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Abstract Interactions are mandatory for online or offline music and dance education to improve understandability and learning efficacy. The course designed for such artistic education incorporates multi-point interactions and monotonous presentations. The validation of the key factor: interactivity is thus mandatory for enhancing efficiency. This article introduces an interactivity validation method (IVM) using combined fuzzy neural network (FNN) to aid artistic course development. The output of the existing course and its evaluation criteria are considered in enhancing its grade. The fuzzy performs interaction classification as mandatory and trivial based on the student’s performance. The neural network identifies the chances for maximum performance by increasing or decreasing the interaction rate. If a saturated performance is achieved at a high or low interactivity, then the further course design is performed based on the saturated interactivity factor. The failing factors are used for training the neural network for modifying the interactivity rate from the current course development suggestion. Such a process is keen on classifying and validating the impact of interactivity over artistic course design.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a description and evaluation of a graduate-level Health Services Research Methods course offered at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. This three-credit, round-table discussion-style course introduces students to fundamental concepts in healthcare study design and teaches them how to design and critique example studies for a variety of commonly encountered study designs. The course is assessed through essay-style examinations, development of a research proposal, and low-stakes weekly assignments. Twenty-seven students have completed the course in the past five years. Feedback from student course surveys was almost unanimously positive, with few meaningful suggestions for improvement. The description and evaluation of a graduate-level Health Services Research Methods course at one institution indicates that students had a largely favorable experience with the course. Considerations for future revisions to the course are discussed alongside other lessons learned. [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]

Logistics plays a vital role in driving the global economy forward. Within this profession, English serves as the primary means of communication. However, not all logistics personnel, especially those for whom English is a second language, find it easy to use. The aim of this research is to conduct a needs analysis for English skills in the logistics industry. A questionnaire was distributed to 156 Thai logistics management students and employed Google Forms together with Microsoft Excel for quantitative analysis. The findings revealed the following: 1) The four core skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and vocabulary were reported extremely important, while grammar was rated as important. 2) The most frequently utilized English skill was reading, the skill most desired to improve was speaking, the skill that lacked the most was grammar, and the skill requiring the greatest development in their future were reading, listening, speaking, and writing, respectively. The implications of this study are significant for the development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the health effects of climate change, leaders in healthcare have called for action to integrate climate adaptation and mitigation into training programs for health professionals. However, current educators may not possess sufficient climate literacy and the expertise to effectively include such content in their respective healthcare curricula. We, an international and interprofessional partnership, collaborated with experts to develop and deploy curriculum to increase health educators’ and graduate health profession students’ knowledge and competencies on climate change. In a tri-step process, the first phase included recruiting interested faculty members from two institutions and varying health professions. In phase two, faculty members collaborated to develop a faculty symposium on climate change including educational competencies required of health professions, practice standards, guidelines, and profession-specific content. Symposium outcomes included broader faculty member interest and commitment to create an interprofessional climate change course for healthcare graduate students. In phase three, course development resulted from collaboration between faculty members at the two institutions and faculty members from the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE), with course objectives informed by GCCHE competencies. Climate experts and faculty members delivered the course content over a 10-week period to 30 faculty members and students representing seven health professions, who were surveyed (n = 13) for feedback. This course can serve as an example for international collaborators interested in developing climate change courses for health profession students. Lessons learned in this process include: climate change novice faculty members can develop impactful climate change courses; students and faculty members can be co-learners; diverse representation in course attendees enriches the learning experience; and collaboration is key.

