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More than a half century has passed since the first integration of problem-based learning (PBL) in higher education teaching. Despite the extensive investigation focused on this pedagogy, rigorous research on the impact of PBL in civil engineering is limited. Thus, this study aims to provide a thorough evaluation of students' perceptions of PBL in a civil engineering course. The course was designed based on best practices from the literature while addressing, with the intent to minimize, the inhibitors of PBL success indicated in past research. The semester-long project was focused on creating an artifact to demonstrate geological phenomena chosen by the students, to then be displayed in an exhibition. The course included formative and summative assessments of students' performance throughout the semester. Data was collected and analyzed methodically from over 150 students from two cohorts, one with a one-year post-course perspective, using a survey. The results indicate high satisfaction with several aspects of the course, including the perception of soft skill development. The analysis also showed that students from an ethnic minority group had significantly higher satisfaction and perceived benefit from the course. These findings demonstrate the possibility of turning a theoretical civil engineering course into a valuable PBL course, suggesting that PBL may promote greater equality for ethnic minority groups.

Pursuing academic studies in foreign countries is a globally prevalent phenomenon for diverse reasons: earning a degree in high-demand subjects from a prestigious university opens more doors than a diploma earned locally. Earning a degree overseas is an opportunity to expand one's horizons and gain new experiences and exposure to other cultures. In addition, other personal and/or academic reasons that prevent students from pursuing a degree in their home country, such as age, admission requirements, and difficulty in finding an appropriate supervisor, motivate them to choose a degree program in a foreign country. The current study examines the motives of PhD degree holders who are Israeli residents who completed their doctorate studies overseas and explores the aspirations they hope to achieve through such studies. The study examines several aspects of the profiles of PhD holders who chose to study overseas, including demographic, socioeconomic, academic, financial, and professional, as well as their aims. The study sample comprised 153 PhD holders who earned their PhD degree in the field of education overseas and applied to the Israeli Ministry of Education for accreditation of their degree. The sample focuses on PhD holders in the social sciences and humanities, specifically in education. The study was conducted using the quantitative method and is based on a survey. The findings of the study offer insights into decision makers in higher education in Israel and their efforts to assess the value of the degrees presented for accreditation by PhD holders who earned their degrees overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzaldehyde was successfully reduced by catalytic transfer hydrogenation in glycerol using several ruthenium based completes and bases. Glycerol was employed as a green solvent and hydrogen source, and it allowed for easy product separation and catalyst recycling and enabled the use of a microwave-assisted reaction. Key words: transfer hydrogenation, catalysis, glycerol, green solvent, benzaldehyde. Le benzaldehyde a ete reduit avec succes par une hydrogenation de transfert catalytique, dans le glycerol, en presence de plusieurs complexes et bases a base de ruthenium. Le glycerol a ete utilise a la fois comme source d'hydrogene et de solvant ecologique et il permet de separer facilement le produit, de recycler le catalyseur et d'utiliser les micro-ondes pour faciliter la reaction. Mots-cles: hydrogenation par transfert, catalyse, glycerol, solvant ecologique, benzaldehyde. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Carbonyl reduction is a fundamental organic transformation done using a variety of synthetic procedures. (1-3) Metal hydrides, and especially borohydrides, are cheap and simple reducing agents that can easily [...]