Learning Demands Research Articles

A Need Analysis on English for Civic Education from the Students’ Perspectives

This study aims at analyzing the needs of students of Civic Education study program towards English. It is conducted to provide a basis for ESP lecturers or practitioners in developing handout or teaching learning materials and activities which are suitable for the Civic Education study program students This is a descriptive study. the participants were 39 first-semester students of Civic Education study program. The tool of data collection was questionnaire consisting of 7 items asking about the students’ needs. The data were analyzed using percentages, and presented in charts. Most students (79.5%) said English is important, indicating they require it. They lack English knowledge (79.5%) and consider their English skills moderate (63.2%). Their English abilities, activities, exercises, and subject subjects focused on speaking (79.5%) and group work (74.4%), with citizenship and human rights (66.7%) being the most requested topic. This study investigates Civic Education students'' language learning demands and English’s impact on academic and career success. Most pupils regarded English’s global importance and academic and professional potential. The survey concluded that Civic Education students need linguistic support and courses because they are lack of knowledge of English terms. Different self-assessed English levels require different instructional techniques and language support to master.

The relationship between theory of mind and multiple-document comprehension in university students: preliminary research findings

The demands of learning in the twenty-first century require being skilled in the use and comprehension of multiple documents. Some individual factors such as the metacognitive skill of theory of mind (ToM) are related to this ability. This study investigated the relationship between university students’ ability to comprehend multiple documents, measured through an argumentative essay task, and their ToM. The participants were 84 undergraduates. We assessed their ToM (using the strange stories task) and their mental state talk (using a think-aloud protocol during the reading of multiple documents—MSTR—and through the content of their subsequent written essays—MSTW). The relation between students’ ToM and their MSTW was mediated through MSTR. In addition, students’ ToM was significantly associated with the quality of the essays, through MSTR, and the relation between MSTR and the argumentative quality was mediated through MSTW. MSTW was the only significant predictor of the quality of the essays. The involvement of ToM in multiple-document comprehension suggests, from an educational perspective, the possibility to support multiple-document comprehension by scaffolding mental state talk.

The Impact of Interactive Acting Learning as an Alternative to Digital Acting Teaching in Malaysian Art School: A Comprehensive Review

The surge in online learning has transformed education, impacting how acting is taught in Malaysian Art Schools. To ensure continual learning progress, diverse instructional strategies are employed, but the pandemic has disrupted traditional studio and in-the-field acting training. This study addresses the challenge of adapting fundamental acting education for lower secondary students at a Malaysian Art School in the context of remote learning. The conventional hands-on, in-person approach to teaching acting conflicts with the current demand for technology-infused learning, hindering cognitive growth. The absence of tailored Alternative Teaching Aids (ABM) for digital online learning further compounds the issue, emphasizing the need for a more engaging teaching method aligned with the school's curriculum. This project aims to evaluate the impact of interactive learning on the digital acting teaching approach within the existing syllabus. It seeks to provide teachers and basic theatre acting coaches with a comprehensive foundational acting module that embraces digital interactivity, catering to the needs of students at the Malaysian Art School and beyond. The study employs a hybrid teaching approach, merging traditional, recorded, and interactive mediums to develop a module based on established theatre textbook references. By integrating technology into the teaching process, the module addresses the limitations of the in-person model, fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment. The results of this study hold potential significance for both the educational and industry realms. By incorporating interactive elements, the developed module not only enriches acting education at the Malaysian Art School but also provides a framework for similar institutions globally. The indirect technological applications of this training module extend beyond school settings, impacting various related sectors and contributing to the advancement of interactive acting learning systems worldwide.

The implementation of a virtual field trip to aid geological interpretation within an undergraduate volcanology course

Geological skills such as interpreting outcrops are often taught during fieldwork. However, recent advancements in digital technologies and the demand for more inclusive and accessible learning has provided an opportunity to teach these skills in virtual field trips (VFT). The Iceland VFT was developed to teach students about volcanic features and processes in Iceland and help students develop geological skills within a third-year, classroom-based, physical volcanology course. To determine the effectiveness of the VFT at aiding the development of student interpretation skills, we calculated the learning gains from an applied sketching exercise administered pre- and post- VFT, where students were asked to sketch a photograph of a lava flow outcrop and interpret flow shape and features from a range of different perspectives. The largest learning gains were for lava flow interpretation in map-view (0.40) followed by lava flow interpretation in side-view (0.31). Student responses to a post-VFT evaluation exercise indicate that the instructional/360 videos and the 3D landscape and rock models allowed students to spatially explore volcanic features within the landscape which aided their ability to interpret what the lava flow outcrop within the applied sketching exercise might look like in multiple perspectives. We conclude that the VFT supported students’ geological interpretation of lava flows and recommend that virtual fieldtrips with interactive spatially challenging exercises can be used to improve students’ conceptual understanding of content delivered in lectures and laboratories as well as preparation or reinforcement of fieldwork.

