ISSUE We are seeing the use of qualitative research methods more regularly in health professions education as well as pharmacy education. Often, the term "thematic analysis" is used in research studies and subsequently labeled as qualitative research, but saying that one did this type of analysis does not necessarily equate with a rigorous qualitative study. This methodology review will outline how to perform rigorous thematic analyses on qualitative data to draw interpretations from the data. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW Despite not having an analysis guidebook that fits every research situation, there are general steps that you can take to make sure that your thematic analysis is systematic and thorough. A model of qualitative data analysis can be outlined in five steps: compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS Nine practical recommendations are provided to help researchers implement rigorous thematic analyses. POTENTIAL IMPACT As researchers become comfortable in properly using qualitative research methods, the standards for publication will be elevated. By using these rigorous standards for thematic analysis and making them explicitly known in your data process, your findings will be more valuable.
Education is derived 'Educatum' a Latin word, combination of 'e' and 'duco'. 'e' means 'out of' or 'from inside' and 'duco' means 'to lead out' - means to lead out of what is there inside the mind and soul of learner. Medical education has undergone significant changes in the last few decades due to the technological explosion, and medical students need to be exposed in appropriate and calculated manner at that stage of education
Using look-alike avatars may enhance the likeability and realism of avatars in 3D virtual learning environments. This paper explores perception of the features of the look-alike avatar representations of an instructor in virtual environments in two studies. In a pilot study, an instructor was represented as a look-alike, stick, and video avatar, allowing us to investigate students’ perceptions of teaching effectiveness in virtual and augmented reality environments. The main study seeks to determine the influence of three specific features of a look-alike avatar (head shape, texture fidelity and head orientation) on perception of likeability and visual realism, especially when judged by other people. Two textured look-alike avatars were generated using: (i) three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry; and (ii) 3D face reconstruction from a single full-face image. Participants compared three different head orientations (0°, 45°, 90°) of the look-alike avatars’ textured heads to their corresponding head silhouettes, to emphasize the differences in head shapes. Results suggest that participants prefer geometrically-accurate photorealistic avatars of the instructor due to the accuracy of the head shape and texture fidelity. In line with studies on face recognition, participants ranked the likeability and realism of the look-alike avatars similarly regardless of the head orientation. We discuss the implications of these findings for 3D virtual learning environments.
О. P. Korzhova, D. S. Makashin, P. E. Popov
et al.
The article focuses on the potential integration of the SFM digital control system into production. To achieve a more accurate implementation of the dSFM system, the article identifies its strengths and weaknesses. It evaluates and outlines the factors contributing to the successful implementation of the dSFM system in production. The article also analyses the traditional Lean manufacturing system, the analogue SFM system and its digital version. The study scrutinised the manner in which workers interact with the «System of Operations Management» with the purpose of refining its assimilation into manufacturing processes and enhancing employee output.
Team management is a fundamental process for achieving the objectives set in the project lifecycle. It is relevant that it be analyzed in contexts where team performance is of utmost importance for achieving institutional objectives. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), where various types of projects are developed, and in research processes, were the scope of this work, in which evidence from bodies of knowledge regarding project team management was contrasted with its application in research project management. A qualitative approach was used through interviews with research professors who carry out research projects within the framework of developing work plans and management indicators. The research was structured in three parts: 1) it contains the theoretical foundation around project management models, in order to draw up a matrix to identify common elements that should structure team management in projects; 2) the analysis of the information collected from interviews conducted with research professors from two Higher Education Institutions, and 3) contains a proposed conceptual model for the management of research project teams in HEIs.
The guidelines and methodologies for project team management at HEIs show that institutional policies for this purpose are not fully consistent with practice in the development and execution of research projects.
Irina O. Dzhun, Andrey V. Gerasimenko, Alexander A. Ezhov
et al.
