bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CHOOSE YOUR OWN TECHNICAL ADVENTURE: AN INCREASED ENGAGEMENT IN THE ENGINEERING CLASSROOM THROUGH PRESENTATIONS INFLUENCED BY STUDENT DECISIONS
Authors: Moalfa Maria , Olarescu Stefanmihai , Pietraru Radu nicolae , Olteanu Adriana
Published: February 2023

The engineering curriculum is often quite loaded and for this reason the presentations in the classroom are dense and difficult to follow for students. The teacher has the difficult task of creating a balance between the accelerated presentation of all the necessary information and maintaining an adequate level of interactivity of the presentation. But it is not always important to go through the entire collection of information, as well as to understand a small set of fundamental ideas and, more importantly, to awaken the students' interest in the exposed topic. In order to achieve these two objectives, a presentation framework must be created that contains the essential elements and the rest of the information can be presented according to the interest shown by the students towards a certain topic or another. The article aims to present a methodology for such a teaching method in which students vote in real time (during the course, electronic vote through e-learning platform) what level of detail they want for each section of the presentation and which case examples are relevant or not for them. In this way a high level of student engagement is maintained during the course and the information is provided interactively to the participants. The electronic vote of the students will be realized through a plugin of the Moodle platform and will dictate the course of the oral presentation of the professor. The validation of the method will be done by analyzing the results of the final examination and by interviewing the students participating in the interactive course.
VIRTUAL PARAMETRIC MECHANICAL DESIGN ASSOCIATED WITH CAD ENVIRONMENT AND DATABASE
Authors: Constantin George
Published: February 2023

The paper aims to approach a methodology of virtual parametric design in the mechanical field. The method proposes the transition from the manual calculation of the design stages, usually indicated by the design guides, followed by a CAD representation, to a new method that involves parametric virtual modeling in a CAD environment and the correlation of the CAD model with an external database. All design parameters and calculation steps are integrated into an Excel file. In the list of the parameters of the general CAD model, besides the parameters of the model, user parameters that can be found in all the design stages (initial or calculated variables) are entered. The spreadsheet also contains lists with different values of catalog quantities (dimensional or technological). The user selects in the spreadsheet different values of the user parameters that lead through the calculated fields to some geometrical named parameters of the model. In the list of parameters of the CAD model it is made the connection with the spreadsheet whose parameters are attached. The user assigns to each parameter of the CAD model the corresponding parameter named and calculated from the Excel database. One can choose to automatically update the CAD model in relation to the values associated with the parameters. The update leads to a CAD representation consistent with the user-selected initial design data of database. The work demonstrates the concept by applying it to the design of a cutting tools for processing the teeth of spur and helical gears. Students can witness by means of an applied virtual concept short-term results associated with several project versions and can quickly understand the influence of different design parameters on the CAD model making comparisons or different analyses. Thus, the virtual project eliminates the high realization time and the computational effort in the classical method, as well as the physical models in the laboratory for demonstrating the different technical aspects.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SOFTWARE USED IN THE LABOR MARKET VS THE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE OF POSTUROLOGY USED IN THE TRAINING OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
Authors: Ionite Catalin , Condurache Iustina
Published: February 2023

The technological and informational explosion had a negative impact on human health by reducing the time allocated to movement in the daily activity.
The simple activities such as newspaper picking, shopping, paying bills, etc., can now be done by a simple click from the computer or mobile devices.
The technological development of the 21st century offers daily comfort, but it increases the time spent in static positions, favors the appearance of sedentarism and producing changes in the posture of individuals. A correct body posture is a sign of good psycho-physical balance of the individual. Modifying it decreases the body's ability to fight against gravity, to oppose external forces, to balance itself during movements such as, to perform them etc. The consequence of these changes leads to the appearance of pathologies / diseases in all the segments of the body.
The study aimed to identify in three databases of virtual libraries the devices and software used in the analysis of the individual's posture by the labor market and research, and then the identified information was compared with the software used by students from the specialization of Physiotherapy (Balneology, physical therapy and medical rehabilitation), from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Iasi.
After studying the specialized literature from three virtual libraries and identifying the devices and software used by the market specialists and comparing them with the devices and software used by the students within the specialization of Physiotherapy (Balneology, physical therapy and medical rehabilitation), we can say that the last class are using topical devices in posture analysis, but they do not depart from the classical methods of posture evaluation, while in the same time are making a comparison between the two generations.
THE INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONS ON THE ACQUISITION LEVEL OF SENSORY INFORMATION
Authors: Lazar Alexandra  maria
Published: February 2023

