scholarly journals Innovative Teaching and Learning Pathways for Responsible Use of Resources Focusing on the ESEE Region

2022 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Mariaelena Murphy ◽  
Corina Pacher
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Knowledge Triangle ◽  
Learning Pathways

In a world depicted by rapid growth and consumerism, where pressing societal issues such as, the critical climate crises, resources exploitation in developing countries and much more, it is essential to educate all citizens about raw materials, their uses and about responsible production and consumption. Developing life-long learning wider society programmes is an essential tool to educate the population starting with the youngest members of society (pre-school) to adulthood (life-long learning) with a special focus on the life-world orientation from a learners’ perspective. The wider society learning flagship project, ‘Raw Matters Ambassadors at Schools’ (RM@Schools), is an innovative programme funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) which promotes science education and careers in the raw materials sector. Since the project’s commencement in 2016, it has gained stronger European representation with a current total of 32 partners from 18 countries. This includes the consortium members from a parallel funded programme, RM@SchoolsESEE. This project aims at extending best practices and diversifying the current portfolio to East and Southeast European countries. What makes this project so innovative is in the programme and individual learning pathways. Considering a multidisciplinary and cultural perspective, a framework was developed to assist in forming raw materials ambassadors through engaging programmes for school pupils from aged 10 up to 19 years old and through the development of educational hands-on toolkits that range from experiments to game-based tools and much more. In particular, and as a way to increase impact, the project aims to mentor teenagers from all educational disciplines between the ages of 14–19 years old to become ‘Young RM Ambassadors’. This approach utilises state-of-the-art teaching and learning methods resulting in peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and dissemination. Built into the programme is a continuous feedback loop that involves stakeholders from all sides of the knowledge triangle: educators, pupils, professionals and researchers.

Organic chemical devulcanization of rubber vulcanizates in supercritical carbon dioxide and associated less eco-unfriendly approaches: A review

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2110085
Author(s):  
Jabulani I Gumede ◽  
Buyiswa G Hlangothi ◽  
Chris D Woolard ◽  
Shanganyane P Hlangothi
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Organic Chemical ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Waste Tyres ◽  
Supercritical Carbon

There is a growing need to recover raw materials from waste due to increasing environmental concerns and the widely adopted transition to circular economy. For waste tyres, it is necessary to continuously develop methods and processes that can devulcanize rubber vulcanizates into rubber products with qualities and properties that can closely match those of the virgin rubber. Currently, the most common, due to its efficiency and perceived eco-friendliness in recovering raw rubber from waste rubbers, such as tyres, is devulcanization in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) using commercial and typical devulcanizing agents. The scCO2 has been generally accepted as an attractive alternative to the traditional liquid-based devulcanization media because of the resultant devulcanized rubber has relatively better quality than other processes. For instance, when scCO2 is employed to recover rubber from waste tyres (e.g. truck tyres) and the recovered rubber is blended with virgin natural rubber (NR) in various compositions, the curing and mechanical properties of the blends closely match those of virgin NR. The atmospheric toxicity and cost of the commonly used devulcanization materials like chemical agents, oils and solvents have enabled a shift towards utilization of greener (mainly organic) and readily available devulcanization chemical components. This literature review paper discusses the approaches, which have less negative impact on the environment, in chemical devulcanization of rubber vulcanizates. A special focus has been on thermo-chemical devulcanization of waste tyres in scCO2 using common organic devulcanizing agents.

scholarly journals The Dimension of the Body in Higher Education: Matrix of Meanings in Students’ Diaries

Human Arenas ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Tau ◽  
Laure Kloetzer ◽  
Simon Henein
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
General Process ◽  
Emotional Dimension ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
The Mind

AbstractIn this paper, we attempt to show some consequences of bringing the body back into higher education, through the use of performing arts in the curricular context of scientific programs. We start by arguing that dominant traditions in higher education reproduced the mind-body dualism that shaped the social matrix of meanings on knowledge transmission. We highlight the limits of the modern disembodied and decontextualized reason and suggest that, considering the students’ and teachers’ bodies as non-relevant aspects, or even obstacles, leads to the invisibilization of fundamental aspects involved in teaching and learning processes. We thus conducted a study, from a socio-cultural perspective, in which we analyse the emerging matrix of meanings given to the body and bodily engagement by students, through a systematic qualitative analysis of 47 personal diaries. We structured the results and the discussion around five interpretative axes: (1) the production of diaries enables historicization, while the richness of bodily experience expands the boundaries of diaries into non-textual modalities; (2) curricular context modulates the emergent meanings of the body; (3) physical and symbolic spaces guide the matrix of bodily meanings; (4) the bodily dimension of the courses facilitates the emergence of an emotional dimension to get in touch with others and to register one's own emotional experiences; and (5) the body functions as a condition for biographical continuity. These axes are discussed under the light of the general process of consciousness-raising and resignification of the situated body in the educational practice.

