bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A COMPARATIVE APPROACH: DIGITAL SKILLS IN FORMAL TEACHING AND LEARNING
Authors: Turculet Alina , Elvira veronica Medianu (mihut)
Published: February 2023

Accordingly to the Digital inclusion and skills 2014 document published by the European Commission, "47% of the EU population has insufficient digital skills, 23% has none at all", while "the biggest barriers to internet access at home in the EU are lack of need, insufficient skills and cost barriers". The Romanian educational system face significant challenges for its continuous adaptations and alignment to the socio - economical needs and Digital Agenda for Europe. ICT is part of the common life and this should be significantly reflected in teachers' practice and students' learning. Based on secondary policy analysis, the present paper will present relevant findings for Romanian educational system. The key findings are based on the reviews of main researches produced at the European level. We are particularly interested in analyzing and presenting relevant information regarding teachers and student activity (practice) as well as the institutional policies focused on integrating and exploiting the benefits of the technologies in formal teaching and learning. Comparisons of the data provided through comprehensive research for the Romanian educational system with others similar enables identification of quality grounded best practices that can be adapted and transposed into the education system and schools preoccupations and teachers activity. A particular attention is given to: a) report regarding ICT related continuous professional development of teachers from the perspective of TALIS 2013 and b) investigated specificity aspects regarding "the access, use and attitudes to technologies" in Romanian compulsory education, taking into account that improving the digital skills of teachers will ensure the possibility to use the potential of open and digital learning.
THE NEWEST TREND IN PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - MOOC PLATFORMS
Authors: Bucovetchi Olga maria cristina , Simion Cristina petronela , Stanciu Radu d.
Published: February 2023

As we live in a more and more digitalized world, we can easily admit that online learning plays an important role in life of people interested in personal development. ITU (International Telecommunication Union) released statistical data related to the continuously increasing number of internet users worldwide from 394 million (approximately 800.000 in Romania) in 2000 to 2710 million (almost 11 million in Romania) at the end of 2013. Given this reality, it becomes natural that even the educational environment switched the place of the classical classroom into the online environment. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) appears to be the easiest way to improve your knowledge and/or your skills as you are able to access the information you are interested at an academic level. Every lecture has a worldwide audience and the feedback provided to the professor comes instantaneously from all over the world.
The present paper presents a comparative approach regarding several MOOC platforms in order to identify the benefits and challenges faced by users. Furthermore, the research identifies the level of attractiveness of such educational instruments within Romanian educational environment, particularly the degree of interest of Romanian students in attending such classes.
Research methodology consisted in a survey based on a questionnaire. The respondents of the pilot sample are students of University Politehnica of Bucharest, the authors intending to expand the research to other universities. Practical achievements may include increased awareness towards existing platforms creating at the same time a detailed picture on users' profiles and their expectations, thus helping developers to address users' concrete needs and ultimately increase utility and impact of using MOOC platforms.
PRACTICING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCES THROUGH BLENDED LEARNING
Authors: Cizer Laura , Lungu Delia
Published: February 2023

Practicing Intercultural Communicative Competences through Blended Learning
Lecturer PhD Laura D.Cizer
Associate Professor PhD Delia Natalia Alexandra Lungu
Mircea cel Batran Naval Academy of Constanta Romania

This aim of this paper is to present a module for practicing intercultural communicative competences that was devised within the Intermar project - a European Cooperation Project funded by the EU Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme, under Key Action 2 of the Transversal Programme - that ended in 2013 and whose major outcome was the creation of an effective "toolbox" available online on a learning platform (managed by the University of Sorbonne 3 in Paris). In this respect, 18 partners - mostly maritime and naval institutions (among which Mircea cel Batran Naval Academy of Constanta) - produced custom-designed courses in separate modules containing learning materials and collaborative tasks set in maritime contexts to be performed both by synchronous and asynchronous distance learning working groups. The principle lying at the core of this project was intercomprehension (a natural form of communication, based on mutual comprehension) which encourages the development of plurilingual comprehension skills, and since seafarers come into contact with so many languages when onboard this innovative approach is more than welcome and useful to resort to; however, understanding and speaking languages alone are not sufficient. In addition, seafarers are required to live and work with colleagues that have diverse cultural backgrounds; therefore, the cultural component was introduced and dealt with in a separate module: Intercultural Awareness Module. After pointing out the importance of both blended learning and cross-cultural communication skills, this paper will give the outline of the course module and focus particularly on activities that include face-to-face contact, self-directed tasks and e-learning on a par with pair work and role play, aiming to foster better relationships and enhance future seafarers' wellbeing in the cultural melting pot that ships have become nowadays.
DEVELOPING AND MONITORING A MOOC: THE IFRC EXPERIENCE
Authors: Istrate Olimpius , Kestens Ariel
Published: February 2023

