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This study presents a comprehensive needs analysis of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in colleges of art and design in China. By examining the perspectives of undergraduate students, graduate students, art teachers, and English teachers, the research identifies consensus and divergence in ESP needs and implementation challenges. The analysis reveals a strong demand among students for specialized English learning, with a particular emphasis on receptive and interactive skills. However, there is a widespread acknowledgement of students' difficulties across ESP skills, indicating a gap between student competencies and the professional demands, thus highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions to effectively address the difficulties. Notably, reading and writing abilities emerge as the most lacking skills. While there is unanimous recognition of the positive impact of ESP on students' professional abilities and international competitiveness, a significant disparity exists in the enthusiasm for implementing ESP courses, paticularly with resistence from English teachers. The study highlights the critical challenges in ESP teaching, with teacher qualifications identified as the most prominent issue. Interestingly, English teachers attribute difficulties primarily to teaching materials, indicating a potential lack of readiness for ESP course delivery. A gap is also observed between teachers' evaluations of student abilities and students' self-assessment, especially among undergraduate freshmen, suggesting an overestimation of their English proficiency in professional contexts. The paper concludes with the implication that for effective ESP course implementation in colleges of art and design in China, targeted faculty development programs and a collaborative approach involving English teachers, art teachers, and professionals are essential. The collaboration should aim to develop materials that integrate specific professional knowledge with linguistic expertise. Additionally, a balanced approach combining general English proficiency and specialized English training is recommended to address both foundational and specialized language skills. Overall, the study underscores the need for targeted ESP courses in art and design education, tailored to bridge the gap between current proficiency levels and professional language requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical thinking is a common and important learning outcome in college curricula. Case-based and problem-based learning can be used to assess and foster critical thinking skills. HNF 250–Contemporary Issues in Human Nutrition is a critical thinking course developed during the redesign of a nutritional sciences major program. Course assignments were designed to assess the course and nutritional sciences major learning outcomes. The nutrition and health claim assignment is scaffolded across the academic semester as three assignments: 1) bibliography assignment; 2) poster presentation; and 3) paper. Course lectures and materials have been designed to prepare students for completion of each assignment. The assignments have been modified over time based on classroom observations and student performance. In 2021, the course learning outcomes were examined by assessing several assignments including the nutrition and health claim poster and paper. Course learning outcome benchmarks using these assessments generally included 80% of students achieving an 80% for each criterion. Results revealed that students were not meeting most of these assessment benchmarks during the 2021 iteration, although benchmark data from other course assessments were more satisfactory. It is possible that the transition from a virtual to an in-person format negatively influenced student performance on these course learning outcomes. This course and the nutrition and health claim assignment example can provide a course design and learning outcome assessment framework for other higher education critical thinking courses. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: This paper describes how a scaffolded nutrition and health claim assignment is used to teach critical thinking skills among nutritional sciences students and examine the program's learning outcomes. Further, this course example is to serve as an model for STEM majors on how to incorporate case-based and problem-based learning strategies into an undergraduate course. Listen to this article's corresponding podcast at https://apspublicationspodcast.podbean.com/e/teaching-critical-thinking-in-nutritional-sciences/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores an experiential learning approach for undergraduate and graduate students through a potions lesson experiment, which is part of the history course offering Secrets of Nature in the Iberian World. Topics discussed include students' creation of ink using recipes from herbal notes and manuscripts, the study of Iberian bookmaking traditions, and the preparation and execution of the experiment.

The article discusses the benefits of including more hands-on experimental archaeological projects into history college curriculum. These benefits include facilitating deeper transformative student learning, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary and community connections, and reinforcing teaching of historiography. Other benefits include expanding student experiences and providing photo opportunities.

