Postgraduate Course Research Articles

Validity Evidence of Brazilian Portuguese Version of the Professional Fulfillment Index.

The questionnaire "Professional Fulfillment Index" (PFI) was validated to assess emotional exhaustion, interpersonal disengagement, and professional achievement among physicians. This study presents the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the PFI to the Brazilian context. Analytical cross-sectional study carried out between July and October 2020. Settings: For conceptual equivalence, a panel of experts was constituted who conducted analyzes on the translation and back-translation processes from English to Brazilian Portuguese. For the operational equivalence, 432 physicians in the field of Occupational Medicine were invited. They answered the PFI in an online platform. Analysis: Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to seek evidence of the hypothesized structure of PFI item responses. Reliability was assessed using three indicators. The Brazilian version can be considered similar to the original. Most of participants were female (57.6%) and mean age 49.6years-SD 14.0. The mean time since graduation was 18.5years-SD 9.67. Most of them had a full-time job (88.0%) and were trained through post-graduation courses 83.8%. The most frequent job task was to perform worker´s clinical evaluations (84.9%). Exploratory and confirmatory analyzes showed the adequacy of the items in measuring the instrument's construct, with stability for use in other populations and samples. The PFI was developed to evaluate positive and negative aspects of physicians' role and performance. The process described in this article was the first cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire. The PFI can help in mapping potential risk situations for negative impacts on physicians' occupational well-being and performance at work, in order to propose interventions that reduce exhaustion and expand professional fulfillment.

Being Cosmopolitan: Marketing Development Studies in the Neoliberal University

This article unpacks how ‘development’ is represented and sold in postgraduate development studies courses at two UK universities, based on a close reading of the course’s marketing materials and interviews with professional marketing staff within the university, academic leads on development studies courses and current development studies students. It explores the effects of development representations on students and their imaginations of the discipline and the university brand. I find representations of development engender a cosmopolitan desire mainly among international students and project a cosmopolitan virtue of the university through its development activities and associations. Contrary to seeing the cosmopolitan as a progressive political concept in a time of globalisation, I contend these cosmopolitan identities are imbued with the racialised legacies of colonial power.

Regaining partner trust in the food delivery business: case of Zomato

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: to understand and examine the strategies that help platforms fight competition and manage networks; to analyse the role of platform governance in the management of the networks and partners’ trust; and to evaluate the strategic risks of disintermediation and multi-homing firms face while trying to sustain profits and capture value. Case overview/synopsis The case presents the dilemma faced by Deepinder Goyal, the young founder and CEO of Zomato in formulating the growth strategy for its food delivery platform, struggling to retain its market leadership position amid intensifying competition and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zomato has become a public company with an IPO announced in mid of July 2021. Therefore, there is growing expectation for profitability among its shareholders and investors considering tailwinds of COVID-19 crisis, which have given the push towards adoption of food delivery among the customers. This has also resulted in increased competition in the industry. On other hand, there is growing dissatisfaction among its restaurant partners who have been hit hard by COVID-19 and struggling for survival. CEO Deepinder has to find how he will ensure the long-term growth for Zomato to tap the growing food delivery market in India and regain its restaurant partner’s trust. Complexity Academic Level The case is intended for post-graduate courses (MBA, PGDM) on digital business strategy or strategic management of technology-oriented businesses. The case can be used to understand the nature of competition and different strategies for platform-based businesses in the digital world. The case can also be used to study the role governance can play in efficient value creation and capture on the platform by the partner entities. Finally, the case also highlights how are platform businesses are coping with the Covid challenge. There are no specific prerequisites but knowledge on basic strategy concepts and platform business concepts will be good for better understanding. Level of difficulty is medium. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Senior Manager Perceptions of The Human Dimension of Health Services Management: Australia and Brazil

Practice and research show the importance of the human dimension of health service management and related skills/competences. However, a review of curriculum content of postgraduate courses in Australia showed a lack of content in this area. It was in this context, an enquiry was undertaken to assess the perceptions of senior health service managers in Australia in this field. To provide a contrast with Australian perceptions, senior health service managers in Brazil were also asked for their understandings. Findings from this enquiry in the two countries show similar but some variance in nuance, possibly due to differences in culture and corporate environment. The result of the enquiry points to the importance given by these senior managers to skills/competences in this area, and perceptions of shortfalls, in contrast with the lack of importance given to postgraduate training in this field.

