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Forest parks in megacities are pivotal in boosting biodiversity, purifying air, and offering essential green areas for community leisure and mental health amidst the hustle and bustle of cities. Yet, these vital oases encounter severe difficulties, including habitat degradation, contamination, and urbanization pressures, jeopardizing their preservation and the crucial ecological advantages they offer. The soil’s characteristics and its microbial inhabitants are fundamental in the cycling of nutrients and the well-being of plants, positioning them as central elements in restoration efforts. Nonetheless, the complex interplay among plant, soil, and microbial relationships during the restoration of forest ecosystems in megacities is still not well comprehended. This study aimed to investigate the interactions between plant-soil-microbial dynamics in different ecological restoration modes and construct assessment systems to evaluate the quality of restoration modes in the forest parks. The study identified a total of 25 distinct types of forests damaged by three main factors (farmland, highway, and quarrying) in Chongqing Taisiya Forest Park, and found that long-term natural restoration significantly increased soil properties in these forests. Additionally, an in-depth microbial sequencing analysis showed that Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were the major bacterial and fungal phyla dominant in the restoration process in the urban forests. Further correlation analysis showed that soil microbial diversity positively correlated with plant diversity, with a stronger correlation observed for bacterial communities compared to fungi. The comprehensive evaluation index results for the different forest types revealed varying degrees of restoration success. Collectively, our findings underscore the importance of forest attributes and soil microbial diversity in forest ecosystem restoration and provide valuable insights for designing effective restoration strategies in similar ecosystems.

The impact of research and development (R & D) financed by the state on the prices of good services is analyzed in macroeconomic terms. Conceptual improvements in assessing the results of research and development are proposed so as to dampen the undesirable consequences of inflation due to the low efficiency of publicly funded development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood sustainability assessment systems support the planning of sustainable and resilient cities. This research analyses, compares, and evaluates three neighborhood sustainability assessment systems (NSA) of (i) the German Sustainable Building Council for Urban Districts (DGNB–UD), (ii) the USA Leadership in energy and environmental design for Neighborhood Development (LEED–ND), and (iii) the Indian Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment for Large Developments (GRIHA–LD). The theoretical background, certification types, process, and evaluation methods of the three NSAs are discussed. The qualitative and quantitative comparative analysis and evaluation methods of the NSAs included identifying and assessing ten weighted essential urban sustainability themes. Indicators under each theme were identified and compared in the NSAs. The comparison showed the importance of particular themes based on assigned weights. LEED–ND focuses on "transportation" and "site planning", while DGNB–UD addresses all dimensions of sustainability in a balanced manner. GRIHA–LD has limitations concerning social, economic, and governance concerns. The research results define differences and similarities in international neighborhood sustainability assessment and illustrate the quality and quantity differences of sustainability and resilience aspects addressed by the three existing NSA systems as a starting basis for the future improvement of existing and development of new land sustainability and resilience assessment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a conceptual framework for trust in standardised assessments. Standardised assessments play an important role in many education systems as they inform decisions about students' future schooling career or entry to the labour market. Also, standardised assessments are often used for teacher performance reviews and school accountability, or to monitor learning outcomes on the national level. Various stakeholders rely on the accuracy of assessment outcomes when making decisions about students' competences, or seek to improve the quality of education. Such reliance implies a need for trust in those who design and administer standardised assessments and make decisions on the basis of the outcomes. The framework presented in this article describes the type of relational and macro‐level trust that is relevant for three types of assessment systems: national, quasi‐market and commercial systems. Throughout the analysis presented, examples are provided to illustrate the ways in which relational and macro‐level trust can vary by who is tested and by whom they are assessed; and how trust in evaluations varies by the purpose and consequences of testing, as well as the individual agency of students, their teachers and school leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the in-depth investigation, the evaluation index of innovation and entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities is designed and formulated. The weight of evaluation index is determined by using analytic hierarchy process (AHP), by which the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is established. This model can provide a theoretical basis for the evaluation of innovation and entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Romanian Review of Private Law / Revista Română de Drept Privat is the property of Universul Juridic Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

