Master Course Research Articles

Ingenious Game: Insights Into Evolving From a Learning Card Game to a Learning Software Application Game

Ingenious is a collaborative and competitive learning game application in which groups of students compete against each other in a product design and development (PDD) scenario where each group is responsible for a multidisciplinary team of engineers. The game has been used since 2020 to support a mechanical engineering master course. In this period, the game evolved from a card game to a software application. During the four game rounds representing the PDD phases, the players learn when to use over 80 different engineering design techniques. By choosing varying engineers and techniques, a student group creates a design strategy with a cost to execute and might be proven more effective than the competitors’ strategies. Winning the game is about effectiveness in solving the challenges posed in the PDD scenario at a minimum cost. Once the game allows scenario customisation, new PDD scenarios can be created with different complexity levels. In the gamified classroom, grading is not a result of winning the game but a reflection of the group’s choices and consequences while playing the game. This article presents the different game versions, describes the Ingenious game mechanics and dynamics and reflects on the game evolution and coverage of the Octalysis dimensions.

Educational Innovation through Information and Communication Technologies: the Case of People Analytics Course

Recently, education and teaching have been significantly impacted by information and communication technologies. New cohorts of students, COVID-19 pandemic and pressure in the labour market on the labour force to master the technology-related skills and competence serve as main drivers for universities to redesign the way of teaching. A radical transformation of education caused by technologies is related to several aspects, such as online teaching or using other technologies in both physical and online learning environments with the focus on student-centred learning. The existing literature suggests that educational innovation through technologies allows for the adoption of collaborative, inclusive and student-driven pedagogy. The paper aims at revealing educational innovation through information and communication technologies in one of the courses for master’s students, namely People Analytics. While disclosing the particular case of one course, the paper seeks to provide the argumentation (advantages and disadvantages) for choosing specific tools and how these tools are embedded. The use of tools such as Zoom, digital escape rooms, Mentimeter, and Padlet, is presented. The paper concludes that technologies may offer many wide-ranging benefits in education; however, the further study is needed for revealing the students’ acceptance of technologies and the impact of technologies on learning outcomes.

Concept and Impact of an Integrated Approach to Entrepreneurship in Higher Education

Studies show that the intention of students at Swiss universities to become an entrepreneur has been showing a positive trend since 2013 resulting in a 18,8 percent rate in 2021. The first part of this paper documents the analysis of how the business faculties of the nine Universities of Applied Sciences belonging to the Swiss universities Association take up the topic of entrepreneurship in their Bachelor- and Master-degree programs. This part is based on an analysis of publicly accessible module descriptions of the business administration curricula. The results show that three patterns can be recognized. Firstly, a group of universities that explicitly take up entrepreneurship as a focus subject in their curricula. Secondly, a group that deals with the topic in conjunction with the topic of "innovation". And thirdly, a group of universities that do not address the topic at all in their curricula. The second part presents the case study of the "Entrepreneurship Pyramid" which is an Integrated Concept implemented at the School of Business of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) which belongs to the first group of universities mentioned above. The concept divides the entrepreneurship education into four levels. At the lowest level, there are compulsory courses for all students in the bachelor's degree programs. The next two levels are optional specializations in bachelor's and master's courses, the latter of which can already lead to founding a company. On the fourth level, there are other, mostly post-graduate offers. For this purpose, the School of Business of FHNW has built up a network within a regional ecosystem, which supports graduates in their entrepreneurial activities even after completing their studies. Start-up competitions, financing and coaching are offered in cooperation with state institutions, associations, and private companies. This part includes the results of a study which analysed how large the number of startups founded by graduates from the School of Business of FHNW is.

University Master Course in Substance Use Disorders

ZusammenfassungDer Universitätslehrgang Substanzgebrauchsstörungen (SGS) widmet sich einem zunehmenden gesellschaftlich und klinisch relevanten Phänomen und möchte den teilnehmenden Studierenden einen rationalen und evidenzbasierten Zugang zu Substanzgebrauch und Menschen mit SGS vermitteln. Es sollen psychiatrische, pharmakologische, neurowissenschaftliche und soziale Grundlagen zu SGS erlernt werden. Weiters sollen evidenzbasierte Kenntnisse über genuine und vermeidbare medizinische Risiken von Gebrauch und Entzug einzelner Substanzen, rechtliche Grundlagen im Umgang mit Suchtmitteln oder psychotropen Substanzen sowie Intoxikationen und Folgeschäden durch Substanzen erarbeitet werden. Ein praxisbezogener Teil sowie die Anwendung von wissenschaftlichen Methoden zur Erarbeitung einer möglichst praxisbezogenen Masterarbeit werden die berufsbegleitende Ausbildung abrunden.