scholarly journals Enacting alternatives to nationalist essentialising in language learning: Students’ voices

2021 ◽  
pp. 001458582098650
Author(s):  
Gloria De Vincenti ◽  
Angela Giovanangeli
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Alternative Approaches

Researchers examining nationalistic conceptions of language learning argue that nationalist essentialism often shapes the way languages are taught by educators and understood by learners. While numerous studies focus on how frameworks informed by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and intercultural education offer alternative approaches to national stereotyping, these studies tend to focus on theoretical approaches, teacher perspectives or innovative teaching and learning resources. The literature to date, however, does not provide case studies on student responses to activities designed by the teacher to open up the classroom with opportunities that move beyond essentialist representations. This article responds to the need for such scholarship and presents a case study involving a focus group with tertiary students in an Italian language and culture subject. It reveals some of the ways in which students enacted and reflected upon alternatives to nationalist essentialising as a result of language learning activities that had been informed by the discursive processes of CDA. The findings suggest that students demonstrated skills and attitudes such as curiosity, subjectivities and connections with broader social contexts. Some of the data also indicates student engagement in critical inquiry and their potential for social agency.

scholarly journals Global Warming Potential of a New Waterjet-Based Recycling Process for Cathode Materials of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Batteries ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Leonard Kurz ◽  
Mojtaba Faryadras ◽  
Ines Klugius ◽  
Frederik Reichert ◽  
Andreas Scheibe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Recycling Process ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Mechanical Removal ◽  
Increasing Demand

Due to the increasing demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the need for vehicle battery raw materials is increasing. The traction battery (TB) of an electric vehicle, usually a lithium-ion battery (LIB), represents the largest share of a BEV’s CO2 footprint. To reduce this carbon footprint sustainably and to keep the raw materials within a closed loop economy, suitable and efficient recycling processes are essential. In this life cycle assessment (LCA), the ecological performance of a waterjet-based direct recycling process with minimal use of resources and energy is evaluated; only the recycling process is considered, waste treatment and credits for by-products are not part of the analysis. Primary data from a performing recycling company were mainly used for the modelling. The study concludes that the recycling of 1 kg of TB is associated with a global warming potential (GWP) of 158 g CO2 equivalents (CO2e). Mechanical removal using a water jet was identified as the main driver of the recycling process, followed by an air purification system. Compared to conventional hydro- or pyrometallurgical processes, this waterjet-based recycling process could be attributed an 8 to 26 times lower GWP. With 10% and 20% reuse of recyclate in new cells, the GWP of TBs could be reduced by 4% and 8%, respectively. It has been shown that this recycling approach can be classified as environmentally friendly.

scholarly journals The System Analysis in Language Teaching and Learning for Technical Students in Russia

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Sidorenko ◽  
Vladimir Yampolsky
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
University Level ◽  
Personal Skills

Integration of the Russian system of engineering education into the global educational domain compelled Russian universities to enhance the importance of humanities in engineering programs with a special focus on foreign languages. However, it must be admitted that the system of language training in Russia at a university level comes up against serious problems of historical, economic or political backgrounds, for which reason there are processes in the system that hamper a solution of the tasks set before the university and the society. The solution requires strong and decisive initiatives capable to improve the situation with the language proficiency among the graduators. Therefore, there is a rapid need in essentially new approaches to teaching foreign languages attain the desired outcomes for engineers, which reflect not only subject-oriented knowledge but also personal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with an opponent or a partner. The need to identify barriers towards high-quality language courses at a university level motivated the authors to carry out a special research based on the methods that are typical to system analysis.

Analysis of the Waste Volume and CO2-Equivalent Caused by the Use of Selected Patch Pumps

2021 ◽  
pp. 193229682199152
Author(s):  
Jana Winkelkötter ◽  
Thore Reitz
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
Insulin Pump ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Modular System ◽  
Mass Determination ◽  
Modular Systems ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Manual Sorting ◽  
Free Insulin ◽  
Incineration Residues

Background: The use of tube-free insulin pumps is increasing. To protect the environment, the use of resources and the amount of emissions into the environment should be kept as low as possible when designing these systems. In addition to basic waste avoidance, the composition of the waste produced must be considered. Methods: To compare current tube-free pumps from an ecological standpoint, a tube-free insulin pump with a modular design and two non-modular tube-free pumps were subjected to manual separation, manual sorting, characterization, and mass determination. The annual waste volume of a user was measured, and the recyclability was assessed. The global warming potential (GWP) resulting from extraction of raw materials, energetic utilization of waste, and landfill of the incineration residues was balanced. Results: For the modular tube-free pump, a total waste volume of 5.5 kg/a (recycling percentage 44.3%) was determined. The non-modular systems generated 4.9 kg/a (recycling percentage 14.6%) and 5.1 kg/a (recycling percentage 16.0%) waste. The product-specific GWP of the modular system was approximately 50% lower than that of the non-modular systems; the packaging-specific GWP was 2.5 times higher. In total, a GWP of 13.6 kg CO2-equivalent per year could be determined for the modular system and a GWP of 15.5 kg CO2-equivalent per year for the non-modular systems. Conclusions: Although the modular micropump has a higher total waste volume, a greater ecological potential can be attributed to it. This is based on the recyclability of the system due to its modularity and the possible reduction of packaging waste.

STATE AND PROSPECTS OF PROCESSING OF SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS OF WINE-MAKING IN UKRAINE

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Osipova ◽  
O. Radionova ◽  
L. Tkachenko ◽  
T. Abramova
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Acid Soil ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Wine Making ◽  
Secondary Raw Materials ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Wide Range

The analysis of the current state of processing of secondary raw materials of wine-making in Ukraine is given. It is proved that the latter is a rich source of biologically active compounds, including phenolic ones, which makes it possible to use it for the production of a wide range of products (raccoon, polyphenol extracts, tartaric acid, beverages, fertilizers, grape oil, cake, vitamin D, animal feed, food powder, abrasives) with high consumer value for various industries: food, pharmaceutical, perfume and cosmetics, chemical, feed, etc. In the light of modern research, the role of phenolic compounds as essential nutrition factors that cannot remain out of the field of view of physiologists, pharmacologists, and food hygiene specialists is shown. However, currently in Ukraine there are no specialized enterprises for complex processing of secondary raw materials of winemaking; traditional technologies are not effective from a technological, economic and environmental point of view, which indicates not rational use of resources and loss of material resources; there are no systematic studies on physical and chemical, microbiological, Toxicological composition in order to determine the optimal direction of its use. A limiting factor is also the lack of comparative analysis of innovative domestic and foreign technologies for processing secondary raw materials of winemaking. In the vast majority of cases, in particular, combs and pomace are taken out of control to agricultural land without special treatment, which leads to acid soil erosion and pollution of the environment with metabolites of micromycetes, increasing one of the global problems of mankind-environmental. At the present stage of technological development, there are a number of innovative developments in the field of processing secondary raw materials, in particular grape pomace, in order to obtain biologically active additives, the limiting factor for the introduction of which is the lack of domestic and expensive imported equipment. A promising way to solve the existing problems is to create a mechanism that will unite the interests of wineries (producers of secondary raw materials of winemaking), processing enterprises (producers of products from secondary raw materials of winemaking), scientists and potential consumers of innovative products. Consolidation of the above-mentioned institutions and enterprises is possible by creating clusters for the development and implementation of innovative technologies and equipment

scholarly journals University Pedagogy: A New Culture is Emerging in Greek Higher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Kedraka ◽  
Georgia Rotidi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Crucial Point ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
University Culture ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Reflective Process ◽  
Alternative Teaching ◽  
Teaching Role ◽  
Professional Profile

The aim of this paper is to highlight University Pedagogy as a field that focuses on academics’ teaching role in Greek higher education. EU has recognized the need of improvement of the teaching skills of academics and urges the member states to recognize them as an important element of their professional profile. Only recently academics in Greece have launched the debate on innovative teaching and learning methods and practices. A Symposium that took place in 2016 and a significant empirical research are presented, because they are considered to mark the beginning of an emerging university culture, which incorporates the concern on teaching and learning excellence within higher education approaches in our country. The results of these initiatives indicate that critical self-reflection on teaching can lead to the transformation and to the adoption of alternative teaching practices, since the critically reflective process is a crucial point for the enhancement of an academic’s pedagogical, curricular and instructional knowledge.

scholarly journals ONTOLOGY-BASED GENERATION OF MULTILINGUAL QUESTIONS FOR ASSESSMENT IN MEDICAL EDUCATION

2020 ◽  
pp. 001
Author(s):  
Maja Radović ◽  
Nenad Petrović ◽  
Milorad Tošić
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Knowledge Representation ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Automatic Generation ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Level Of Automation ◽  
High Level

The requirements of state-of-the-art curricula and teaching processes in medical education have brought both new and improved the existing assessment methods. Recently, several promising methods have emerged, among them the Comprehensive Integrative Puzzle (CIP), which shows great potential. However, the construction of such questions requires high efforts of a team of experts and is time-consuming. Furthermore, despite the fact that English language is accepted as an international language, for educational purposes there is also a need for representing data and knowledge in native language. In this paper, we present an approach for automatic generation of CIP assessment questions based on using ontologies for knowledge representation. In this way, it is possible to provide multilingual support in the teaching and learning process because the same ontological concept can be applied to corresponding language expressions in different languages. The proposed approach shows promising results indicated by dramatic speeding up of construction of CIP questions compared to manual methods. The presented results represent a strong indication that adoption of ontologies for knowledge representation may enable scalability in multilingual domain-specific education regardless of the language used. High level of automation in the assessment process proven on the CIP method in medical education as one of the most challenging domains, promises high potential for new innovative teaching methodologies in other educational domains as well.

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