Interprofessional education is expected to promote collaborative practice and should therefore be included in health professionals' curricula. Reports on interprofessional curricular development and its evaluation are rare. We therefore undertook a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a new, mandatory course on interprofessional collaboration for medical students during their third year of the Bachelor of Medicine study programme. The newly developed and implemented course spans over six weeks and was designed in a hybrid, flipped-classroom format. It incorporates experience- and case-based learning as well as interactions with other health professionals. Each student completes an eLearning and a clinical workshadowing individually before attending the - due to the pandemic - virtual live lectures. To assess quality and usefulness of teaching-learning formats and course structure to learn about interprofessional collaboration and to develop interprofessional competencies and identity, a quantitative and qualitative evaluation was performed with more than 280 medical students and 26 nurse educators from teaching hospitals using online surveys (open & closedended format). Data were analyzed descriptively and using content analysis processes. Students appreciated the flipped-classroom concept, the real-world case-based learning scenarios with interprofessional lecturer teams, and the possibility of an experience-based learning opportunity in the clinical setting including interaction with students and professionals from other health professions. Interprofessional identity did not change during the course. Evaluation data showed that the course is a promising approach for teaching-learning interprofessional competencies to medical students. The evaluation revealed three factors that determined the success of this course, namely, a flipped-classroom concept, the individual workshadowing of medical students with another health professional, mainly nurses, and live sessions with interprofessional teaching-learning teams. The course structure and teaching-learning methods showed potential and could serve as a template for interprofessional course development in other institutions and on other course topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In CME/CPD, a significant part of research is about effectiveness. Attention to the development process can be vital to understand how it impacts progress and results. This study aims to explore an innovative process of applying a combined approach using design-based research, collaborative innovation, and program theory to develop CPD about type 2 diabetes for GPs and clinic nurses with a group of interprofessional stakeholders. In particular, the development process of the combined approach and how it impacts the progress and the activities. We applied two qualitative methods. First, we analysed 159 documents from the development process, and second, eight semi-structured key informant interviews. Data were deductively analysed using 15 predefined elements derived from the combined approach combined with open coding analyses. The analysis showed how the combined approach structured the process. And the interviews broadened our understanding of the relationship between the process and the activities. Four additional themes were constructed from the open coding, including surrender to the process. Surrendering was a central part of the interviewees' participation in the process. The combined approach facilitated this unfamiliar experience of surrender. By supporting participants to surrender, the combined approach enabled an expansion of interprofessional collaboration and the development of innovative activities and learning methods in CPD on type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields play a critical role in the advancement of society and are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. This study examines the development of a STEM education course and its impact on teachers’ self-efficacy and course experiences. The study involves a mixed-methods approach, using survey and course assignment results gathered from 52 mathematics master’s degree candidates who took an online STEM education course. Teachers’ self-efficacy, STEM knowledge, reflections from reading materials, and lesson plans were quantitatively analyzed while content analyses was employed for the teachers’ opinions on the role of each STEM subject and overall course evaluation. Results showed a significant increase in teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching STEM subjects after completing the course. Additionally, teachers reported positive experiences related to course content, activities, and assignments. The study provides insights into the design and implementation of effective STEM courses and provides practical implications for designing operative STEM courses.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a description and evaluation of a graduate-level Health Services Research Methods course offered at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. This three-credit, round-table discussion-style course introduces students to fundamental concepts in healthcare study design and teaches them how to design and critique example studies for a variety of commonly encountered study designs. The course is assessed through essay-style examinations, development of a research proposal, and low-stakes weekly assignments. Twenty-seven students have completed the course in the past five years. Feedback from student course surveys was almost unanimously positive, with few meaningful suggestions for improvement. The description and evaluation of a graduate-level Health Services Research Methods course at one institution indicates that students had a largely favorable experience with the course. Considerations for future revisions to the course are discussed alongside other lessons learned.

Online courses are becoming more popular and accessible, but they require careful design and development of their structure and content. This paper presents a methodological approach for creating online courses by analysing existing practices and learner feedback. The paper focuses on the case study of the online course “Methods for Teaching Mathematics to Students in Technical Universities”, developed and tested by the authors. The paper discusses the main aspects of online course development, such as weekly planning, testing subsystem, video and PDF content, forum and survey subsystems, and assessment of learning outcomes. The paper also evaluates the quality of the online course and identifies some areas for improvement. The paper concludes that online course quality depends on various factors and provides recommendations for online course developers.

ABSTRACTInterprofessional education is expected to promote collaborative practice and should therefore be included in health professionals’ curricula. Reports on interprofessional curricular development and its evaluation are rare. We therefore undertook a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a new, mandatory course on interprofessional collaboration for medical students during their third year of the Bachelor of Medicine study programme. The newly developed and implemented course spans over six weeks and was designed in a hybrid, flipped-classroom format. It incorporates experience- and case-based learning as well as interactions with other health professionals. Each student completes an eLearning and a clinical workshadowing individually before attending the – due to the pandemic – virtual live lectures. To assess quality and usefulness of teaching-learning formats and course structure to learn about interprofessional collaboration and to develop interprofessional competencies and identity, a quantitative and qualitative evaluation was performed with more than 280 medical students and 26 nurse educators from teaching hospitals using online surveys (open & closed-ended format). Data were analyzed descriptively and using content analysis processes. Students appreciated the flipped-classroom concept, the real-world case-based learning scenarios with interprofessional lecturer teams, and the possibility of an experience-based learning opportunity in the clinical setting including interaction with students and professionals from other health professions. Interprofessional identity did not change during the course. Evaluation data showed that the course is a promising approach for teaching-learning interprofessional competencies to medical students. The evaluation revealed three factors that determined the success of this course, namely, a flipped-classroom concept, the individual workshadowing of medical students with another health professional, mainly nurses, and live sessions with interprofessional teaching-learning teams. The course structure and teaching-learning methods showed potential and could serve as a template for interprofessional course development in other institutions and on other course topics.

