bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF AI/MACHINE LEARNING IN EDUCATION
Authors: Placinta Dimitriedaniel
Published: February 2023

5G, cloud computing, quantum computing, machine learning, blockchain, artificial intelligence, all are high technologies that change the way we are living, working into multiconnected world: social networks, intelligent houses, autonomous cars, fintech, remote health, instant communication, etc.
An essential aspect for the above disrupted technologies is generated by cybersecurity, by the relationship between national security and the implementation at large scale of 5G. The 5G technology became the number one threat for USA, NATO, and European Union. Europe became the playground where the winner between Huawei and its competitors for 5G adoption will be decided.
Quantum computing will dramatically change the entire cybersecurity in the next years due to its power and speed in decrypting the today's strongest cryptographic algorithms, intelligence services, large organizations, the entire world will benefit from the advantages of the new revolutionary technology, for sure new cryptographic algorithms will be implemented to secure our data.
Blockchain features increased the level of cybersecurity for a lot of activities like cryptocurrencies, money transfer, data tracking, securing of large amount of data for companies or governments, protecting highly sensitive information from the military field, defending against external cyber threats, ensuring the data integrity of IoT devices, etc.
Artificial intelligence it's a weapon with two blades, both cybercriminals and "white hats" are fructifying the capabilities of this technology: avoid the identification of attacks, launch automatic attacks, build undetectable content to pass the security filters, biometric authentication, predict future cyber-attacks, identify abnormal behaviors, fraud detection, mistake free cybersecurity, etc.
The paper will synthetize and present the latest research from the cybersecurity field: the new cyber threats for international security, how can we fight against cyber threats at national, European and international level, what are the most dangerous international key players of cybercrime world, what is the financial impact of cybercrime, why classic war has moved into the cyberspace, why is GDPR important from the cybersecurity perspective.
The continuous evolution of technologies will generate new exponential challenges related to secure communication between multiple software integrations, data privacy, right of intimacy, encryption of information, for users, companies, governments, international regulation bodies, non-government organizations, as a consequence of the huge number of connected devices and people.
SOFT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGY IN THE E-LEARNING FIELD OF MILITARY DESIGN THINKING
Authors: Roman Daniel
Published: February 2023

Innovation in any field is now more than ever one of the most delicate and challenging topics of the 21st century. The multidimensionality of the contemporary reality results from understanding the connections made between the societal domains through the actions of the actors involved in the field of security. This requires redefining the specialist in the field of national security and implicitly the educational system designed according to the model of the connections between the societal fields. Starting from the hypothesis that the reality of the relations existent in a system of systems on societal fields, involves three directions of development of the military specialist: the military analyst, the military planner and the military decision maker, we resorted to an extrapolation of the concept of "soft systems methodology in the field of military design thinking". Establishing the reference database, training and working with the analysis tools are only some of the fundamental components that underlie the training of the military specialist in the process of making the best decisions in a crisis situation. Obtaining an expected result or achieving the desired end state in a military operation implies going through the algorithm of identifying the connections between the objectives established in the planning process. Risk management in a military operation in a societal context requires the positioning of the military specialist in the middle of a system of educational systems based on the concept of collaborative work on the E-learning platform as a projection of the connections of the societal fields in the area of security.
IS E-TRAINING A SUCCESSFUL METHOD FOR ATHLETES DURING COVID-19? AN ANSWER BASED ON A CASE STUDY
Authors: Sandor Iosif , Neag Siminaaurelia , Stan Deliaclaudia , Isidori Emanuele
Published: February 2023

Is E-training a successful method for athletes during COVID-19? An answer based on a case study

The Covid 19 pandemic changed and reorganized all areas of human activities. The same thing also happened in performance sports at one team which start the season with a serious performance objective. The main changes concerned the training methods, which were not carried out in the usual way because people lived in a lockdown and used virtual apps for practice.
This was a way of practicing training imposed by sanitary norms. Some athletes have presented illness symptoms and they took medicine. The impact on athletes of the pandemic has been studied and explored to a small extent by researchers. Also, the training has been scarcely innovated by adopting new models of teaching and learning.
This study will present some innovative methods concerning the online training practiced by a football team that has been using different technologies offered by WEB.2.0.
We have studied and interpreted a case study concerning a Romanian football team where 16 players and staff members were infected with the COVID-19 virus. The football players remained in isolation in different periods, and the coach led the training through virtual platforms. After describing the case study scenario, we will show the results of a survey administered to the players involved.
After analyzing and interpreting the data, we will answer whether and to what extent, during the athletes' isolation, virtual platforms were really innovative and useful tools to achieve the sports training goals.

