Subject Matter Areas Research Articles

The social role of vocational education in decolonisation

ABSTRACT In this paper I consider the social role vocational education can play in decentring settler-colonialism. Through focused programming located in community settings, these educational offerings provide opportunities for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Connecting capitalism’s relationship to this school system, I contend that vocational education, with its vast scope of subject-matter areas, and deeply embedded connections to the intersectionality of race, class, and gender-oppressions, provide an under-examined opportunity to advance decolonising efforts within society.

Beyond Chinese Spy Balloons: Why We Need to Teach East Asian Studies in U.S. Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Programs

Abstract This article argues for the inclusion of more East Asia-focused content, particularly regarding China and North Korea, in homeland security and emergency preparedness (HSEP) undergraduate curricula. It contends that current programs overemphasize the post-9/11 counterterrorism paradigm while neglecting state-level threats, especially from China as an ascendant geopolitical rival. China poses multifaceted challenges through cyberattacks, intellectual property theft, economic coercion, and potential military contingencies, such as invading Taiwan. North Korea's nuclear program and cyber activities also jeopardize U.S. homeland security. To prepare future professionals, the article recommends adding a “state actor threats” core subject matter area covering the histories, cultures, and political dynamics underlying these nations’ antagonistic policies. Cultivating deeper cultural competency about U.S. strategic competitors in East Asia is crucial for bolstering national security. Holistic education reform is needed to align HSEP programs with contemporary global geopolitical realities beyond traditional terrorism subjects.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge and the Nepali English Language Teacher Training

The paper attempts to explore the crucial role of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) within the realm of English language teacher training in Nepal. PCK serves as a vital bridge between teachers’ Content Knowledge (CK) and Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), facilitating effective teaching practices and enhancing student learning outcomes. The study examines the interconnectedness of PK, CK, and PCK, with the aim of improving the quality of teacher preparation programs and ultimately, the English language education system in Nepal. Through an extensive literature review, the research establishes a theoretical foundation, examining the conceptual framework of PCK and its significance in teacher education. It identifies existing gaps and challenges in current Nepalese English language teacher training practices, emphasizing the need for the seamless integration of PK, CK, and PCK in classroom instruction. The paper concludes that the contents of the teacher education and training programs differed from what the experts thought should be given. The broader areas of subject matter become narrower in the TPD program in Nepal. However, the nature of the programs is also responsible for the type of content being tried to be imparted to the English teachers. The research identified various factors influencing the successful implementation of PCK in teacher training. These included limited emphasis on PCK in the curriculum, time and resource constraints, and a lack of alignment between teacher education institutions and school practices. The findings underscored the importance of curriculum reforms and the provision of ongoing professional development opportunities to strengthen PCK integration.

The value of creativity: A scoping review

Growing rhetoric from industry-based white papers and global reports states that creativity is a vital skill for the future of work. However, despite centuries of study and debate, there remains a lack of consensus on the exact nature of the value of creativity. This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines with the objective of reviewing and describing the literature since 1980 to find a consensus description of the value of creativity. This review identifies a three-factor typology comprising extrinsic, instrumental, and intrinsic-inherent value as value construct propositions. The synthesis of the reviewed literature (N = 86), including a high Cohen's Kappa for interrater agreement on the articles (κ = 0.993), found that the value of creativity is predominantly instrumental and functions as a tool for achieving both extrinsic and intrinsic-inherent outcomes. This review sharpens the understanding of creativity, primarily in the subject matter area of business and workforce, by creating a value-informed basis that may be valuable for practitioners, scholars, and policymakers responsible for bolstering the rationale for a renewed focus on creativity as a vital 21st Century skill. Future research and limitations are discussed.

