Contemporary trends in art education

This research aims to present the most important contemporary trends in Art Education focusing on the analysis of the relationship between these trends and their related concepts. It also aims to revive some traditions of art education that are based on a scientific approach, with the aim of improving current practices to achieve quality in both art teaching and art production. The aim is also to offer recommendations for developing the teaching of art in accordance with the most recent approaches in the field. The researcher used the descriptive analytical approach to review and analyze these trends. The study shows that there are a number of trends which can be adopted to improve the quality of the input, the process and the output of teaching of art. These include quality assurance standards in art education, cultural diversity in art education, making use of professional artists in schools, creating partnerships with art museums and teacher education colleges and other educational institutions, using new technologies in teaching art, and assessing students’ performance using the “art portfolio” method. Most of these techniques and approaches have proved successful in developed countries. Thus, the researcher recommends that these trends be encouraged in order to improve the curriculum and instruction of Art Education in the Arab countries

THE USE OF PHYSICAL PHENOMENON AS AN INNOVATIVE SOURCE IN ART EDUCATION

It is undoubtable that there is a reciprocity relationship between the different sciences and fields of knowledge. The relation between art and science is one that extends ancient times since both of them use search and experimentation methods in pursuit of reaching the best results and satisfactory solutions which makes them in continuous development. Likewise, Art education draws its references and aesthetic values from all that is found neoteric whether it is in nature, heritage or other sciences. The idea of integration between art and science prompts on finding innovative ways towards creativity, because whenever the sources behind the design were of a scientific nature, the higher the visual connotations are closer to perception and mental receptivity. Hence, researchers are trying to create new experimental approaches through the study and analysis of some physical phenomena, such as energy, frequency and vibration, which produces precise and perfect artistic forms in harmonious rhythms and in accordance with formalized geometric and mathematical relations of scientific origin that can be used by art students to create innovative design works as intellectual starting points, can be consulted and relied on as technical references, with a formal logic, and mental legitimation, which contributes to the enrichment of the aesthetic values ​​of the art work. So, this study aims to take advantage of some physical phenomena such as energy and frequency and vibration and its formal output as an innovative source in teaching arts

Disclosure of Organizational Ambidexterity Activities and Earnings Quality in Oman

Purpose: This study examines the association between organizational ambidexterity disclosure (OAD) and earnings quality (EQ) in terms of earnings persistence (PER) and value relevance (VR).   Theoretical framework: Organizational ambidexterity disclosure (OAD) is one type of forward-looking disclosure (FLD) which includes all information about exploration and exploitation activities. In accounting, the study is interested in how (OAD) affects the firm’s earnings quality.   Design/methodology/approach: This study uses the secondary data of non-financial industrial and services firms listed on the Muscat Securities Market (MSX) in Oman for a 5-year period from 2017–2021. The study uses generalized least square (GLS) and feasible general least squares (FGLS) regressions to test the hypotheses and find the results.   Findings: Results of the GLS and the robust results of FGLS show that OAD has a positive and significant effect on earnings persistence (PER) and value relevance (VR) and the coefficient of VR is stronger than the coefficient of PER, indicating the importance of OAD on the earnings quality as new evidence in the area of accounting.   Research Implications: The results provide crucial implications for researchers, investors, policy makers and managers. The study provides potential leverage points for those responsible for shaping the disclosure and transparency because of it insights on when OAD impacts EQ.   Originality/value: This study offers a novel resource-based perspective to explain how Omani firms achieve higher sustainable and value relevance earnings by investing in OA. It also provides new evidence about how an ambidextrous firm improves the sustainable and value relevance earnings

Rainfall-Induced Debris Flows Case History Along Al-Hada Descent Highway West of Saudi Arabia

Al-Hada descent lies at the western region of Saudi Arabia at elevation of about 2000m, characterized by sharp cliff. Al-Hada descent road was constructed with an elevation difference of 1500m between the highest and lowest heights along the road. The road alignment is intersected by 8 very steep gullies of almost 60 to 80 degrees. The gullies contain large quantity of mud, old levees and large rock blocks. Al-Hada descent road hit two weeks ago with heavy rainfall last about 2 hours. The rainstorm initiates 11 debris flows on steep gullies, and caused them to travel rapidly down along the gully channel. Once the flow reaches a less confined area at the retaining wall, it partially destroy the gabions above it, and edges of the retaining walls across the gullies and overflow them, as they received more rolling, sliding and bouncing rocks from higher steep elevations. The moving debris flows spread out, loose speed and deposited beyond the highway opposite side. Temporary solution is made by removing almost 100.000m3, of the debris flow in one gully and scaling the remaining debris body to an angle of more than 35°. A permanent solution for this case history is under intensive study

