Journal articles on the topic 'Student-centered learning – Ethiopia – Case studies'

A growing body of research indicates that teaching is the most important determinant of student learning in higher education (HE). However, HE teachers have a persistent challenge to transform pedagogical practices from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach. In this study, the authors employed a phenomenological-case study design to examine the teachers’ lived experiences with cooperative learning (CL) pedagogies as applied in the undergraduates’ classrooms in a large public university in Ethiopia. The authors collected the relevant data from two teacher participants through both reflection and a semi-structured interview, along with document analysis of course-related material. The teacher participants felt that their involvement in the CL lessons gave them insight to understand strategies used to implement CL and practical learning opportunities on how to use it as one variant of student-centered teaching methods. As the teacher interviewees suggested, the CL lessons helped them change their mindset from traditional lecture-based teaching to a student-centered approach and transform their pedagogical practices. The results of this study suggest that CL pedagogies offer teachers with professional development opportunities for a meaningful transformation of their roles in HE classrooms. Additionally, the results have important practical implications for many HE institutions (HEIs) and their teachers who work with undergraduate students.

One of the main tasks of higher education institutions is to attract their customers with its quality education. To improve education practices and to meet the challenges of an ever-changing environment, it is vital to introduce a paradigm shift in education. Hence, what we teach to our students is not enough, the way we teach them is what matters the most. There are several factors, which can serve as indicators of quality education. The demands, needs, expectations of the learners have changed. Accordingly, the primary goal of education is to provide the quality that ensures contemporary students not only with subject knowledge but also with the key skills needed for the 21st century world. Although the concept of student-centeredness is not new, challenges still exist concerning incorporating all characteristics and elements of the student-centered learning approach in Higher Education Institutions in Georgia. According to the previous studies, it is noticeable that the lack of resources and staff training are some of the hindering factors to create and maintain student-centeredness in HEIs (Tvalchrelidze & Alkesidze, 2019). The paper sheds light on the significance of making the classroom environment student-centered, as it can boost and maintain the quality of education for all students (Harris, Spina, Ehrich & Smeed, 2013; Vavrus, Thomas, Bartlett, 2011). The primary objective of this paper is to identify teachers’ perceptions of student-centered learning, along with the current instructional practices and challenges in the case of Higher Education Institutions in Georgia. Hence, it examines the level of integration of studentcentered strategies in the classrooms. For this reason, the quantitative paradigm was applied, as the methodology for the research. The research was carried out among lecturers from three different universities. The results depict that there is still a gap between the practical application of the student-centered learning methods and the perception of the concept, which can have an impact on ensuring quality education. Based on the gained data, it could be seen that less than 40% of lecturers from three different universities fully integrate student-centered learning methods. Furthermore, the research reveals some barriers that hinder the process of promoting the student-centered learning environment. Consequently, based on the findings the conclusions and recommendations were made. To deal with the hindering factors that were identified through this research, it is vital to modify and enhance institutionallevel approaches.

The goal of many environmental studies programs is to immerse students in real-world learning contexts while also contributing to the improvement of environmental conditions in local regions. Watersheds provide an excellent integrating context in which to pursue these complementary goals. For instance, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is a well-known national treasure that is experiencing many of the environmental problems facing watersheds everywhere, primarily centered on water pollution from anthropogenic sources. This paper describes the approach used in one particular course at a small liberal arts institution to facilitate student learning about and contribution to local watershed issues.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to serve as a summary of resources on flipped learning for workplace learning professionals. A recent buzzword in the training world is “flipped”. Flipped learning and the flipped classroom are hot topics that have emerged in K-12 education, made their way to the university and are now being noticed by the corporate world. Unfortunately many learning professionals have misconceptions about what it really means to flip a learning experience, and little literature exists to support implementation of flipped learning in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology adopted in this article is a literature review. Findings – The paper presents several tools for moving lecture outside of the classroom and for making class time more student-centered through active learning techniques. Practical implications – This paper discusses the benefits and challenges of a flipped learning approach, both in general and specifically in the workplace. Additionally, the paper explores several case studies of flipped learning use in the workplace. Originality/value – The paper is a literature review that explores the definition of flipped learning as a learner-centered approach to education and looks at two models of flipped learning with applicability to workplace settings.

In the face of mounting evidence revealing active learning approaches result in improved student learning outcomes compared to traditional passive lecturing, there is a growing need to change the way instructors teach large introductory science courses. However, a large proportion of STEM faculty continues to use traditional instructor-centered lectures in their classrooms. In an effort to create a low barrier approach for the implementation of active learning pedagogies in introductory science courses, flipped classroom modules for large enrollment general chemistry course sequence have been created. Herein is described how student response systems (clickers) and problem-based case studies have been used to increase student engagement, and how flipped classroom modules have integrated these case studies as collaborative group problem solving activities in 250–500 seat lecture halls. Preliminary evaluation efforts found the flipped classroom modules provided convenient access to learning materials that increased the use of active learning in lecture and resulted in a significant improvement in the course grade point average (GPA) compared to a non-flipped class. These results suggest this approach to implementing a flipped classroom can act as a model for integrating active learning into large enrollment introductory chemistry courses that yields successful outcomes.

At The research is aimed at describing the implementation of equity education evaluation program of equity education paket B for wajar dikdas 9th year at sub province Gorontalo. Design of this research is qualitative with use phenomenology approach and design multi cases. Base of decided to use this approach is (1) this research have been done at nature background and two sided background different case; (2) this research use human as important instrument; (3) this research more focus to process, not result. For implementation this multi cases studies as base as opinion that multi cases studies is a study with detail with two or more background with have different characteristic, a subject, documents or a happen. This research use snowball sampling technic, (1) deep interview; (2) participation observation; (3) documentation study. Informer decided with purposive technic source triangulation, And than did evaluation of credibility, dependability, and confirmability. Data analysis include: (1) case individual analysis and (2) analysis multicases. Result of this research is (1) Content program: (a) curriculum centered, (b) application for skill, (c) program purpose to student potential. (2) Learning: (a) community centre, (b) environment student, (c) program structural flexsibility, (d) student centered, (e) user resourch. (3) Program assurance: (a) innisiative organization and participative student and decentralitation, (b) democrazy.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of competency-oriented clinical laboratory teaching combined with case-based learning (CBL) and improve the examination of students’ competence of laboratory medicine. Methods A total of 107 medical laboratory medicine interns at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from June 2017 to July 2019 volunteered to participate in the study and were randomly assigned into a control group with training of the traditional teacher-centered method, and an experimental group under a CBL teaching program. Student basic theory tests and skill assessment were designed to evaluate what the students gained from their internship when they completed their studies at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University. Results Compared to students in the control group taught with the teacher-centered method, those in the CBL teaching program had significantly higher theory test scores and skill assessment scores on average. Competencies with particularly significant improvement included identification and processing of instrument alarm information, analysis of test results, identification and solution of the problem, as well as identification and reporting of the critical value and clinical communication. Conclusions The competency-oriented teaching method combined with CBL is an effective method for improving students’ professional knowledge, increasing language expression, and enhancing interpersonal relationship and teamwork, which is worthy of being promoted in laboratory medicine teaching.

Purpose Problem-based learning (PBL) has long been a regular feature in professions outside K-12 education and is growing in social studies education in recent years. PBL is built around student inquiry into an “ill-structured” or “messy” problem (Wieseman and Cadwell, 2005, p. 11). These inquiries are open ended, largely autonomous and student driven (Savin-Baden, 2014). The collaborative nature of PBL scenarios allows students to work with real-world concepts and skills to solve problems (Ferreira and Trudel, 2012). This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes an innovative strategy for PBL learning, an Escape the Room (ETR) activity centered on historical content knowledge – in this case, the First World War. The activity incorporates a series of ill-structured problems with the First World War as its historical context. Findings The paper concludes with a discussion of the utility of PBL activities like “ETR” and possible applications in the classroom for teachers. Originality/value There has been significant research in PBL activities but little in the specific application of “ETR” scenarios, a rising trend in commercially available activities. The potential for student inquiry and engagement is a rich field for social studies educators.

There is not a single definition/explanation about market-orientation education. Two opposite definitions/explanations of pure market-oriented education (Cato, 2010) and social-market-oriented education (Amaratunga, 2009) are provided in the paper. Integrated multiple criteria analysis at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels are needed to increase efficiency of the market-oriented higher education reforms. Market-oriented higher education reforms management involves numerous aspects that should be considered in addition to making educational, pedagogical, didactical, economic, political and legal/regulatory decisions. These must include social, culture, ethical, psychological, environmental, technological, technical, organizational and managerial aspects. This article presents a Life Cycle Process Model of a Market-Oriented and Student Centered Higher Education (developed during BELL-CURVE (Built Environment Lifelong Learning Challenging University Responses to Vocational Education) project's activities) for such considerations and discusses certain composite parts of it. To demonstrate the application of this research, two Case Studies from Lithuania are submitted for consideration.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share the ways in which student and learning support at the University of Sunderland has embedded and matured a new outcome-centered performance model – the Quality Model – in order to create an agile evidence-base of value, outcome and impact evidence. The authors will also share how, having established the fundamental principles regarding value and impact capture in our library setting, the concepts and approaches have also been developed and applied successfully within the context of multi-converged service delivery across the wider student and learning support service, using the AMOSSHE Value and Impact Toolkit. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ approach will be illustrated with two case studies, the first focusing on the university library services and the second on the student counseling service. Findings The findings will reveal that by establishing an outcome-focused model, the authors have been able to apply it across a converged service in order to generate the evidence required to articulate the value and impact of our key service objectives. Originality/value As a performance approach, the Quality Model is an original concept in that it is a self-formed model designed to meet the strategic needs of the University of Sunderland. It differs from many performance models in that it is founded on a holistic approach to service culture and customer-relationship management and is based upon strategic marketing principles. The AMOSSHE Toolkit is a pre-existing toolkit which is fully referenced in the paper. The Quality Model and AMOSSHE Toolkit are of particular relevance as many higher education services are increasingly challenged to demonstrate their value and impact and the outcomes their services deliver. This calls for a strategic approach to managing qualitative evidence. Therefore, although bespoke, the approach is transferable to the strategic priorities of other HE settings.

Seasoned educators use an assortment of student-centered methods and tools to enhance their students learning environment. In respects to methodologies used in accounting, educators have utilized and created new forms of problem-based learning exercises, including case studies, simulations, and other projects, to help students become more active versus passive learners. New instructional technologies have also aided in and supported the development of more efficient and effective instructional and learning environments. As a result, these new innovations have proven very effective in delivering and using educational information. The increased utilization of new technologies, user-friendly software, and advanced forms of delivery systems has allowed teachers to engage more students in the learning process. As a result, these new methodologies and tools have enables the students to access, communicate, and share more information more efficiently and effectively in and out of the classroom. This article helps to review some of the more common methods and tools which are being utilized by seasoned instructors.

