Master Course Research Articles

Модернизация содержания элективного курса программы обучения магистров-лингвистов «Методика преподавания в формате международных экзаменов»

We discuss the existing programme of the elective discipline “Teaching Methods in the Format of International Exams” for Master’s Degree linguist student of pedagogical profile, which presents familiarization of students to the formats of ten international exams. In the process of modernizing the program, it was decided to focus only on the formats of tasks for the TOEFL, IELTS and CAE exams, which complement the content of the main course for Master’s Degree students of pedagogical profile “Theory and Methods of Foreign Languages Teaching” in the lin-guodidactic aspect. The selected tasks are appropriate for introducing to the students of non-linguistic, in particular, technical, universities in the foreign language training program. Integrated tasks in the TOEFL format that implement the principle of interconnected teaching of reading, lis-tening, and speaking/writing are developed similarly by the Master’s Degree linguist students for English language textbooks for students of non-linguistic universities. A detailed analysis of the methods for working with integrated tasks created by the Master’s Degree students is presented. Visual and informational materials from the “writing” section of the academic version of the IELTS exam are the implementation of the methodic principle of professional orientation of teaching. The introduction of graph, bar chart, diagram or table descriptions in foreign language teaching has a high degree of relevance for students of non-linguistic university, especially those of a technical specialization. We show the distribution of lexical and grammatical aspects and developed skills of foreign language learners in accordance with the types of visual and informational materials. The development of universal learning activities (ULA) of students in the process of teaching the description of visual and informational materials is justified. Listening comprehension in the format of the CAE international exam can be used as an element of students preparation for conference activities. Modernization of the elective course programme provides better quality of training for Master’s Degree linguist students aimed at foreign language teaching in a non-linguistic university.

Red & Yellow: the business of education

Learning outcomes Students learn to evaluate a firm’s growth strategies with the aim of establishing long-term business sustainability. Students will examine the impact of external macro-environmental factors that influence firm growth in an emerging market context. Using this case, students will learn how to apply a resource-based view to a firm’s offering by comparing and identifying the competitive advantage of the internal resources of the firm. Using this case, students can apply the principle of strategic fit by strategically analyzing the opportunities and threats in the external environment, while taking into account the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses. Case overview/synopsis This case outlines the strategic, macro-environmental and marketing challenges that the Cape Town-based private higher education institution, Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, faced as it entered its 25th year of existence. In 2019, Red & Yellow had its roots in industry and had done well historically to cement that bond through the creation of successful alumni and the constant innovation of its higher education offering. Two weeks before having to present a detailed five-year growth strategy plan to the board of directors, Rob Stokes, the Director and Chairman of Red & Yellow, was faced with a multitude of decisions pertaining to the sustainable growth of the school. Recent growth patterns showed that programs with lower profit margins, such as classroom-based full-time programs, had experienced double-digit growth while student numbers for higher gross profit offerings, such as online and executive education programs had started to decline. Another challenge that the school faced was the need for its students to future-proof their careers in a world where artificial intelligence and machine learning threatened their careers and jobs. As such, Red & Yellow was confronted with one central strategic problem: How to grow strategically in the short term while developing a sustainable and scalable growth strategy for the school in the long term. Complexity academic level This case could work well as part of an executive education course, as well as a strategic management course for master’s degree or Master of Business Administration students. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Development of A Training Model for Working with Young Children in The Conditions of a Master’s Program and Additional Education in A Pedagogical University

The paper presents and characterizes an integrative model of teacher training for working with young children. The purpose of the study is to develop a universal model that ensures the fulfillment of the society’s demand for the training of teachers in course of master’s programs and continuing pedagogical education, to help eliminate the shortage of professional staff in preschools. The model has been developed under the competence paradigm of education and taking into account the requirements of federal state educational standards of higher education and the professional standards for teachers in the conditions of coherence between the work-related activities (functions) and competencies. The universality of the model is determined by a unified educational outcome, content, forms, and technologies, as well as indicators and criteria for the effective preparation of teachers for working with young children both in the framework of their master’s program and in the continuing education system.