Thin film ferromagnet/antiferromagnet (F/AF) exchange biased structures that are widely used in GMR spin valves are considered nowadays as promising systems for antiferromagnetic spintronic and spin-orbitronic devices. Here, the temperature dependences of magnetization dynamics in Co/IrMn and Co/FeMn F/AF structures are investigated using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in comparison to a free Co layer. A strong additional decrease in the resonance field was observed in Co/IrMn with a temperature decrease attributed to the rotatable anisotropy increase, which almost vanished at room temperature. In contrast to Co/IrMn, the contribution of the rotatable anisotropy in Co/FeMn is much weaker, even though it exists at RT, it is negative, and slightly varies with the temperature and resonance field shift in Co/FeMn. This is mainly due to unidirectional exchange anisotropy. FMR linewidth for the free Co layer increases with decreasing temperature and is accompanied with a slow relaxation process, while the additional contribution to FMR line broadening in Co/IrMn and Co/FeMn structures is correlated with variation in the exchange anisotropy. The observed results are discussed based on structural and surface morphology and magnetization reversal characterization using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry data.
The goal of science education is to cultivate science literacy. Science literacy is the ability to find rational solutions to personal or social problems based on scientific evidence. This article emphasizes that cultivating science literacy is consistent with the goal pursued in general education.It is essential to understand the process of scientific research in science classes in general education to cultivate science literacy. Understanding the process of scientific research includes raising problems, designing experiments, data collection, interpretation of results, publishing a paper, and so forth. The latest innovations in science and technology immediately affect the decision-making process of the public. This makes the ability to find and evaluate relevant scientific information even more crucial. Furthermore, teaching the scientific approach to problem-solving based on appropriate information, along with scientific thinking, is the unique and core role of the science class in general education.Science literacy can be effectively achieved through convergent education that encompasses diverse academic fields in the framework of the overall general education curriculum. This type of convergence allows students to reflect on and sometimes re-establish images of oneself and society being changed by cutting-edge science and technology. This is the basic philosophy pursued by liberal arts education. By broadening our horizons through interdisciplinary convergence, students will be able to find clues leading to a deeper understanding and to a creative resolution of social issues related to science and technology that sometimes lead to social conflicts. One of the greatest strengths of general education in universities is that it can open an integrative perspective to students who have been learning within the boundaries of individual subjects until middle school. Collectively, cultivating science literacy requires deliberation and collaboration across diverse disciplines to create an effective general education curriculum for future students-ones who have to cope with the rapid social changes from scientific and technological innovation.
IntroductionBiobased polymer blends have been recommended as an eco-friendly solution to abate plastic pollution in the environment. However, the formation of microplastics (MPs) by photodegradation of biobased polymer blends in the marine environment is still not well understood. In this study, we investigated the formation of MPs and the changes in the physicochemical properties of three types of biobased polymer blends after photodegradation in seawater.MethodsThe investigated materials included non-biodegradable polyethylene/ thermoplastic starch blends (PE/TPS) and polypropylene/thermoplastic starch blends (PP/TPS), as well as biodegradable polylactic acid/poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/thermoplastic starch blends (PLA/PBAT/TPS). The control groups were the corresponding neat polymers, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polylactic acid (PLA).ResultsThe size distribution of the pristine and aged MPs indicated that the polymer blends were more likely to produce small-sized particles after photodegradation due to their poorer mechanical properties and lower resistance to UV irradiation than the neat polymers. Noticeable surface morphology alterations, including cracks, holes, and pits, were observed for polymer blends after photodegradation, while neat polymers were relatively resistant. After photodegradation, the attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectrum of the polymer blends showed a significant decrease in the characteristic bands of thermoplastic starch (TPS), indicating depletion of their starch fractions. The C1s spectra of the polymer blends demonstrated that the aged MPs contained fewer -OH groups than the pristine MPs, further confirming the photodegradation of TPS. The molecular weight distribution curve of the polymer blends shifted significantly towards low molecular weight, suggesting the occurrence of chain scission during photodegradation. These results indicate that the polymer blends have a higher degree of photodegradation than neat polymers, and thereby generate more small-sized MPs than neat polymers. Photodegradation caused changes in the contact angle and surface charge of MPs derived from biobased polymer blends, which may affect the vector effects of MPs on any coexisting pollutants.DiscussionIn summary, polymer blends may pose a higher risk to the marine environment than neat polymers, and caution should be taken in promoting biobased polymer blends.
