Search Results for
"Article"

This study explores the critical role of STEM education in equipping students for the challenges of the 21st century and examines the effectiveness of Online Learning Environments (OLEs) in delivering such education. The purpose of this research is to identify the essential characteristics of effective OLEs and provide a comprehensive blueprint for their development. Utilizing a systematic review and qualitative synthesis of 228 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2023, the study adopts a rigorous methodological approach following PRISMA guidelines to analyze key trends, themes, and actionable insights. Findings reveal 46 essential features of optimal OLEs, categorized into ten themes: future-proofing, brain-based approaches, diverse learning mechanisms, high-fidelity implementation, instructional design perspectives, advanced technologies, online learning objects, pedagogical approaches, psychological considerations, and usability factors. These findings emphasize the integration of innovative technologies and pedagogical strategies to create engaging, inclusive, and adaptive learning environments tailored to diverse learner needs. The study concludes with a comprehensive blueprint designed to guide educators, policymakers, and technology developers in creating OLEs that enhance engagement and learning outcomes in STEM education. Practical implications include actionable recommendations for integrating emerging technologies, fostering professional development, and addressing accessibility challenges to democratize STEM education and prepare learners for the digital economy. © 2024 by the author; licensee Learning Gate.

The paper investigates the experiences and perceptions of the elementary school teachers implementing a self-designed Holistic Assessment Framework (HAF). This is a transformative multidimensional assessment framework focused on transforming the assessment practices in elementary education, making them more diverse as well as holistic, tailored to the unique needs of the learners. The HAF reflects in detail the progress as well as the uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domain. It follows a participatory, inclusive, and learner centric approach and includes assessments of dimensions-physical development, socio-emotional and ethical development, cognitive development, language, and literacy development, and, aesthetic and cultural development. The teachers’ discourses based on the implementation of this framework on Grade I students presented as a case. Semi-structured interviews were conducted of elementary teachers (n = 17). The applicability of the framework was determined with the help of hybrid approach including deductive and inductive analysis of the data obtained on the predetermined themes. The paper contributes to the ongoing discourse of HAF, presenting valuable insights on application of holistic assessments and practical insights in a real-world context for teachers and parents. The assessment framework guides and empower teachers to conduct effective learner centric assessments to improve learning and confidence in their students. This framework can be adopted by teachers to incorporate holistic assessments for taking the traditional assessment system towards student centricity and completeness. © 2024 Published by KURA Education & Publish-ing. This is an open access article under the CC.

Purpose: This article aims to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges clinical supervisors’ experience when supervising students’ professional learning in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 healthcare professionals, who are experienced clinical supervisors. They were employed either in a hospital ward or in one of two municipal care units. Findings: The findings showed that clinical supervisors must navigate a complex landscape of challenges to ensure students’ professional learning. They had to balance their regular duties with the time and effort required for supervision. Prominent challenges were ensuring students met their learning objectives and determining when to allow students to handle tasks independently. The supervisors also faced challenges that were beyond their control. Their workplace conditions were not designed to accommodate students effectively. They struggled with negative attitudes from colleagues towards student supervision and they wanted the clinic managers to be more involved. The gap between the university’s educational demands and the realities of the workplace also presented supervisors with a significant challenge. Originality/value: Apart from unique empirical material depicting clinical supervisors’ experiences of student supervision, the value of this study lies in the recommendation that supervisors have clear requirements from higher educational institutions, but of equal importance is that these requirements align with the conditions in the workplace. Further studies are necessary to understand the role that workplace conditions play for clinical supervisors in creating supportive learning environments that facilitate students in their journey to becoming established professionals. © 2024, Maria Gustavsson and Ann-Charlotte Bivall.

Students in higher education are supposed to develop various generic skills that are applicable across domains. To streamline the development of these skills, learning trajectories for skills are designed and implemented in educational programmes. The aim of this review study was to provide insight in design choices of these learning trajectories for skills (reason to start, goals, process, product, evaluation) and in helping and hindering factors for the development and implementation of these learning trajectories. The analysis of 13 articles showed that visualisation techniques, curriculum mapping, and curriculum sequencing are frequently used to present the curriculum of the educational programme with the learning trajectories for generic skills. Although different educational programmes often provide comparable reasons to develop a skills learning trajectory and aim to achieve comparable goals, the design of skills learning trajectories appears to differ a lot between programmes. Various factors appear to help or hinder a successful implementation of learning trajectories, but especially the engagement of educational staff and their workload play an important role. The study findings will be illustrated by concrete cases of learning trajectories for generic skills. Moreover, the scientific and practical implications of the study for developing such learning trajectories will be discussed. © © Author(s)

Competency is the core of vocational and professional training. Under the current situation in the development of music therapy higher education in China, this article analyzes the core characteristics and practical application of the competency-based education (CBE) model and puts forward reflections on the development and implementation of the CBE model in music therapy higher education in China. It is suggested that the music therapy professional competencies in Chinese higher education need multidimensional cooperation and mutual concern among colleges and universities, professional associations, and the job market, and the effect of “professional competencies” on the music therapy profession in China and their contribution to professionalization should be discussed. © 2024 Inspirees International.

With the rapid development of global industrialization and technology, the demand for skills in the labor market is constantly changing, and traditional vocational training methods are no longer able to meet the dynamic needs of modern workplaces. The aim of this study is to design a novel intelligent training system that can accurately predict future vocational skill needs and provide personalized training plans based on this. To achieve this goal, the article combines deep learning techniques with skill graph methods. Specifically, by analyzing large-scale occupational datasets, deep learning models can be used to identify key skill transitions and emerging skills. Secondly, constructing a skill graph reveals the correlations and evolutionary paths between different skills; Finally, based on the individual's learning process and career goals, a customized learning path and career development recommendations are provided through an intelligent recommendation system. In terms of career development speed, the e-commerce industry is leading at an average rate of 16 months per promotion, indicating that the system may help e-commerce industry practitioners to achieve rapid career advancement. Research has shown that this intelligent training system can significantly improve the pertinence and efficiency of training, and has important practical value in promoting employment, adapting to changes in industry demand, and personal career development. © 2024 IEEE.

The emergence of electric vehicle (EV) technology has become a crucial factor in the global economy and is closely tied to the development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. This review paper explores the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in promoting sustainable development and social equity. Employing a systematic literature review approach, leveraging a range of secondary data sources, such as peer-reviewed academic articles and industry reports. Reviewed findings indicates that despite progress, gaps persist in preparing the workforce for emerging industries and insufficient social fairness. The study offers recommendations to instructors, policymakers, and industry leaders on integrating sustainability into TVET curricula, policies, and partnerships to enhance its impact on sustainable development. © 2024 IEEE.

This article belongs to the context-aware multimedia applications, from the point of view of technical education. Through the analysis, we present an assessment and types of modeling for augmented reality applications that operate in real spaces. We present the innovation frontiers of a pedagogical proposal for the educational standards of Vocational Education and Training in Greece. We based our analysis on the "digital factor"as the basic "tool"for designing virtual representations. In our paper, we also present the basic areas that knowledge standards apply especially for virtual representations, as well as the real problems of augmented reality applications for management and automation of systems operating in real spaces. © 2024 IEEE.

This article examines the features of computer modeling of functional 3D objects using the SolidWorks software suite, which is an integral component in the training of future engineers and vocational education teachers. The SolidWorks software suite provides tools not only for creating three-dimensional models but also for analyzing the mechanical properties of parts and visualizing the technical condition of objects. This enables future engineers and vocational education teachers to better understand the principles of designing and analyzing complex part structures. A step-by-step algorithm for computer modeling has been developed, from creating a basic sketch to completing a three-dimensional model of a functional object. It has been established that the computer modeling process allows for the selection of appropriate tools and commands for creating geometric transformations of objects and setting parameters. This ensures high accuracy in constructing a computer model according to its geometric parameters. It has been established that the modern approach to computer modeling in the educational process demonstrates the implementation of innovative technological solutions to improve the quality of training in higher education institutions. It has been determined that the proposed approach will not only help future engineers and vocational education teachers develop practical skills but also contribute to a deeper understanding of engineering concepts. © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate.

Background/purpose: Dental internship training is crucial for the professional development of dental graduates in preparation for independent practice. In the United Arab Emirates, dental internship programs have been established for many years; however, outcome reports from the interns’ perspectives are still lacking. The aim of this study, therefore, was to evaluate interns’ perceptions and experiences with dental internship programs in the United Arab Emirates. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on dental interns enrolled in internship programs in the year 2020/2021. Participants rated their experience using a validated questionnaire covering nine clinical domains with a 4-point Likert scale and responded to open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Windows version 28, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) while textual data were analyzed using the Framework Analysis approach. An independent t-test was employed to compare male and female participants in each survey domain. Results: Two hundred and fifty-five interns responded (90 males, 165 females; response rate: 80.6%). The majority of participants rated their experience “well” or “very well”; however, “poor” or “very poor” performance in surgical periodontics (49%), trauma management, tissue biopsy (50%), and restoration of dental implants (60%) were reported. No gender differences were observed across the different domains. Open textual responses focused on the clinical aspects of the programs with demands for more complex and challenging cases. Conclusion: The outcomes of dental internship programs in the United Arab Emirates were overall positive, reflecting a very adequate preparedness for practice. Areas of weakness in dental implant restoration, esthetic and digital dentistry, and surgical periodontics were reported with a need for increasing the scholarly activity component. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Bentham Open.