A growing number of online courses are created and rolled-out worldwide, to cover the increasing need for skills and knowledge acquisition, to replace face-to-face training, to set up new professional development paths, migrating to a more efficient way to provide understanding, awareness and insight to larger categories of beneficiaries. In this respect, specific frameworks and procedures are developed within (education and training) institutions, to ensure the alignment with technical and education standards and to monitor learning, learning outcomes and usability of online courses in order to continuously improve the quality. The paper is depicting the extent to which the IFRC e-learning initiative has undergone several stages of development, surmounting challenges and succeeding to reach almost 150 courses open for around 120.000 learners. It describes the latest developments on the IFRC Learning platform, focusing on the pedagogy grounding these developments. The goal is not to provide participants with a recipe for what to do, but to teach participants that they need to fully understand the situation they are facing, evaluate it, identify possible responses and choose the most appropriate solution. Therefore, a comprehensive checklist was created based on the previous experience of 7 years of developing courses, consisting of more than 30 criteria guiding the set-up of a significant and pleasant learning path within the platform, related to relevance, accessibility, pedagogical approach, content, and institutional value. Furthermore, several reflections on what a quality online learning means nowadays are briefly reminded in the article, as part of our efforts to establish learning approaches suitable for the more attitudinal and values based learning.
USING MOBILE PHONE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE PHYSICAL EDUCATION EFFICIENCY
Authors: Stoicescu Marius , Stanescu Monica
Published: February 2023

The last couple of years emphasize a clear decreasing tendency of the motor potential level of children from Romania. By correlating this aspect with the increasingly number of overweight children, we consider that some new methodologies have to be applied, in formal and non-formal activities, to be able to enhance the children's interest in practicing physical exercises. The aim of this paper is to present some possible ways to apply mobile phone technology within physical education lessons and also within other extraschool sport activities. Mobile applications available on Android and iPhone platforms help users to better understand personal results concerning fitness level and give information about the benefits of physical exercises on the human body. Giving more value to the children's pleasure and easiness to use mobile phones, within physical education lesson, the teacher may encourage the pupils to monitor the run rhythm, to measure the distances and the run velocity, to record the calories, to monitor the heart beat, and to calculate the body mass index.
From another perspective, during the extraschool activities, the mobile phone technology could be used to configure the track by using GPS, in order to prevent injuries, to indicate altitude, to count the number of steps, and the quantity of water needed by the body.
To realize its objective, the paper presents some models of good practice in applying this technology, by emphasizing a series of results (methodology of implementation, children and teachers attitudes) obtained within physical education lessons organized with secondary school children, in Bucharest, in Odobleja School.
We are aware that this technology could represent a distinctive content of professional training of teaching staff and could improve the efficiency of its activity.
THE TRANSITION FROM CLASSIC TO DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS - THE CASE OF HISTORY TEACHING
Authors: Capita Carol , Capita Laura elena
Published: February 2023

The paper explores the rationale behind the transition from the classical, hard-copy textbooks to digital teaching materials. The transition from hard-copy to digital materials is one of the most significant changes in the last decades, both in terms of classroom practice and in terms of policy-making, since both new teaching skills and approaches are called for in order to use the new media in a sensitive and relevant way. The aim of the documentary research was to identify international experiences in the field, pinpoint the rationale, and compare it with approaches to this type of change that are present in Romania. The study-case is devoted to History as school subject. This subject is both well suited to adopt the new teaching media, is present in non-scholastic digital media, and is one of the foci of interest for the public opinion.
The approach is twofold. The starting point is a documentary analysis of the agenda set forth by policy-makers (in terms of aims, objectives, and measures proposed or already implemented). The second step is the analysis of viewpoint expressed by practitioners. A number of History teachers have answered a questionnaire (based on Likert scale items) concerning their perspectives on the digital textbooks for their subject. A focus group selected from the initial group has analyzed the results of the questionnaire in order to fine-tune the analysis.
Initial results seem to indicate that the appearance of digital textbooks is a change that asks for a process-based approach to educational change. To put it shortly, the issue of the digital textbooks will have to focus on the option between narrative-based and the task-based approaches to History teaching.
THE USAGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN THE PROCESS OF EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Authors: Capatina Gabriela , Stoenescu Roxanadenisa
Published: February 2023