Key Words: sport, e-training, case study, isolation, Covid-19
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ASSESS SEN STUDENTS' PHONOLOGICAL SKILLS
Authors: Calota Ruxandra , Paduraru Monica
Published: February 2023

The use of technology in the classroom was covered in depth by educational researchers all over the world, but as these technologies change at an unprecedented speed so do the modes of delivering teaching, thus making it a permanent topic of interest.
This study aims at investigating the role of technology in assessing phonological skills in children with learning disabilities.
Phonics instruction is often delivered using multimedia resources, but assessment commonly involves a reading / writing type of task or some sort of oral examination. For non-verbal students or for students who experience difficulty with fine motor skills such an evaluation tool is restrictive and it might not offer an accurate assessment of their skills. For some of them, like students with autistic spectrum disorders, learning technology might even act as a tool for augmentative or alternative communication, their only way of proving their understanding of the curriculum.
To better understand whether the use of multimedia technology actually increases the accuracy of phonological skills assessment we propose a comparative study that investigates the results obtained by means of formal assessment tools and technology enhanced assessment tools.
A number of 30 students attending "Constantin Paunescu" Special School were assessed using both standard tests (NEPSY II Phonological Processing subtest) and nonstandard tests (PAST - Phonological Awareness Skills Test), followed by teacher-made technology enhanced phonological assessment tools.
The results suggest technology enhanced assessment tools promote a higher level of engagement with the learning task which, in turn, increases the accuracy of the assessment by simply keeping them focused and giving them alternative ways to complete tasks.
STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES ON ONLINE LEARNING: PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPECTATIONS
Authors: Gonta Iulia
Published: February 2023

During the pandemic, the education system around the world adapted to online teaching. This period presented a set of new requirements for education systems. It was necessary, in a short period of time, to find effective digital solutions for distance teaching. Most teachers changed their activities during the pandemic to adapt them to virtual teaching, thus becoming creators of online education. In order to improve the educational practices in the online environment, we used an analysis of students' perceptions (N = 150) from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, who expressed their opinion on online learning during the pandemic. For this, an online questionnaire was applied, which was completed both by students who had face-to-face experience and students who started their activity directly in the online learning environment. As a result, in this paper, we specify what students think about online learning, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of this way of teaching. In the research, special attention was paid to the analysis of the problems that students face in online learning, the opportunities they see in this environment, their adaptation to online teaching and the expectations they have from teachers. The analysis of the research results offered several conclusions, including the need to develop the adaptability of university teachers to the specifics of mediated by digital technologies teaching, the introduction of a more varied and frequent interaction with the students, creating conditions for the self-regulation of one's learning. The findings of this study provide solutions for future improvements in online teaching and learning.
DEBUNKING THE MYTHS OF E-LEARNING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Ionita Mirela , Pastae Veronica
Published: February 2023

The context of the COVID -19 pandemic placed e-learning in the mainstream, to prove its usefulness and efficiency, but it also brought to the fore the shortcomings of this type of alternative learning. Previous educational concerns have generally focused on improving online learning platforms, on the development and improvement of digital applications - in general, on technical aspects, inherent to the development of learning processes. The issues of Internet connection, user-friendly interfaces, educational platforms' security are further intensely addressed - as well as technical issues. But real practice during the pandemic has brought out additional aspects: psychological issues, such as adapting to new learning conditions; picking up new teaching and learning methods; understanding the differences between online and face-to-face education, and pedagogical ones, regarding content delivery and evaluation methods. To these problems few or no solutions have yet been found, despite the intense and widely publicized efforts made in this respect. In our opinion, however, an important cause of the e-learning failures is the mindset inertia of the actors involved in institutionalized education. On the one hand, the transition from face-to-face education to online learning was too rapid, which meant that all actors involved made the switch, without having a choice or time to adapt. On the other hand, those involved imagined that e-learning could fully replace traditional learning, and that the transition would simply mean a conversion of the communication environment and not a complex rethinking of educational paradigms. We believe that people have actually ignored that each communication medium has its own strategies for efficiently conveying the messages and for obtaining adequate feedback. We also believe that the relational aspect among advanced technologies and the expectations of the actors involved, of students, teachers, and especially decision-makers, was given too little attention.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF A VIRTUAL REALITY LABORATORY - FOCUS GROUP WITH STUDENTS
Authors: Iordache Dragos daniel
Published: February 2023