Akshayakalpa farms – a case of rural innovation

Learning outcomes 1. Analyze the factors influencing the creation of a social enterprise, while appreciating the theoretical perspectives on social entrepreneurship and social innovations. 2. Analyze the impact of social enterprises on sustainable development. 3. Recognize the need for different types of strategies in the varied situation. 4. Analyze the business model. Case overview/synopsis Shashi Kumar, the CEO of Akshayakalpa Farms & Foods Pvt Ltd (Akshayakalpa), is determined to take the business to the next growth level. He has integrated technology to measure and monitor the quality of milk and to reach out to tech-savvy customers. Owing to the preservative-free and short life of milk, he believes that redesigning the marketing and distribution strategies is the only way to ensure the massive expansion and growth that will enable Akshayakalpa to reach out to customers directly and quickly. Another issue he was facing was a lag in receivables. Their receivables from vendors were delayed and held up because of issues related to product spoilage and returns. This has posed a liquidity challenge to Akshayakalpa. Amidst all these challenges, he wants to develop the best strategy to take the business forward to the next level. Complexity academic level This case can be used in undergraduate or postgraduate courses in Management, Social Entrepreneurship and Business Sustainability with special relevance to social enterprise creation, enterprise growth strategies, sustainable development, sustainable business models, etc. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Factors affecting the ability of radiographers to deliver imaging services in rural parts of Zambia

IntroductionMedical imaging in healthcare plays a vital role in the assessment, confirmation, and documentation of the course of many diseases and injuries. However, literature reports that the urban population in Sub-Saharan Africa have more access to imaging services than the rural population. This imbalance can affect radiographers working in rural areas. The aim of this study was to explore factors affecting the ability of radiographers to deliver imaging services in rural parts of Zambia. MethodsThis study employed a qualitative exploratory research design. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a stratified and purposive sample of six rural radiographers and three stakeholders [Ministry of Health (MOH), Radiological Society of Zambia (RSZ), and Schools of Radiography] across the country. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to manual thematic analysis. ResultsFour themes emerged following thematic analysis: procurement processes and resources, imaging equipment, job satisfaction, and education and training. Factors, such as donated equipment, the introduction of new imaging services and continuous professional development (CPD) were positive elements that assisted rural radiographers in the delivery of imaging services. However, an unequal distribution of equipment between urban and rural areas, old and obsolete equipment, lack of maintenance and servicing, lack of postgraduate courses, bureaucratic procurement processes, lack of consumables, workload, and low salaries, negatively affected the ability of rural radiographers. ConclusionLack of maintenance and servicing of equipment, as well as bureaucratic procurement processes were the main challenges identified by radiographers to imaging services in rural Zambia. There is a need to decentralise the procurement processes and establish a culture of regular maintenance and servicing of equipment. Implications for practiceThis research highlights the importance of supporting rural radiographers in the delivery of imaging services.

Towards an African education research methodology: decolonising new knowledge

South Africa has a number of policies to protect and promote indigenous knowledge (IK). The increasing interest in research into indigenous knowledge and science education in southern Africa has led not only to the production of publications, but also to numerous conferences, seminars, research centres, projects, learning materials, and postgraduate courses. However, research methods that are aligned to indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are yet to develop to the extent that IK policy, publications, and interest groups have. Notwithstanding some authoritative texts (Chilisa, 2012; Odora Hoppers, 2004; Smith, 1999), there is a need for research-based examples from the southern African context that can offer authentic and nuanced suggestions for IK researchers of what an African research methodology might be. In this paper we present a brief overview of arguments for research methods that are consistent with IKS, propose features of such research orientations, and some examples of research processes. We synthesise some of the knowledge we have gained in this field in South Africa and offer considerations and reflections that will contribute to the conversation and exploration of creative, culturally relevant, and ethical ways forward for participative IK research.

Filling in the blanks: The Anti-Cahn Anthology of Alternative Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education

This article arose as a critical response to the second edition of Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education (2012) edited by Steven M. Cahn (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Lissa Paul, a professor in the Faculty of Education, Brock University in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, assigned Cahn’s anthology as the core text in a postgraduate course she taught in the winter of 2021: ‘The right to education: Historical frameworks’. As the course was designed to interrogate the philosophical grounds of (primarily North American) pedagogical practices, the masculine, Eurocentric biases of Cahn’s anthology mirror those underlying our educational institutions. In response to those biases, the five students in the class addressed Cahn’s errors of both omission and commission by developing something like a prospectus or book proposal for what Lissa dubbed the Anti-Cahn Anthology of Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education. In this article each student contributes a rationale for the inclusion of someone ‘missing’ from Cahn’s book and suggestions for selections from key texts. Adriana Brook writes on the medieval African-Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun, Jessi Skye on the eighteenth-century Indigenous philosopher Handsome Lake, Rebekah Carlsson on the famous advocate of early childhood education, Maria Montessori, Jessica Dieleman on the late African American scholar bell hooks and Breanne Wilde on Jules Gill-Peterson and histories of the transgender child.

