scholarly journals Teaching Foresight and Futures Literacy and Its Integration into University Curriculum

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-121
Author(s):  
Anna Kononiuk ◽  
◽  
Anna Sacio-Szymanska ◽  
Stefanie Ollenburg ◽  
Leonello Trivelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Good Practice ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Course Content ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Market Needs ◽  
Knowledge Alliance

Despite the accelerated dynamics of the environment, higher education institutions slowly update their curricula in entrepreneurship education according to global challenges and market needs. Moreover, knowledge and good practice exchanges between educators of futures studies, business representatives, and academics is limited. This article aims to present a methodology for prototyping an online course for individuals to become more future-oriented in their professional and personal settings. The main research problems tackled by the authors relate to: 1) the identification of competences that would help academics, entrepreneurs, and students to deal with uncertainty and to 2) convey the competences to the target groups through learning topics selected from futures studies and the entrepreneurship repertoire. The authors of the article undertook and coordinated theoretical and empirical research on foresight and Futures Literacy and its correspondence with entrepreneurship within the beFORE project funded under the Erasmus+ program’s Knowledge Alliance scheme. The research process resulted in the identification of 12 key competence items and the development of a free, approximately 34-hour-long online course consisting of seven self-standing modules, 25 lessons, and 79 learning topics corresponding to these competences. The originality of the paper is in its contribution to the discussion on the competences and online course content that efficiently increase the capacities of using the future(s) in professional, academic, and personal settings.

scholarly journals Methodology for Determining the Location of River Ports on a Modernized Waterway Based on Non-Cost Criteria: A Case Study of the Odra River Waterway

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3571
Author(s):  
Bogusz Wiśnicki ◽  
Dorota Dybkowska-Stefek ◽  
Justyna Relisko-Rybak ◽  
Łukasz Kolanda
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Multicriteria Decision Making ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Optimal Selection ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
Odra River ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Construction Works

The paper responds to research problems related to the implementation of large-scale investment projects in waterways in Europe. As part of design and construction works, it is necessary to indicate river ports that play a major role within the European transport network as intermodal nodes. This entails a number of challenges, the cardinal one being the optimal selection of port locations, taking into account the new transport, economic, and geopolitical situation that will be brought about by modernized waterways. The aim of the paper was to present an original methodology for determining port locations for modernized waterways based on non-cost criteria, as an extended multicriteria decision-making method (MCDM) and employing GIS (Geographic Information System)-based tools for spatial analysis. The methodology was designed to be applicable to the varying conditions of a river’s hydroengineering structures (free-flowing river, canalized river, and canals) and adjustable to the requirements posed by intermodal supply chains. The method was applied to study the Odra River Waterway, which allowed the formulation of recommendations regarding the application of the method in the case of different river sections at every stage of the research process.

Piekrastes pārvaldība Latvijā: pārvaldības ietvara attīstības pārskats

2021 ◽  
pp. 222-237
Author(s):  
Maija Štokmane ◽  
◽  
Raimonds Ernšteins ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Horizontal Integration ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Coastal Governance ◽  
History Of

The coastal territory is a complex socio-ecological system (SES), which needs to be governed using an integrated approach. Integrated coastal management (ICM) is considered as the main approach in coastal governance, offering a holistic view of the coastal zone by integrating different governance sectors and governance levels, but ICM is not a fixed approach and should be adopted to meet each particular unique national and local situation. Full scale ICM in Latvia is not applied, but the following problems are recognized as most significant in the coastal territory: the lack of qualitative infrastructure and the lack of good governance; the local level coastal SES is studied, monitored and evaluated insufficiently as well as good practice examples are not communicated enough. In the current study, the exploration of the legisla-tive regulations and planning documents was conducted, therefore, the main research methods are docu-ment studies and expert interviews. Both the vertical and horizontal integration were assessed for the coastal governance, as well as overview of ICM developments in the modern history of Latvia. In order to understand the situation of the coastal governance in Latvia, the scheme of coastal dune protection zone was prepared, based on Latvian coastal legislation, however it is often difficult to depict different protec-tion zones in practice in such a dynamic and changing territory as a coastal zone.