In recent years there has been an increased diversification of educational applications based on virtual reality (VR) technology. Educational content and three-dimensional visualization specific to virtual reality applications can facilitate the understanding of abstract knowledge present in the curricula of many school courses. Most virtual reality-based educational applications take the form of virtual classrooms, educational games and virtual labs (for biology, chemistry, math, etc.). All those applications include an educational side and a fun side, similar to video games. Students will have access to useful content depending on the quality and proportion in which these two parts are combined in the VR application scenario. Educational applications based on virtual reality technology use innovative ways of three-dimensional visualization, combined with appropriate auditory channels, resulting in attractive interfaces that can make learning enjoyable. However, in order to be pedagogically effective, virtual reality applications need to integrate interactive learning scenarios. In this regard, the feedback of students in the field of education sciences is important, providing an objective point of view regarding the educational potential of applications based on virtual reality technology. This study presents the results of a focus group with students, aimed to evaluate the educational utility of a virtual laboratory for learning chemistry, namely HoloLAB Champions. The results of the study showed that the virtual laboratory has several educational advantages, materialized in skills and abilities necessary to work with chemicals and in the potential to increase students' motivation for chemistry. At the same time, a series of limitations of the tested application were highlighted, especially related to technical problems and the need to diversify the interaction scenarios.
MOODLE AS A BASE FOR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF E-LEARNING AND FORMATION OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Lomakina Ekaterina , Pikalova Elena , Pozdnyakova Svetlana
Published: February 2023

In global educational reality the formation of electronic educational environment stands out to be the foundation of any modern educational system. A feature of a current stage of the electronic information and educational environment development and the near future is the powerful impact of the world's information educational resources on the educational environment of an educational institution. Changes in the economic and social life of society, the rapid development of information technologies, changes in the labor market regarding general issues of employment all these processes significantly affect the formation of the modern information educational environment of an educational institution and its role in the education system. All these processes are aimed at developing new approaches to the formation of an educational institution's electronic information and educational environment. The key features of the new approach are the integration of educational resources with other participants in the educational space, openness, transition to new innovative technologies, and a change in the teacher's role. The article deals with the problem of optimizing the learning process and organizing students' independent work by means of electronic environment. The experience of using Moodle electronic environment in blended learning of professional foreign language of the second year students of Computer Engineering at Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University is presented. The elements of this environment were considered and its main advantages and some disadvantages were identified, the role of teacher and student when working with electronic environment was defined. A questionnaire survey was conducted and some peculiarities of using e-course in the learning process were identified.
THE ROLE OF EMOTIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANXIETY SYMPTOMS: AN EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVE RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Pascal Simona alexandra , Blidaru Sebastian
Published: February 2023

Given the worldwide pandemic period, fear of COVID-19 and negative emotions represented a relatively new research interest in the anxiety disorders literature. Specifically, individuals who experience a high level of negative emotional states (disgust, fear, negative affect) and perceive them as being harmful, have an increased risk of developing anxiety symptoms. In the past year, studies were conducted also within the educational system, their purpose being to find out the student perspective on online education, daily life and socioeconomic effects, risky behaviours, mental health conditions, coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the objective of the present study was to identify possible associations between emotional states and fear of COVID-19, amongst students. Moreover, to test whether the relationship between disgust and anxiety symptoms is explained by fear of COVID-19, a mediation analysis was conducted. In the present research, 119 students filled in four scales for the following constructs: anxiety, disgust, fear of COVID-19, and positive and negative affect. Results showed significant relationships between emotional states and fear of COVID-19. Additionally, the mediation analysis emphasized that fear of COVID-19 explains the relationship between disgust and anxiety symptoms. These preliminary findings suggest that disgust may influence the occurrence and maintenance of a high level of anxiety amongst students. Given the pandemic period, these results could be a preliminary step for clinical practice to improve the anxiety symptoms assessment by targeting disgust and fear of COVID-19 as important emotions. Also, this study discussed other clinical and theoretical implications, limitations, and future research directions.
MOTIVATING STUDENTS IN THE ONLINE TEACHING ENVIRONMENT IN PANDEMIC TIMES
Authors: Pricope Mihaela , Mazilu Simona , Popa Fabiola
Published: February 2023

