Investigation of dyeing based on pandanus amaryllifolius for superhydrophobic coating in cotton-polyester blended in textile application

Natural dyes are derived from natural resources. Colouring materials obtained from natural resources of plant, animal, mineral, and microbial origins were used for colouration of various textile materials. Use of natural dyes started fall after the invention of synthetic dyes in the second half of the nineteenth century. The synthetic dyes were rapidly industrialization of textile production resulted in almost complete replacement of natural dyes by synthetic dyes because their easy availability simple application process, better fastness properties and consistency of shades [1]. Recent environmental awareness has again revived interest in natural dyes mainly among environmentally conscious people. Natural pigments are considered eco-friendly as these are renewable and biodegradable which is skin friendly and provide healthier benefits to the wearer [2]. Pandanus amaryllifolius also called as pandan leaf is a tropical plant that under screw pine genus and it can be easily found all around in Malaysia. It is a genus monocotyledon plants with over 750 accepted species. Extraction of green pigments from pandanus amaryllifolius to produce an organic pigment for fabric dyeing can become an alternative of synthetic pigments. Organic pigments also can be classified as a biochrome substance which is produced by living organisms. These biological pigments include flower and plant pigments [3]

Creating a bigger ZPD by extending learning process via online forum

Formal learning usually takes place in a four wall classroom. An extension of learning process may continue to occur in a conventional setting where learners get together physically after class hours. In other words, learning may take place within particular zones. Vygotsky’s idea of zone of proximal development (ZPD) suggests that learning may not only take place within a prescribed zone but also outside the prescribed zone. The prescribed zone usually has a set of objectives to be achieved by the learners. However, during the learning process, some learners may learn and/or acquire more knowledge or skills beyond targeted objectives if there is room for them to do so. The non-prescribed zone is determined by the learners’ own initiatives and efforts. With the advancement of internet technology, learners are now able to extend their learning/acquisition process via online forum. This paper will describe how learners viewed online forum activity that was used in two separate classes for two consecutive semesters at a local university. It will also discuss some pedagogical principles in implementing online forum in courses and a few implications that need to be considered by policy makers, teachers/instructors, and ICT coordinators

The influence of the e-tutor on the development of collaborative critical thinking in a students' e-forum: association levels with Cramer’s V

Most courses via Internet use the electronic forum, which allows for cognitive dialogue, namely through critical thinking. The tutor’s support to collaboration, reflection and learning can explore the characteristics of e-forums and contribute to a more positive academic experience. This study aims to identify which of the tutor’s tasks are more influential on higher levels of collaborative critical thinking, with a content analysis of 5200 messages in several on-line Master’s and Post-graduation courses forum. 11 indicators of the tutor’s intervention and four indicators of collaborative critical thing were adopted. Then, a Cramer’s V post-test was used to assess the effect of the tutor’s posts on the highest levels of collaborative critical thinking. The tutor’s tasks which relate more to the students’ highest levels of critical thing were: 1) asking open questions to the students, 2) establishing associations among the students’ messages and 3) modelling the debate. The study provided useful information on the ways of triggering the dialogue and taking it to higher cognitive levels

Integrating Technology With Student-Centered Learning

Reviews research on technology's role in personalizing learning, its integration into curriculum-based and school- or district-wide initiatives, and the potential of emerging digital technologies to expand student-centered learning. Outlines implications

'Democracy begins in conversation’: the phenomenology of problem-based learning and legal education

Learning is complex for any number of reasons. One of these is that it doesn’t take place in a laboratory: it happens in real places, within and between real people, and as a consequence it takes place in multi-factorial environments. At every stage of learning in Higher Education (HE), from student choice of institution and programme, to the transfer of learning from theory to practice, to a single institution’s or a teacher’s evaluation of teaching and learning, there are many causal factors that affect educational process and outcome. The complexities and variables created by the interaction of such multiple factors, well known in the field of education, make learning a highly complex phenomenon to analyse and understand

Assessing the impact of “more-flexible” learning as part of a study program

With the increasing use of Flexible Learning approaches in Higher Education at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), measuring their effectiveness, from both an educational and a participant's point of view, is of particular importance. In response to the limited scientific contributions on this topic, this article presents a possibility of how an assessment can take place: this study analyzes 62 undergrad-uate student responses to a Blended Learning task and compares the participant findings with a pre-existing educational competency framework