Unknown Soldier of Fortune for the Professional Development of Students: Sri Dantuluri Narayana Raju

Abstract: Dantuluri Narayana Raju College (DNR) was founded in 1945, before Indian independence, and was an offshoot of the national movement and Renaissance thought. Being agrarian, the Godavari region had been kept away from higher academic activities during the pre-independence period. Sri Dantuluri Narayana Raju, a freedom fighter, activist and visionary wanted to provide the uneducated rural masses with the hitherto unthinkable and inaccessible source for their general development and welfare, namely higher education. This visionary, with the help of a limited number of lieutenants and committed philanthropists, worked hard with missionary zeal and brought about the establishment of a boarding school in Bhimavaram, known as West Godavari Bhimavaram (W.G.B) College in 1945.In 1964 it was renamed as Dantuluri Narayana Raju (D.N.R) College in memory of its founder. The introduction of post graduate courses in 1971 is a milestone in the history of the college. The infrastructure available in the college became an impetus for starting an Engineering College in 1980. In view of the outstanding academic excellence maintained by the college since its inception, the college was conferred autonomy in the year 1987, by the University grants commission, India. Consequently, the college has academic freedom to introduce new courses. Keyword: Dantuluri Narayana Raju College (DNR), Bhimavaram, Higher Education, West Godavari Bhimavaram (W.G.B)

WhatsApp as a tool for Building a Learning Community

WhatsApp groups are considered useful for creating and supporting virtual communities. This mixed method case study explores the patterns that emerged when we used WhatsApp to create a community of learning during the multimodal presentation of a postgraduate course in research proposal writing. Three questions drive the study: (1) What kinds of messages were sent? (2) Who participated and how? (3) How did the learners experience the use of WhatsApp in support of the community of learning? Data were collected during the presentation of a five-evening proposal writing workshop that was conducted using Zoom, WhatsApp, and YouTube as communication platforms. To answer the first question, all WhatsApp messages were analysed through both manual (individual) and automated (meta) content analysis. The third question was answered by analysing students’ responses to the end-of session online questionnaire that was administered via Google Forms. Results indicate that many messages were administrative in nature, while the most notable academic messages concerned a discussion of empirical research, research paradigms, and research design. The presenter and co-presenter together accounted for almost half of the messages sent, and the other messages were evenly distributed between members of the class, with five notably vocal students. Student responses indicated that they liked the high level of interactivity and the content, but that they disliked the time it took to form groups. The paper contributes to the literature by showing how this use of multiple WhatsApp groups was effective in creating a sense of community by facilitating access, relationships, vision, and function (West and Williams, 2017). More research is needed in determining the extent to which students might support one another with conversations outside of the main WhatsApp group.

Knowledge, attitude and perception on OPMD among oral medicine specialists

BACKGROUND: Oral potentially malignant disorders are common oral mucosal lesions associated with tobacco habit mainly and few congenital, immunologically mediated mucocutaneous disorders with increased risk for malignant transformation diseases. Aim: The aim of this questionnaire study is to assess the awareness of evidence based medical management of OPMDs among oral medicine specialists in a university setting. The questionnaire based study was conducted among 100 participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Sampling was done by convenient sampling. The study was done in a university setting. The questionnaires were distributed to the post graduates and teaching faculties with varied teaching experience in Oral medicine speciality. It was circulated using an online search software, google form and the response was collected through it. CONCLUSION: The collected data was ranked as good, average and below average and the data collected were stored and results were analysed by SPSS software. Out of 100, the need of educational programs exclusively on topical therapeutics in management of oral mucosal lesions to be initiated from the beginning of post-graduation course and educational programs on current updates of topical therapeutics is essential for Oral Medicine Specialist to ensure proper treatment protocol in dental practice.

