Search Results (160)

Higher education is increasingly expected to cultivate the sustainability competences described by the European GreenComp framework, yet empirical evidence linking specific pedagogies to competence-specific change remains limited. This study examined whether participation in “Sibiu Impact Makers” (SIM), an interdisciplinary, Design Thinking-based challenge module, was associated with changes in students’ self-reported GreenComp sustainability competences and LifeComp transversal competences. Using a one-group pre-test/post-test design, 113 undergraduates at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (Romania) completed a 45-item questionnaire operationalising GreenComp and the complementary LifeComp framework at the beginning and end of the semester; responses were matched through anonymous identifiers. Composite scales showed good-to-excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.70–0.95). Overall GreenComp scores increased with a small effect (Wilcoxon z = −2.47, p = 0.014, dz = 0.21), with the clearest change in “embracing complexity”; critical evaluation of sustainability information and problem framing remained significant after multiplicity correction. LifeComp competences, already high at baseline, remained stable. Exploratory subgroup analyses did not detect statistically significant differences in change across gender, faculty, study year and employment. Because the study lacked a control or comparison group, the observed pre–post changes cannot be attributed causally to the module. The study contributes a competence-specific GreenComp evaluation of an existing interdisciplinary Design Thinking module, highlighting that, within this module, short-term changes were more evident in analytical than in value-oriented sustainability competences. Full article

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become a central priority in international education policy, increasing expectations for teacher education systems to prepare future teachers for sustainability challenges. This study examines how sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and higher-order cognitive expectations are embedded within teacher education policy frameworks in Hungary, Finland, and Poland. Using qualitative document analysis supported by MAXQDA, national policy documents, teacher education regulations, and programme frameworks were systematically analysed. Sustainable Development Goals were used to examine policy content, while Bloom’s Taxonomy provided a framework for investigating cognitive expectations in teacher education requirements. The findings reveal substantial cross-national differences in how sustainability is conceptualised and operationalised within teacher education. Finland demonstrates the most comprehensive and transversal integration, whereas Hungary primarily adopts a disciplinary approach and Poland places greater emphasis on digitalisation and innovation. In the Hungarian teacher education qualification requirements, lower- and intermediate-level cognitive processes are more frequently represented than higher-order processes, while the Finnish and Polish frameworks also contain explicit expectations related to higher-order thinking. Beyond comparing national frameworks, the study demonstrates how qualitative policy document analysis combined with SDG mapping and Bloom’s Taxonomy reveals pedagogical priorities within teacher education systems. The findings suggest that national policy frameworks may shape how sustainability competences and cognitive expectations are represented within teacher education requirements, offering policy-level implications for sustainability-oriented teacher education. Full article

Transformation in the hospitality industry increasingly requires graduates who possess not only technical knowledge and operational skills, but also behavioural and interpersonal competencies for sustainability in the industry. This demand from higher education students focuses on employability skills, knowledge, and abilities relevant to the hospitality industry post-COVID-19. This study explored industry practitioners’ perceptions of the transversal competencies required for graduate employability in the South African hospitality industry. An interpretivist research philosophy was adopted to support a subjective viewpoint through a qualitative research study, implemented through interviews with 17 purposively selected industry practitioners in Gauteng, South Africa. This includes managers and supervisors responsible for overseeing student internships during their work-integrated learning programmes. Data were analysed using interpretive thematic analysis supported by Atlas.ti v25 software program. The findings reveal that, in addition to technical knowledge and practical skills, employers highly value behavioural competencies such as adaptability, positive attitude, passion, work ethics, and the ability to think critically under pressure. The study further highlights the need for stronger collaboration between industry and higher education institutions to improve curriculum relevance, internship structures, and competency development. The findings contribute to hospitality employability literature by identifying industry-informed transversal competencies necessary to enhance graduate preparedness and employability within the post-pandemic hospitality sector. Full article

