Students’ Output in the Distance Learning in Relation to the Teachers’ Subjectivity in the Times of Pandemic: A Descriptive Study

The CoViD-19 pandemic has brought change to everything including the landscape of education. It has changed the way how the teachers teach, and the students learn. Due to the different challenges bought by this phenomenon, consideration atop of everything is done including assessment. This study aims to determine the subjectivity of the teachers in assessment in the new normal. This determines whether the challenges in the new normal specifically the channels and forms of assessment influences the teachers’ subjectivity in assessing the students. To achieve this, the study determined the demographic profile, assessment practice, perception on the output of the students in the new normal and their standards in assessment. Mixed method research design was used in the study. It was found that there is relationship between the educational attainment and the teachers’ preference on what to be checked more carefully – hardcopy or softcopy. The teachers’ designation shows that it has a relationship regarding the view on whether to set a maximum and minimum grade limit in assessing the students. Moreover, there is a correlation between the teachers’ perception and their standards in assessment. This study suggests that what the teachers perceive has something to do with their assessment standard. Thus, if they perceive to be more subjective (which the respondents agree as a result of this study) in these times of pandemic, they will be subjective in standardizing their assessment.

Preliminary study of canker disease for development of urban tree health standard in Malaysia

Canker disease (CD) mainly infected trees planted in urban areas in Malaysia. This disease is caused by several plant pathogens and may cause tree death and tree failure. The aims of this study are to identify tree species which are susceptible to canker diseases and to identify the causal agents especially plant pathogens of the disease. To perform the study, a survey on planted trees in several urban parks and sites in Malaysia were conducted. In this study, the Canker Disease (CD) assessment procedure was developed and modified from Thousand Cankers Disease Survey Guidelines by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). Later, the assessment procedure was improved based on surveys in the ground to fit and get the best quality of data from the observations. As a result, several canker diseases were identified on twenty-three (23) trees, the species were, Acacia sp, Bucida molineti, Cinnamomum iners, Citrus sp, Eucalyptus urograndis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus sp, Khaya grandifoliola, Mangifera indica, Manilkara zapota, Mimusops elengi, Peltophorum indicus, Samanea saman, Swietenia macrophylla, Swietenia spicifera, Tabebuia argentea, Terminalia catappa, Terminalia mantaly, Araucaria heterophylla, Casuarina equisetifolia, Gymnostoma sumatrana and Polyalthia longifolia. Based on symptom development the canker diseases known as Sphaeropsis canker, Cryphonectria canker, Chrysoporthe canker, Biscogniauxia canker, Hypoxylon canker, Cypress canker, Nectria canker, Ceratocystis Wilt, Pink disease, and Slime flux disease. This study can be the starting point in developing the Canker Disease (CD) Assessment Standard in Malaysia. It is important for Malaysia to have a Canker Disease (CD) Assessment Standard in order to become a guideline for future study or research that specifies canker disease towards common trees planted in Malaysia especially the urban areas.

Development and Demonstrational Instantiation of a Method for the Structured Content Analysis of Smartphone Apps

The publication discusses the adaptation of dedicated known methods for structured content analysis for the usage of smartphone apps, taking into account the specifics of these dynamic media types and resulting consequences for the procedure and content rating. The background is the increasing popularity of apps and the growing demand for precise analysis of the status quo regarding the content and functions of apps on the market, esp. within design-oriented business informatics. Within the literature, no uniform, comparable and systematic approach to this could be identified so far. Therefore, an existing standard for the evaluation of apps from the medical context has been adapted for general application to apps. This provides a helpful procedure for researchers, practitioners, and students and ensures consistency across studies. The feasibility of the proposed method and assessment standard were confirmed by a successful demonstrational instantiation based on an app review of energy information systems for private customers.

Low-Carbon Design Path of Building Integrated Photovoltaics: A Comparative Study Based on Green Building Rating Systems

CO2 emissions of buildings have a critical impact on the global climate change, and various green building rating systems (GBRS) have suggested low-carbon requirements to regulate building emissions. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), as an integrated technology of photovoltaics and buildings, is an important way to reduce building CO2 emissions. At present, the low-carbon design path of BIPV from architecture is still not unified and clear, and there is a lack of BIPV research regarding GBRS or from the perspective of architectural design in China. The objective of this study is to propose a framework of indicators related to carbon emission control in BIPV, guiding the path of BIPV low-carbon design. This study makes comparisons among the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and Assessment Standard for Green Buildings (ASGB), mainly in terms of the scope weight, induction, and measure features. The BIPV low-carbon design involves energy, materials, environmental adaptability, management, and innovation, in which energy and materials are the main scopes with weights of 10.98% and 7.46%, respectively. The five scopes included 17 measures. Following the measures, the path of the BIPV low-carbon design was defined with six aspects.