An introduction to modelling through a microbial interaction application

This paper describes a teaching experiment in a Numerical Methods course for Master of Science students. The experiment uses scientific papers to develop modelling studies in the context of wine fermentation microbial interactions. The course involves theoretical and laboratory classes that focus on implementing numerical methods using Matlab for Initial Value Problems and Boundary Value Problems. The students are asked to formalise the mathematical model and build their own experiments using the information provided in the papers. Additionally, a parameter estimation experiment is organised, which involves generating synthetic data and computing noisy data to estimate the natural death rate of sensitive yeast. The results show that data noise significantly affects the parameter estimate and that scaling the data can help reduce the impact of measurement errors. The presented results can be used to investigate other possible assignments, such as how the evaluation of the Jacobian affects the estimation performance and compare different optimisation algorithms.

Exploring the Potential of a Serious Game Framework in Developing Systems-Thinking Skills.

Effective decision-making within veterinary practice demands a comprehensive understanding of interconnected animal, public, and environmental health systems. To foster systems thinking, participatory modeling and serious games are gaining prominence. Serious games combine play, instruction, and problem-based learning to facilitate skill acquisition. This study investigates the potential of a multiplayer serious game framework as a participatory method to cultivate systems thinking skills in a Master of Veterinary Medicine program. The research focuses on the Territory Game, designed to encourage engagement and creativity, assessing its role in fostering systems thinking among veterinary students. Integrated into a master's course, the game immerses students in complex decision-making scenarios, aiding their navigation of real-world intricacies. Qualitative analysis of discussions and responses provides insights. Results indicate that serious game-based learning within a participatory structure enhances participants' grasp of decision-making complexities. The game's simulated environment promotes a broader perspective and consideration of diverse factors in choices. Additionally, the game framework exhibits potential to enhance group participation, autonomy, time management, and inclusivity for reserved individuals. However, the study acknowledges that teaching methods like participatory modeling might not universally fit all contexts and could require instructor support. The framework's effectiveness is influenced by educational constraints, engagement levels, learning styles, and expertise. Nonetheless, the Territory Game framework shows promise in deepening understanding of complex veterinary decisions and fostering critical systems thinking skills essential for effective decision-making. Future research should explore its adaptability, scalability, and long-term impact across diverse educational settings.

Molding the Fear: Representations of Fatherhood in Clay by Violent Men

This article presents an artistic inquiry among three students during an art-based research course in the art therapy master’s program at Ono Academy, Israel. Their collaboration focused on composing inquiry modes that could explore paternal representations of violent men that arise in artmaking with clay. Three fathers who took part in an abuse-prevention art therapy group, their group facilitator as a witness, and the three student-researchers participated in the project. The paper focuses on the research method that comprised artmaking with clay, a questionnaire, observations, and discussions. Two main themes arose within the study: coexisting contrasts and false perfection as well as a gained sense of success and assurance that could project onto their perceptions of parenting. The project highlights the significance of artmaking with clay as a research tool and as a potential prophylactic treatment for preventing domestic violence.

Integration of chemical engineering skills in the curriculum of a master course in industrial engineering

Promoting new teaching methodologies is essential to improve the participation, motivation, interest, and results of students in all educational stages. In this sense, flipped classroom and problem-based learning have emerged in the last years as fascinating options to be implemented in high education levels thanks to the students’ maturity and previously acquired background. Working with motivating case studies based on real processes with their restrictions appears as an opportunity to bring future professionals closer to the industrial problems; this will capacitate engineers to solve and understand complex procedures getting tangible results. In this context, the main goal of this work is to combine flipped classroom and problem-based learning methodologies to gain the interest of students of a Master course in Industrial Engineering in the subject of Chemical Processes using real data of local companies. A survey, designed by the academics involved, will help collecting the opinion of students as well as the acquired skills in the frame of the specific subject. Results demonstrated the satisfaction of the students with the course, highlighting mainly the acquisition or improvement of self-learning skills (survey 4.0/5.0), capacity for organization and planning (survey 4.0/5.0), analytical ability (survey 4.2/5.0), and teamwork (survey 4.3/5.0). In addition, the grades accomplished during the year of implementation show that although the success rate is quite similar to preceding years, the marks achieved are considerably higher.

Weaknesses of ICT integration in the initial teacher education curriculum

The article presents a Portuguese national study on integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) in initial teacher education courses (ITE), which sought to highlight to what extent ICT are presently considered in the training curriculum of future teachers. The study was developed on a documental corpus of 819-course syllabus sheets of 45 master's courses, which were analysed through a methodology supported by content analysis procedures. The results achieved were also put under analysis, considering the European Framework for Educators' Digital Competence (DigCompEdu), and a shy presence of technologies was identified in the analysed curricula. Regarding DigCompEdu, which functions as a common framework to be followed in the European Union, the results show that this is configured as another factor to be remedied in the context of integrating ICT in ITE in Portugal. Among the contributions that this study promotes is the finding of the reduced presence of ICT identified in the context under study, a reality familiar to several countries, which implies in curricular terms, initial teacher training is still ineffective in preparing teachers to meet the needs of today's digital society.

Incorporating Collaborative and Active Learning Strategies in the Design and Deployment of a Master Course on Computer-Assisted Scientific Translation

This research aims to address the current gaps in computer-assisted translation (CAT) courses offered in bachelor’s and master’s programmes in scientific and technical translation (STT). A multi-framework course design methodology is proposed to support CAT teachers from the computer engineering field, improve student engagement, and promote computer-supported education, together with a balanced coverage of the most relevant topics in the CAT domain. STT is currently in high demand in many fields, requiring translators with sector-specific language skills and considerable computer literacy in order to manage translation projects with complex structures, and format heterogeneity. However, many STT curricula often lag behind current market demands, focusing primarily on language and translation theory, with less emphasis on CAT technologies and tools. Moreover, the lack of shared course design guidelines hinders the introduction of innovative teaching approaches based on collaborative learning. A novel multi-framework CAT course design methodology, named CATDeM, is proposed, based on the integration between an official European translation competence framework, real-life-mimicking laboratorial activities, and computer-supported collaborative learning, enriched with discussion case studies and role-playing experiences. A real-life case study is examined to illustrate and evaluate the implementation of CATDeM in two consecutive editions (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) of a one-semester compulsory CAT course in a M.A. degree in STT at the University of Salento (Italy). Students’ perceptions of translation technology and role-plays, as well as their attitudes towards the proposed CAT course are evaluated through a post-grading self-assessment questionnaire. Achieved results indicated successful student engagement and self-assessed improvement in translation, technical, and interpersonal skills. The importance given by students to role-playing experiences mimicking professional scenarios was also highlighted, paving the way for CATDeM to be adopted in similar contexts.

Contributions to professional construction in a collaborative network

Internship is a central axis in teacher training, forcing the mobilization and articulation of different types of knowledge, both personal and professional. Becoming a teacher is, thus, an individual and collective process that requires the internal symbiosis of action, experience, and emotion, to constitute itself as a total action of a person in the performance of a specific profession. This text is based on an approach to the basic principles of teacher training, and then we proceed to make a report on teacher training courses in Portugal, in the so-called post-Bologna period, with a specific focus on internship. Given the relative autonomy of the construction and development of the courses in higher education, which we will address, we will use the master's course in Pre-School Education and Teaching of the 1st Cycle, that takes place at the Institute of Education - University of Minho, as a case from which the internship will be explained. This is realized with the support of a collaborative network, constituted by the intern, by the cooperating teacher, and by the supervising teacher, in a process of action and reflection, in which pedagogical research has a very relevant meaning.

Reflection on publishing experiences of taught master's course students with their faculty member: actor-network theoretic discussion

PurposeThis study aims to analyse the attempts of taught master course students' publications from actor-network theoretic (ANT) perspectives based on the authors' experiences.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, self-study was chosen as the research method. Self-study is a qualitative research approach based on autobiography, available materials, narratives or memory-work for researchers to investigate their own practice from professional and personal experiences and work with critical friends. In this study, self-study was conducted based on the reflective narratives of three authors (the students, Authors 1 and 2, and the lecturer, Author 3), which aims to examine the meanings and explanations of the authors' ordinary experiences and investigate a variety of their emotional memories.FindingsBy drawing on ANT, this study explored how the authors translated the assignment tasks into publications by negotiating and interacting with various human and non-human actors – academic journals. The journal articles, however, were not solely the outcome of the academic endevours of the authors. Instead, the journals played a role in helping the authors learn about the academic rigour and gain confidence in their own capabilities. Further, the journals also reinforced the academic partnerships between the authors through collaboration on drafting and revising their manuscripts.Practical implicationsFirstly, this process of helping students publish their papers should focus on their learning and experience rather than merely promoting competition. Additionally, the importance of reaching an agreement on role division and collaborative work ethics needs to be emphasised.Originality/valueAs publications have become increasingly important for graduate students, this study sheds light on the experience of taught master's course students (TMCSs) and their lecturer in jointly publishing papers. While doctoral student publications have received significant attention, TMCSs' publications have not been extensively studied, making this research valuable and original.