Educational communication is one of the main problems of contemporary learning. Nowadays, more than ever, in this society - characterized by the accelerated dynamic of structural changes, the depth of these changes and the man placement in the context of the technological outbursts - new tasks for learning are raised constantly.
The Horizon Report of the European Commission states that Romania is in the vanguard of countries that tune and adapt the education system to the world trend of using technological innovations in teaching - learning process.
This article presents that using technological innovations in Romanian schools is part of the learning evolution and suggests an obvious solution to modern challenges addressed to the students learning and needs.
The purpose of this study is to understand and explore how a technological innovation - the tablet - is or could be used in the process of educational communication. The method selected for this investigation is the case study - particularly, this is an exploratory case study based on a semi-structured interview with teachers - which follow to discover the relevant features, the drivers or aspects which could be applied in similar situations. The key themes which emerged as a result of analyzing teachers answers are related to: the way to use the tablet, the cooperation through the tablet, the influence of innovative character, the interest in using the tablet, and entertaining character.
The usage of technological innovations in the traditional learning process is an opportunity to integrate the latest technological discoveries with the interaction and involvement provided by traditional knowledge. However, without an appropriate learning environment, the management and exploration of the tablet potential can not be achieved. An effective management is important both in the classroom and beyond.
DYNAMIC FLIGHT SIMULATORS - THE ONGOING PARADIGM IN TRAINING HIGH PERFORMANCE PILOTS
Authors: Popescu Dragos marian , Macovei Adrian
Published: February 2023

Dynamic flight simulators are the pinnacle of science quest to establish a pilot training device that is as real as possible. A brief history of the science involved explain things like: realism, perceptual threshold, motion illusions, G excess, etc. Method: A literature review of the current state of the art in flight simulation for specific sensorial training. Details are presented on various motion platforms (fixed with angular motion, rotary, centrifuge mounted, 6 dof (degrees of freedom)) and their advantages and disadvantages. The focus is on advanced performance pilots. Our personal experience with a 3 dof rotary device is summarized. Our device training focus was on spatial disorientation and the main profiles of motion illusions are detailed (leans, somatogyral, Coriolis). Visual illusions are mentioned but not included in the results due to simulation limits. Results: Personal inference over the efficiency of the training regarding understanding, fixation and compensatory skills by reviewing relevant published data and personal experience with the 3 dof device. In our experience, from 355 pilots who attended the training, 79.72% perceived the training as useful. From the responders that did not appreciate the training, 90.28% were rotary wing pilots. Leans and Coriolis illusion had the most impact. While Coriolis is an easy illusion to demonstrate (a Barany chair usually suffice), Leans requires advanced equipment and profile tuning research. Reasons for perceived training inefficiency is detailed. Personal recommendations on future training paradigm are given. Conclusion: There is not yet a perfect flight training device. Good results maybe obtain with even the simplest of devices, providing the team is willing and able to trim the software according to individual and group needs.
GAMIFICATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: KAZAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY PRIMER
Authors: Khasianov Airat , Ganiev Bulat , Shakhova Irina
Published: February 2023

We present a case study of implementing gasification in the Higher School for Information Technology and Information Systems of Kazan federal University - the teaching department educating the new generation of ICT professionals. A special platform for gamification was developed. This platform includes a cloud service accessible through any sort of mobile devices (iOS, Windows, Android) and web-interface. This service integrates with the existing university information services. The department works in the context of Bologna system. Every course in the curriculum is assigned certain credit, and every student has a certain value of mastering each of the courses in his or her curriculum. We not only made the current course progress easily available for each of the students, but also introduced "badges" that students may earn for completing complex tasks, and this tasks not easily formulated in terms of a student's rating. Therefore we introduced new complex learning goals in the form every student can easily grasp. We also developed an easy interface of the teacher to track the activity of every student, assign complex goals without creating an extra work overload. We introduced certain social services to the gasification platform developed without turing it into a "yet another social network". This platform can be used for both supporting online learning and integrating available online resources utilization into the ordinary "offline" curriculum. It can be also used perfectly well in the setting where no online learning resources are being used, although we don't consider it a wise teaching strategy. The approach, the solution and the outcome oft he experiment are discussed here.
MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY IN ELEARNING EXPERIENCES- WHY COMMUNICATION MATTERS
Authors: Popescu Maria magdalena
Published: February 2023