IntroductionThe rapid pace of technological advancement, globalisation, and complex socio-economic challenges facing 21st-century society necessitates a rethinking of undergraduate science education. Undergraduate science curriculum reform is essential to prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce in an ever-changing world. Accordingly, in Trinity College Dublin (the University of Dublin), the oldest science degree course in Ireland was intensively reviewed and redeveloped between 2014 and 2021. This study aims to collate and disseminate the knowledge acquired by university staff through the experience of undertaking a major science curriculum redevelopment.MethodsNine senior staff members closely involved with the redevelopment were interviewed about why the curriculum reform was necessary, what it had achieved, and how the process could have been improved.ResultsThe reasons behind the curriculum changes are described and placed in the context of contemporary pedagogical research. Reflections from the academic and administrative staff involved in the redevelopment process are presented, emphasising the challenges and opportunities that emerged from that process.DiscussionRecommendations for other universities undertaking similar reforms are included. Aligning undergraduate science curriculum reform with the needs of 21st-century society is vital for ensuring that science graduates are well-prepared to make positive contributions to a sustainable future.

Universities across Canada offer bridging programmes for mature students who would not otherwise have access to post-secondary education. The College of Arts at the University of Guelph developed their Academic Transition Program to support these students, with the cornerstone of the programme being a learning skills course, launched in Autumn 2022, that students must complete in order to be accepted into an undergraduate programme. In the Canadian context, it is unusual for a learning specialist to act as course developer for the creation of an undergraduate credit course. This presentation shares a reflection on the theories that underpinned the course creation, most notably Kolb’s (1984) theory on experiential learning, Baxter-Magolda’s (1999) theory of self authorship, and the learning gained after wearing many hats – learning specialist, course developer, and sessional instructor. The presentation explored: • The tripartite arrangement developed to create the course. • Ways in which the course addressed students’ transition to university. • Considerations around diversity and inclusion. • How the coursework supported a sense of belonging. • Feedback from the students’ experience of the course. • What was learned when the course was made available to traditional undergraduate students from first through fourth year. • How this course intersects with the Canadian model of learning support. • Sharing examples of course content, including weekly reflection questions. • Lessons learned and plans for the future of the course, including alternative formats. Making learning strategies explicit can support mature students’ level of success in higher education (Erb & Drysdale, 2017). This course combined theoretical and practical learning skill applications and opportunities to develop a sense of belonging for a diverse cohort of mature students.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented shift to online learning, significantly impacting the higher education landscape. This paper examines the challenges faced by faculty and students during the rapid transition to online instruction and explores best practices for delivering effective online courses. The increased adoption of online learning created stress for faculty and resulted in academic setbacks for students. Although challenges are present strategies exist to help faculty create rich online learning environments. One important element is engagement, which looks at both student engagement with the material and with their classmates and faculty. In addition to working on student engagement the faculty were now in a position that required a new type of expertise to manage online interactions, which can be much different from their experiences in traditional classrooms. Insufficient time for proper course adaptation and limited knowledge of online teaching methods added to these challenges. Effective online delivery requires careful planning, utilization of advanced instructional technologies, and creating an immersive and interactive learning environment. Faculty must also adapt their teaching strategies to accommodate the unique challenges of online instruction. This review highlights the significance of a quality learning management system (LMS) as the backbone of online courses. An effective LMS facilitates course management, content delivery, and student interaction. Future considerations include providing comprehensive faculty support and training, promoting effective communication and collaboration among students, and incorporating interactive elements into online lessons. The following will provide lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic which will help faculty to improve their instructional competence and social presence in the online classroom.