Comparison of the response of two scintillator detectors used in an environmental and occupational radiometric survey during the operation of the Argonauta reactor

The Argonauta research reactor at the Institute of Nuclear Engineering - IEN operates, under normal conditions, at powers ranging from 1.7 to 340 W, developing activities of a scientific-technological nature in the areas of neutron radiography, radionuclide production and conduction from experimental practices to graduate courses at CNEN research institutions and other Brazilian institutes of science and technology. During some security operations, the presence of investigators, students and/or operators inside and around the main hall of the Argonauta is required. Therefore, it is important to assess normal occupational exposure conditions when the reactor is in critical condition. This makes it possible to verify in greater detail the equivalent doses of ambient gamma radiation contained by the combustion of the fuel element inside the reactor room and in the surrounding areas, according to the Radiation Protection Plan (RPP) of this installation. In this work, a didactic activity was carried out to familiarize the students of the first period of the Master's Course in Nuclear Engineering, at the Military Institute of Engineering, with the procedures involved in the radiometric survey of the free, controlled and subsequent locations of this nuclear installation. This practice aims to identify the doses to which Occupationally Exposed Workers (OEW) and the general public are admitted, verifying compliance with regulatory requirements regarding the monitoring of environmental and local activities, as well as a comparison between the radiation monitors used.

Reprohackathons: promoting reproducibility in bioinformatics through training.

The reproducibility crisis has highlighted the importance of improving the way bioinformatics data analyses are implemented, executed, and shared. To address this, various tools such as content versioning systems, workflow management systems, and software environment management systems have been developed. While these tools are becoming more widely used, there is still much work to be done to increase their adoption. The most effective way to ensure reproducibility becomes a standard part of most bioinformatics data analysis projects is to integrate it into the curriculum of bioinformatics Master's programs. In this article, we present the Reprohackathon, a Master's course that we have been running for the last 3 years at Université Paris-Saclay (France), and that has been attended by a total of 123 students. The course is divided into two parts. The first part includes lessons on the challenges related to reproducibility, content versioning systems, container management, and workflow systems. In the second part, students work on a data analysis project for 3-4 months, reanalyzing data from a previously published study. The Reprohackaton has taught us many valuable lessons, such as the fact that implementing reproducible analyses is a complex and challenging task that requires significant effort. However, providing in-depth teaching of the concepts and the tools during a Master's degree program greatly improves students' understanding and abilities in this area.

Estágio e Mercado de Trabalho Percepções dos alunos dos cursos de Turismo e Hotelaria de Instituições de Ensino Superior do Rio de Janeiro [Brasil

Taking into account the General National Curriculum Guidelines for the organization and operation of the Technology Courses and the National Catalog of Technology Courses (2016), this paper derived from research in Master course aims at proposing a unit study plan of the Cocktail Preparation discipline (this is, as a rule, part of the curriculum structure of Technology in Culinary courses). Its didactic-pedagogical process, theoretically and methodologically based on meaningful learning, aims at promoting the articulation of knowledge related to Cocktail Preparation and the drinks involved in it, with other areas of knowledge and the passage from a know-how restricted to the technical domain (elaboration of cocktail recipes) to a reflexive theoretical-practical action. For this, the Study Plan concludes the proposition of learning activities in the direction of co-creation and development, by students, of a project of a tourist circuit linked to Creative Tourism. This will bring to the course of the discipline the perspective of professional insertion in the applicability of these studies, as well as the design of an alternative tourism product that could be implemented.

First person – Tatsuki Tsuruoka

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Tatsuki Tsuruoka is first author on ‘ Development of a fluorescence reporter system to quantify transcriptional activity of endogenous p53 in living cells’, published in JCS. Tatsuki conducted the research described in this article while a Master's course student in Kazuyasu Sakaguchi's lab at Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. He is now a PhD student in the lab of Kazuhiro Aoki at Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Aichi, Japan, investigating the regulatory mechanisms of cellular responses mediated by the p53 signaling pathway.