Characterization of Propagation Models in Wireless Communications for 4G Network

Estimating the pathloss and signal strength of the transmitted signal at specific distances is one of the main objectives of network designers. This paper aims to provide generalized pathloss models appropriate for urban areas in Muscat the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman environment. The research includes studying different models of pathloss for the 4G cellular network at Muttrah Business District (MBD) at Muscat. Different models (Free Space model, Okumura Hata, Extended Sakagami, Cost231 Hata, ECC-33 Hata – Okumura extended, Ericsson, Egli, and SUI) are used with 800MHz. The results of the prediction models are compared with real measured data by calculating RMSE. The generalized models are created by modified original models to get accepted RMSE values.  Different cells at MBD are tested by modified models. The RMSE values are then calculated for verification purposes.  To validate the modified pathloss models of 4G, they are also applied at different cells in different cities in the capital. They have approximately the same environment as MBD. The modified pathloss models provided accepted predictions in new locations

Characterization of Propagation Models at 5G Network and Effects of SAR on Human Brain

Nowadays, the world is turning into technology, fast internet and high signal quality. To ensure high signal quality, the network planners have to predict the pathloss and signal strength of the transmitted signal at specific distances in the design stage. The aim of this research is to provide a generalized pathloss model to suit the urban area in Muscat Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman. The research covers 5G network pathloss in the Muttrah Business District (MBD) area. It includes Close In (CI) model and Alpha Beta Gamma (ABG) model with 3.45GHz. The results of 5G models were compared with real experimental data in MBD by calculating Root Mean Square Error RMSE. Other cells at MBD area were used for reverification.  To validate the modified pathloss models of 5G, they were applied at different cells in Alkhoud area. Furthermore, this paper also deals the effect of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) on the human brain for ensuring safety due to close proximity to cell towers. The SAR values were calculated indirectly from the electric field strength of different antennas. Calculated results were compared with the international standards defined limits on the human brain

Students' Perceptions at Department of Art Education at Sultan Qaboos University towards Self-Assessment and Challenges of its Implementations in Teaching Fine Arts

هدفت الدراسة إلى الكشف عن تصورات طلبة قسم التربية الفنية بجامعة السلطان قابوس حول التقييم الذاتي، والتحديات التي تواجه تطبيقه في تدريس الفنون التشكيلية، كما هدفت أيضا إلى التعرف إلى أثر متغيرات السنة الدراسية في هذه التصورات، استخدم الباحثان المنهج الوصفي التحليلي. وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (167) طالبا وطالبة من قسم التربية الفنية بجامعة السلطان قابوس للعام الأكاديمي 2021- 2022م، وطُبقت أداة الدراسة في الفصل الدراسي الثاني (ربيع 2021). وتمثلت أداة الدراسة في استبانة تكونت من (42) فقرة؛ موزعة على (4) محاور، هي: أهمية التقييم الذاتي، وأهداف التقييم الذاتي، وأشكال وطرق التقييم الذاتي، وتحديات تطبيق التقييم الذاتي في تدريس الفنون التشكيلية، وقد وزعت الاستبانة على أفراد العينة بعد التأكد من صدقها وثباتها. أظهرت نتائج الدراسة وجود تصورات عالية لدى طلبة قسم التربية الفنية حول التقييم الذاتي، إذ جاءت التصورات عن التحديات التي تواجه تطبيق التقييم الذاتي في تدريس الفنون التشكيلية بدرجة عالية بحسب المتوسط العام لفقرات المحور، وكشفت النتائج عدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا تعزى إلى متغير السنة الدراسية في تصورات الطلبة حول التقييم الذاتي وتحديات تطبيقه في تدريس التربية الفنية. وبناءعلى هذه النتائج توصي الدراسة بإجراء دراسات أخرى مشابهة للكشف عن مدى استخدام معلمي الفنون التشكيلية للتقييم الذاتي في تدريس الفنون، والعمل على تغذية الحقل التربوي بالمزيد من المعارف والمراجع العربية التي تعنى بالتقييم الذاتي وأهميته في التدريس