This study examines the influence of adopting a student-centered active learning approach based on selfdetermination theory (SDT) to develop independent and motivated first-year Australian business undergraduates. Existing literature demonstrates how active learningapproaches can help to improve student motivation. However, there are no empirical studies to assess the influence of active learningclassroom activities on student academic performance during their first year of tertiary studies. The aim of our study is to contribute to knowledge by integrating self-determination theory, and ‘at-home ethnographic’ research approach to reflect on how active learning-classroom strategies can help tertiary business students become independent learners and improve their academic performance. The active learning-classroom approach included a scaffolded assessment structure; timely and ongoing tutor feedback on assessment criteria and learning outcomes of the scaffolded assessments; and social/peerbased learning activities within and outside of the classroom to support student performance. The authors draw on an ‘at-home ethnographic’ research approach, which allowed the teaching team to use their observations during the 13 weeks of teaching, and team reflections, to describe not only what they witnessed, but also their experiences of how students interacted, and what they did within the classroom environment. The study shows that students became autonomous and positively benefited from the scaffolded assessment structure while evolving to become competent, independent learners due to the continuous feedback they received on their assessments, and to the active peer learning within and outside of the classroom. Moreover, the group assessments provided a platform to engage with academic literature, which, in turn, helped students to challenge their understanding of the concepts by engaging in critical analysis with their peers. The findings can help future tertiary learning designers to develop first year assessments that will support students to become independent learners and reduce the level of attrition during the first year of tertiary education

Student-centered learning approaches such as project-based learning and flipped classroom stress the active role of the learner by applying knowledge rather than absorbing knowledge, and preparing higher education students for professional development. Student-centered learning environments are more effective when students regulate their learning and learn autonomously. There-fore, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a proposed ap-proach of flipped project-based learning on various facets of students' self-regulated learning, including motivational beliefs and learning strategies in higher education. A flipped project-based learning environment was designed and developed to improve students’ self-regulated learning skills. In this regard, multiple case studies were conducted according to a pretest-posttest quasi-experiment design to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed approach by four groups of students from different disciplines. The study employed a mixed-method research approach for data collection. Overall, the results re-vealed that the flipped project-based learning approach significantly enhanced students’ self-regulated learning skills. It was found that the approach fostered the students’ self-regulation performance among different groups across dif-ferent disciplines and levels.
 Moreover, participants also claimed that the approach was useful and ef-fective. The findings indicated that students who actively engaged within flipped PBL activities demonstrated increases in cognitive and metacognitive functioning both individually and collaboratively. This study contributes to an advance in the understanding of how the development of SRL can be inte-grated into a flipped project-based learning environment in higher education.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the data conversation moves enacted by leaders and to bridge organizational leadership for equity and data-informed decision making to practice. I argue that data discussion moves with the purpose of improving equity and learning must reflect core tenets of organizational leadership for equity—specifically eliminating deficit thinking and focusing on inquiry for improvement. Research Method: I employ case study methods to explore how data use routines and discussion moves unfold in context. The analysis for this article stems from data collected over a 2-year period at an elementary school, consisting of 106.5 hours of observation, 25 semistructured interviews, and document reviews. Analysis was an iterative process, beginning with holistic case studies, open coding, and then a focused coding that lead to a finalized typology of data conversation moves. Findings: Leaders engaged in data conversation moves that invited an inquiry stance and a strength-based approach to understanding how student data could inform instructional improvement and support, such as (a) Triangulating, (b) Reframing Deficit Thinking to Building on Student Learning Assets, (c) Pedagogical Linking and Student-Centered Positioning, and (d) Extending. Implications: This study contributes to the growing body of research that examines the micro-processes of data use practice by honing in on conversation moves that educators engage in to shift discussion toward student learning and professional inquiry. The findings highlight how data use for inquiry, learning, and equity requires leadership practices that forge capacity building routines with facilitation of data conversation moves.

Even if the topics are abstract in biology education, they are very suitable for association to daily life. The context-based learning approach is one of the approaches that is student-centered and provides a connection between daily life and scientific knowledge. Research has determined that the context-based learning approach increases the students’ learning about the subject, their interest, and motivation by using examples from daily life. In Turkey, the context-based approach first began to be used in chemistry education. This approach was first applied in biology education in 2008. Nineteen theses and articles completed regarding the context-based approach in biology education in Turkey were encountered when researched. All of these studies were done by using experimental methods. It was determined in research conducted with students of different age groups that context-based learning has a positive effect on motivation as well as on academic success. The effect of the method can be investigated by studying different subjects within biology and with different sample groups.

Citizenship as associated with educational learning facilitates getting ready our young graduates for the challenges and prospects of a changing world. Citizenship is becoming the key subject in teaching and learning. It is an entrance to a more comprehensive society. So, it is indispensable to explore the function of universities in developing citizenship among graduates. A survey research method is adopted. A questionnaire based study of a sample of fifteen hundred Master level graduates from fifteen public/private universities of Pakistan is therefore undertaken. Analysis of data revealed that a substantial number of the graduates having civic characteristics, were significantly in favor to develop sense of responsibility, leadership skills, curricular and co-curricular activities, knowledge of current World events, civic research and facilities, law and religious studies, civic literacy and ethical awareness, crime prevention and human rights. It is suggested that there should be no gap among learners, faculty and the management for humanizing the civic characteristics and the accessibility as well as sustainability of the civic services in the universities. The faculty and management may be dedicated to student centered learning and the course learning and deliberate conclusions may be focused.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to adapt the principles of Academagogy (McAuliffe et al., 2009; McAuliffe and Winter, 2014) in Corporate Training. Academagogy is an amalgamation of learning theories, viz. pedagogy (teacher-centered learning); andragogy (student-centered learning); and, heutagogy (self-determined learning). 10;While the original paper by McAuliffe et al. focused on the application of Academagogical principles to higher education in a university, this case study extends Academagogy into corporate training. Design/methodology/approach Academagogy-based learning interventions were implemented in training programs conducted at IIC Academy. The study-sample comprised 144 trainees divided into the experiment and the control groups. Academagogical interventions were applied to the experiment group, whereas the control group followed conventional methods. Controlled quasi-experiment and statistical analyses were used as research tools in this case study. Findings The performance scores of the participants' at entry-level were analyzed through propensity score matching and chi-square tests. The results concluded that the experiment and the control group had no selection bias. 10; 10;The treatment effect applied to the experiment group was studied using scatter-plots and effect size analyses. 10; 10;The results indicate that the academagogical interventions markedly improved behavioral and professional skills among participants of the experiment group, which showed up in their superior performance, both during training and at work. Research limitations/implications This case study has two major limitations, viz. the sample population was homogenous; the batch-size was limited to 15 participants, which facilitated closer monitoring of the course. Originality/value Academagogical interventions were implemented in a corporate setting as opposed to earlier studies which focused on a university setting and academic environs.

Small class size is often used as an indicator of quality in higher education, and some research suggests that instructors in smaller classes more often use activities that are learner-centered and that involve physical and mental activity on the part of learners, such as group work, simulations, and case studies. However, we have little information on how instructors change their pedagogical practice when they teach in large- versus small-class settings. In this study, we examine alignment between intended and enacted teaching strategies, or initial plans and specific ways in which instructors reported altering their teaching in the context of a university policy shift to smaller classes. Furthermore, we examine instructional challenges in this shift to call attention to professional development needs of small-class teaching and to best leverage the benefits of such activities for student performance and retention.

quipping young people with livelihood skills is essential for positive youth development and empowerment as they transition into adulthood to become productive and engaged members of their communities. In Uganda, which may be the case in other nations of Sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere, even though many youth are becoming better educated and graduating from high schools and colleges, a majority of these graduates remain either unemployed or underemployed. Many have not acquired the necessary skills to transition from school to becoming employable and self-reliant. This phenomenon has been attributed to an outdated curriculum that does not meet the needs of contemporary times. Further, the mode of instruction in most of Uganda’s schools is teacher-centered and provides little room for student engagement and creativity to generate new knowledge, to have authentic learning experiences, or to reflect. Such challenges may be overcome through student-centered learning approaches involving School-Based, Agripreneurship Projects (SAPs) that integrate Youth-Adult Partnerships (YAPs), as were explored in this study. Evaluation of the students’ experiences through deductive and inductive thematic analysis indicated that they acquired knowledge in poultry science, business, agripreneurship, and life skills, including better communication, leadership, and conflict resolution practices. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to determine the longterm effectiveness and impact of SAPs facilitated by Y-APs on improving youth livelihoods, especially that prepare them with the life skills necessary to be productive citizens. Such research could involve cohort or panel investigations. Keywords: entrepreneurship; positive youth development (PYD); project-based learning (PjBL)

The extent and importance of web-based learning in higher education have increased tremendously in the last decade, triggered by new educational technologies and pedagogical approaches. Higher education lecturing has traditionally followed a teacher-centered approach, with lecturers giving classes in the classroom and students performing out-of-class activities. Under this traditional approach, the main actor in the teaching-learning process is the lecturer, while students play a passive role. The flipped classroom emphasizes the role of the student in the center of the learning environment and facilities an active learning pedagogy. This paper reviews the most recent case studies related to the flipped classroom approach in order to provide educators guidelines on the best practices, traits, and merits of the flipped classroom. A total of 22 case studies were included in this qualitative review of the flipped classroom. The methodological inquiry followed the PRISMA flow diagram that identified an initial pool of 3,764 articles. Upon identification of relevant case studies (n=22), a five-point Likert-type sentiment rating was assigned as the basis to structure the discussion. The rating was based on the students’ perceptions of the flipped classrooms as investigated in the articles. The assessment confirms that the majority of students have a positive perception of this learning pedagogy. However, there are concerns about increased workload for students, ambiguity in expected learning outcomes, and an initial barrier to actively contribute; these are the primary implications of this review.

