical education in selective medical college in Bangladesh

Background: The corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruption in educational sector including medical education. This disease outbreak has changed the medical education curriculum from traditional platform to elearning for students including Bangladesh. Objective: To observe the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching learning process in medical education in Bangladesh. Methods: This qualitative survey was done among the 68 pre-clinical students aged 19 to 23years, of a non-government medical college in Bangladesh, from march to December 2021. All study participants were first year undergraduate MBBS students from anatomy, biochemistry and physiology. Data was collected by administering pre-tested questionnaires through Google form. Results: About 75% of the participants agreed that online classes were helpful during the home stay period of COVID pandemic, but about 92.2% of them were skeptical about the success of this online system for their future medical education. About 80.9% had difficulty in keeping their concentration during online class. About 94% found difficulty to follow online practical classes. Majority of the students (82.4%) feel anxious whether they were capable of doing their job properly since this method needs technical knowledge. About 50% students had limited access to internet, there were technical issues like power cut (76.5%), and poor network of internet (69.1%) also reduced the effectiveness of online education. Online class also disrupt teacher-student relationship. Conclusion: The internet based classes served the purpose of continuation of academic activity in medical education during adverse condition of COVID . But due to uneven use of technology it had some obstacles also. Student’s ability to learning in medical education was also hampered in the absence of physical classes. This online method of education system needs much improvement to be effective in medical education. J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 64-71

Is the MIND diet useful for polycystic ovary syndrome? A case-control study

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent cause of ovulatory infertility and endocrine abnormalities in reproductive-age women. Although the MIND diet has been introduced to improve brain function, evidence shows that the MIND diet is rich in beneficial food groups that can have a preventive effect on other metabolic disorders. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between adherence to the MIND diet and PCOS.MethodsThis age and BMI frequency-matched case-control study was conducted on 216 women between January 2018 and March 2019 in Yazd, Iran. PCOS was diagnosed based on Rotterdam criteria. Participants were selected by convenience sampling method. The validated 178-item food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the usual dietary intake. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between the MIND diet and PCOS.ResultsThe findings of the present study showed a significant inverse association between adherence to the MIND diet and PCOS in the crude model (OR for T3 vs. T1: 0.12 (95% CI: 0.05–0.25), P-value < 0.001) and multivariable-adjusted model including energy intake, age, BMI, waist circumference, marital status, pregnancy history, drug use history, education and physical activity (OR for T3 vs. T1 = 0.08 (95% CI: 0.03–0.19), P-value < 0.001). Adherence to the MIND diet had a protective effect of 92%.ConclusionAlthough the results of the present study showed that higher adherence to the MIND diet is associated with a lower risk of PCOS, more studies are needed to confirm these findings in the future.

The Digital Competences Necessary for the Successful Pedagogical Practice of Teachers in the Digital Age

The digital transformation of society is a reality. Technology is becoming integral to people’s daily lives and children are growing up in the digital age. The education systems have to reflect and adapt to the new digital reality to effectively engage and prepare students for the future. Teachers have to possess digital competences at a high level, meaning that they are successfully able to use digital tools and technologies in their teaching practices. Digital competences include digital literacy, experience using educational software and platforms, and the ability to seamlessly integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into the organization of educational activities. The current paper aims to study the opinion of teachers in Bulgarian schools regarding the possibilities of using digital technologies to achieve educational goals and the extent to which teachers integrate digital tools in their teaching activities. Teachers’ opinions about the need for specific digital competences are important. The results of the survey show that teachers in Bulgaria actively use digital technologies in their daily teaching activities (84.8%) in order to create and provide learning content to students and to provoke their active participation, and is a convenient tool for evaluating their students’ knowledge and skills and for providing effective feedback. The conducted research also identifies the necessary competences that teachers of the digital generation of learners need—skills and competences for developing authored electronic resources in various formats for students with different learning styles, as well as for working in online environments—individually and collaboratively with other teachers.