The emotions involved in the learning process, which are in a permanent state of interconnection, can be considered the main factor and/or trigger of the process through each information is acquired by any sensory means.
According to the american psychologist P. Ekman, "...emotions are reactions to aspects which seem extremely important to our well-being [...] emotions are created so rapidly in most situations that we still cannot fully understand the triggering mental processes." (Ekman P., 2011, Emotion Revealed. Understanding Faces and Feelings, p.48). On the other hand, "Visual sensations are the result of the interaction between electromagnetic waves and the visual analysis apparatus." (Popescu - Neveanu P., Zlate M., Cretu T., 1995, Psychology, p.31).
This article aims to highlight the way in which emotions (even when induced in a controlled manner) act on: ocular movements, facial expressions and postural behaviour, and also the way in which they influence their response. Taking these aspects into account, alongside the idea that: "the cultivation of beneficial emotions plays a role in disease treatment in any medical field" (Salzberg S. apud. Goleman D., 2008,Healing Emotions: Conversation with DALAI LAMA on Mindfulness, Emotions and Health, p.20), the first part of the paper presents the general framework of the concept of emotion, alongside its visual, facial and postural parameters of definition. In the second part of the article the theoretical framework of research is established and the experimental system is presented. The focus is on the influence of controlled emotions on the level of information acquisition (at every one the three levels previously established). The final part of the paper presents the results of conclusions relating to the influence of triggering factor on the responses and the process of data or information acquisition.
E-LEARNING ABOUT QUALITY CONTROL IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY. CASE STUDY
Authors: Bucevschi Adina , Pustianu Monica , Barbu Ionel , Fogorasi Magdalena simona , Airinei Erzsebet
Published: February 2023

The paper presents a way of teaching and learning of laboratory works in the course "Quality Control in the Textile Industry". The course "Quality Control in the Textile Industry" is addressed to students in the second year, the first semester.
As case study, "Determination of the pilling and abrasion resistance proprieties, using the "Martindale apparatus" was chosen. The Martindale method, also known as the Martindale rub test, simulates natural wear of a fabric, in which the textile sample is rubbed against a standard abrasive surface with a specified force. The resistance of textile materials to abrasion as measured on a testing machine in the laboratory is generally only one of several factors contributing to wear performance or durability as experienced in the actual use of the material.
Classical teaching methods are being gradually replaced by modern methods, using PC. Almost all our laboratory works are loaded on a platform that can be accessed by each student, no matter where they are. The students can access the paper on the site of our University, www.uav.ro.
To enhance students' motivation and capture their attention, a PowerPoint presentation has been used that includes slides with different parts of lab work, external links, and video documents.
To evaluate the resistance to pilling and abrasion of the fabrics, subjective and objective assessment methods were used. The data obtained were statistically processed and graphically represented using Excel, followed by the interpretation of the results.
Based on this information, a hierarchy of materials according to their tendency to form the pilling and the abrasion resistance can be accomplished
USING MYOTEST AS A HIGH PRECISION DEVICE TO ASSESS STRENGTH FOR STUDENT ATHLETES
Authors: Leuciuc Florin valentin
Published: February 2023

Using the electronic devices in order to improve the accuracy of the assessment is very important, especially in sport training. In our research we assessed strength for student athletes by using Myotest device to determine the efficiency of the sport training (especially strength training). The aim of the research was to assess the level of strength in a period of 10 weeks for student athletes and to determine the evolution of the training for this period of time. In the research there were used four tests to determine the muscular strength: bench press, plyometric jump, counter movement jump and squat jump. For each of this four test's the device collect data concerning: power (Watts), strength (Newton), velocity or speed (cm/s), vertical height (inch or cm), contact time (ms), flight time (ms), muscle stiffness, reactivity. Each specific movement should be correctly done and the testing conditions be optimal and in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy in assessment. Descriptive statistics were calculated based on the collected data by using ANOVA method to identify any significant differences between two testing's The collected data showed an improvement of the results at the applied tests and the use of the Myotest device was important because it increased the accuracy of the assessment and provided the data in real time allowing to reshape the training schedule according to the new conditions (situations). The electronic device is a reliable tool used to improve the accuracy of the assessment and also the training program of the students athletes.
EXTEND PROJECT: PILOTING THE COURSE "FOREIGN LANGUAGES FOR ENGINEERING. ACADEMIC WRITING" AT NOSOV MAGNITOGORSK STATE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Authors: Zerkina Natalya , Savinova Yuliya , Kostina Natalia
Published: February 2023