СТРУКТУРА ГОТОВНОСТІ МАЙБУТНІХ БАКАЛАВРІВ ПРАВА ДО ПРОФЕСІЙНО ОРІЄНТОВАНОГО ІНШОМОВНОГО СПІЛКУВАННЯ

The study provides a detailed analysis of recent research and publications on the notion of readiness for professionally oriented foreign language communication and its components, which allowed to establish links with the concept of readiness of future bachelors of law for professionally oriented foreign language communication. At the moment the problem of forming this quality at law schools in Ukraine is rather urgent as their students lack a good command in English which is proved by the results of the single entrance exam in foreign languages for applicant intending to do a master's course, as they are quite disappointing. Thus, it requires a review of approaches to forming the readiness of future bachelors of law for professionally oriented foreign language communication. Through the prism of the peculiarities of the legal profession, the author distinguished the immanent features of this concept such as multilevel, i.e. the presence of a certain structure, built due to the influence of mental processes, personality traits, and showing of foreign language competence, which can be transformed due to proper training and manifested in the future activities of legal professional due to presence of a set of knowledge, skills and abilities to use legal language in the process of professional communication. This allowed to determine the structure of the analyzed category, which contains motivational, cognitive, activity and reflection components. The motivational component includes a combination of such legal students’ qualities as interest in learning a foreign language for professional purposes, as well as relevant needs, motives, values, indicating the desire to constantly develop foreign language competence and ability to communicate in it. The cognitive element of the studied readiness presupposes the presence of linguistic and professional knowledge, an idea of the essence of foreign language communication in the legal sphere, the ability to project the results of one’s studies for future activities. The activity component is interpreted as a set of practical skills and abilities application of which acts as a prerequisite of successful communication on professional topics. The presence of a reflective component presupposes students’ ability to reflection, adequate self-esteem, control of their own foreign language communicative activities and objective assessment of interlocutors’ communicative behaviour.

13-1 Online Interprofessional Education Program in the Master Course of Health Professions Education

13-1 Online Interprofessional Education Program in the Master Course of Health Professions Education

A Master Course on Automatic Control Based on the Use of Online Labs

Abstract An online course with ten virtual and remote laboratories on automatic control specifically designed to cover all the curricular experimentation needs in the ”Systems and Control engineering” Master program from UNED-UCM is presented.

High-Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices ed. by Kathryn E. Linder and Chrysanthemum Mattison Hayes