We study the small-radius topology of the Euclidean tube generated by a smooth planar Gaussian path. Let $X={\left(X_t\right)}_{0\le t\le T}$ be a sufficiently regular Gaussian process with values in ${\mathbb{R}}^2$, and define its radius-$\epsilon$ tube by ${\mathcal{T}}_{\epsilon }=\{x\in {\mathbb{R}}^2:dist(x,X\left([0,T]\right))\le \epsilon \}$. When the sample path is a smooth immersed curve with finitely many transversal double points and no higher-order intersections, the tube is, for all sufficiently small radii, a regular neighbourhood of the finite planar graph traced by the curve. Consequently, its Euler characteristic is determined by the number N of self-intersections: $\chi \left({\mathcal{T}}_{\epsilon }\right)=1-N$ for all sufficiently small ε, almost surely. We combine this deterministic topological observation with the Kac–Rice formula applied to the two-parameter Gaussian difference field $F(s,t)=X_t-X_s$. This yields an exact integral expression for the expected limiting Euler characteristic $\mathbb{E}\left[{\chi }_0\right]$, where ${\chi }_0={\lim }_{\epsilon \downarrow 0}\chi \left({\mathcal{T}}_{\epsilon }\right)$. For stationary Gaussian coordinates with covariance r, the formula reduces to a one-dimensional integral depending only on r, $r^{\prime }$, and $r^{″}$. We then specialize to the squared-exponential covariance $r\left(u\right)=exp(-u^2/2{\mathsf{\ell }}^2)$, obtaining a fully explicit dimensionless quadrature depending only on $T/\mathsf{\ell }$. For the squared-exponential kernel, the expected number of limiting small-radius holes satisfies $\mathbb{E}\left[N\right]\sim {\displaystyle \frac{1}{8\pi }}{(T/\mathsf{\ell })}^2$ in the short-correlation regime. Finally, we add a constant linear drift and show that the expected number of self-intersections is modified by two competing mechanisms: a Gaussian density-damping term and a noncentral velocity-amplification term. Full article

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining journalism, transforming news production, distribution, and consumption. Despite the growing adoption of AI in newsrooms, academic research remains fragmented and lacks a comprehensive overview of global trends, particularly regarding its implications for media literacy and disinformation. This article addresses this gap through a systematic literature review of publications on AI in journalism between 2020 and 2024, based on Scopus and Web of Science. The analysis shows a significant increase in research output since 2023, alongside a strong geographical concentration in Europe and North America, with limited representation from the Global South. The results identify six key thematic areas: automation of news production, algorithmic personalization, newsroom integration, ethical and regulatory challenges, disinformation, and journalism education. Across these themes, the findings reveal a shift from a predominantly technocentric perspective toward a competency-based approach, with increasing attention to media literacy. While AI is associated with efficiency and innovation, the literature consistently highlights concerns related to transparency, bias, editorial accountability, and the transformation of professional roles, as well as risks linked to misinformation and declining public trust. Importantly, the review shows that media literacy—particularly AI literacy—emerges as a transversal dimension, emphasizing the need for competencies that enable journalists and audiences to critically understand, evaluate, and engage with algorithmic systems. The study also identifies key gaps, including limited longitudinal research, scarce audience-centered approaches, insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration, and persistent deficiencies in AI-related training. By foregrounding literacy as a central analytical dimension, this article advances a more holistic understanding of AI in journalism and contributes to the development of a globally inclusive and competency-oriented research agenda. Full article