Restructuring Perceptions of Geographical Knowledge and Experience Among Learners Under a Concept Mapping Domain

Alexandra k Transfer quoted, “The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see”. While teaching merely rests on art but it connotes into science wherein imaginative minds are ignited for knowledge. Pedagogy and enriched content are dependable solutions for effective teaching and learning. Real meaningful learning is the focus of modern teaching which follows a constructivist approach. Bygone are the days when the traditional lecture method was sufficient to teach the pupils. Advanced technologies have been the replacement of the monotonous lecture method in Geographic studies. The pupil now constructs their knowledge by engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation methods. Different pedagogical practices are involved, like the enquiry approach, reflective strategy, collaborative learning, etc., among which concept mapping is one of the important strategies applied in Geography teaching. It is a graphical organiser which connects links between the two or more concepts in some logical, sequential flows. Concept Mapping effectively assists in achieving the learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are the assessment standard that indicates the expected level of learning that learners should achieve for that particular class. Many concepts of Geography dealing with exhaustive knowledge about nature and processes in nature are prudently taught with the concept mapping approach. These maps make a vivid picture of illustrated concepts in learners minds assuring thus, a rigorous and long-lasting rationalisation of content knowledge. The paper highlights one of the robust, innovative strategy of modern pedagogy in Geographic studies where the chain linkages in concept mapping provide an enriching experience of learning nature and natural phenomena.

National Standards of Education affect the employment opportunities of vocational high school graduates

This study aims to find out the National Standard of Education indicators that are the most dominant in influencing vocational schools, especially in producing the expected outcomes. The research is aimed at vocational schools in the field of economics and finance in the city of Surabaya. The data collection includes NSE assessment data from BAN-SM and employment opportunities from 22 schools. The object of further research is processed with the WARP PLS program. The study results found that there is a variable signification between the National Standard of Education on Employment Opportunities of Vocational School Graduates. Positive influence indicates that the higher/better the National Standard of Education, the higher/improved the outcome of Vocational School Graduates. Based on the results of the analysis indicator, the study found the NSE 8 indicator is the Education Assessment Standard which has the highest component weight value that indicates that the NSE's institutions are most important in producing graduates who are absorbed in the workforce. Then, the second-highest order is the NSE's indicative 2 and 1, namely process and content standards. The indicator with the lowest value is the indicative standard educators and educational personnel and facilities and infrastructure standard.

Validation and Analysis on Numerical Response of Super-High-Speed Railway Pantograph-Catenary Interaction Based on Experimental Test

The numerical tools can be used to facilitate the design of the railway pantograph-catenary system. The validation of the current numerical results is mostly performed at a speed slower than 350 km/h. This paper aims at the validation and analysis of the numerical results at a super-high-speed. The catenary model is constructed based on a nonlinear finite element approach employing the absolute nodal coordinate formulation. A multibody dynamics model is adopted to represent the pantograph. The measurement data are collected by an inspection vehicle equipped with an instrumented pantograph operating at 378 km/h in Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed line. Comparing the numerical simulation and the field test shows that the present pantograph-catenary model can provide reliable numerical results at 378 km/h. The numerical analysis of pantograph-catenary interaction at super-high-speed shows that the trailing pantograph performance does not comply with the assessment standard at 378 km/h. The adjustment of double-pantograph interval and messenger wire tension can effectively improve the trailing pantograph performance.

PRE-SCHOOL CURRICULUM: IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

Early Education is vital for the continuous learning of children. Preschool teachers play their role and are also responsible for implementing teaching and learning, using the National Preschool Curriculum and Assessment Standard Document (DSKP KSPK). However, there are constraints in the implementation of the DSKP KSPK. This article aims to present the challenges faced by pre-school teachers in teaching and learning in pre-schools. The challenges faced include external and internal factors. External aspects involve the nation’s policy and leadership, trust and societal culture and school administrators. Internal challenges include teachers’ readiness regarding knowledge in the area, level of understanding, skills and attitude. In conclusion, previous studies also present challenges that require continuous training to be given to teachers and administrators to strengthen early childhood education.