This study aimed to assess third-year student pharmacists' perspectives regarding a virtually delivered research proposal course. A 23-item questionnaire was distributed to third-year student pharmacists enrolled in a research proposal course over three weeks in April 2021. The questionnaire contained 15 Likert-scale items, seven descriptive items, and a free-text item for additional comments about the course. Items were summarized using descriptive statistics. Fifty-four student pharmacists (response rate = 40.9%) participated in the survey. The student pharmacists surveyed generally had a positive perception of the virtually delivered research proposal course with median scores ≥ 4 (indicating agreement) for the majority (13/15) of survey items. Students did not agree that there was no difference in their motivation to succeed in the virtual course versus an in-person course and did not agree that they were more likely to pursue a career that involves undertaking a research project. This study found that student pharmacists generally had a positive perception of a virtually delivered research proposal course. These findings offer some support for the provision of an online, virtually delivered research proposal course for student pharmacists. Further research with a larger sample of students from multiple pharmacy schools is needed to improve the generalizability of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the ability of ChatGPT to function as a virtual colleague in helping to design materials for higher education design students. Using a self-study methodology, two university educators attempted to collaborate with ChatGPT to create course materials targeted at higher education design students, before reflecting on its strengths and weaknesses during the process. Contextualising ChatGPT as the latest acute example of digital disruptors that design practices and processes have faced, the authors evaluated its current and potential threats and opportunities for the creation of design-focused learning content. The authors found that ChatGPT was a competent partner with regard to saving time, structuring textual content and documentation, and as a brainstorming tool. However, ChatGPT's weaknesses included content generation that was often generic, usually requiring much human prompting, cajoling, and manual editing to produce desirable outcomes. Overall, ChatGPT was found to excel at its stated functionality as a language model, with some potentially useful functionality for the creation of higher education design course materials and outlines, as well as limitations. The reflections discussed can be used to inform design educators who may want to work with ChatGPT when designing course materials. However, acknowledging limitations and potential ethical challenges, the authors' caution that educators may have to evaluate for themselves whether ChatGPT's potential advantages outweigh its disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the ability of ChatGPT to function as a virtual colleague in helping to design materials for higher education design students. Using a self-study methodology, two university educators attempted to collaborate with ChatGPT to create course materials targeted at higher education design students, before reflecting on its strengths and weaknesses during the process. Contextualising ChatGPT as the latest acute example of digital disruptors that design practices and processes have faced, the authors evaluated its current and potential threats and opportunities for the creation of design-focused learning content. The authors found that ChatGPT was a competent partner with regard to saving time, structuring textual content and documentation, and as a brainstorming tool. However, ChatGPT’s weaknesses included content generation that was often generic, usually requiring much human prompting, cajoling, and manual editing to produce desirable outcomes. Overall, ChatGPT was found to excel at its stated functionality as a language model, with some potentially useful functionality for the creation of higher education design course materials and outlines, as well as limitations. The reflections discussed can be used to inform design educators who may want to work with ChatGPT when designing course materials. However, acknowledging limitations and potential ethical challenges, the authors’ caution that educators may have to evaluate for themselves whether ChatGPT’s potential advantages outweigh its disadvantages.

Training in the field of implementation science is critical for future pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to successfully implement precision health interventions in pharmacy practice. We developed an elective course for second- and third-year students at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to develop foundational knowledge in implementation science with a focus on precision health implementation. The eight-week course used a flipped classroom format featuring lecture videos, suggested readings, quizzes, guest lectures from experts, case studies, and a group project. We evaluated course quality through class participation, a pre- and post-test on course content, and a mixed-methods survey completed by the students. Overall engagement in in the course was high and students demonstrated significant improvement in understanding of implementation science and precision health. Strengths of the course as identified by students were the use of expert guest speakers, pre-class lectures, and case study exercises, while the ordering of content and improved connection between content and guest lectures were identified as areas for improvement. In conclusion, the elective course was well-received and meets a critical need in the field of pharmacy to build implementation science capacity. Future work is needed to expand and refine education for the implementation of precision health for pharmacy professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, 120 University West nursing students wrote a scientific report as an examination. Merely 30 students passed on their first attempt and one of the identified shortcomings concerned information literacy. In collaboration with the course coordinators, the liaison librarian modified the course design adding new contents as well as new assignments to create a kickstart for the students who lack the information literacy required in higher education. The module in information literacy training was extended to provide the students with the skills needed for successful results and thus making them better equipped for the rest of their studies, as well as for lifelong learning. This best practice article accounts for the course development, focusing on library instruction. Furthermore, it posits that the principles of andragogy, student activating methods and the united effort to meet the students where they are, have enhanced their learning process and consequently their information literacy. In 2020 and 2021, the students who passed the scientific report examination on their first attempt more than doubled. Due to librarian involvement, new pedagogical approaches, and a fruitful collaboration with course coordinators, these students’ information literacy skills seem to have improved.

Using virtual internationalization as a key concept, this article adds to the body of experiencebased knowledge on how to build partnerships and develop courses within higher education. The purpose of this article is to disseminate knowledge about the collaborative process that took place when Swedish and Canadian universities created an international online course focused on work and health. The article presents the challenges and mitigating strategies during course implementation and preconditions that enabled the co-production of the course. The conclusion provides critical reflections, questions and lessons learned that arose from the instructors reflections in relation to virtual internationalization. The self-reflexive experiences were analysed through the lens of internationalization in higher education and virtual internationalization literature, and the theory of social coordination and bureaucracy to enable an understanding of how we did it our way.

