Educational Innovation Project Research Articles

An innovative approach to NAS: Eat, Sleep, Console

Maternal substance abuse during pregnancy has dramatically increased in prevalence in the United States. Consequently, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is now a leading cause of developmental and medical problems in newborns (Thigpen and Melton, 2014). Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) is an innovative approach to the treatment of NAS, which hospitals are implementing to improve outcomes for women and infants with perinatal opioid exposure (Whalen et al., 2018). This educational innovation project incorporates current, evidence-based practice (EBP) guidelines into the associate degree nursing (ADN) program curriculum at a community college to better prepare nurses to provide safe, therapeutic nursing care to infants and their families.

Walking the talk: autoethnographic reflections on co-creating regenerative education within international development studies

In this article, I reflect on what it means to walk the talk of regenerative forms of education that foster more vitality within the communities, institutions and societies we live in. I discuss my experiences as a lecturer and initiator of a regeneratively designed co-created education innovation project that I worked on with research master’s students of international development studies. The project was initiated in 2016 to serve the needs of an international community of learners at the University of Amsterdam. It is designed based on regenerative design principles and serves as a space for students to explore, critique and increase ownership over their educational journeys. Drawing on regenerative, transgressive, social justice, contemplative, relational, creative, ­decolonising and anti-oppression pedagogies, the project Critical Development and Diversity Explorations (CDDE) aims to co-create a non-hierarchical and more engaged, embodied learning space to develop students’ – and my own – critical reflective potential as agents of change. Applying an auto-ethnographic methodology, and drawing on a hybrid-epistemological approach, I aim to illustrate my insights on the cause, purpose and aspirations of the CDDE project and invite you as the reader to bring such reflections alive in your own thinking in a real-life context of your own.

Transdisciplinary engaged learning

This study highlights an innovative educational project entitled ‘Dynamic Teaching through Communication Skills’ as well as forming part of joint initiative for Erasmus + Communities and Students Together (CaST) 2019-1-UK01-KA203-061463. The pilot study shows that there are many ways to approach teaching across the disciplines with Engaged Learning. The proposal includes discussions on the practical methodologyof integrated content and language in higher education. While bringing real worldproblem solving into the Health Engineering degree, the chapter underscores aspects of persuasion and pitch development within the paradigm of English as a LinguaFranca.

MicroMundo: experimental project fostering contribution to knowledge on antimicrobial resistance in secondary school.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a serious global health threat. Education could play a decisive role, so the scope of innovative educational projects, such as MicroMundo, should be analysed. MicroMundo is a service-learning project for the exploration of microbial biodiversity in soils in search of new antibiotics. In order to evaluate the contribution of MicroMundo to the improvement of knowledge about AMR as well as the optimal age of the participants, an open questionnaire before and after the educational intervention (for secondary school students) and a satisfaction survey (for all participants) were carried out. Program instruction began in university and continued through secondary school; 14 teachers (phase 1) and 137 students from three educational levels (phase 2) participated. MicroMundo was successfully implemented, showing a statistically significant improvement in knowledge about antibiotics, resistance, health and environmental consequences, and possible measures to reverse the problem, at all educational levels. Furthermore, the satisfaction surveys revealed a growing interest in research and science. Therefore, students of general branches, who have not yet opted for a scientific line, would be the most suitable to conduct the program. In conclusion, MicroMundo is recommended as a training method to raise awareness about AMR and promote scientific vocations.

‘Non è mai troppo tardi’. An Italian TV programme in the service of public education (1958–1967): an accounting [in] history perspective

ABSTRACT ‘Telescuola’ (translated readily as ‘Teleschool’) was an innovative educational television project realised by the Italian radio and television broadcasting service – RAI (1958–1967) that aimed at improving the conditions of the population through TV lessons, specifically by contributing to the literacy of adults. Using financial statements from RAI, data from the Ministry of Public Education and Labour – considered from an ‘accounting [in] history’ perspective – as well as different evidence (annual reports, governmental documents, sociological data), literature and historiography on the subject, the study investigates the influence of the initiative as a path to people’s emancipation built on an instrument (the television) typically associated with power. The theoretical framework relates to the power/empowerment effects of mass media and is founded on a critical discussion of the notion of Synopticon (that is a concomitant conception to that of the Panopticon). The study therefore contributes to the debate about the effects of mass media and fosters deeper understanding by contextualising accounting recordings within these social and historical frameworks.