Online learning is a challenge, a unique experience and an opportunity for self-reflection and progress for both students and teachers. The virtual teaching experience brings changes on several levels, among which we mention: study conditions, teaching materials, communication between colleagues and between students and teacher, feedback given to students. There are various factors that may influence the effectiveness of online learning, one of the most important being the level of motivation that teachers and students have in the teaching-learning process.
According to Ryan & Deci [8], regardless of the nature of the teaching environment, face to face or online, teachers have to stimulate the students' motivation for learning by supporting their three fundamental psychological needs: competence, autonomy and relatedness. Competence is related to feeling capable of developing oneself and succeeding. Autonomy entails a sense of initiative and responsibility for one's own actions. Relatedness has to do with a sense of belonging and connection. These needs are met if the educational setting is well-structured, if it places emphasis on the students' values and interests and consolidates their relationships with peers and teachers. If any of these conditions is undermined, the students' psychological wellness is affected and, therefore, their motivation for learning decreases. In order for teachers to be able to ensure a supportive learning context in which students can thrive, their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness have to be met as well. In other words, motivated teachers will lead to motivated students.
In light of these characteristics of the virtual educational environment and of the teacher's mission of creating a need-supportive context of development for students, we analyze a particular teaching-learning situation we have experienced as teachers, that of the online English for Professional Communication seminar, during the Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss the benefits and challenges of combining synchronous and asynchronous modes of teaching, our strategies to stimulate the students' intrinsic motivation and the outcome of our actions meant to attain this goal.
DIGITALIZATION AND LEVELS OF QUALIFICATION
Authors: Silvestru Catalin ionut , Icociu Vasilica  cristina , Dobrescu Tiberiugabriel , Postavaru Nicolae
Published: February 2023

The article is based on an analysis of current documents issued at European level, by the European Commission, CEDEFOP, USA-Department for Labor and also at national level, on digital education and establishing the necessary competencies at different levels of education.
For the first time, a correlation is made between the qualification levels in the National Qualifications Framework and the competences / skills currently existing in the specialized literature as a narrative.
This classification comes to the aid of education specialists to show them what needs to be taught to pupils and students according to their mental capacity in what we call digital education.
We must take into account the development of the minds of young people, in conjunction with the taught elements of digital education, otherwise we can mentally destroy them in the long run.
The aspects presented in this article refer to young people of medium level of development for whom a digital education strategy is made and those underdeveloped.
For the digital age, it is clear that a national strategy for digital education is needed.
This must include the competencies and learning outcomes specific to each qualification level in the education system, including teacher training, and the technology required.
In this paper we show that at European level important steps have been taken in this direction, there is an Action Plan based on a recommendation of the Council, supplemented with competencies and related levels. Thus, we are presenting a proposal for coordination between the levels of digital skills and those of education and qualifications, which should come to the aid of those entitled to regulate the situation of digital education.
EVALUATION OF THE SITUATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE DORMITORIES IN THE ONLINE EDUCATION MODEL DURING THE PANDEMIC PROCESS
Authors: Soykurt Mutlu , Altinay Fahriye , Altinay Zehra , Dagli Gokmen
Published: February 2023

Covid 19 as pandemic condition has affected the way of life in societies. International students whose were away from countries and living in dormitories have affected in both social and educational aspects. In the near future, it is predicted that online education will become the main ground of education instead of being an alternative or a support function for face-to-face learning, The lessons learned from the early widespread digital learning experience, which has been passed with a rapid adaptation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online education experiences of international students were examined in the research study. In this respect, this research aims to determine situation of international students in pandemic process. Qualitative research was employed in the research that online interview form was conducted to collect data. This research revealed that most the students are satisfied from food support or food packages, technical support for educational purposes, free hospital service by the university, financial support from various private and public organizations as well as psychological support for students living in the dormitories. Some of the students believed that face-to-face education is more effective than online education. But some of them acknowledged that online education was the best option to avoid loss of education during the pandemic. International students underlined that they were mostly informed in the dormitories and the cafeterias on protection from COVID-19 through brochures, oral seminars or via the Internet. It is concluded that socialization and education services of international students have done regarding to the higher education responsibilities.
THE CHALLENGE OF WORKING ONLINE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN TIMES OF COVID 19 - A PSYCHO-DIDACTIC APPROACH
Authors: Trofin Roxana anca
Published: February 2023