Abstrak: Dengan pesatnya perkembangan teknologi media di semua bidang termasuk di bidang pendidikan, proses pembelajaran bahasa asing juga telah berubah secara permanen. Penggunaan media digital dalam kegiatan belajar mengajar, baik di dalam maupun di luar kelas menjadi sangat penting untuk dilakukan. Penelitian yang sedang berlangsung ini merupakan penelitian eksploratif dan deskriptif untuk memaksimalkan penggunaan media digital dalam metode pembelajaran yang berpusat pada siswa (Student Centered Learning/SCL). Berbagai materi pembelajaran yang diperoleh melalui media digital diintegrasikan ke dalam metode pembelajaran SCL, dengan studi kasus pada buku teks Netzwerk A1. Berdasarkan teori dari Astleitner (2000), Kron (2003, 2008), Astleitner dan Steinberg (2005), Budka and Mader (2006) dan Hillen dan Landis (2014) penelitian ini mencoba membuat peta metode SCL pembelajaran bahasa Jerman sebagai bahasa asing bagi pemula dengan menggunakan teknik dan bahan e-learning terutama untuk mahasiswa di Universitas Padjadjaran Bandung Indonesia dan untuk menerapkannya dalam proses belajarnya. Hasil pemetaan yang telah dilakukan menunjukkan bahwa data-data yang diperoleh melalui media digital lebih menekankan pada kompetensi berbicara (Sprechen). Metode SCL yang sangat mendukung capaian kompetensi berbicara melalui latihan berbasis e-learning ini adalah Role-Play & Simulation.Kata kunci: e-learning, SCL, bahasa Jerman, bahasa asing Abstract: With the rapid development of media technology in all areas including in education, the learning process of foreign language has also changed permanently. Using of digital media in teaching and learning activities, both inside and outside the classroom becomes very important to do. This ongoing research conducted explorative and descriptive studies to maximize the using of digital media in student-centered-learning methods (SCL). Various learning materials obtained through digital media are integrated into the SCL learning methods, with case studies in Netzwerk A1 textbooks. Based on the theories from Astleitner (2000), Kron (2003, 2008), Asleitner and Steinberg (2005), Budka und Mader (2006) and Hillen and Landis (2014) this research tries to make a map of the SCL-methods of learning German as a foreign language by using e-learning techniques and materials especially for the students at the University of Padjadjaran Indonesia and to implement it in its learning process. The results of the mapping that has been done showed that the materials obtained through digital media more emphasis on the speaking competence. SCL method that strongly supports this competence through this e-learning training is Role-Play & Simulation. Keywords: e-learning, SCL, German, foreign language

Purpose This paper aims to discuss how educators can teach sustainability-oriented capabilities (SOCs) using an active learning approach. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study methodology centered on a Brazilian business school, this research combines qualitative analysis of content, such as teacher notes and student work, with quantitative analysis of student grades. The authors used variance analysis and Bonferroni tests to establish whether the means of three test groups were significantly different. The authors also tested for normality, using the Skewness Kurtosis test, and for homoscedasticity, using Levene. Findings The authors’ findings suggest that the active learning (AL) method may be useful in developing SOCs related to the capabilities of “to know,” “to do,” “to interact” and “to be” because it improved student engagement in the program. In addition, this improved engagement was shown to have a positive influence on grades. Research limitations/implications Using convenience sampling, the authors studied a limited number of the mandatory management courses offered by Insper. There is a need to check for nonlinear positive effects over a more extended period of time and considering more courses. Practical implications This paper offers a practical and replicable technique for teaching SOCs in a business school context using AL. Originality/value The existing literature on education and sustainability discusses the role of business schools in the development of SOCs, especially with respect to curricular changes that integrate content and frameworks related to the conceptualization of sustainable development for business (Cebrián and Junyent, 2015; Cortese, 2003; Fairfield, 2018; Aleixo et al., 2020; Leal Filho, 2020; Arruda Filho et al., 2019). However, some studies suggest that the learning process at many business schools fails to explore the complexity of real life by not using a teaching approach that favors the development of SOCs (Leal Filho et al., 2015). Thus, prior studies have pointed to the need for further research on the impact of the active learning approach in teaching about sustainability (Leal Filho et al., 2015; Fisher and Bonn, 2011; Hesselbarth and Schaltegger, 2014). The aim of this research is to contribute to this discussion.

Background: Shifting method from teaching to learning approaches require students to take the initiative to learn more, while academic staff only acts as a facilitator and requires them to be able to manage learning activities well. Thus it is necessary for them to know several methods of essential student centered learning so they can select the most suitable type of learning method to achieve the learning competencies from a single subject. The objective of this study is to evaluate academic staff knowledge, students of Nutrition Department, Faculty of Public Health class of 2008 and 2009 and supporting staff’s knowledge about student learning centered method.Method: This research was conducted with the mixed method (embedded design, qualitative research as part of the quantitative research) with a primary emphasis on quantitative research involving all students of class 2008 and 2009, who are still in the academic phase, academic staff of nutritional department and supporting staff of Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University.Results: There are 3 methods most answer correctly by 54,5% of respondents that the advantages of using small group discussion, advantages of cooperative learning and problem based learning weaknesses. While the least correct answer is the advantage of problem-based learning method that is 4,5% respondents. For open questions, the most preferred methods are small group of, 18,2%; case studies of 18,2% and PBL of 13,6%. While the least preferred methods are cooperative learning and discovery learning 13,6%, respectively. This question is actually an open question so there were 27,3% of the respondents that did not answer; the preferred method or not.Conclusion: Respondents generally knew and heard the term SCL through correspondence, newspaper and faculty meetings. Respondents define SCL as learning with computers, in small rooms or some sort of FGD. In terms of the benefits of SCL respondents define it variously; to develop the potential and motivation of students, students more actively seek and accept; provide opportunities for students to obtain more sources, students find it easier to find lecture material”; student is more serious in his courses”; students more active in the lecture”; students are more self-sufficient“. Efforts made for the implementation of the SCL, according to in formant sare facilitating room equipments, props and LCD; expedite the administrative process; monitoring, inserting topics, and being ontime in the implementation of lecturers and improvementals of academic staff.

This paper completes a two-part series on graduate advising that integrates concepts from adult learning, leadership, and psychology into a conceptual framework for graduate advising. The companion paper discussed how to establish a learning-centered working relationship where advisor and graduate student collaborate in different roles to develop the student’s competence and confidence in all aspects of becoming a scientist. To put these ideas into practice, an advisor and a student need to communicate effectively. Here, we focus on the dynamics of day-to-day interactions and discuss (1) how to provide feedback that builds students’ competence and confidence, (2) how to choose the way we communicate and avoid a mismatch between verbal and nonverbal communication, and (3) how to prevent and resolve conflict. Miscommunication may happen out of a lack of understanding of the psychological aspects of human interactions. Therefore, we draw on concepts from Educational Transactional Analysis to provide advisors and students with an understanding of the psychological aspects of graduate advising as a basis for effective communication. Case studies illustrate the relevance of the concepts presented, and four worksheets ( Supplementary Material ) support their practical implementation.

This article describes an illustrative case of an online distance education course in introductory computing which aimed to empower learners by facilitating active learning in an innovative, high quality, and student-centered learning environment. This course was offered to 180 non-computing science students at a university in Hong Kong. In this article, this computing course will be first evaluated against the benchmarks established by The Institute for Higher Education Policy for ensuring quality in Internet-based distance education. Secondly, the effectiveness of the course was examined in two student tracking studies conducted before the mid-term and final examinations, respectively. Results showed that towards the end of the course, statistically significant differences in learners' behaviors were found, e.g., the use of self-assessment activities rose from an average of 1.27 hours per week prior to mid-term examination to 2.63 hours per week prior to final examination. It was also observed that students adjusted their studying methods and their attitudes towards the course over time. It is expected that by documenting this experience, some good practice in technology-mediated instruction can be identified.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess particular student outcomes when design thinking was integrated into an environmental engineering course. The literature is increasingly promoting design thinking for addressing societal and environmental sustainability engineering challenges. Design thinking is a human-centered approach that identifies needs upfront. Design/methodology/approach In an undergraduate engineering course, Design for the Environment, students have begun to obtain hands-on experience in applying design thinking to sustainability challenges. This case study investigates the association between the use of design thinking and student creativity with sustainability design solutions. Student perspectives on their own creativity and future sustainable design practices as a result of the course were also investigated. Findings The findings were favorable for design thinking, being associated with a significant difference and medium-to-large effect with regards to solution novelty. A qualitative analysis showed a positive association between design thinking and students’ perceptions of their creativity and future anticipated sustainability practices. Using a content analysis of reflective writings, students’ application of design thinking was assessed for comprehensiveness and correctness. A two-week introductory design-thinking module and significant use of in-class active learning were the course elements that most notably impacted students’ use of design thinking. Practical implications This case study preliminarily demonstrates that application of design thinking within an environmental engineering course may be associated with beneficial outcomes related to creativity and sustainability. Originality/value A review of the literature did not uncover studies of the use of design thinking for undergraduate socio-environmental challenges to promote creativity and sustainable-practices outcomes, although the literature has been calling for the marrying of these two areas.

Environmental communication is now an emerging and a significant curriculum from schools to research centers. The effective and efficient environmental communication occurs when learners interact with their surrounding environment/ecology in which they live and reciprocate for sustainable protection and restoration of it. Developing countries in Asia and Africa are now setting up new role models and practices in curricula of environmental communication. The traditional theory based environmental communication curriculum of the last century is now actively investigated and restructured through community based learning, affirmative actions, and student centered participatory curriculum. Kerala, a southern State in India, serves as an exemplar of this new eco-venture. Through case studies like, Nalla Paadam (Good Lesson), Palathulli Project (Many a Drop Project) by the Malayalam language daily ‘Malayala Manoram’, and SEED project by another Malayalam daily ‘Mathrubhumi’, this paper analyses the innovative curriculum practices in the state of Kerala in India.

SUMMARYLearning in the age of information superhighway necessitates a properly-developed efficient vehicle that is not only powerful in directing users to the needed information or to situate in a reality through virtual settings, but also controllable at the various comfortable paces. The goal of this project is to explore a new on-line medium for users to navigate at their own pace in the structured cyberspace—knowledge space composed of concepts, systems design, application-oriented case studies, up-to-date industrial news (trends and product review), and on-line robotic systems, and to use it as a robotics work-bench for conducting controllable experiments/simulations. Through such an electronic learning medium, users will be able to acquire a global outlook as well as an integrated understanding of modern robotics in a manner that is low-cost, time-and-place-free, and student-centered.

Interprofessional practice between pharmacists and nurses can involve pharmacokinetic dosing of medications in a hospital setting. This study describes student perceptions of an interprofessional collaboration pharmacokinetics simulation on the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) 2016 Core Competencies. The investigators developed a simulation activity for senior undergraduate nursing and second-year pharmacy students. Nursing and pharmacy students (n = 54, 91 respectively) participated in the simulation using medium-fidelity manikins. Each case represented a pharmacokinetic dosing consult (vancomycin, tobramycin, phenytoin, theophylline, or lidocaine). Nursing students completed head-to-toe assessment and pharmacy students gathered necessary information and calculated empiric and adjusted doses. Students communicated using SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation). Students participated in debrief sessions and completed an IRB-approved online survey. Themes from survey responses revealed meaningful perceptions in all IPEC competencies as well as themes of safety, advocacy, appreciation, and areas for improvement. Students reported learning effectively from the simulation experience. Few studies relate to this type of interprofessional education experience and this study begins to explore student perceptions of interprofessional education (IPE) in a health sciences clinical context through simulation. This real-world application of nursing and pharmacy interprofessional collaboration can positively affect patient-centered outcomes and safety.

Aim/Purpose: Enrollment in online doctoral programs has grown over the past decade. A sense of community, defined as feelings of closeness within a social group, is vital to retention, but few studies have explored how online doctoral students create community. Background: In this qualitative case study, I explore how students in one online doctoral program created a learning community. Methodology: Data for the study was drawn from 60 hours of video footage from six online courses, the message boards from the six courses, and twenty interviews with first and second-year students. Contribution: Findings from this study indicate that the structure of the social network in an online doctoral program is significantly different from the structure of learning communities in face-to-face programs. In the online program, the doctoral community was more insular, more peer-centered, and less reliant on faculty support than in in-person programs. Findings: Utilizing a nested communities theoretical framework, I identified four subgroups that informed online doctoral students’ sense of community: cohort, class groups, small peer groups, and study groups. Students interacted frequently with members of each of the aforementioned social groups and drew academic, social, and emotional support from their interactions. Recommendations for Practitioners: Data from this study suggests that online doctoral students are interested in making social and academic connections. Practitioners should leverage technology and on-campus supports to promote extracurricular interactions for online students. Recommendation for Researchers: Rather than focus on professional socialization, students in the online doctoral community were interested in providing social and academic support to peers. Researchers should consider how socialization in online doctoral programs differs from traditional, face-to-face programs. Impact on Society: As universities increase online offerings, it is important to consider the issues that impact retention in online programs. By identifying the social structures that support online community, this study helps build knowledge around retention and engagement of online students. Future Research: Future research should continue to explore the unique social networks that support online students.

