scholarly journals Promoting botanical literacy with a mobile application - CampusFlora - using an interdisciplinary, student-as-partners approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Dimon ◽  
Lachlan Pettit ◽  
Caroline Cheung ◽  
Rosanne Quinnell
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Online Maps ◽  
Student Cohorts ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
The University ◽  
Biology Curriculum ◽  
Sydney Australia

In this article, we describe our students-as-partners process for bringing undergraduate and academic staff together to develop a mobile application (app) - CampusFlora - for use across our campuses. Our project at the University of Sydney, Australia, was conceived as a way to improve the botanical literacy of biology students by engaging undergraduates to develop online maps of plant locations coupled with information relevant to biology curriculum. Through continuous improvements to the CampusFlora app system, we have expanded the user-base well beyond the life  science student cohorts and now offer content that embraces cultural competence and organisational health initiatives. We offer reflections from student and staff partners on the project that highlight the value of the students-as-partners approach, and the potential value of establishing student partnerships across disciplines, across institutions, and into the community at large.

scholarly journals Astronomy Courses for Adults in Sydney, Australia

1990 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 360-362
Author(s):  
J.W. O’Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Time Activity ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The University ◽  
Education Courses ◽  
Astronomy And Astrophysics ◽  
Sydney Australia

The University of Sydney has been associated with adult education courses for the general public for at least 70 years and astronomy has often been a part of this activity. Since 1976, these courses have been conducted by a succession of graduate students from the Astronomy and Astrophysics departments within the university. The courses were a part-time activity conducted with limited resources, but served as useful teaching experience. This arrangement continued until the end of 1987 when I left the university. I am pleased to report that this activity is considered sufficiently important to be continued by the permanent academic staff.Here I seek to briefly report on these astronomy courses by describing those that I conducted at the university over the last five years. I should firstly acknowledge the work of Dr. Graeme White in particular, for his earlier courses and continuing interest. Also, this discussion should be placed in context by recognizing that other astronomy courses are run in Sydney by professional and amateur astronomers through local evening colleges and other organizations. These vary in format, with many of the amateur-run courses emphasizing the practical aspects of sky observing. The displays and facilities provided by the Sydney Observatory also play an important role. Each activity helps to meet the demand in the Sydney region for astronomical education and thereby undoubtedly serves the interests of Australian astronomy.

Penglibatan Ahli Akademik Terhadap Pengajaran Hadith di Institusi Pengajian

2018 ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
Amran Abdul Halim ◽  
Abdulloh Salaeh
Keyword(s):  
Public Universities ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Islamic Studies ◽  
National University ◽  
Islamic Science ◽  
The University

This study is to identify the involvement of academicians on the teaching of the hadith. The contribution of the academicians to the teaching of the hadith is also very much needed so that Muslims can acknowledge al-Sunnah closely. The academicians were selected from Academic of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya Islamic Studies Academy, the National University of Malaysia, the Islamic Science University of Malaysia and the International Islamic University which they are all from various fields of Islamic Studies. The methodology used in this study is a questionnaire which is group sampling. The researcher distributes the questionnaire to the academic staff at the university involved. Based on this descriptive analysis of the questionnaire, it can be concluded that academic practitioners either in the field of hadith or other fields are involved and contribute to the teaching of hadith such as in public universities and other institutions. This shows that most academicians have good knowledge related to the field of hadith. Therefore, they are among the most suitable as references to the community in solving Sunnah and bidaah issues, especially the academicians who are experts in the field of hadith. Abstrak Kajian ini adalah untuk mengenalpasti penglibatan ahli akademik terhadap pengajaran hadith. Sumbangan ahli akademik terhadap pengajaran hadith juga amat diperlukan agar umat Islam dapat mengenali al-Sunnahsecara  lebih  dekat.  Ahli-ahli  akademik  yang  dipilih  adalah  dari  Akademi  Pengajian  Islam  Universiti Malaya,   Universiti   Kebangsaan   Malaysia,   Universiti   Sains   Islam   Malaysia   dan   Universiti   Islam Antarabangsa  yang  mana  kesemuanya  dalam  pelbagai  bidang  Pengajian  Islam.  Kaedah yang  digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah soal selidik iaitu persampelan berkelompok. Penyelidikmengedarkan borang soal selidik tersebut kepada ahli akademik di universiti tersebut. Berdasarkan, analisis deskriptif soal selidik ini, dapat dirumuskan bahawa ahli akademik sama ada dalam bidang hadith atau lain-lain bidang adalah terlibat dan turut memberi sumbangan dalam pengajaran hadith seperti di universiti-universiti awam dan lain-lain institusi  pengajian.  Ini  menunjukkan  bahawa  kebanyakan  ahli  akademik  mempunyai  pengetahuan  yang baik  berkaitan  dengan  bidang  hadith.  Oleh  itu,  mereka  adalah  antara  golongan  sangat  sesuai  dijadikan sebagai rujukan masyarakat dalam menyelesaikan permasalahan Sunnah dan bidaah, terutama sekali ahli akademik yang pakar dalam bidang hadith.