The Legal Innovation Theory and Legal Education

Law, being determined by social changes, undergoes significant changes. The scale of social transformation gives grounds to assume that a new taxonomy of law is being established. This includes changes in the legal profession, significant transformation of the demand of the state and industry in terms of the knowledge and competences of a modern lawyer. Accordingly, this increases responsibility of legal educational institutions and law faculties for training lawyers. The paper attempts to form an understanding of legal innovation and legal innovation theory, to highlight the subject matter and methodological areas of legal innovation formation. In particular, the legal innovation theory is defined by the author as an interdisciplinary field of knowledge about the processes of emergence, implementation and administration of innovations in jurisprudence. At the same time, the subject-legal component of the legal innovation theory lies at the level of legal understanding, where comprehension and rethinking of what is the law of the 21st century is taking place. In turn, legal innovation actually constitutes legitimization of social or scientific and technological innovation, incorporation of a new normative structure (institution) that qualitatively transforms regulation of emerging or predicted social relations into the field of law. The study of legal innovations, being a subject area of the legal innovation theory, involves conceptualization of knowledge about innovation process in law and its administration, as well as the study of the transformation of the law itself and the legal profession, since legal innovations create a demand for new knowledge and competences for lawyers. Based on the achievements of the theory of the pedagogical innovation theory, the paper outlines methodological approaches to building a new model of legal education in conjunction of the content component, new teaching methods, formats of the educational process, logistics of the educational process that influence the formation and implementation of legal innovations. Some approaches have been put into practice at Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL) and their application can be extended.

Мэргэжлийн англи хэлний хөтөлбөрийн харьцуулсан судалгаа

From the early 1960's, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown to become one of the most prominent areas of EFL teaching today. ESP concentrates more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures. It covers subjects varying from accounting, business management, law, biology, geology, history, and chemistry. The ESP focal point is that English is not taught as a subject separated from the students' real world (or wishes); instead, it is integrated into a subject matter area important to the learners.

Implementation and expansion of inpatient and ambulatory pharmacist credentialing and privileging at an academic medical center.

This article highlights one academic medical center's effort to implement a complete credentialing and privileging (C&P) process for both inpatient and ambulatory clinical pharmacists. The C&P process offers a recognized method to advance pharmacy practice. Credentialing is defined as a process whereby an individual is deemed qualified in a specific subject matter area. Privileging is the process whereby an institution grants authority to an individual to perform services based on credentials. Federal guidelines permit pharmacists to obtain the same level of privileges as professional medical staff, such as physicians, if relevant state laws allow for the corresponding pharmacist scope of practice. States establish laws and regulations that specify the scope of practice for various types of licensed healthcare professionals, including pharmacists. Many health systems have attempted pharmacist C&P practices in both the inpatient and ambulatory care setting with varying degrees of success and reach. Privileged pharmacists provide established benefits and value to other members of the healthcare team. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) pursued C&P for both inpatient and ambulatory clinical pharmacists. Initiation and implementation processes were complex and accompanied by a variety of challenges. OHSU operates with advanced pharmacy practice integrated into the interdisciplinary patient care team. Pharmacist C&P allows pharmacists to demonstrate significant clinical benefits and quality improvement in patient care delivery in both inpatient and ambulatory settings.

Streaming Science #2: Using Webcast Electronic Field Trips for Engagement with Your Target Audience

This is the second publication in the Streaming Science EDIS series focused on how to use mobile hardware and software for engagement with your target audience. This new 6-page article focuses on how to use mobile hardware and cloud-based software for streaming live webcast electronic field trips (EFTs). Streaming Science utilizes EFTs to connect university scientists and Extension professionals across a variety of subject matter areas and contexts with PK–12 students around the world. Written by Jamie Loizzo, Peyton Beattie, and Kevin Kent, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc417

Residents as Leaders: Using a Delphi Process to Conduct an Institutional Preoperative Patient Optimization Quality Improvement Initiative.

Many residency programs struggle to meet the ACGME requirement for resident participation in quality improvement initiatives. As part of an institutional quality improvement effort, trainees from the Departments of Surgery and Anesthesiology at a single academic medical center were teamed with institutional content experts in 7 key risk factor areas within preoperative patient optimization. A systematic review of each subject matter area was performed using the MEDLINE database. Institutional recommendations for the screening and management of each risk factor were developed and approved using modified Delphi consensus methodology. Upon project completion, an electronic survey was administered to all individuals who participated in the process to assess the perceived value of participation. Fifty-one perioperative stakeholders participated in recommendation development: 26 trainees and 25 content experts. Residents led 6 out of 7 groups specific to a subject area within preoperative optimization. A total of 4,649 abstracts were identified, of which 456 full-text articles were selected for inclusion in recommendation development. Seventeen out of 26 (65.4%) trainees completed the survey. The vast majority of trainees reported increased understanding of their preoperative optimization subject area (15/17 [88.2%]) as well as the Delphi consensus method (14/17 [82.4%]) after participation in the project. Fourteen out of 17 (82.4%) trainees stated that they would participate in a similar quality improvement initiative again. We demonstrate a novel way to involve trainees in an institutional quality initiative that served to educate trainees in quality improvement, the systematic review process, Delphi methodology, and preoperative optimization. This study provides a framework that other residency programs can use to engage residents in institutional quality improvement efforts.