The pandemic context, that went off a year ago, has compelled all of us to adopt a new mode of working and communicating. The universities, at least in Romania, had to pass overnight to working exclusively online, which triggered changes at the level of interhuman relationships and behaviours of the students and teachers, as well as a transformation of the teaching and learning strategies. From a face-to-face type of instruction, where the activities mediated by technology had only a relatively limited place, to a kind of activity unfolding fully online, to which the types of teaching activities and techniques had to be adapted, as well as the learning ones. These are the two main aspects that we are going to approach in this paper, by analysing the challenges of working online in the higher education, from the point of view of the behaviour as to information, transmission of knowledge, creation of the know-how, as well as be-how, and from the viewpoint of the new student-teacher relationships. The analysis will focus on the teaching - learning strategies within the Covid-19 pandemic conditions, i.e. a fully online type of education, imposed by the special sanitary conditions, with a strong psychological impact, and not on the general didactic principles of turning digital, which have already been in current practice, in a sporadic manner, for some time now. We are going to study equally the interdependence relationship between the social, economic and psychological context, and the changing of the working methods with the students.
ACADEMIC CHEATING: CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Authors: Zerkina Natalya , Chusavitina Galina , Kostina Natalia
Published: February 2023

The phenomenon of academic cheating/e-cheating is not new, but due to the massive growth of higher education and development of ICT in recent years, the problem is still relevant for the higher education system. In the context of distance learning, during the pandemic, academic cheating/e-cheating among university students has significantly increased, the range of forms of IT manifestation has expanded, and there is also a tendency to increase students' tolerance for these practices in the learning process. The probability that cheating/e-cheating is widely used by students during their studies raises doubts about the students' academic performance, the quality of training for professional activities, devalues investments into the education by students and their families, undermines the image of the educational institution, etc.The aim of the study is to work out mechanisms (approaches, tools and methods) to prevent the decline in the quality of education and the validity of the assessment of knowledge caused by academic cheating/e-cheating of students, including in the short-and long-term pandemic consequences.
Methodology. The paper uses the analysis of empirical and theoretical studies of foreign and Russian authors devoted to the study of the factors of unfair behaviour of students. The empirical basis of the study is the data of surveys of students and teachers of Russian universities. As a result of the study, it was found that academic cheating/e-cheating among students increased in the context of the pandemic; factors that encourage students to resort to unfair means to achieve educational goals were identified. The mechanisms of effective measures to prevent student cheating/e-cheating are proposed, based on both the individual (personal) characteristics of students and the features (characteristics) of the educational environment, including the role of the teacher, fellow students, the educational environment, software and technical support, etc.
INTEGRATION OF ONLINE EDUCATION TO TOURISM EDUCATION: CROSS CULTURAL STUDENT VOICES
Authors: Altinay Mehmet
Published: February 2023

Covid-19 pandemics had great impacts both in the manufacturing and service industries. Tourism is one of the service industries that had been affected in all its dimensions. Tourism services were heat as all modes of transport to a great extend have stopped after covid-19, but education continued by introducing on line systems all over the world including tourism education. Just before covid-19 the developments in tourism contributed to foreign exchange earnings, growth of the economies and also to employment. This paper aims to evaluate perceptions of tourism education students on online education. Self-reflection task was conducted to gather data from 98 tourism students. It is revealed that students had difficulty in using technological facilities, coping with project-based activities and in using new modes of teaching and learning. As a result of covid-19 higher education systems together with tourism and hospitality education has moved to non-traditional tourism education such as hybrid and online education from traditional classroom settings. The resent changes have significantly changed the way instructors teach and engage students to this education environment. Innovative, cooperative strategies and technologies are needed to remove barriers on online education. This study aims to answer the questions on the perceptions of students regarding online education from students that have different cultures and also shed a light on the challenges and opportunities of online education in tourism. Qualitative research design was used for reflection report. Despite student life has become difficult online education contributed a lot to the student's academic life for personal development.
INTERACTIVE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Gheorghe Mihaela , Dumitrache Anisoara
Published: February 2023

During the Pandemic, the access to online education was the best solution to continue teaching. The evolution of technology and its inclusion in the educational process has had its primary role in changing the way we learn, teach, and evaluate. Students are no longer tied to a specific space to be in contact with information, which they no longer necessarily take from books. Access to information paves the way for deciding individually what to learn, in what system, whether to join a learning community, or to download materials to study individually.
Interactive learning is based on the exchange of information and ideas, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes, on interpretations and resolutive suggestions and on the social interactions that are established within a group. Interactive learning can be defined as cooperative or collaborative learning based on the paradigm of group-centred learning, reinforced by the theory of social learning. The permanent interaction with the groups to which the learner belongs, the access to the common experience and knowledge of the group members contribute to an ascending learning process supported by a continuous feedback.
Learning is located in a social setting, in the middle of cultural influences, and technology-based collaborative learning can facilitate interaction between individuals and teamwork, and how collaboration and technology facilitate the transmission of knowledge and practices between members of a community. Collaboration can be considered a special form of interaction mediated by a computer.
The aim of the paper is to present best practices in interactive learning, challenges, and solutions emphasizing on the use of new online technologies. We focus on bachelor's degree programs students but the results can be replicated in different learning systems
DESIGN THINKING FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION
Authors: Gheorghe Ancuta florentina , Stefan Ioana andreea , Stefan Antoniu , Tsalapatas Hariklia , Heidmann Olivier
Published: February 2023

Whether in an educational or a professional setting, collaboration plays a major part in value creation, as it fosters creativity and innovative thinking, enriching decision-making processes and widening the approach to include different perspectives. Design Thinking has become an increasingly popular collaboration method as it focuses on problem-solving and user-centric-based strategies, where the participants can identify challenges, participate in brainstorming sessions to gather information, generate potential solutions, refine them and then test the chosen solution. Starting from this methodology, this paper presents the relevance and the advantages of using Design Thinking as a tool in the first stage of the designing process of a software solution. To substantiate the proposed approach, an innovative online collaborative tool, the DT4S platform, has been used. The authors highlight the capability of the platform to stimulate the creative process and the engagement of the design team through brainstorming sessions. The paper describes the process of implementing a brainstorming activity using the DT4S platform, following the five stages of the Design Thinking methodology: emphasize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. It exemplifies how this methodology can be incorporated in a software design process, to ensure a qualitative and easy-to-follow workflow for each member of the design team, mitigating the risk of solution-driven changes that can occur during the software design process. The objectives defined by the team leader were analyzed for each of the stages along with the inputs that were brought on the platform, which represent the entire interaction between the team members, and the outputs that represent the results obtained after participating in brainstorming sessions. Following the experiment, the authors discuss key gamification techniques that could be applied to enrich the collaborative approach of the DT4S Platform.
THE FLIPPED LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY BY SOCIAL NETWORKS: A CHALLENGE FOR E-LEARNING
Authors: Isidori Emanuele , Sandor Iosif , Leonova Irina , Petrova Irina , Mario De martino , Magnanini Angela , Fazio Alessandra
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, Flipped Learning and social networks as a means for E-Learning represent a challenge for contemporary higher education. The recent literature written on social networks as tools to enhance education has highlighted the relevance of these learning environments to achieve higher education's fundamental goals in colleges and universities. Most of the investigations confirm that Facebook, along with other social networks, media, and E-communication tools, can enable the university classroom's extension in a new way and support and enhance the Flipped Learning. Therefore, this paper aims to deepen and grasp the relationship between social networks and Flipped Learning in university education by drawing on the topics' primary scholarly literature. To better examine and understand this relation, we have conducted a case study and shown its results. This case study concerned the experience of using a methodology of teaching the sports humanities based on Flipped Learning enhanced by social networks in an Italian University. In order to collect the data, we have used qualitative-quantitative research methodologies. The data were obtained from interviews and survey questionnaires administered to a sample of students attending the online courses of Sports Humanities in an Italian University. Statistical and text analysis programs have processed the data. The programs have shown frequencies, knots, created word trees, lists, and concept maps regarding students' opinions on Facebook as a virtual learning environment to boost the Flipped Classroom. This analysis aimed to understand and grasp, by comparing data, how and whether the use of Social Networks has favored the development of a real Flipped Classroom in the course delivered and, together with it, the Flipped Learning in students. Finally, we used the research data to build an effective Flipped Classroom application model for university education in the sports humanities' scholarly domain.
TEACHING DIGITAL IN PANDEMIC TIMES: RECALIBRATING THE CLASSROOM FOR WEB 3.0 STUDENTS
Authors: Popescu Maria magdalena , Repez Filofteia
Published: February 2023

In post pandemic times when looking forward to the normality is the focus of everyone's attention, research areas abound in papers spinning around the same topic- COVID-19. From disinformation to a mired economy, to the effects on global mobility, education, health, social and political aspects, all papers observe, analyze, count and draw conclusions on what COVID-19 meant for the whole world. Studies vary from a national level approach to the international, continental and global, with a specialist or generalist approach, from analyses on figures from economy and tourism to lexical analyses on occurrences of news topics or frequently used words, to measure society in terms of psychological unrest and confidence, after an invariable introductory section about the context and time COVID-19 first started and where it initiated, to stages of the virus spread and sectors affected. Looked at on the long term, education along with general and mental health are among the most frequently brought under lenses mainly due to the long term isolation consequences on social evolution. In this context, the present paper aims at highlighting the need for a recalibration of the educational process, to tune in with a virtual area, to accommodate a differently represented type of student and a variety of pedagogical approaches to adapt the syllabus and tailor activities to facilitate learning in an environment which has been recently re-purposed to fit and last, to answer and to teach. The universal tool-bag is extremely generous, the technological support products are abundant in apps designed for educational purposes, while the key to set it all in motion is creativity, attention to students' needs, a proper selection of the pedagogical resorts and of the content, in a close combination with specificities of online communication in such contexts. A comparison will be drawn between two apps used for formal synchronous learning, three types of students, and four components in class management, all having one goal, the knowledge transfer.
AN EDUCATION SPACES FRAMEWORK TO DEFINE INTERACTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES OVER THE PHYSICAL-HYBRID-VIRTUAL CONTINUUM
Authors: Stockert Robin , Van der zanden Piet , De carobarek Veruska
Published: February 2023

We are now experiencing the first real impacts of the 4th industrial revolution, affecting our social, political, economic, and cultural lives. There is a fusion of technologies and research within several fields like robotics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, genetics, and biology.
Our current education system is becoming irrelevant unless it can cope with the fast and disruptive changes. Universities need to find new strategies that enable them to play an active role within the global society, delivering relevant education for students usable for their future work-life. Redesign the old model of education towards education 4.0(1)
However, using technology and digital solutions to take shortcuts towards a new sustainable educational ecosystem is not the solution. There must be a focus on pedagogy first, with large elements of student active learning, communication and collaboration, the deliverance of 21st-century skills.

The largest University in the Netherlands, Delft Technical University (TUDelft), and the largest University in Noway, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are continuously optimizing their campus facilities, teaching practices, and technological infrastructure. However, their prerequisites and approach differ (2) but they experience the same challenges, especially after COVID-19. The Pandemic has rapidly pushed the universities into an unknown digital landscape, exposing sedimented university structures, vulnerabilities, shortcomings, and the need to transform attitudes, pedagogy, spaces, and technology.

There is a need to consolidate the experiences from TUDelft and NTNU to get a clearer picture of the challenges coming up and how to solve them--finding common factors to act as guidelines for a new technological and pedagogical framework and merging the physical, online, and virtual spaces. Mapping blended learning and pedagogy working within this vast space and applying technology to obtain a seamless learning experience. It is all about finding the affordances and small nudges to move into the hybrid domain. To identify and expose complex challenges, artifacts, and long-term side-effects, which might appear in the onsite-hybrid-online transitions.