Within the framework of EXTEND project Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity Building in Higher Education Project EXTEND 586060-EPP-1-2017-1-RO-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP "Excellence in Engineering Education through Teacher Training and New Pedagogic Approaches in Russia and Tajikistan" it is planned to elaborate innovative courses to enhance the quality of engineering education in Russia and Tajikistan. Inasmuch as foreign languages are included in transversal competences for engineering education, special attention was given to the elaboration of the "Foreign Languages for Engineering. Academic Writing" course. A foreign language is considered as a means of professional competence forming and is included in the main competences of engineers of XXI century. The course consists of five modules having the similar structure: "Reading and Speaking", "Writing", "Listening", "Translation Basics", Academic Writing", "Assessment" and "Bank of Prompts". The content of the modules is universal for any branch of engineering, as it touches upon such topics as affiliation and self-presentation, safety at working place, dimensions, working with drawings,career strategy, team building, engineering branches, etc. Special attention is given to academic writing, as it is obligatory for contemporary PhD students and university teachers to publish their scientific papers and disseminate the results of their researches at the international level. Learners are taught to write their research papers according to the IMRaD model. Moreover, academic writing is correlated with a listening part, supplementing it with practical tips. "Bank of prompts" is aimed at equipping learners with lingvocultural background information, which is necessary for communication and translation. The paper describes the piloting experiment, thus complex methodology is applied.
RAPID MODELLING TECHNIQUES FOR 3D RECONSTRUCTION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS, FOR IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS
Authors: Nazare Anakarina , Moldoveanu Alin , Moldoveanu Florica , Gradinaru Alexandru , Balutoiu Maria anca , Asavei Victor
Published: February 2023

As we roam further into the future, digitization becomes an essential tool in thinning the barrier between the physical and cyber worlds. We grow expectations of bringing more and more of the world at our fingertips, and eventually being able to access data or experiences by the means of easily operable electronic devices.
Reviving the libraries use, especially in academic context, by augmenting their spaces through Augmented Reality techniques or mirroring their spaces in Virtual Reality, eases the training of the readers in knowing and using the library, and provides a solid foundation for plenty of new collaborative experiences for readers and visitors. Additionally, the 3D reconstruction of libraries, needed for Virtual Reality, provides an opportunity to disseminate online such rich cultural spaces, and preserve their patrimonial value.
This paper presents the case study of 3D reconstructing the Universitary Central Library of Bucharest.
First, we briefly present related work. Then, we analyze various reconstruction techniques. Latest hardware and software advances open a wide range of new reconstruction methods, each having advantages, costs and limitations. We discuss both automatic and manual reconstruction, and combinations of both.
Next, we identify and analyze the problems to be solved for our reconstruction subject and pinpoint solutions offering fidelity, rapid reconstruction, moderate use of resources, and sufficient performance for real-time applications (including VR).
Finally, we detail, through practical examples, the solutions or optimal techniques, depending on the characteristics of the part to be modeled. Together, they all form an efficient hybrid solution satisfying our objectives.
THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE GERGONNE - EULER - SODDY TRIANGLE.
Authors: Anghel Iulia andreea , Anghel Gheorghe , Calin Marius daniel , Helerea Elena
Published: February 2023

Mathematics has been, is and will remain a fascinating topic. Learning mathematics using modern means of information technology, pedagogical approaches specific to 21st century challenges, are issues that will be treated in this article.
We live in an era of information explosion, accelerated and revolutionary technical progress, which is why it is imperative to ask questions, assess risks, modify methodologies, concepts and create new learning situations. It is our responsibility to prepare for the future, which today means the class of students / students, instilling in them patterns of attitudes and behaviors, transmitting the knowledge needed for a world in a continuous change worldwide.
Software solutions in eLearning imply the existence of a complex system of teaching and learning online, through advanced technologies (laptops, smart phones, tablets, eLearning platforms, internet), offering access, at different levels of study, according to the users needs.
Experimental mathematics continues to gain increasing importance in the engineering sciences, in this regard, computerization and simulation play increasingly important roles, providing clarity and accuracy in the technique of teaching-experimenting-evaluation.
The Gergonne - Euler - Soddy triangle is a broad subject, for which we propose in this article the analytical and graphical treatment of the determination of the coordinates of NOOBS points and of the equation of GERGONNE's straight line, and through specialized software a graphical application is developed, highlighting their unique characteristics and properties, in Euclidean geometry. The graphical modeling of the triangle ABC, of the inscribed circle and its points of tangency with the sides of the triangle, was performed with Graph 4.3 software.
SECURITY AND DEFENCE HIGHER EDUCATION IN PANDEMIC TIMES: MEASURES ADOPTED AND NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE
Authors: Spinello Enrico , Torbidone Gianluca , Marchisio Marina , Rabellino Sergio
Published: February 2023

