Gamification in E-Learning

This chapter is structured to help give readers a general impression about gamification and its relationship with e-learning from the perspective of basic sources of gamification. Gamification is important for e-learning, which can share the same digital environment with digital game components because it has the potential to increase the engagement of the learners in digital environment. This chapter on gamification has primarily tried to explain the reasons for prompting people to play and the kinds of actions of the players after defining the game and gamification. Afterwards, explaining the components of the gamification design models, some gamification applications are stated as successful examples that can be used in e-learning. The chapter concludes by giving information about the limits, criticism, and future of gamification.

A study on the relationship between musical ability and EFL pronunciation proficiency

This study investigates the relationship between musical ability and pronunciation proficiency of English as a foreign language [EFL] of university students of English philology. English pronunciation of the participants is evaluated by academic teachers of English in three categories: the general impression of the foreign or native accent, the accuracy of production of English sounds and the use of word stress and intonation. This experiment was conducted entirely online. Participants’ musical ability was tested using Gordon’s Advanced Measure of Music Audiation [AMMA]. The results of this study demonstrate a moderately positive correlation between musicality and FL pronunciation proficiency. The more musical students, the higher marks from the judges. The present findings seem to be consistent with other studies which suggest that musical skills may positively affect the acquisition of foreign language pronunciation.

How Do Consumers Perceive Sensory Attributes of Apple?

Pomological characteristics and consumer acceptability of four scab-resistant apple cultivars (‘Topaz’, ‘Florina’, ‘Goldstar’ and ‘Golden Orange’) and standard commercial cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’ were investigated. Consumer acceptability consisted of rating fruit samples on Likert scales measuring appearance, flavour, size, sweetness, acidity, crispiness, juiciness, skin texture and general impression. Consumers better evaluated the cultivar ‘Topaz’ sensory characteristics of flavour, juiciness, taste and general impression than other evaluated scab-resistant apple cultivars and the cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’. ‘Golden Delicious’ got good grades for appearance, size and sweetness. ‘Topaz’ also had the best pomological characteristic related to measured fruit firmness, contents of soluble solids and organic acids. It can be concluded that only the cultivar ‘Topaz’ among the scab-resistant apple cultivars achieved a good consumer assessment.

Kuril Ainu Zoonyms and Phytonyms in Pallas’s Zoographia and Flora Rossica

Close inspection of the Kuril Ainu vocabularies included in two of P.S. Pallas’s less-known publications reveal the existence of expressions which are apparently documented nowhere else. By attempting to identify their provenance, at least one new source comes into light, the general impression being, as one would rather expect, that there must be a multitude of them hidden in the travelogues and personal diaries of Russian explorers from the 18th century.

Sensory Evaluation of Dry Persimmons of the Tipo (Diospyros kaki L. f.) Variety

The study carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences of the University of Maribor aimed to evaluate the attractiveness of dried persimmon fruit depending on the method of preparing the fruit for drying. The methods varied in terms of the ripeness of the fruit, the thickness and shape of the slices, the presence of seeds (in fertilised fruits) and the presence of peel. Sensory evaluation was performed by students and staff, using a hedonic scale, where evaluators evaluated the appearance (shape and colour) and taste (sugar-acid ratio, texture, tartness, presence of fruit peel, and general impression) of the fruit. Dried unfertilized persimmons, with the presence of peel, cut into 3 mm thick slices, were given the highest score for overall attractiveness. In terms of taste, unfertilised, peeled persimmon slices scored the highest. Considering all parameters, the results showed that unfertilised persimmons were more suitable for drying and that the presence of the peel was not a disturbing factor for consumers.

Backchannels in video-mediated ELF conversations: a case study

There are few studies on backchannels in ELF and none concerns computer-mediated conversations. Backchannelling has been associated with good listenership and enhanced cooperativeness, an intrinsic feature of ELF. They would also play a key role in computer-mediated communication, maintaining a sense of affective equilibrium among participants and compensating for medium-related limitations. We analyze backchanneling in an ELF conversation between a Spanish female and a German male student from the Corpus of Video-Mediated English as a Lingua Franca Conversations (ViMELF). Backchanneling seems to be particularly intense in the opening and closing sections of the exchange, where interpersonal work is the most needed. While significant idiolectal differences are observed between the two participants, both show a marked preference for and a tendency to concentrate realizations on a few weak backchanneling forms, conferring the exchange a general impression of monotony and emotional flatness. Some backchanneling features in the exchange may be described as typical of ELF: backchannels tend to occur in moments when speakers sense that understanding may be compromised and are frequently complemented by supportive material reinforcing the speaker’s point. The analysis also reveals some characteristic awkward usage, with tokens which are clearly “overdone,” while others are too weak and disappointing or behave disruptively by occurring in unexpected positions and interrupting the flow of the conversation. Research on ELF video conversations is particularly timely given the recent surge in videoconferencing propitiated by the COVID pandemic, a tendency which is likely to stay in post-pandemic times.

Reciprocity and Political Justice in Nicomachean Ethics Book V

The profusion of senses of justice in NE V.1–7 has left many readers with a general impression of chaos, but also gives rise to pressing questions about Aristotle’s conception of justice. Specifically, (1) why does Aristotle claim that there are two parts to justice as equality, but go on to discuss three types of equality in the subsequent chapters? (2) What is the relationship between political justice and the distinction between general justice and particular justice? I argue in this essay that the notion of reciprocity, central to the first question, can also help us address the second. Specifically, I show that reciprocity is not a third species of particular justice, but rather a prior condition for political community and for political justice. Political justice is best understood as a redescription of particular justice that highlights how distributive and corrective justice maintain equality among citizens in an existing political community. In addition to explaining the unity of Aristotle’s thought in these chapters of NE V, I demonstrate a number of philosophical consequences for understanding Aristotle’s conception of justice.

Student Perceptions of Teaching Quality: Dimensionality and Halo Effects

This chapter deals with the factorial structure of survey instruments for student perception of teaching quality. Often, high intercorrelations occur between different theoretically postulated teaching quality dimensions; other analyses point to a single unified factor in student perceptions of teaching quality, seemingly reflecting a “general impression” instead of a differentiated judgment. At the same time, findings from research on social judgment processes and from classroom research indicate that the teachers’ communion (warmth or cooperation) as well as students’ general subject interest can be important biasing factors in the sense of halo effects in student ratings of teaching quality. After presenting an overview of studies on the dimensionality of various survey instruments, we discuss whether aggregated data is impacted by an overall “general impression”. We confirmed this hypothesis using a sample of N = 1056 students from 50 secondary school classes. Moreover, this general impression could be explained at student and class level to a large extent by students’ perception of the teacher’s communion. Student general subject interest showed a medium effect but only at the individual level. These findings indicate that student perceptions of teaching quality dimensions are indeed influenced by a general impression which can be explained largely by teacher's communion.

The influence of inulin on the structural and mechanical properties of dough for the gluten-free biscuit

For the production of the low-caloric gluten-free cookies, the fat content was reduced by 50, 60 and 70% in the cookie formula. As the fat level decreased, the hardness of the gluten-free dough increased, and the ejection time of the gluten-free dough rose. The texture analysis showed an increase of the dough hardness. The fat replacing with an equal amount of inulin to some extent reduced the consistency of the dough and its hardness, and its cohesive, elastic and adhesive properties increased. The effect of fat reduction negatively affected the texture of gluten-free cookies. The research showed that the texture of gluten-free cookies is highly dependent on the texture of the gluten-free dough. In addition to the fact that fat is responsible for the dough softness and the cookies crisp texture, it also gives an aroma, taste, mouthfeel and general impression to the finished product. The texture of the cookies improved significantly when the fat was replaced by inulin. Accordingly, the quality indexes of the gluten-free cookies could be significantly improved by the fat replacing with inulin.

Criteria of judging dance couples at different stages of technical improvement

In this article, the authors, based on the analysis and systematization of scientific research, consider topical issues regarding the criteria for judging dance couples at different stages of technical improvement. Active entry of artistic language into sports requires, first of all, understanding the content of aesthetic requirements for the performing skills of dancers. Analysis and generalization of the judging experience shows that there are too many criteria for evaluating dancing couples to consider each in detail in the amount of time allotted for the performance, especially since, at best, six couples dance simultaneously on the stage. Therefore, the judge relies on the general impression left by the couple. The result in dance sport depends on the evaluation system. The study allows us to consider the possibility of presenting a new version of the Sports Department of the World Federation of Dance Sport as a significantly improved version of the "2.1" system, which is primarily transparent, objective, understandable in assessing the performance of duos in dance competitions. The judging system "3.0" can lead to greater accountability of judges and direct and constructive feedback for athletes.