Reviewed by: High-Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices ed. by Kathryn E. Linder and Chrysanthemum Mattison Hayes Jessica Hale Kathryn E. Linder and Chrysanthemum Mattison Hayes (Editors). High-Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2018. 248 pp. Softcover: $30.86. ISBN 978–1620368473 In 2008, George Kuh published a collection of high-impact educational practices that are now considered fundamental in promoting student retention and engagement. High-Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices, edited by Kathryn E. Linder and Chrysanthemum Mattison Hayes, examines the translation and application of these high-impact practices (HIPs) in the online environment. The text includes an introduction and summary written by the editors, twelve chapters exploring the existent literature and best practices for each HIP, and one chapter dedicated to the supporting role of the library in these efforts. The practices covered include first-year seminars, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative assignments and projects, undergraduate research, diversity and global learning, [End Page E-32] internships, capstone courses and projects, and ePortfolios (recognized as a HIP in 2016 by Watson, Kuh, Rhodes, Light, & Chen). Chapter 1, by Jennifer Keup, discusses the evolution of first-year seminars (FYS) and the societal and technological trends leading to translation of these courses into the online environment. While few institutions currently offer FYS exclusively online, Keup presents data that indicates the number is growing. She highlights the pivotal role instructors play in making online FYS engaging for students and asserts that instruction across the institution can be improved by developing faculty to teach online FYS, using appropriate technology, and applying appropriate pedagogical strategies. Keup's analysis of the literature reveals that much of the existent research focuses on single instutions or case studies and, as a result, more large-scale scholarly research is needed examine the efficacy and outcomes of online FYS as HIPs, the prevalence and influence of online FYS, online FYS pedagogy and instruction, and the efficacy of other online first-year experience practices. Chapter 2, by Jason D. Baker and Michael Pregitzer, explores building a common intellectual experience in online coursework. The authors present a case study examining an online common learning experience at Regent University's College of Arts & Sciences. Using Kuh's research as a theortical framework, the authors developed a narrative, engagement, transformation (NET) model and applied it at the program level (utilizing master courses, course review, and program review) to create a continuity of experience for students. According to the authors, "By deliberately structuring the online program as a unified whole, rather than a collection of independent courses, and guiding students through their program with the use of an overarching narrative filled with rich and frequent engagement opportunities, students are more likely to have a transformational rather than transactional experience" (p. 37). Institutional analyses indicating strong graduation and retention rates among online students (exceeding those reported at peer institutions) are presented as support for this model. Chapter 3, by Kathy E. Johnson, Amy A. Powell, and Sarah S. Baker, discusses Learning Communities (LCs) as HIPs and the translation of this strategy into the online environment. While no direct research exists comparing outcomes of online learning communities to the outcomes of face-to-face learning communities, there is evidence to suggest that the essential LC components can be adapted to the online environment. The authors provide a list of research based strategies to promote community online and identify factors and models worth considering when developing LCs at a distance. Also addressed is the need for assessment tools that directly measure the impact of student and faculty participation in online LCs and the benefits of using taxonomies to engage in process evaluation and scaling efforts. The authors highlight the use of taxonomies to guide, evaluate, and scale HIPs in the California State University system and present a case study of how a taxonomy for themed online LCs is being utilized at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Recommedations for how the taxonomy could be modified to support the development of other online LCs is also included. Chapter 4 examines writing-intensive courses as a HIP and identifies...

The role of laboratory activities in aerospace control education: two case studies

Aerospace control education can significantly benefit from actual hands-on experience. In most cases, however, such experience can only be provided to students in small-scale project activities. In this paper the experience gathered in integrating laboratory activities in aerospace control education in the UAV Lab and in the Advanced Aerospace Control courses is presented and discussed. UAV Lab is an extra-curricular course aimed at an interdisciplinary group of students covering the whole design cycle for a multirotor UAV, from conceptual design to in-flight validation, with specific emphasis on hands-on experience in hardware/software integration, data collection and analysis and flight testing. Advanced Aerospace Control, on the other hand, is a curricular Master course in robust and nonlinear control, in the framework of which students are requested to solve a control design problem formulated over the dynamics of a multirotor UAV. The paper presents the course syllabi, discusses the role of laboratory activities and provides an overview of the obtained results.

Quantum supremacy in end-to-end intelligent IT. Pt. I:Quantum software engineering–quantum gate level applied models simulators

Principles and methodologies of quantum algorithmic gates design for master course and PhD students in computer science, control engineering and intelligent robotics described. The possibilities of quantum algorithmic gates simulation on classical computers discussed. Applications of quantum gate of nanotechnology in intelligent quantum control introduced. Anew approach to a circuit implementation design of quantum algorithm gates for fast quantum massive parallel computing presented. The main attention focused on the development of design method of fast quantum algorithm operators as superposition, entanglement and interference, which are in general time-consuming operations due to the number of products that have performed. SW & HW support sophisticated smart toolkit of supercomputing accelerator of quantum algorithm simulation on small quantum programmable computer algorithm gate (that can program in SW to implement arbitrary quantum algorithms by executing any sequence of universal quantum logic gates) described. As example, the method for performing Grover’s interference operator without product operations introduced. The background of developed information technology is the "Quantum / Soft Computing Optimizer" (QSCOptKBTM) SW based on soft and quantum computational intelligence toolkit.

LQG controller for the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Gyroboy Segway robot

This paper details the development of a Segway robot demonstrator for undergraduate and Masters level systems and control courses based on the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics platform. The purpose of the demonstrator is to provide a physical and interactive device for explaining concepts that feature on many systems and control courses, notably: model-based control, linearisation, the Linear-Quadratic Regulator (LQR), pole placement, noise amplification due to differentiation, reference following, Kalman filtering, and the principle of separation of estimation and control. The demonstrator is designed using a standard LEGO MINDSTORMS model from the Education EV3 core set—the Gyroboy. This is interfaced with using the Simulink Support Package for LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Hardware. Reference inputs can be provided from either a keyboard or an Xbox One gamepad. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of the successful implementation of an observer-based reference-following feedback controller for a Segway robot built entirely using LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 components, with previous designs being either not observer-based or based on the now outdated LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT platform.

Road Safety Capacity Building in Belarus through the development of Road Safety Master Courses

The risk of traffic fatalities varies significantly across high, medium and low-income countries. Among the reasons for this in the latter ones, there is often a lack of road safety knowledge and political will. Road safety is a multidisciplinary topic and requires trained professionals able to identify and implement efficient measures in the areas of engineering, enforcement, education and emergency services, taking into consideration social and economic aspects as well. However, in some Eastern Europe Countries there are potential barriers to train adequately professionals, generally due to a lack of specialised training and training standardization. Such an example can be seen in Belarus where, although road safety is a key issue, it is not managed on an evidence-based approach and there seems to be insufficient funding for related research. An initiative towards increasing knowledge capacity is the Be-Safe project (EC Tempus), a joint effort between three EU Universities and four Belarusian Universities. The objective of this paper is to describe the methodology carried out in Be-Safe to develop and test for two years two 1st level Road Safety Master Courses (60 ECTS) in Belarus according to the Bologna process requirements. Initially, a User Needs Analysis was carried out to understand local conditions and needs in terms of teaching and research on road safety. The analysis highlighted a lack of research due to insufficient funding, linguistic barriers and inadequate international relationships. This isolation led to a need of updating contents and methods of courses for students as well as research topics. Then, expected learning outcomes and Masters’ curricula, one for the Technical Universities and one for the Economics Universities, were defined and developed respectively. Finally, Masters’ courses in four Belarusian Universities were tested. Quality results were ensured through a Quality Board and assessment tools to monitor the Masters’ process as a whole.

PAPS predictive validity in predicting the learning success of master of professional psychology students

This study aims to determine the ability of Tes Potensi Akademik Pascasarjana (PAPS Test) in predicting the grade point average (GPA) of the graduate students of the Master of Professional Psychology. PAPS test is the graduate entry requirement test in UGM. Graduate students’ GPA includes semester grade point average (semester GPA), cumulative grade point average (cumulative GPA), grade point average of master courses, and grade point average of professional courses. The data were obtained in the form of PAPS test scores (verbal subtest, reasoning subtest, quantitative subtest, and total score) and the GPA of the graduate students of Master of Professional Psychology of Universitas Gadjah Mada in the class of 2013, 2014, and 2015. The research subjects were 214 students. The analysis was carried out using correlation analysis. The results of the analysis generally indicate that the PAPS test is able to become a predictor of learning success for the graduate students in the Master of Professional Psychology of Universitas Gadjah Mada. The learning success consists of semester GPA, cumulative GPA, GPA of master courses, and GPA of professional courses. If analyzed per subtest, the quantitative subtest has the highest predictive power. On the other hand, the verbal subtest is only a good predictor for GPA of professional courses.