Introduction: Recent proposals have called for reform of the traditional medical education model and development of learner centered paradigms that prioritize conceptual mastery and enhance engagement. Blended learning models mediate a shift from lecture settings to collaborative active learning environments. Studies suggest that blended learning modalities may improve affective and objective outcomes compared to passive didactics. However, there is limited evidence regarding the implementation of blended learning in preclinical medical school courses. We developed an innovative blended learning curriculum for a preclinical second year medical student hematology course using a flipped classroom large-group active learning model and investigated its impact on student performance, satisfaction, and engagement. Methods: We used constructivist education theory and a mixed methods model to develop a blended learning curriculum. In 2015 we converted the didactic lecture component of the white blood cell dyscrasias unit into nine online video modules and two large-group active learning sessions. Blended learning content was structured to maintain time neutrality and allocate sufficient time for independent review. Large-group active learning sessions were planned for an Education Center active learning studio and designed to emphasize collaborative team-based discussion and included clinical problem solving, audience response questions, and gamification. Attendance at large-group sessions was optional in 2015 and mandatory in 2016 - 2017. The white blood cell dyscrasias question final examination subset scores were compared between the historical 2014 cohort and blended learning cohorts from 2015 - 2017 with one-way ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons via Dunnett's multiple comparisons test with a single pooled variance. The examination questions compared were identical. Course evaluations were compared between 2014 and 2015 via an independent samples t-test, but 2016 and 2017 evaluations were not directly compared due to an institution-wide change in evaluation scales. Qualitative student evaluations regarding the traditional and blended learning curriculum were collected between 2014 - 2017. Results: Overall satisfaction with the course (5, excellent) was similar (p=0.38) in 2014 (4.13±0.79) and 2015 (4.05±0.82). Satisfaction remained high (4, excellent) in 2016 (3.33±0.72) and 2017 (3.12±0.84). Student performance was marginally worse on the white blood cell dyscrasias question subset (17-point maximum) in 2015 (Mean Score, 14.78±2.01, p=0.0069), but not significantly different in 2016 (14.96±1.94, p=0.0856) or 2017 (15.10±1.82, p=0.3803) compared to 2014 (15.37±1.64). In 2015, on average, 34% (65/191) of students attended didactic lectures and active learning sessions were attended by 33% of students (60/183). Attendance was mandatory in 2016 (n=184) and 2017 (n=175). Between 2015 - 2017, 60% of students reported not completing video modules prior to corresponding active learning sessions. Qualitative analysis from 2015 - 2017 of student feedback revealed themes on active learning sessions focused on perceived lack of time neutrality, difficulty adapting to a novel learning style, appreciation of clinical case-based learning, and the value of real-time facilitator feedback. Conclusions: We found that conversion of conceptually challenging material in a preclinical hematology course to a blended learning curriculum did not improve performance. When mandated, attendance at active learning sessions did not incentivize student pre-session preparation. These findings carry implications for the use of blended learning in preclinical hematology education. Inadequate student preparation for sessions may have mitigated the benefit of active learning and detrimentally impacted performance. Students habituated to a lecture-based curriculum experienced difficulty adapting to a novel learning approach emphasizing collaborative engagement, weakening the utility of the active learning sessions. Our findings suggest the importance of accountability and preparation for active learning sessions in a blended learning curriculum. As blended learning becomes prevalent in medical education, further studies of pedagogic methods to overcome barriers to successful student performance, satisfaction, and engagement are necessary. Disclosures Murakhovskaya: Momenta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

This article makes the case that the student-centered learning paradigm that I have aimed to establish at Parchman/Mississippi State Penitentiary as a member of a college-in-prison program represents a prison abolition pedagogy that builds on Martin Luther King and Angela Y. Davis’s coalitional models of abolition work. Drawing from Davis’s abolition-framed conception of teaching in jails and prisons as expressed in her autobiography and her critical prison studies text Are Prisons Obsolete?, I argue that the learning environments that I create collaboratively with students at Parchman similarly respond to incarcerated students’ institution-specific concerns and African-American literary interests in ways that lessen, if only temporarily, the social isolation and educational deprivation that they routinely experience in Mississippi’s plantation-style state penitentiary. Moreover, I am interested in the far-reaching implications of what I have theorized elsewhere as “abolition pedagogy”—a way of teaching that exposes and opposes the educational deprivation, under-resourced and understaffed learning environments, and overtly militarized classrooms that precede and accompany too many incarcerations. As such, this article also focuses on my experience of teaching about imprisonment in African-American literature courses at the University of Mississippi at the same time that I have taught classes at Parchman that honor the African-American literary interests of imprisoned students there.

Anthropogenically induced environmental changes, such as the persistent loss of biodiversity and decline in global forest stocks, require comprehensive, societal change towards sustainable behavior. Education is considered the key to empowering sustainable decision-making, cooperative participation, high levels of commitment, and motivation to support environmental protection. Holistic Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) approaches aim to foster eco-friendly behavior by combining knowledge acquisition with the promotion of affective drivers. The present study focuses on monitoring the individual interplay between ecological knowledge and environmental values. We compared learning outcomes within two environments: a nature-based, out-of-school setting at a local forest (study 1) and a classroom setting (study 2). Overall, 444 German 7th grade students participated in learner-centered activities on the topic of the forest ecosystem under anthropogenic influences. Following a quasi-experimental study design, we monitored pro-environmental and anthropogenic values (Preservation and Utilization) and knowledge at three test times: before (T1), directly after (T1) and six weeks after (T2) participation in the learning program. Students in both treatments acquired short- and long-term environmental knowledge regardless of the learning environment but in neither case did the learning activities intervene with individual environmental values. However, Preservation showed a positive correlation with the mean knowledge scores in both studies, while for Utilization, this relationship was reversed. A comparison of extreme groups revealed that, in both treatment groups, students with high pro-environmental values and low anthropogenic values showed a significantly better performance than their counterparts. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring pro-environmental values when preparing educational modules for student groups independent from the learning environment.

Child Distance Learning (CDL) during the pandemic has led to an optimal development of children and effective teaching and learning processes in kindergartens. To overcome this, teachers need to apply a teaching approach in accordance with the principles of kindergarten education. In addition, teachers' self-efficacy of their ability to teach is also important for developing children's skills. This study aims to describe the teaching approach and the efficacy of kindergarten teachers during the CDL process and to identify the relationship between the two. The research method used is quantitative through document analysis as a source of data findings. A total of 116 Public Kindergarten (PK) teachers in DKI Jakarta participated in filling out the Classroom Management Scale and Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale online. All data were processed using descriptive statistics and correlation. Furthermore, there is a document analysis carried out on the Daily / Weekly Learning Program Design in PK Jakarta. The findings identified that the teaching approach of kindergarten teachers during CDL included only two principles of kindergarten education, namely thematic teaching and developing life skills. Furthermore, PK teachers in the Jakarta area showed low self-efficacy during CDL. The teaching approach and self-efficacy were caused by teachers' unpreparedness in facing challenges during CDL. In addition, other findings indicate that there is a relationship between teaching approaches and teacher self-efficacy. Another CDL model Interventions to increase teacher self-efficacy and the extent to which the relationship between the two variables can be studied further in future studies.
 Keywords: Early Childhood, Distance Learning, Teaching Approach, Teacher Self-Efficacy
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Research Highlights
 The study proposed two focus studies and results indicated there is a conformity between Brain Based Learning (BBL) and students' intrapersonal intelligence toward characteristics of junior high school mathematics learning. Implementation of Brain Based Learning (BBL) and intrapersonal intelligence in junior high school mathematics learning can improve student’s learning outcomes.
 
 Research Objectives
 This research aims to knowing activities of junior high school mathematics learning and to knowing conformity of characteristics between Brain Based Learning (BBL) and intrapersonal intelligence with junior high school mathematics learning. BBL as a learning strategies and intrapersonal intelligence as an internal factors of students must be the main consideration in learning activities, including in this case mathematics learning. Learning is more directed at construction than instruction, which has implications for the role of teachers and students (Reigeluth and Carr-Chellman, 2009). Learning strategies concept is a various types of plans used by the teacher to achieve goals (Silver et al., 2012). In simple terms, this view states that learning strategies are ways to do something in achieving goals. Learning mathematics is learning about the concepts and structure of mathematics and looking for relationships between the two on the material being studied (Bruner, 2009). In the learning activities, learning materials must be adapted to the abilities and cognitive structures of students. Learning material must be related to the concepts that are already owned so that new ideas can be fully absorbed by students (Ausubel, 2012). Learning activities must be gradual, sequential and always based on past learning experiences.
 
 Methodology
 This type of research is qualitative descriptive. The approach used is qualitative with descriptive methods and literature studies. Data collection uses documentation studies, observations, and interviews with teachers and students. Data collection was conducted in junior high school of SMP Assahil Lampung Timur in the 2018/2019 academic year. The mathematics teachers and students were included in this study as a respondents. In this study the data analysis used was quantitative descriptive and qualitative descriptive analysis. Quantitative descriptive analysis is used to present and analyze data relating to mathematics learning outcomes over the past three years. Qualitative descriptive analysis is used to interpret and analyze data regarding the learning process of mathematics that has taken place.
 
 Results
 The study indicate that mathematics teachers have only used expository learning strategies in learning activities. The expository learning strategy is a form of teacher-centered learning approach. Mathematical learning outcomes are not satisfactory. The Mathematics learning is a learning process that involves active students building mathematical knowledge (Cobb, 2013). In mathematics learning there is a process of developing students' creativity to improve their abilities and beliefs in building knowledge and mastering good mathematics subject matter. The Characteristics of Brain Based Learning (BBL) emphasizes students to play an active role in building the concepts learned (Ulger, 2018). The steps in the BBL learning strategy include creating a learning environment that challenges students' thinking skills (regulated immersion), creates a relaxed learning environment, and creates actual and meaningful learning situations for students (active processing). Intrapersonal intelligence is self-knowledge as intelligence that involves self-awareness or self-sensitivity, thought processes, realizing changes that occur in oneself, involving skills of cooperation and communication both verbally and nonverbally (Alder, 2001). The characteristics of intrapersonal intelligence consist of three main aspects that can be used as benchmarks, namely recognizing oneself, knowing one's own desires, and knowing what is necessary for oneself.
 
 Findings
 The results of data analysis, it was found that the learning activities that had taken place so far only used expository learning strategies. The teacher does not apply learning strategies that are in accordance with the internal factors of students in learning mathematics. The literature review show that there is a match between the characteristics of junior high school mathematics material, the characteristics of BBL learning strategies and the characteristics of intrapersonal intelligence. Therefore, the implementation of BBL learning strategies and intrapersonal intelligence in junior high school mathematics learning is very well done to improve student learning outcomes.
 