Российский музей детства: к вопросу о разработке научной концепции

Background. Despite a number of large-scale projects focused on the study of childhood, there is an urgent need to preserve modern and historical examples of children culture. Psychological and pedagogical ideas on the age speciZcs ofchild development, elaborated within the framework of cultural-historical approach, serve as a solid foundation for the Russian Museum of Childhood. Objective. [e aim of the article is to present an outline of possible activities and scientiZc approaches to the development of the Russian Museum of Childhood. Methods. [e available data on the activities of Childhood Museums in Russia and abroad are profoundly analysed. Results. [e study of the experience in creating museums devoted to the culture of childhood has shown that children’s toys constitute the dominant feature of collections. At the same time, practically no museums represent various aspects of the social situation of a child’s development nor re\ect they the peculiarities of child’s daily and cultural life. [e idea of preservation and exhibition of cultural samples of children’s life forms the basis for investigating possible directions of scientiZc and practical work of the Russian Museum of Childhood. It is suggested to assemble thematic museum collections re\ecting the socio-cultural components of children at di]erent ages in di]erent historical periods. [e museum’s target audience includes children, parents, and teachers. In addition to exhibition and excursion activities, the museum is supposed to serve as a place of children’s leisure and creativity, a space of communication and education for parents and teachers. ScientiZc life of the Russian Museum of Childhood will be based on deep research into the history of toys and play traditions as well as the history of childhood in an interdisciplinary context. Both, the contemporary culture of childhood, and the historical aspect of psychological and pedagogical research on childhood will be analysed. Conclusion. Creation of such a cultural space will contribute to the preservation and maintenance of intergenerational relationships and continuity in the family. It will also promote educational culture of parents and professional development of teachers. Conducting scientiZc research in the Russian Museum of Childhood will make it possible to develop science-intensive and culture-intensive innovative psychological and educational projects.

Don’t teach: exploring the irreducibilities of film education through Japan’s Children Meet Cinema project in conversation with Etsuko Dohi

This article presents a case study of the innovative Japanese film education project Children Meet Cinema, through aspects of an interview with its founder Etsuko Dohi, placed within a wider discussion of the project’s pedagogical approaches. In particular, the article details the innovative manner in which Children Meet Cinema has invited some of Japan’s leading film-makers – among them, Nobuhiro Suwa, Hirokazu Koreeda and Naomi Kawase – to engage with children making films for the first time.

CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN ENSURING THE SECURITY OF BORDER TERRITORIES

Within the framework of cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, problems affecting the security of their border territories are being considered. Relations between the two countries in the field of cross-border cooperation are an important part of interstate policy. The land border between our countries is the longest in the world. This makes it possible for effective cooperation in such areas as industry, trade, military-technical sphere and other areas. The specifics of Kazakh-Russian cross-border cooperation, existing priorities and areas of activity are among the urgent problems that are of great scientific and practical interest. Both states have the necessary political will, which allows them to fully develop promising areas of cooperation: industrial cooperation, joint use of natural resources, development and implementation of innovative and scientific and educational projects, as well as ensuring the security of border territories. The main purpose of the study is to identify ways to improve Russian-Kazakh cross-border cooperation based on the analysis of its state, development trends and key problems that negatively affect the interaction of neighboring regions. The main research methods used are general scientific methods, such as logical analysis, synthesis, ascent from the abstract to the concrete, historical, comparative methods and the method of descriptive-inductive analysis of formal legal institutions. The article examines the history of cross-border cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia. The analysis of those problems at the border that are a threat to the security of territories and the population is given, and the activities of the border service of Kazakhstan are also considered. Keywords: cross-border cooperation, neighboring countries, border, security, border territories, population, development, border service, drug trafficking, smuggling.

Leo&Giulia: a cartoon series to promote health and prevention in primary school-aged children

Abstract Background Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic control measures actively involved people who were called to adopt new and unusual lifestyles. In this context, children had to stay home from school for weeks, had to adapt to new teaching methods and give up socializing. In many countries, not much attention was paid to the educational sector, and, ultimately, to children's physical and psychological well-being. Objectives In this context, we developed an innovative health education audio-visual model to teach children about public health, empower them to adopt preventive behaviours and limit the risk of infection transmission in schools and in the community. Results We designed and produced the animated cartoon series “Leo&Giulia” to convey solid scientific content and key public health messages related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to primary school-aged children. Contents and dialogues were validated by a scientific committee composed of experts in the fields of public health, paediatrics, infectious diseases, and neuroscience, as well as communication experts. The first episode of Leo&Giulia focused on COVID-19 and explained to children what SARS-CoV2 was, its transmission and why schools were closed. Endorsed by the European Commission, it was broadcasted by national public and private television channels and went viral on social media. The second episode of Leo&Giulia, funded by the Italian Ministry of Research, was launched in April 2022 and focused on vaccines and immunization explaining to children how vaccines work and why herd immunity is important for collective health. Conclusions Leo&Giulia is an innovative health education project to help children to better understand how to cope with COVID-19 as a public health challenge. More broadly, the series aims to increase youth engagement by promoting public health values and healthy behaviours. Key messages • Health promotion targeting children is important and contributes to societal health and wellbeing. • Cartoon series are an innovative digital health education tool that effectively increase youth engagement on public health values.

Students’ perceptions of authenticity in an upper secondary technology education innovation project

ABSTRACT Background Authenticity in schools has been highlighted as important for improving students’ engagement and learning, and to prepare them for future job markets, especially in science and technology. Purpose This study investigates students’ perceived authenticity of a developed innovation project when implemented in an upper secondary technology education program. Sample Three cohorts of students (n = 199) attended a first-year technology course at a Swedish upper secondary school in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively. In addition, eleven students from the 2016 cohort were interviewed two years later to obtain their views on how the innovation project in the first-year course influenced their performance in a subsequent advanced technology course taken in 2017–2018. Design and Methods Groups of students participated in the first phase of an innovation project in the first-year course, a five-week module, cooperatively designing solutions to real-world problems. A Likert scale questionnaire measured the degree of perceived authenticity in line with Herrington, Reeves and Oliver’s (2010) key elements. Focus group interviews were conducted after the second phase – a 20-week follow-up module in the subsequent advanced course – about how authentic they perceived the first and second phases to be. Results A questionnaire measured the degree of perceived authenticity of the students for the first phase, for each of the three years. Coaching and scaffolding received the highest ratings across all three years, whereas Reflection was perceived as having the lowest authenticity. In a qualitative component of the study students found both phases positive, and five new themes of students’ perception of their experiences were revealed. Conclusions The similarities in perceived authenticity between the three cohorts suggest consistency in students’ perceptions of authenticity. However, they did not feel that the project gave them the opportunity to reflect on their learning. According to interviews conducted two years later, they perceived their experiences of the innovation project as having induced creativity, commitment, ownership, motivation, and real-world connection, although at times it was also a challenge to think for themselves and to collaborate with others.

Gender Inequalities in University Teaching Practice: An Innovative Project at the University of the Basque Country

Feminist research on gender inequalities in academia has demonstrated the need for policies in universities and scientific institutions to be oriented towards institutional and cultural change in order to promote gender equality. It has also highlighted the role of women ’s representative groups and the strategies and lines of action that organizations for equality develop through equality plans. This article describes the training experience carried out with teaching staff of the UPV/EHU, as a result of the Educational Innovation project aimed at incorporating the gender perspective in university teaching. This action is included in the Training axis of the III Equality Plan of our university. The participating professors have expressed the great value and their willingness to implement the gender perspective in all those activities that are included in the teaching practice in a reflexive way to achieve more democratic educational spaces in higher education.

