Search Results (356)

This study investigates the pedagogical landscape of state language instruction in Hungarian-medium schools in Slovakia. Situated within the wider context of European minority language policies, this study explores the institutional ecosystems, didactic approaches and teaching strategies, and the relationship between teacher- and student-centered methodologies in state language instruction. A questionnaire survey based on a self-developed Multi-Level Diagnostic Model was administered to a representative sample of teachers, accounting for 23% of the total Slovak teacher population working in this distinctive sociolinguistic setting (N = 112). Although the results indicate that the educational process is shaped by various factors and there is an endeavor to promote communicative practice, the competence–use gap persists due to the reliance on conventional teacher-centered teaching approaches. This trend is driven by a methodological vacuum, the absence of specialized L2 teaching materials and the lack of modern digital resources; it also suggests that teachers are forced to prioritize instructional security rather than being resistant to innovation. The findings suggest that the current educational system is ready for change, but it requires systemic investment in resources to promote the balanced development of intercultural communicative competence. Addressing the linguistic distance between Hungarian L1 and Slovak L2 through specialized materials may promote a model of additive bilingualism that ensures professional credibility and the protection of minority cultural identity. Full article

Introduction: Remote education is increasingly used in ostomy care, but its components, timing, governance, and evaluation remain inconsistently defined. This study aimed to develop practice-oriented recommendations for implementing remote patient education for people living with an ostomy. Methods: An Italian expert consensus using a modified Delphi method and reported according to the ACCORD guidelines was conducted. An expert panel (n = 11), recruited nationally, included stomatherapists (n = 6) and people living with an ostomy (n = 5). Round 1 comprised a remotely conducted focus group to generate and refine statements informed by a targeted literature search. Rounds 2 and 3 were anonymous online surveys in which panelists rated statements on a four-point Likert scale and could provide comments or propose additional items. Consensus was predefined as ≥75% agreement. Results: Response rates were 100% across the three rounds (October–November 2025). The panel achieved consensus on 8 definitions and 14 statements, organized into six domains: (1) model of care and eligibility; (2) privacy and data protection; (3) program structure, outcomes, and evaluation; (4) educational content and teaching strategies; (5) timing, intensity, follow-up, and caregiver involvement; and (6) dignity, relational quality, and professional and organizational requirements. Recommendations supported a hybrid-by-default model with eligibility criteria, privacy-by-design using secure platforms and traceable documentation, structured programs with tailored multimodal content, staged pathways lasting 2–6 months after an initial in-person foundation, dignity-preserving options during remote encounters, professional training in communication and digital empathy, and integration into clinical planning and records. Conclusions: This consensus provides the first ostomy-specific, implementation-focused recommendations for standardizing remote patient education in Italy, with an emphasis on equity, privacy, dignity, evaluation, and workforce competencies. Full article

Based on grounded theory, this study examines how Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology supports practice-oriented teaching reform in engineering management. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with engineering management educators, industry experts, and students, and an interview-based theoretical framework was developed by using qualitative research methods. The findings indicate that BIM technology significantly improves practical teaching in engineering management by improving management capabilities, such as teamwork, collaboration, and communication and coordination, as well as technical and modeling capabilities. A comprehensive evaluation based on the entropy method and the extensible cloud model further indicates that the application of BIM technology effectively promotes innovation in engineering management education. The study provides a theory-driven reference for cultivating engineering management professionals with digital and international competencies. Full article