 Acknowledgement
 This study was supported by Universitas Negeri Jakarta and SMP Assahil Lampung Timur, for which thanks to 1) Doctoral Program in Educational Technology, Postgraduate Program at Universitas Negeri Jakarta; 2) SMP Assahil Lampung Timur; 3) Prof. Dr. M. Syarif Sumantri, M.Pd. as the promoter and Prof. Dr. Nurdin Ibrahim, M.Pd. as the co. promoter who has provided guidance to the author.
 

Purpose The REDINGE2 – Reengineering Engineering Teaching, version 2 – project seeks to transform engineering education practices at the University of los Andes (UNIANDES) by using technology-based active learning strategies in courses from different disciplines that are to be reformed using a Big-ideas approach. Studies from this two-year project (2017-2018) seek to solve three main questions: What changes in engineering teaching conceptions, methods, tools and practices could be generated by reengineering courses using a Big-ideas approach? What changes in key conditions of learning environments have the students perceived in courses that use a Big-ideas approach? What lessons can be derived from the initial studies of REDINGE2’s pilot experiences? Design/methodology/approach The REDINGE2 project was conceived as a technology-based educational transformation initiative. It is the Faculty of Engineering at UNIANDES’ explicit intention to move engineering teaching from being content-focused to being big-ideas focused. It also wants to migrate from teacher-centered teaching strategies to student- and group-centered approaches. Additionally, this project intends to enrich engineering education ecologies with digital resources by integrating experiential, flexible and collaborative digital learning environments with traditional classroom/workshop/library/home/work learning settings. To promote this organic change, the project implemented a facilitation-from-the side strategy, which redesigned 14 engineering courses: each was given a two-year grant from the Office of the Dean of Engineering to rethink teaching practices and redesign the course. A cybernetic evaluation system was embedded in the life cycle of the transformation process that could support decision-making through each of the project’s stages (Stufflebeam, 1971). Questions of interest in this study are provided with information using triangulation of data at different times during each course’s redesign process. Findings After a year and half of the two-year REDINGE2 project (2017-2018), it is possible to say the following three research questions are fully solved. Concerning Question #1: What changes in engineering teaching conceptions, methods, tools and practices contribute to reengineering courses when using a Big-ideas approach? Participating teaching staff have demonstrated changes in their teaching conceptions, methods and resources, which can be attributed to their exposure to active-learning strategies supported by digital technologies. In fact, each one has redesigned and pilot tested at least one restructured learning unit for one of their courses according to the proposed Big-ideas approach; in addition, most admit to already having adjusted their teaching practices by changing their mindset regarding learning and how to promote it. Concerning Question #2: What changes in key conditions of learning environments have the students perceived in courses that have been redesigned using a Big-ideas approach? Data collected from students and participating staff members, both before the redesign and throughout this process, have provided teachers and students with feedback concerning perceived changes in learning environments. This has had positive results and provided opportunities for improvement. Concerning Question #3: What lessons can be derived from REDINGE2’s pilot experiences? Lessons from this project are multi-dimensional and there are organizational, pedagogic, technological and cultural considerations. A decalogue of critical success factors was established, which considered the things that must go right to successfully accomplish proposed educational transformations. Research limitations/implications This study is a good case of educational transformations in engineering teaching. No generalizations should be made, but it shows that similar processes of planned change can be made in tertiary science, math, engineering and technology (SMET) education. Practical implications The lessons learned from this experience are very valuable for higher education decision-makers who want to innovate by using learning ecologies in their institutions. In addition, theoretical considerations that illuminate the innovation process become very useful to help provide a foundation to similar interventions. Originality/value A non-conventional approach to integrate digital technologies in higher education teaching is the most significant contribution this experience has made. Its focus has been to transform educational practices with pedagogically sound uses of digital technologies instead of just integrating technologies in current SMET teaching practices. Facilitation-from-the-side and embedded cybernetic evaluation through the transformation process are key ideas that add value to organic change processes.


 
 
 International student mobility has been increasingly subject to turbulences in politics, culture, economics, natural disasters, and public health. The new decade has witnessed an unprecedented disruption to international student flows and welfare as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 has laid bare how fragile the current transactional higher education model is, in Australia and in other major destination countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. This health crisis hitting international education presents a range of challenges for host universities. In such a fallout, the connection between university communities and international students is more critical than ever. This connection is vital not only to university’s operations and recovery but more importantly, to international students’ learning and wellbeing. This in turn will have longer term impacts on host countries’ and universities’ sustainable international recruitment and reputation as a study destination. Therefore, it is timely to reflect on how we view and conceptualize the way we engage and work with international students. This article presents a new frame for conceptualizing the teaching, learning, and engagement for international students, which emphasizes people-to-people empathy and people-to-people connections.
 
 
 
 Conceptualize Student Connection Through Formal and Informal Curriculum
 Dis/connection has been argued to play “an important role in shaping international students’ wellbeing, performance and life trajectories” (Tran & Gomes, 2017, p. 1). Therefore, it is important to frame international student connectedness not only within the context of formal teaching and learning on campus, but also in a broader setting, taking into account the dynamic, diverse, and fluid features of transnational mobility.
 Some of the primary dimensions of international student connection vital to their academic and social experience and wellbeing have been identified as:
 • Connection with the content and process of teaching and learning• Bonding between host teachers and international students• Engagement with the university communities• Interaction between domestic and international students and among international peers• Integration into relevant social and professional networks, the host community, and the host society• Connection with family and home communities• Online and digital connection
 Based on interviews with around 400 international students, teachers, and international student support staff across different research projects, I identified four main principles underpinning effective engagement and support for international students. Most participants stressed the importance of understanding international students’ study purposes, needs, expectations, and characteristics in the first place in order to meaningfully and productively engage with and cater for this cohort (Tran, 2013). Second, effective teaching of and engagement with international students is based on understanding not only their academic needs but also other aspects that are interlinked with their academic performance, including pastoral care needs, mental health, employment, accommodation, finance, life plans, and aspirations. Third, a sense of belonging to the content of teaching and learning and the pedagogy used by teachers is essential to international students’ engagement with the classroom community. In this regard, connection is intimately linked to international students being included and valued intellectually and culturally in teaching and learning, and in being treated as partners (Green, 2019; Tran, 2013) rather than ‘others’ in the curriculum. Fourth, to position international students as truly an integral component of campus communities, it is essential to develop explicit approaches to engage them not only academically and interculturally, but also mentally and emotionally, especially during hard-hitting crises in international education such as the 2019–2020 COVID-19 outbreak, the 2003 SARS epidemic, and the 2001 September 11 attacks.
 Productive Connectedness
 The lack of engagement between international and domestic students is often identified as a primary area for improvement for universities that host international students, especially in Anglophone countries (Leask, 2009). While international education is supposed to strengthen people-to-people connections and enrich human interactions, ironically it is this lack of connection with the local community, including local students, that international students feel most dissatisfied about in their international education experience. To support and optimize the learning and wellbeing of international students, productive connectedness is essential. Productive connectedness is not simply providing the mere conditions for interaction between domestic and international peers (Tran & Pham, 2016). These conditions alone cannot ensure meaningful and real connectedness but can just lead to artificial or surface engagement between international students and the host communities. Productive connectedness is centered around creating real opportunities for international and local students to not only increase their mutual understandings, but importantly also to reciprocally learn from the encounter of differences and share, negotiate, and contribute to building knowledge, cultural experiences, and skills on a more equal basis. In this regard, productive connectedness is integral to optimizing teaching and learning for international students.
 Teaching and Learning for International Students
 Over the past 15 years, I and my colleagues have undertaken various research on conceptualizing the teaching and learning process for international students, an evolving and dynamic field of scholarship (Tran, 2011; Tran, 2013a, 2013b; Tran & Nguyen, 2015; Tran & Gomes, 2017; Tran & Pham, 2016). Figure 1 summarizes the six interrelated dimensions of teaching and learning for international students emerging from our research: connecting, accommodating, reciprocating, integrating, “relationalizing,” and empathy.
 
 Connecting
 It is critical in effective teaching and learning for international students that conditions are provided to engage them intellectually, culturally, socially, and affectively. Curriculum, pedagogies, and assessment activities should aim at supporting international students to make transnational knowledge, skills, experience, and culture, as well as people-to-people connections (Tran, 2013).
 Accommodating
 Effective teaching and learning for international students cannot be achieved without an effort to understand their purposes to undertake international education, their cultural and educational backgrounds, their characteristics, their identities, and their aspirations. Good teaching and learning practices in international education are often built on educators’ capacities to tailor their curriculum and pedagogies to cater to international students based on an understanding of their study purposes, backgrounds, and identities.
 Reciprocating
 Reciprocal learning and teaching is integral to international education (Tran, 2011). It is centered around positioning international students as co-constructors of knowledge and educators as reciprocal co-learners (Tran, 2013b). It refers to extending beyond mutual understanding and respect for diversity, to validate and reciprocally learn from diverse resources, experiences, and encounters of differences that international classrooms can offer. This is vital to making international students feel included and valued as an integral part of the curriculum and the university community.
 Integrating
 Integrating refers to the purposeful incorporation of international examples, case studies, materials, and perspectives into the curriculum. Strategies to diversify the teaching and learning content and pedagogies are closely connected with de- Westernizing the curriculum and moving away from Euro-centric content (Tran, 2013a). Integrating contributes to enriching students’ global awareness, world mindfulness, and intercultural competence, which are central to internationalizing student experience and outcomes.
 “Relationalizing”
 “Relationalizing” is crucial in assisting domestic and international students to develop open-minded and ethno-relative perspectives. Engaging students in a comparing–contrasting and reflexive process about professional practices, prior experiences, and cultural norms in different countries represents a critical step in assisting them to develop multiple frames of reference and build capacities to relationally learn from richly varied perspectives and experiences that an international classroom can offer.
 Empathy
 International students’ sense of belonging to the classroom and university community significantly depends on the empathy local teachers and students display toward them. Teachers can develop activities that enable students to develop an understanding and empathy toward what it feels like to be an international student in an unfamiliar academic and social environment, studying in a language that is not their mother tongue. One of the teacher-participants in our research shared an activity she used to help all students develop empathy:I asked for volunteers, I’d speak to them in English and they had to answer in their language. The group had to try and figure out from their body language and tone of voice what they were actually saying to me...But what I try and make them understand that part of the reason we’re doing that, not in English, is because it’s like excluding the local students and it’s making them look like foreigners and to understand the challenge.
 Conclusion
 Effective practices in engaging, teaching, and learning for international students enrich the international classroom community and optimize learning for all, including international and domestic students and teachers themselves (Carroll & Ryan, 2007; Tran, 2013b; Tran & Le, 2018). Good pedagogical practices in teaching and learning for international students depend on teachers’ commitment to step outside of their comfort zone and take on a new learning curve (Tran, 2013). It is, however, vital that internationalizing teaching and learning and building intercultural interactions among students from diverse backgrounds and—in particular between international and domestic students—should be prioritized at both program and course development levels, making them explicit in course objectives and assessments (Tran & Pham, 2016). It is crucial to have a coherent whole-institution approach toward a purposeful, transformative, and empathetic internationalization of teaching and learning content, pedagogies, and assessment, one that is supported by the broader institution’s core goals about internationalizing the student experience and graduate outcomes. An internationalized program of learning for international and domestic students alike should prioritize enhancing their abilities to learn from global encounters, abilities to connect and empathize, skills to navigate intercultural relationships, and skills to capitalize on opportunities and also to deal with pressures and challenges. Importantly, the teaching and learning for international students needs to be built on an approach emphasizing people-to-people empathy and people-to-people connections.
 