The article explores student agency underpinning the survey course, HIST 1700: American History, based on the Choose Your Own Grading Adventure concept. Topics discussed include student agency in the college history classroom, assignments in HIST 1700 including quizzes, academic article analyses and primary source reading grids, and the advantages and disadvantages of the Choose Your Own Grading Adventure concept.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was suddenly necessary to shift college courses online. Many instructors without experience teaching online were faced with decisions about how to structure their courses and support students during the pandemic. In the three introductory STEM courses described in this article, instructors chose to include online teamwork activities. In this study, we have surveyed the students about their experiences participating in active learning teamwork activities in online computer science or human anatomy and physiology courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overwhelming majority of students rated the experience of their team as positive. Most students cited interpersonal interactions, productivity, or team members' equal contributions as reasons for their positive rating of the team. In all of these courses, students reported benefits of the experience to include teamwork, connections, and communication. Overall, instructors in these three introductory STEM courses felt positively about structuring their online courses to include teamwork learning activities and appreciated the community and connection benefits for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationally, students fail anatomy and physiology courses at some of the highest rates compared with other undergraduate-level courses. Formative evaluation guides future learning by assessing the quality of student achievement while the student is still learning. Formative assessments were introduced in an undergraduate human anatomy course intended for students majoring in various allied health fields. In this research, the formative assessments were utilized throughout the course, leading to each of the five summative assessments. The results were analyzed using a partial correlation and regression to establish whether any relationships existed between the formative and summative assessments, and we looked for any significant impact on the summative test scores. The results suggest that at-risk students can be identified using formative assessment before the first summative assessment in the class, increasing the likelihood that these students will successfully complete the course. The implementation of formative assessments in college science courses should be considered a way to inform the instructors of student learning gaps and increase student success in the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving to remote, online learning to meet health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge for college science courses due to the interactive nature of laboratories. We developed and implemented a remote/in-person lab partner model where in-person students were paired with remote students in natural science courses during the 2020–2021 academic year. The goal was to provide an opportunity for students to attend lab in person, as well as an interactive lab experience for students who elected to attend remotely. Students in each course completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of their learning. Learning outcomes were assessed and compared between in-person and remote modalities in a general biology course. In-person students perceived that attending class in person increased their learning but that having remote partners hindered learning. Conversely, remote students perceived that attending class remotely hindered their learning overall but that having in-person partners enhanced their experience. We found that learning outcomes were not significantly different between in-person and remote students. Although the data suggest the model was not successful in its initial iteration, we provide a way to offer a remote laboratory option to make classes more inclusive and accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the expectations regarding university studies and career choice of first-generation university students and graduates. Our interest in this particular population is due to the fact that they are atypical cases. The theoretical perspective is the relationship with knowledge and dispositionalist and contextualist sociology. The methodology is qualitative and we used in-depth interviews with a sample of 35 students from three degree courses at the National University of La Plata. The families and the school experience were central in the construction of expectations, while the choice of career was defined on the basis of the transit through secondary school, in the university experience itself as well as in other non-school environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This grounded in social constructivism yearlong ethnographic case study was conducted at the final stage of a larger, longitudinal, multisite, and multi-year project. The current research focused on a group of urban public elementary schoolteachers who volunteered to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded interdisciplinary science and engineering partnership (ISEP) project. These teachers were enrolled in the professional development (PD) college courses in physics and engineering design, summer research in university laboratories, and interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) pedagogy sessions. This research sought to understand the factors which contributed to successful teamwork at the elementary school under investigation. Additionally, this study investigated the changes in the ISEP-participating educators' teaching approaches, methods, and techniques upon their completion of their studies with the ISEP Summer Institute. Data