In this paper, we present the plans, prototypes, and framework for NTNU and TUDelft. After that, we examine the design of 3 different physical learning spaces made for various types of collaborative activities. We look at the technological/pedagogical prerequisites and barriers in the movement/transformation of these activities into an online or hybrid learning environment. Our combined experience and related discussion will give Universities a head start towards a new sustainable learning environment.
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER CANDIDATES' ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Yucesoy Yucehan , Baglama Basak , Sorakin Yasemin , Bastas Meryem , Celebi Menil
Published: February 2023

The developments in the field of technology in the 21st century caused changes in the field of education, as in many fields. Technology undoubtedly facilitates human life when used properly. There are many benefits to using technology in education.Technology today makes people's lives easier and progresses rapidly with it. In the process of integration of developing technologies into the field of education, important studies are carried out on the international platform. In the 21st century world, as well as changes in every field, various innovations in science and technology have occurred. Education plays an important role in keeping up with the requirements of the present era. Technological innovations and developments affect the education system and teaching learning-process in this context. The technologies used in education are leaving their place to new technologies. Increasingly, they take their place in the classroom environment such as computer, projection, electronic board, distance education and the learning environment is moved to the network environment (Bulman & Fairlie, 2016; Sendurur & Arslan, 2017). Lectures can be strengthened with technological equipment. On the other hand, using technology in education makes lessons more attractive for students. At the same time, supporting narration with technological tools facilitates learning and increases retention. For this reason, the use and importance of technology in education has increased today and teachers' attitudes towards technology use are important. When evaluated from this point of view, it is thought that the research subject will contribute to the literature. This study aimed to determine primary school teacher candidates' attitudes towards digital technology. In this study, the primary teacher candidates studying at a private university in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) were examined on the technology attitudes of teachers in education. The study was conducted with the participation of 121 teacher candidates during 2019-2020 academic year. Attitude Scale towards the Use of Technology in Education was used to determine the attitudes of prospective teachers towards digital technology. Results are presented with descriptive statistics, tables, frequencies and percentages and discussed with relevant references from the literature and suggestions for future research and practices are provided.
THE LUDIFICATION OF THE MARKETING COMMUNICATION. GAMIFICATION TECHNIQUES USED BY HIGH-END BRANDS.
Authors: Hodorogea Vasile , Casvean Tulia maria
Published: February 2023

The accelerated development of new technologies, the portability of telecommunications, the proliferation of digital media and, above all, the access of the general public to all this, determine a change in the way people communicate with each other and with the commercial brands. The brands, on the other hand, need to adapt quickly to this "digital culture" in which communication takes place in any space. In the new digital age, the modern logic of marketing communication acts on the consumer in the direction of playfulness, of ludic behaviour in the process of receiving the commercial message, giving him gamification mechanisms that create the impression of control over the production of the commercial message content, through interactions with media (brand and company sites, online applications, virtual exhibition and sales spaces - e-commerce sites). Gamification may bring an experience more enjoyable and more engaging, that could not necessarily bring a valuable outcome, or changing behaviour by exploiting "gameful", as using those techniques in relationship with education, yet it could be a way to motivate people to behave [28]. This paper uses a collective case-study method to assess the brand communication using gamification techniques for building playful content, analysing official websites, professional websites and the responses to an e-mail mini-questionnaire. The purpose of the current study was to determine if brands can ,,borrow" models, practices and techniques from the online or video games (the wider area of gaming) and to reproduce them in non-gaming media, in order to obtain viable commercial communication products.
ACCESSIBILITY AND EDUCATION: ARE WE FULFILLING STATE OF THE ART REQUIREMENTS?
Authors: Stefan Ioana andreea , Baalsrud hauge Jannicke , Sallinen Niina , Stefan Antoniu , Gheorghe Ancuta florentina
Published: February 2023

Digital accessibility has been supported through several global initiatives, starting with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 Recommendation issued in 1999 and continuing with the WCAG 2.0 ISO 40500 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or the DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, all aiming to make information, services, and functionalities of the Web accessible to as many people as possible. Applying such standards and recommendations in education remains an issue, as awareness on accessibility and its requirements is limited among those creating educational content, as well as among those designing and implementing educational web sites and applications. Research on digital accessibility has identified lack of awareness, resources, and specific training related to accessibility as key top challenges that need to be overcome in the next few years. The paper presents an overview of the accessibility features available in mainstream applications and tools that content creator can use to develop accessible and inclusive digital learning content and discusses the findings of an online questionnaire that aimed to gather insights on the availability, user-friendliness and use of accessibility features available in tools such as Open Office, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, PDF, videos and educational games. Findings have shown that digital accessibility practices are not widely spread, and that the road to a more accessible future is yet to be built. Findings have shown that digital accessibility practices are not widely spread, and that the road to a more accessible future is yet to be built.