“Understood mathematics” as a means of implementation concepts of cognitive technology in subject matter areas of socio-economic geography

“Understood mathematics” as a means of implementation concepts of cognitive technology in subject matter areas of socio-economic geography

THE TIDAL FLOODING CAUSES IN THE NORTH COAST OF CENTRAL JAVA: A SYSTEMIC LITERATURE REVIEW

The North Coast (Pantura) of Central Java is a strategic location that is rapidly developing for various multi-sector activities. Land exploitation results from fast-growing development, and one of the consequences is tidal flooding. Tidal flooding has a significant impact on many aspects, including economic, social, and environmental. Understanding the causes of tidal flooding resulting from sea-level rise and global and local scale causes exemplifies differences between factors causing tidal flood and flood in general. In this study, we use a qualitative methodology with a systemic literature review approach to examine the literature on tidal flooding critically, in-depth, and comprehensively and to get the results of a detailed study of the causes of tidal flooding from a global to local scale in the Pantura area. The existing gap and conditions have been evaluated without being limited by a spatial basis, regional administrative boundaries, and subject matter areas. This systemic literature review examined peer-review literature and a thesis published from 2010 to May 2021 on the causes of tidal flooding in the north coast (Pantura) area in Central Java. The findings revealed that there are still many causes of local scale tidal flood that must be addressed without relinquishing due to global-scale causes so that disaster resilience can be initiated and built on a local scale. Another discovery was that the causes could come into contact to increase the risks of tidal flooding, which can occur in locations apart from the source of the cause.

Reimagining research promotion: How to maintain visibility and momentum through an integrated approach

This case study provides an overview of how to effectively leverage social media, content platforms, media relations and creative visual assets to educate the public and key influencers about faculty expertise and cutting-edge research. This paper will outline how higher education institutions can utilise multimedia across multiple channels, owned and earned content, audience segmentation, strategic cadence and evergreen assets to shape, spread and sustain messaging for an overarching topic. The case study will detail fundamentals for successful implementation of each component in the comprehensive campaign. Each specific strategy outlined in this case study has been successfully applied to a wide portfolio of thought leadership and research promotion initiatives for different subject matter areas and faculty members across a major private research university. The reader will be equipped with tools and tactics for developing a dynamic, integrated amplification approach that achieves immediate results and long-term success.

Sex and gender specific health topics in medical student learners: pulse check eight years later

BackgroundAn essential component of patient-centered, individualized medicine is considering how sex and gender affect mechanisms of health and disease.ObjectivesTo assess medical students’ current knowledge of sex and gender specific health (SGSH) concepts compared to results from the same survey in 2012 to better inform development of curricular materials for medical education.MethodsA previously designed survey tool, which assessed current knowledge of sex and gender-based medicine of medical students, was emailed to all Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MCASOM) students on Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida campuses in 2020. Descriptive and qualitative thematic results were compared to the same survey administered in 2012 to students enrolled in MCASOM. Changes in the inclusion of SGSH topics were assessed over the eight years.ResultsOne hundred and one of 365 (27.7% response rate) surveys were returned with 2:1 female to male respondents with representation from all 4 years. The definitions of the terms “sex” and “gender” were correctly identified by most respondents (93.1%). However, only 36% (12/33) of questions related to other medical knowledge on SGSH topics had more than a 50% correct response rate. More than half of the students reported that SGSH topics were included in Gynecology, Cardiology, Pediatrics, and Immunology. SGSH topics were reported as not being routinely covered in Neurology and Nephrology, although more students said they were in 2020 then 2012. Sixty-two percent of students favored increasing SGSH in the current curriculum.ConclusionsMedical students appear to understand the definition of and importance of SGSH in education. While some improvements in coverage by subject matter and topic area appear to have occurred as reported by medical students, opportunity remains to more fully integrate SGSH concepts in medical school curricula.