[Display omitted] • Different restoration modes lead to distinct shifts in soil microbial diversity. • Restoration modes impact soil microbial diversity and functions. • Comprehensive evaluation unveils restoration variations across land types. • Plant-soil-microbial interactions crucial for effective ecosystem restoration. Forest parks in megacities are pivotal in boosting biodiversity, purifying air, and offering essential green areas for community leisure and mental health amidst the hustle and bustle of cities. Yet, these vital oases encounter severe difficulties, including habitat degradation, contamination, and urbanization pressures, jeopardizing their preservation and the crucial ecological advantages they offer. The soil's characteristics and its microbial inhabitants are fundamental in the cycling of nutrients and the well-being of plants, positioning them as central elements in restoration efforts. Nonetheless, the complex interplay among plant, soil, and microbial relationships during the restoration of forest ecosystems in megacities is still not well comprehended. This study aimed to investigate the interactions between plant-soil-microbial dynamics in different ecological restoration modes and construct assessment systems to evaluate the quality of restoration modes in the forest parks. The study identified a total of 25 distinct types of forests damaged by three main factors (farmland, highway, and quarrying) in Chongqing Taisiya Forest Park, and found that long-term natural restoration significantly increased soil properties in these forests. Additionally, an in-depth microbial sequencing analysis showed that Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were the major bacterial and fungal phyla dominant in the restoration process in the urban forests. Further correlation analysis showed that soil microbial diversity positively correlated with plant diversity, with a stronger correlation observed for bacterial communities compared to fungi. The comprehensive evaluation index results for the different forest types revealed varying degrees of restoration success. Collectively, our findings underscore the importance of forest attributes and soil microbial diversity in forest ecosystem restoration and provide valuable insights for designing effective restoration strategies in similar ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood sustainability assessment systems support the planning of sustainable and resilient cities. This research analyses, compares, and evaluates three neighborhood sustainability assessment systems (NSA) of (i) the German Sustainable Building Council for Urban Districts (DGNB–UD), (ii) the USA Leadership in energy and environmental design for Neighborhood Development (LEED–ND), and (iii) the Indian Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment for Large Developments (GRIHA–LD). The theoretical background, certification types, process, and evaluation methods of the three NSAs are discussed. The qualitative and quantitative comparative analysis and evaluation methods of the NSAs included identifying and assessing ten weighted essential urban sustainability themes. Indicators under each theme were identified and compared in the NSAs. The comparison showed the importance of particular themes based on assigned weights. LEED–ND focuses on “transportation” and “site planning”, while DGNB–UD addresses all dimensions of sustainability in a balanced manner. GRIHA–LD has limitations concerning social, economic, and governance concerns. The research results define differences and similarities in international neighborhood sustainability assessment and illustrate the quality and quantity differences of sustainability and resilience aspects addressed by the three existing NSA systems as a starting basis for the future improvement of existing and development of new land sustainability and resilience assessment systems.

In the last decade, published data on the performance of Colombian students have concerned educators and researchers, making critical reading one of the priorities of Colombian education. That is why this article presents the results of a study carried out in a Latin American university in which the perceptions of students and professors are analyzed regarding the strategies and textual genres used to work and cross-evaluate the advanced reading comprehension (ARC). This study is materialized in the application of an ad hoc online questionnaire, in its two versions (students and teachers), designed through Survey Monkey. For this, it has the participation of 182 teachers and 2,775 students. There are several trends in the use of specific textual strategies and typologies to work and evaluate ARC, by both, depending on the department of assignment. The evidence found is provided and evaluated considering the implications for cross-curricular instruction and assessment in higher education in Latin America, including study limitations and prospects for overcoming them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the methods of bibliometric analysis and content analysis, we collected and analyzed relevant literature on game-based learning and assessment systems. We explored the key elements, assessment contents, assessment methods, and the data mining process of game-based educational assessment. Finally, we proposed a framework of game-based learning and assessment systems. This framework emphasizes the universality of game-based learning and assessment systems and highlights the important role of an interaction behavior log in mining the learning data. This framework can not only be used for educational games but can also be extended to learning and assessment systems based on a simulation environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, published data on the performance of Colombian students have concerned educators and researchers, making critical reading one of the priorities of Colombian education. That is why this article presents the results of a study carried out in a Latin American university in which the perceptions of students and professors are analyzed regarding the strategies and textual genres used to work and cross-evaluate the advanced reading comprehension (ARC). This study is materialized in the application of an ad hoc online questionnaire, in its two versions (students and teachers), designed through Survey Monkey. For this, it has the participation of 182 teachers and 2,775 students. There are several trends in the use of specific textual strategies and typologies to work and evaluate ARC, by both, depending on the department of assignment. The evidence found is provided and evaluated considering the implications for cross-curricular instruction and assessment in higher education in Latin America, including study limitations and prospects for overcoming them.