This is a course description on how to work together and develop a game with the help of norm-critical pedagogy and feminist posthumanities. The course was first proposed by Linda Paxling and is revised by the KEC Board for Course Development to fulfil the quality assurance standards of the Arctic Bologna Process, which is standardized to address all types of students across geography and species at the institution. The course adapts Kumashiro’s work on anti-discrimination (2002) to fit multispecies learning beyond the strictly human, while adhering to rigorous academic scholarship with clear course objectives, learning outcomes, and assessment criteria. The course is intended for second-cycle students.

This present study aims at investigating the students’ target needs in learning ESP Speaking of Law department students. The adapted version of Aliakbari & Boghayeri’s (2014) and Alsamadani’s (2017) questionnaire was used as the main instrument of this study to understand the 45 students’ perception about their needs in learning ESP speaking course. A mixed-method research design was implemented in this present research. Students’ responses were analyzed statistically using SPSS 16.0 by calculating the mean, frequency and percentage. To elicit more understanding on the topic, interview was implemented to senior students in order to get deeper investigation about students’ target needs. The interview data were then analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus. This study reveals that most of the students’ needs are concerned with their professional job in the future so they are able to use English in their fields. Thus, this study provides some highlighting points on what to include in course development. In such a notion, this study suggests lecturers provide specific materials related to law in order to face their professional life either in short- or long-term future needs. . HIGHLIGHTS: • This study pinpoints the result of Law students measurement on their self-rating towards their English competences. • This study highlights on materials related to Law department that are perceived to be strongly needed and less needed. • This study also reveals that according to students’ interview transcript, their needs in learning ESP are found to attain long-term goal compared to the short-term one.

The LODEStone model is an emerging design model for consulting on organizational, department or team level challenges for specialized learners. LODEStone evolved from the iterative design of OCTBR, a course development tool created at an academic health science center (AHSC). OCTBR's purpose is to help create better blended and online learning experiences for graduate-level students in medicine, allied health and related health sciences. Reflecting on how OCTBR was developed, we describe a pilot model of Learning, Opinions, Discerning, Equipping and Shaping (LODEStone) that can be used to design other projects for specialized learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, 120 University West nursing students wrote a scientific report as an examination. Merely 30 students passed on their first attempt and one of the identified shortcomings concerned information literacy. In collaboration with the course coordinators, the liaison librarian modified the course design adding new contents as well as new assignments to create a kickstart for the students who lack the information literacy required in higher education. The module in information literacy training was extended to provide the students with the skills needed for successful results and thus making them better equipped for the rest of their studies, as well as for lifelong learning. This best practice article accounts for the course development, focusing on library instruction. Furthermore, it posits that the principles of andragogy, student activating methods and the united effort to meet the students where they are, have enhanced their learning process and consequently their information literacy. In 2020 and 2021, the students who passed the scientific report examination on their first attempt more than doubled. Due to librarian involvement, new pedagogical approaches, and a fruitful collaboration with course coordinators, these students’ information literacy skills seem to have improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our instructional team at the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led an innovative project that used IDEO.org's design thinking process to create a brand-new interdisciplinary graduate course, housed in the school of public health, titled Design Thinking for the Public Good. We offer our course design process as a case study of the use of design thinking for course design.Methods: We collected data and generated insights through a variety of inspiration, ideation, and implementation design thinking methods alongside members of our three stakeholder groups: (1) faculty who teach or have taught courses related to design thinking at our higher education institution; (2) design thinking experts at ours and other institutions and outside of higher education; and (3) graduate students at our institution.Results: We learned that interdisciplinary design thinking courses should include growth-oriented reflection, explicit group work skills, and content with a real-world application.Conclusions: Our course design process and findings can be replicated to design courses regardless of area of study, level, or format.

This study aimed to assess third-year student pharmacists’ perspectives regarding a virtually delivered research proposal course. A 23-item questionnaire was distributed to third-year student pharmacists enrolled in a research proposal course over three weeks in April 2021. The questionnaire contained 15 Likert-scale items, seven descriptive items, and a free-text item for additional comments about the course. Items were summarized using descriptive statistics. Fifty-four student pharmacists (response rate = 40.9%) participated in the survey. The student pharmacists surveyed generally had a positive perception of the virtually delivered research proposal course with median scores ≥ 4 (indicating agreement) for the majority (13/15) of survey items. Students did not agree that there was no difference in their motivation to succeed in the virtual course versus an in-person course and did not agree that they were more likely to pursue a career that involves undertaking a research project. This study found that student pharmacists generally had a positive perception of a virtually delivered research proposal course. These findings offer some support for the provision of an online, virtually delivered research proposal course for student pharmacists. Further research with a larger sample of students from multiple pharmacy schools is needed to improve the generalizability of the results.