While communication, collaboration and critical thinking are, along with information, media and technology amongst the fundamental skills developed in the 21st century educational arena, one questions over how these skills are set in a continuum for a constant knowledge transfer process in a competency based approach, within an equitable access to quality learning tools, in a time when technology-enhanced-learning is on the rise. Media psychology, a thorough combination of psychology, media and technology unlocks the door to discovering which is the secret layer that enhances a non-human environment send new information and tailor knowledge in individuals situated in wide array of contexts, irrespective of time, place and age. More than that, the way gaps are bridged among instructors and all types of learners in the virtual environment simulatenously is another key media psychology holds- all credits go to communication models and how they act upon people, taking into consideration patterns of sending messages tailored to contexts, to the targeted receiver and intended goal.
All the above trigger more than pedagogy or andragogy, more than learning objects and more than a solid apprehension of the content to be taught. While a plethora of research has focused on the virtual learning environments per se, on learning theories or subject matter, on design and software, little has been said on the importance communication has in all this complex process, when the knowledge transfer environment is a medium one immerses by himself in order to discover messages sent via a new type of public space. The present paper is a manifesto for the importance models of communication have within all eLearning experiences, irrespective of the curriculum, of the data chunk or of the small learning objects in the teaching content, irrespective of the learning stage or of the skills developed.
GOOD PRACTICES IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES BASED ON COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, MULTIMEDIA AND ELEARNING
Authors: Gherasim Zenovic , Andronie Irina elena , Andronie Maria
Published: February 2023

The professional development and training programmes, which are implemented according to the legal provisions in force in the education area, using communication infrastructures and the eLearning environment, can be postgraduate programmes and/or programmes reaching to the teaching staff in the undergraduate education system.
A programme can develop specific competences for a study area and/or common (transversal) competences in using modern teaching/evaluation tools, pedagogy / learning psychology and /or management of education processes in the context of globalization and world economic crisis. Recent studies show that programmes that cover common competences, in the most cases, have a greater positive impact on the future performance of the participants than programmes aiming to develop specific competences.
In this context, communication, multimedia and project management are common competences that are complementing the specific competences of the teaching staff and, in the same time, allow education institutions to organise flexible professional development and training programmes, carried out at distance partially or totally and approach busy persons or persons interested in extending and/ or developing their professional competences in general or specific areas of activity.
The present paper is intended to analyze the experience gained after implementing a project that had as objective carrying on a number of programmes addressed to teachers from the undergraduate education system and present good practices extracted during this time frame. Among the subjects that were covered by the programmes that are analyzed were Project writing, management and implementation and School management adapted to the realities of the Romanian society. The programmes are innovative and module-based, covering both common and specific competences.
SEISMOCODE: ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL PLATFORM FOR THE PROFESSIONAL UPGRADING OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN ENGINEERS
Authors: Pascu Radu , Anicai Ovidiu , Stefan Livia , Craifaleanu Iolanda gabriela , Popa Viorel , Oprisoreanu Vasilevirgil , Damian Ionut , Papurcu Andrei , Rusanu Cristian
Published: February 2023

In a country like Romania, where about two-thirds of the territory is affected periodically by strong earthquakes, the proper design of buildings to seismic actions is an essential prerequisite for the safety of the population. Structural engineers are responsible for taking appropriate measures in the design of buildings, so that these will not collapse in future earthquakes. This is accomplished by an intricate and laborious process, for which seismic codes provide the necessary rules and procedures. With the accession of Romania to the EU, the country has adopted several European standards and regulations, which have replaced or completed the national regulatory body. At the same time, national codes were harmonized with European standards, in the framework of a countrywide programme that started in the early '90s. The current Romanian code for the design of buildings for earthquake resistance, P100-1/2013, represents an improved version of the first European harmonized seismic code, P100-1/2006. Due to their increased complexity and novelty, the application of these codes in the design of buildings represents a significant challenge for the professional community. Practically all structural engineers more than 32 years old in the country were taught seismic design according to older codes. Several initiatives were taken for their professional upgrading, in which universities and professional associations were involved. However, the impact of these initiatives is still very low. An online platform for the instruction of structural design engineers in the use of the new seismic design code, based on the Moodle platform, is presently developed by the authors, in the framework of a complex research project, involving a consortium of three institutions: a university, a research institute and an IT organization. The platform will consist of a body of knowledge, supplemented with related wiki sections. Exercises, tests and quizzes will be included, to facilitate learning. A collection of multimedia resources, with video presentations of renowned specialists will be also available to users. Feedback from the professional community and from prospective users will be collected by questionnaires available on the platform. A forum will be also configured, to allow user interaction.
TOWARDS A COMPUTER-MEDIATED ESP CLASS
Authors: Mihaes Lorena clara , Dimitriu Anda , Bocianu Irina
Published: February 2023

