Educational tours as a learning mechanism in the learning experience of Tourism students: Tourism Management Walter Sisulu University (Ibika Campus)

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Though research has been done on tourism education, very few research studies have been conducted that explore educational tours as a learning mechanism for tourism students. The study was undertaken to explore the value of educational tours as a learning mechanism in the learning experience of tourism students of Walter Sisulu University on the Ibika Campus. Literature reviewed identified various factors that affect learning including the value and benefits of educational tours, as well as indicating the challenges associated with the planning and making sure that these tours bring value and are in alignment with the objectives and learning outcomes of the tourism degree. The tourism curriculum embraces integration of both theory and practical at all levels of the tourism program. The study made use of a qualitative approach, with individual interviews with lecturing staff and focus group interviews with the students. A purposive sampling method was employed to select three focus groups of students who were registered for second year in Tourism Management, chosen mainly because they had already experienced educational tours in their first year and second year of their studies. Two lecturers from Tourism Management were chosen for the study because they were involved in the planning of educational tours and they always accompany the students when travelling to different destinations. The findings of this study, obtained through focus group interviews and individual interviews revealed that both students and lecturers perceive educational tours as a valuable learning mechanism to the student’s professional development as aspiring tourism industry professionals. Benefits that come with these educational tours were identified as well as constraints that will need further investigation. This is in turn was supported by the literature review that highlighted the value of educational tours and the significance of including these tours as part of the curriculum in university courses. These findings therefore will need further exploration due to the limited number of participants in this study

The Relationship between Student Outcomes and Parental Involvement in Multidisciplinary IEP Team Meetings

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that each special education student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed at least once every year. In addition to school staff, regulations require that parents be invited to the IEP meetings. This study retrospectively reviewed the records of 270 students with educational disabilities in grades six through twelve. Demographic and descriptive data were gathered for each student and were separated according to whether the parent did or did not attend the IEP meeting. End-of-year information was examined regarding final report card grades, absenteeism, and cumulative days of detentions and suspensions. Of these variables, significant differences were found between the students whose parents participated in their IEP meetings and those students whose parents did not participate. The children of attending parents had higher grades in English/language arts, in mathematics, and in their overall grade point averages. These students also had significantly fewer absences. No differences were found regarding the frequency of detentions and suspensions between the two groups. Among demographic characteristics, ethnicity and socioeconomic status were associated with rates of parental participation. Some relationships may exist between parental participation and the category of their children\u27s special education eligibility, but these results were inconclusive. Student gender and grade level were not predictive of parental attendance at IEP meetings

METROPOLITAN AGRICULTURE, SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS AND THE FOOD-CITY RELATIONSHIP IN SOUTHERN EUROPE

Peri-urban agriculture is a pivotal issue in the debate on sustainable management of land in metropolitan regions worldwide. Multiple socioeconomic and environmental solutions introduced by new models of peri-urban agriculture are playing an important role in planning and management of fringe land. The recent development of peri-urban agriculture in Southern European cities was supposed to reflect latent, crisis-driven processes of 'coming back to land': new land has been extensively cultivated, and new relations have been created between farmers, communities and territories within peri-urban areas. This study describes some relevant experiences of peri-urban farming in 6 metropolitan regions (Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Athens, Istanbul) representative of different socioeconomic contexts in Southern Europe, outlining strengths and weaknesses in the use of fringe land for cropping, and evidencing relevant implications for urban sustainability

Challenges toward Sustainability? Experiences and Approaches to Literary Tourism from Iran

Interdisciplinary narrative studies are of great importance in several disciplines, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Cultural tourism and its sub-disciplines, including the complex issue of ‘literary tourism’, is an interdisciplinary field of investigation, positioned in between geography and urban–rural studies. In Iran, this form of tourism has been neglected so far—with no distinction between urban and rural areas—despite a particularly rich literary heritage. The present study recognizes the challenge of literary tourism in Iran, delineating some possible actions to develop it as a future engine of economic growth, especially in rural districts. As a contribution to a refined comprehension of literary tourism development paths, a content analysis was run collecting views and textual data on literary tourism in Iran. The empirical results of this study indicate that the mentioned challenges can be classified into several main dimensions and a broader set of sub-themes. The possible actions responding to such challenges can be classified into more dimensions and a vast number of sub-themes. Actions reducing territorial disparities and fueling entrepreneurship in local communities are appropriate to stimulate the emergence (and, possibly, consolidation) of literary tourism districts in Iran, giving an original contribution to sustainable development especially—but not exclusively—in rural settlements