Digital gamification may function as motivational scaffolding within situated course designs when it helps learners perceive progress, participate actively, and connect course activities with meaningful professional goals. This article examines how motivational scaffolds were designed and refined through digital gamification in a fourth-year science course in early childhood teacher education. Using a two-cycle design-based research approach, the study analyzed an initial FantasyClass-supported implementation and a subsequent redesigned version. In Cycle 1, broad affective outcomes, feature ratings, and open responses were associated with more favorable recent learning experiences, somewhat more favorable current views of science and its relevance, and higher perceived science-teaching capability and preparedness. Feature-level evidence identified progression, collaborative work, and narrative coherence as central motivational supports. These findings informed Cycle 2, which recalibrated selected mechanics and strengthened the narrative structure. Post-course Intrinsic Motivation Inventory results were descriptively consistent with above-midpoint enjoyment, perceived competence, and perceived choice, with enjoyment positively associated with competence and choice. Qualitative evidence highlighted active participation, progress awareness, and perceived relevance for future teaching. The findings suggest that, under the design conditions examined here, digital gamification may support motivationally meaningful course design when treated as motivational scaffolding rather than as an isolated reward system. Full article

The steady advancement of online education has not automatically translated into improved educational quality. Teacher training often continues to focus on the technical use of digital tools, while the pedagogical processes through which teachers report supporting students’ digital competence remain insufficiently understood. The objective of this study was to examine the sequential and predictive structure of teachers’ digital competence using the DigCompEdu framework as a reference. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 136 university teachers involved in online education. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire based on DigCompEdu and analyzed in two phases: Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The PLS-SEM results suggested a sequential pattern of associations among teacher-reported constructs: Professional Commitment (PC) was positively associated with Digital Resource Management (DR), which in turn was positively associated with Digital Pedagogy (DP) and Assessment and Feedback (AF). These dimensions were associated with Student Empowerment (SE), which showed the strongest positive relationship with teachers’ reported practices for Facilitating Students’ Digital Competence (FS). The ANN sensitivity analysis showed adequate predictive performance in the testing phase (RMSE = 0.155) and identified Student Empowerment as the predictor with the highest normalized importance within the specified model. These findings suggest that faculty development in online higher education may benefit from moving beyond basic digital literacy and platform management toward pedagogical design, formative assessment, inclusive participation, and learner agency. However, the results should be interpreted as evidence of teacher-reported facilitation practices within the analyzed sample, rather than as direct evidence of students’ actual digital competence development. Full article

As global education steps into a new era marked by core literacy and sustainable development, teacher literacy has become a critical pillar for fulfilling United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and advancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Guided by the Educator Spirit and based on the logical framework of dual professional roles and four professional relationships, this study constructs a teacher literacy model for Chinese teachers in the new era, which consists of seven dimensions: disciplinary literacy, general literacy, learning support literacy, holistic education literacy, communication and collaboration literacy, development and improvement literacy, and teacher ethics literacy. Adopting systematic literature review and international comparative research methods, this study integrates mainstream international teacher literacy frameworks issued by the European Union, OECD, UNESCO, the United States and Australia with China’s educational policies and practical experience to establish the proposed model. It further elaborates how the model directs sustainability-oriented teacher education, facilitates transformative teaching approaches, boosts interdisciplinary teaching practice, highlights social justice and global citizenship awareness, and embeds sustainable development principles into curriculum design and teaching practice. This model can effectively tackle prevailing practical dilemmas including teachers’ weakened professional identity, vague professional development paths, unitary evaluation systems, inadequate digital teaching competence, insufficient interdisciplinary integration capacity, deficient ESD literacy and inefficient collaborative education mechanisms. It can systematically support teachers in carrying out sustainability-oriented teaching, innovating curriculum design, conducting transformative teaching and promoting students’ sustainable learning while practicing social justice and educational equity and cultivating global citizenship awareness in educational scenarios. It also provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for promoting the transition of Chinese teachers toward high-quality, professional and sustainable development, and also offers localized solutions with distinctive Chinese characteristics and universal international implications for the implementation of global ESD initiatives and the achievement of SDG 4. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology provide extensive possibilities for education. But focusing only on their implementation does not address the challenges associated with them and they may even have a negative impact on learners. So far, the disciplines of psychology and computer science have not provided a theoretical framework for the competence needed to develop and use AI and digital technology in education in order to prepare learners for successful participation in modern societies. The main aim of this paper is to theoretically specify competent use of AI and digital technology in education and to provide a standardized instrument to evaluate courses that teach this competence. Therefore, we (a) combine theoretical contributions from both scientific disciplines to formulate a theoretical framework with four levels for the “Competence to Use Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology in Educational Processes” (AIEDTEC competence), (b) introduce a questionnaire to evaluate courses that teach AIEDTEC competence, and (c) present results regarding its psychometric properties ($N=240$). The questionnaire showed good to very good psychometric properties and the assumed factor structure was supported by confirmatory factor analyses. The paper connects research on systems thinking and learning and instruction with recent developments regarding AI and digital technology and thereby provides an essential base for creating effective, modern, and safe learning environments in the future as well as a psychometric evaluation instrument. Full article