A Tracer Study of ICT Graduate Students at Mzuzu University, Malawi

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chimango Nyasulu ◽  
Winner Chawinga ◽  
George Chipeta
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
First Century ◽  
Application Development ◽  
Job Requirements ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Quantitative Design ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University

Governments the world over are increasingly challenging universities to produce human resources with the right skills sets and knowledge required to drive their economies in this twenty-first century. It therefore becomes important for universities to produce graduates that bring tangible and meaningful contributions to the economies. Graduate tracer studies are hailed to be one of the ways in which universities can respond and reposition themselves to the actual needs of the industry. It is against this background that this study was conducted to establish the relevance of the Department of Information and Communication Technology at Mzuzu University to the Malawian economy by systematically investigating occupations of its former students after graduating from the University. The study adopted a quantitative design by distributing an online-based questionnaire with predominantly closed-ended questions. The study focused on three key objectives: to identify key employing sectors of ICT graduates, to gauge the relevance of the ICT programme to its former students’ jobs and businesses, and to establish the level of satisfaction of the ICT curriculum from the perspectives of former ICT graduates. The key findings from the study are that the ICT programme is relevant to the industry. However, some respondents were of the view that the curriculum should be strengthened by revising it through an addition of courses such as Mobile Application Development, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Data Mining, and LINUX Administration to keep abreast with the ever-changing ICT trends and job requirements. The study strongly recommends the need for regular reviews of the curriculum so that it is continually responding to and matches the needs of the industry.

On Advisor Education: Evaluating Departmental Training and Professional Development Practices of Academic Staff in a Japanese University

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 271-291
Author(s):  
Huw Davies
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Research Issue ◽  
Training Aids ◽  
The People ◽  
The University ◽  
Initial Research

This study is an evaluation of the professional development (PD) programme for learning advisors employed in the self-access centre at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. The research issue investigated was whether the PD activities of advisors allow them to provide appropriate support to students at the University. The implementation of policies, the people and the setting were all considered in building an understanding of what may make the programme work. The framework used to understand this programme is realist evaluation (Pawson & Tilley, 1997), in which theories related to the initial research issue were refined and developed to offer new perspectives. Results suggest that initial training aids advisors in supporting students, but that future implementation decisions are needed for the mentoring element of the programme and on whether more peer observation should take place. The implication that informal discussion among the workgroup and the freedom to choose personal PD journeys are fundamental drivers of effective practice is a finding that may be applied to other teacher and advisor education settings.

scholarly journals What are the factors influencing the aversion of students towards reptiles?

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moacyr Xavier Gomes da Silva ◽  
Franciany Braga-Pereira ◽  
Mikaela Clotilde da Silva ◽  
José Valberto de Oliveira ◽  
Sérgio de Faria Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Society ◽  
Mathematics Students ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Conservation Policies ◽  
University Mathematics ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Paraphyletic Group ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
The University

Abstract Background Reptiles form a paraphyletic group with significant roles for human society, including species that are considered important for food, medicinal and mystical use and as pets. Some species are considered to be aversive, whereas others are captivating among people. Aversion is an important factor which should be considered in the conservation policies of these animals. As such, here, we investigate the demographic, educational, perceptives and behavioural factors of students related to their aversion and non-conservationist attitudes directed towards different reptile species and evaluated the effect of educational exhibition of animals as a strategy of mitigating these attitudes. Methods The data were obtained through forms on the aversion and conservation of reptiles represented by three species, a chelonian, a snake and a lizard. The form was given in two instances, before and after a visit to a private zoo (Museu Vivo Répteis da Caatinga), where the students had contact with the aforementioned species. A total of 133 students participated in the study, among these, 43 from elementary school (21 females and 22 males), 29 from high school (16 females and 13 males), 37 from university biology students (22 females and 15 males) and 24 university mathematics students (6 females and 18 males). Results Among all evaluated species, snakes were considered to be the most aversive species. The aversion attitudes differed between the three evaluated species when correlated to age and type of university courses. However, this pattern did not differ between student sexes. Older students had a lower aversion to the chelonian compared to the younger ones, but for snakes and lizards, the aversion was high among students of all ages. The university biology students had a lower aversion compared to the university mathematics students for the three species. The recognition and handle of the tested species and previous visits to educational exhibitions of animals were negatively related to aversion. The comparative analysis of the forms applied before and after the visit to the Museu Vivo Répteis da Caatinga showed that this visit influenced the decrease of aversion, but not in non-conservationist attitudes, for which the attitude scores had always been low. Conclusions We conclude that reptile aversion varies in accordance with the taxon, being snakes the most disliked by students. The visit to the educational exhibition of animals contributed to the reduction of the observed aversion. This is especially true when the acquisition of educational information about species is associated with practical activities which includes contact with the animals. Finally, the fact that non-conservationist attitudes had been low towards all species perhaps demonstrates a conservationist tendency even for the most aversive species.

Towards Academic Successor Selection Modelling with Genetic Algorithm in Multi-Criteria Problems

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.33) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Atiqa Zukreena Zakuan ◽  
Shuzlina Abdul-Rahman ◽  
Hamidah Jantan ◽  
. .
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Succession Planning ◽  
Fitness Function ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Fitness Value ◽  
Selection Decision ◽  
The University ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Succession planning is a subset of talent management that deals with multi-criteria and uncertainties which are quite complicated, ambiguous, fuzzy and troublesome. Besides that, the successor selection involves the process of searching the best candidate for a successor for an optimal selection decision. In an academic scenario, the quality of academic staff contributes to achieving goals and improving the performance of the university at the international level. The process of selecting appropriate academic staff requires good criteria in decision-making. The best candidate's position and criteria for the selection of academic staff is the responsibility of the Human Resource Management (HRM) to select the most suitable candidate for the required position. The various criteria that are involved in selecting academic staff includes research publication, teaching skills, personality, reputation and financial performance. Previously, most studies on multi-criteria decision-making adopt Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP). However, this method is more complex because it involved many steps and formula and may not produce the optimum results. Therefore, Genetic Algorithm (GA) is proposed in this research to address this problem in which a fitness function for the successor selection is based on the highest fitness value of each chromosome.    

scholarly journals Education activities for environment and sustainability: A Snapshot of eight New South Wales councils

1970 ◽  
pp. 77-89
Author(s):  
Jade Herriman ◽  
Emma Partridge
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
South Wales ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
The University ◽  
Sustainable Futures ◽  
Preliminary Phase ◽  
Sydney Australia

This paper describes in brief the findings of a research project undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. The research was commissioned by and undertaken on behalf of the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW). The aim of the project was to investigate current practices of environmental and sustainability education and engagement within local government in NSW. The research was commissioned by DECCW as the preliminary phase of a larger project that the department is planning to undertake, commencing in 2010.

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