The pandemic crisis started in the middle of the last academic year and disrupted timetables and programs designed months in advance. This forced all Schools and Universities to re-organize quickly all the didactic activities in a different way according to the new needs. Also, in the field of Security and Defence Higher Education it was necessary to design new models of teaching and training. Officers, in order to be able to operate in national and international very complex contexts, cannot postpone some training and could not lose, in terms of quality, their specialized education. This change was more difficult because their preparation includes theoretical and practical activities. In this paper, we analyze the measures assumed by the University of Turin in cooperation with IT-Army Education and Training Command and School of Applied Studies, for military and civilian students of the Bachelor Degree and Master Degree in Strategic Sciences. The presence of a Digital Learning Environment, already used as support to the face-to-face teaching, was very important and allowed to adopt quite easily flexible digital methodologies in distance, blended and hybrid teaching and learning. Despite this, it was fundamental to support and train teachers for developing more digital competences and producing new interactive materials and to strengthen the infrastructures in terms of hardware, software and updating of the classrooms. We discuss this transition by using students' and teachers' answers to two questionnaires and through the analysis of students' activities, difficulties encountered and solutions found. The outcomes in such a challenging and demanding context are generally positive and offer new opportunities and new perspectives for the future of Security and Defence Higher Education.
A PERSPECTIVE OF STUDENTS ON FEEDBACK IN ONLINE EDUCATION
Authors: Caprioara Daniela , Frunza Virgil
Published: February 2023

Feedback is undoubtedly a very important element in the general structure of the training and learning process, the peremptory proof of importance being the principle of feedback or reverse connection, listed in the current pedagogical or didactic literature.
Efficient use of feedback in teaching-learning activity is conditioned by a series of variables, among which are found the elements of specificity, the functions of feedback, its forms and, last but not least, the concrete means by which it can be achieved.
The pandemic context generates the problem of a paradigm shift in terms of feedback management, a rethinking and a repositioning of it in the general configuration of the training and learning process. In other words, they need to be reviewed.
The main question that formed the basis of this study is: What is the students' perception of the feedback, both in terms of personal experience, but also that of the training specialist for the teaching profession? To formulate an answer to this question, a questionnaire was applied to a group of 80 students from the Pedagogy of Primary and Preschool Education program. Years 2 and 3 were selected, for two reasons: on the one hand, to have a psycho-pedagogical knowledge base that would allow them to formulate pertinent opinions and, on the other hand, to have a comparative reference, having in view that they have completed at least one semester of university studies in face-to-face education.
The results show that students' perceptions of feedback in online education are relatively different.
PROJECT MAKING APPROACH: SUBJECT OF STUDY AND TEACHING TECHNOLOGY AT MODERN UNIVERSITY
Authors: Zerkina Natalya , Chusavitina Galina , Udotova Olga
Published: February 2023

The best foreign and Russian practices of management activities implementation basing on the project approach show that project management significantly improves productivity and increases the efficiency of each area of any enterprise functioning (production, marketing and innovation activities, social sphere, etc.), provides competitive advantages in a dynamic external environment. However, among the risk factors related to human capital, when implementing the project approach into an enterprise activities, researchers note the lack of competencies in the field of project management, conservative thinking and management style; lack of flexibility and adaptability to changes.It must be noted that the project approach is currently not only a subject of study at universities, but it is also actively used as an innovative approach to building the educational process at higher education institutions. The necessity of improving the future specialists training in the field of project management determined the relevance of this research. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology model for competence building in the field of project management. The study was conducted with students of technical departments at Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University during 2017-2020. While conducting the research, a methodology model for competence building in the field of project management at all stages of project life cycle among university students was elaborated and practically tested. In support of the course "Project Management", the authors worked out and downloaded a digital educational resource on the university educational portal, which includes various educational and methodological materials. The results of the study and field-test of the proposed model showed the effectiveness of the elaborated mechanisms for competence building in the field of project management. The research materials can be used for training students of other areas in the field of project management, as well as in the professional development of specialists, university teachers, which will increase the effectiveness of the application of the potential of the project approach in management and in educational activities.
FROM TRADITIONAL TO A NEW MODEL OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION. CASE STUDY: THE VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY
Authors: Comsa Viorica , Verzea Ion , Chaib Rachid
Published: February 2023

