Evaluating student evaluations: Evidence of gender bias against women in higher education based on perceived learning and instructor personality.

Given student evaluations are an integral part of academic employment and progression in higher education, it is crucial to explore various biases amongst students that may influence their ratings. Several studies report a clear gender bias in student evaluation where male instructors receive significantly higher ratings as compared to female instructors. However, there is very limited research about gender biases in underrepresented samples such as South Asia and the Middle East. We examined whether perception of male and female instructors differed in terms of how they facilitate learning and level of engagement, using an experimental design. Six hundred and seventy-one university students were asked to watch a video of an online lecture on psychology, delivered by either a male or female lecturer, after which they were asked to evaluate their experience and instructor personality characteristics. To ensure consistency across content, tone, delivery, environment, and overall appearance, photorealistic 3D avatars were used to deliver the lectures. Only gender as a factor was manipulated. Given the racial representation in the region, a total of four videos were developed representing males (n = 317) and females (n = 354) of White and South Asian race. Overall, male instructors scored significantly higher in variables representing personality characteristics such as enthusiasm and expressiveness compared to female instructors. Participants did not however view male and female instructors to be different in terms of presentation and subject knowledge. Findings related to facilitating learning suggest that male instructors were perceived to have made instructions more interesting, kept participants' attention for longer, and were more interesting compared to female instructors. In terms of engagement, male instructors were perceived to be more expressive, enthusiastic, and entertaining, compared to female instructors. Given the experimental design, these findings can clearly be attributed to gender bias, which is also in line with previous research. With an underrepresented sample, an online platform delivery, and inclusion of multiple races, these findings significantly add value to the current literature regarding gender stereotypes in higher education. The results are even more concerning as they provide strong evidence of gender bias which may contribute to subconscious discrimination against women academics in the region

Grade of readiness of students for design of individual trajectories of training in informatics

The main results and conclusions of skilled and search work of the readiness of students for opportunity focused on examination to be directly involved in design of individual educational trajectories on informatics by introduction in structure of discipline of the short-term elective courses expanding its contents are given in articleВ статье приводятся основные результаты и выводы опытно-поисковой работы ориентированной на выяснение готовности студентов к возможности принимать непосредственное участие в проектировании индивидуальных образовательных траекторий по информатике путем внедрения в структуру дисциплины краткосрочных элективных курсов расширяющих ее содержани

Exploring media-induced secondary trauma during COVID-19: A global perspective

Aims: Given the risk of developing vicarious trauma through news media has increased during the pandemic, we explored risk factors associated with media induced secondary trauma, and its behavioral and psychological implications. Methods: An international study (N = 1066), with a diverse sample, was administered in July 2020. We used standardized and validated questionnaires to measure news consumption, media-related trauma, compliance, and paranoia. Results: Greater frequency of news consumption, accessing news via social media and WHO, and believing in conspiracy theories increased likelihood of developing media-induced secondary trauma. News related trauma was associated with greater compliance with safety measures and increased paranoid ideation. Media-trauma however exhibited a greater association with paranoia than compliance. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need to facilitate a collaborative intervention, with public, media houses, health safety officials, and social scientists to have a deeper understanding of potential psychological costs of news consumption patterns

Elective courses as an instrument of formation of students’ occupational mobility

The article discusses the possibility of creating individual educational trajectories of students with short-term elective courses. The problem of identifying the correct elective courses extending sections discipline is highlighted. It is underlined that the theme and content of short-term elective courses should be tailored by modern labor market trendsРассматривается возможность создания индивидуальных образовательных траекторий студентов с помощью краткосрочных элективных курсов. Выделяется проблема правильного определения тематики элективных курсов, расширяющих разделы дисциплины. Делается акцент на том, что тема и содержание краткосрочных элективных курсов должны определяться с учетом современных тенденций рынка труд

Conditions of forming of individual educational trajectories means of elective content

In article, the possibility of applicability of the principles of open education in Russia is considered. The author notes importance of the organization of interpersonal and business relations in educational process between all its subjects as the quality of all training activity in many respects depends on itВ статье рассматривается возможность применимости принципов открытого образования в России. Автор отмечает важность организации межличностных и деловых отношений в образовательном процессе между всеми его субъектами, так как от этого во многом зависит качество всего процесса обучени

Just wrong? Or just WEIRD? Investigating the prevalence of moral dumbfounding in non-Western samples

Moral dumbfounding is the phenomenon that is observed when people defend a moral judgement even though they cannot provide a reason for this judgement. Dumbfounded responding may include admitting to not having reasons, or the use of unsupported declarations (e.g., “It’s just wrong”) as justification for a judgement. Published evidence for dumbfounding has drawn exclusively on samples of WEIRD backgrounds (Western, educated, industrialised, rich, and democratic), and it remains unclear whether the phenomenon is generalilsable to other populations. In three studies we apply a standardised moral dumbfounding task, and show evidence for moral dumbfounding in a Chinese sample (Study 1), an Indian sample (Study 2), and a mixed sample primarily from North Africa and the Middle East (MENA region, Study 3)

ΦCrAss001 represents the most abundant bacteriophage family in the human gut and infects Bacteroides intestinalis

peer-reviewedCrAssphages are an extensive and ubiquitous family of tailed bacteriophages, predicted to infect bacteria of the order Bacteroidales. Despite being found in ~50% of individuals and representing up to 90% of human gut viromes, members of this viral family have never been isolated in culture and remain understudied. Here, we report the isolation of a CrAssphage (ΦCrAss001) from human faecal material. This bacteriophage infects the human gut symbiont Bacteroides intestinalis, confirming previous in silico predictions of the likely host. DNA sequencing demonstrates that the bacteriophage genome is circular, 102 kb in size, and has unusual structural traits. In addition, electron microscopy confirms that ΦcrAss001 has a podovirus-like morphology. Despite the absence of obvious lysogeny genes, ΦcrAss001 replicates in a way that does not disrupt proliferation of the host bacterium, and is able to maintain itself in continuous host culture during several weeks

Authentic Films as a Tool for the Development of Sociocultural Competence

The article is devoted to the problem of foreign language teaching with the help of authentic films and TV series. Some effective ways of using such tools are discussed in the article