Elevating Aesthetics: Patient-Specific Treatment with Hyaluronic Acid Fillers to Improve Appearance and Psychosocial Wellbeing

Perception of beauty is changing from a rigid concept (i.e., the universal idea of beauty) to a multifaceted and personalised view of one’s appearance. One of the main concerns of patients is looking artificial and losing their unique facial expressions, which encourages them to seek aesthetic procedures that yield the most natural results. Patients also wish to increase their self-esteem and, ultimately, improve their quality of life. It is now well-established that treatment with hyaluronic acid (HA)-based dermal fillers improves the psychosocial state of patients. The assessment of facial anatomy and patient needs, accompanied by the proven holistic benefit and good safety profile of HA dermal filler treatment, is also a key factor for an optimal outcome. In addition, clear communication between patient and physician is crucial to manage patient expectations, maximise satisfaction, and minimise procedural risks. The availability of a wide range of HA dermal fillers, customised for specific anatomical areas and facial movements, allows physicians to develop patient-specific treatment plans. This review of the ‘Elevating Aesthetics’ symposium held at the International Master Course on Aging Science (IMCAS) 2023 shares insights into the patient’s facial anatomy and possible danger zones presented during a cadaver workshop. Several successful treatment plans tailored to different patient profiles (i.e., patients seeking full-face aesthetic improvement, patients with facial asymmetry, low lip volume in mature and millennial women) were also implemented live. A comprehensive and patient-specific HA dermal filling treatment should be considered by physicians to achieve natural outcomes and improve the general wellbeing of the patient.

Teaching Research Methods Courses in Education: Towards a Research-Based Culture

This paper aims to identify and discuss what constitutes a research-based pedagogical culture in teaching research methods courses in master’s and doctoral programs in education. The discussion draws on empirical results of a set of five focus group interviews with teachers responsible for teaching research methods courses in educational programs in higher education institutions in Portugal. Data are analyzed and interpreted within a situated learning framework that acknowledges the relevance of creating social learning spaces which accommodate the variety of students. The article closes with a characterization of what could be a research-based pedagogical culture in teaching research methods in advanced studies in education in the near future.

Tales of Hybrid Teaching in Software Engineering: Lessons Learned and Guidelines

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article contributes empirical insights on hybrid teaching of software engineering courses. Results include the systematic analysis of hybrid teaching attendance and interaction, perception of hybrid teaching, and grade distributions. Results are synthesized into eight evidence-based guidelines. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> Hybrid teaching, i.e., teaching simultaneously to in-person and online students, is gaining an increasing adoption. However, how to improve the experience of students with respect to (w.r.t.) hybrid teaching is still an open question. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Research Questions (RQs):</i> How can the experience of students w.r.t. hybrid teaching be improved? <i>RQ</i> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{1}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>: Are there differences between in-person and online student attendance and interaction? <i>RQ</i> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{2}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>: What is the student perception of hybrid teaching? <i>RQ</i> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{3}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>: Is in-person and online supervision influencing grades of students? <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Methodology:</i> A mixed-method empirical research process is used, by considering two Master courses in software engineering. The process leverages three data sources, namely, quantitative and qualitative data collected during lectures, a student survey, and student grades. Summary statistics, coding processes, and a statistical analysis are used to answer the RQs. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> Students prefer to attend more frequently online, as it provides (among other factors) flexibility and convenience, while coming at the cost of lower focus and interaction quality. Following in-person is statistically a better choice to gain a median grade, while following online can lead with more probability to a higher or lower grade. Various guidelines are presented, ranging from the hybrid classroom setup, to online student management, and course component design.

협동학습에 관한 교육대학원생의 인식 연구

Objectives Due to the development of technology and rapid social change, there is a need to train talents equipped with core competencies for the future society and to innovate classroom teaching. Cooperative learning is attracting attention as an effective teaching and learning methods that can replace the learning structure of traditional learning methods through many prior studies. This study aims to derive implications for the perception of cooperative learning and class innovation as an adult learner targeting graduate students of education who have experienced cooperative learning. Methods To this end, we tried to examine their perceptions through a questionnaire that asked 50 master's courses to write metaphors and describe specific reasons for selecting metaphors at K University and S University's Graduate School of Education in Seoul. The collected data categorized the answers of each area of open questions into inductive content analysis according to the metaphor category based on metaphor analysis. Results The metaphorical expression of graduate students of education regarding cooperative learning could be categorized into five types: ① responsible activities, ② interactive activities, ③ various activities, ④ challenging but meaningful process, and ⑤ lack of will to cooperate. Conclusions From the questionnaire survey, graduate students of education recognized the cooperative learning as the teaching and learning methods (various activities) that make student accept the perspectives of others through the process of solving tasks (challenging but meaningful process) based on the positive interdependence (‘interactive activities’) by cooperation each other (responsible activities). Therefore, the authors drew the following implications for class innovation. First, the need for interaction between teachers and students, second, practical support, such as the application of various teaching methods in the curriculum of graduate schools of education, are required.