The Survey on the Development of Language Training Industry from the Perspective of New Media

The study abroad education industry has witnessed significant transformations with the advent of new media technologies. Online platforms, interactive resources, and multimedia content have revolutionized language training methods and opened up new opportunities for students. Understanding the impact of new media on language training in the study abroad context is essential for language training institutions to adapt their strategies and meet students evolving needs. This paper aims to explore the role of new media in language training for study abroad and its impact on the study abroad education industry. The research is conducted through a questionnaire analysis, which gathers data on students current level of study, demand for English language learning, willingness to spend on language training, perception of the epidemics impact on study abroad, preferences for language training institutions and courses, reasons for not choosing online training, preferences for online learning formats, future adoption of online language training, and more. The research findings provide insights into the challenges, preferences, and expectations of students in the study abroad language training industry in the new media era.

Application of ESCO to Document Lifelong Learning - Case Studies in German Continuing Education Institutions

The rapidly changing labor market and the promotion of labor mobility lead to a demand for lifelong learning as well as the need for transparency and comparability of competencies. The application of skill classifications to describe competencies on educational certificates provides a way to document lifelong learning in a standardized way. In this paper, case studies regarding the application of the ESCO classification in three continuing education institutions are described. The results show that ESCO is a useful tool to document learning outcomes of continuing education courses in a comparable and transparent way but the mapping of competencies requires a lot of effort and differs in quality. The presented analysis identifies steps for further development of ESCO and for the change process when it comes to the standardized documentation of skills and competencies.

Media Usage Patterns of African Higher Education Students: A Ghanaian Perspective

The study examined the media usage patterns of 598 university students in Ghana to understand their demands for digital teaching and learning, as well as their patterns of media use for learning, with the goal of informing the media selection process. Overall, the study found that the universities fell short of meeting students' expressed need for digital learning formats. The gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the expansion of digital teaching and learning formats in Ghanaian universities. Furthermore, the media usage patterns reveal significant leisure-seeking and recreational uses of media by students, emphasizing the pervasiveness and embeddedness of smartphones in academic contexts. The emphasis on entertainment usage and the prevalent use of media for hedonistic purposes may suggest a deficit in digital skills regarding the use of media for learning. The study found no significant differences in user profiles between traditional and non-traditional students. The implications for instructional design activities and strategies for a mobile-saturated context are discussed.

Application of deep learning technique in next generation sequence experiments

In recent years, the widespread utilization of biological data processing technology has been driven by its cost-effectiveness. Consequently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become an integral component of biological research. NGS technologies enable the sequencing of billions of nucleotides in the entire genome, transcriptome, or specific target regions. This sequencing generates vast data matrices. Consequently, there is a growing demand for deep learning (DL) approaches, which employ multilayer artificial neural networks and systems capable of extracting meaningful information from these extensive data structures. In this study, the aim was to obtain optimized parameters and assess the prediction performance of deep learning and machine learning (ML) algorithms for binary classification in real and simulated whole genome data using a cloud-based system. The ART-simulated data and paired-end NGS (whole genome) data of Ch22, which includes ethnicity information, were evaluated using XGBoost, LightGBM, and DL algorithms. When the learning rate was set to 0.01 and 0.001, and the epoch values were updated to 500, 1000, and 2000 in the deep learning model for the ART simulated dataset, the median accuracy values of the ART models were as follows: 0.6320, 0.6800, and 0.7340 for epoch 0.01; and 0.6920, 0.7220, and 0.8020 for epoch 0.001, respectively. In comparison, the median accuracy values of the XGBoost and LightGBM models were 0.6990 and 0.6250 respectively. When the same process is repeated for Chr 22, the results are as follows: the median accuracy values of the DL models were 0.5290, 0.5420 and 0.5820 for epoch 0.01; and 0.5510, 0.5830 and 0.6040 for epoch 0.001, respectively. Additionally, the median accuracy values of the XGBoost and LightGBM models were 0.5760 and 0.5250, respectively. While the best classification estimates were obtained at 2000 epochs and a learning rate (LR) value of 0.001 for both real and simulated data, the XGBoost algorithm showed higher performance when the epoch value was 500 and the LR was 0.01. When dealing with class imbalance, the DL algorithm yielded similar and high Recall and Precision values. Conclusively, this study serves as a timely resource for genomic scientists, providing guidance on why, when, and how to effectively utilize deep learning/machine learning methods for the analysis of human genomic data.