The paper explores the implementation of inclusive, student-centered pedagogies in an internationally co-taught EAP course. Designed within the Erasmus+ W.I.D.E. framework, the course brought together students from Italy and Israel to collaboratively work on academic conference presentations delivered in English as a lingua franca. The study employs an Action Research and Case Study approach, allowing iterative cycles of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection to inform pedagogical decisions. This embraces three intersecting priorities in contemporary higher education: preparing students for global academic participation, fostering inclusive and supportive learning environments, and cultivating intercultural competence in digitally mediated settings. More specifically, drawing on a project-based teaching framework, the study examines how students are socialized into academic discourse through delivering presentations, engaging in intercultural dialogue, and developing cross-curricular soft skills. Our findings suggest that project-based work in small multicultural teams can support both autonomy and cooperation, while contributing to the development of critical thinking, mediation and confidence in public speaking, essential for participation in international academic communities. The findings also point to the potential role of responsive and compassionate pedagogy in digital collaboration. The study offers a practice-informed model that may be adaptable to similar contexts for bridging EAP and international research practices, highlighting implications for intercultural academic communication, virtual mobility, and inclusive language education. Full article

The digital transformation has intensified demands for university teachers to develop technology-enhanced teaching competence, especially under China’s High-Quality Course initiative for blended learning excellence. While existing well-recognized frameworks (e.g., TPACK, DigCompEdu) provide valuable foundational guidance, they inadequately capture the dynamic, ecological processes through which teachers systematically reconstruct curricula and professional identities in blended contexts. This study addresses this gap by proposing an ecological model of competence development, building on the strengths of existing frameworks while capturing the dynamic interplay between teachers, technology, and blended environments. Using a qualitative multiple-case design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with six national recognized exemplary university English teachers. Data were analyzed via Braun & Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis in MaxQDA. Findings reveal that technology-enhanced teaching competence comprises five co-evolving dimensions: Curriculum Empowerment (systematic course redesign), Role Transformation (shifting from lecturer to learning designer), Environment Integration (orchestrating online-offline spaces), Technology Application (selective tool use), and Competence Spanning (transferring expertise across contexts). These dimensions form an ecological system: when teachers redesign curricula, they simultaneously rethink their professional identities; when they adopt technologies, they reshape classroom environments; and when all four dimensions align, higher-order spanning competence emerges naturally. Theoretically, this ecological model advances beyond technology addition by illuminating relational mechanisms and emergent properties of competence. Practically, it informs a shift from fragmented tool-training to systemic faculty support architectures that honor the complexity of blended teaching transformation. Full article

The rapid expansion of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is transforming higher education systems, particularly public institutions seeking to advance toward smart governance models and digital transformation. In this context, digital teaching competence emerges as a strategic factor for the effective, ethical, and pedagogically sound adoption of these technologies. This study assesses the level of digital competence among public higher education faculty in Paraguay and examines its predictive capacity regarding the adoption of GAI tools using machine learning models. A nationwide quantitative study was conducted with a sample of 800 faculty members from public universities across Paraguay. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on international digital competence frameworks, incorporating additional variables such as attitudes toward GAI, technological experience, institutional infrastructure, and perceived organizational support. Data analysis involved the application of machine learning techniques, including Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting, to identify the variables with the strongest predictive power regarding faculty readiness and willingness to integrate GAI into teaching practices. Model performance was evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, F1-scores, and the AUC-ROC. The findings identify key predictors of technological readiness and structural gaps within Paraguay’s public higher education system. This research provides empirical evidence from Latin America on the factors influencing GAI adoption in public sector educational contexts and contributes to the design of educational policies aimed at fostering smart universities and digitally sustainable academic ecosystems. Full article