MScs in railway transport and logistics: State of the art and perspectives for a new programme

The objective of this paper is to discuss results obtained from a structured survey on MScs in railway transport and logistics, which has been conducted within the RiFLE project. RiFLE stands for Rail Freight and Logistics Curriculum Development and was funded by the Erasmus (LLL) programme of the European Commission. The aim of RiFLE was to develop master courses to be delivered in English language by the participating institutions as separate but shared programmes in their universities. The approach was to analyse, enhance and adapt existing courses already offered by the participating institutions within a modern rail freight and logistics environment. Therefore, the goal of the survey was to define the state of the art of the current offer of MSc ‘railway transport and logistics’ related courses across the European and non-European countries. For the collection of data, a questionnaire has been developed. ‘SuperSurvey’ was used to approach intended respondents. SuperSurvey is a user-friendly online platform for collecting information using questionnaires. The target group included professors, lecturers and masters programmes managers in transport and logistics. Existing relevant programmes from European and other universities and institutions for higher education have been collected and analysed. Information collected helped to define a comprehensive framework of transport and logistics curricula, courses and programmes and to understand different levels of learning and structures of higher education such as single modules, bachelor courses, master courses, as well as mobility programmes and patterns.
 Keywords: Rail freight and logistics, higher education, innovation, survey, state of the art.

Measuring Experiential Learning: An Approach Based on Lessons Learned Mapping

Fostering ‘experiential learning’ in real-life situations is a critical task for engineering educators when creating constructively aligned learning activities. The paper proposes an approach to measure the students’ perception of learning in Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate activities conducted outside the classroom. The approach is based on the opportunity of gathering and analyzing lessons learned from the student reflection reports at the end of a team-based innovation project performed in collaboration with company partners. The approach is intended to provide a basis for the future development of innovation projects with engineering students, supporting the definition of learning outcomes that are relevant for the CDIO Syllabus 2.0, and of constructively aligned learning experiences. The paper exemplifies the approach with regards to a master course named Value Innovation and presents the findings obtained at the third and second level of the CDIO Syllabus 2.0. The results of the course implementation show how short team-based innovation projects largely contributed in developing social and communication-related skills in engineering students, going beyond the mere application of their technical skills.

Емпіричне дослідження стану готовності майбутнього менеджера освітнього закладу до самопроектування

The article reveals the essence and structure of the acmeological experiment and presents the results of empirical research related to the readiness state demonstrated by the future managers of educational institutions for self-projecting and further self-realization. In the process of empirical research, the author’s questionnaire was developed to determine the degree of education manager’s readiness for self-projecting; the respondents of the control and experimental groups were selected; the respondents were questioned; the results of the experiment were processed; the organizational and methodological recommendations aimed at facilitating the development of the readiness of the future education managers for self-projecting were elaborated basing on the experiment results. In order to develop the readiness of managers of educational institutions for self-projecting, a special course «Self-projecting as a way to develop the professional competence of educational managers» has been elaborated, which has been tested in the educational process aimed at training Master course students who obtain their education according to the educational and professional program «Management of an educational institution». This special course was tested during the acmeological experiment. The formation of the abilities to use the self-projecting mechanism for developing the professional competence of an education manager as well as to fulfil the individual plan aimed at developing the professional competence of an education manager in the form of an individual trajectory of self-development and self-improvement are the main results got after mastering the special course. The results of the acmeological experiment showed a significant improvement in the readiness state for self-projecting demonstrated by the future managers of educational institutions who represented the experimental group. Based on the conducted experimental research, the organizational and methodological recommendations aimed at facilitating the development of the readiness of the future education managers for professional self-projecting and self-realization have been elaborated. Keywords: acmeological experiment, readiness, empirical research, manager of an educational institution, self-projecting.

Diferentes estratégias didáticas no ensino de ciências

Este artigo trata-se de um relato de experiência sobre uma das atividades desenvolvidas no Curso de Mestrado em Ensino de Ciências na Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA durante a disciplina Instrumentação para o Ensino de Ciências. O uso de diferentes estratégias pode auxiliar o docente nos processos de ensino e aprendizagem, além de incentivar os alunos a debaterem questões importantes sobre Ciências em sala de aula. A utilização de textos informativos e vídeos educativos são importantes instrumentos para desenvolver a capacidade de leitura e interpretação de um sujeito autônomo no percurso de sua própria aprendizagem. O emprego de estratégias didáticas ao ensino de Ciências, além de atrair mais a atenção dos alunos ao tema discutido em sala de aula, é considerado como alternativa essencial para se alcançar resultados importantes na compreensão do conteúdo ensinado, melhorando assim a aprendizagem dos alunos.