Background/Objectives: Contemporary healthcare systems face compound challenges (including technological acceleration, demographic aging, rising chronic disease burden, and growing patient expectations) that demand models that are simultaneously efficient, high-quality, and person-centered. Despite a substantial body of research addressing organizational design, human capital management, and clinical competencies, these dimensions have largely been theorized in isolation. This study aims to construct and justify an integrated theoretical framework explaining how organizational models, human capital, and transversal competencies may jointly shape care quality, patient safety, and institutional sustainability in healthcare organizations. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted, integrating contributions from business economics, healthcare management, organizational psychology, and nursing sciences. This design was selected for its suitability in synthesizing heterogeneous, multidisciplinary knowledge into a coherent conceptual framework, a purpose for which systematic meta-analytic approaches are not appropriate. Sources encompassed 79 references: peer-reviewed journals (PubMed, JSTOR, Google Scholar), institutional reports (WHO, OECD, European Commission, Joint Commission), normative standards (ISO 30414:2018), and Italian regulatory frameworks, spanning foundational twentieth-century contributions through the most recent literature (2025). Results: Four principal findings emerged: (1) healthcare organizations are evolving from rigid hierarchical structures toward flexible, value-based configurations, with the Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) paradigm redirecting institutional attention from service volume to patient-meaningful outcomes per unit of cost; (2) transversal competencies (communication, empathy, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and transformational leadership) are closely associated with care quality and patient safety, with 70–80% of sentinel events associated with communication failures; (3) human capital, encompassing technical expertise and relational capacity, constitutes the primary lever of competitive advantage in healthcare institutions; and (4) the trajectory from pyramidal toward participatory and self-managed models is supported by international evidence, including the Buurtzorg experience in the Netherlands. Conclusions: The integrated three-pillar framework (combining resource-based theory and dynamic capabilities, Value-Based Healthcare, and evolutionary organizational theory) provides a theoretically grounded basis for understanding how organizational structure, human capital, and transversal competencies are jointly associated with clinical performance. Healthcare institutions should systematically integrate soft-skills training into professional education and invest in participatory organizational structures. Health policy should revise financing mechanisms to incentivize patient-meaningful outcomes over service volumes and support the broader transition toward Value-Based Healthcare models. The Italian SSN is discussed as an illustrative national context rather than as the primary empirical focus of the review. Full article

This paper presents the design, implementation, and assessment approach of the Blended Intensive Program (BIP) “Towards Enhanced Pedestrian Safety”, developed under the Erasmus+ framework at the University of Beira Interior in collaboration with four partner universities from Slovenia, Poland, and Croatia. The study applies the EPIC framework (Embedded, Pluralistic, Internationalized, and Connected) to the design and evaluation of a short-term, hybrid, and international learning format in Civil Engineering, addressing a gap in the literature regarding the limited availability of structured and empirically grounded approaches for the design and assessment of Blended Intensive Programs in engineering education. The research presents an applied case study design in higher education supported by a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data from a cohort of 25 participants across different academic levels. Data collection includes performance-based assessment (tests and project evaluation), structured surveys, and qualitative feedback. The program combined digital technologies, including GIS, machine learning, and video image analysis, with problem-based and collaborative learning in a hybrid format comprising 7 h online and 35 h in person. The BIP fostered both technical competences, such as road safety diagnosis and data-driven modelling, and transversal skills, including teamwork, communication, leadership, and intercultural competence. Results from student assessment and satisfaction surveys indicate high levels of engagement, motivation, and learning achievement. The findings provide empirical support for the applicability of the EPIC framework in the design and implementation of BIPs, demonstrating its adaptability to short-term, hybrid, and international learning contexts. The study highlights the pedagogical value of integrating international collaboration, digital tools, and active learning strategies, while aligning with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Full article

This study investigates the readiness of future teachers in Romania to meet the requirements of inclusive education, with a specific focus on curricular deficits and student teachers’ perceptions of competence. Respecting the right to education for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is a central policy commitment. Yet, the capacity of initial teacher education (ITE) programs to operationalize this mandate remains uncertain. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research combines a systematic documentary analysis of national regulations and psycho-pedagogical curricula (Orders No. 4139/2022 and 4524/2020; Law No. 199/2023) with a survey of 327 student teachers across eight universities. Systematic Content Analysis, based on a three-level depth protocol, reveals a structural curricular deficit: Level 1 outcomes (theoretical awareness of SEN and inclusion) appear in approximately 40% of compulsory subjects, whereas Level 2 outcomes (operational competence, such as designing adapted lessons or differentiated assessments) are almost completely absent from the mandatory core and are confined to electives. Survey results mirror this gap: although 81% of respondents anticipate working with pupils with SEN, 29.9% feel poorly or very poorly prepared, 25.5% report a lack of basic knowledge of SEN, and only 14.6% report high confidence in designing adapted activities. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) shows that training level has a statistically significant but small effect on technical inclusive skills (p = 0.043; η²_p = 0.013), while inclusive attitudes are mainly associated with age. The study concludes with a roadmap for reforming ITE through mandatory SEN-focused practicum placements and transversal integration of inclusive pedagogy. Full article