In the context of the health emergency generated by the COVID19 pandemic, authors investigate the way in which the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi (TUIASI) addressed this big challenge with respect to the fields of education and administration. After providing an overview of activity changes since the installing of the pandemic situation to the current situation, the aim of this paper is to explore the opportunity for crisis breakthrough proposals in the sense of education and business models for TUIASI. To this end, the paper accounts for the post-COVID19 higher education scenarios existing in the literature, i.e., passing storm, good company, sunrise in the east, lone wolves. The main university models comprise: the Traditional University (bricks-and-mortar institution, face-to-face oral and written communication), enhanced with Blended Learning approaches (online platforms used as means to complement the educational resources and information exchange); Online University (where the physical infrastructure is used only for administrative purposes, while for education it is replaced by connected computing platforms supporting the whole processes), that evolved from distance education and aims towards MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses); Virtual University (purely online or hybrid approaches possible), that reflects the principle of different entities sharing their core competences to form a Virtual Organization. The authors' methodology includes the exploration and systematization of the post-COVID19 higher education scenarios in parallel to the university models exposed by the literature. The main outcome of the paper consists then in the critical analysis of each model against the previsioned scenarios with respect to the TUIASI objectives related to the learner, teacher, learning environment and education, exposing for each of them the benefits and drawbacks as well as possible improvement proposals.
EVALUATION OF THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL NETWORKS: COMPARISON OF INFORMATION SERVICES AND RECOMMENDATION SYSTEMS OF LINKEDIN AND VIADEO
Authors: Larouk Omar , Garanovich Marina
Published: February 2023

The use of social media has grown rapidly in recent years, but analytical work is still dominated by the motivations of members to join social media. However, we believe that the question of valuing the services rendered by these social networks should be analyzed and compared to other informational services given by libraries, especially in the context of professional networking sites (for example, LinkedIn, Viadeo). Future avenues of research and the implications of the framework developed are discussed highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of these professional networking sites. LinkedIn (https://fr.linkedin.com/) and Viadeo (https://viadeo.journaldunet.com/) are based on the same principle, they are professional social networks intended to create an essentially professional network. LinkedIn claims more than 660 million members from 170 industries in more than 200 countries and territories and more than 19 million users in France. Acquired by Microsoft to counter the French social network Viadeo. Viadeo is a French professional social network online since 2004 which allows to build and aggregate its network of contacts, in order to facilitate dialogue between professionals. Like LinkedIn, it is also a tool for managing e-reputation (online reputation) or personal marketing, which attracts a greater number of types of profiles from senior and professional executives. In 2020, Viadeo claims 8 million members in France from companies and students. Both portals have the same business model through advertising, subscriptions and recruiting services. We will focus our assessment on macro-criteria as essential: - information retrieval services, personalized access services, documentation services, participatory services, networking services, and data warehouses.
INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN STEM EDUCATION THROUGH IOT PROJECTS BASED ON MACHINE LEARNING
Authors: Oprea Marin
Published: February 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely present in our daily lives: smartphones facial recognition systems, digital voice assistants, smart home devices, mobile banking, Google predictive searches, Netflix recommendation, Google Maps, ride-sharing apps, mobile banking etc. The field of AI is in a continuous and rapid development. This aspect gives to AI the status of a central pole in the process of digital transformation of society. The impact of AI on the Education sector is particularly visible: differentiated and individualized learning, automatic admin tasks, tutoring and support outside the classroom, automatic translators etc. In such a context, the approach to the study of the basics of AI in school becomes strictly necessary. Our students need to learn what is AI and how it will change the world we live in, what is Machine Learning (ML), what means Computer Vision (CV), how facial analysis and voice recognition systems work etc. In order to teach Science through the STEM educational model, we initiated optional school courses in Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics and AI (approached through ML). In this article we presented a method of approaching and implementing, in the school educational environment, the concept of Machine Learning. In this sense, we have realized, on the Arduino platform, two IoT projects based on this concept: Speech Recognition and Facial Recognition. In the first of these projects, Speech Recognition, we used the EasyVR 3 Plus module. This is a speech recognition module that has been designed to add robust voice recognition capabilities to almost any application. The range of applications made with this module includes voice control for home automation, robots voice control etc. After assembling the components of the kit that contains the module, we proceeded to its functional testing. Through the associated application (EasyVR Commander) we created a group of users who received usernames and passwords. Using ML algorithms, the system was trained in voice recognition of usernames and passwords. The system, based on voice interactivity, reacts to the recognition of a user's voice allowing the control of the status of an LED and the rotation of a servomotor. For the second project, Facial Recognition, we used the ESP-32 CAM module. This module is widely used in IoT applications, such as: wireless video monitoring, QR wireless identification, facial recognition etc. We tested this module functionally first as a video monitoring device and then as a facial identification system. Based on ML algorithms, the software of this device detects the human faces in front of the camera, stores information about them and is trained in their recognition. The project was implemented as an automatic door unlock system, after the face of the person in front of the camera was recognized.
THE CONCEPT OF CONTROLLABILITY IN AN E-LEARNING MODEL
Authors: Raileanu Brandusa
Published: February 2023