Sociological Research of a New Model of Professional Development of Library and Information Specialists in the Samara Region

The article is devoted to the results of a sociological study conducted within the framework of the innovative educational project “Federal Innovation Platform “Academy of Library and Information Skills” of the Samara State Institute of Culture. This innovative educational project is aimed at creating a new model of the professional development system and developing the creative potential of library and information specialists in the Samara region.The article highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the organization of professional development of library and information specialists in the region, outlines the prospects for the development of this activity, allowing the design of a new additional educational program “Modern library in the digital space”.The problem of improving the system of advanced training of library and information specialists of municipal libraries in the context of the formation of new professional competencies in the digital environment and the influx of specialists with non-core education to library institutions needs to be solved.

Networking as a new type of partnership in education and science

The transition from an industrial to a post-industrial society is determined, first of all, by building an open society, which puts the ideas of rationalism, freedom of innovation, and the promotion of ideas at the forefront. An open society gives rise to open structures, including in higher education. Universities, as platforms for collective creativity, learning, innovation, are opening to meet social needs, work to transform the economy in particular and society as a whole. These are no longer just universities with an established network of connections and strong international relations; they are already hubs that implement networking, which allows different participants to create new educational and scientific products through cooperation, exchange of resources and experience. This article analyzes the world experience in building educational hubs, highlights the main elements of their architecture. Based on the experience of the D.Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, the assumption proved that the transformation of a university into a hub is a natural step for organizations that have public recognition, strong science, and innovative educational projects. The methodology for creating a network format for the life of the university is described in detail, the process of developing common universal approaches to the implementation of the network interaction of the university in the educational and scientific fields is characterized, and the concept and model of the hub chosen by the university is substantiated. The format of network interaction of EKTU allows successfully implementing projects in the educational, research, and production areas.

DIABESCAPE: An innovative educational project on diabetes

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a gamification-based educational intervention to improve knowledge about diabetes, targeting GCSE-level vocational training students who will work in the field of social/health care. Materials and methodsThis was a quasi-experimental study aimed at further education students in Auxiliary Nursing Care and Care of People in a Situation of Dependency at the educational centres in the Autonomous Region of Navarra. After assessing the students’ prior knowledge, a random draw was carried out to determine which classes would form part of the control group and which the intervention group. In the traditional programme, a one-and-a-half-hour session was held and in the innovation programme, they had an Escape Room with a brief explanation lasting a total of two hours. In both educational programmes, they completed a pre-test and then a post-test one week after the interventions to assess the degree of knowledge acquisition, in addition to a satisfaction questionnaire. The project ran from October 2019 to February 2020. Results302 students took part (162 from the intervention group and 140 from the control group) with a mean age of 18.4 years; 87.4% were female; and 52.7% were studying in vocational training in Care for People in a Situation of Dependency. The post-test knowledge score was 32.70 (SD 10.637) in the control group and 38.07 (SD 11.421) in the intervention group (p = 0.000). Meanwhile the level of satisfaction was 8.19 (SD 1.594) in the control group and 8.60 (SD 1.163) in the intervention group (p = 0.020). ConclusionsGamified education enhances knowledge acquisition with respect to the traditional methodology and improves student satisfaction. Further studies are needed to verify the effectiveness of these innovative educational methods in the medium and long term.

