Search Results for
"learning"

In this chapter, as a way of introduction to the midwifery context in Belgium, we provide a brief overview of midwifery in Belgium. The chapter is then divided into two sections. The first section discusses Belgium as a country and the organisation of midwifery care. In this section, we outline the education pathways to becoming a midwife, followed by information about learning to be a midwife in the clinical environment and the roles of those supporting students. Given the book's title, we dedicate the second section of the chapter to mentorship, including a discussion about an evidence-based mentorship model developed to facilitate competency-based learning, assessment, and supervision of undergraduate midwifery students at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences in Ghent (Flanders, Belgium). We conclude the chapter with a discussion on current regulations on continuous professional development (CPD) and mentoring to support CPD and the future midwifery workforce. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Elaine Jefford and Lyn Ebert; individual chapters, the contributors.

The OLIVE (Online learning and Interactive Vocational Education) project proposes a novel interdisciplinary framework to address the fragmentation and opacity of competency-based educational systems. It introduces a visuo-cognitive approach to academic guidance using the metro map metaphor. Drawing on research in cognitive metaphor theory (Lakoff and Johnson, 2003), educational semiotics (Sander, 2024), and visual knowledge representation (Burkhard, 2004; Shahaf et al. 2012; Wallinger, 2020), OLIVE leverages AI, UX/UI design, and semantic web technologies to develop a dynamic, navigable model of educational pathways. The project’s ambition is to enhance the accessibility, modularity, and personalization of academic trajectories across French and Brazilian educational ecosystems. This paper presents the project’s theoretical foundations, methodological structure, and expected impacts. It also explores OLIVE’s ambition to foster the creation of a double-degree program based on the master’s curriculum Management et Valorization de l’Information Numérique – MAVINUM at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, which specializes in data, knowledge, and digital information professions should summarize the contents of the paper in short terms, i.e. 150–250 words © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of Design Thinking and Project-Based learning (DT-PBL) in engineering education through a grounded theory approach. Based on classroom observations and semi-structured interviews, four interdependent dimensions—self-confidence, reflective interaction, knowledge integration, and iterative refinement—were identified, forming a closed-loop learning ecology. The findings reveal that DT-PBL operates as a recursive, dynamic process: self-confidence drives participation, reflection deepens understanding, and iteration progressively transforms knowledge into actionable insights. Beyond generating project deliverables, DT-PBL cultivates reflective judgment, integrative thinking, and sustainable problem-solving competencies vital for contemporary engineering practice. This study contributes a theoretically grounded and pedagogically actionable framework for advancing DT-PBL implementation in higher education. © 2025 SEFI.

Purpose – This paper explores how authentic assessment and adult learning principles can shape meaningful curriculum design within higher education criminology and policing programmes. It reflects on how degree apprenticeship development has influenced pedagogy and professional learning for adult learners. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a reflective practitioner and autoethnographic approach, the paper draws on the author’s experience of designing and delivering a work-integrated policing degree apprenticeship. Analysis of curriculum documents, feedback and professional reflections illustrates how assessment practices connect theory with operational realities. As no participant data were collected, the study did not require formal ethical approval and complies with Leeds Trinity University’s Research Ethics Policy and BERA (2018) guidelines. Findings – Authentic assessment promotes engagement, critical reflection and professional identity formation. Integrating workplace challenges within academic study enhances adaptive expertise and supports evidence-based decision-making while highlighting the importance of flexibility and recognition of practitioner knowledge. Research limitations/implications – As a single-institution reflective study, findings are context-specific. Broader, multi-institutional research would extend and test this framework further. Practical implications – The paper provides practical guidance for embedding authentic assessment in programmes for work-based learners and demonstrates how collaboration between universities and employers can ensure curricula remain academically robust and professionally relevant. Social implications – Embedding authentic assessment fosters ethical, accountable policing by preparing officers to reflect, adapt and engage meaningfully with diverse communities. Originality/value – This study offers a reflective, evidence-informed model for curriculum design that aligns academic learning with professional practice. It illustrates how authentic assessment can transform learning for adult and professional learners by creating purposeful connections between higher education and workplace contexts. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