Designing an evaluation tool for evaluating training programs of medical students in clinical skill training center from consumers’ perspective

IntroductionThe Clinical Skill Training Center (CSTC) is the first environment where third year medical students learn clinical skills after passing basic science. Consumer- based evaluation is one of the ways to improve this center with the consumer. This study was conducted with the aim of preparing a consumer-oriented evaluation tool for CSTC among medical students.MethodThe study was mixed method. The first phase was qualitative and for providing an evaluation tool. The second phase was for evaluating the tool. At the first phase, after literature review in the Divergent phase, a complete list of problems in the field of CSTC in medicine schools was prepared. In the convergent step, the prepared list was compared with the standards of clinical education and values of scriven. In the second phase it was evaluated by the scientific and authority committee. Validity has been measured by determining CVR and CVI: Index. The face and content validity of the tool was obtained through the approval of a group of specialists.ResultsThe findings of the research were in the form of 4 questionnaires: clinical instructors, pre-clinical medical students, and interns. All items were designed as a 5-point Likert. The main areas of evaluation included the objectives and content of training courses, implementation of operations, facilities and equipment, and the environment and indoor space. In order to examine the long-term effects, a special evaluation form was designed for intern.ConclusionThe tool for consumer evaluation was designed with good reliability and trustworthiness and suitable for use in the CSTC, and its use can improve the effectiveness of clinical education activities.

Curriculum Making Across Sites of Activity in Upper Secondary School Vocational Education and Training: A Review of the Research in Sweden

Purpose: This paper presents a qualitative systematic review of Swedish research on vocational education and training (VET) at the upper secondary school level over the past 20 years. The review is based on a theoretical model on curriculum making as social practice that may serve as model for comparative studies between countries. By introducing the model, the ambition is to open for new perspectives on VET curriculum in policy and practice. Questions regarding key themes and the interplay of discourses and processes across multiple sites in the education system have not been addressed in previous systematic reviews of Swedish VET research. Methods: The methodological approach in the present paper is a qualitative systematic research review with an integrative and interpretative purpose and research design. The qualitative review is based on the conceptual model of curriculum making as social practice, seeking to capture the inherent complexity and porous boundaries of education systems and movements of ideas, discourses and actors between sites of activity. The model is used for mapping the research, and a content analysis for identifying main themes and emphases and exploring and discussing the potential gaps that may inform future international research studies. Findings: The results show that the research is focused on the micro and nano sites of curriculum making, with connections to macro site activities of national curriculum policy enactment. Research focusing on the macro site of activity has an emphasis on national policy and policymaking regarding the relationship between academic and vocational knowledge/programmes and apprenticeship and employability. In the micro and nano sites of activity – which comprise the majority of the research – the main themes are vocational knowing and identity, teaching, learning and assessment practices and work-based learning. Conclusion: An observation is the absence of principals and middle leaders as actors and informants in the studies. There is little evidence of actors moving between sites of activity and the meso site of activity only comprise a very small part of the research. In this respect, there is a potential gap to be explored, not least regarding how local curricula and syllabi are made and shaped in terms of the influence of representatives from local authorities, companies, trade unions, employer associations, universities and regional agencies. Curriculum making as social practice has the potential to be used for comparative international studies and as a framework that takes national differences in VET education systems into account.

Touch to Learn: A Review of Haptic Technology's Impact on Skill Development and Enhancing Learning Abilities for Children

Early childhood education is critical in shaping children's intellectual and motor skills as it provides a solid foundation for cognitive, social, and emotional development, which highly depends on spatial thinking. Haptic feedback can be effectively used for educational and training purposes, particularly in fields such as physics, math, and arts, offering a more interactive learning media and supporting kinesthetic learners by its nature. Herein, different ways of implementing haptic feedback on different educational scenarios from the perspective of technological development and their impact on children's learned skills and outcomes (e.g., their motivation, their analytical or spatial thinking abilities, or fine motor skills) will be examined. This article provides an overview of how haptic feedback has been implemented in different learning scenarios for children. Particularly, it is indicated that haptics can potentially improve early childhood learning outcomes and spatial reasoning skills as it can increase children's interest, participation, performance in educational activities, and analytical ability. The major drawbacks of the current studies, such as variance in participants’ learning challenges and small sample numbers are also highlighted.

Timescales of tree‐covered island dynamics on the mixed bedrock‐alluvial anabranching Vaal River, South Africa