Due to increase in growth of real estate development, green certification systems are essential to ensure the well-being of society and environment. Green Building Councils are the main drivers that influence many factors related to development of green buildings, which includes certification, education, conference and other aspects. The aim of the article is to analyse the tendencies of the development of green buildings in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries by analysing the Green Building Councils of the Baltic and Scandinavian Countries, and the number of certified green buildings in both regions. The literature review, comparative analysis, document analysis, and logical access methods have been used in the research. The countries are different from each other and their current and future priorities differ from each other as well. In the research process, it is important to lay some light on the several funds acquired by the regional Green Building Councils and their usage. The research results show that all the countries are working towards the development of green buildings but some countries perform better in the number of certified green buildings. The research results, including the number of green certified buildings, future plans of Green Building Councils, recommendations for future market analysis of green buildings, have already been approbated at the 59th International Scientific Conference of Riga Technical University “SCEE 2018” (Scientific Conference on Economics and Entrepreneurship) in Riga, Latvia.

The “Norwegian model” has become widely used for assessment and resource allocation purposes. This paper investigates why this model has becomes so widespread and influential.

Importance of the indicator-based neighborhood sustainability assessment (NSA) systems is widely accepted. The requirement of NSA systems for assisting and monitoring neighborhood sustainability is evident. Development of such systems needs analysis, frameworks, methods, expertise, etc. However, due to the large geographical area and regional variations, international application of these systems is an issue. Similarly, there lie contextual differences in developing and developed countries. Here, we derive a framework for formulating sustainability assessment system for developing countries. The available literature shows scarce research on NSA systems in developing countries. The study classifies the popular sustainability assessment systems from both context (developed and developing countries), presenting their approaches. Our results help in knowing the focus of NSA systems in each context. The classification is based on parameters (input, evaluation and output) and indicator distribution. The study finds that energy, water and wastewater, and transportation themes are given emphasis in NSA systems of developing countries, whereas the social theme is given attention in developed countries. We anticipate the results to be useful for classifying NSA systems. Furthermore, the framework can be a starting point for researchers to formulate new assessment systems for developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of academic productivity in Higher Education Institutions is relevant since it reflects the result of the research presented to society. Although scientific articles are as one of the main means for the dissemination of research results, there are academic products that propose other ways of communicating the results. This article analyzes the dynamics of publication in social sciences, humanities and engineering and technology, in order to recognize the existence of other products and their way of valuing them. Through a quantitative and correlational approach, the productivity data of three areas in the years 2017 and 2018 of a Colombian public university and, in particular, of the graphic design discipline of the year 2018 of two universities (one private and a public one) is studied. The results suggest that in engineering, scientific articles are published primarily in indexed journals that are evaluated through their academic impact; in the social sciences, the publication of books and book chapters prevails; and in humanities, where the arts are found, the existence of impact products is identified, such as creative works, which poses a challenge for evaluation systems since these products are not sufficiently recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text describes the recent contributions of experts and European institutions regarding issues with the dissemination of academic information. The findings can be summarized in three factors: inequality in access to academic information, loss of quality in the assessment of content, and problems in the communication of advances in research. These factors appear due to three essential causes: the commercialization of academic communications, economic globalization, and technological digitalization. The article follows the recommendations made by institutions and experts and proposes three necessary interventions: the improvement of the impact indexation in the dissemination systems, the establishment of internal evaluation systems by experts at research institutions, and a plan to restore the quality of communications in the research community, which is vital for scientific progress in today's society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dixi is the property of Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Neighbourhood is widely recognised as a fundamental building block of a city, and a good starting point to create a truly sustainable community. Green neighbourhood is also broadly defined as being moderately dense, mixed-use, designed at a human scale, active and