Stakeholders and opportunities of debt settlement as a values-based banking activity in Hungary

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Győri ◽  
Borbála Benedek
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Lessons Learnt

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the stakeholders of debt settlement programmes in general and some lessons learnt from the most significant debt settlement programmes of recent years in Hungary. The study also presents a planned debt settlement programme in Hungary. The paper explores and details behaviours and motivations of different stakeholders in debt settlement in general and also with reference to a specific case study. As for its main research question, the paper seeks to identify the preconditions of a successful debt settlement programme with specially emphasis on the poor. Design/methodology/approach Data from semi-structured in-depth expert interviews, documents and former research papers were collected for identifying previous Hungarian debt settlement programmes and potential lessons learnt. After a general discussion, based on primary and secondary sources, a case study is presented to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges of debt settlement. Findings Six preconditions of successful debt settlement targeting the poor are identified. In the case study, the existence and relevance of these preconditions are tested: the main finding is that they all are important for solving the situations, so a partial solution is not sufficient. In the scope of the case study, more precisely within the planned innovative banking solution, the motivations of the bank and the coordinator NGO are identified. On the part of the bank, motivations for solving social problems (both as far as business and moral issues are concerned) are relevant, while – as for the other party – the situation of the debtor is important to understand so that opportunities of cooperation can be identified. In addition, as other stakeholders also influence the potentials of the programme, their cooperative attitude is also needed. Research limitations/implications Limitations consist in generalisation: the study presents some cases from one single country and finally it focuses only on one specific case in one specific social and economic context in Hungary. Having recognized this risk, the author opted for basing research questions on theory, documented the process in detail, and also used triangulation through applying a multiple data collection (interview, content analysis, literature review) method. Practical implications Besides presenting an academic understanding of the phenomena, the goal of the study is to contextualize and interpret the case, to help the realization of currently frozen initiatives and to promote similar future ones. Social implications Indebtedness is a stressful situation affecting families, smaller communities and broader society as well. The planned cooperation of BAGázs and MagNet tries to help people excluded from the banking system. So that a deeper debt trap can be avoided, the goal of this programme is to purchase, partially discharge and reschedule pre-accumulated debts of carefully selected people who have regular income and are willing to undertake bearable repayment. The idea is very innovative with literally no good practice to follow. The research seeks to clarify the pitfalls and opportunities to help the realization of the project and similar future ones. Originality/value A certain form of values-based banking concerns the financial inclusion of the poor, e.g. debt settlement. Nevertheless, over-indebtedness and the settlement of existing debts as well as the relevance of such issues to the financial inclusion are not emphasized enough in the literature or in practice. Besides presenting an academic understanding of the phenomena, the goal of the study is to contextualize and interpret the case, to help the realization of currently frozen initiatives and to promote similar future ones.

scholarly journals Online or Offline Services for Urban Neighbourhoods?

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-67
Author(s):  
Lukasz Damurski ◽  
Jacek Pluta ◽  
Jerzy Ładysz ◽  
Magdalena Mayer-Wydra
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Central Places ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Services Sector ◽  
Urban Neighbourhoods ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Strong Competition

Services originally developed as natural concentrations of human activity, reflecting the Christallerian hierarchy of central places. Today, those natural mechanisms are challenged by strong competition from online facilities. More and more services are offered by the internet and this affects the traditional ‘bricks-and-mortar' urban development. In this article, the main research problems of the inter-relatedness of real and virtual environments are defined in the context of urban neighbourhood service centres. The process of conversion from offline services into online ones is treated as a canvas for building a comprehensive research model for studying the development of the contemporary urban services sector in the local scale. Particular research questions and hypotheses are formulated and followed by a set of methods for further empirical research.

Bibliometric and Systemic Analysis on Material Flow Mapping and Industrial Ecosystems

2018 ◽  
Vol 03 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Bortolaz Guedes ◽  
Lucas Barboza Zattar Paganin ◽  
Milton Borsato
Keyword(s):  
Material Flow ◽  
Operation Mode ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Flow Mapping ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Systemic Analysis ◽  
Research Theme ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Industrial Ecosystems

Global instability can be seen as a reflection of the increasing demand for natural resources and the reduction of personnel expenditures. Yet, this is often associated with industrial systems, whose main objectives are to increase productive capacity and reduce costs. This scenario identifies the need for changes in strategy establishment in the organization’s operation mode focusing on sustainable development. Industrial ecosystems, through the symbiotic relationship of industries, aim to achieve sustainability goals. Material flow mapping is essential for the construction of these industrial ecosystems. Hence, the present paper carries out a structured literature review process in order to identify the state of the art and the research opportunities on material flow mapping and industrial ecosystems. For the accomplishment of this research, the methodological procedure called Knowledge Development Process — Constructivist (ProKnow-C) was adopted. The bibliographic portfolio is represented by 35 articles of the research theme. Throughout the bibliometric analysis, a statistical analysis of the articles that compose the portfolio is presented. In the systemic analysis, the main research problems, the means of solving them and the detected opportunities about this research theme are identified. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future research are presented.