Science, General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution
Edivaldo Góis Junior, Lucas William Moreira da Silva, Arnaldo Pinto Junior
Neste estudo abordaremos as representações sobre o ensino da ginástica a partir do livro Gymnastica nas aulas, publicado em 1895, de autoria de Manoel Baragiola. Ele era o professor responsável pelas aulas de Gymnastica e Exercícios Militares na Escola Normal de São Paulo e buscava seu protagonismo na organização de um modelo para as aulas mediante o debate dos métodos ginásticos no país e no exterior. Este artigo, além da análise da parte teórica do manual, baseou-se em um corpo documental formado por jornais, periódicos, atas de reunião da Escola Normal e relatórios de direção para considerar que o processo de racionalização da ginástica na cidade de São Paulo ocorreu mediante muitas referências em histórias conectadas entre sujeitos e produções textuais que tematizavam as práticas de exercícios físicos que circulavam principalmente na Itália e no Brasil.
Who is in charge of rehearsing music? Traditionally, it has been teachers who guide the music learning, but the National Core Arts Standards ask that students be the ones who identify and select rehearsal strategies to refine musical performances. However, these standards do not define what rehearsal strategies are, so this article digs into research on practicing and rehearsing to create a set of rehearsal strategies applicable to a general music classroom.
In this column, I reflect on my experiences teaching online during lockdown. In particular, I discuss the benefits and disadvantages of prerecorded lessons, when compared with live Zoom sessions, for elementary general music classes.
Maryam Fallah, Ahmad Reza Pirali Zefrehei, Seyyed Aliakbar Hedayati
et al.
Urgent is growing to have reliable information from the country's water resources. In recent years, data mining models such as artificial neural network (ANN), gene expression programming, Bayesian network, machine algorithms, such as a support vector machine (SVM), and Random Forest have found widespread use in the field of simulation and prediction of components in aquatic ecosystems. Variables vary greatly on water quality parameters (due to nonlinear and complex relationships). Therefore, conventional methods are not eligible to solve water resource quality management problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of simulating the spatial and temporal alterations in water quality parameters during the period 1985-2014 in Anzali Wetland using a SVM model. Based on principal components analysis (PCA), the parameters EC, TDS, pH and BOD5 were selected for analysis in this study. Spearman correlation was calculated to determine the inputs of the model and the correlation coefficient(CC) between the water quality parameters. According to the results of the correlation table analysis, 8 types of structures including different inputs were used to predict the parameters with machine vector. In the next stage, 70% of the data were used to train, while the rest were used for analyzing the models. Criteria for determination coefficient (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used for evaluation and model performance. The results revealed that in verification stage among different used models, the pH had the highest accuracy (0.95), while the lowest RMSE (0.20). Trend of alterations for optimal model of each parameter on a time scale, indicated an adequate estimation at most points. In general, the results exhibited the appropriate accuracy and acceptable performance of the SVM model in simulating water parameters.
Ana Paula Gestoso de Souza, Aline Maria de Medeiros Rodrigues Reali
Esta investigação tem como cenário uma pesquisa-intervenção que estuda as contribuições e os limites de um programa híbrido de mentoria para o
desenvolvimento profissional de professores experientes e professores iniciantes. Nesse programa, 10 professoras experientes — mentoras (com mais de 10 anos de prática docente) auxiliam professores iniciantes (com até cinco anos de atuação docente), que atuam na Educação Básica, a minimizar ou superar as dificuldades vividas no início da carreira docente. Isso ocorre por meio da interlocução com professores experientes, após processo formativo específico para atuarem como mentoras. Este trabalho investigou a construção da base de conhecimento para a mentoria analisando narrativas escritas pelas mentoras sobre sua experiência com as professoras iniciantes. Foram identificadas as seguintes categorias que compõem essa base de conhecimento: i. conhecimento do conteúdo específico, ii. conhecimento pedagógico geral para a mentoria, iii. conhecimento pedagógico do conteúdo, iv. conhecimento sobre o ser mentor e v. conhecimento atitudinal. Observou-se que a mentoria tem se configurado como uma comunidade de aprendizagem, pois busca propiciar um lugar de diálogo não hierárquico aproximando universidade e escola a: desenvolver ações formativas tendo em vista o contexto escolar do professor iniciante, suas demandas e outras necessidades formativas, valorizar a inserção dos participantes (pesquisadores, mentoras e iniciantes) em processos reflexivos e promover que as mentoras se assumam como parceiras do processo de formação dos iniciantes.
The goal of this research was to analyze the fungal community responsible for the biodeterioration of a pirogue in the National Maritime Museum of China and to make recommendations for the protection of this artifact. Molecular identification of fungal strains isolated from the surface of the pirogue and the air of the storage room that were most closely related to <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Penicillium</i>, <i>Talaromyces</i> and <i>Trichoderma</i> spp. DNA extracted from the samples was sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The results showed that the predominant fungal genera present were <i>Penicillium</i> sp., <i>Cladosporium</i> sp. and <i>Exophiala</i> sp. Thereafter, cellulose degradation experiments were carried out on the predominant fungi screened by pure culturing. Finally, we tested the sensitivity of the predominant fungal isolates to four biocides. This work suggests that we should pay more attention to <i>Penicillium</i> sp. and <i>Cladosporium</i> sp. in the protection of wooden artifacts, and environmental control is recommended as the main means of protecting the pirogue.
Gediminas Bačkys, Renata Černeckienė, Birutė Dalmantienė
The adoption of energy efficiency measures is shifting the building installation industry towards green technologies, such as smart metering and home automation, bringing significant changes on workplace requirements and training. Electricians, apart from technical proficiency, require a combination of digital and environmental skills to respond to the installation, maintenance, and programming of smart metering and energy efficiency home automation systems. Although the adoption of energy measures for building installation is promoted under national and EU initiatives, the provision of relevant vocational education and training (VET) is insufficient in quality and quantity, fragmented and infrequent, not adequately addressing the needs of the sector. There is, thus, a clear challenge to increase the quality of VET provision for electricians to match their competences and skills with smart metering and home automation needs of a fast-changing market and to promote employability within the sector.
The aim of the research - to analyse the opinion of employers of the energy sector in different European countries on the need for the employees‘ competence in smart metering and home automation.
Respondents in different European countries have been fairly ambiguous about the importance of employees‘ competences in implementing smart metering technologies and home automation systems. This could be influenced by the different experiences of the countries and the level of implementation of smart metering.
The results of the research show that knowledge of the network infrastructure and a wide range of smart devices including Internet systems, the impact of smart meters and home automation systems on the environment are among the key knowledge and competences of the EU labor market in the field of smart measurement and home automation. The most desired technical skills of employees are related to the implementation of smart devices and automatic systems in new buildings and the modification of housing automation technologies in the existing buildings, the technical skills of incorporating smart metering technologies into automated housing infrastructure. Sufficiently important respondents consider skills such as customer consultation about the right choice of automation systems, the use of systems and their environmental and economic impacts, and a deeper knowledge of home automation systems and smart devices.
Having summarized the results of the research, the working group of Electrical and Electronics Study lecturers of Panevezys University of Applied Science together with partners from the SMARTEL project, suggested a solution to the problem: to create an open virtual training course on smart metering and home automation systems employed electricians and vocational training providers.
After defining the outcomes the training course on smart metering and home automation based on survey results from five European countries, European employers and vocational training providers are offered an open training course "Smart Metering and Home Automation Skills for Electricians", consisting of 6 parts: building engineering systems automation, energy management, intelligent control systems networks, sensors, intelligent device programming and installation, programming of user interface for automated devices.