Exploring the Teachers’ Perception towards Educational Inclusion: A Study of Teachers’ in Pune, India

In India, changes in legislation and policy have increased the number of students with disabilities enrolled in higher education. The purpose of this study was to investigate university teachers’ perceptions towards inclusion of students with disability public and private universities in India. The study examined how age, gender, educational levels, years of teaching experience, and frequency of interaction with a person with a disability influence instructors’ views about people with disabilities and their inclusion at public and private academic institutions. Data was collected through a digital questionnaire from private and public universities in Pune, India. The population of the study comprised of full time University teachers’ (under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral courses) in Pune. The survey was completed by 309 university teachers. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and ANOVA were used to examine the data. The researchers found no statistically significant relationships between teachers’ perceptions of inclusion in regards to degree level, gender and years of experience. The study did, however, discover a statistically significant relationship between teachers’ perceptions of inclusion and their interaction with students with disabilities. Academic and social outcomes of students with disabilities are significantly enhanced when inclusive approaches are used. Goals for future research are discussed.

Vocabulary in EAP learning materials: What can we learn from teachers, learners, and corpora?

Despite the role of teachers and learners in vocabulary learning and teaching, no studies have combined the information from these sources with that from corpora to examine vocabulary in EAP learning materials for learners in EFL contexts. This study employed a mixed-method approach which combined corpus, learners, and teachers to investigate vocabulary in all core materials in an EAP course for postgraduates in China. First, the vocabulary levels of 537 students in this course were measured. Then, the vocabulary in the course learning materials was analyzed with RANGE (Heatley et al., 2002). Finally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six teachers teaching in the EAP course. As a whole the learners had mastered only the most frequent 1000 words. However, to achieve reasonable comprehension of their learning materials, they would need to know the most frequent 4000 words. Interviews with teachers also revealed that vocabulary in the materials appeared to be difficult for learners. One possible reason for the heavy vocabulary load of the learning materials was the insufficient attention to vocabulary in the design of these materials, which was in turn due to either the lack of knowledge or insufficient knowledge of research-based principles on vocabulary instruction.

Институт горного дела Уральского отделения РАН: современное состояние и перспективы развития

The article aims to demonstrate the current state and directions of the institute's development in line with the adopted strategy. It describes the results of fundamental and applied research performed over the last 5 years, reveals the main aspects of scientific, organizational, innovative and social activities, and presents the achieved and target personnel and economic indicators of the Institute's work. The research has been performed using retrospective analysis and statistical data processing. The paper shows the achievements of the Institute in rejuvenation of its research staff, advanced training of young researchers at its own postgraduate courses, preparation and defense of theses at the Institute's Academic Council. The Institute's efforts related to its integration with academic and university research, as well as its activities in the international arena, are outlined. The strategy to improve the material level provides incentives for high quality implementation of the researcher's individual plan. Significant results have been achieved in addressing the social concerns of the Institute's staff, most of which relate to availability of housing. Activities of the Young Scientists' Council to organize competitions, the All-Russian Youth Conference, and launching of a web-based publication on issues of subsoil use are described. Innovative and research and education centers, laboratories for non-destructive testing and geomaterials testing have been set up to develop the required infrastructure. The main anticipated results of the Institute's development strategy are the concentration of material and human resources to tackle research in priority areas, achieving world-class results in these areas, creating an innovation potential for the development of critical technologies in the Russian Federation and reaching the top-level category of institutes

ECOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND THE MYTH OF CASSANDRA IN BRAZIL

In the last decade, Brazilian ecologists have developed many researches on ecological science, with strong potential for application to environmental management. This progress had three approaches: publishing papers in international journals, developing a consolidated system of postgraduate courses training new generations of ecologists, and organizing the Brazilian Association for Ecological Science and Conservation (ABECO). However, this scientific potential has been hindered by science denialism here quoting by the Myth of Cassandra, but Brazilian ecologists will not remain cursed forever and still working to shaping a better future based on ecological science.

A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Teaching Software Testing in Software Quality Assurance Subject during a Post-Graduate Computer Science Course

Software testing is regarded as a key activity in the software development cycle, as it helps information technology professionals to design good quality software. Thus, this is an essential activity for the software industry, although with all its nuances high priority is still not being given to learning about it at an academic level. The purpose of this work is to investigate a teaching strategy for software testing which involves acquiring academic skills within a curriculum based on active teaching methodologies. A teaching model was designed for this to coordinate the different areas of a subject, and then a controlled quasi-experiment was carried out in a post-graduate course to evaluate the application of this model. The results obtained demonstrate that there was a considerable learning gain in the experimental group that adopted the teaching approach when compared with the control group that relied on a traditional approach. The student t-test was employed to determine the learning efficiency.