Uncovering demographic trends and recent urban expansion in metropolitan regions. A paradigmatic case study

While urbanization trends have been characterized for a long time by deconcentration of inner cities with expansion of low-density settlements, economic repolarization leading to re-urbanization and recovery of central districts are now counterbalancing population shrinkage in compact urban areas and slowing down suburban growth. In this context, the recent demographic evolution of a large metropolis such as Athens (Greece)-following expansion, crisis, and a more subtle economic recovery-may reveal original relationships between form and functions at the base of recent urban growth. Based on an exploratory analysis of demographic indicators on a metropolitan and urban scale, the present study provides an updated and integrated knowledge framework that confirms and integrates the most recent urban trends in southern Europe. Documenting the emergence of more individualized paths of urban expansion at the local scale (recovery of the historic center, shrinkage of semicentral neighborhoods, 'reverse gentrification' of disadvantaged peripheral areas, late suburbanization of accessible peripheral areas), results of the present study justify an ad hoc analysis of metropolitan growth based on demographic indicators as a proxy for sustainable land management and local development

Suburban Fertility and Metropolitan Cycles: Insights from European Cities

[EN] Being largely diversified along the urban-rural gradient, fertility gaps have demonstrated to fuel metropolitan expansion, contributing to natural population growth and social change. In this direction, population dynamics and economic transformations have continuously shaped urban cycles in Europe. Assuming suburban fertility to be a relevant engine of metropolitan growth, the present study investigates and discusses the intrinsic relationship between fertility transitions and urban expansion, focusing on European metropolitan regions. An average crude birth rate referring to the last decade (2013-2018) was estimated from official statistics at 671 Functional Urban Areas (FUAs, Eurostat Urban Audit definition) of 30 European countries, distinguishing 'central cities' from 'suburban' locations. Local contexts with a higher crude birth rate as compared with neighboring settlements were identified analyzing differential fertility levels in urban and suburban locations. By providing an indirect, comparative verification of the 'suburban fertility hypothesis' in European cities, the results of this study demonstrate how suburbanization has been basically associated to younger and larger families-and thus higher fertility levels-only in Eastern and Southern Europe. Birth rates that were higher in suburbs than in central cities were observed in 70% of Eastern European cities and 55% of Mediterranean cities. The reverse pattern was observed in Western (20%), Northern (25%) and Central (30%) Europe, suggesting that urban cycles in the European continent are not completely phased: most of Western, Central, and Northern European cities are experiencing re-urbanization after a long suburbanization wave. Demographic indicators are demonstrated to comprehensively delineate settlement patterns and socioeconomic trends along urban-suburban-rural gradients, giving insights on the differential metropolitan cycles between (and within) countries.Rodrigo-Comino, J.; Egidi, G.; Sateriano, A.; Poponi, S.; Mosconi, EM.; Giménez Morera, A. (2021). Suburban Fertility and Metropolitan Cycles: Insights from European Cities. Sustainability. 13(4):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042181S11413

Lignin nanoparticles as sustainable photoprotective carriers for sunscreen filters

Sunscreen filters may be degraded after prolonged UV exposure with loss of their shielding property and generation of harmful radical species. They are contained in cosmetic formulations in high concentrations, so the improvement of photostability is of relevance for safety concerns. We report here that lignin nanoparticles are sustainable carriers and photostabilizers of two common UV chemical filters, namely, avobenzone and octyl methoxycinnamate. These compounds have been encapsulated by nanoprecipitation into kraft lignin nanoparticles using eco-certified dimethyl isosorbide as a primary solvent and deionized water as an antisolvent. After the encapsulation, both compounds significantly prolonged the half-life stability against UV irradiation. The stabilizing properties of lignin nanoparticles were further improved by coencapsulation of avobenzone and octyl methoxycinnamate with hydroxytyrosol, a natural phenol with antioxidant activity recovered from olive oil wastes and characterized by skin regenerative properties