The potential of digital technologies in problem-based forensic learning activities

Forensic practice is the concluding practical course of the forensic science bachelor program at the School of Criminal Justice of the University of Lausanne. Learning activities are constructed around five main objectives for the resolution of simulated forensic case problems: 1) select relevant traces and items to be collected at the scene and perceive their potential value in the reconstruction process, 2) apply appropriate detection techniques in sequence to obtain clues of good quality, 3) process traces using Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation and Verification (ACE-V) methodology, 4) produce and summarise information in oral and written forms to help an investigation, and 5) work collaboratively to benefit from the diversity of group members. Simulating and supervising realistic activities is a complex task that became more and more challenging with a continuously increasing number of students over the years (from ca. 30 in 2016 to more than 60 in 2021). Thus, an educational innovation project was launched and aimed at implementing digital technologies to support the teaching staff. A computer-based crime scene simulation tool (allowing students to visualize 360° crime scenes and relevant items) and a communication tool (to simplify and centralise the communication between the students and the teaching staff) were implemented. This article describes the implementation, added value and limitations of these digital technologies in problem-based learning activities. Prior to 2020, the practical course forensic practice was delivered entirely on-site without specific technologies, and entirely on-line in 2020 (due to the sanitary restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic). Finally, in 2021, on-line and on-site activities were implemented with success, combining the best of both approaches in a blended teaching mode. An overall increase in the satisfaction of students and teaching staff was observed with the implementation of these tools. Limiting presence on-site allowed students to take a step back from the activities and collected items. This promoted critical thinking, and together with an increase in structured (on-line and on-site) interactions allowed for a positive, continuous learning experience. While the evaluations of these novel technologies were very positive, students still expressed their willingness to perform certain tasks on-site and a preference for face-to-face interactions.

Application of Competitive Activities to Improve Students’ Participation

Making students to become intrinsically motivated to participate in daily class activities is an open challenge that has been addressed in different ways. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of an educational innovation project, named TrivialCV, in terms of student motivation, engagement and learning outcomes. We analyze the impact of two types of activities: multiplayer team-based competitions created for delivery during a live class session and single-player competitions created to be played asynchronously from home. We deployed these activities in two different computer engineering courses (programming fundamentals and operating systems) and used questionnaires, grades and activity tracking in the virtual campus to evaluate their impact. After the analysis, we can assert that the use of TrivialCV activities was useful for providing additional motivation to the students and improving their engagement with the courses in which they were deployed. TrivialCV activities were very well received by the students, who considered them fun, engaging and useful.

Development of organizational and economic instruments for risk management of innovative educational projects

Development of organizational and economic instruments for risk management of innovative educational projects

Development of an innovative educational project in the field of additional professional education

Development of an innovative educational project in the field of additional professional education

Characterization of the Educational Innovation Process: Teaching Concerns and Results in the Teaching and Learning Process in a Chilean University Over 5 Years

This study arises from the need to identify the concerns of teachers for their pedagogical practice, characterizing this process. 91 articles of educational innovation projects were analyzed, between 2014 and 2018, in which 371 teachers and 9,509 students participated. A matrix was developed with identification data and variables based on the concerns focused on students and teachers, their results and the type of innovation used. The variables were associated using descriptive and bivariate statistics (chi￾square and fisher’s exact test) using Stata 14.1 software. Among the main results, the concerns towards the students stand out, most frequently of the variable “application of the theory”. On the other hand, the main concerns focused on teachers were “curricular planning” and the “use of methodologies”. “Peer-to-peer learning with the use of keyboards” and “Flipped Classroom_Learning” were the most frequently implemented innovations, showing interest in active methodologies. The results obtained allow us to reflect on innovation in higher education and decide on empirical data from the experience of teachers.

Educational Innovation Project for the Creation of Didactic Materials for Students With Special Educational Needs: An ApS Experience in Higher Education

The Service-Learning methodology has an important role in the training of future teachers by connecting formal learning with the reality of an educational center. Based on this methodology, the project was proposed as an interdisciplinary didactic proposal, within the university environment, between the subjects of Psychomotricity, and Early Care and Educational Innovation, aimed at improving the quality of initial training. To this end, we have worked with the Early Childhood Education centers of the Montemadrid Foundation, aiming that university students contribute to the training of students with special educational needs attending these centers, through the creation of adapted didactic materials. This innovation project has achieved its objective of developing the basic student skills, helping to consider in school practice the principles of inclusion and normalization in a real environment; this has strengthened the university-school relationship, as well as contributed to a greater awareness of future teachers towards inclusion, as a central principle of any educational proposal.