were collected from the structured interviews with the participating teachers and their students and observations of the schoolbased activities during in-class and extra-curricular instruction. The researchers used Saldaña's (2013) thematic and value coding and Miles and Huberman (1984) memoing for data analysis. This research found that the teachers' team embedded their newly acquired research experiences and pedagogic knowledge into their instruction. Joint endeavors of the project participants lead to higher interest and engagement in learning processes in this school's student population as well as greater involvement of the schoolchildren, their families, and the surrounding community in the team-organized science-based educational events and activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the dominant finding indicates a monotonic relationship between cognitive ability and academic performance, some researchers have suggested the existence of cognitive thresholds for challenging coursework, such that a certain level of cognitive ability is required for reaching a satisfactory level of academic achievement. Given the significance of finding a threshold for understanding the relationship between cognitive ability and academic performance, and the limited studies on the topic, it is worth further investigating the possibility of cognitive thresholds. Using a multi-institutional dataset and the necessary condition analysis (NCA), we attempted to replicate previous findings of cognitive thresholds on the major GPA of mathematics and physics-majored students, as well as the course grade of organic chemistry, to examine whether high SAT math scores constitute a necessary condition for obtaining satisfactory grades in these courses. The results from the two studies do not indicate an absolute cognitive threshold point below which students are doomed to fail regardless of the amount of effort they devote into learning. However, we did find that the chance of students with a low level of quantitative ability to succeed in highly quantitative courses is very small, which qualifies for the virtually necessary condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act was recently passed in India to regulate and maintain standards in allied and healthcare professions. While the act has been welcomed by some professions, it has also raised concerns within the psychology community. One issue is the proposed switch from "mental health" to "behavioral health," which could create practical and procedural issues and conflict with existing legislation. There are also discrepancies between the act and international standards for the classification of occupations, which may hinder international mobility for professionals. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the structure of courses and training requirements, the lack of autonomy for the profession, and the representation of psychologists in regulatory bodies. Addressing these concerns is crucial for the growth and development of psychology in India. [Extracted from the article]

A common course activity used by emergency management faculty is the screening of Hollywood disaster films to provide students with an opportunity to apply key disaster concepts they have learned about in lectures. When college courses were abruptly moved online in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States, emergency management faculty had to quickly modify this assignment to meet the needs of the online format. This article reports the experience of several faculty members in modifying this pedagogical technique by using Twitter, and it identifies unexpected benefits, including the opportunity for professional networking, science communication, and public engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's transition from apartheid to a democratic republic in 1994 came with lots of expectations. Massive and national student movement protests that rocked the universities in South Africa from 2015 to 2016 highlighted the expected transformation in the education system after the collapse of apartheid. This study explored the challenges of decolonising teacher education curricula despite the student movement protests that demanded the decolonisation of higher education in South Africa. Many South African universities have yet to significantly transform, especially in the knowledge production rooted in Western and Eurocentric disciplinary knowledge. This article adopted a systematic literature review method to explore the decolonisation of teacher education curriculum, a long overdue task for higher education institutions in South Africa. The contexts of South Africa require decolonised teacher education due to the dynamic realities that exist across diverse social groups in the Republic. Many African scholars have critiqued existing teacher education and described it as an epistemic and hegemonic knowledge-building system in most South African universities, as well as the need to recognise indigenous education systems. This discursive article examines the concepts of decolonisation and the hiccups of experiencing a decolonised teacher education curriculum in South African higher education institutions. The article adds to the voices on the need to make Africa the centre of the curriculum. Challenges against decolonising teacher education from Westernised and Eurocentric knowledge will be highlighted. The study recommends reviewing and assessing teacher education curricula by various higher education institutions to integrate realities in students' communities into their learning content to prepare them as effective social change agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating an environmentally aware society is not an easy task and requires knowledge about what affects the formation of environmental views. At the same time, to contribute to environmental protection, individuals with different educational backgrounds need to have environmental