 
 
 
 
 

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Biostatistics and Epidemiology courses within clinical research or public health training programs are typically developed and taught separately. As a result, students may have trouble in their research outside the classroom, where biostatistical and epidemiological concepts must be well integrated. Case method teaching is a participant- and discussion-centered pedagogical approach that has been used in business and law schools for more than 50 years to improve student learning, yet has taken longer to be adopted in health professional schools. The case method is distinguished by presenting learners with a real-world problem without a single unique solution. Designed to mimic the constraints and incomplete information found in real life, it is an ideal approach for integrating multiple related disciplines. A team of Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) faculty from the Tufts CTSI collaborated to develop a new course that integrates epidemiology and biostatistics disciplines using the case method. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We developed an intermediate-level, case-based course integrating epidemiology and biostatistics topics using modern, real-world clinical examples. Recognizing the importance of technical skill building, this intermediate-level Tufts CTS course adopted a hybrid approach, incorporating lecture and in-class laboratory exercises, alongside cases. We surveyed CTS faculty to identify a set of core methodological competencies. These included randomized trials, case-control and cohort studies, confounding, effect modification, propensity scores, linear and logistic regression, and survival analysis. Faculty provided us with clinical questions and deidentified data sets corresponding to these competencies; we also reviewed publicly available data sets. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: CTS faculty collaborated to develop 10 cases (with accompanying data sets) from modern clinical research examples that illustrate the connections between epidemiology and biostatistical concepts. Each case contains a background section, a statement of the core problem, a data set with data dictionary, articles from the primary literature (often the publication of the data set) with discussion questions and in-class lab exercises (R programming). One case presents students with the challenge of whether acupuncture may be an effective therapy for pain associated with chronic headache. Through case activities, students gain experience weighing observational Versus experimental evidence, apply directed acyclic graph theory, and analyze clinical trial data. Qualitative evaluations in 2015 (pilot year) and 2016 indicate students preferred the integrated approach to separate courses, and found the integration facilitated application of methods to their independent research projects. Significant rewards for faculty include cross-disciplinary collaboration, sharpened teaching skills, and engaging with learners in a dynamic classroom environment. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Despite administrative and pedagogical challenges, a case-based, integrated curriculum offers rewards for faculty and students. The case method may be a useful pedagogical strategy to integrate other closely related topics or courses in translational science to better prepare scholars for the challenges of independent research.

Early childhood education as the main foundation of one's education is determined by the quality of teachers who can be seen through the performance of teachers and teachers, so the discourse of professional development is important. This study aims to determine how the performance of superior early childhood teachers and performance measurement as performance standards for outstanding teachers. Qualitative research is carried out with a psychological approach that is carried out directly on the object under study, to obtain data relating to aspects of teacher performance so that increased performance becomes an example for other teachers. Research data collection techniques using interviews, documentation, and observation. The results showed that the performance of outstanding early childhood teachers always tried to hone and control themselves by participating in outstanding teacher competitions to monitor their professional condition and performance. Early childhood teachers who have extraordinary grades also have strong scientific insight, understand learning, have broad social insights, are positive about their work, and show work performance according to the required performance criteria. The teacher's performance in the extraordinary category is the success and ability of the teacher in carrying out various learning tasks. Measuring the performance of early childhood teachers with achievement has two tasks as measurement standards, tasks related to the learning process and tasks related to structuring and planning learning tasks. Referring to these two tasks, there are three main criteria related to teacher performance in early childhood teacher professional development literacy, namely processes, teacher characteristics, and outcomes or products (changes in student attitudes). In the learning process, the performance of early childhood teachers who excel can be seen from the quality of work carried out related to professional teacher learning activities.
 Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Outstanding Educator Performance, Professional Development
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Teaching at the university makes me realize that something needs to be done in the teaching of language for learning. Observation shows that students arrive at university without the requisite language skills (Tekeste, 2006; Aspen, et al., 2009), to benefit fully from the kind of independent work that is expected of them, and that should, by and large, be buttressed by ingrained language and study skills which they should have acquired and honed at secondary school. In addition, more than half of the students I teach at university cannot succinctly express themselves in English and are unable to write effectively in English, the language of instruction. The studies cited in the paper are not confined to Kenya; there is the SAQMEC II Study which covered 15 African countries at primary level. The UWEZO study of 2012 covered Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, while the report on Ethiopia covers the Ethiopian situation. The study covered undergraduate writing errors from 201 students, while the Ethiopian data covers PhD theses from 7 candidates. What the data shows is that mastery of the language of instruction across the board is not what it should be and candidates struggle to express themselves both in writing and speech. In attending PhD vivas, I have come across candidates who are unable to express themselves orally using English, even when they are English language majors. The paper argues, based on existing research, that language is a big determinant of reading (Winne, 1993; Kinstch, 1991; Olshavksy 1977; Kembo, 1994, which, in turn, is a big part of independent learning, thereby determining school success. The paper further contends that in circumstances where input from the environment is limited, as is often the case in most second and foreign language contexts, the student must be aided to get it from alternative sources: extensive reading programs that are monitored until they become habitual, clubs, listening to radio and television as part of teaching and learning, production and use of self-learning materials that learners can utilize in schools and at home at affordable costs. Alternatively, we must revert to the use of African languages because of the benefits accruing: early mastery, conceptualization of the world, fluency, and the freedom to use their mental capacities and resources for grappling with content rather than with mastery of language at the same time.