E-Learning Engagements of Pre-Service Education Students

This study aimed to ascertain the e-learning engagements of selected Pre-service Education students in online distance learning and determined whether the e-learning engagements vary based on the student’s profile variables. The study group of the survey comprised 275 first to third-year students of BSED-Sciences, BTVTED and BSED-Mathematics enrolled at Surigao State College of Technology (SSCT), City Campus. A researchers-made questionnaire was used, validated and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient with (α=0.85) for the entire scale (20 items). Distribution of web-based questionnaires through Google Forms followed. The data collected were treated using frequency, percentage count, mean, standard deviation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). A descriptive survey research design was also employed. Study results indicated that the behavioral, social, cognitive, and technological engagements of the students were generally positive. Particularly, social engagement rated very high with a mean score of 2.97 (SD=0.53) meanwhile, technological engagement rated a lowest mean value of 2.71 (SD=0.55) signifying that students’ e-learning engagement is lesser as unstable internet connection was found to be the main technological problem which caused students to get frequent absences during online classes. Additionally, mobile phone devices revealed to be the most useful ICT tool to assist students’ in managing the online learning system. Moreover, the e-learning engagements were found not to vary based on students’ sex and family income. However, students’ age, year level, program and specialization and gadgets used in modular and online classes made a significant difference which shows that the profile differences of Pre-service education students contribute a direct effect towards their online learning engagement. Implications from the results recommend a need to sustain social interaction between stakeholders, increased students’ online resources and community support by provision of learners’ online learning demands.

Privacy-Preserving Federal Learning Chain for Internet of Things

The expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) spawns large on-device machine learning demands, while the machine learning can be a hard task for resource constrained IoT terminals with fragmented dataset. Federal learning (FL), which aims to build a joint model across multiple devices, IoT-FL has now become a promising path for learning on terminals. In broad FL fields, current server-client pattern cannot jump out of the third party self-trustless problem, and recent researches suggest that even sharing training results may also reveal the raw data sets. Homomorphic encryption (HE) is a powerful method in privacy preserving, while so far it is hard to applied HE into multi-party computing (MPC) scenarios including FL. Combining with the existing IoT architecture, in this paper, we customize a scheme (FL chain) dedicated for the privacy and trustiness issues in IoT-FL scenarios, which integrates blockchain smart contract and HE. Differ from traditional schemes, our FL chain is highly adaptive with current IoT architecture and it is the first scheme that applied HE into IoT-FL privacy preserving. Theoretical analysis and experimental results prove the feasibility of FL chain.

Attention-based automatic editing of virtual lectures for reduced production labor and effective learning experience

Recently there has been a surge in demand for online video-based learning, and the importance of high-quality educational videos is ever-growing. However, a uniform format of videos that neglects individual differences and the labor-intensive process of editing are major setbacks in producing effective educational videos. This study aims to resolve the issues by proposing an automatic lecture video editing pipeline based on each individual’s attention pattern. In this pipeline, the eye-tracking data are obtained while each individual watches virtual lectures, which later go through multiple filters to define the viewer’s locus of attention and to select the appropriate shot at each time point to create personalized videos. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed method, video characteristics, subjective evaluations of the learning experience, and objective eye-movement features were compared between differently edited videos (attention-based, randomly edited, professionally edited). The results showed that our method dramatically reduced the editing time, with similar video characteristics to those of professionally edited versions. Attention-based versions were also evaluated to be significantly better than randomly edited ones, and as effective as professionally edited ones. Eye-tracking results indicated that attention-based videos have the potential to decrease the cognitive load of learners. These results suggest that attention-based automatic editing can be a viable or even a better alternative to the human expert-dependent approach, and individually-tailored videos have the potential to heighten the learning experience and effect.

ACADEMIC STRESS TENDENCIES IN ADOLESCENTS

Stress is part of the human experience. However, adolescents who are facing a period of development will face various pressures and problems that occur in their lives, especially problems and demands for their academics. Adolescents who find it difficult to face these demands will experience problems in psychological and physical problems, of course, this will affect lifestyles and behaviors that endanger their physical and psychological health. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze various literatures regarding the phenomenon of academic stress in adolescents. The method used in this study is a literature review, by obtaining 500 data taken from google scholar and crossref databases through the Publish or Perish application and then filtered according to the topics to be discussed. The results of this study indicate that adolescents are vulnerable to academic stress due to the difficulty of coping with the academic and learning demands.