This study design combines Gather Town's realistic space, multi-dimensional scaffolding mechanism, and multiple professional fields real-person NPCs (Non-player Character) in a remote strategic planning educational game, and explores learners’ learning effectiveness, scaffolding usefulness, game fidelity, and game acceptance. There were 52 participants, including the Experimental Group (using a game with real-person NPCs), and the Control Group (using a game without real-person NPCs). The results of the study found that games using the mechanism of real-person NPCs can significantly improve learning effectiveness and have better learning effectiveness than those without real-person NPCs or general case studies. In terms of the usefulness of scaffolding, real-person NPCs could jointly improve the effect of other dimensions of scaffolding, allowing learners to experience more useful learning guidance. In terms of fidelity, the introduction of real-person NPCs allows learners to be easily involved in the learning roles and mission objectives of the game. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Our era calls for purposeful teachers to reimagine a sustainable and just society. This study investigated the influence of volunteer teaching, a form of service learning, on teachers’ purpose development in the context of teacher education in China. The life purpose of volunteer student teachers was examined and compared with that of their non-volunteer peers using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (N = 601) and two open-ended questions (N = 524). Student teachers also reported how their purpose was connected to their teaching career. The findings revealed that volunteer teachers exhibited a higher sense of purpose, and the nature of this purpose differed from that of non-volunteers. Volunteer teachers were more capable of incorporating their professional purpose into their personal purpose. This study suggests that service learning has the potential to strengthen student teachers’ life purpose and identity as moral teachers with a beyond-the-self orientation in teaching. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The integration of digital fabrication technologies such as 3D modeling and 3D printing (3DMP) remains limited in vocational teacher education, despite their growing relevance in modern manufacturing and engineering industries. Pre-service vocational teachers (PSVTs) often lack structured opportunities to effectively develop the competencies needed to teach these technologies. This study investigates PSVT’s perceptions of a 3DMP-integrated instructional module designed for automotive component prototyping. Thirty-two students enrolled in the Vocational Automotive Technology Education program at Universitas Negeri Semarang participated in hands-on activities using Shapr3D for modeling and 3D printing automotive components. Employing a mixed-methods design, this study combined pre- and post-surveys with qualitative reflections to evaluate changes in technical competencies and perceptions of the learning experience. Qualitative reflection in this study focuses on challenges and experiences related to 3DMP. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in students’ knowledge and skills related to 3D modeling and printing and positive perceptions of the experiential, practice-based approach. The integration of 3DMP enhanced students’ understanding of design processes, fostered collaboration, and increased their readiness to deliver industry-relevant instruction. These results highlight the importance of incorporating digital fabrication technologies into vocational teacher education to support innovation and prepare future educators for Industry 4.0 environments. Implications for vocational teacher education include embedding 3DMP across methods courses and investing in laboratory resources and faculty development. Programs should also foster partnerships between schools and industry to sustain practice-oriented training aligned with Industry 4.0. © The Author(s) 2025.

This study examines the evolution of blended learning (BL) research in higher education, focusing on its impact on English language proficiency (ELP) and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. Using 200 Scopus-indexed articles published from 2020 to 2025, we applied Publish or Perish and VOSviewer for bibliometric analysis. Results show a pandemic-driven research surge, followed by a decline as institutions adapted. Thematic gaps emerged in the underuse of AI and gamification in ELP contexts. Geographic disparities were also evident, with minimal contributions from Global South regions. These patterns occurred because structural inequities limit digital access and research capacity in under-resourced areas. This analysis contributes by identifying emerging research priorities, supporting inclusive blended learning policies, and promoting South-South collaboration. The study has implications for advancing equitable and data-informed language education practices within hybrid learning models in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). © 2025, Universitas Negeri Makassar- Faculty of Languages and Literature. All rights reserved.

The effective integration of practical skills with theoretical knowledge remains a significant challenge in high school agricultural education. Traditional teaching methods often emphasize the transmission of theoretical knowledge, while neglecting the cultivation of practical skills. This imbalance hinders students’ ability to apply classroom learning to real-world agricultural activities. With technological advancements, mobile devices have created new possibilities for teaching, particularly in facilitating the convergence of theory and practice. Consequently, developing effective educational frameworks and integrating them with mobile devices to leverage these technologies and enhance student learning outcomes has become an important research direction in agricultural education. This study proposes a conceptual framework and scaffolding for agricultural learning using a field environment digest system on mobile devices to help students acquire agricultural knowledge in class. The purpose of this study is to explore students’ learning performance and improve their ability to integrate real-life agricultural activities with agricultural theory, with and without using Scaffolding for Agricultural learning within the Field Environment Digest System (SALDS) framework in visual agricultural education. The results indicate that integrating the SALDS teaching framework into high school agricultural education not only deepens students’ understanding of agricultural knowledge, but also helps them synthesize theoretical knowledge and practical activities. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education is reshaping learning practices globally, including in Indonesia, where technological advancement intersects with the need to preserve local cultural values. This study examines Indonesian university students’ readiness for AI-based project learning that reinforces local wisdom. A quantitative survey was conducted across four universities to assess students’ technological literacy, attitudes toward AI in learning, and awareness of cultural value integration. The findings reveal that although students generally possess high levels of technological literacy, their readiness to apply AI-based project learning within culturally grounded contexts varies considerably. Key influencing factors include access to technological resources, prior exposure to AI applications, and institutional support. A significant positive correlation was identified between technological literacy and readiness, indicating that strengthening digital competence may enhance students’ preparedness for culturally contextualised AI learning. The study highlights the need for context-sensitive curricula and training that simultaneously foster technological fluency and cultural awareness, supporting inclusive and future-oriented educational practices. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.