awareness, because their decisions as future professionals may affect the environment. The problem, however, is that there is not adequate research on the association between educational background and environmental views. To address this gap, the aim of this study is to investigate whether scientific background affects environmental views and attitudes. Specific objectives are to examine whether scientific background affects university students' views on environmental issues as well as their attitudes towards the solution to environmental problems. To achieve this aim, a comparative study was performed on two student groups: students attending environmental studies and students attending classical studies. The results showed that non-environmental students were less willing to change their habits to protect the environment and to participate in environmental actions compared to environmental students who expressed a pronounced willingness to do so. However, both student groups did not acknowledge their personal environmental responsibility. Categorical regression revealed that students' certain sociodemographic variables affected their willingness to change habits. However, other additional variables are recommended to be analyzed in future studies. The results from this study provide support for making changes in the curricula of non-environmental departments and for carrying out actions to reinforce the participation of students in initiatives aimed at raising environmental awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study describes the Italian adaptation of the Academic Stressors Scale (E-CEA) of the Academic Stress Questionnaire, evaluating the relationships with general and domain-specific well-being and verifying the significant predictors and the amount of variance explained by the "non-intellective" academic competencies on the scores of student stress dimensions. The participants are 1305 students from all the different degree courses. The Italian version of the E-CEA, composed of 38 items, showed good psychometric properties both in terms of reliability and factorial structure with good fit indices. The 6 sub-dimensions, for the most part overlapping with those of the original version of the instrument, show good construct and concurrent validity as negative relationships were found with general and domain-specific well-being indices. With regard to the regressions performed, several dimensions of "non-intellective" academic competencies turned out to be significant predictors (with negative effect) with respect to the stress levels perceived in the academic environment by university students: in particular, time organization, emotional control, the ability to relate to professors and intrinsic motivation could decrease stress levels, while dedication to study and the tendency to involve one's parents in one's university career seemed to increase stress levels. Regarding the practical implications of the results, suggestions are provided in supporting the career paths of students to reduce risk factors for stress development and to promote academic well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prof. Maj. Gen. Muhammad Aslam, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, spoke at the White Coat ceremony of Aziz Fatimah Medical and Dental College in Faisalabad, Pakistan. He emphasized that medicine as a profession offers respect, dignity, and opportunities to serve humanity. Prof. Aslam praised the establishment of private medical and dental institutions, like Aziz Fatimah, which supplement government efforts to produce healthcare professionals and provide job opportunities for medical teachers. He also highlighted the importance of research in finding cost-effective solutions to healthcare problems. The ceremony was attended by Mian Muhammad Idrees, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and other distinguished guests. Aziz Fatimah Medical and Dental College has also started publishing an official journal, which has been recognized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the process of establishing an experimental lab alongside computational research. It provides ten simple rules for researchers who are interested in moving into experimental studies, including the importance of collaborating with experimentalists, staying up to date with experimental techniques, finding lab space, keeping computational research ongoing, securing funding, organizing the lab, writing ethics applications, expecting a three-year timeline, documenting experiments, and publishing in experimental journals. The article emphasizes the benefits of combining computational and experimental research and offers practical advice for researchers considering this transition. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a compilation of discussions from two different listservers. The first discussion focuses on carbon coating in microscopy, with participants sharing their experiences and suggestions for avoiding sparks during the process. The second discussion delves into the differences between EM Coulomb potential maps and X-ray electron density maps, discussing the non-normal distribution of values in cryoEM maps and potential causes for this phenomenon. The text also includes testimonials and recommendations for computer systems and software, as well as discussions on topics such as large imaging cuvettes and removing dried immersion oil from objectives. It offers a range of perspectives and experiences, providing valuable insights and suggestions for library patrons conducting research on these specific topics. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the author's experience teaching a popular physics course at City College of San Francisco. The author attracted a large number of students by creating an awe-inspiring and engaging first day of class. The author used index cards to gauge students' comfort with numerical problem-solving and announced that the course would focus on qualitative questions instead. The author also implemented a unique grading system that allowed for retake exams and emphasized fairness. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of creating a positive and memorable first impression in any course. [Extracted from the article]

