Designing and Using Virtual Field Environments to Enhance and Extend Field Experience in Professional Development Programs in Geology for K-12 Teachers

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used to acquaint geoscience novices with some of the observation, data gathering, and problem solving done in actual field situations by geoscientists. VR environments in a variety of forms are used to prepare students for doing geologic fieldwork, as well as to provide proxies for such experience when venturing into the field is not possible. However, despite increased use of VR for these purposes, there is little research on how students learn using these environments, how using them impacts student field experience, or what constitutes effective design in light of emerging theories of geocognition. To address these questions, I investigated the design and use of a virtual reality environment in a professional development program for middle school Earth science teachers called Teachers on the Leading Edge (TOTLE). This environment, called a virtual field environment, or VFE, was based largely on the field sites visited by the participants during summer workshops. It was designed as a tool to prepare the participants for workshop field activities and as a vehicle for taking elements of that experience back to their students. I assessed how effectively the VFE accomplished these goals using a quasi-experimental, mixed method study that involved a series of teaching experiments, interviews, participant surveys, and focus groups. The principle conclusions reached in this study are as follows: 1. In a field trip orientation experiment involving 35 middle school teachers, 90.6% of the participants stated a preference for VFE enhanced orientation over an alternative orientation that used photographs and static maps to complete a practice field activity. When asked about how the VFE prepared them for their field experience, the participants ranked it as most helpful for visualize the location and geography of the field sites. They ranked it lower for helping them visualize structural and geomorphic patterns, and ranked it as least helpful in developing conceptual links between the geology at individual field sites and regional geologic structure and processes. 2. According to workshop follow-up surveys, 23% of the first year participants and 40% of the second year participants used the VFE with their own classes. While factors cited for not using the VFE provided some information relevant to the larger question of technology use in classroom, individual reports of how teachers used the VFE in their classes provided limited information about student interaction with the virtual environment. 3. Interviews with 85 community college students (novices), geologists (experts), and middle school Earth science instructors (teachers) revealed no significant difference in the features of interest selected from a virtual field site. Though experts tended to ask slightly more complicated and higher order questions than the other two groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the questions asked about these features in regards to topical characteristics, cognitive outcome, or cognitive type. In addition to some insights into cognitive differences between these groups, the interviews also provided information about visual selection, perception, and processing which are valuable to VFE scene design

Energy: A continuing bibliography with indexes, issue 20

A bibliography is presented which lists 1250 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System from October 1, 1978 through December 31, 1978

A Systematic Review of Intercultural Communication Competence Development in CEFR- Aligned English Proficiency Textbooks

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a well-established outline that describes language learners’ abilities to use language and categorises what a learner can do using a six-point scale from basic users (A1) to proficient users (C2). CEFR offers a structure for developing language curriculum and syllabus, textbook, testing, and measuring and evaluating learning outcomes from kindergarten to tertiary levels (Little, 2016). As CEFR gains prominence within the curriculum and the global landscape becomes increasingly diverse, the question arises as to whether the learning resources in CEFR-aligned English textbooks adequately address ICC’s objectives and provide a comprehensive representation of cultural knowledge. Hence, the primary objective of this systematic review is to analyse current studies that investigate the incorporation of cultural material within English textbooks aligned with the CEFR framework, explicitly focusing on university-level students. The anticipated outcomes of this review are poised to provide a more lucid understanding of the prevailing theoretical and pedagogical challenges concerning integrating cultural elements into CEFR-aligned textbooks and ultimately seek to augment the level of ICC of university students

"Journey to Self-Actualization”: Al-Ghazali's Lens on Women's Metamorphosis in The Forty Rules of Love Novel

This paper explores the subject of love in literature and its transformative effects on female characters, particularly in Middle Eastern literature. A qualitative study was conducted on the work of renowned feminist author Elif Shafak, who addresses the issue of love and transformation in her novel "The Forty Rules of Love." Shafak’s works have successfully revitalized Middle Eastern literature by challenging stereotypes about women in the region. Instead of depicting them as subalterns or overshadowed by male-dominated tropes, Shafak empowers female protagonists, highlighting their voices and experiences. Hence, drawing on Al-Ghazali's concept of Tazkiyah al-Nafs or Purification of The Soul, a thematic analysis was conducted to explore the experiences of three female protagonists and identify how the concept of love serves a purpose in amplifying their voices and celebrating their spiritual growth. Findings suggest that divine love, tasawwuf, and Sufi teachings play a significant role in enhancing both the spiritual and physical well-being of Shafak’s female protagonists. This paper concludes that contemporary novels such as Shafak’s are breaking away from traditional male-centric narratives and increasingly portraying heroic women as empowered and proactive figures. This shift in the literary representation of women highlights the importance of diverse and empowering storytelling, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and progressive literary landscape. This study hopes to contribute to the understanding of the transformative power of love and its importance in achieving self-actualization and spiritual well-being for individuals, particularly women, in contemporary Society