ABSTRACT Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) offer a powerful approach to engage students at all academic levels in the process of scientific discovery. In comparison to prescriptive laboratory exercises, CUREs have been shown to promote students’ science process skill development, positive attitudes toward scientific research, and persistence in STEM. While this is the case, descriptions of CUREs within the literature vary widely, particularly in the extent to which they explicitly address the five posited dimensions of CUREs. This can present as a challenge to both novice CURE facilitators, who may be unfamiliar with CURE terminology, as well as the CURE community as a whole, who seek to understand what facets of CUREs impact student outcomes. In response, we created the “Dimensions of CUREs Informational Template” (DoC IT), a professional development tool amenable for use with CURE designers, facilitators, and evaluators. Application of this tool is intended as a viable step in achieving a unified way to discuss CUREs in both intra- and interinstitutional contexts.

To address the health effects of climate change, leaders in healthcare have called for action to integrate climate adaptation and mitigation into training programs for health professionals. However, current educators may not possess sufficient climate literacy and the expertise to effectively include such content in their respective healthcare curricula. We, an international and interprofessional partnership, collaborated with experts to develop and deploy curriculum to increase health educators' and graduate health profession students' knowledge and competencies on climate change. In a tri-step process, the first phase included recruiting interested faculty members from two institutions and varying health professions. In phase two, faculty members collaborated to develop a faculty symposium on climate change including educational competencies required of health professions, practice standards, guidelines, and profession-specific content. Symposium outcomes included broader faculty member interest and commitment to create an interprofessional climate change course for healthcare graduate students. In phase three, course development resulted from collaboration between faculty members at the two institutions and faculty members from the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE), with course objectives informed by GCCHE competencies. Climate experts and faculty members delivered the course content over a 10-week period to 30 faculty members and students representing seven health professions, who were surveyed (n = 13) for feedback. This course can serve as an example for international collaborators interested in developing climate change courses for health profession students. Lessons learned in this process include: climate change novice faculty members can develop impactful climate change courses; students and faculty members can be co-learners; diverse representation in course attendees enriches the learning experience; and collaboration is key., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Okatch, Remshifski, Fennessey, Campbell, Barnoy, Friedman, Kern, Frasso, Sorensen, Bar-Shalita and Hunter.)

The study is aimed at developing a blended course English Oral Expression and Communication, under the guidance of interaction hypothesis, to enhance EFL college students' oral expression ability. Five steps of the blended course development have been elaborated, including 1) define course goals and set principles, 2) prepare teaching materials and design learning activities, 3) choose blended tools, 4) plan course schedule and structure, and 5) design outcome assessment methods, which could provide references for blended course development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to COVID-19, almost all educational institutions were temporarily closed across the globe. As a result, many educators have focused on delivering courses through emergency remote teaching. Preparation for remote teaching was itself a great challenge. In this reflective paper, I have presented my own experience of preparation for emergency remote teaching for one my courses in one of the Canadian universities. I have mentioned in the paper the factors that were helpful in the preparation for remote teaching such as my own background knowledge of online learning, training for remote teaching, designing and developing the course, using synchronous and asynchronous, engaging students, and presences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Principal INvestigator Development and Resources (PINDAR) program was developed at the NYU-H+H Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hub in response to a perceived need for focused good clinical practice (GCP) training designed specifically for principal investigators (PIs) performing human subject research. PINDAR is a novel 6-hour, instructor lead, participatory, in-person course for PIs developed de novo, piloted, and implemented. One hundred and seventeen faculty PIs participated in PINDAR from November 2016 through September 2018. All obtained mutual recognition for ICH E6 GCP training from TransCelerate Biopharma. PINDAR was well received by participant PIs, and feedback surveys have revealed a high degree of satisfaction with the program. Other CTSA hubs and research-intensive health systems should consider adopting a similar course focused on GCP for PIs.

Using a team-based course development approach, the University of British Columbia collaborated with the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) and universities from Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, and Canada to design and develop six transnational, online, distance-education courses covering diverse topics such as sustainable forest policy, international dialogues in global forestry issues and forest restoration. The team-based approach is commonly used in online course development to form a cost-effective managerial and development team that manages timelines, coordinates solutions, and oversees budgets, all of which are particularly challenging for an international collaboration among universities across the Asia-Pacific region, due to cultural differences and variations in teaching and learning practices. This paper gives an overview of the design and development of transnational, online, distance-education courses, and the results of a pilot study that put the completed courses through an in-house, evidence-based quality enhancement rubric and a written survey reporting the leading professors’ satisfaction with the project management and instructional design services. The quality enhancement rubric showed that the course designs were of high quality and the written survey revealed that the subject matter experts were satisfied overall. However, many improvements were suggested and could be implemented to improve the quality of course design, and the collaboration in orientating subject matter experts to the team-based development process, and in implementing best practices for online course design.

Librarians at Saskatchewan Polytechnic developed an online information literacy course, created through interdepartmental collaboration, to be completed by new faculty as part of the Adult Teaching and Learning program. Changes to the academic model coupled with mandatory assessment of program development necessitated a major revision of the introductory course, transitioning to a blended learning methodology. As part of this revision, librarians were asked to create an online course to replace some of the content that was formerly offered in face-to-face sessions. Librarians began with the creation of an instructional plan using Bloom’s Taxonomy, learning outcomes, learning steps, and assessments to create an interactive introduction to research and writing. After implementation, the librarians assessed the blended learning approach. The online course content was adjusted and it continues to be reviewed and revised based on participant feedback. The overall process for the development of this online course can be used as an example to guide other librarians’ online delivery of information literacy creating authentic learning experiences.

A qualitative case study was conducted to triangulate student interviews, a teacher's reflection report, and classroom observation data to understand how a local language course prepared Taiwanese administrative staff for international communication across working contexts in an international university. The findings firstly show that the teacher treated course planning as a teacher and student process of co-developing, co-moderating, co-revising, and co-managing learning resources and content. The teacher empowered the administrative staff by giving them the authority to select language targets for study that the staff thought would be useful to fulfil their job duties. Secondly, participation of the administrative staff was important in creating and managing language resources for international communication. The teacher used vocabulary and dialogue writing and speaking practices that were contextualised to the needs of the administrative staff. The targeted vocabulary was selected by the administrative staff based on gaps in their knowledge and was then used to co-construct dialogues that addressed scenarios the staff had previously encountered that necessitated the use of English with internationals. Thirdly, developing the course to address the administrative staff s communication needs was a process of rebalancing teacher autonomy, learner autonomy, and course development. Both the teacher and the students perceived the course effective in encouraging practical changes in the administrative staff s learning and use of English, which they mostly attributed to the non-formal nature of the course and the support from higher management. Implications for planning and implementing English language courses for international communication were drawn from the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is associated with positive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, including increased contraceptive use, lower rates of unintended pregnancy and prevention of sexual violence. However, implementation of and requirements for CSE vary across the United States which can negatively impact students, both during and beyond high school, including among college students., Methods: and Analysis: This paper describes the research protocol for a multi-staged approach for designing, implementing and evaluating an SRH course for up to 60 undergraduate students at a public university in California. Before the class is offered, we will conduct 20 in-depth interviews with current students, educators and course design experts to learn from their experiences and seek their guidance on course design. To evaluate the course, enrolled students will complete a pre-course and a post-course survey before and after class is taught, to assess students' attitudes and values relevant to educational concepts and the format and delivery of the course and its modules and activities. Approximately 20 students will take part in an in-depth exit interview, after completing the course, to gather perceptions about how the course impacted their knowledge and behavior. The goal is to refine materials for future in-person course offerings and develop a prototype for a fully online version of the course., Discussion: This study introduces a novel university-level course to provide young adult students comprehensive, evidence-based education on sexual and reproductive health from a public health perspective. The program leverages existing CSE efforts, enhancing them with academic rigor, inclusive content and digital inclusion. This approach, inclusive of diverse sexual orientations, content on pleasure and sexual violence prevention, aims to fill existing gaps in university curricula and also set a new standard in CSE. The project's innovative and multidisciplinary design offers a model for broader impact within a large public university system and beyond., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Several subjects, including antenna engineering in a communication engineering program, is a math-intensive subject where most students say that it is difficult to understand and visualize. Students are unable to relate theoretical knowledge to real world applications. To overcome this issue, we proposed to motivate students’ curiosity using fun and interesting ways of teaching based on real cases in the community. In an antenna engineering course, there are folklores that performance of an antenna can be improved by attaching items such as basins to the antenna or using everyday objects as an antenna. Theoretical explanations have not been developed yet. In this research, we aim to propose the idea of using folklores as a case-based learning (CBL) exercise. Based on the process of CBL, a 15-week course plan starts with establishing the case in the first week, followed by weeks of theoretical study, lectures and group discussions. Group discussions on the case are established on the 5th and the 10th weeks to share the problems and the new findings. The results of the study are presented in the 15th week. Impressively, the pre-evaluating result shows that 97.5% of students who never attend an antenna engineering class were interested in joining the challenge. The proposed idea will be applied in an antenna engineering course for 4th year students in communication engineering, at the University of Phayao, in the first semester of the 2017 academic year in August 2017.

The New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 4) programme was designed and developed when a Level 4 early childhood education qualification became mandatory for all educators working with children and families in the New Zealand early childhood education home-based sector. This occurred at a time when Open Polytechnic was undergoing a transformational change programme to ensure ongoing innovation in open distant flexible learning (ODFL). This paper provides insight into the design and development of a fully online, Level 4, early childhood education and care programme. Several "stories" focus on pedagogy that empowers learners in an online flexible distance learning environment, innovative teamwork, and initial feedback from stakeholders. The pedagogy underpinning the development of the programme is informed by the integration of sociocultural and constructivist theories with information communication technology (ICT), as specified by The Pedagogic Model of Integrating Constructivist and Sociocultural Learning Principles with Information Communication Technology, key educational design principles, and the assessment approach. In the first phase, work focused on designing at a programme level; work in the second phase developed the three courses that met qualification specifications set by the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). The desired pedagogy and innovative teamwork resulted in very positive initial feedback from stakeholders. The paper recommends that feedback from stakeholders be formally collected in the new year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University-Enterprise-Cooperation (UEC) has been adopted by many universities globally to effectively utilize the high-quality resources of the construction industry, to improve the general competence, problem-solving skills and innovation capability of graduates of an engineering discipline. There are a limited amount of papers published in international journals on UEC, compared to a significant volume of Chinese published literature. However, based on the best knowledge of the authors, no existing literature has conducted a quantitative statistical analysis on UEC research in Chinese and international journals. In order to fill this knowledge gap, 300 highquality papers on UEC were derived through the Chinese CNKI database from 2010-2019. The general development trend of UEC research in the past 30 years was also mapped and analyzed. The most popular topics under the UEC theme and the most frequently adopted research methods within the UEC field were also identified. It was found that since the first UEC publication in 1990, the number of UEC publications experienced a steady increase during the last decade, aiding by strong promotion from the government and active practice within universities and from educators in China. Course development (52.94%) and practice resource development (24.89%) were two of the most popular research topics in the UEC field. The elaboration research method was adopted by more than half (55.94%) of UEC papers, followed by case study (21.25%). The findings of this study are valuable for researchers and practitioners globally, to better understand the development status of UEC research in China and embark on future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraints often encountered by lecturers in educating students is still attached pedagogical mentality like students of secondary education; has not moved on andragogical mentality like a college student. These constraints can be found in the context of basic principles of andragogy. As a library research, this paper examines the data sources in the form of literature relevant to Islamic law (fiqh) studies and andragogy (adult education). The study results in six models of andragogical learning for the development of Islamic law (fiqh) courses in higher education. First, the learning model of “learn how to know” that emphasizes aspects of epistemology to increase students’ curiosity (need to know). Second, independent learning model that emphasizes student activeness in learning. Third, experiential based learning model, especially literature and field research practice, to foster inclusive thinking. Fourth, actual life-based learning model, either related to worship or muamalat. Fifth, contextual learning model to find alternative solutions to real life problems from the perspective of Islamic law (fiqh). Sixth, the learning model to develop students’ intrinsic motivation.

Objective: The Master Plan for Medical Studies 2020 places additional emphasis on curricular development processes. In addition, institutes may recognize a need to optimize their courses, for example because of poor evaluations. Frequently, however, the resources required for comprehensive optimizations are not available. In the present study, we aimed to use the example of a biochemistry seminar that takes place in the preclinical part of the medical degree at Ulm University Medical School to show how a course can be successfully optimized in small steps and evaluation results can be used for quality assurance. Methods: Similar to a continuous improvement process (CIP), over the course of five years a biochemistry seminar was gradually optimized in three steps. This process used structural, methodological, and content components, such as vertical integration, the inverted classroom method, and competence orientation. For quality assurance, we analyzed the official, standardized evaluation sheets from a total of n=1248 students. We evaluated the optimization process on the basis of responses to evaluation statements that were arranged into categories such as "organization, structure, implementation" and "quality of teaching," free text information, and the results of a pilot study conducted in parallel. We then determined the usefulness of the students' evaluation results for evaluating the optimization process. Results: Each developmental step resulted in a significantly more positive overall evaluation of the seminar by the students. This result was independent of whether the development was on a structural or methodological/content-related level. In addition, the evaluations of the categories that were optimized were significantly better. For example, the vertical integration and introduction of the inverted classroom method were accompanied by a better evaluation of the "quality of teaching" and a change in the structure led to a higher score in the category "organization, structure, implementation." A comparison with the free text evaluation sheets and the results of the pilot study supports the results. Conclusion: Although optimization of a curriculum or course is a major task, it can also be successfully completed in small steps. With this approach, new learning goals, for example as required in the Master Plan for Medical Studies 2020, can be continuously integrated and student satisfaction with a course can be increased. Student evaluation results can represent a kind of quality assurance in this process and can provide important impulses for optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]