The increasing number of students intending to drop out of universities in Vietnam has raised concerns. While previous studies have addressed factors influencing dropout intentions, several aspects still need to be explored, particularly in developing countries like Vietnam. This research provides an overview of the factors influencing students’ dropout intention in Ho Chi Minh City. The study employs the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach with a survey sample of 804 students from universities in Ho Chi Minh City. The research findings reveal that factors such as Lack of university commitment (LUC), degree and course commitment (DCC), ineffective time management (ITM), curriculum design (CD), Ineffective adaptation to learning environment (IALE), low classroom participation (LCP) and personal circumstances (PC) significantly influence students’ dropout intentions. Additionally, factors including skills and attitudes of instructors (SAI), instructor support (IS), positive instructor feedback (PIF), university facilities (UF), cultural and social environment (CSE), and access to support from academic advisors (ASA) do not show statistically significant relationships with students’ dropout intention. Furthermore, the study finds no significant differences in dropout intention based on gender, area, and type of university, except for ASA has a differential impact on students’ dropout intentions based on the type of university. The research results provide valuable insights for researchers and educational experts to understand better the factors contributing to students’ dropout intentions. Moreover, the findings assist educational managers and instructors in developing appropriate support measures and interventions to enhance student engagement throughout their academic journey. Finally, the study discusses limitations and suggests future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Single‐session interventions have the potential to address young people's mental health needs at scale, but their effects are heterogeneous. We tested whether the mindset + supportive context hypothesis could help explain when intervention effects persist or fade over time. The hypothesis posits that interventions are more effective in environments that support the intervention message. We tested this hypothesis using the synergistic mindsets intervention, a preventative treatment for stress‐related mental health symptoms that helps students appraise stress as a potential asset in the classroom (e.g., increasing oxygenated blood flow) rather than debilitating. In an introductory college course, we examined whether intervention‐consistent messages from instructors sustained changes in appraisals over time, as well as impacts on students' predisposition to try demanding academic tasks that could enhance learning. Methods: We randomly assigned 1675 students in the course to receive the synergistic mindsets intervention (or a control activity) at the beginning of the semester, and subsequently, to receive intervention‐supportive messages from their instructor (or neutral messages) four times throughout the term. We collected weekly measures of students' appraisals of stress in the course and their predisposition to take on academic challenges. Trial‐registration: OSF.io; DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/fchyn. Results: A conservative Bayesian analysis indicated that receiving both the intervention and supportive messages led to the greatest increases in positive stress appraisals (0.35 SD; 1.00 posterior probability) and challenge‐seeking predisposition (2.33 percentage points; 0.94 posterior probability), averaged over the course of the semester. In addition, intervention effects grew larger throughout the semester when complemented by supportive instructor messages, whereas without these messages, intervention effects shrank somewhat over time. Conclusions: This study shows, for the first time, that supportive cues in local contexts can be the difference in whether a single‐session intervention's effects fade over time or persist and even amplify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtual simulation experiments have been rapidly applied to medical education curricula in recent years. China constructed a national virtual simulation experimental teaching center (iLAB-X), and this platform covered almost all of the virtual simulation experiment curricula of domestic colleges or universities. We aimed to comprehensively assess the characteristics and usages of virtual simulation experiments in medical education based on iLAB-X. Methods: A total of 480 virtual simulation experiment courses had been constructed on iLABX (https://www.ilab-x.com/) by December 20, 2022, and the curriculum level, type and design were all searched in this platform. We also conducted an evaluation of curriculum usage and online tests, including the page view, frequency of participation, number of participants, duration of experimental learning and passing rate of the experimental test. Results: The national and provincial high-quality virtual simulation experiment curricula accounted for 33.5% (161/480) and 35.8% (172/480), respectively. The curricula were mainly set as basic practice experiments (46.5%) and synthetic designing experiments (48.8%). Significantly, forensic medicine (100%), public health and preventive medicine (83%) and basic medical sciences (66%) focused on synthetic design experiments. In terms of usage experiments, the average duration of experimental learning was 25 minutes per course, and the average number of participants was just 1257. The average passing (score ≥60) rate of online tests was 80.6%, but