A Systematic Review on Blended Learning Approach in Language Education

Technological developments have greatly influenced the current culture of life. The patterns of children growing, developing, playing, socializing and communicating have changed a lot in line with the times and the latest facilities. Now children and teenagers are closer to technology and even more comfortable learning and connecting using technology. As the main driver of national education, teachers have a major role to play in imparting knowledge in various methods and strategies that are deemed appropriate. Technology integration in the classroom has been a challenge for education systems to meet the demands of 21st century learning needs. A systematic literature review was conducted on blended learning approaches in education by analysis and synthesis. Multiple databases such as Springer Link, Taylor & Francis, Sage E-Journal and Wiley were used as search engines for related articles during the period 2017-2021. The results show that blended learning approach was mostly researched in higher education and initially focused on students. The majority of blended learning approach research is also coming from developing countries, leading to the need to make blended learning approach adoption easier in particular. Teachers, students, and institutions frequently face issues related to a lack of ICT infrastructure and specialization. The results of this study can be used to develop a plan towards blended learning approach adoption.

Teaching Reading Using Storyberries for Indonesian Young Learners

Teaching reading for young learners in this 21st-century learning demands teachers to be creative and consider the educational effect on students through technology-enhanced language learning. Therefore, the characteristics of students categorized as young learners should be considered, so the process of designing teaching scenarios, including the material and media, can be administered right on the target. At this point, teaching reading as one of the parts of literacies in the EFL context challenged teachers to simultaneously build students' reading motivation and ability in this digital era. This mixed-method study involved 31 young learners in one primary school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study had two research questions: 1) How is the student's reading activity during the implementation of Storyberries? And 2) How is the student's reading achievement after being taught using Storyberries? Storyberries, a treatment used in this study, was a free online audiobook that provides many short stories that can be adjusted to readers' age, the duration of reading need, and reading interest. The design used in this study was an Exploratory Sequential Design, where the qualitative method preceded the quantitative one. The instruments used in this study were classroom observation sheets and tests. The three concurrent flows as a triangulation technique were used to analyze the qualitative data, while normality and descriptive statistics using SPSS version 25 were administered to analyze the quantitative data. The study's findings revealed that teachers used good pedagogical aspects to integrate Storyberries into the reading classroom and successfully enhanced students' reading motivation and proficiency. This pedagogical impact is expected to be implemented to the broader scope of teaching reading for young learners' needs.
 Keywords: Teaching reading; storyberries; young learners

PENGEMBANGAN E-MODUL PEMBELAJARAN KOSMETIKA TRADISIONAL

The background of this research is a variety of traditional cosmetics that exist in Indonesia, as well as learning demands in accordance with technological developments. This research aims to develop learning media that is practical to use and can be accessed anywhere and at any time in the form of e-modules. E-module developed with Articulate Storyline application. The method used in this research is the research and development with the ADDIE model. In the development of ADDIE, there are five stages namely: (1) Analysis; (2) Design; (3) Development; (4) Implementation, and (5) Evaluation. At the evaluation stage, the researcher used a questionnaire instrument distributed to material experts, media experts, and students at the cosmetic and beauty therapy University of Jakarta. The research results show that the material expert assessment is 82%, and the media expert assessment is 80%. This research also conducted small group trials obtained 94%, and field tests obtained results of 91%. Based on the research that has been done, it is concluded that the Traditional Cosmetics E-module is suitable and practical to use as an alternative learning media.

Connecting Arduino and Processing for an RGB LED exploration: a new approach for technology-enhanced learning

The phenomenon of adding colours is a relevant topic and integrates school programmes in different countries. In most cases, it is presented by teachers through static images, drawn on the board or schematised in school textbooks. This approach stems, in many cases, from the lack of adequate resources that allow a discussion without inducing misunderstandings, which unfortunately does not meet the necessary demands for learning. From the perspective of a necessary methodological change, a path is presented: the use of active methodologies enrolling students in their learning process based on the joint discussion of science and technology. Based on these principles, we present in this work a proposal for an experimental setup that can be used in classes where the discussion of adding colours occurs, allowing students to carry out a real-time comparison between the colour perceived in an RGB light-emitting diode display, and the colour produced in a computer screen. In addition to the phenomenological aspects, the setup will allow students to perceive the differences in shades and, consequently, how technology in the perception of colour.