The advent of the new technologies nowadays has affected many areas, among which higher education. Its conservative environment is faced with a challenge: whether to reject or, at best, limit the intrusion of digital technologies on both the curricula and its delivery, or to embrace them, thus turning a potential threat into an enabler. The academic teaching of English for Specific Purposes (henceforth ESP) shares the dilemma.
The present paper is concerned with how the new technologies can improve students' skills and learning effectiveness in second language acquisition. The rationale for our enterprise has been, on the one hand, our awareness that we address a generation of digital natives, always accompanied by some smart device. On the other hand, we have taken into account the difficulties we encounter when teaching ESP, such as insufficient listening practice, difficulties in presenting video materials and limited practice of burdensome issues due to time constraints.
The starting point of our enquiry has been a questionnaire especially designed to assess the students' opinion regarding the blending of traditional teaching with the computer-assisted classroom. In order to collect their responses, we have used LimeSurvey, an open source which has also helped us with interpreting the data.
As anticipated, the analysis and interpretation of the answers have led us to consider the need for transition from traditional to modern teaching tools. Among the benefits of the computer-mediated ESP class, one can enumerate off-campus access to materials, completion of assignments that encourage independent learning, further practice of models discussed in class, in-class access to a large variety of on-line resources, and, last but not least, an overall more active and complex learning experience.
STRATEGIES FOR APPLYING THE NEW SPECIFIC ICT TOOLS IN THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF THE PHYSICS TEACHING-LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT, DESIGNATED TO IMPROVE THE TEACHER - STUDENT BINOMIAL FORMATIVE RELATIONSHIP EFFICIENCY
Authors: Trocaru Sorin
Published: February 2023

The paradigm of the earliest 21st Century evolution of the society has been changed due to the impact of the globalization effects of the knowledge society. Educational systems are directly affected, being directly involved in the evolution of two its major defining concepts: information technology and the education quality.
Apparently unlinked, the two concepts are very strong correlated by their direct implication in the decisional level in education (methodological and legislative changes) and the very applicative level of in -class teaching using the new ICT environments
The quality of the teaching-learning-assessment activities for the scientific curricular area topics is obviously decreasing, both at European and worldwide level, during the early years of the 21th Century. Historically, this period of time is known as the start of so called "Knowledge Based Society". The aim of the article is to identify the causes of the identified problem, in order to allow the design and the implementation of a coherent and consistent system of pedagogical methods, which could be selectively apply, accordingly to the teachers' didactic-profile. The concept of didactic- profile is a multifactor defined one, by extrinsic and intrinsic perequisites, i.e. overall school educational environment, combined with the teachers` formation and its subsequent ability in using new pedagogical methods, especially the ICT assisted ones. The overall expectation is not only to stop the deterioration of the of physics knowledge of the student who graduates the high school, but, further more to revive the quality of the didactic activity in physics. The main method used in the investigation was the use of ICT, both in physics -classes and in the optional science-classes within the SDC.
ELEARNING IN A PRACTICE BASED COURSE: TEXTILE ART, DESIGN AND FASHION AT ULSTER UNIVERSITY
Authors: Gault Alison
Published: February 2023