the average rate of score ≥ 85 was only 58.5%. In particular, the average page views, the number of participants, the duration of learning and the test passing rate of clinical medicine were relatively low. Conclusions: The curriculum design features, construction level and utilization rate varied in different medical majors. Virtual simulation experiments are particularly underutilized in clinical medicine. There is a long way for virtual simulation experiments to go to become a supplement or alternative for traditional medical education in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' academic and social adaptation is linked to factors such as their initial study motivations, the atmosphere of the academic environment and their perception of academic wellbeing. This paper analyses the initial adaptation of first-degree students in their first semester through a quantitative ex post facto study with a descriptive-exploratory approach, using a questionnaire as the information-gathering instrument. Findings shed light on the concept of initial adaptation itself (through the creation of an index) and validate the study of the construct through three factors: initial motivation, the academic environment and perception of academic wellbeing. Also, the influence on initial adaptation of the academic and social context of the degree course taken is demonstrated:, as the constitutive features of the degree contribute information predicting how students will integrate into the institution. Therefore, it is suggested that institutional means and actions should be designed and put in place in accordance with measurements that indicate how students function best in a specific context (the bachelor's degree), in order to boost motivation and the perception of academic wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; 2Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Lim... B Correspondence: b Pavel V Ovseiko (mailto:pavel.ovseiko@rdm.ox.ac.uk); Mei Leow (mailto:mei.leow@sciencegenderequity.org.au) I BMC Proceedings 2023 i , B 17(15) b B Introduction b Diversity Interventions is an international conference dedicated to promoting advances in gender equality, diversity and inclusion. A26 A review of strategies that advance female nursing careers Mihirika Surangi De Silva Pincha Baduge1,2*, Mariam Mousa1, Leanne Boyd3, Helena Teede1,4 1Monash University, Clayton, Australia; 2Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia; 3Eastern Healt... Correspondence: Mihirika Surangi De Silva Pincha Baduge (mailto:mihirika.pinchabaduge@monash.... I BMC Proceedings 2023 i , B 17(15): b A26 B Background b Nurses bring unique perspectives to board rooms in areas related to strategic planning, critical thinking, communication, quality and process improvement, human resources, finance, and complex problem-solving. A10 Fighting gender inequality in media education: in the classroom and on set Lucy A A Brown London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom Correspondence: Lucy A A Brown (mailto:lucybrown@lsbu.ac.uk) I BMC Proceedings 2023 i , B 17(15): b A10 There is a startling lack of gender equality in the film and television industry despite data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) indicating a gender balance on media university courses. The study design included: a consultation process; review of academic promotion implementation and practices; embedding ARtO in recruitment (guidelines for hiring managers, information for candidates on external careers site, training for recruitment teams, job advertisement language and application process design). [Extracted from the article]

This article sheds light on how to capture knowledge integration dynamics in college course content, improves and enriches the definition and measurement of interdisciplinarity, and expands the scope of research on the benefits of interdisciplinarity to postcollege outcomes.We distinguish between what higher education institutions claim regarding interdisciplinarity and what they appear to actually do. We focus on the core academic element of student experience—the courses they take, develop a text-based semantic measure of interdisciplinarity in college curriculum, and test its relationship to average earnings of graduates from different types of schools of higher education. We observe that greater exposure to interdisciplinarity—especially for science majors—is associated with increased earnings after college graduation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully online degree programs are an increasingly important part of the higher education ecosystem. Among the many challenges raised by the growth of fully online courses and degree programs is the question: Are institutions providing online students with disabilities accommodations that are comparable to those provided to students in traditional in-person degree programs? To explore this question, we compared students in a fully online biology degree program to students in the equivalent in-person degree program at a large research university. For each group, we assessed the frequency with which students register with the disability resource center, the range of specific accommodations provided, and course grades. Results show that students in the in-person program were nearly 30% more likely to be enrolled with the disability resource center, and that students in the online program were offered a narrower range of accommodations. However, in relative terms (i.e., compared to students without disabilities in their degree program), online students with disabilities perform better than in-person students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article delves into the contributions and perspectives of renowned economist Thomas Sowell. It highlights Sowell's dedication to intellectual rigor and integrity, along with his distinctive approach of considering global perspectives to understand phenomena like slavery, affirmative action, and poverty.