Designing for interaction

At present, the design of computer-supported group-based learning (CS)GBL) is often based on subjective decisions regarding tasks, pedagogy and technology, or concepts such as ‘cooperative learning’ and ‘collaborative learning’. Critical review reveals these concepts as insufficiently substantial to serve as a basis for (CS)GBL design. Furthermore, the relationship between outcome and group interaction is rarely specified a priori. Thus, there is a need for a more systematic approach to designing (CS)GBL that focuses on the elicitation of expected interaction processes. A framework for such a process-oriented methodology is proposed. Critical elements that affect interaction are identified: learning objectives, task-type, level of pre-structuring, group size and computer support. The proposed process-oriented method aims to stimulate designers to adopt a more systematic approach to (CS)GBL design according to the interaction expected, while paying attention to critical elements that affect interaction. This approach may bridge the gap between observed quality of interaction and learning outcomes and foster (CS)GBL design that focuses on the heart of the matter: interaction

Rich environments for active learning in action: Problem‐based learning

Rich Environments for Active Learning (REALs) are comprehensive instructional systems that are consistent with constructivist theories. They promote study and investigation within authentic contexts; encourage the growth of student responsibility, initiative, decision making and intentional learning; cultivate collaboration among students and teachers; utilize dynamic, interdisciplinary, generative learning activities that promote higher‐order thinking processes to help students develop rich and complex knowledge structures; and assess student progress in content and learning‐to‐learn within authentic contexts using realistic tasks and performances. Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional methodology that can be used to create REALs. PBL's student‐centred approach engages students in a continuous collaborative process of building and reshaping understanding as a natural consequence of their experiences and interactions within learning environments that authentically reflect the world around them. In this way, PBL and REALs are a response to teacher‐centred educational practices that promote the development of inert knowledge, such as conventional teacher‐to‐student knowledge dissemination activities. In this article, we compare existing assumptions underlying teacher‐directed educational practice with new assumptions that promote problem solving and higher‐level thinking by putting students at the centre of learning activities. We also examine the theoretical foundation that supports these new assumptions and the need for REALs. Finally, we describe each REAL characteristic and provide supporting examples of REALs in action using PB

Media literacy at all levels: making the humanities more inclusive

The decline of the humanities, combined with the arrival of students focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), represent an opportunity for the development of innovative approaches to teaching languages and literatures. Expanding the instructional focus from traditional humanities students, who are naturally more text-focused, to address the needs of more application-oriented STEM learners ensures that language instructors prepare all students to become analytical and critical consumers and producers of digital media. Training students to question motives both in their own and authentic media messages and to justify their own interpretations results in more sophisticated second language (L2) communication. Even where institutional structures impede comprehensive curriculum reform, individual instructors can integrate media literacy training into their own classes. Tis article demonstrates ways of reaching and retaining larger numbers of students at all levels—if necessary, one course at a time.Published versio

Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum

The field of specialization known as the science of learning is not, in fact, one field. Science of learning is a term that serves as an umbrella for many lines of research, theory, and application. A term with an even wider reach is Learning Sciences (Sawyer, 2006). The present book represents a sliver, albeit a substantial one, of the scholarship on the science of learning and its application in educational settings (Science of Instruction, Mayer 2011). Although much, but not all, of what is presented in this book is focused on learning in college and university settings, teachers of all academic levels may find the recommendations made by chapter authors of service. The overarching theme of this book is on the interplay between the science of learning, the science of instruction, and the science of assessment (Mayer, 2011). The science of learning is a systematic and empirical approach to understanding how people learn. More formally, Mayer (2011) defined the science of learning as the “scientific study of how people learn” (p. 3). The science of instruction (Mayer 2011), informed in part by the science of learning, is also on display throughout the book. Mayer defined the science of instruction as the “scientific study of how to help people learn” (p. 3). Finally, the assessment of student learning (e.g., learning, remembering, transferring knowledge) during and after instruction helps us determine the effectiveness of our instructional methods. Mayer defined the science of assessment as the “scientific study of how to determine what people know” (p.3). Most of the research and applications presented in this book are completed within a science of learning framework. Researchers first conducted research to understand how people learn in certain controlled contexts (i.e., in the laboratory) and then they, or others, began to consider how these understandings could be applied in educational settings. Work on the cognitive load theory of learning, which is discussed in depth in several chapters of this book (e.g., Chew; Lee and Kalyuga; Mayer; Renkl), provides an excellent example that documents how science of learning has led to valuable work on the science of instruction. Most of the work described in this book is based on theory and research in cognitive psychology. We might have selected other topics (and, thus, other authors) that have their research base in behavior analysis, computational modeling and computer science, neuroscience, etc. We made the selections we did because the work of our authors ties together nicely and seemed to us to have direct applicability in academic settings