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly called upon to integrate sustainability across curricula and to prepare students to respond critically and responsibly to complex environmental challenges. While sustainability education is often associated with scientific, technological, or policy-oriented disciplines, the contribution of the humanities remains underexplored, particularly in digitally mediated university teaching. This paper argues that ancient texts, approached through the lens of the Environmental Humanities and supported by digital pedagogy, can offer a valuable framework for fostering sustainability literacy in higher education. Drawing on a humanities-based pedagogical model, this article explores how practices such as collaborative close reading, ecocritical discussion, narrative mapping, reflective writing, and digital storytelling can help students connect classical representations of nature, fragility, order, and human responsibility with contemporary ecological concerns. These activities encourage the development of sustainability-related competencies—including critical thinking, ethical reflection, interpretive complexity, and ecological awareness—while also supporting Inner Development Goals such as self-awareness, empathy, relational thinking, and responsible action. Based on a conceptual pedagogical model supported by exploratory qualitative evidence from a small-scale higher education course, this paper suggests that digital pedagogy can make sustainability learning in the humanities more dialogic and reflective. In doing so, this article proposes a practice-based pedagogical framework that may help Higher Education Institutions explore ways of embedding sustainability meaningfully beyond traditionally environmental fields. This article’s primary contribution is therefore pedagogical: it presents a humanities-based model for sustainability education while using exploratory qualitative evidence from one course context to illustrate how such a model may support interpretive, ethical, and sustainability-oriented learning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nursing informatics competency is critical for nursing students entering clinical practice in the digital era. Current undergraduate nursing informatics courses prioritize theoretical instruction but lack sufficient integration with clinical applications, which restricts the depth of content delivery. This study aimed to design, implement, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of an undergraduate nursing informatics literacy course. Methods: This was a single-arm mixed-methods study. We implemented five sequential steps aligned with the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model: (1) needs assessment, (2) design of a systematic, progressive course spanning theoretical foundation, technical skills, and clinical application; (3) development of teaching materials and environment; (4) implementation through nine weekly 90 min sessions incorporating teach–practice–feedback; and (5) evaluation via a customized questionnaire and nursing informatics system project reports. Quantitative data were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, and paired t tests; qualitative data were collected through post-course semi-structured interviews. Results: A total of 120 participants were enrolled from a provincial public medical school, of which 119 (99.2%) completed the course. Statistically significant pre–post improvements were observed in participants’ nursing informatics competencies, informatics literacy self-efficacy, and innovative behavior after course completion (p < 0.001). Participants completed 12 group projects, which received two C grades, nine B grades, and one A grade. Overall course satisfaction averaged 89.03 ± 14.62. Qualitative interviews yielded three themes: (a) cognitive reconstruction and improvement in the ability to apply nursing informatics competencies, (b) dilemmas and breakthroughs in the integration of technology and knowledge in nursing informatics design, and (c) optimization direction of course content, design, and evaluation. Conclusions: An ADDIE-based nursing informatics literacy course may be associated with improvements in nursing informatics competencies, informatics literacy self-efficacy, and innovative behavior among nursing undergraduates. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility and potential educational value of such a curriculum. Full article