Information literacy is an essential skill of the 21st century in pursuing information and knowledge. Incorporating it into the College of Education curriculum should be an integral education component. A survey research approach was used to identify different information literacy skills possessed by 83 Level 200 students in a Ghanaian College of Education. The study's significant findings disclosed that most students are not used to Boolean operators and truncation to retrieve information. It also emerged that students are trained in information literacy skills in research methodology, library instruction, and the use of computers. Challenges faced by the students in learning information literacy skills are overcrowded lecture halls and insufficient learning materials. The study adds to the existing literature on information literacy and indicates the urgency, relevance, and need for all Colleges of Education in Ghana to integrate the course into their curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world dramatically and how communities and societies behaved. The purpose of this study was to explore lecturers' perspectives on emergency remote teaching, not only from technology-prone lecturers but encompassing contributions from disparate academic fields, which brought assorted experiences into the data. The qualitative study analyses the perspectives of 344 lecturers from 35 higher education institutions in Portugal instigated by the COVID-19 outbreak. The thematic analysis revealed three themes related to the advantages and disadvantages: the lecturing process, learning process, and life and society. Regarding the concerns, four themes emerged: learning process, self-regulation and compromising the future, resources, the assessment process, and well-being. Finally, solutions encompass three themes: pedagogy and innovation, normative framework, and digital literacy. With a special focus on the solutions, all these themes contribute to designing the structure of a training program for the 21st-century higher education lecturer, emphasizing the digital domain. The themes cluster in digital-based innovative pedagogies (mastering digital education software, active pedagogies for digital environments, lecturer posture in digital environments, "for-digital" studying material production, e-proctoring, and transferable competences besides the digital), and digital competences (transgenerational digital-base communication, webcam behavior, well-being in digital settings, and general digital competences). Plain Language Summary: Adapting Higher Education from Pandemic Lessons: Lecturers' Insights on Remote Teaching during COVID-19 in Portugal and Concomitant Solutions for 21st-Century Learning The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered societal behaviours and academic practices. This study delved into the perspectives of 344 lecturers across 35 higher education institutions in Portugal concerning the sudden shift to emergency remote teaching prompted by the pandemic. It aimed to understand their varied experiences and viewpoints, encompassing diverse academic disciplines. Through qualitative analysis, several key themes emerged. Lecturers highlighted both advantages and disadvantages in three main areas: the teaching process itself, the learning experience for students, and the broader impact on life and society. Concerns were expressed regarding the learning process, potential compromises to future educational outcomes, resource limitations, assessment methods, and personal well-being. Moreover, the study uncovered suggestions for potential solutions across three overarching themes. These included proposals for innovative pedagogical approaches, the establishment of normative frameworks to guide remote teaching, and an emphasis on enhancing digital literacy among educators. Notably, lecturers underscored the importance of incorporating digital-based innovative pedagogies, such as mastering educational software, adopting active teaching methods for digital environments, understanding proper lecturer conduct in online settings, creating materials suited for digital learning, implementing e-proctoring, and fostering transferable competencies beyond digital skills. Additionally, lecturers emphasized the significance of digital competencies, spanning transgenerational digital communication, appropriate webcam usage, well-being considerations in digital learning spaces, and overall proficiency in digital tools and platforms. These suggestions collectively offer a roadmap for crafting a comprehensive training program geared towards 21st-century higher education lecturers, placing a significant emphasis on digital integration and proficiency in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geoethics is a field of knowledge currently in full development. Researchers in geoethics are primarily concerned with the anthropogenic interaction with the Earth system. Due to its nature, geoethics holds particular importance in sustainable development due to its nature as it aims to promote ethical human behaviour that does not negatively impact the Earth system. In the present research, we implemented an intervention program addressing various issues related to the sustainability of the Earth system, such as the exploitation of geological resources, the management of geological risks, and the conservation and promotion of geopatrimony. The intervention program was applied to higher education students in the geosciences field. A sample of 90 students from various geosciences courses completed an initial questionnaire, revealing limited knowledge about geoethics. This study resorted to mixed-method research involving interviews with some students who volunteered (n = 52). The results showed that after applying the intervention programme, most students developed a deeper understanding of the topics addressed and recognised the contributions this scientific area can make to sustainable development. Additional research in geoethics education is essential to foster the integration of geoethics into the curricula of higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become the norm in most of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) companies, yet the lack of qualified BIM talent is impeding its adoption. This study revisited two previous research