IntroductionThere are two types of Africa. The first is a place where people and cultures live. The second is the image of Africa that has been invented through colonial knowledge and power. The colonial image of Africa, as the Other of Europe, a land “enveloped in the dark mantle of night” was supported by western states as it justified their colonial practices (Hegel 91). Any evidence that challenged the myth of the Dark Continent was destroyed, removed or ignored. While the looting of African natural resources has been studied, the looting of African knowledges hasn’t received as much attention, partly based on the assumption that Africans did not produce knowledge that could be stolen. This article invalidates this myth by examining the legacy of Ethiopia’s indigenous Ge’ez literature, and its looting and abduction by powerful western agents. The article argues that this has resulted in epistemic violence, where students of the Ethiopian indigenous education system do not have access to their books, while European orientalists use them to interpret Ethiopian history and philosophy using a foreign lens. The analysis is based on interviews with teachers and students of ten Ge’ez schools in Ethiopia, and trips to the Ethiopian manuscript collections in The British Library, The Princeton Library, the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and The National Archives in Addis Ababa.The Context of Ethiopian Indigenous KnowledgesGe’ez is one of the ancient languages of Africa. According to Professor Ephraim Isaac, “about 10,000 years ago, one single nation or community of a single linguistic group existed in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Horn of Africa” (The Habesha). The language of this group is known as Proto-Afroasiatic or Afrasian languages. It is the ancestor of the Semitic, Cushitic, Nilotic, Omotic and other languages that are currently spoken in Ethiopia by its 80 ethnic groups, and the neighbouring countries (Diakonoff). Ethiopians developed the Ge’ez language as their lingua franca with its own writing system some 2000 years ago. Currently, Ge’ez is the language of academic scholarship, studied through the traditional education system (Isaac, The Ethiopian). Since the fourth century, an estimated 1 million Ge’ez manuscripts have been written, covering religious, historical, mathematical, medicinal, and philosophical texts.One of the most famous Ge’ez manuscripts is the Kebra Nagast, a foundational text that embodied the indigenous conception of nationhood in Ethiopia. The philosophical, political and religious themes in this book, which craft Ethiopia as God’s country and the home of the Ark of the Covenant, contributed to the country’s success in defending itself from European colonialism. The production of books like the Kebra Nagast went hand in hand with a robust indigenous education system that trained poets, scribes, judges, artists, administrators and priests. Achieving the highest stages of learning requires about 30 years after which the scholar would be given the rare title Arat-Ayina, which means “four eyed”, a person with the ability to see the past as well as the future. Today, there are around 50,000 Ge’ez schools across the country, most of which are in rural villages and churches.Ge’ez manuscripts are important textbooks and reference materials for students. They are carefully prepared from vellum “to make them last forever” (interview, 3 Oct. 2019). Some of the religious books are regarded as “holy persons who breathe wisdom that gives light and food to the human soul”. Other manuscripts, often prepared as scrolls are used for medicinal purposes. Each manuscript is uniquely prepared reflecting inherited wisdom on contemporary lives using the method called Tirguamme, the act of giving meaning to sacred texts. Preparation of books is costly. Smaller manuscript require the skins of 50-70 goats/sheep and large manuscript needed 100-120 goats/sheep (Tefera).The Loss of Ethiopian ManuscriptsSince the 18th century, a large quantity of these manuscripts have been stolen, looted, or smuggled out of the country by travellers who came to the country as explorers, diplomats and scientists. The total number of Ethiopian manuscripts taken is still unknown. Amsalu Tefera counted 6928 Ethiopian manuscripts currently held in foreign libraries and museums. This figure does not include privately held or unofficial collections (41).Looting and smuggling were sponsored by western governments, institutions, and notable individuals. For example, in 1868, The British Museum Acting Director Richard Holms joined the British army which was sent to ‘rescue’ British hostages at Maqdala, the capital of Emperor Tewodros. Holms’ mission was to bring treasures for the Museum. Before the battle, Tewodros had established the Medhanialem library with more than 1000 manuscripts as part of Ethiopia’s “industrial revolution”. When Tewodros lost the war and committed suicide, British soldiers looted the capital, including the treasury and the library. They needed 200 mules and 15 elephants to transport the loot and “set fire to all buildings so that no trace was left of the edifices which once housed the manuscripts” (Rita Pankhurst 224). Richard Holmes collected 356 manuscripts for the Museum. A wealthy British woman called Lady Meux acquired some of the most illuminated manuscripts. In her will, she bequeathed them to be returned to Ethiopia. However, her will was reversed by court due to a campaign from the British press (Richard Pankhurst). In 2018, the V&A Museum in London displayed some of the treasures by incorporating Maqdala into the imperial narrative of Britain (Woldeyes, Reflections).Britain is by no means the only country to seek Ethiopian manuscripts for their collections. Smuggling occurred in the name of science, an act of collecting manuscripts for study. Looting involved local collaborators and powerful foreign sponsors from places like France, Germany and the Vatican. Like Maqdala, this was often sponsored by governments or powerful financers. For example, the French government sponsored the Dakar-Djibouti Mission led by Marcel Griaule, which “brought back about 350 manuscripts and scrolls from Gondar” (Wion 2). It was often claimed that these manuscripts were purchased, rather than looted. Johannes Flemming of Germany was said to have purchased 70 manuscripts and ten scrolls for the Royal Library of Berlin in 1905. However, there was no local market for buying manuscripts. Ge’ez manuscripts were, and still are, written to serve spiritual and secular life in Ethiopia, not for buying and selling. There are countless other examples, but space limits how many can be provided in this article. What is important to note is that museums and libraries have accrued impressive collections without emphasising how those collections were first obtained. The loss of the intellectual heritage of Ethiopians to western collectors has had an enormous impact on the country.Knowledge Grabbing: The Denial of Access to KnowledgeWith so many manuscripts lost, European collectors became the narrators of Ethiopian knowledge and history. Edward Ullendorff, a known orientalist in Ethiopian studies, refers to James Bruce as “the explorer of Abyssinia” (114). Ullendorff commented on the significance of Bruce’s travel to Ethiopia asperhaps the most important aspect of Bruce’s travels was the collection of Ethiopic manuscripts… . They opened up entirely new vistas for the study of Ethiopian languages and placed this branch of Oriental scholarship on a much more secure basis. It is not known how many MSS. reached Europe through his endeavours, but the present writer is aware of at least twenty-seven, all of which are exquisite examples of Ethiopian manuscript art. (133)This quote encompasses three major ways in which epistemic violence occurs: denial of access to knowledge, Eurocentric interpretation of Ethiopian manuscripts, and the handling of Ge’ez manuscripts as artefacts from the past. These will be discussed below.Western ‘travellers’, such as Bruce, did not fully disclose how many manuscripts they took or how they acquired them. The abundance of Ethiopian manuscripts in western institutions can be compared to the scarcity of such materials among traditional schools in Ethiopia. In this research, I have visited ten indigenous schools in Wollo (Lalibela, Neakutoleab, Asheten, Wadla), in Gondar (Bahita, Kuskwam, Menbere Mengist), and Gojam (Bahirdar, Selam Argiew Maryam, Giorgis). In all of the schools, there is lack of Ge’ez manuscripts. Students often come from rural villages and do not receive any government support. The scarcity of Ge’ez manuscripts, and the lack of funding which might allow for the purchasing of books, means the students depend mainly on memorising Ge’ez texts told to them from the mouth of their teacher. Although this method of learning is not new, it currently is the only way for passing indigenous knowledges across generations.The absence of manuscripts is most strongly felt in the advanced schools. For instance, in the school of Qene, poetic literature is created through an in-depth study of the vocabulary and grammar of Ge’ez. A Qene student is required to develop a deep knowledge of Ge’ez in order to understand ancient and medieval Ge’ez texts which are used to produce poetry with multiple meanings. Without Ge’ez manuscripts, students cannot draw their creative works from the broad intellectual tradition of their ancestors. When asked how students gain access to textbooks, one student commented:we don’t have access to Birana books (Ge’ez manuscripts written on vellum). We cannot learn the ancient wisdom of painting, writing, and computing developed by our ancestors. We simply buy paper books such as Dawit (Psalms), Sewasew (grammar) or Degwa (book of songs with notations) and depend on our teachers to teach us the rest. We also lend these books to each other as many students cannot afford to buy them. Without textbooks, we expect to spend double the amount of time it would take if we had textbooks. (Interview, 3 Sep. 2019)Many students interrupt their studies and work as labourers to save up and buy paper textbooks, but they still don’t have access to the finest works taken to Europe. Most Ge’ez manuscripts remaining in Ethiopia are locked away in monasteries, church stores or other places to prevent further looting. The manuscripts in Addis Ababa University and the National Archives are available for researchers but not to the students of the indigenous system, creating a condition of internal knowledge grabbing.While the absence of Ge’ez manuscripts denied, and continues to deny, Ethiopians the chance to enrich their indigenous education, it benefited western orientalists to garner intellectual authority on the field of Ethiopian studies. In 1981, British Museum Director John Wilson said, “our Abyssinian holdings are more important than our Indian collection” (Bell 231). In reaction, Richard Pankhurst, the Director of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa, responded that the collection was acquired through plunder. Defending the retaining of Maqdala manuscripts in Europe, Ullendorff wrote:neither Dr. Pankhurst nor the Ethiopian and western scholars who have worked on this collection (and indeed on others in Europe) could have contributed so significantly to the elucidation of Ethiopian history without the rich resources available in this country. Had they remained insitu, none of this would have been possible. (Qtd. in Bell 234)The manuscripts are therefore valued based on their contribution to western scholarship only. This is a continuation of epistemic violence whereby local knowledges are used as raw materials to produce Eurocentric knowledge, which in turn is used to teach Africans as though they had no prior knowledge. Scholars are defined as those western educated persons who can speak European languages and can travel to modern institutions to access the manuscripts. Knowledge grabbing regards previous owners as inexistent or irrelevant for the use of the grabbed knowledges.Knowledge grabbing also means indigenous scholars are deprived of critical resources to produce new knowledge based on their intellectual heritage. A Qene teacher commented: our students could not devote their time and energy to produce new knowledges in the same way our ancestors did. We have the tradition of Madeladel, Kimera, Kuteta, Mielad, Qene and tirguamme where students develop their own system of remembering, reinterpreting, practicing, and rewriting previous manuscripts and current ones. Without access to older manuscripts, we increasingly depend on preserving what is being taught orally by elders. (Interview, 4 Sep. 2019)This point is important as it relates to the common myth that indigenous knowledges are artefacts belonging to the past, not the present. There are millions of people who still use these knowledges, but the conditions necessary for their reproduction and improvement is denied through knowledge grabbing. The view of Ge’ez manuscripts as artefacts dismisses the Ethiopian view that Birana manuscripts are living persons. As a scholar told me in Gondar, “they are creations of Egziabher (God), like all of us. Keeping them in institutions is like keeping living bodies in graveyards” (interview, 5 Oct. 2019).Recently, the collection of Ethiopian manuscripts by western institutions has also been conducted digitally. Thousands of manuscripts have been microfilmed or digitised. For example, the EU funded Ethio-SPaRe project resulted in the digital collection of 2000 Ethiopian manuscripts (Nosnitsin). While digitisation promises better access for people who may not be able to visit institutions to see physical copies, online manuscripts are not accessible to indigenous school students in Ethiopia. They simply do not have computer or internet access and the manuscripts are catalogued in European languages. Both physical and digital knowledge grabbing results in the robbing of Ethiopian intellectual heritage, and denies the possibility of such manuscripts being used to inform local scholarship. Epistemic Violence: The European as ExpertWhen considered in relation to stolen or appropriated manuscripts, epistemic violence is the way in which local knowledge is interpreted using a foreign epistemology and gained dominance over indigenous worldviews. European scholars have monopolised the field of Ethiopian Studies by producing books, encyclopaedias and digital archives based on Ethiopian manuscripts, almost exclusively in European languages. The contributions of their work for western scholarship is undeniable. However, Kebede argues that one of the detrimental effects of this orientalist literature is the thesis of Semiticisation, the designation of the origin of Ethiopian civilisation to the arrival of Middle Eastern colonisers rather than indigenous sources.The thesis is invented to make the history of Ethiopia consistent with the Hegelian western view that Africa is a Dark Continent devoid of a civilisation of its own. “In light of the dominant belief that black peoples are incapable of great achievements, the existence of an early and highly advanced civilization constitutes a serious anomaly in the Eurocentric construction of the world” (Kebede 4). To address this anomaly, orientalists like Ludolph attributed the origin of Ethiopia’s writing system, agriculture, literature, and civilisation to the arrival of South Arabian settlers. For example, in his translation of the Kebra Nagast, Budge wrote: “the SEMITES found them [indigenous Ethiopians] negro savages, and taught them civilization and culture and the whole scriptures on which their whole literature is based” (x).In line with the above thesis, Dillman wrote that “the Abyssinians borrowed their Numerical Signs from the Greeks” (33). The views of these orientalist scholars have been challenged. For instance, leading scholar of Semitic languages Professor Ephraim Isaac considers the thesis of the Arabian origin of Ethiopian civilization “a Hegelian Eurocentric philosophical perspective of history” (2). Isaac shows that there is historical, archaeological, and linguistic evidence that suggest Ethiopia to be more advanced than South Arabia from pre-historic times. Various Ethiopian sources including the Kebra Nagast, the works of historian Asres Yenesew, and Ethiopian linguist Girma Demeke provide evidence for the indigenous origin of Ethiopian civilisation and languages.The epistemic violence of the Semeticisation thesis lies in how this Eurocentric ideological construction is the dominant narrative in the field of Ethiopian history and the education system. Unlike the indigenous view, the orientalist view is backed by strong institutional power both in Ethiopia and abroad. The orientalists control the field of Ethiopian studies and have access to Ge’ez manuscripts. Their publications are the only references for Ethiopian students. Due to Native Colonialism, a system of power run by native elites through the use of colonial ideas and practices (Woldeyes), the education system is the imitation of western curricula, including English as a medium of instruction from high school onwards. Students study the west more than Ethiopia. Indigenous sources are generally excluded as unscientific. Only the Eurocentric interpretation of Ethiopian manuscripts is regarded as scientific and objective.ConclusionEthiopia is the only African country never to be colonised. In its history it produced a large quantity of manuscripts in the Ge’ez language through an indigenous education system that involves the study of these manuscripts. Since the 19th century, there has been an ongoing loss of these manuscripts. European travellers who came to Ethiopia as discoverers, missionaries and scholars took a large number of manuscripts. The Battle of Maqdala involved the looting of the intellectual products of Ethiopia that were collected at the capital. With the introduction of western education and use of English as a medium of instruction, the state disregarded indigenous schools whose students have little access to the manuscripts. This article brings the issue of knowledge grapping, a situation whereby European institutions and scholars accumulate Ethiopia manuscripts without providing the students in Ethiopia to have access to those collections.Items such as manuscripts that are held in western institutions are not dead artefacts of the past to be preserved for prosperity. They are living sources of knowledge that should be put to use in their intended contexts. Local Ethiopian scholars cannot study ancient and medieval Ethiopia without travelling and gaining access to western institutions. This lack of access and resources has made European Ethiopianists almost the sole producers of knowledge about Ethiopian history and culture. For example, indigenous sources and critical research that challenge the Semeticisation thesis are rarely available to Ethiopian students. Here we see epistemic violence in action. Western control over knowledge production has the detrimental effect of inventing new identities, subjectivities and histories that translate into material effects in the lives of African people. In this way, Ethiopians and people all over Africa internalise western understandings of themselves and their history as primitive and in need of development or outside intervention. African’s intellectual and cultural heritage, these living bodies locked away in graveyards, must be put back into the hands of Africans.AcknowledgementThe author acknowledges the support of the Australian Academy of the Humanities' 2019 Humanities Travelling Fellowship Award in conducting this research.ReferencesBell, Stephen. “Cultural Treasures Looted from Maqdala: A Summary of Correspondence in British National Newspapers since 1981.” Kasa and Kasa. Eds. Tadesse Beyene, Richard Pankhurst, and Shifereraw Bekele. Addis Ababa: Ababa University Book Centre, 1990. 231-246.Budge, Wallis. A History of Ethiopia, Nubia and Abyssinia. London: Methuen and Co, 1982.Demeke, Girma Awgichew. The Origin of Amharic. Trenton: Red Sea Press, 2013.Diakonoff, Igor M. Afrasian Languages. Moscow: Nauka, 1988.Dillmann, August. Ethiopic Grammar. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2005.Hegel, Georg W.F. The Philosophy of History. New York: Dover, 1956.Isaac, Ephraim. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. New Jersey: Red Sea Press, 2013.———. “An Open Letter to an Inquisitive Ethiopian Sister.” The Habesha, 2013. 1 Feb. 2020 <http://www.zehabesha.com/an-open-letter-to-an-inquisitive-young-ethiopian-sister-ethiopian-history-is-not-three-thousand-years/>.Kebra Nagast. "The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelik I." Trans. Wallis Budge. London: Oxford UP, 1932.Pankhurst, Richard. "The Napier Expedition and the Loot Form Maqdala." Presence Africaine 133-4 (1985): 233-40.Pankhurst, Rita. "The Maqdala Library of Tewodros." Kasa and Kasa. Eds. Tadesse Beyene, Richard Pankhurst, and Shifereraw Bekele. Addis Ababa: Ababa University Book Centre, 1990. 223-230.Tefera, Amsalu. ነቅዐ መጻህፍት ከ መቶ በላይ በግዕዝ የተጻፉ የእኢትዮጵያ መጻህፍት ዝርዝር ከማብራሪያ ጋር።. Addis Ababa: Jajaw, 2019.Nosnitsin, Denis. "Ethio-Spare Cultural Heritage of Christian Ethiopia: Salvation, Preservation and Research." 2010. 5 Jan. 2019 <https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/en/ethiostudies/research/ethiospare/missions/pdf/report2010-1.pdf>. Ullendorff, Edward. "James Bruce of Kinnaird." The Scottish Historical Review 32.114, part 2 (1953): 128-43.Wion, Anaïs. "Collecting Manuscripts and Scrolls in Ethiopia: The Missions of Johannes Flemming (1905) and Enno Littmann (1906)." 2012. 5 Jan. 2019 <https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00524382/document>. Woldeyes, Yirga Gelaw. Native Colonialism: Education and the Economy of Violence against Traditions in Ethiopia. Trenton: Red Sea Press, 2017.———. “Reflections on Ethiopia’s Stolen Treasures on Display in a London Museum.” The Conversation. 2018. 5 June 2018 <https://theconversation.com/reflections-on-ethiopias-stolen-treasures-on-display-in-a-london-museum-97346>.Yenesew, Asres. ትቤ፡አክሱም፡መኑ፡ አንተ? Addis Ababa: Nigid Printing House, 1959 [1951 EC].

In last decade, there has been a growing awareness in E-Learning which is the most recent type of distance education, and becomes a highly significant model of educational technology. Today e-Learning studies indicate that there is an increasing use of this educational scheme for students, trainers and instructors which improve the learning capability of the students and trainee by depending on student-centered learning (SCL) scheme rather than using the traditional teacher or trainer centered teaching mechanism.However, students’ awareness for the advantage of using e-Learning has not been significantly investigated, especially in Iraq. The aim of this article is to inspect students’ awareness of the using of e-Learning at the Dohuk Polytechnic University. Participants involved in this study were 100 students studying the C++ programming language course during 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 academic years and 210 students studying computer application course during 2018-2019.

This ethnographic-case study explored the beliefs, context factors, and practices of three middle school exemplary teachers that led to a technology-enriched curriculum. Findings suggest that these middle school teachers believe technology is a tool that adds value to lessons and to students learning and motivation. Due to a personal interest in technology, these teachers are self-taught and apply for grants to acquire new hardware and software. They receive support for release time to continue with ongoing professional development, which has helped to change their teaching strategies from teacher-centered to student-centered. They are not afraid to take risk using trial and error, flexible planning, project-based lessons, varying roles, varying grouping, and providing multiple activities in their classroom practices.

As the complexity of health care delivery continues to increase, educators are challenged to determine educational best practices to prepare BSN students for the ambiguous clinical practice setting. Integrative, active, and student-centered curricular methods are encouraged to foster student ability to use clinical judgment for problem solving and informed clinical decision making. The proposed pedagogical model of progressive complexity in nursing education suggests gradually introducing students to complex and multi-contextual clinical scenarios through the utilization of case studies and problem-based learning activities, with the intention to transition nursing students into autonomous learners and well-prepared practitioners at the culmination of a nursing program. Exemplar curricular activities are suggested to potentiate student development of a transferable problem solving skill set and a flexible knowledge base to better prepare students for practice in future novel clinical experiences, which is a mutual goal for both educators and students.

The purpose of this paper is to outline effective strategies that increase student learning and stimulate the development of reflective thinking in undergraduate courses. Specifically, it shows that class activities using the PERIA model (Preparation, Experience, Reflection, Integration, and Application) can increase student learning in a variety of technical and non-technical courses. The first example illustrates the use of games and simulations to stimulate and encourage reflective learning in an economics course where students discuss, reflect, practice and apply what they learned from the simulation. The second technique illustrates cooperative learning using small group discussions, case studies, and brief presentations in the context of a discussion-oriented moral philosophy class. The third example uses a Nearpod application in an active, learner-centered Spanish classroom to encourage metalinguistic discussion, communicative uses of language, and even intercultural comparisons. The final example demonstrates how a mathematics course, historically dependent upon lecture, can use consulting projects and a cyclical approach to the PERIA process to increase student learning.

Abstract Background Medical student demands for competency based homeless health education is increasing. Indeed, humans living homeless is a treatable health and social emergency. This innovation report outlines the initial development of an education framework for homeless health. Methods A medical student task force and educators conducted a mixed method study, including a scoping review of homeless health curriculum and competencies, a cross-country survey of medical students, and unique clinical guidelines. The task force collaborated with persons with lived experience and clinical guideline developers from the Homeless Health Research Network. The students presented at the Toronto Homeless Health Summit and refined the framework with feedback from homeless health experts. Results The main outcome was an evidence-based Homeless Health Curriculum Framework. It uses seven core competencies; with communication, advocacy, leadership, and upstream approaches playing the strongest roles. The framework integrated the new clinical guideline (housing, income assistance, case management and addiction). In addition, it identified approaches to support mental health care with trauma informed and patient centered care. It identified public health values, clinical objectives, and case studies. The framework aims to inform the design, delivery, service learning and evaluation for medical school curriculum. Conclusions This student-led curriculum framework can support the design, implementation, delivery and evaluation of homeless health within the undergraduate medical curriculum. The framework can lay the foundation for new doctors, research and development; support consistency across programs; and support the creation of national learning and evaluation tools.

Background: Pharmacists are under pressure to provide patient centered care within increasingly culturally diverse settings. Pharmacy schools play an important role in educating learners regarding culture and its impact on patient care.
 Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine if a novel cultural competency learning activity, which involved students from two culturally and ethnically different pharmacy schools learning together using videoconference education activities, improved: (1) student knowledge and confidence pertaining to cultural competency concepts, (2) attitudes and perceptions towards being a culturally competent pharmacist, and (3) academic performance related to cultural competency case studies.
 Methods: Pharmacy students from Qatar University in Doha, Qatar (n=25) and the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada (n=85) participated in a cultural competency activity comprised of small group work on a patient case study, followed by tutorial discussions. Some Canadian students (n=31/85) worked collaboratively (via video conference) with the students from Qatar. The evaluation used a convergent mixed methods design comprised of: (1) a pre and post session survey measuring student knowledge and confidence; (2) pre and post session student self-reflections; and, (3) student academic performance on care plans and an observed structured clinical exam (OSCE).
 Results: The survey identified small but statistically significant (p<0.05) improvements in knowledge and confidence with respect to 11 of the 12 questionnaire items in the students from Canada and 2 of the 12 items in the students from Qatar. The self-reflections found that 44.4% (n=36/81) of students who completed the pre and post reflective questions reported a change in knowledge and attitudes regarding cultural competency, but a reason for the change was not evident. Student grades on the cultural competency care plans and the OSCE were not different between the students who worked collaboratively across the two schools compared with those who did not.
 Conclusion: The cultural competency student activity showed small improvements in pharmacy student knowledge, attitudes and confidence, but did not affect academic performance. Future research in this area could utilize a greater diversity of methodological approaches, including a focus on student self-reflection and qualitative assessment, to better capture student competency.
 
 Type: Original Research

PurposeShowing empathy can be, at best, a tricky prospect; teaching empathy is downright daunting. The authors taught an interior design studio project that designed hypothetical transitional housing for refugees coming to Canada. As the project evolved, it became imperative that students needed to address tangible issues experienced by the refugee client, namely trauma, rootlessness and marginalization and authentically empathize with their client. Hence, instructors needed to accurately structure and facilitate this engagement. The purpose of this paper is to present a summary of the evolution of this studio project as a case study, the revision of the project's pedagogical goals and establishing a new set of design parameters that engage the “self” and the “other” through alternate modes of thinking and reasoning.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is centered on a reflective case study of the studio project and the student's work. The results of the reflection are contextualized within pedagogical framework that emphasize alternate forms of teaching and learning that promotes authentic empathetic engagement.FindingsThe summary of these reflections arises from organically questioning the nature of traditional design studio pedagogy. It proposes divergent approaches, such as “abductive reasoning”, posing the project as a “wicked problem” to encourages lateral explorations and connections.Originality/valueThis paper questions the value of prescriptive design process and guides student learning by providing an experimental toolkit that encourages alternative exploration, research and thinking.

Purpose Virtual reality (VR) technology invaded various domains including architecture practice and education. Despite its high applications in architecture design education, VR has a high potential to be used in architectural history courses as well. This paper aims to examine the effect of using VR technology on the students’ learning abilities of history of architecture. Design/methodology/approach The experimental approach was used. Two experiments were designed by creating virtual environments for two selected architectural examples from the Modern Architecture course. The participants who were students of Modern Architecture class had to complete two questionnaires, one for each example. The first one was based on Bloom’s taxonomy, and the other was prepared to test the participants’ analytical and critical skills. Besides, participants had to fill out satisfaction and ease-of-use survey on a five-step Likert scale. Findings Participants in the VR condition achieved better grades in knowledge gain compared to those in the traditional conditions. Their analytical and critical thinking skills were improved in the VR conditions. Gender has a significant impact on analytical and critical thinking skills. Participants recorded a high level of satisfaction; however, male students were more satisfied than female students who reported concerns about the weight of the used tools and nausea symptoms. Research limitations/implications This study informs architecture education and provides insights into the potentials of using advanced technology in architectural history education. Teaching the various history of architecture courses will be improved, shifted toward a more student-centered curriculum, and may acquire more excitement and conscious curiosity. Originality/value Using VR in architectural education is rigorous in architectural design courses and students’ design projects’ presentations. This research expands architectural education research by examining other ways of teaching history of architecture courses and its effect on the students’ knowledge gain and performance.