public transportation oriented and literally “green”. A green neighbourhood assessment system is a tool that evaluates sustainability performance of a given neighbourhood against a set of criteria. This paper evaluates 20 major international green neighbourhood assessment systems in according to their sustainability coverage and features. Sustainability aspects used in this paper include transportation, infrastructure, ecology, resources, energy, community, location, economy and building. The results of this study show that community, resources and ecology are the three major sustainability aspects that applied in 18, 17 and 16 out of 20 assessment systems respectively. However, after assessing the sustainability aspects by their weightings in the assessment systems, the differences among them are reduced and their rate of importance in all the assessment systems became closer. Ecology, energy, transportation, resources and economy receive the highest weightings after affecting by their weightings and incredibly community dropped to the very low importance of weightings. Regarding regional distribution of the systems around the world, initiative of green neighbourhood assessment system was first started in United Kingdom and European Union in 2000 and 2004 respectively and this trend reached to United States in 2005. Meanwhile, LEED (ND) with 184 certificates/projects is the main well-known systems in the world followed by Envirodevelopment in Australia and SPeAR in the United Kingdom with 100 certificates/projects each. It is also found that the highest certification fee (minimum) is LEED (ND) with US$30,000 followed by Green Star (Communities) and CASSBEE and the highest evaluation fee (maximum) goes back to DGNB followed by LEED (ND) and Green Star (Communities). Future research can be conducted on the implementation of several green neighbourhood assessment systems on actual projects and compare their capabilities in measuring the rate of greening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In landscape architecture, the concept of landscape has always been linked to two facets namely objectivity and subjectivity, and it has shown an inseparable bond between humanand the environment. The tightknit and intertwined relationship of the qualitative and quantitative issues makes it difficult to understand and, consequently, to evaluate the landscape conceptt. During the history of landscape, and especially in recent years, many efforts have been made to assess the landscape and its various aspects. Most research has attempted to separate objective aspects from the subjective ones and numerically evaluate each one separately in a landscape assessment. Previous studies have evaluated the physique of environment , and human perceptions of the environment, some strands of studies have assessed the landscape assessed from the environmental aspect and investigated it ecologically , Some researchers have considered it objectively regardless of humans and their minds while , some have s viewed it as merely subjective issue . ITo assess the concept of landscape, it is necessary to simultaneously evaluate the objective and subjective process and discover the relations between them. Therefore, this research is an attempt to collect and organize library documents, including different methods of landscape evaluation in various objective and subjective fields, and to analyze them deductively and, and to study the existing methods, and suggest a model for landscape assessment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing public expectation that universities should start focusing on delivering sustainability. The topic of sustainability in higher education has gathered a significant amount of interest from students, academics, governments and international organizations. With a plethora of declarations, initiatives, marketing and assessments, there is a need to assess what the stakeholders want in order to make decisions regarding an institutions sustainability. Ultimately, students are the ones using these sustainability marketing materials to assist in their decision at which institution they will pursue their studies. The sheer volume of interpretations of the word sustainability with regards to higher education institution leaves ample room for potentially misguided initiatives or marketing. A universal system for assessing a higher educational institution’s sustainability has not been translated into a measurable reality. It is proposed that a universal system would help create a common understanding of sustainability within higher education institutions and would help in stakeholder understanding, institutional accountability and impactful application of sustainable initiatives. This research looked to answer if a holistic framework could be created that would aid stakeholders in reviewing a university’s level of sustainability. And, if so, if this vision of a fully sustainable university could be translated into a measurable reality. The research was approached in a structured way. Each chapter represents a published and peer-reviewed step towards addressing if a holistic framework could be created that would aid students in reviewing sustainability tools, assessments and marketing. The qualitative and quantitative conclusions from each chapter influenced the subsequent chapters, eventually leading to the creation and testing of two digital tools. The interpretations of these published chapters are found in the conclusion of this dissertation. To assist the reader in effectively navigating this dissertation, an overview of the research questions, the methodology, and the summarized results are outlined below in Figure 0.1. A more detailed summary of each of the chapters follows.