ELearning has become essential for learning and teaching over the past number of years. In the mainly practice based course of Textile Art, Design and Fashion the VLE is blended with face to face teaching. Blackboard Learn is essential for the consolidation of the learning, to ensure all students have current and up-to-date information. The use of Blackboard Learn is undoubtedly now such a part of supporting and enhancing the student experience it would be impossible to deliver the key teaching and learning strategies without this platform. Blackboard learn supports a range of diverse learners and enables non-traditional learners to engage in Higher Education. The VLE supports students individual learning needs and this paper will discuss the success of this even in a workshop or manufacturing based subject and how key aspects of Blackboard learn are utilised within the course to support the learning and teaching for successful outcomes.There are risks involved in using the VLE and they need to be identified clearly at the outset, to ensure that risks are monitored and effective solutions are in place in a timely fashion.
The rationale is to empower learners and ensure that they excel in professional life through a transformative higher education system, and to lead innovation through flexible, inclusive and an accessible provision that will provide a supportive environment. Innovative approaches to learning, teaching and leadership are encouraged, recognised, valued and rewarded, for all staff and students in Ulster University. The continual pressures of providing a flexible supportive student experience can at times be difficult. The demands on academic staff to deliver course content, administrative duties, maintain networks, industry triangles and commitments to research can at times be overwhelming.There are risks involved in using the VLE and they need to be identified clearly at the outset, to ensure that risks are monitored and effective solutions are in place in a timely fashion.
FRAMEWORK OF THE E-LEARNING TRAINING PROGRAM ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Authors: Herghiligiu Ionut viorel , Mihai Aura , Sarghie Bogdan , Bizarro Rita souto , Arias Carmen
Published: February 2023

Globalization implies that companies must redefine the approach to the environment, namely through a global perspective. Organizations can not develop strategies based only on national boundaries of a particular state because it became extremely clear that an incident in one country could affect other countries as macro-phenomenon of the global financial crisis reflects it - 2008. Thus the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has substantially contributed to the awareness of several issues previously considered to be unimportant or simply ignored.
As general concept CSR refers not only to organizations but also to all kinds of entities. This way, the responsibility for an entity reflects the impact of its decisions and its activities on society and environment. The CSR concept strictly links with the concept of sustainable development, which it is followed by ethical and transparent behavior, taking into account the expectations of all stakeholders. Specifically, it refers to the integration of ethics into the strategic vision of the entities to effectively manage the social and ethical issues associated with its activity. So the CSR main goal is to drive change in organizations towards sustainability, with the condition to protect the interests of stakeholders.
In order to achieve this goal also (e-learning) training programs is needed. Organizations choose this "option" - e-learning training programs - because such approach regarding employees instruction is the most cost-effective ways, plus in addition is simple, flexible and with immediate results.
In light of the previously mentioned the paper develops this framework regarding CSR e-learning training programs due to the fact that e-Learning became highest priority for many organizations.
MODELLING THE PROCESS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WITHIN THE CSDP
Authors: Constantinescu Maria
Published: February 2023

In the context of the dramatic changes in the European security and defence environment, the European Union needs to increase its resolve and determination in ensuring its own security and defence, both in cooperation with NATO but also on its own. The complex framework of the European security and defence, rather generic and flawed by many shortfalls, should be refined and optimized in many areas. A functioning European defence framework, regardless of its final format, can only be build on the foundations of EU institutions manned by military and civilian personnel that use the same doctrines, concepts, definitions, sets and values and mind-sets, related to the common European goals, as an addition to their national cultural values and backgrounds. This requires a decisive reform in the education and training of the personnel working in the various bodies and agencies related to the Common European Security and Defence. In this context, the use of the existent E-Education and e-Training concepts bears a significant importance in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of this process. At the same time, a major challenge would be the necessity to integrate and correlate the educational objectives, the curricula and the newest IT@C technologies to facilitate the attainment of the desired educational outcomes. This paper aims to propose a model of analysis and implementation of a process geared towards an integrated and coordinated education and training for the military and civilian personnel involved in the CSDP framework, in order to allow the optimization of the fulfilment of the European defence and security missions and objectives.
PROVIDING COMPUTER-BASED TESTING FOR LOW-LEVEL STUDENTS AT A RUSSIAN UNIVERSITY
Authors: Astanina Anna , Rasskazova Tatiana , Beliaeva Irina
Published: February 2023

