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For the forty-third time, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented online during the annual AECT Convention. Volume 1 contains 37 papers dealing primarily with research and development topics. Papers dealing with the practice of instructional technology including instruction and training issues are contained in Volume 2. [For Volume 2, see ED617422.]

What do citizens of the United States and Germany think about their schools and school policies? This paper offers the first broad comparison of public thinking on education in the two countries. We carried out opinion surveys of representative samples of the German and American adult populations in 2014 that included experiments in which we provided additional information to randomly selected subgroups. The paper first describes key characteristics of the U.S. and German education systems and then analyzes how information and institutional context affect public beliefs in the two countries. Results indicate both similarities and differences in the structure of American and German public opinion on schools and school policies. Contains a Methodological Appendix. [Paper prepared for the conference on Public Opinion and the Political Economy of Education, Munich, May 9, 2015. Financial support was provided by the Leibniz Association.]

A novel course concept to enable master's degree students to acquire research skills is described as an experience report. A hybrid, inquiry-based format was developed to simulate each phase of writing and presenting a research paper at a scientific conference. Students self-organized into groups to conduct each phase of the research process to conduct a research project for a scientific topic, bionic computation. Weekly group meetings with the instructor were conducted via video conference. Students learned to formulate research questions, write abstracts, acquire experimental data and evaluate open-source libraries and tools to build their own experimental models. An in-house, mini-conference was held in person, in which each group held a presentation of their work. At the end of the semester, a retrospective was held to reflect on students' experiences and summarize the lessons they have learned. After the course, slight majority of the students stated that they could imagine writing a paper about their master's theses and taking part in a real conference. [For the full proceedings, see ED636095.]

What comes next in the field of academic e-learning? Which e-learning trends will dominate the discourse at universities? Answering such questions is the basis for the adaptation of service strategies and IT-infrastructures within institutions of Higher Education. The present paper therefore introduces methodology and findings of a trend study in the field of e-teaching. The overall interest of the study was the analysis of life stages and future potentials of e-learning innovations. A content analysis has been conducted based on 427 scientific articles of leading German-speaking e-learning conferences. Thus, e-learning trends and hypes in academic teaching have been identified and characterised. The following paper focusses on two things: on the one hand, existing academic concepts of trend research in the field of elearning will be discussed, and on the other hand, the above-mentioned study will be introduced. [For full proceedings, see ED557189.]

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference e-Learning 2016, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society, 1-3 July, 2016. This conference is part of the Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems 2016, 1-4 July. The e-Learning (EL) 2016 conference aims to address the main issues of concern within e-Learning. This conference covers both technical as well as the non-technical aspects of e-Learning. These proceedings contain keynote lecture, "Twenty-First Century Skills, Technology and Open Learning: Re-Designing Teaching for the Digital Age" (Tony Bates) [abstract only] and workshop, "Making Sustainable Online Learning a Reality Informed by the Community of Inquiry Framework" (Susi Peacock and Lindesay Irvine). Full papers in these proceedings include: (1) Determining Factors of Students' Perceived Usefulness of e-Learning in Higher Education (Aleksander Aristovnik, Damijana Keržic, Nina Tomaževic and Lan Umek); (2) EvalCOMIX®: A Web-Based Programme to Support Collaboration in Assessment (María Soledad Ibarra-Sáiz and Gregorio Rodríguez-Gómez); (3) A Holistic Approach to Scoring in Complex Mobile Learning Scenarios (Marcel Gebbe, Matthias Teine and Marc Beutner); (4) Content Development for 72,000 Learners: An Online Learning Environment for General Practitioners. A Case Study (Dirk Pilat); (5) First Stages of Adult Students' Relationship to Scientific Knowing and Research in the Open University's Web-Based Methodology Course (Leena Isosomppi and Minna Maunula); (6) A Quantitative Analysis of the Role of Social Networks in Educational Contexts (Azam Shokri and Georgios Dafoulas); (7) Care Management: On Line-Based Approaches to Nurse Education in Ultrasound Imaging (Elena Taina Avramescu, Mitrache Marius and Adrian Camen); (8) Can e-Learning Change Work Practices? (Signe Schack Noesgaard); (9) A Practice of Mobile Learning Bases on Cloud Computing (Heng Wu and Zhong Dong); (10) Guidelines for Conducting a Post-Graduate Module within a Blended Synchonous Learning Environment, Facilitator and Student Perspectives (Christopher Upfold); (11) IT Tools in Initial Teacher Training (Dorin Herlo); (12) Application of a Reference Framework for Integration of Web Resources in DOLTRN--Case Study of Physics--Topic: Waves (Fabinton Sotelo Gomez and Armando Ordóñez); (13) Creating Micro-Videos to Demonstrate Technology Learning (Mark Frydenberg and Diana Andone); (14) An Analysis of Students Enrolled to an Undergraduate University Course Offered Also Online (Nello Scarabottolo); (15) How Do We Know What is Happening Online: A Triangulated Approach to Data Analysis (Marina Charalampidi and Michael Hammond); (16) Analysis of 3D Modeling Software Usage Patterns for K-12 Students (Yi-Chieh Wu, Wen-Hung Liao, Ming-Te Chi and Tsai-Yen Li); and (17) A Distributed Intelligent e-Learning System (Terje Kristensen). Short papers in these proceedings include: (1) Using Cognitive Maps to Promote Self-Managed Learning in Online Communities of Inquiry (Susi Peacock and John Cowan); (2) Automation in Distance Learning: An Empirical Study of Unlearning and Academic Identity Change Linked to Automation of Student Messaging within Distance Learning (Hilary Collins, Hayley Glover, Fran Myers and Mor Watson); (3) Developing the 1st MOOC of University of Porto: Challenges and Strategies (Isabel Martins, Nuno Regadas and Margarida Amaral); (4) Informal Language Learning in Authentic Setting, Using Mobile Devices and SNS (Ruthi Aladjem and Bibiana Jou); (5) Enhancing Third-Year Medical Clerkships: Using Mobile Technology for Teaching and Learning (Janette R. Hill, Michelle A. Nuss, Ronald M. Cervero, Julie K. Gaines and Bruce Middendorf); (6) Statistical Measures of Integrity in Online Testing: Empirical Study (Tom Wielicki); (7) The Complexities of Digital Storytelling: Factors Affecting Performance, Production, and Project Completion (Peter Gobel and Makimi Kano); (8) Collegewide Promotion on e-Learning/Active Learning and Faculty Development (Nobuyuki Ogawa and Akira Shimizu); (9) Training Portuguese Teachers Using Blended Learning--A Different Approach (Bertil P. Marques and Paula Escudeiro); (10) Gamify and Recognize Prior Learning: How to Succeed in Educators' Further Professional Training with Open Badges (Esko Lius); (11) How Do K-12 Students' Manage Applications on Their Mobile Devices? (Ruthi Aladjem and Sharon Hardof); (12) Digital Storytelling for Inclusive Education: An Experience in Initial Teacher Training (Marco Lazzari); and (13) Learning Factory--Assembling Learning Content with a Framework (Peter Steininger). Reflection papers in these proceedings include: (1) Equalizing Educational Opportunities by ICT (Ana María Delgado García and Blanca Torrubia Chalmeta); (2) The Acceptability of MOOC Certificates in the Workplace (Christina Banks and Edward Meinert); (3) Orchestration of Social Modes in e-Learning (Armin Weinberger and Pantelis M. Papadopoulos); (4) Information Competencies and Their Implementation in the Educational Process of Polish Universities. Exploratory Studies (Anna Tonakiewicz-Kolosowska, Iwona Socik and Monika Gajewska); (5) Virtual & Real Face to Face Teaching (Romeo Teneqexhi and Loreta Kuneshka); and (6) Virtual Scaffolding--Constructivism in Online Learning (Lachlan MacKinnon and Liz Bacon). The following poster is included: Active Learning Methods in Programming for Non-IT Students (Olga Mironova, Irina Amitan, Jüri Vilipõld and Merike Saar). An author index is included. Individual papers contain references.