Petroleum Research Fund grants available

The American Chemical Society will accept proposals for Petroleum Research Fund grants to support fundamental research in the petroleum field from Sept. 20 at noon (EDT) to Oct. 15 at 5:00 p.m. Proposals must be directed to fundamental petroleum research, including fundamental research related to petroleum-derived materials, in one of ten specified subject matter areas. Grant programs are available for new professors beginning their first tenure-track position and for established tenured or tenure-track professors pursuing a new research direction. Separate grant programs are available for qualified professors in nondoctoral departments. The eligibility period for Undergraduate New Investigator Grants in nondoctoral institutions is 5 years from the beginning date of first tenure-track appointment. PRF has moved to a new data system that will allow applicants to enter the proposal information directly to the web-based portal. Additional information may be found at acsprf.org .

THE USAGE OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING MASTERS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

The article substantiates the theoretical and methodological aspects of the usage of project learning technology in the course of training masters of vocational education. The advantages of using project-based learning are noted, which stimulates the interest of higher education students in solving various production tasks and situations based on their previous experience, creates conditions for increasing students’ motivation and creative self-realization, and develops their intellectual abilities.
 The pedagogical conditions for the implementation of project activities by future teachers of vocational education are highlighted, taking into account their level of training and individual capabilities. Classifications of projects are highlighted according to the following essential characteristics: dominant activity, subject-matter areas; the nature of relationships and coordination of the project; the number of project participants, and its duration. Methodological aspects and stages of project implementation in the course of mastering the basics of pedagogical management are revealed. Conclusions have been made regarding the fact that the project learning technology is a modern tool for the personality’s comprehensive development in the course of training future masters of professional education. The usage of technology creates opportunities to combine traditional teaching methods with active and interactive ones. It makes it possible to actualize, integrate and practice acquired knowledge, abilities, and skills. While using project learning technology, the teacher can use a set of search, research, and creative didactic tools. The usage of project technology in the course of master of vocational education training creates comprehensive opportunities for the formation of professional knowledge and skills, abilities and skills of self-organization in one’s pedagogical activities, development of critical thinking, the ability to search for information and innovative activities.

Instructional design and instructional effectiveness in virtual classrooms: Research trends and challenges

This literature review aimed to examine the status, trends and tendencies in publications about virtual classrooms, instructional design in the virtual classroom and instructional effectiveness in the virtual classroom, as indexed in the ERIC database. For this review, we examined 2680 publications indexed in ERIC between 1994 and 2018. We collected data with data mining and utilised several Python libraries as resources for developing the analysis plan. The results of the analysis are presented in visual form. For each of the three subject matter areas examined in this study, we present the themes in the publications by years, titles, abstracts and ERIC descriptors. We report in detail the trends and challenges that emerged from the analysis. The results show that the words “learning”, “online”, and “environment” were prominent in each of the three subject matter areas. The primary topics addressed were literacy and curriculum development, and researchers examined the roles of instructors, learners and managers.
 Implications for practice or policy:
 
 This review will be a useful resource for scientists, researchers and policymakers who conduct studies on the virtual classroom.
 Instruction should be planned according to differences in instructor, learner and manager roles, as revealed by the studies.
 Practitioners who want to teach in virtual classrooms can also use it as a guide.