Technological Approaches in Mathematics and Science Education: Microlearning

Microlearning is regarded as a novel approach to meeting many learning demands, including individual learning, lifelong learning, and work-based learning. A learning strategy called microlearning focuses on giving students enormous amounts of (macro) material in manageable chunks over a little period of time. These little segments, also known as micro-content, help students retain the knowledge quickly without subjecting them to voluminous material. It is believed that breaking up the knowledge into manageable chunks helps learners better adapt to the information-processing process and acquire new material. With all of this in mind, it may appear that activities that allow students to actively engage in math and scientific studies, make connections to the real world, work in groups, support both their internal and external goals, and get lucid and insightful feedback are crucial. This study aims to investigate the design and implementation of microlearning, one of the technological approaches to math and science instruction, in informal, formal, and non-formal settings. It also explores the characteristics of micro content and how it relates to mobile learning using examples.

A review of few-shot image recognition using semantic information

In recent years, the utilization of deep learning techniques has been employed in the field of image recognition with the aim of improving performance. However, deep learning demands a substantial amount of labeled data for model training, a process that is both expensive and time-consuming. In order to tackle this particular difficulty, the approach of few-shot learning (FSL) has emerged as a viable alternative. FSL, or Few-Shot Learning, is a computational approach that aims to replicate the cognitive processes observed in humans. By using a small set of examples and experiences, FSL enables the acquisition of new concepts. Research in the field of FSL has investigated many approaches to extracting the highest amount of information from limited data or making use of affordable and easily accessible sources of information. Researchers have been incorporating outside data into FSL techniques more frequently. This paper conducts an in-depth exploration of leveraging semantic information to enhance few-shot learning. By reviewing papers from the last five years in WOS, IEEE, and Science Direct (some papers in arXiv are also used), this study delves into the strategies employed to bridge the gap between visual and semantic information. The review extends to encompass zero-shot learning, which is considered a subcategory of FSL, enriching the analysis. Moreover, this paper identifies the potential of employing semantic information to enhance fine-grained few-shot (FGFS) learning. Techniques such as direct projection and the application of generative adversarial networks (GANs) emerge as promising avenues to accomplish this enhancement.

Using Mobile Technology in Student Learning and Advanced Thinking Skills

To meet their learning demands in a university context, students' regular usage of digital technology has raised the need for personalization and diversity. Mobile devices are expanding into the mainstream and giving students more opportunities. Students are at ease utilizing digital technology and rapidly and easily pick up new technology. Students are engaged in their education outside of the typical classroom setting when mobile technology is used. Higher education institutions have recently supported students' usage of mobile technology to foster learning and growth. The educational options offered by mobile technology can help students succeed in higher education. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between college students’ academic use of mobile technology and their superior thinking skills through their active participation and learning efforts. The sample consisted of 656 students from a university in West Java, and the data were analyzed using a structured least squares equation model. The results show that the use of mobile technology in learning directly affects students’ thinking skills, in addition to their learning effort and active participation in the classroom. These findings provide valuable information for higher education institutions seeking to introduce interactive and technology-integrated environments.

The Transition of Higher Education for Continuous Lifelong Learning: Expert Views on the Need for a new Infrastructure

In the contemporary need for continuous upskilling and reskilling, higher education has an important role to play. While the traditional university programmes are designed for students in their early twenties our knowledge society has a demand for lifelong learning in a wider age span. This paper is a part of a Delphi study on the ongoing transformation of higher education for lifelong learning. A qualitative Delphi study has been carried out in the four steps of 1) A literature study to explore the chosen topic, with the selected publications sent out to an expert panel, 2) A survey with questions to the experts based on the findings in the literature study, 3) Email interviews to dig deeper into the answers from the survey, and finally 4) Focus group interviews. The aim of the paper is to analyse, present and discuss the international expert panels' views on the infrastructural needs in the transformation of higher education. Data gathered from the three first steps, with a focus on the email interviews, have been analysed according to the Grounded Theory concepts of open, axial coding and confirmatory coding. The categories from the Open coding analysis were later, in the axial coding, grouped around the central axis of 'Higher education transformation for lifelong learning'. The confirmatory coding found the common denominator of 'Infrastructure', and its interrelationships with the attributes of 'Multimodal delivery', 'Pedagogical change', 'Quality and organisation', 'Equity, diversity and inclusion', 'Digital literacy', 'Accessibility', and 'Financial aspects'. Findings align to the Anna Karenina principle in the sense that a happy and healthy infrastructure for continuous lifelong learning in higher education, depends on all the attributes listed above. This leads to the Tolstoyan conclusion that every variation of failing attributes would result in its own state of unhappiness.