Aligning information technology (IT) workforce demands with educational assessments is essential for bridging skills gaps; yet, no prior corpus maps IT task reasoning to Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) proficiency levels. This paper introduces a large language model (LLM)-powered framework aligning IT competencies with PISA 2022 and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Learning Compass 2030, drawing on O*NET v30.2 (Occupational Information Network), ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications, and Occupations) v1.2.1, PISA descriptors and OECD definitions. The framework operates in two stages: Stage 1 aligns 562 IT task statements with minimum PISA 2022 proficiency levels via LLM annotation and cross-model validation; and Stage 2 extends this mapping to the OECD Learning Compass 2030 through the semantic clustering of task embeddings and a bidirectional gap analysis of 95 ESCO transversal skills. Using Gemini 2.5 Flash, 562 tasks are annotated with minimum PISA levels across Mathematical, Reading, and Science literacy (first stage). Annotation reliability is assessed through a five-model cross-validation against a blind human domain expert (treated as a reference benchmark, not a gold standard) on a stratified 100-task sample (17.8% of the corpus), with agreement ranging from fair (Gemini 2.5 Flash, κ = 0.29) to moderate (Claude Haiku 4.5, κ = 0.50; LLaMA 3.3 70B, κ = 0.44). A bias-correction sensitivity analysis confirms that distributional findings remain stable after accounting for the primary annotator’s systematic overestimation, and OLS-calibrated alignment against O*NET ability ratings provides directional plausibility support. Validated tasks are embedded and clustered into 25 technical profiles via K-Means, each classified against OECD dimensions. The framework is extended to 95 ESCO transversal skills in 24 clusters. Bidirectional analysis reveals that, while every PISA proficiency level is engaged by at least one transversal cluster, 33% of these clusters, covering creative, ethical, social–emotional, and dispositional competencies, fall entirely outside PISA’s cognitive scope. This boundary mapping identifies where the PISA-based alignment is valid and where complementary tools are required for a full readiness assessment. Full article

Traditional academic degrees often fail to capture the full range of competencies students acquire throughout their university education, particularly those developed through laboratory activities, internships, volunteering, and other extra-curricular experiences. This limitation hinders students’ ability to differentiate themselves in increasingly competitive labor markets and complicates employers’ identification of candidates with balanced technical and transversal competencies. To address this challenge, this paper presents a design-oriented research study proposing a Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based framework for the decentralized issuance and verification of academic micro-credentials. The proposed approach combines a structured methodology for generating micro-credentials with a decentralized architecture supported by a prototype implementation based on SSI technologies. The framework enables universities, lecturers, and other trusted entities to issue verifiable and tamper-resistant credentials that students can securely manage, control, and share through SSI wallets. Unlike existing approaches, which typically focus either on secure credential infrastructures or on the pedagogical value of micro-credentials, the proposed framework integrates both technological and educational perspectives while explicitly supporting the certification of extra-curricular and soft skills. The system supports the creation of granular and portable competency profiles while enhancing transparency, authenticity, interoperability, and trust in credential management. Furthermore, the paper discusses key challenges associated with large-scale adoption, including trust management, governance, scalability, interoperability, and issuer credibility. The results suggest that SSI-based micro-credentialing represents a promising approach for improving the recognition of both technical and transversal competencies, contributing to better alignment between higher education outcomes and evolving labor market demands. Full article