projects conducted in 2013 to provide an update on the changes in BIM educational strategies, and work practices which accompanied the global rise in BIM implementation over the years, and to answer the research questions: 1) how does higher education prepare students for BIM-related workplace competency, and 2) what did companies do differently in recruiting and staffing to respond to clients' growing demands on BIM services. A survey questionnaire consolidating questions from the two studies was administered to solicit inputs from practitioners and educators. The results indicated the continued growth of BIM integration in college curricula and implementation in AEC companies. Different trends and patterns in BIM education and recruiting practices since 2013 were discussed. This study demonstrated the increased collaboration between academia and industry and improved professional BIM training and college BIM education. This study will help colleges determine the educational objectives to develop BIM talent and encourage companies to rethink their BIM talent acquisition and recruiting strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Noah Whiteman's book, "Most Delicious Poison," explores the intricate world of chemical warfare between plants, microbes, fungi, animals, and the organisms that threaten them. The book highlights the chemistry that humans use to treat disease, dull pain, fuel creativity, and distract from the challenges of life on Earth." The book covers a wide range of molecules, their evolutionary origins, and their impacts on daily life. Whiteman also delves into the fascinating interactions between chemicals and neurological machinery, such as how the Citrus and Coffea plants produce caffeine in floral nectar to stimulate the memory of their flowers in honeybees. "Most Delicious Poison" provides a substantive technical summary of a hidden chemical kingdom while maintaining a personal and conversational writing style." [Extracted from the article]

The University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender & Class hosted a symposium on decarceration, focusing on the roles of law school clinics. The symposium included panels of experts from various backgrounds who discussed decarceration activities such as enforcing release mechanisms, expanding release laws, and addressing race and gender discrimination in overincarceration. The article highlights the increase in the US prison population, discusses the issue of mass incarceration, and emphasizes the need to focus on incarcerated individuals who have received long sentences for violent crimes. It also addresses the role of storytelling and the experiences of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in advocating for change. The text discusses the use of fear-based political narratives and tough-on-crime policies, as well as recent reductions in prison populations. It also addresses the Supreme Court's recognition of the lesser culpability of juvenile offenders and the reform of sentencing policies for juvenile lifers. The text discusses the renaming of high courts in Maryland, the implementation of sentencing reforms, and the concept of compassionate release. It highlights the importance of state court focus in addressing overincarceration, particularly for prisoners serving long sentences for violent crimes. The text also mentions the D.C. Second Look law as a national model for sentence review for incarcerated individuals who committed crimes as juveniles. It discusses the Second Look Project and the creation of a national Second Look Network. The text discusses a panel discussion on decarceration reforms and legal representation in federal release proceedings, highlighting the flaws in the Sentencing Reform [Extracted from the article]

Data Analytics has grown dramatically in importance and in the level of business deployments in recent years. It is used across most functional areas and applications, some of the latter including market campaigns, detecting fraud, determining credit, identifying assembly line defects, health services and many others. Indeed, the realm of analytics has famously grown to include major league sports and even U.S. election campaigns. Universities have raced to include data analytics in their curricula as the need for data scientists has become more acute. Unfortunately, many data science courses in college curricula suffer from various deficiencies: some lack a hands-on component, others are insufficiently experiential, and yet others leave students with too few transferable skills. This article describes an experiential approach to teaching data analytics at the college level that uses an election simulation, MISSimulation.com—to communicate key data science concepts in a competitive setting. Many universities actively use the simulation, combined with analytic tools such as Tableau and Excel, to implement team competition. We explore key techniques used and knowledge learned during the typical teaching of a data analytics course using the simulation. We end with pedagogical review of data analytics skills transferred during the course and student feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the challenges faced by instructors teaching about racism, particularly in the context of the backlash against Critical Race Theory (CRT). The author, working at a minority-serving institution, discusses how the politicization of CRT and widespread misunderstandings impact classroom discussions on racism, emphasizing the need for educators to address these challenges while promoting critical race perspectives.

The article discusses the collaborative efforts of the Un/Commoning Pedagogies Collective (UnCPC) in creating a space for radical anti-racist approaches to teaching and learning. It also mentions the importance of the body in addressing racism, the collective shares experiences, reflections, and tools, including the "Do Something, Do Something Different" exercise, to facilitate anti-racist learning in various contexts.

The article discusses the creation of two Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) national and global minors at Michigan State University's College of Social Science. It emphasizes the transformative nature of these minors, contrasting them with performative DEI actions that are superficial and non-systemic.