A Moodle-based vocational English course for master’s degree students in nonlinguistic settings: designing and implementing

Problem and goal. The article is devoted to the problem of pedagogical design of e-learning course as an element of innovative system of foreign language professionally oriented training of masters of non-linguistic specialties, analysis of potential opportunities and risks of its implementation. The relevance of the research is connected with the need to accumulate professional experience in the development and piloting of electronic educational resources in the conditions of digitalization of the Russian educational space and the creation of a single, public portal-aggregator of online courses. Methodology. The initial prerequisites of the work were theoretical and applied research in the field of professional and electronic linguodidactics in Russia and abroad. The concept of the considered electronic resource was formed in line with the communicative and competence approaches, the requirements of the modern educational paradigm, philosophy and structural parameters of the virtual learning environment Moodle. Innovative parameters of the content and structure of the course are determined by its design on the principle of reverse design and technology of implementation within the educational paradigm of mixed subject-language integrated learning. Results. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the didactic model presented in the study can be considered as a network component of the linguistic professional learning environment, which is formed in line with the trend towards the early professionalization of a foreign language course in a non-linguistic university. Conclusion. This paper presents the concept of innovative educational resource and its implementation using information and communication technologies - e-learning course “English for students of financial and economic specialties enrolled in master’s programs”. It covers topics that involve the development of knowledge gained in the study of related subject areas (financial management, accounting, banking, finance and credit, stock markets, risk management, etc.) and the experience of professional masters.

Academic reawakening: Situated experiences of undertaking a post graduate masters course in dementia

Master's level education can play important function in developing the knowledge and skills for nurses and allied professionals working in advanced roles in dementia care. However, little is known about the challenges experienced by professionals when making the transition to post-graduate study. This was a qualitative study comprising individual interviews with 15 graduates, nine of whom were nurses, who had experience of attending a part-time Master's in Dementia Care in the Northwest of England. Four sequential themes emerged from the data: ‘Deciding what to do’, ‘Taking it on’, ‘Keeping going’ and ‘Endings and New beginnings’. Findings confirmed that Master's education for nurses and other professionals is significant in developing knowledge and instilling confidence in changing practice. Nevertheless, professionals experienced challenges in juggling the competing demands of education, family and work and were seen to navigate and negotiate their student journey by drawing on internal resources and external supports. The study adds to evidence that Master's level study is likely to benefit practice in dementia care; however, employers and Higher Education Institutions need to develop effective and flexible supports to enable nurses and allied professionals to engage effectively in part-time taught post graduate education.

Developing intercultural competence by teaching literature: principles and practice from a case-study in two Algerian universities

This study investigates the use of literary texts for intercultural learning using a Master course of English as a foreign language in Algeria as an empirical example. We first define essential concepts that guided this course - ‘culture’, ‘language-culture nexus’ and ‘intercultural competence’ - before we explain the socio-linguistic and socio-cultural context in Algeria, as it is the foundation of the choice of literary texts. The empirical study was an action research project that took place in two universities. We explain the researchmethodology and teaching methodology in which lessons were planned on the basis of Byram’s model (1997) of intercultural communicative competence. In the analysis we draw on the existing literature and extracts from the students’ discussions and worksheets to argue for the significance of using literary texts in encouraging ‘aesthetic reading’ leading to empathetic responses that were significant in developing intercultural communicative competence. Finally, we provide recommendations in terms of theory and practice for teachers and syllabus designers who intend to use literary texts for intercultural learning.

Nonlinear modeling of unreinforced masonry structures under seismic actions: validation using a building hit by the 2016 Central Italy earthquake

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Seismic Observatory of Structures, RELUIS and Ing. Serena Cattari of the University of Genova for the material provided for the development of the present work. The work was carried out thanks to the financial support of the European Commission within the framework of the SAHC master course. The authors are grateful to the SAHC Consortium and the University of Minho in Guimaraes (Portugal) for the support provided.