scholarly journals Development, Implementation, and Initial Participant Feedback of an Online Anatomy and Radiology Contouring Bootcamp in Radiation Oncology

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 238212052110377
Author(s):  
Paige Eansor ◽  
Madeleine E. Norris ◽  
Leah A. D’Souza ◽  
Glenn S. Bauman ◽  
Zahra Kassam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Radiation Oncology ◽  
Medical Physics ◽  
Course Completion ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Subject Knowledge ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Creation

BACKGROUND The Anatomy and Radiology Contouring (ARC) Bootcamp was a face-to-face (F2F) course designed to ensure radiation oncology residents were equipped with the knowledge and skillset to use radiation therapy techniques properly. The ARC Bootcamp was proven to be a useful educational intervention for improving learners’ knowledge of anatomy and radiology and contouring ability. An online version of the course was created to increase accessibility to the ARC Bootcamp and provide a flexible, self-paced learning environment. This study aimed to describe the instructional design model used to create the online offering and report participants’ motivation to enroll in the course and the online ARC Bootcamp's strengths and improvement areas. METHODS The creation of the online course followed the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) framework. The course was structured in a linear progression of locked modules consisting of radiology and contouring lectures, anatomy labs, and integrated evaluations. RESULTS The online course launched on the platform Teachable in November 2019, and by January 2021, 140 participants had enrolled in the course, with 27 participants completing all course components. The course had broad geographic participation with learners from 19 different countries. Of the participants enrolled, 34% were female, and most were radiation oncology residents (56%), followed by other programs (24%), such as medical physics residents or medical students. The primary motivator for participants to enroll was to improve their subject knowledge/skill (44%). The most common strength identified by participants was the course's quality (41%), and the most common improvement area was to incorporate more course content (41%). CONCLUSIONS The creation of the online ARC Bootcamp using the ADDIE framework was feasible. The course is accessible to diverse geographic regions and programs and provides a flexible learning environment; however, the course completion rate was low. Participants’ feedback regarding their experiences will inform future offerings of the online course.

scholarly journals Online Graduate Student Perceptions of Program Community

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Shepherd ◽  
Doris Bolliger
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Course Content ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Directed Learning

Facilitating an online course in today’s student population requires an educator to be innovative and creative and to have an impactful online presence. In the current online learning environment (also known as e-learning), keeping students’ thoughtfully engaged and motivated while dispensing the required course content necessitates faculty enabling a safe, nonjudgmental environment whereby views, perspectives, and personal and professional experiences are encouraged. The educator must exhibit an educator-facilitated active, student-centered learning process, whereby students are held accountable for their active participation and self-directed learning while balancing a facilitator role to further enhance the learning process. This article explores one educator’s reflective practice process that has been developed over numerous years as a very early adopter of online education. It will explore the organizational aspect of teaching-facilitating a dynamic robust online course.

scholarly journals Widening the Scope and Scale of Sustainability Assessments in Built Environments: From Passive House to Active Neighbourhood

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spela Verovsek ◽  
Matevz Juvancic ◽  
Tadeja Zupancic
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Modular System ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Traditional Assessment ◽  
Reduction Of Energy Consumption ◽  
Sustainability Assessments

Abstract The paper provide an insight into the research conducted by the University of Ljubljana, and the Urban institute of Slovenia committed to the assessment of the efficiency related to the management of local resources at the level of neighbourhoods. The reduction of energy consumption and energy efficient built environments are key objectives of many sustainability agendas which is followed by suitable assessment methods in urban analytics. However, there are two important hesitations occurring: first, traditional assessment methods that focus solely on the energy reduction and efficiency are often too narrow in their analysis and limited in their scope of impact. According to the recent advances in research worldwide, efforts solely related to reduction of energy consumption will unlikely lead to more responsive environments or rise the living quality. Thus, more comprehensive methodologies for assessing and monitoring the change and transformation in built environments shall be sought for to reach long-term sustainability. Second, to date, the majority of the evaluation methods - whether focusing to energy consumption or broader sustainability issues - are building- or household- oriented, thus systematically examining separate spatial and social entities, but neglecting the spaces between, the holistic aspect and the community aspect. The research develops structured evaluation model, where two main research pillars are addressed: 1) the development of the structured and modular system of indicators; and 2) the development of the methodology to interpret the resulting values. The paper presents first two stages of the research process and subjects the outcomes to the debate.

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