This study falls within the field of lifelong education and investigates the role of aesthetic-sensory experiences—particularly those mediated by digital visual arts—in the development of critical thinking, a key competence identified in the European LifeComp Framework. In light of contemporary social transformations characterised by complexity, uncertainty, and change, critical thinking emerges as a transversal skill of fundamental importance for the education of conscious and autonomous citizens. The objective of this research is to analyse how digital sensory experiences, integrated with innovative teaching methodologies—such as laboratory-based teaching and collaborative learning—can foster the activation and enhancement of critical thinking in educational contexts. The work is based on a narrative analysis of the literature, conducted through the consultation of academic databases (e.g., Scopus, ERIC, and Google Scholar), and is developed within a theoretical framework encompassing digital education, laboratory didactics, and collaborative learning strategies. Studies published in recent years were selected according to their relevance to digital aesthetic experiences and critical thinking in educational contexts and were analysed through a thematic synthesis of the main conceptual contributions. The knowledge activities include the selection, categorisation, and discussion of recent studies that relate aesthetic experiences to the development of soft skills, in line with the principles of visual education understood as aesthetic and critical literacy in visual languages. The results of the review indicate that the intentional use of aesthetic digital environments, in combination with active and reflective teaching approaches, can stimulate complex cognitive processes and significantly contribute to the formation of critical thinking. The contribution implements an interdisciplinary approach among visual education, digital education, and experiential aesthetics, emphasising the need for further empirical research to consolidate the evidence and guide the implementation of innovative educational practices based on this approach. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digital obesity therapy requires exercise therapists with adequate digital competences, yet training opportunities remain limited. This study provides the first application of the DigCompThExO questionnaire to assess exercise therapists’ digital competences and their predictors in obesity therapy, addressing digital sovereignty as an educational outcome and informing future training programs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey assessed self-perceived digital competences among German-speaking exercise therapists in obesity care using the validated DigCompThExO questionnaire (14 items). Descriptive and regression analyses examined personal (age, gender, qualification) and contextual (type of therapy, therapeutic targets) predictors of overall digital competence, with correction for multiple testing. Results: Of 203 therapists (mean age 33.3 ± 5.9 years), ‘Teaching Strategies’ yielded the highest scores, ‘Selection Criteria’ the lowest. Regression analysis (n = 202) accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in overall digital competence (R² = 0.801, adjusted R² = 0.790, p < 0.001), with the digitally pursued therapeutic target body awareness emerging as significant predictor (B = 0.18, p_FDR = 0.003). Conclusions: This study provides initial insights into the digital competence profiles of exercise therapists in obesity therapy. In exploratory analysis, the therapeutic target of digitally fostering body awareness was the only predictor that remained significant after correction. The findings suggest that targeted education in data protection, media reflection, and the communication of exercise-related therapeutic targets may be relevant to support digital competence development. Full article

Under the dual carbon strategy and the sweeping tide of digital transformation in education, higher education confronts an urgent imperative: cultivating talent equipped with interdisciplinary skills and sustainable decision-making capabilities. To meet this critical challenge, this study pioneers the PAMD (Patient Capital–Accounting–Matrix–Development) interdisciplinary teaching framework. Rooted firmly in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) principles, PAMD uniquely weaves together patient capital, carbon asset accounting, and linear algebra matrix modeling. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with undergraduate business students, we implemented “Carbon Asset Accounting and Low-Carbon Transition Investment Analysis” as a case study. We rigorously evaluated teaching effectiveness across academic performance, competency, and cognitive attitude dimensions using Welch’s t-test, Hedges’ g, and ANCOVA. After controlling for baseline scores, the experimental group significantly surpassed the control group in comprehensive decision-making (81.22 vs. 72.41, g = 0.71) and matrix modeling competency (3.74 vs. 3.22, g = 0.77). The experimental cohort also demonstrated consistent gains in carbon accounting reporting precision and data representation clarity. Cognitive assessments revealed moderate effect sizes for both low-carbon investment literacy and interdisciplinary learning interest. These compelling results demonstrate that embedding a long-term value orientation into accounting representation and matrix modeling powerfully cultivates students’ ability to transfer interdisciplinary knowledge and make sound sustainable decisions within complex contexts. This study offers a robust, evidence-based, and replicable pathway for driving sustainability-oriented interdisciplinary reform within business education. Full article