AbstractPrevious research on mixed bedrock‐alluvial anabranching rivers has documented how alluvial islands commonly grow under vegetation influences atop slowly eroding bedrock templates, but timescales of island dynamics remain poorly constrained. We focus on the Vaal River near Parys, South Africa, and combine field investigations, aerial image analyses and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to establish timescales of initiation, growth and erosion for nine bedrock‐cored, tree‐covered, alluvial islands. For each island, two OSL samples were collected in vertical succession from sand‐rich exposures up to 4 m in thickness to establish minimum ages for island initiation (~1802 to 243 years) and to estimate local vertical aggradation rates (~0.20 to 1.8 cm year−1). The diachronous lower ages and lack of systematic upstream‐downstream trend in island age support an interpretation of patchwork initiation, growth, and erosion of islands throughout the late Holocene. Following island initiation, vertical island aggradation occurs in association with establishment of reeds, shrubs and trees, but erosion of island margins or dissection by cross‐cutting channels also can occur. Observations during and after recent large floods (peak discharges &gt;3000 m3 s−1) provide further insights into island dynamics, including the influence of exotic trees (e.g., Eucalyptus spp.) that have colonised many islands in the postcolonial era (last ~150 years). Our findings extend previous conceptual models by constraining timescales of island dynamics and providing new insights into island stability and longevity in mixed bedrock‐alluvial anabranching rivers. Improved communication of findings regarding island geomorphology, ecology and stability can benefit local community engagement, geo/eco‐tourism and education activities, and land use planning.

Digital transformation in education: navigating its impact amidst war

It has been proved that in the perspective, the way out of the digital crisis will be conditioned by the development and approbation of new models of organizing scientific and educational activities adapted to the implementation in an open information and educational environment in the conditions of war. It will also be determined by design of information systems ensuring the collection and processing of data on educational systems and processes in times of war; development of an advanced model of research activities in the sphere of pedagogical education, which ensures high productivity of all educational and research practices in the context of digital transformation of the educational space in the conditions of war; development of psychological and pedagogical support of educational activities at all stages of lifelong learning, taking into account the psychological features and mechanisms of influence of digital learning on representatives of students’ different categories in the context of the typology developed in the theory of generations (baby boomers, generation Y, generation Z, generation alpha, or iGen) in the conditions of war; a comprehensive analysis of all pros and cons of digitalization of educational environments, as well as forecasting potential risks and situational limitations of the application of digital educational technologies in the context of an interdisciplinary approach from the perspective of various social and humanitarian disciplines – psychology, pedagogy, philosophy of education, sociology of sciences, etc. It has been pointed out that further analysis of the tendencies, features and challenges of the digital transformation of pedagogical education may be useful not only in the context of developing pedagogical science and practice but also in the broader civilizational aspect, if one considers digital transformation as a global process at the stage of establishing the information society in the conditions of war.

Activities of religious creeds in culture and education in the Bielsko poviat district in the years 1918-1939

The Bielsko poviat is known to have had a complex denominational situation. Key denominations of the region included Catholics, Protestants and Jews. In the city Bielsko itself lived followers of all three religions. The relations across the various religions of the region were heavily influenced by the nationalities of the population. In the inter-war period there were twelve Catholic parishes, four Protestant churches and one Jewish community in the Bielsko poviat district. The article presents the cultural and educational activities in the Bielsko poviat district in the years 1918-1939 against the backdrop of the above-mentioned religious groups.

Cultivating media literacy culture as a measure of societal awareness during crisis

The paper considers media literacy as a key skill that a person of the XXI century should possess for quality education and further professional activity. Consideration of ways to develop media literacy in a crisis situation, the evolution of media literacy culture in society is one of the most relevant areas of research in the modern humanitarian paradigm. Introducing the principles of media literacy in a state of crisis requires careful planning, the proper attitude to the audience, and the motivation of all participants in the educational process. Practical developments and projects that can contribute to raising the level of media literacy and the culture of media education are relevant in modern education in Ukraine. The purpose of the research is to establish an algorithm for introducing media literacy, its effectiveness and influence on learning outcomes and education quality, implemented in crisis conditions. Furthermore, participants in the educational process evaluate media education as a civilizational skill and technology. The methodology of the present research is characterized by a comprehensive approach. First and foremost, it is a method of pedagogical experimentation, interviewing and observation. The possible benefits of the descriptive technique, synthesis, and analysis were used for the theoretical study. The hypothesis lies in the fact that a high level of media education culture is positively assessed in a society in a crisis situation; media literacy is a convenient and effective skill that is a necessary component of the modern world. For students of pedagogical specialties in the field of social communications, the result of the educational experiment should be the formation of the culture’s fundamentals of introducing media literacy in crisis conditions. In the long-term, it is worth working on practical projects aimed at increasing the culture of media literacy development and the impact of this skill on the quality of education and professional growth.