This research reviews the concepts and the theoretical frameworks for learning-oriented assessment (LOA), related contemporary studies and research, its use to improve learning, its characteristics, and how to differentiate between it and other types of assessment such as assessment for learning. Besides, it discusses the core components of LOA, related strategies and approaches and their implementation in classroom to promote student learning by using the methods of peer and self-assessment, effective feedback, regulating learning, and sharing learning targets and achievement criteria with students. In addition, the research shows how assessment information and digital tools can be used effectively to monitor student progress and to improve student learning, and discusses possible challenges in a way that helps accurate implementation and student learning. Finally, this research aims to cover the gap in the theoretical and conceptual framework in the field LOA. It is also an important addition to help educators and specialists in the use of assessment for this purpose, and in directing studies and assessment practices more accurately according to its purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case study presented in this paper describes the pedagogical aspects and collected experience in using e-learning tool named IPA-PBL. Improving assessments in the preparation for AMET's (Air Medical Evacuation and Transport) complex task of transfer of injured or sick patients from the place of accident to the hospital or between hospitals represents the main motive for developing this tool. In IPA-PBL, the problem-based learning is applied as a pedagogical strategy as well as a set of concrete methods implemented in the software. Together with the pedagogical model, specific domain ontology is designed. This way, the learner's knowledge can be analysed in order to collect the data necessary for dynamical adaptation of system behaviour. The results collected during the exploitation of IPA-PBL are compared without using the system. Statistical analysis as well as considerations and conclusions about them are also presented in the paper. The predominant number of trainees who participated in the survey expressed positive attitudes about the new interactive type of questions. Therefore, it is considered to extend using such questions not only in assessments but in other parts of the training process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities can contribute to the solutions of major challenges of the 21st century such as increasing environmental and socio-economic crises, inequalities of income and wealth and political instabilities by integrating the concept of sustainable development (SD) in research, organization, and by educating future decision makers. For instance, by integrating sustainability into the organization, universities can lead by example. Furthermore, through the curriculum, future decision makers can learn the competences needed to solve ecological, social, and economic problems in societies. However, despite their possible importance, universities in Germany fall behind internationally in implementing sustainable strategies. Therefore this paper presents/introduces an approach to how universities can implement the holistic concept of SD that considers all three dimensions (economic, ecological, and social) relating to their main functions of research and education in addition to their organization. Additionally this paper analyzes the current state of implementing sustainability strategies at universities, and how the success of these implementation efforts can be evaluated and be fostered further. We find that assessment systems enable universities to systematically use their potential for action for SD by initiating, evaluating, and accelerating the sustainability process. This also applies in the case of German universities, where the implementation of SD is still in the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Administração: Ensino e Pesquisa is the property of Administracao: Ensino e Pesquisa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Education officials often use one assessment system both to create measures of student achievement and to create performance metrics for educators. However, modern standardized testing systems are not designed to produce performance metrics for teachers or principals. They are designed to produce reliable measures of individual student achievement in a low-stakes testing environment. The design features that promote reliable measurement provide opportunities for teachers to profitably coach students on test-taking skills, and educators typically exploit these opportunities whenever modern assessments are used in high-stakes settings as vehicles for gathering information about their performance. Because these coaching responses often contaminate measures of both student achievement and educator performance, it is likely possible to acquire more accurate measures of both student achievement and education performance by developing separate assessment systems that are designed specifically for each measurement task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: International credit-based urban sustainability standards have generally been compared according to the components that they assess, rather than their fundamental structures, the methodologies of their application and their commercial or open-source status. This has tended to reinforce assumptions that a form of pre-determined checklist is the most appropriate solution for a wide range of circumstances. A deeper understanding of some of these standards, generated through applied research by Place Research Lab at the University of East London, reveals the alternative potential for adaptable frameworks that are more sensitive and appropriate to the particular priorities of different places. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the user's assessment of the level of quality of the library services of the Portuguese University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) in order to identify its potential improvement. Design/methodology/approach – Following a literature review on library service quality assessment focusing on the ServQual, Lib Qual, or Biqual conceptual tools, a survey was designed and applied to a sample of the UTAD library's users, and then subjected to statistical analysis. Findings – The literature review on library quality service assessment points out an array of dimensions that must be taken into account. The conceptual tools recently developed for that assessment showed that the services provided by the UTAD library needed to be redefined in order to enhance its user's autonomy. The results of the survey follow the findings of the literature review and, in particular, show that for the UTAD case study: gender is an important variable to take into account; the access to new technologies and to its convenient use is of the outmost importance; and face to face relation between users and service providers must be deepened. Practical implications – The data survey clearly indicates the areas in which UTAD library has to direct its efforts in order to improve the quality of its services and meet users' expectations. Originality/value – The results opened up the way to future comparative investigations with other services provided by other university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elements of network-based assessment systems are envisioned based on recent advances in knowledge and practice in learning theory, assessment design and delivery, and semantic web interoperability. The architecture takes advantage of the meditating role of technology as well as recent models of assessment systems. This overview of the elements outlines the advantages of technology for facilitating new forms of assessment, includes a brief discussion of a contemporary model of assessment design, and is illustrated with a case study of an application of the architecture. The case study is drawn from a research and development technology project (eTIPS) that was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Building Research & Information is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)