LESSONS LEARNED FROM REMOTE EDUCATION

This paper focuses on some aspects of remote education that can be implemented in face-to-face classes in order to improve and enhance the teaching/learning process. The authors present the results of the questionnaire survey conducted among the teachers of the Institute of Applied Language Studies of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (hereinafter referred to as ‘UWB’) and also among the students of the Faculty of Economics at the same university in the spring term of 2021, evaluating two semesters of remote education. Having analyzed the results of the questionnaires, the authors of the paper aim to share their experience and introduce the best practice that the Business English (hereinafter referred to as ‘BE’) teachers at the UWB have decided to apply to their future BE courses.

PARTICIPACE STUDENTŮ NA TVORBĚ PODPŮRNÝCH VÝUKOVÝCH MATERIÁLŮ V PŘEDMĚTU NĚMČINA PRO BANKOVNICTVÍ

The students of bachelor’s degree programmes at the Faculty of Economics of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen have the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and skills acquired in specialized subjects through additional specialized courses taught in German. The language courses in question aim to prepare students adequately for their professional career as well as to provide them with practical competences. This paper focuses on the students’ participation in creating the support materials in the German for Banking course. The graphics online tool called Canva was chosen to present the students’ projects. The individual students’ presentations were created in the form of interactive videos using EdPuzzle, another online tool. The popularity of online tools was also verified using a questionnaire.

Moment tensor catalogue of microearthquakes in West Bohemia from 2008 to 2018

We present a unique catalogue of full moment tensors (MTs) of microearthquakes that occurred in West Bohemia, Czech Republic, in the period from 2008 to 2018. The catalogue is exceptional in several aspects: (1) it represents an extraordinary extensive dataset of more than 5.000 MTs, (2) it covers a long period of seismicity in the studied area, during which several prominent earthquake swarms took place, (3) the locations and retrieved MTs of microearthquakes are of a high accuracy. Additionally, we provide three-component records at the West Bohemia (WEBNET) seismic stations, the velocity model in the region, and the technical specification of the stations. The dataset is ideal for being utilized by a large community of researchers for various seismological purposes, e.g., for studies of (1) the migration of foci and the spatiotemporal evolution of seismicity, (2) redistribution of stress during periods of intense seismicity, (3) the interaction of faults, (4) the Coulomb stress along the faults and local stress anomalies connected to fault irregularities, (5) diffusivity of fluids along the activated faults, or (6) the time-dependent seismic risk due to the migration of seismicity in the region. In addition, the dataset is optimum for developing and testing new inversions for MTs and for tectonic stress. Since most of the earthquakes are non-shear, the dataset can contribute to studies of non-double-couple components of MTs and their relation to shear-tensile fracturing and/or seismic anisotropy in the focal zone.

Microseismic network sensitivity in case of no seismic activity

Underground human activities, such as mining, shale gas and oil exploitation, waste-water disposal or geo-thermal plants, can cause earthquakes. These industry projects need to be monitored by local seismic networks in order to contain the risk. An ideal seismic network should have a triangulated grid, with spacing equal to the depth of the industrial activity with no associated industry noise. In many cases, stations are placed near noisy roads, factories or in a private garden, none of which are located at optimal nodes and which thus introduce great variations in the nose level. In this article, we present a work-flow to determine the sensitivity of any local network, even if there is no local event recorded. In other words: how small are the earthquakes that such seismic networks detect? This knowledge can be used as an argument for claiming an area to be seismically silent-inactive down to a certain magnitude or for evaluating the effect of an additional seismic station.A brief theory and work-flow description is followed by two real-case demonstrations from Czech Republic, Europe: first, a proof-test on a well- studied seismically active area of West Bohemia / Vogtland and second, an application to an uprising geothermal project in Litoměřice, where no seismic activity was detected in years of monitoring.

Focal Mechanisms of West Bohemia, Central Europe, Earthquakes—End of May 2014: Evidence of Volume Changes

West Bohemia is a region with a lot of mineral springs and gas outflows, which seems to be related to the remains of Quaternary volcanism in Central Europe. Earthquake swarms in shallow depths (less than 15 km) are very frequent there. We focused on the strongest earthquake over the past 30 yr (31 May, 2014 Mw∼3.8) and on two smaller ones (Mw∼2.9 and 2.5) from the same day. Seismograms from local and regional seismic stations were used to calculate the full and deviatoric moment tensors using low-frequency full-waveform inversion. The studied events have similar source mechanisms. The aforementioned earthquake sequence was selected to observe the isotropic part (negative value = implosion) of full moment tensors. It could relate to the motion and phase transition of fluids, especially water, and CO2. The main goal of this study is to contribute to clarification of the nature of earthquake swarms in the western edge of the Bohemian Massif. Negative value of the isotropic part of full moment tensor could be related to the closing of cracks and fissures during a rupture process.

Weed vegetation in conventional and organic farming in West Bohemia (Czech Republic)

The paper presents species richness and composition of arable weed vegetation in the region of West Bohemia (Czech Republic) in different types of farming (conventional and organic) and grown crops (winter and spring cereals, wide-row crops). During the field survey in the years 2007 to 2017, 105 phytocoenological relevés were recorded. The average species richness in one relevé was significantly higher in organic farming, as well as total weed cover. The lowest species richness was found in wide-row crops. Recently widespread species belonged to the most frequent species in our study. Based on multivariate statistics, the effects of variables on the occurrence of weed species were found as statistically significant. Most of the variability in data was explained by crop, following by type of farming. Weed species of Fabaceae Lindl. family (especially Vicia L.) and many perennial species positively correlated with the organic type of farming. Endangered species were found mainly in organic farming and cereals. Less intensive cultivation with a higher weed cover is beneficial for the promotion of biodiversity.

The evaluation of quality teaching methods in research at Czech Republic.

The evaluation of the quality of teaching and the evaluation of education at universities, methods of evaluating teaching and assessment are one of the key criteria for university evaluation. At present, a project of the ESF project of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen was realized and one of its activities is focused on "Improving Educational Activities and Modern Educational Trends" and on the subsequent implementation and reflection of student education with new teaching methods. The questionary survey was conducted in 2019 with 616 respondents from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, who is the only one public higher education institution in the Pilsen Region. The results analyze in detail the views of the students - taking into account the extension of pedagogical competencies within the framework of the career order. The aim of the project is a comprehensive system of interconnection of the education of academic staff in the area of increasing pedagogical competencies with introduction of new teaching methods into practice and taking into account the extension of pedagogical competencies within the framework of the career order. The results of a survey focused on evaluating the quality of teaching methods confirmed a number of mostly known means of activating teaching, interactive teaching, communication, discussion, the role of the personality of the lecturer and the instructor. These activation approaches need to be continued.