In the contemporary educational landscape, quality education requires a shift toward pedagogical models that develop knowledge and prepare students for the complexities of professional careers. This manuscript is an exploratory investigation of an educational innovation centred on podcast production within a Master of Science course (21 students). By moving beyond traditional oral assessment, this intervention fosters active learning and soft skills, such as metacognition, scientific communication, and collaborative problem-solving, which are essential for contributing to a sustainable society. The study examines the translation of a written technical essay on sustainable materials into digital storytelling. Students engaged in a multi-stage process of research, synthesis, and peer review. Marks across three consecutive course editions using the same evaluation rubric were compared, and qualitative feedback was gathered from 15 students through a questionnaire. The learners reported enhanced topic mastery (93.3%) and critical thinking (80%). By bridging the gap between academic research and non-specialist communication, this activity provides a scalable model across diverse disciplines. This research showcases how podcasting can overcome traditional learning barriers, ensuring that higher education remains responsive to the evolving requirements of our global society. Full article

How can we best leverage higher education to address the pressing issues we face? While the SDGs reflect a global landscape dominated by complex, interconnected ‘wicked’ problems, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) remain largely tethered to siloed, decontextualized instructional models. The inability of HEIs to shift practices to foster transversal, 21st-century skills necessary to navigate uncertain futures is a critical competency gap. This paper highlights the transformative potential of challenge-based learning (CBL) and place-based learning (PBL), high-impact experiential pedagogies, as critical tools for sustainability transformations. The Consortium for Adaptive Futures, an interdisciplinary and transnational community of practice, was launched in early 2025 to promote co-learning among faculty from North America and Europe for these practices. Drawing on insights from an inaugural symposium in Dublin, we identify three critical elements to HEI transformations that support sustainability and 21st-century skills to address grand challenges. These are: the importance of real-world relevance in education; the need for pedagogical shifts and faculty development to support these new roles; and the essential role of supportive institutional structures and resources to enable sustained engagement. In doing so, we issue a call to arms to HEIs and forward a reimagining of undergraduate education. Full article

Education systems are increasingly expected to integrate sustainability-related competencies within formal curricula; however, practical models for embedding such competencies remain limited. This study examines how financial literacy can be operationalized as a transversal sustainability competence through a public–private partnership (PPP) model implemented in Romania between 2022 and 2025. Adopting a longitudinal single-case study design, the analysis combines program-level indicators with evaluation data across three implementation phases: pilot, structured regional expansion, and national consolidation. The findings indicate that financial literacy can be progressively integrated across disciplines through teacher-mediated approaches supported by continuous professional development, adaptable instructional resources, and balanced governance arrangements. The results further show that scaling occurs through multidimensional processes involving increasing pedagogical depth, sustained teacher engagement, and gradual institutional embedding. In this context, PPPs function as enabling governance mechanisms that facilitate resource mobilization and coordination while preserving pedagogical autonomy. The study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing financial literacy as a sustainability-relevant transversal competence, advancing understanding of ecosystem-based scaling in education, and providing a practice-oriented model for integrating such competencies within formal schooling systems. 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

Universities are increasingly expected to bridge the gap between higher education, skills development, and graduate employability, yet evidence-based approaches to curriculum–labour market alignment remain limited in Communication Studies. This study examines which ESCO-mapped occupational profiles and transversal competencies are represented in official curricula of leading Spanish Communication programmes (RQ1), how demand for communication-related occupations evolved in Spain over 2018–2023 (RQ2), and where the most salient alignment gaps emerge to inform curriculum redesign (RQ3). We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combining documentary analysis of programme verification reports and national disciplinary documentation, an ESCO-based mapping of curricular profiles, and labour-market intelligence from 2,701,503 job postings (2018–2023) mapped to ESCO to analyse demand dynamics, volatility, and skill patterns. Results show strong curricular convergence around a shared core of ESCO profiles (71.8% of identified codes shared across institutions) alongside institution-specific specialisations (28.2%). Labour demand fluctuated markedly across the period and exhibited heterogeneous volatility by occupation, and transversal competency patterns differed significantly across professional groupings, supporting segment-specific interpretations of alignment and mismatch. Overall, ESCO combined with job-posting analytics provides a replicable framework for continuous curriculum calibration and employability-oriented programme redesign, particularly for hybrid profiles that integrate technical, analytical, relational, and ethically grounded capabilities. Full article