The method of computer-based testing is not new, being widely introduced both as cost-effective, quick for administering. Universities where English is not the language of tuition also seek ways of efficient assessment with the help of computer-based tests. However, there are some challenges of testing low-level learners, as there are very few valid ready-made tests designed for pre-A1 adult learners due to numerous factors: insufficient number of test versions, limitations of defining appropriate language items for testing, etc. Test-designers face challenges connected with choosing test constructs in general, vocabulary and grammar items in particular, finding appropriate sound tracks. The data described in the article present the results of two different tests: one that is offered by Russian federal test-designing body for university students irrespective of their level and the other is the first test that was designed specifically for pre-A1 adult students. The tests were administered as the achievement end-of-semester tests for first-year students of STEM subjects. The article presents the year 2015-2016 the number of pre-A1 learners entering the university was 20% of all first-year students (N=508). At the end of the first semester the Federal Internet Exam in Professional Education (FEPE) was administered as an independent computer-based test for university students as an achievement test. However, the failure rate among pre-A1 students was 100%. According to the University internal regulations, a student has to get at least 40% of the test tasks correctly to pass. Therefore, the need for context-specific pre-A1 achievement test was obvious. The test was designed by the end of the second term and included tasks on Reading (with use of English tasks integrated), Writing and Listening. The time limit was set at 40 minutes. The test results show that only 1 pre-A1 learner (out of the total number of 59 students who took the test) failed. The article dwells upon issues that test-designers face while meeting the requirements of testing pre-A1 learners, and suggests some practical implications into designing tests for pre-A1 learners.
DIDACTIC COMPUTER GAMES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS
Authors: Stoffova Veronika , Horvath Roman
Published: February 2023

Educational games not only entertain players, but they also have some educational targets (to understand and learn something, to gain certain skills, develop certain abilities, etc.). Didactic computer game that we want to introduce aims to help secondary school students understand a select few notions from the field of Informatics curriculum, which are prescribed in ICED3 (defined as mandatory technical terms in the national education program).This game will also help to build terminology system of students, acquire basic concepts and actively use them in the study, to acquire new knowledge, develop strategic thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. Building e-commerce and other digital computing technologies with minimal input capital and providing selected services, the player is starting his business activities, which expanded on the basis of income for services rendered. By provision of services, the student has to understand the queuing system and make some simulation experiments in an interactive way. To the basic offered assortment, we chose a few common computer components and information and communication technology tools in the field of hardware and software. The range is then gradually expanding, according to customer interest in buying. It is similar in services. First are offered selected basic services, which are common and frequently requested (print documents, photos, providing access to Internet services, provision of space on the server, etc.). Services according to customers request are gradually expanding. At diversifying and introducing new services have to get acquainted with them, to study the issue, to get acquainted to the essential characteristics of components, select the criteria for defining their quality, as well as criteria for purchasing decisions, while the player (student) is building his terminology system in the area of informatics, which is actually the main goal of the game. In the future we plan to expand our application and create a link to online stores for the purpose of buying and expanding range of sold goods.
CONCEPT: SOCIAL NETWORK EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM
Authors: Silvestru Catalin ionut , Lupescu Marianernut , Ion Virgil , Silvestru Ramona camelia
Published: February 2023

Due to the growing involvement of social networks in economic, politic and social aspects of people’s lives and taking into account that social networks represent the main ICT means of socializing, having a steady increase of users each year, we the authors consider that social networks can have a positive impact on education, and also, if combined with educational tools, can be used efficiently in a non-formal and informal educational purpose. Thus, this paper sets out to analyse the current use of social networks in educational purposes in order to understand the impact social networks have on education, either positive or negative, and afterwards the authors will create a theoretical model of how a social network for educational purposes should work after analysing the current theoretical functionalities that such a social tool has and comparing them with the theoretical functionalities that an educational platform has. Thus, by analysing the main aspects in regards to how social networks function and how people interact with them, and also doing the same for educational platforms, we the authors will construct a theoretical model that combines the aspects that we consider are necessary for a Social Network Educational Platform to have in order to balance out each negative aspect that both sides have in regards with what user feedback has offered over the last years. The statistical analysis, that will be presented in order to show the importance of social networks in non-formal and informal education and also information on the use of e-learning platforms, will be focused on absolute and relative statistical indicators. The authors believe that the concept used in this current paper can be used as a guideline for further developing more social network educational platforms and tools that take into account Social Media, Social Networks and have a more positive impact on how adults and students see and use ICT for informal and non-formal learning purposes.
AN ADAPTIVE MULTIMODAL INTERFACE TO IMPROVE ELDERLY PEOPLE'S REHABILITATION EXERCISES
Authors: Awada Imadalex , Apostu Mihaela , Mocanu Irina , Florea Adina magda , Codreanu Andra
Published: February 2023

Over the last two decades, technology has evolved fast causing mass evolution in every aspect of life, among which health care domain and human-machine interaction. However, the benefits of the technology progress were limited for its elderly users, since the traditional human-machine interfaces were always a barrier between them and any new devices. Compared to those interfaces, multimodal interfaces offer a more natural way of interaction with the machines, coping with some inherent difficulties of elderly people. The paper presents a system dedicated to assist people with special needs, such as elderly people or people recovering from specific diseases, to perform rehabilitation exercises by using a multimodal interface. The system presents to the user a set of required exercises prescribed by the doctor or by the caregiver, and tracks the user exercise evolution, informs the user about his/her performances and mistakes, changes exercise levels depending on the users' physical condition and results. Furthermore, the system gives advice to its user to optimize the results of the exercise. To be easily accessible by elderly people, the interface is a key-factor of the system. The supervision of exercises is achieved by means of a Kinect camera, successive images of user's exercises being analyzed automatically. The feed-back to the user is given either by messages displayed on the screen or through voice output. The user is represented on the screen by an avatar, which is mirroring the user's movements during the exercise. The user can interact with the system by giving simple voice commands or by using the touch facilities of the screen. In this way, it allows the user to interact with the system without interrupting his exercise and in the most natural possible way. The interface can be adapted to user preferences by configuring the type and color of fonts, the arrangement of icons on the screen and the aspect of the display. After repeated interactions with the system, the icons corresponding to the most used commands given, either by touch or by voice, will become bigger on the screen or better placed. We claim that our proposed approach will help the elderly to perform their rehabilitation exercise in their preferred medium with a grade of independence and to improve the efficiency of the exercise and well-being.
THE USE OF SMARTPHONES IN THE PHYSICS CLASS: DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS
Authors: Oprea Marin
Published: February 2023

In the study of Physics the first types of quantitative determinations consist in distance measurements. The regular measurement instruments present in a Physics laboratory (ruler, measuring tape etc.) enable the determination of small and medium distances, a process which is time consuming and has a limited level of precision. The advancements of mobile technology have led to a significant improvement in the method, precision and speed with which such measurements are performed. Most students possess a smartphone whose acceleration sensor enables them to perform distance measurements during the Physics class. Some Android applications (Smart Ruler, Smart Measure, Theodolite etc.) process the data received from the accelerometer, displaying the values of the measured distances. In this study I will focus on the use of these applications and on the experimental results obtained in measuring different types of distances, which cover a wide range of values. The measurements were performed on horizontally and vertically placed objects. The students enhanced their practical abilities in measuring the dimensions of a classroom and of a sport field and also determined the height of the school, of some public buildings, of surrounding trees and of a river bridge. The determinations performed using a smartphone were compared, in terms of precision and execution, with the classical methods of determinations, based on trigonometric calculus, using tape measures and protractors. The part which triggered the students' interest most consisted in topometric measurements performed outside the classroom. The students measured the width of a river in an area where there was a significant distance between the shores. By employing smartphones in distance measurement activities, the students transcend the limited domain of laboratory determinations, as they reestablish the connection with their surrounding world through the Physics experiments.
MOODLE PLATFORM IN LEARNING: STUDENT'S VOICE.
Authors: Ianos Maria gratiela , Oproiu Gabriela carmen
Published: February 2023

Various virtual learning environments support the high presence of the online learning in the educational environment. In the past years, they have been developed numerous free online platforms that support the educational process. As numerous studies show, they offer a collaborative learning environment and may represent an alternative to traditional instructional process.  Using the online educational platforms in higher education might offer many facilities like communication, provision of learning resources, organization, evaluation, etc. The use of these facilities may differ depending on the form of the studies: present-day or distance. Regarding the present-day studies, the online educational platforms can be used in learning and teaching activity both inside and outside the traditional classroom. This depends largely on the way that teacher designs the didactic activity. Thus, conducting the didactic activities on the educational platform just outside of the studies program may influence the way that the students are using the platform. This paper aims to analyze the way that the online open-source platform (Moodle) is used by students in their learning process. It was studied student’s preference to use the online open-source platform, Moodle, and the activities they perform on the platform to improve their learning. In order to accomplish these studies, a questionnaire on a sample of 47 third year students in a technical faculty was applied. The selected technical faculty use Moodle platform to complement traditional didactic process. Based on the obtained results, were suggested recommendations about using Moodle platform in instructional process for improving the student’s learning.