Three trends concerning applications of Systems Theory in education and e-learning are analysed. The first is the holistic General Systems Theory which studies the structure and the behaviour of systems, and identifying the components and the interconnections within systems. The second is represented by the Dynamical Systems Theory which uses concepts such as attractors, bifurcations or constraints to create a framework for the study of the critical components of the learning process. But being too general, these directions cannot provide concrete mathematical models able to give solutions for the management and improvement of this process. The third direction which tries to solve this problem is developed in this paper, continuing the author's two previous papers. An e-learning innovative model is provided using the tools of the Systems and Control Theory. The inputs, outputs and the states which correspond to the e-learning process are described and the equations of the state-space representation of the model are derived. This model is applied to the foreign languages e-learning. The controllability of the system is analysed by means of a suitable Gramian. A necessary and sufficient condition of controllability is presented and in the case of the controllable systems a formula is given for the optimal control of the problem of minimum energy transfer of states. Two programs are implemented using Control Systems Toolbox of the Matlab software, one which generates the e-learning system and the other which computes the optimal solution of the transfer problem. This solution allows teachers and students to schedule their e-learning tasks in order to acquire a desired level of knowledge.
CHALLENGES OF EXTEND PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION (BASED ON NMSTU EXPERIENCE)
Authors: Savinova Yuliya , Zerkina Natalya , Lazarou Elisabeth
Published: February 2023

Enhancing engineering education is a challenging issue nowadays. The international project implemented within the program of Erasmus + KA2 Capacity Building in Higher Education # 586060-EPP-1-2017- RO-EPPKA2-CBHE "Excellence in Engineering Education through Teacher Training and New Pedagogic Approaches in Russia and Tajikistan" (acronym - EXTEND) contributes to solving this issue and aims to improve the quality of engineering education. The paper describes the importance of the quality of engineering personnel training, as well as goals and objectives of EXTEND project. The authors give the detailed information about the project calendar, its stages, and annual actions of the project participants from 2017-2021. The pandemic has intervened in the project during the third year of its implementation, therefore it was prolonged for one year more, till 2021. The paper shows the obstacles the project consortium faced under pandemic conditions, and the ways of overcoming them. In the process of online project implementation it was revealed that even despite the lack of face-to-face meetings, due to the joint efforts of partner-universities it was possible to continue the project fruitfully and achieve its results. The role of mentor universities is particularly emphasized. The authors describe the experience of one of the twelve project participants, Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University (NMSTU) in implementation of the project. This institution was in charge of the elaboration of the course "Foreign Languages for Engineering. Academic Writing", aimed at building future engineers and engineering teachers' soft skills. EXTEND project addresses a very important issue of engineering education excellence, and has been doing a prominent job in actually achieving that.
STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS TOWARD THE QUALITY OF ONLINE EDUCATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Oprescu Claudia , Tiganoaia Bogdan
Published: February 2023

COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted human life but also impacted quality of online education, right after the shift from traditional face-to-face to e-learning. This study was conducted to investigate the perception of this type of learning amongst UPB students, being focused around the following areas: number of students taking online courses and the geographic areas served, quality standards for online learning and supportive services, planning and leadership in online learning.This study utilized quantitative methods and was conducted by distributing an online questionnaire to UPB's students. A total of 231 valid unduplicated responses were used to investigate the perceptions of online course-management, underlying factors that contribute to those perceptions (positive or negative), reconsidering the overall online learning activities initiated by university teachers.
The following independent variables were investigated in this survey, based on students own online learning experiences, in contrast to traditional learning: interactivity, teacher facilitation, structure, learning style and self-motivation.
The findings of this research revealed that electronic learning, the core method of teaching the curriculum due to the wide worldwide spread the COVID-19 pandemic, requires an improvement of online instructional practices, in terms of a more interactive active approach, a well-thought-out strategy, a conceptual framework of online education combining knowledge from different domain: Pedagogy, Didactic, Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI), IT and Psychology - as potential determinants of a successful online learning. The observations captured in this report reflect the measure of satisfaction of UPB's students regarding the educational services offer of the learning program, adapted to the online environment, taking into account the specificities of this organization and communication environment.
IMPACT OF MOTHER'S EDUCATION ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SCHOOL STUDENT
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Bakaria Brijesh , Verma Chaman
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, parental' education background plays a vital role in school students' academic performance. Mother's attention towards students' curriculum completion is obvious but, her educational background does more favor in getting the highest marks. To explore the impact of mother academic background on the students' academic performance is a challenging task. A statistical inferential study was done to identify the significant effect of mothers' education (medu - none, primary, 5th -9th, secondary, higher) on Portuguese secondary school students' academic performance (G3-final grade). The dataset was collected from two public schools of Portugal. The target dataset consists of 649 instances with 33 features was used for the study. Among 33 features, 28 are nominal type and 5 are scale type. The authors considered the final grade as the dependent variable and medu as the independent variable, The samples were found to lack normality w.r.t medu (p < 0.05) but confirmed homogeneity in variance (p > 0.05), therefore The datasets experiment with two non-parametric statistical methods were used. Among them, Kruskal-Walis one-way ANOVA test was used to find the significant difference between mother education literacy groups and pairwise comparison as posthoc test done with Mann-Whitney test using the SPSS 19 tool. There were significant differences found in final grade towards medu groups with (4) =57.21, p < 0.05. Higher education study groups have a high impact (Md=906.50) on the final grade compared to other groups using posthoc test. The findings of the study shall be fruitful for Educational stakeholders (students, teachers, parents and school management).
PANDEMIC STUDIES: STUDENTS' VIEWS ON STUDYING ROMANIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE ONLINE
Authors: Nistor Cristina mihaela
Published: February 2023

: The paper is the result of the author's studies and research conducted on the topic of online learning during and after the lockdown period in Romania, with all the complications that have been triggered off by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The special focus of the study is on the way students that have studied or are currently studying Romanian as a Foreign Language (RFL) at the Politehnica University in Bucharest cope with online classes. Their previous experience as online students may also be relevant for their academic progress, and one of the questions is about the platforms that seem more familiar/friendly to them. Since each student may perceive a stressful situation in their own particular way, and their learning preferences may differ significantly, the study here pays more attention to the students' personal stand in the matter, as well as to the reasons they provide for their learning choices, than to mere statistics. That is why the questionnaire that has been distributed and then answered by the respective students may be considered to be the tool for gathering mainly qualitative data, whilst the quantitative data generated by the counting of the answers for/against a choice have been considered less relevant under the current circumstances. The author has intended this research as the starting point of a series of studies that may lead to a better understanding of the students' learning preferences, with the ultimate goal of both getting an insight into students' psychology and improving teaching methods. The conclusions of the study leave room for further analysis of the pandemic studies topic, especially since we are (still) experiencing ways and means to deal with teaching/learning effectively in the online version of both education and life.
THE USE OF GRAPHIC LIBRARIES TO DIVERSIFY THE ASSORTMENT OF FUNCTIONAL CLOTHING
Authors: Floreaburduja Elena , Raru Aliona , Farima Daniela , Irovan Marcela , Lupu Iuliana gabriela
Published: February 2023