Attributes Contributing Core Competencies: A Study of KVK Personnel in Bihar and Jharkhand States

The KVKs provide multidisciplinary and broad based technological interventions to enable farmers manage their farm in a sustainable and integrated manner. This demands enhanced manpower not only in terms of number but also covering the most important subject matter areas relevant to the district. Personal, communication, motivational and leadership skills are considered important for problem solving and attaining the objective of any organization. This study considered 123 personnel working under the jurisdiction of ATARI, Patna. Semi structured questionnaire (using Google form) seeking qualitative and quantitative data was used as measurement tool. It was found that the respondents were working under the Administrative control of ICAR, SAU of the zone, NGOs and State Government. Majority of the respondents perceived themselves having good to very good personal skills, communication skills and the skills to identify and solve field level problem. The administrative control of KVK, area of specialization and academic qualification were positively significantly correlated with level of knowledge, whereas designation, age, gender and marital status were positively non-significantly correlated, but distance was negatively non-significantly correlated with the level of knowledge. The leadership qualities were significantly positively correlated with distance, administrative control of KVKs, academic qualification, area of specialization, whereas designation, age, gender and marital status were negatively non-significantly correlated. The multiple regression analysis showed that four variables namely administrative control, academic qualification, area of specialization and experience contributed significantly to level of knowledge. The leadership qualities contributed significantly by administrative control, academic qualification and area of specialization.

The Patchwork Quilt of Gender Equality: How State Equal Rights Amendments Can Impact the Federal Equal Rights Amendment

After progress on the federal Equal Rights Amendment stalled in the late 1970s, states began to take matters into their own hands by adopting their own Equal Rights Amendments. In the forty-plus years since the federal Equal Rights Amendment was initially passed by Congress, twenty-eight states have adopted some form of their own Equal Rights Amendment. In that time, both state and federal courts have been tasked with interpreting these state Equal Rights Amendment. This decisional authority is uniquely relevant to the question of how the federal Equal Rights Amendment is likely to be interpreted if and when it is made a part of the United States Constitution. This essay endeavors to explore the subject matter areas in which state Equal Rights Amendment litigation has been prevalent and how that litigation is likely to impact the interpretation of the federal Equal Rights Amendment.

HIV Policy Advancements in PEPFAR Partner countries: a review of data from 2010–2016

ABSTRACT This paper aims to describe and analyse progress with domestic HIV-related policies in PEPFAR partner countries, utilising data collected as part of PEPFAR’s routine annual program reporting from U.S. government fiscal years 2010 through 2016. 402 policies were monitored for one or more years across more than 50 countries using the PEPFAR policy tracking tool across five policy process stages: 1. Problem identification, 2. Policy development, 3. Policy endorsement, 4. Policy implementation, and 5. Policy evaluation. This included 219 policies that were adopted and implemented by partner governments, many in Africa. Policies were tracked across a wide variety of subject matter areas, with HIV Testing and Treatment being the most common. Our review also illustrates challenges with policy reform using varied, national examples. Challenges include the length of time (often years) it may take to reform policies, local customs that may differ from policy goals, and insufficient public funding for policy implementation. Limitations included incomplete data, variability in the amount of data provided due to partial reliance on open-ended text boxes, and data that reflect the viewpoints of submitting PEPFAR country teams.

Technology Focus: Formation Evaluation (August 2020)

A century after the 1918 flu pandemic, much of the world in early 2020 was experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown except a few places such as parts of Northern Europe. The reduced global demand for oil was one of the main reasons that the May futures contract for West Texas Intermediate crude fell to an unbelievable low level in late April. It was indeed an unprecedented historical moment. What has this to do with petroleum engineering in general and formation evaluation in particular? A lot. In the short term, universities would experience significantly reduced enrollments in petroleum engineering and probably geoscience majors. The industry is quickly losing experienced hands and subject-matter experts; thus, activities in innovation and new technology development would suffer. Consequently, limited numbers of professionals and fewer new business impact solutions would be available when needed in the near future when the business comes back. Therefore, we must have a longer-term vision for business planning, balancing short-term challenges with long-term perspectives. This is especially true for professional retention and development. Individually and collectively, we are currently facing undeniable difficult times. But, as has been said, challenges are also opportunities. It is a proper time for all of us to pause a bit and formulate way-forward plans that suit our needs. It is surely a good time to recharge ourselves with newly emerging skills to meet the anticipated future needs through various resources such as online training and webinars offered by service providers or from professional societies such as SPE. In any case, oil will still be an irreplaceable resource that the world needs in the foreseeable future, and formation evaluation is a critical subject-matter area that the industry cannot exist without - from resources exploration, to field development, to production, all the way to abandonment. We should sharpen our tools when we can so we will not be regretful when the time of needs comes.