Advancing Ukrainian education in times of military conflict

The deepening of the conflict in Ukraine and the imposition of martial law have had a devastating impact on the country’s social environment as well as its economic infrastructure. The education sector is one of the most war-affected areas in Ukraine, which currently faces new challenges that should be studied in order to explore the existing experience of anti-crisis management of educational institutions and search for ways to optimize the situation. The purpose of the academic paper is to distinguish the features of education in Ukraine in the context of military operations in Ukraine, and to characterize the main aspects that should be taken into account when organizing educational activities during the period of military invasion. In the course of the present research, induction, deduction, analysis, synthesis of information, system-structural, comparative, logical and linguistic methods, abstraction, and idealization were used to study and process data. At the same time, the analytical and bibliographic method was applied to study the scientific literature on developing the educational system during military incursion. By the way, the research authors also conducted a questionnaire in online mode to practically clarify the most significant issues related to the research topic. Based on the research results, the main and most important theoretical characteristics of the educational process during the war were established. Along with this, the viewpoints of scientists and educators on key aspects of the outlined issue were investigated.

ВЛАДИМИР КУЗЬМИН: СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНЫЙ ОБЛИК СВЯЩЕННИКА

The object of the study is the personality of the missionary priest of the Minusinsk District Vladimir Kuzmin, the subject is his activity in the context of the concept of “sociocultural image”. Based on the biographical research method, the main aspects of V. Kuzmin’s life were studied. The paper sets the following objectives: to reveal the level of education of the priest, to analyze the situation in society, to study the main directions of cultural and educational activities, to outline the position during the First World War and the revolutions of 1917. Particular attention is paid to the activities of V. Kuzmin in the place of a missionary priest in Askiz parish. His merits in the field of combating drunkenness among parishioners and childhood alcoholism are noted. V. Kuzmin was particularly concerned about drunkenness among the non-Russian population. On his initiative and under his leadership, temperance societies and the Brotherhood of Prayer and Temperance were created in the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the Minusinsk District. The problem of drunkenness and alcoholism became especially urgent during the First World War. V. Kuzmin actively collaborated with the magazine “Yenisei Diocesan Gazette”. His publications on the pages of the magazine were always timely and devoted to topical issues in the daily life of not only parishioners, but also the population of the entire province. At meetings of diocesan congresses and pastoral and missionary meetings, he advocated a complete state ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages. As a missionary priest, he proposed specific measures to improve missionary activities. As a dean archpriest, V. Kuzmin was fruitfully engaged in social and political work. He was a member of the Minusinsk City Duma and a member of the District government. During the period of the revolutions of 1917 and the civil war, there was an evolution in the socio-political views and activities of the archpriest V. Kuzmina. He welcomed the February Revolution of 1917 and stood at the head of the Minusinsk group of the Labor People's Socialist Party. Missionary priest V. Kuzmin was an interesting, versatile personality who deserves further attention from researchers.

Buraku women, literacy as a path to empowerment

ABSTRACT Based on the analysis of the life histories of buraku women in the latter half of the 20th century, this paper explores the empowering potential of literacy classes and other educational activities. The paper focuses on the case study of Yamamoto Eiko, a woman born in the pre-war period in a poor buraku family in Kyoto who dedicated her adult life to the literacy movement and education. To have a deeper understanding of how multiple, interconnected factors such as buraku discrimination, poverty and gender have impacted buraku women’s life experiences, the paper adopts an intersectional perspective to look at education as a specific field of discrimination. I argue that literacy can become a tool for empowerment both on a personal level, making women more independent and raising their self-esteem, and on a societal level because it allowed them to participate more actively in the liberation movement and advocate for women’s needs. Still, buraku women’s experiences reveal the deep-rooted patriarchal social structure inside buraku communities and the gender discrimination they encountered inside the liberation movement itself.

The Realistic Worries and Reconstruction Path of Integrating Leisure Education into Curriculum from the Perspective of Dewey's Curriculum Theory

In today's rapidly developing economy, the transition from a working society to a leisure society has made the importance of leisure education increasingly prominent. However, due to the narrow educational concept, leisure education has not received the attention it deserves, making it difficult to realize its true educational value. As a life oriented educational activity, leisure education urgently needs to be integrated into school curriculum. From the perspective of Dewey's curriculum theory, this paper explores the direction of curriculum in contemporary leisure education, examines the reflection of real-life concerns such as "cognitive degradation", "temporal and spatial alienation", and "the disappearance of contemplation" in the era, and explores the reconstruction path of integrating leisure education into curriculum based on the theory of activity curriculum.