These proceedings contain the papers of the 12th International Conference on Mobile Learning 2016, which was organized by the International Association for Development of the Information Society, in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal, April 9-11, 2016. The Mobile Learning 2016 Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of mobile learning research which illustrate developments in the field. Full papers presented in these proceedings include: (1) Mobile Devices and Spatial Enactments of Learning: iPads in Lower Secondary Schools (Bente Meyer); (2) NetEnquiry--A Competitive Mobile Learning Approach for the Banking Sector (Marc Beutner, Matthias Teine, Marcel Gebbe and Lara Melissa Fortmann); (3) M-Learning Challenges in Teaching Crosscutting Themes in the Education of Young People and Adults (Marcos Andrei Ota and Carlos Fernando de Araujo Jr); (4) Mobile Learning: Pedagogical Strategies for Using Applications in the Classroom (Anna Helena Silveira Sonego, Leticia Rocha Machado, Cristina Alba Wildt Torrezzan and Patricia Alejandra Behar); (5) Experiencing a Mobile Game and its Impact on Teachers' Attitudes towards Mobile Learning (Hagit Meishar-Tal and Miky Ronen); (6) Exploring Mobile Affordances in the Digital Classroom (David Parsons, Herbert Thomas and Jocelyn Wishart); (7) Design, Development and Evaluation of a Field Learning Video Blog (Otto Petrovic); (8) Development and Evaluation of a Classroom Interaction System (Bingyi Cao, Margarita Esponda-Argüero and Raúl Rojas); (9) Visual Environment for Designing Interactive Learning Scenarios with Augmented Reality (José Miguel Mota, Iván Ruiz-Rube, Juan Manuel Dodero and Mauro Figueiredo); and (10) The Development of an Interactive Mathematics App for Mobile Learning (Mauro Figueiredo, Beata Godejord and José Rodrigues). Short papers presented include: (1) Conceptualizing an M-Learning System for Seniors (Matthias Teine and Marc Beutner); (2) Sensimotor Distractions when Learning with Mobile Phones on-the Move (Soledad Castellano and Inmaculada Arnedillo-Sánchez); (3) Personal Biometric Information from Wearable Technology Tracked and Followed Using an Eportfolio: A Case Study of eHealth literacy Development with Emerging Technology in Hong King Higher Education (Michele Notari, Tanja Sobko and Daniel Churchill); (4) An Initial Evaluation of Tablet Devices & What Are the Next Steps? (Tracey McKillen); (5) Information Literacy on the Go! Adding Mobile to an Age Old Challenge (Alice Schmidt Hanbidge, Nicole Sanderson and Tony Tin); (6) The Use of Digital Tools by Independent Music Teachers (Rena Upitis, Philip C. Abrami and Karen Boese); (7) Development of a Math Input Interface with Flick Operation for Mobile Devices (Yasuyuki Nakamura and Takahiro Nakahara); (8) Smartwatches as a Learning Tool: A Survey of Student Attitudes (Neil Davie and Tobias Hilber); and (9) The Adoption of Mobile Learning in a Traditional Training Environment: The C95-Challenge Project Experience (Nadia Catenazzi, Lorenzo Sommaruga, Kylene De Angelis and Giulio Gabbianelli). Reflection papers include the following; (1) Leadership for Nursing Work-Based Mobile Learning (Dorothy Fahlman); (2) Reflections on Ways forward for Addressing Ethical Concerns in Mobile Learning Research (Jocelyn Wishart); and (3) Mobile Learning: Extreme Outcomes of Everywhere, Anytime (Giuseppe Cosimo De Simone). Posters include: (1) Student Response Behavior to Six Types of Caller/Sender When Smartphones Receive a Call or Text Message during University Lectures (Kunihiro Chida, Yuuki Kato and Shogo Kato); and (2) Understanding the Use of Mobile Resources to Enhance Paralympic Boccia Teaching and Learning for Students with Cerebral Palsy (Fabiana Zioti, Giordano Clemente, Raphael de Paiva Gonçalves, Matheus Souza, Aracele Fassbinder and Ieda Mayumi Kawashita). Doctoral Consortium papers include: (1) Forms of the Materials Shared between a Teacher and a Pupil (Libor Klubal and Katerina Kostolányová); and (2) Mobile Touch Screen Devices as Compensation for the Teaching Materials at a Special Primary School (Vojtech Gybas and Katerina Kostolányová). Individual papers provide references, and an Author Index is provided.

The 22nd EUROCALL conference was held at the University of Padova from the 26th to the 29th of August 2015, the first time that EUROCALL has been held in Italy. The event was organized in collaboration with the University Language Centre and the support of the Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies. Over 300 delegates travelled from over 37 different countries to attend. The theme of the conference this year was Critical CALL, drawing inspiration from the work carried out in the broader field of Critical Applied Linguistics. The term "critical" has many possible interpretations, and as Pennycook (2001) outlines, has many concerns. It was from these that the conference theme was decided, in particular the notion that assumptions that lie at the basis of a field's praxis should be questioned, ideas that have become "naturalized" and are not called into question. Another concern of Critical Applied Linguistics is the relationship between the macro and the micro, an engagement with issues of power and inequality and an understanding of how classrooms and conversations are related to broader social, cultural and political relations. Over 200 presentations were delivered in 68 different sessions, both in English and Italian, on topics related specifically to the theme and also more general CALL topics. 94 of these were submitted as extended papers and appear in this volume of proceedings. An author index is included. (Individual papers contain references.)

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference e-Learning 2014, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society and is part of the Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (Lisbon, Portugal July 15-19, 2014). The e-Learning 2014 conference aims to address the main issues of concern within e-Learning. This conference covered technical as well as the non-technical aspects of e-Learning under seven main areas: Organisational Strategy and Management Issues; Technological Issues; e-Learning Curriculum Development Issues; Instructional Design Issues; e-Learning Delivery Issues; e-Learning Research Methods and Approaches; e-Skills and Information Literacy for Learning. The conference included the Keynote Lecture: "Moving Higher Education Forward in the Digital Age: Realising a Digital Strategy," by Neil Morris, Professor of Educational Technology, Innovation and Change and Director of Digital Learning, University of Leeds, UK. Papers in these proceedings include: (1) Culture, Gender and Technology-Enhanced Learning: Female and Male Students' Perceptions Across Three Continents, Thomas Richter and Asta Zelenkauskaite; (2) IPads In Learning: The Web of Change Bente Meyer; (3) A Blended Approach to Canadian First Nations Education, Martin Sacher, Mavis Sacher and Norman Vaughan; (4) A Storytelling Learning Model For Legal Education, Nicola Capuano, Carmen De Maio, Angelo Gaeta, Giuseppina Rita Mangione, Saverio Salerno and Eleonora Fratesi; (5) Acceptance and Success Factors for M-Learning of ERP Systems Curricula, Brenda Scholtz and Mando Kapeso; (6) Self-Regulation Competence in Music Education, Luca Andrea Ludovico and Giuseppina Rita Mangione; (7) Time-Decayed User Profile for Second Language Vocabulary Learning System, Li Li and Xiao Wei; (8) E-Learning Trends and Hypes in Academic Teaching: Methodology and Findings of a Trend Study, Helge Fischer, Linda Heise, Matthias Heinz, Kathrin Moebius and Thomas Koehler; (9) Proof of Economic Viability of Blended Learning Business Models, Carsten Druhmann and Gregor Hohenberg; (10) Does Satellite Television Program Satisfy Ethiopian Secondary School Students? Sung-Wan Kim and Gebeyehu Bogale; (11) Organisation and Management of a Complete Bachelor Degree Offered Online at the University of Milan for Ten Years, Manuela Milani, Sabrina Papini, Daniela Scaccia and Nello Scarabottolo; (12) Structural Relationships between Variables of Elementary School Students' Intention of Accepting Digital Textbooks, Young Ju Joo, Sunyoung Joung, Se-Bin Choi, Eugene Lim and Kyung Yi Go; (13) Dynamic Fuzzy Logic-Based Quality of Interaction within Blended-Learning: The Rare and Contemporary Dance Cases, Sofia B. Dias, José A. Diniz and Leontios J. Hadjileontiadis; (14) Do English Listening Outcome and Cognitive Load Change for Different Media Delivery Modes in U-Learning?, Chi-Cheng Chang, Hao Lei and Ju-Shih Tseng; (15) The Use of ELGG Social Networking Tool for Students' Project Peer-Review Activity, Ana Coric Samardzija and Goran Bubas; (16) Educational Multimedia Profiling Recommendations for Device-Aware Adaptive Mobile Learning, Arghir-Nicolae Moldovan, Ioana Ghergulescu and Cristina Hava Muntean; (17) Inside, Outside, Upside Down: New Directions in Online Teaching and Learning, Lena Paulo Kushnir and Kenneth C. Berry; (18) A Study on the Methods of Assessment and Strategy of Knowledge Sharing in Computer Course, Pat P. W. Chan; (19) Using Agent-Based Technologies to Enhance Learning in Educational Games, Ogar Ofut Tumenayu, Olga Shabalina, Valeriy Kamaev and Alexander Davtyan; (20) Designing a Culturally Sensitive Wiki Space for Developing Chinese Students' Media Literacy, Daria Mezentceva; (21) Shared Cognition Facilitated by Teacher Use of Interactive Whiteboard Technologies, Christine Redman and John Vincent; (22) Modeling Pedagogy for Teachers Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom, Michael J. Canuel and Beverley J. White; (23) The Effectiveness of SDMS in the Development of E-Learning Systems in South Africa, Kobus van Aswegen, Magda Huisman and Estelle Taylor; (24) Online Learning Behaviors for Radiology Interns Based on Association Rules and Clustering Technique, Hsing-Shun Chen and Chuen-He Liou; (25) The Use of SDMS in Developing E-Learning Systems in South Africa, Estelle Taylor, Kobus van Aswegen and Magda Huisman; (26) Assessment of the Use of Online Comunities to Integrate Educational Processes Development Teams: An Experience in Popular Health Education in Brazil, Elomar Castilho Barilli, Stenio de Freitas Barretto, Carla Moura Lima and Marco Antonio Menezes; (27) Stereo Orthogonal Axonometric Perspective for the Teaching of Descriptive Geometry, José Geraldo Franco Méxas, Karla Bastos Guedes and Ronaldo da Silva Tavares; (28) Delivery of E-Learning through Social Learning Networks, Georgios A. Dafoulas and Azam Shokri; (29) The Implementation of Web 2.0 Technology for Information Literacy Instruction in Thai University Libraries, Oranuch Sawetrattanasatian; (30) Designing Educational Social Machines for Effective Feedback, Matthew Yee-King, Maria Krivenski, Harry Brenton, Andreu Grimalt-Reynes and Mark d'Inverno; (31) A Support System for Error Correction Questions in Programming Education, Yoshinari Hachisu and Atsushi Yoshida; (32) A Platform for Learning Internet of Things, Zorica Bogdanovic, Konstantin Simic, Miloš Milutinovic, Božidar Radenkovic and Marijana Despotovic-Zrakic, (33) Dealing with Malfunction: Locus of Control in Web-Conferencing, Michael Klebl; (34) Copyright and Creative Commons License: Can Educators Gain Benefits in the Digital Age? (Wariya Lamlert); (35) The Curriculum Design and Development in MOOCs Environment (Fei Li, Jing Du and Bin Li); (36) Stakeholders Influence in Maltese Tourism Higher Education Curriculum Development (Simon Caruana and Lydia Lau); (37) Online Social Networks and Computer Skills of University Students (Maria Potes Barbas, Gabriel Valerio, María Del Carmen Rodríguez-Martínez, Dagoberto José Herrera-Murillo and Ana María Belmonte-Jiménez); (38) Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Assessment in Engineering Laboratory Education (Maria Samarakou, Emmanouil D. Fylladitakis, Pantelis Prentakis and Spyros Athineos); (39) An Exploration of the Attitude and Learning Effectiveness of Business College Students towards Game Based Learning (Chiung-Sui Chang, Ya-Ping Huang and Fei-Ling Chien); (40) Application of E-Learning Technologies to Study a School Subject (Nadia Herbst and Elias Oupa Mashile); (41) Possibilities of Implementation of Small Business Check-Up Methodology in Comparative Analysis of Secondary Schools and Universities in Slovakia (Katarína Štofková, Ivan Strícek and Jana Štofková); (42) Digging the Virtual Past (Panagiota Polymeropoulou); (43) Technology Acceptance of E-Learning within a Blended Vocational Course in West Africa (Ashwin Mehta); (44) Development of an E-Learning Platform for Vocational Education Systems in Germany (Andreas Schober, Frederik Müller, Sabine Linden, Martha Klois and Bernd Künne); (45) Facebook Mediated Interaction and learning in Distance Learning at Makerere University (Godfrey Mayende, Paul Birevu Muyinda, Ghislain Maurice Norbert Isabwe, Michael Walimbwa and Samuel Ndeda Siminyu); (46) Assessing the Purpose and Importance University Students Attribute to Current ICT Applications (Maurice Digiuseppe and Elita Partosoedarso); (47) E-Learning System for Design and Construction of Amplifier Using Transistors (Atsushi Takemura); (48) Technology, Gender Attitude, and Software, among Middle School Math Instructors (Godwin N. Okeke); (49) Structuring Long-Term Faculty Training According to Needs Exhibited by Students' Written Comments in Course Evaluations (Robert Fulkerth); (50) Integration of PBL Methodologies into Online Learning Courses and Programs (Roland Van Oostveen, Elizabeth Childs, Kathleen Flynn and Jessica Clarkson); (51) Improving Teacher-Student Contact in a Campus Through a Location-Based Mobile Application (Vítor Manuel Ferreira and Fernando Ramos); (52) Incorporating Collaborative, Interactive Experiences into a Technology-Facilitated Professional Learning Network for Pre-Service Science Teachers (Seamus Delaney and Christine Redman); (53) The Efficiency of E-Learning Activities in Training Mentor Teachers (Laura Serbanescu and Sorina Chircu); (54) Development of an IOS App Using Situated Learning, Communities of Practice, and Augmented Reality for Autism Spectrum Disorder (Jessica Clarkson); (55) Using Case-Based Reasoning to Improve the Quality of Feedback Provided by Automated Grading Systems (Angelo Kyrilov and David C. Noelle); (56) International Multidisciplinary Learning: An Account of a Collaborative Effort among Three Higher Education Institutions (Paul S. H. Poh, Robby Soetanto, Stephen Austin and Zulkifar A. Adamu); (57) Interactive Learning to Stimulate the Brain's Visual Center and to Enhance Memory Retention (Yang H. Yun, Philip A. Allen, Kritsakorn Chaumpanich and Yingcai Xiao); (58) How Digital Technologies, Blended Learning and MOOCs Will Impact the Future of Higher Education (Neil P. Morris); (59) Factors Influencing the Acceptance of E-Learning Adoption in Libya's Higher Education Institutions (Mahfoud Benghet and Markus Helfert); (60) Motivation as a Method of Controlling the Social Subject Self-Learning (Andrey V. Isaev, Alla G. Kravets and Ludmila A. Isaeva); (61) Designing Environment for Teaching Internet of Things (Konstantin Simic, Vladimir Vujin, Aleksandra Labus, Ðorde Stepanic and Mladen Stevanovic); (62) Fostering Critical Thinking Skills in Students with Learning Disabilities through Online Problem-Based Learning (Kathleen Flynn); and (63) A System for the Automatic Assembly of Test Questions Using a NO-SQL Database (Sanggyu Shin and Hiroshi Hashimoto). Luís Rodrigues is an associate editor of the proceedings. Individual papers contain references. An author index is included.

Collaborations between market incumbents and start-ups offer great benefits for both parties. However, the partner matching process presents a major challenge due to their asymmetry. Intermediaries can support the initiation of such collaborations by matchmaking events. Addressing the scarce research about matchmaking events between market incumbents and start-ups, this paper examines whether and to what extent both partners can benefit. Based on a matchmaking event in the German manufacturing industry in 2019, the paper applies a mixed-method approach. Market incumbent's perspective was investigated quantitatively via an online survey among 220 firms. The start-up perspective was analysed qualitatively by semi-structured interviews. Results show differences in the perceived benefit. Start-ups perceive their main benefit in the networking opportunity in terms of creating customer-relationships, growing the professional network, and collecting valuable feedback. Incumbents benefit in terms of initiated collaborations, network expansion, and received information about trends and new technologies in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food industry is currently undergoing dynamic changes due to the rising interest in plant-based food. The demand for plant-based meal alternatives is continuously rising. As the sixth most popular country for plant-based meals, Germany is leading this vegan trend, among other western countries. In view of this, this paper aims to contribute to current studies by identifying challenges and drivers which influence the adoption process of plant-based meals in Germany. Through a semi-systematic literature review and based on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory, this paper further analyses important connections between the challenges and drivers of the adoption process as well as inter-related impacts within them. The results indicate that both challenges and drivers influence each other and can be employed by companies to accelerate the adoption of plant-based meals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaics is one of the front-running renewable energy technologies, greatly contributing to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. With the aim for carbon neutrality ever larger photovoltaics plants are being built worldwide alongside an increasing number of small-scale Agri-Voltaics (APV) systems. Despite this trend, the impact of such systems on the environment remains scarcely studied. By means of lysimeters the effect of shading by solar panels on evapotranspiration (ET) and plant growth has been analyzed at a research station in Germany. During the measurement period which stretched from November 2019 to early April 2020, ET recorded at the area shaded by the panels was with 163 mm almost equal to ET at the reference site with 158 mm. However, percolation was found to be much higher at the reference site with 89.5 mm compared to the area below the panel where no seepage was detected. This difference was investigated by looking more in depth at the temporal evolution of ET, which showed to be season-dependent with lower ET below the panel than at the reference site during the growing season but higher ET below the panel the rest of the year. During the growing season, shading leads to a strong reduction of solar radiation received by the area below the panel resulting in lower soil temperatures and lower evapotranspiration than at the unshaded reference area. During the winter months in turn the panels raise soil temperatures by trapping outgoing radiation which results in higher evapotranspiration below the panels than at the reference area. The described effects of the panels on solar radiation and temperature have been studied at a conventional photovoltaics park and are described alongside the measurements from the lysimeter station within this paper. While at the end of the period of shading the height of rape was found to be on average 20 cm higher below the panel than at the reference site, rape yield in turn was lower assumingly due to a lack of light in the early stages of plant development. This paper presents the measurement results from the lysimeter station and discusses the underlying processes of changes in temperature and global radiation in respect to the soil-water-plant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As teaching moves increasingly online, language teachers are faced with the challenge of how to support dyslexic students in an inclusive manner in and out of the classroom. This paper will focus on an innovative educational multi-modal, mobile application -- Comics for Inclusive English Language Learning (CIELL) -- supporting upper-intermediate and advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students with dyslexia when faced with language proficiency tests and academic writing tasks. A cyclical educational design research methodology (McKenney & Reeves, 2019) was used to include three cycles of feedback from stakeholders so that their views and suggestions would inform the development of an alpha, beta, and gamma version of the app, thereby maximising practical relevance. The discussion of the quantitative and qualitative feedback is supported by educational design research. [For the complete volume, "CALL and Professionalisation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2021 (29th, Online, August 26-27, 2021)," see ED616972.]

This article presents a bibliometric analysis of social life cycle assessment (S-LCA), which has gained importance due to the need to know the social impact of business operations on persons. Using the PRISMA methodology, we identified 190 documents regarding SLCA in the SCOPUS database and were analyzed with the VOSviewer software. Specifically, the most cited documents, authors, organizations, and countries are analyzed and the most productive according to the number published. This analysis included the most used keywords are analyzed on the S-LCA topic. Findings indicate that this topic has become relevant since 2007, and currently, the number of scientific publications has an exponential trend. It has been identified that Traverso M. is the author who has 19 products with 603 citations; however, Guyton R.A. is the most cited author with only two papers and 813 citations. The institution that publishes the most on this topic is the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain), with three papers and 108 citations. Authors from 46 countries were identified, but the most productive are Italy and Germany, and the most cited are the United States of America and Germany. A total of 1625 keywords were identified, but life cycle assessment, social life cycle assessment, and sustainable development are the most used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research paper is to determine whether storytelling can positively influence public acceptance of digital finance business models – fintechs – in Germany. We conducted seven structured interviews with experts from the finance and branding sectors and quantitative research on a sample of Germans. Our findings provide valuable insight into the status quo of digitalisation in the German finance sector and the importance of storytelling as a marketing tool. They highlight the strong potential of fintechs, showing that storytelling positively influences public acceptance of innovative financial service providers. Notably, however, personal contact with a traditional financial advisor is shown to still be highly important to the German respondents. This study offers valuable information for banks concerning their future positioning in the financial market as well as for fintech companies looking to enter the German financial market or increase their market share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we compare the early years mathematics curricula of Germany, South Africa, and Australia in relation to the place value concept. Place value is an important topic as it underpins much of the number work completed by learners in the early years of schooling. We found that there were differences between the three curricula that could be summarised using five themes: namely, number range, place value structure, role of the zero, influence of language, and use of materials. We argue that how the different curricula deal with these five themes influences the quality of learning provided and we highlight key areas of concern. In concluding we identify three important implications for our future research project.

Augmented reality (AR), a cutting-edge technology, has the potential to change the way students learn by superimposing virtual items and information onto the real environment. Through more immersive and interesting interactions with digital content, AR might help students better understand difficult concepts and boost their drive to learn. As a result of its contribution to student learning, AR has become increasingly appealing to educational researchers. This study aimed to descriptively explore the characteristics of AR studies in education and to qualitatively analyze the most influential ones indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) between 2000 and 2022. A scoping review was conducted to determine the sample of the AR studies in education based on the inclusion criteria. Accordingly, descriptive analyses were conducted to identify the characteristics of the AR studies in education between 2000 and 2022 in terms of publication year, country, affiliations, journals, funding agencies, and citation trends. Then, the research methodologies and implications were found among the most influential AR studies in education between 2000 and 2022 by synthesizing qualitatively. The overall results indicated that AR studies in education have been conducted since 2008, with an increasing number of studies over time. Based on the implications of the most influential studies identified in terms of citation numbers, it was detected that AR has the potential to enhance education and training by providing interactive and engaging environments, linking real-world contexts with digital resources, and promoting efficiency and effectiveness in learning. [This paper was published in: "EJER Congress 2023 International Eurasian Educational Research Congress Conference Proceedings," Ani Publishing, 2023, pp. 273-291.]

Due the wideness of the term Physical Computing, there is a need for a better structure of this topic. This paper is about an approach of structuring this field by finding attributes of different physical computing devices which can be used in class. Those attributes are meant to enforce teachers as well as researchers to analyze different devices from a pedagogical perspective in order to use those devices in class and use their full educational potential. [For the full proceedings, see ED636095.]

Applying computing technology during problem solving and the reflection of the appropriateness of this application are crucial skills for modern life. This is especially true while working on interdisciplinary STEM problems. However, up to now, few ready-to-use materials are available to foster such competencies. This paper starts bridging this gap by presenting a workbook for students in higher secondary education (around age 15). The workbook focuses on a complex STEM problem, primarily rooted in mathematics, computing, and technology education: Estimating the time it takes to evacuate a building. In the workbook, students work through five exercises focused on the problem of trying to make a sports hall safer. For three potential changes to the building, they should evaluate whether it increases the safety of the sports hall and whether the measure can reasonably be evaluated with a given simulation. During their work, students become aware of arguments useful for such an critical evaluation. For example, a change can only be evaluated if its magnitude is greater than variation in the (randomized) fleeing algorithm of the software. After development of the workbook, we used a design-based research approach to improve its quality. To do so, we asked eight educators for feedback and piloted it with 20 students from two mathematics classes of different capabilities. The results show that students had fun while working on the exercises and both the students and their tutors evaluated the workbook to be educationally relevant. Several issues, most importantly regarding the wording of several exercises, were identified and improved. Multiple exercises were further sub-divided to better suit learners of the age targeted. [For the full proceedings, see ED636095.]

In Engineering Design education, huge numbers of students are a challenge in university teaching, especially since the students have an initially heterogeneous level of technical knowledge, which influences their acquisition of competences. In frontal classroom lectures, individual deficits can hardly be addressed and in self-study phases, students find it difficult to remedy these independently. Therefore, students with prior technical experience achieve better final module grades. This paper examines the extent to which heterogeneity in prior experience can be compensated by using an adaptive e-learning environment for the self-study time. For this purpose, students are provided with a prototypical implementation of an adaptive e-learning environment for the self-learning phase. The feedback of the users and their examination results are statistically evaluated with respect to the gain of knowledge. [For the full proceedings, see ED636095.]

Many language learners lack the motivation to read complex texts. Because high-immersion Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly reported to be highly motivating, the goal of our study was to compare English as a Second Language (ESL) learners' (N=79) motivation while reading a story with subtitles in VR (experimental group) versus reading the same story screencast in two-dimensions (2D -- control group). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that learners' motivation in VR was significantly higher compared with the control group. Our finding confirmed that VR is highly motivational in the context of reading foreign texts and can be useful for Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) researchers, practitioners, and instructional designers. This analysis is a part of a larger study (Kaplan-Rakowski & Gruber, 2023) on VR facilitating reading tasks. [For the complete volume, "Intelligent CALL, Granular Systems and Learner Data: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2022 (30th, Reykjavik, Iceland, August 17-19, 2022)," see ED624779.]

Foreign language teaching achieves best learning outcomes when individual differences of learners are taken into account. While it is difficult for teachers to support internal differentiation in the classroom, digital tools can adaptively propose individual learning paths through activities so that students can practice with appropriately challenging exercises. But how can sufficiently varied, systematically parametrized exercises be provided to enable a system to match them to individual learner needs? We present an approach for high-variability exercise generation that transforms a single specification into a multitude of exercises varying in complexity. The approach is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled study in regular German seventh grade English classes, facilitating a systematic empirical exploration of adaptive exercise complexity in relation to learning outcomes. [For the complete volume, "Intelligent CALL, Granular Systems and Learner Data: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2022 (30th, Reykjavik, Iceland, August 17-19, 2022)," see ED624779.]

The present exploratory study investigated the efficacy of secondary face-to-face classroom-based English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction digitally supported by the FeedBook, an interactive computer assisted language learning web-based suite of exercises providing item-level scaffolded feedback. Seventy-seven native (L1) German seventh-grade students used the FeedBook during four two-week training periods (cycles, here we analyse Cycle 2 and 3). Classroom and FeedBook practice occurred in parallel, except for grammar constructions for which only FeedBook practice was provided (controls). At the end of Cycle 3, students engaged in a classroom-based communicative task for which the practised constructions were relevant. Custom-designed pre- and post-tests, administered via the FeedBook, assessed language accuracy in each cycle. Mixed-effect models revealed significant pre-/post-test accuracy gains independent of the learners' proficiency in English, but not in controls. Gains from digitally supported instruction were also positively related to accurate use of EFL grammar constructions in the communicative task. Overall, the results indicate learning benefits for face-to-face classroom-based instruction supported by the FeedBook, evidenced both in grammar tests and in communicative activities. [For the complete volume, "Intelligent CALL, Granular Systems and Learner Data: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2022 (30th, Reykjavik, Iceland, August 17-19, 2022)," see ED624779.]

Within the parameters of the new Erasmus programme, this Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) combines virtual exchange with physical mobility. There were three institutions involved in this project: Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Ireland, Hochschule Bremerhaven, Germany, and Malaga Healthcare College, Spain. The virtual exchange ran for five weeks from November to December 2021 and the physical mobility took place in Bremerhaven in the first week of April 2022. Twenty-seven participating students from diverse academic backgrounds engaged in shared tasks during the virtual exchange on a Blackboard platform, hosted by Letterkenny Institute of Technology and were awarded two ECTS credits, which was embedded into their local curricula. Content was delivered using both synchronous and asynchronous tools. The topic was global citizenship and students collaborated in multicultural teams to create presentations on their chosen topics. In addition to this team work, they also shared their individual insights into the course content by posting to a discussion forum in Weeks 1, 3, and 4. [For the complete volume, "Intelligent CALL, Granular Systems and Learner Data: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2022 (30th, Reykjavik, Iceland, August 17-19, 2022)," see ED624779.]

Virtual exchange projects have become an effective pedagogical method to support students' development of intercultural language competence. High-immersion experiences in Virtual Reality (VR) may offer an environment which is conducive to developing such competence. This paper reports on a pilot study carried out with two groups of university students (N=30) in the Netherlands and Germany. The students, involved in a virtual exchange using VR headsets, completed three tasks collaboratively. The aim of the study was to investigate participants' perception regarding (1) their collaboration with foreign peers within the VR setting and (2) the perceived usefulness of the tool. The researchers employed questionnaires and conducted interviews and focus groups. The audio recording transcripts from the VR encounters and students' reflective journals provide further data to triangulate the results. This pilot study provides first results with regard to virtual exchanges carried out in high-immersion VR. [For the complete volume, "CALL for Widening Participation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2020 (28th, Online, August 20-21, 2020)," see ED610330.]

Smart cities are considered data factories that generate an enormous amount of data from various sources. In fact data is the backbone of any smart services. Therefore, the strategic beneficial handling of this digital capital is crucial for cities. Some smart city pioneers have already written down their approach to data in the form of data strategies, but what should a city's data strategy include, and how can the goals and measures defined in the strategies be operationalized? This paper addresses these questions by looking closely at the data strategies of cities in Germany and the top three countries in the EU Digital Economy and Society Index. The in-depth analysis of 8 city data strategies has yielded 11 dimensions that cities should consider in their data strategy. These are (1) relevance of data, (2) principles, (3) methods, (4) data sharing, (5) technology, (6) data culture, (7) data ethics, (8) organizational structure, (9) data security and privacy, (10) collaborations, (11) data literacy. In addition, data governance is a concept to put these 11 strategic dimensions into practice through standardization measures, training programs, and defining roles and responsibilities by developing a data catalog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP) has been considered as revolutionary in terms of manufacturing and its impact on supply chain configurations This paper attempts to investigate the economic and environmental benefits of using 3D Printing (3DP) technology through constructing two scenarios for the location of 3DPs, namely a centralized and a discrete decentralized 3DP locations, taking into consideration different number of printers at different number of warehouses and/or different number of stores. The paper studies these scenarios from the perspective of a spare parts retailer, using the hazard button with relevant empirical data, as a real-life case study. A linear programming model has been developed, with an objective function setup to minimize total costs, that is broken down into transportation, inventory, overhead, labour and production costs, as well as the quantity of 3DPs deployed across different locations. The model thus, functions as a decision-making tool for stakeholders in determining the optimal placement of 3DP resources within the supply chain. The study concludes by demonstrating tipping points where 3DP deployment decisions shift between different configurations. Notably, labour costs significantly influence decision-making, particularly in high-wage countries like Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an adequate response to the new environmental conditions expected to arise due to climate change, our cities must be adapted to continue serving as pleasant and liveable spaces for its inhabitants and visitors. Large parts of our existing building stock remain unprepared/inadequate for the anticipated climatic changes. Adjustments are urgently needed. Within this paper a strategy has been elaborated about how retrofitting can significantly contribute to the climate change adaptation of our urban environments, as will be strongly required in the future. The focus of this study is directed to possible climate change related adaptations of multistorey residential buildings from the 19th and early 20th century in inner city areas of Germany. Building on the general principles of climate responsive and ecological architectural design and construction, it poses the following question: How can our existing buildings be transformed in order to explicitly reduce the impact of climate change on our built environments? Following an evaluation of the new climatic conditions influencing our buildings and looking into current knowledge of sustainable architecture and urban design and construction methods, this paper goes onto propose a set of guidelines for climate change adaptive retrofitting of 19th and 20th century multistorey residential buildings of inner-city areas of Germany. On one hand these optimization proposals are addressed to respond better to longer heat and dry periods in summer and to more extreme rainfall, snowfall and storms in the winter. On the other hand, these adjustments aim to build a criteria that serve to mitigate adverse effects of climate change, like an improvement of the buildings' energy performance and ecological efficiency. The results of this study demonstrate that the buildings focused on are well suited for retrofitting interventions, which would reduce the impact of climate change and which in parallel would constitute effective measures to strongly improve the buildings' ecological performance in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper analyses, how the interplay of actors and regulations in Germanys dual system shaped innovation and market processes in the innovation ecosystem of post-consumer plastics recycling. In our paper, we develop a model of the innovation ecosystem based on 20 expert interviews and discuss, how institutional factors influenced the system outcome. Government regulation led to the establishment of a functioning market for recycling products and triggered product and process innovations. Three recycling market segments developed that differ in respect to competition and market behaviour and market outcomes. The new packaging law established in 2019 increases the market volume but does not fully address existing problems in market development. Our results show that policy makers need a long-term approach to overcome temporary problems in establishing an innovation environment. A continuous adaption of the regulatory environment is required to avoid unwanted developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper at hand describes how a regional university of applied sciences tried to internationalize its learning and teaching environment. It describes the challenges encountered, the managerial approach taken, illustrates the implemented initiatives, and how effective they turned out. The results might be relevant to faculty staff in managerial positions at regional universities all over the world that face the challenge to internationalize their teaching and learning environment for the benefit of their domestic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Study Assistants (DSA) are an emerging type of software that combines web-based software architectures, various data sources, and algorithms from artificial intelligence (AI) to assist learners in improving their learning-related behaviors. In this paper, we summarize the implementation and results of a field study with a DSA for hierarchical goal-setting (HGS) at the Bremen, Hannover, and Osnabrück universities from November 2021 to April 2022. The results show that 70% of students in the sample chose to get digital assistance for educational goal-setting, which is the highest interest rate among the nine assistance functions available. Of the 290 students who chose to use the assistant, only 10 completed the full assistive intervention, which equals only 3.4%. We conclude that we should improve the usability and user experience and reduce the interaction costs of the intervention.

Digital resources offer a vast assortment of educational opportunities for students in higher education. From 2018 to 2022, a digital study assistant (DSA), named SIDDATA, was developed at three German universities and consequently field-tested. One of the DSA's features is an AI-driven natural language interface for educational resource recommendation. This paper performs an analysis of the effectiveness of recommendations, by analyzing data generated over the course of two years of DSA usage. We find that although initial user interest is high, only a small percentage of users engage with the recommendation feature. Furthermore, we find that quality of recommendations was perceived as mixed to negative.

Making education available to everyone is about opening new doors to the future world where people are living with their full abilities and potentials. This vision was acknowledged by UNESCO and it was one of the main motives for introducing Open Educational Resources (OER) in 2002. Over the last two decades, OER have made a positive impact on spreading quality educational information. However, the lack of experience in using and practicing OER is one of the common reasons why people have difficulties utilizing OER without violating copyright laws. To overcome this problem, a workshop concept was designed in order to qualify educators for OER. As part of the workshops, a digital educational game has been developed to elevate the participants' motivation and engagement. The game covers all basic aspects of the OER cycle (creating, editing, using, and distributing OER) and is designed to be played within the practical sessions. By implementing this game and utilizing the concept of Game-based Learning (GBL), we wanted to provide an interactive learning environment to practice OER and motivate learners to explore the OER world. In this paper, we present the concept of the game and demonstrate its technical foundation as well as its functionalities.

In this paper, we present didactical, technical, and interaction design aspects of a learning environment for training academic text reading skills in higher education that is currently being developed. The concept is built on experience gained from a gamified learning environment for academic abilities in the domain of German orthography standards. It uses spaced repetition for skill training instead of just memorizing facts and maintains user models that allow for adaptive task selection using expert-designed skill lists and task-skill allocations. Gamification components such as levels and ranks have been incorporated to boost motivation. Only 19% of users (n=121) ceased using the application when they reached the minimum obligatory goal in homework assignments, indicating that the motivational effects work for the target group. The foundation for transferring these experiences to a new domain is laid by analyzing academic reading skills and competencies to be trained. In the design phase, task categories, interface mockups, and gamification mechanisms for the envisioned web application have been sketched, and it will now be implemented as an open-source application.

As we talked with school teachers about the use of physical computing systems in class, one major drawback of these systems became obvious: almost nobody--next to enthusiastic autodidacts--has been able to tell us on an abstract basis for which educational purposes a certain physical computing system can be used, i.e. in a goal-oriented way. This insight lead to the approach to structure the field of physical computing systems with the overall goal to make it easier for teachers to improve their lectures due integrating physical computing systems into computer science education. The aim of this paper is to structure the field, to find categories and to show how existing devices can be integrated into the founded structure.

Due to recent unrest around the world, the number of refugees has increased dramatically in the last decade. In order to meet the needs of this population, host countries have had to quickly adapt to provide these refugees with basic needs. One such need is to have quality education for refugee children. The aim of this paper is to compare the policies of educational inclusion in Germany and Turkey that have accepted a large influx of refugees. Our findings suggest that both the German city-state of Hamburg and Turkey have made major strides over the past ten years to accommodate and provide for refugee children's educational needs. We list some of the policies that have led to greater inclusion and accessibility for refugee children in mainstream education. Key findings from the comparative document analysis show that although the two countries are distinguished by different levels of income and development, both have similarities in terms of (1) providing compulsory education for all children, (2) the delay in preparing and applying policy-based legislations for refugee education, and (3) the main activities such as additional language support and teacher training for the purpose of social inclusion of refugee students. Furthermore, both countries have had similar challenges such as the necessity of improvements in second language instruction and teacher training, thus highlighting the need for refugee education-oriented global solutions for the host countries. We recommend continued efforts to include multiculturally rich school curriculums to create educational settings that feel inclusive and comfortable for refugee children. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]

Social Virtual Reality (VR) applications enable real-time interpersonal conversation and allow users to perform activities together. They have the potential of changing the ways learners practise speaking a foreign language. Following a previous study (Jauregi Ondarra, Gruber, & Canto, 2020), we designed the present study to explore how presence, immersion, and interactivity affect overall social experience. Students from Germany and the Netherlands engaged in High-immersion VR (HiVR) virtual exchange sessions, using Spanish as a lingua franca at A2 level. International dyads carried out four interaction tasks in AltspaceVR, using head-mounted devices. To examine students' HiVR virtual exchange experiences, different sources of data were gathered: questionnaires, reflection diaries, recordings, and focus group interviews. The preliminary results, based on the surveys and reflection journals, show that students liked to use a social VR app to communicate in the target language with peers from other countries, as they felt completely immersed and co-present in the social interactive VR space. This might enhance engagement and lower anxiety levels. [For the complete volume, "CALL and Professionalisation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2021 (29th, Online, August 26-27, 2021)," see ED616972.]

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures have confronted the educational sector with numerous challenges. This study focuses on how teachers faced these challenges and examines what we can learn from the crisis for prospective digitally-enhanced English language teaching (ELT) and teacher education. It follows a qualitative research design and is based on semi-structured interviews with 20 foreign language teachers. The transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis to investigate teachers' perspectives on their work during the pandemic and to describe needs concerning their professionalisation. First results suggest that Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) needs to be integrated better in teacher education to foster teachers' competences for teaching languages online. [For the complete volume, "CALL and Professionalisation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2021 (29th, Online, August 26-27, 2021)," see ED616972.]

International comparisons of student achievement in mathematics and their attitudes towards, confidence with and anxiety to mathematics have a long history. Likewise, detailed international comparisons of teacher education programs have also been conducted. However, the relationship between the teacher education programs and teacher anxiety for teaching mathematics have not been investigated. This paper is part of a larger research project investigating the relationship between teacher education programs and mathematical anxiety of its pre-service teachers. It reports on the initial comparison of the teacher education programs for primary teachers from a university in Sweden, Germany, and Australia, specifically the mathematics education addressed in the programs. The paper concludes with an outline of the future research.

This paper develops a framework for renewable producers to withhold capacity from the dayahead market in response to higher renewable output risk. The developed hypotheses are tested on a rich dataset from the German electricity market, with a novel measure of renewable forecast risk. The data does not support the presence of renewable withholding in Germany, based on the observed risk premium and day-ahead supply bids. This suggests that firms do not have access to this information or do not regard this as relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational thinking (CT) is a fundamental ability for learners in today's society. Although CT assessments and interventions have been studied widely, little is known about CT predictions. This study predicted students' CT achievement in the ICILS 2018 using five machine learning models. These models were trained on the data from five European countries and then tested on the Korean and the Danish sample, respectively. Results indicate that the models trained on the individualistic-European data were generalizable to the individualistic European country, Denmark, but not to the collectivistic Asian country, Korea. This study fills a void in the CT literature and highlights the importance of considering the contextual relevance of data sources when making algorithmic predictions.

Studies on math learning programs are lacking that consider a wide set of outcome variables, and students' practice behavior. Therefore, we investigated whether an adaptive arithmetic learning program fosters students' math performance (addition and subtraction), math self-concept, and a reduction of math anxiety, and how practice behavior (practiced tasks and practiced weeks) affect the investigated variables. We used a pre-post control group design with a total of 366 fifth grade German students. Randomization took place on the class level. Students in the experimental condition used the program for 22 weeks. Math self-concept only improved in the experimental group. Students' subtraction performance improved as a function of practiced tasks, and addition performance improved as a function of practiced weeks.

Germany is one of the strongest countries in medical and health researches worldwide. With the rapid development and integration of digital technologies in this area, the medical methods and systems today are experiencing a fundamental change. Through people-oriented support policies, the federal government attempts to seize this opportunity and promotes the development of smart medicine and healthcare in Germany. This paper reviews comprehensively the strategic layout, guidelines, support areas and measures of the German federal government in the field of smart medicine and healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to recent unrest around the world, the number of refugees has increased dramatically in the last decade. In order to meet the needs of this population, host countries have had to quickly adapt to provide these refugees with basic needs. One such need is to have quality education for refugee children. The aim of this paper is to compare the policies of educational inclusion in Germany and Turkey that have accepted a large influx of refugees. Our findings suggest that both the German city-state of Hamburg and Turkey have made major strides over the past ten years to accommodate and provide for refugee children's educational needs. We list some of the policies that have led to greater inclusion and accessibility for refugee children in mainstream education. Key findings from the comparative document analysis show that although the two countries are distinguished by different levels of income and development, both have similarities in terms of (1) providing compulsory education for all children, (2) the delay in preparing and applying policy-based legislations for refugee education, and (3) the main activities such as additional language support and teacher training for the purpose of social inclusion of refugee students. Furthermore, both countries have had similar challenges such as the necessity of improvements in second language instruction and teacher training, thus highlighting the need for refugee education-oriented global solutions for the host countries. We recommend continued efforts to include multi-culturally rich school curriculums to create educational settings that feel inclusive and comfortable for refugee children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart cities need high-quality data products in order to shape societal challenges such as the transformation of transportation and mobility. Trusted Data intermediary concepts are an important tool for enabling the sharing of data via standardized interfaces and ensuring trust and data quality. The ecosystem of a smart city comprises numerous organizations and extends far beyond the city's own boundaries, especially with regard to data products. Based on related work, this paper elaborates key terms of a data intermediary ecosystem concept that is planned to be applied at the interface between smart city and mobility on the one hand, and between municipalities and their municipal companies, science and industry on the other. The nucleus for this eco-system is the Klingenstadt Solingen in Germany that serves as a case study to explore ecosystem data governance concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]