Sustainable Design Masters: Increasing the Sustainability Literacy of Designers

This paper examines student learning in the Master of Arts in Sustainable Design course at Kingston School of Art, Kingston University London. It considers what designers learn, how they learn and where they learn, in a postgraduate course that seeks to enable them to direct their practice towards sustainability by increasing their sustainability literacy. The paper reviews the learning experiences of students, and the curriculum structures and approaches used to serve those experiences. The story of the course is told here by the course leader of ten years, using student outputs to illustrate the argument made for a sustainable design pedagogy. The key principles of this pedagogy are (1) sustainability is a social, not just an environmental, agenda; (2) sustainability presents us with ‘wicked problems’, which have no right or wrong answers; (3) sustainability-directed design practice arises from the sustainability literacy of the designer; (4) sustainability derives from mindsets and worldviews, not just methods and materials; and (5) sustainability is an emergent property of systems, not a quality of products. This combination has generated a distinctive model of postgraduate sustainable design education, which seeks to equip students with a ‘mastery’ of how to put into practice their own visions of sustainable design.

Postgraduate students' views on the use of WhatsApp groups as an online communication tool to support teaching and learning during COVID-19

The purpose of this research was to identify students’ views on the use of WhatsApp in an online postgraduate course at a South African Open Distance eLearning institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, lecturers and students relied on their mobile devices to communicate using different tools, including WhatsApp. Although it is a trending communication tool in teaching and learning, little is known about students’ views on using WhatsApp to support teaching and learning in a time of crisis. Within an interpretative paradigm, the research followed a case study design and a qualitative approach. The study used questionnaires with open-ended questions to collect data. The sample consisted of 16 students enrolled for a Master’s in Education programme. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. The findings showed that WhatsApp groups provided students with immediate, fast, easy to use and affordable communication and connection, thus, creating a sense of belonging. However, a possible disadvantage was also observed. A WhatsApp group can defeat its purpose if students use it for non-academic chats and it can become a distraction. This study proposes that institutions of higher learning consider using WhatsApp groups to support learning communities as they can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, specifically in times of crisis. Furthermore, the study recommends that the purpose of WhatsApp groups should be clearly outlined to students and that lecturers and students should agree upon some ground rules before they start using WhatsApp groups to support teaching and learning.

Jeenay bhi do yaaron: reimagining architectural pedagogy and practice in India, 1990–2020

At the Cambridge University Department of Fine Art and Architecture, we were brought up in a tradition of architecture in which the architect was the designer of cultural artefacts. Imagination, here, was aligned to the histories and philosophies of European art and aesthetics, leading up to the ‘modern’ age. It was also concerned, primarily, with the language and expression of philosophic positions and values through form and space of buildings. At the Architectural Association, which I joined after completing my degree at Cambridge, the architect was to be a strategist exploring the systemic possibilities concerning what purposes buildings serve in a changing, dynamic world. This was aligned to systems theory and computer sciences, and the potential of new materials and technologies. And at the Tropical Studies Department, which ran a postgraduate course that evolved into the Development Planning Unit at UCL, the strategist architect or planner was to place herself as an expert of the built environment in the service of the challenging tasks of social and economic development in the developing world.

Guthali – challenges in marketing Indian handicrafts and handloom

Learning outcomes After reading and discussing the case, the participant would be able to: comprehend business expansion strategies and challenges of an entrepreneur dealing with handicraft and artefacts, digital marketing, entrepreneurship and marketing strategy; understand how a comprehensive digital marketing plan for the business is developed; discuss the pros and cons of digital marketing. Case overview/synopsis The handloom and handicraft industry has been the backbone of India’s rural economy for decades. It is one of the largest employment generators after agriculture, providing livelihood to country’s rural and urban population. The protagonist in the case had a strong inclination towards various art and craft forms, and her passion led her to start her venture – Guthali, wherein she sourced various handicrafts and handlooms from local artisans and after adding value to the fabric or art form through painting, block printing, etc., marketed it to the customers. However, the marketing was full of challenges, with brands like Fab India, enjoying high awareness and customer base. This case highlights the challenges faced by the protagonist to market Indian handicrafts and handloom in the urban market. The readers of the case would be able to learn about various stages involved in developing digital marketing strategies. Complexity academic level This case is suitable for postgraduate courses in digital marketing and entrepreneurship to understand the entrepreneurial challenges and come up with digital marketing solutions. This case is equally suitable for management development programmes on how digital marketing can help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.