Currently, worldwide, there is a significant increase in the use of computer systems and various information technologies, both in the production system and in education. The use of information technologies leads to an increase in work and productivity efficiency, in a short period of time. The paper, presents a method of diversifying clothing product models, using graphic libraries, created by using Corel Draw software, which can be used as a teaching tool in education, for the course "Designing series and model systems". The method presented in the paper is based on an advanced study, theoretical and practical, of developing new models for designing clothing products in series and industrial systems. The method is based on the requirements imposed by the wearers. Also, this method may be introduced in the initial stage of creating new models, both within companies and in specialized institutions. The graphic library allows the use, modification and completion with new constructive-functional elements. As a further direction of development, it is proposed to complete the graphic library with functional-constructive elements that would allow obtaining new product model systems. Also here can be created 2D sketches, known as a technical drawing, which is an essential element of the garment. This method is suitable for any person working in the field of clothing design. She allows reducing the time for designing and manufacturing product series, reducing of costs for materials and work and increasing of flexibility and adaptability capacity of the design and manufacturing system, to changes in product requirements.
COMPREHENSIVE TOOLS FOR ENABLING EMPLOYABILITY AND MOBILITY IN EUROPEAN CLOTHING SECTOR
Authors: Olaru Sabina , Ghituleasa Carmen , Cardoso Alexandra , Guimaraes Pedro nero , Domenechpastor Jorge , Boiciuc Carmen
Published: February 2023

In recent years, European reindustrialization has occurred, specifically in the textile and clothing sector in Portugal, Spain and Romania, from the application of the Just In Time (JIT) methodology with the result of the need more skilled labour available in the European Union. The paper presents aspects concerning the CosTUmE project that contributes to the diminishing of skills' gaps between the qualification offer and clothing industry needs, to attract young trainees to graduate technical qualifications and to stimulate professionals to update their skills. Also, this work presents the comprehensive tools that were developed in order to raise the awareness of companies to support the employees in the process of upskilling and to provide tools for European mobility and implementation of the updated Clothing Technician profile for validation and recognition in Portugal, Spain and Romania.
The training package integrates practical explanation of the Clothing Technician Profile with resources and exercises to integrate learning outcomes and work-based learning. In concrete, the training package contains guidelines, study cases and strategies to motivate and support the trainee, and to support the learning process. The tutorial guide for mobility describes the mobility purposes with the main documents used for recognising the mobility in Europe. The comprehensive tools target all VET providers, trainees, companies, trade unions, sectors associations and other entities that work or help with mobility process.
The anticipation of needed skills and the promotion of cooperation between industry and vocational and educational training are considered relevant actions to be implemented in the next period.
DIGITAL CATALOGUE OF MEDICAL DEVICES FOR HERNIA REPAIR
Authors: Scarlat Razvan victor , Stefan Eduard ionut , Grosu Cristina , Blaga Mirela
Published: February 2023

One of the most important applications of textile materials is in the medical textile industry. This new field is a combination of textile technology and medical sciences with several functional applications. Nowadays, due to the increase in the aging population and hazards of human activities such as traffic accidents, chemical injuries, diseases, sports, etc., the demand for textile-based medical devices has grown rapidly. These parameters have led to the rapid development of the medical textiles market by using novel materials, techniques, and technologies to produce advanced textile-based materials as medical devices [1]. For surgical applications, implantable and topical biotextiles are now readily available and offer a wide range of structural complexities and advantages. They can be designed to perform multiple functions, including maintaining comfort and hygiene, preventing injury and infection, treating injury and disease, and even replacing injured tissue. Examples include vascular grafts, heart valves, ligaments, hernia meshes, and hemostatic dressings. These applications require careful consideration of biocompatibility and biostability. The desired properties of biotextiles vary depending on the application. Biodegradable or bioabsorbable textiles are important for devices that serve temporary functions, such as injury repair. These properties are influenced by the manufacturing process of the biotextiles, including the choice of material or polymer, as well as the structural design of the engineered textiles [2]. The paper presents an interactive learning tool that enables textile PhD students to approach the interdisciplinary field of medical devices and the associated technologies used to manufacture them. The learning content is supported by technical specifications of fabrics, specific applications, textile technologies, various product examples. This online guide is designed to familiarise the reader with textile fabrics and enhance their knowledge in developing new products. A challenge for the learner is to become familiar with and consolidate technical data on yarns, fabric structures, and properties of medical devices. The interactive e-learning tools presented in this paper represent the result of the process of innovation of the working methods applied in the knitting laboratory of the Faculty of Textiles, Leather and Industrial Management of Iasi, within "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi.