bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES TEACHERS - FINDINGS OF A RESEARCH EVALUATION REPORT
Authors: Porumb Ioana , Gabureanu Simona
Published: February 2023

Teachers play a key role in modernising education. Their competences have a direct effect upon students' achievements. In the context of rapid technological, economic, social and cultural change, teachers are facing new demands as well as changes in their professional roles. The quality of continuous professional development is essential not only for improving educational performance, but also for enhancing teachers' professional identity, responsibility and awareness of their own professional development. The project titled Continuous Professional Development of Technological Sciences Teachers in the Knowledge Society, co-funded by the European Commission through the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development, provided technological sciences teachers in Romania with relevant opportunities for continuous professional development, consisting in teacher training and experience exchange with teachers in this specific curricular area, using a collaborative online platform. A blended instructional approach was used in the curriculum design and delivery of the course modules - Habilitation on Curriculum, and Continuous Professional Development on Differentiated Instruction. This paper aims to present some findings of the evaluation report on the teacher training program mentioned above, following: the curriculum design and program implementation; the impact of the training program; the program outcomes, according to the perceptions of the direct beneficiaries - technological sciences teachers; the degree of the portal accessibility and usage. The retrospective appreciation of the training program value is subsumed to the objectives of providing education and training professionals with recommendations for improving the training program and activities promoted through the portal, and developing similar programmes at local, regional or national level.
EDUCATIONAL COMMAND SYSTEM EMPLOYING THE ABB IRB 1600 INDUSTRIAL ROBOT
Authors: Nagy Robertbela , Pasc margit Ildiko , Vesselenyi Tiberiu , Popentiuvladicescu Florin
Published: February 2023

In this article we present an educational achievement of an alternative control of the IRB1600 ABB robot, using an explicit path specification, using a laser pointer and a CCD camera. With this system we measured the execution times of instructions data transfer between computers and robot equipment system to evaluate and improve the quality of similar systems in which there are mechatronics and computer processes that require synchronization of several adjacent processes. The experimental recorded data will be analyzed using Self-Organizing Feature Maps (SOFM) and as result it is shown that in the transmission of data sets significant run time dependencies can not be found. Also a run time prediction method will be developed and tested using Nonliniar AutoRegressive (NAR) type neural networks. The method has satisfactory result.

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ENHANCING INFORMATION PROCESSING BY USER CATEGORIZATION. TAGGING CONTENT IN SUPPORT OF LEARNING.
Authors: Stanciu Ionutdorin
Published: February 2023

Allocating labels to an object, either physical or abstract, contributes to expanding or consolidating the meaning of that particular object, hence, the name ,,metadata" used in informatics. The structure of learning materials usually attempts to simply the categorization of their contents by creating a hierarchical structure that is reflected in chapters and sections. However, this categorization approach is both subject to the author's perspective and limited in terms of reflecting the relations between the concepts included in the learning contents. The Web 2.0 era brought the advent of a non-hierarchical contents labeling behavior, mostly referred to as tagging, and whose main original purpose was the description of contents closest to their author' original understanding, but also open to interaction with other users. This co-authoring would lead, in turn, to better indexing and search capability of the tagged contents. The main premise of our study was that increasing levels of learners' involvement in tagging learning contents delivered during academic instruction would lead to deepening of information processing. Two studies were conducted to identify supporting arguments with participants comprised of 1st year undergraduate students enrolled in the Psychology of Education course. The first study respected a between-subjects factorial post-test only design with two experimental groups and one control group. ANOVA on the three groups' results in a knowledge test illustrated statistically significant differences between the groups, corresponding to the original hypothesis and suggesting that the higher the involvement of the individual in tagging the learning content, the deeper is the learner's understanding of that content. The second study was a within-subjects repeated measures design in which the same learners were subject to a control and two modalities of tagging, corresponding to various degrees of leaner's involvement. The results also show statistically significant differences in the measured academic performance, corresponding to the initial research hypothesis. Tagging information content is now a regular practice on the web and it is also possible for e-learning digitally delivered contents. Our research suggests that the learners' involvement in tagging the contents leads to better learning outcomes. However, factors such as the learners' computer literacy and openness to digital technologies may also influence their involvement in the tagging process. Future studies, incorporating more refined research designs, can optimize the understanding of the specificity and accuracy of the observed influence.
EFFICIENCY EVALUATION METHOD FOR PUNCH STRIKES IN COMBAT SPORTS BASED ON CINEMATIC PARAMETERS
Authors: Baitel Irina , Deliu Dan , Cordun Mariana
Published: February 2023

For analyzing, evaluating and comparing striking techniques used in combat sports it is necessary a close acquaintanceship because is useful to take into account the most relevant aspects of every studied technique.We propose an evaluating method of punch strikes based on objective measurements and analyzing of the determinant cinematic parameters for the efficiency of any strike.We made data acquisition regarding the position of the body segments in the three orthogonal planes using MOVEN Xsens equipment on four subjects on different weight categories, multiple kick box national champions. The data have been adapted for a biomechanical analysis of the studied technique, accurately establishing the temporal frames of the sequences that constitute the technique itself. For the chosen sequence (from the beginning of the elbow extension to fist impact with the target) we calculate the average speed of the fist, the fist's impact acceleration (as a proportionality factor of striking force), the difference between the hips and shoulders lines and the upper speed of the fist. Related with the balance of the cinematic parameters in the efficiency of the strike, we quoted with 10, 9, 8 and 7 points the values placed on the upper limit of the scale and with lower quote, appropriate with the described values range.in this manner we evaluated all the strikes applied by each subject and we calculated the average score for each other. On the other side, we build a strike for each subject starting from the medium values of the parameters individually computed. We evaluated these built strikes, too using the scale described above and the score was close (differences lower than 5%) to the average score of the strikes for each subject. This is a confirmation of the fact that our evaluation scale is an objective one, the values ranges corresponding for each score being rationally established. A major plus of this scale is that is so designed to be not dependent of subject's weight category.
COACH`S EYE SOFTWARE USE IN JAVELIN THROWING TECHNIQUE
IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Anton Margareta , Ivan Corina
Published: February 2023

The high degree of applicability of various software in high performance athlete training, allows for a more detailed analysis of any technical aspects. It also underlines any deviations, thus improving execution through the addition of specific restructured means.
Any trainer whom owns a current generation smart-phone or tablet may download an application known as Coach's Eye for a modest sum. Keeping in mind one must be able with one's fingers, the software may be employed in order to underline various flaws in technique that may appear throughout a certain event. These errors may be addressed at a later time by applying more or less conventional means.
This paper contains a sequential technique analysis, accomplished with the Coach's Eye software, for one of the most highly rated javelin throwers of Romania. The athelete's level of performance (78.90m), requires specialized technique assistance which in turn means repeated video footage analysis. To this end several videos were created of events that occurred in the 2012 competitive period. With the help of the Coach's Eye software, various video frames of technical importance were acquired, of the moments prior and after release. The resulting biomechanical analysis of the athelete's movements covered the period prior to and after technical corrections were made during consecutive competitive years.
The conclusion we reached was that in spite of existing software limitations, the use of various applications equates to a step forward concerning proper technique assimilation as early as the event specialization period. At the same time the use of such software is an important approach regarding high performance athlete training. While in the learning and consolidation period, observing and analysing video footage of various executed exercises allows us to track errors more efficiently and stop them before becoming an automatic feature for the athlete through careful application of corrective exercises.
POSSIBILITIES OF PLAY ACTIONS EVALUATION IN VOLLEYBALL
Authors: Ioan Augustin
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this writing was that one of testing the working instruments, which are to be used within the doctor paper.

To evaluate the play actions it has been used the evaluation scale of the International Volleyball Federation (Manual for Statistical Match Records). The results have been graphically presented and centralized. Every actionis evaluated by using a scale of 5 degrees based on the effect on the score or further control of the ball by the team that plays the ball or by the opposite team: ACE (4) won point, EXCELLENT (3) - full control either won or maintained, GOOD (2) - limited control, won or maintained, WEAK (1) - lost control or without control, FAULT (MISTAKE) - 0 - lost point.
"Ace" (evaluated 4) is used just for the following actions: service, attack, blockage. "Full control" (evaluated 3) is being used when all possibilities are created for further play constructions. "Limited control" (evaluated 2), in case if the further attack preparation can not be done by using all options. "Without control" (evaluated 1) is used when the attack.
construction is not possible, but however the ball remains in play.

The research was developed throughout the period August-November 2014, all
game video recordings of a female junior team (15-16 years of age)
participating in the national championships were processed.

The results are graphically presented and centralized on games and highlight features different game model, the efficiency of one or more processes, inclinad balance to the winning team, this data can be used for personalizing, individualization of sports training and automatically increase efficiency training.
As is clear from the statistics each technical element rated highlight strengths or weaknesses of a team.
STUDY ON IMPROVING THE SERVICE UNFORCED ERRORS IN VOLLEYBALL GAME BY USING A STATISTICAL SOFTWARE
Authors: Szabo Dan alexandru
Published: February 2023

There is, at this point, a number of instruments and tools, computer-generated very different in shape and complexity, which have improved considerably in recent years, in terms of versatility and technical possibilities, the extent of their applicability and the facility with which it can be used.
The modern volleyball game is characterized by speed and variety of actions, through the continuous improvement of operations, tapping the ball increasingly taller, creativity in building combinations in attack and defense, and a stronger and efficient service, because the service is the first ellement in winning a point. The research aims to create and, where appropriate, structuring, periodization and reconfiguring quantitative and qualitative, longitudinal and transverse training programme, depending on the data and information provided by the program Click & Scout, in order to improve the ellement of service in volleyball and obtaining better results in competitions.
In this context, the effective preparation of the team shall be subject to the development and implementation of programmes with an appropriate content in relation to the desiderata contained, which may be carried out only to the extent that those in charge of their development have the necessary information and logistical means, to make these new information, operational extrapolating them from theory in the practice of athletic training.
The main goal of the study is the commitment of the coaches, with specialization in volleyball, by the importance and necessity of implementing a particular specific training program, specializing in the use of service by transforming this technical element in the element of efficiency.
E-LEARNING APPLICATION FOR TEACHING KNITTING ENGINEERING
Authors: Ciobanu Luminita , Ionesi Savin dorin , Ursache Mariana
Published: February 2023

Knitting engineering is a complex subject and many times the visual interactive teaching aids facilitate the understanding process. When presenting the knitting elements specific to a knitting machine - needles, sinkers, feeders and other elements - it is important to define their shape and position in the machine. Many times, such information is presented in 2D drawings and images that are limited with regard to the 3D geometry.
The paper presents an interactive laboratory regarding the knitting elements for a flat machine. The innovative approach refers to the 3D presentation of the flat knitting machine and its elements, individually and on the machine. The knitting elements are drawn using Sketchup, a program that allows creating 3D models in a realistic manner. The program is designed to produce complex three dimensional shapes starting with a 2D section. The shapes can be further modified by using specific instruments or dedicated plugins such as Curviloft and Shape bender. The program also offers the possibility of animating a presentation, changing the angle for visualisation. If complex animation is desired, i.e. to show linear or circular movements (as it is the case for knitting elements), the SketchyPhysics plugin can be used.
The students visualise the knitting elements separately, defining their 3D geometry and then they can identify the same elements on the machine. The 3D geometry means that all elements can be seen from different angles so that their structure is well understood. The application can also be used for testing, as the students can identify and position themselves the knitting elements. Another advantage is that they can use such application at home, without the need to see the machine directly.
SKILLS IMPROVEMENT FOR TEXTILE SPECIALISTS THROUGH E-LEARNING COURSES
Authors: Radulescu Ionrazvan , Ghituleasa Carmen , Visileanu Emilia , Surdu Lilioara , Dan Dorin
Published: February 2023

Textile specialists require a continuously updating of the technology knowledge in the field. This is a premise for the possibility of implementation into production of the latest technological advancements in the textile field and of manufacturing competitive textile products.
The project Adan2Tex, financed through the program Erasmus Plus, supports the professionals in the textile industry, by an e-learning course on the latest technological developments in textiles.
Out of the 7 modules of the course, five modules are for advanced knowledge in textiles: "Advanced Knitting Technologies", "Virtual prototyping of garments, 3D scanning, clothing for people with special needs", "New method for testing textile materials", "Standardization of textile testing" and "New sustainable textile technologies, LCA, Eco-labelling" and two modules for improvement of the economic skills: "Entrepreneurship" and "Innovation management". These modules are accomplished by a consortium of five European partners from Czech Republic (TZU), Portugal (University Minho), Romania (INCDTP and UT Iasi) and Slovenia (University Maribor) in accordance to the latest advancements in the textile research knowledge. The modules are posted on the eLearning platform, for a quick and attractive modality of learning for the trainees. The configuration of the eLearning platform (Moodle) is performed by taking in consideration the necessities for VET of the specialists in the textile industry: professionals in the textile industry (SMEs), young entrepreneurs and trainees in higher education. Accordingly to this target group, the following specific features of the eLearning platform will be introduced:
-Animations and movies with processing modalities of textile machines
-Attractive testing with different levels of difficulty
-Synchronous communication for tutoring
-Multi-language structure for dedicated trainees groups
-Concise and synthetic knowledge for VET skills
The project has a duration of two years (2014-2016) and the eLearning platform has the URL address www.advan2tex.eu.
FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH CONCERNING THE MODELS OF CONSTRUCTING MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS
Authors: Lupu Costica
Published: February 2023

Mathematical concepts are not isolated entities. They form hierarchical systems, with higher or lower levels of generality.
The study undertaken for improving the system for designing teaching activities in school education combines the strategies of fundamental, historical and comparative research, which implies:
- highlighting the theoretical and methodological bases needed to reconstruct the discipline didactics in the curricular spirit;
- identifying the optimal correlations between general and applied pedagogy that may be operationalized at the level of a designing model, needed in the context of teaching-learning-evaluating the discipline;
- analysing the applied methodologies/ didactics (of Mathematics) from a historical (synchronic-diachronic) perspective and exploiting them at the level of the new structure of the models of constructing mathematical concepts of discipline didactics mathematics;
- presenting the basics of applied didactics in terms of objectives, curricular contents, training methodology, evaluation of training, the teaching-learning-evaluation actions of a discipline; designing the teaching activities at the level of some disciplines;
- presenting the epistemological and psychological basics of science didactics, complementary to applied didactics, concerning the models of constructing mathematical concepts.
What is the relation between image and concept in the process of building mathematical concepts by performing reasonings that are subject to other verifications, research, abstractions, desubstantializations with a virtual perfection, existing only at the hypothetical, mental level? Also, in this context, the generalizations performed as notions, concepts, formulas, theorems, rules will be applied to other abstractions.
If we elaborate and present the models on building mathematical concepts, then the students who wish to take on a teaching career will show efficiency in conducting their teaching practice lessons.
THE ROLE OF THE MARITIME SIMULATORS IN EVALUATING THE PRACTICAL COMPETENCIES OF GRADUATED STUDENTS IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH OFFICER OF THE WATCH DUTIES ONBOARD VESSELS
Authors: Lupu Sergiu , Pocora Andrei , Katona Cosmin , Florin Nicolae , Lupu Elena carmen
Published: February 2023

Navigation, Maritime and River Shipping, and Navigation, Hydrography and Naval Systems Bachelor studies from "Mircea cel Batran" Naval Academy are structured to cover the requirements of the STCW 2010 Convention related to Navigation at the Operational Level.
According to Model course 7.03, ,,Officer in charge of a navigational watch", the background knowledge of a student is to support planning and conducting of a passage, to use the radar and ARPA, AIS, ECDIS in order to maintain safety of the navigation watch, to respond to emergencies or distress signals at sea, to use IMO standard marine communication phrases, to transmit and receive information by visual signalling and to manoeuvre the ship.
Until 2010 students had to demonstrate the assimilation of such knowledge at the license exam, through the paper chart work. Since July 2011, "Mircea cel Batr?n" Naval Academy is using the top notch "Integrated simulator for driving of watercraft" in order to test the students background knowledge according to Model course 7.03.
Thus the paper chart work was replaced by the ,,Practical competences assessment at the integrated simulator for driving of watercraft". The assessment of the students is made not only by certified instructors but also automatically by the ,,Transas Evaluation and Assessment System" (TEAS) module. The license exam is divided in three parts: taking over the navigational watch, performing the navigation watch in normal traffic and navigation in special conditions.The evaluation covers all the navigation aspects and is splitted according to the simulator's capabilities.
This paper presents aspects on how to assess students in order to determine the degree of assimilation of the skills needed to execute their duties as deck officer of the watch. The ratio between the direct evaluation made by the instructors and the automatic evaluation made by the simulator's TEAS module based on the entered criteria as well the main advantages and drawbacks for these type of evaluation and their share will be presented, in order to make an objective final evaluation.
Thus the importance of modern navigation simulators in the evaluation of the practical competencies of graduated students will be pointed out in order to accomplish officer of the watch duties onboard vessels.
NAMED ENTITIES DISTRIBUTION IN NEWSPAPER ARTICLES FOR E-LEARNING
Authors: Matei Liviusebastian , Trausanmatu Stefan
Published: February 2023

This paper is focused on the distribution of named entities inside texts for e-learning. An important topic in natural language processing is represented by Named Entities Recognition (NER) inside texts. Named entities are essential in order to be able to automatically understand the text. In this article we will analyze the distribution of named entities in newspaper articles, but the same technique can be applied to texts written by students, documentation or different other sources of knowledge used in e-learning. In order to perform this analysis we considered a number of 19043 Reuters newspaper articles. The following types of named entities were considered: person names, locations and organizations. For the extraction of the named entities we used Stanford NER. Among the statistics that we are computing are the average number of sentences per named entity, which is defined as the number of distinct named entities from an article divided by the number of sentences, the average position in the text and in which quarter of the article the most number of named entities appear. We are also computing for each type of named entity the distribution in the sentence and we are representing graphically the result by using cubic spline interpolation. Using the position of named entities in the text we will infer a function based on Poisson's distribution that models the distribution of named entities. These statistics can be used afterwards in different areas of NLP. For example if we know that usually named entities are found more often in certain areas of the text, a statistical NER can give a higher priority to those. Another example of usage for such a statistic is the case of automatic text summarization. Some summarization approaches consider always the first sentence of the text. Due to the fact that named entities are an essential factor for automatic summarization, if we would know the typical distribution of named entities we could consider in the summary the sentences that are more probably containing these special tokens. This is important for e-learning because it permits us to identify more easily topics or important sentences within learning materials and thus users are able to acquire knowledge more easily or to determine which knowledge source is relevant for them.
BUSINESS CONTINUITY APPLIED TO EEDUCATION
Authors: Bucovetchi Olga maria cristina , Badea Dorel , Simion Cristina petronela
Published: February 2023

In order to talk about performance management, one shall apply business continuity concepts that imply to forecast, understand, document, measure and transform a complex situation at a specific time in a highly depended environment. Business continuity within critical infrastructures (CI) sectors represent the core of a comfortable life in term of vital societal functions, health, safety, security, economic or social well-being of people (as stated Directive 114/2008). For a long period of time, critical infrastructure sector were assessed as an isolated system with no exchanges with the macro-system / environment. Nowadays, when the "systems of system" paradigm is more and more applied, the interdependencies become a major topic of discussion. Interdependencies represent the bi-directional relationship between the sectors under evaluation; the activity disruption within one sector is followed by the disruptions within the interdependent sectors.
The authors consider very useful such demarche as identifying the CIs sectors interdependencies that might occur when dealing with e-Learning platforms. Furthermore, once identified, the authors analysed the impact of service disruption within one CI sector over the others CIs performance.
The method used during the primary research was the survey and the tool - the structured-interviews. The second step was to add expert elicitation in order to surpass the challenges emphasized by the analysis.
One of the input data for the present paper was a previous research made by the authors that highlighted that the research made at national level should be analysed in terms of critical infrastructures.
The originality of the present paper consists in identifying the interoperability of sectors that weren't taken into consideration before, as for example research, while most interdependencies' studies are focused on IT&C and energy or water and energy interdependencies.
APPROACHING ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATIONAL GAMES
Authors: Stefan Antoniu , Stefan Ioana andreea , Baalsrud hauge Jannicke , Arnab Sylvester
Published: February 2023

The use of games in education necessitates investigations on how to successfully transpose learning objectives and evaluation metrics into game settings, how to effectively assess player performance in the game, and also on how to overcome technical issues associated with the integration of Digital Educational Games (DEG) and Learning Management Systems (LMS). According to Bloom's taxonomy, revised by Anderson in 2001, which is used to develop learning objectives, there are six categories in the cognitive process dimension that should be considered: remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and create. To construct DEGs that assess player's performance in connection with these categories constitute a challenge. Digital games are in essence complex artefacts, whose design and development require extensive efforts both from pedagogical and technical points of view. While methods common to an assessment content are core to many DEGs (rewards, levels, leader boards), creating game assessment mechanisms that are motivating and even disruptive from traditional evaluation methods, and yet can be integrated into formal evaluation processes is still subject to research. This paper examines the design and development of assessment mechanisms for a language learning game, with the purpose of identifying how various assessment mechanisms can be applied in game contexts. The authors also discuss technical issues associated with interconnecting games and LMSs, exploring the possibility to automatically upload assessment criteria into the game and integrate game assessment reports into the LMS. This approach targets to implement a new level of flexibility in game development processes, enabling tutors to customize the assessment mechanisms within the game.
REAL COMPLEX TRAVEL
Authors: Grosu Corina , Grosu Marta
Published: February 2023

One of the main challenges we are facing whenever teaching Mathematics to first year Politehnica University students is how to enable them to establish a connection between abstract notions and their recognition and concrete use in specialized engineering courses or even in post graduate job problems. Such a connection is needed because the multipurpose mathematical models encountered during the first university year are more often than not general notions. Nevertheless, problems with which students are usually confronted later in their work life relate to a well delimited approach in a specific engineering field. In order to serve this purpose, our present paper relies on two key elements. The first one is the visual association between abstract elements (in our case solutions of systems of differential equations) and certain representations in a real world problem (specifically, predefined trajectories of motion). The second, equally important element, is the form in which the above mentioned link is presented. Since the use of mobile technology in higher education offers a very attractive, interactive method, we have chosen to merge the mathematical e-learning dimension with a platform game developed for Android systems (phones and tablets). Consequently, the recognition of abstract notions is encompassed in the levels of the game. The mathematics behind the game deals with systems of first order linear differential equations, their associated matrix and the corresponding eigenvalues. Nevertheless, there is also a captivating story to support the game and engage the player. The main character, RC (RealComplex) has been teleported, by a mad dentist, from his cabinet, straight into the habitat of the Bengali tiger. In fact, the mad dentist had secretly transformed his dental chair into a space traveling machine. RC must travel across grasslands, subtropical rain forests, mangroves and eventually escape to an island where the space traveling machine can be transformed into an escape plane. While the game comprises four levels, two of which are mathematical levels, evolution from one level to the next is only allowed if the previous level has been completed. Thus, no one can avoid going through a mathematical revision before reaching the island and the end of the game. Moreover, a deeper understanding of the geometric representation of complex numbers is also part of the game. In fact, trajectories corresponding to complex eigenvalues are solutions to be avoided by the player since this type of directions, if chosen, disable the character's freedom to move in the game world.
GAMIFYING EDUCATION
Authors: Enache Liviudragos , Pop Dragos paul
Published: February 2023

There are flaws in the way that schools and universities teach today. This article describes an application that will try to ameliorate some of those flaws by using one of the biggest parts of entertainment we consume today...games. The application will use the principle of gamifying education in order to make teaching/studying more engaging and fun. The software will be developed for both desktop devices and mobile in order to make it accessible to everyone, teacher and student alike.

In order for this idea/application to work there is need for a world that suits a particular class to be created. This will be done by having the professor use the app to create the world and set its rules. The app will work as a creator/editor/tracker and manager software.Using the app he can decide how the "game" will be played and "won". Lee Sheldon associate professor and co-director of the Games and Simulation Arts program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute proposes we use an upside down grading method. The problem with grading now is that it is always counting down. All of the students start subconsciously with a 10 in every course, after this point every mistake they do is counted and deducted from their 10, this is demotivational for the student. The proposed change is to do as following, rename points to experience points (XP) and grades to levels, have all the students start at 0 XP and have them gain points for every assignment or test, it's more fun to win stuff than to loose. Lee Sheldon created a "new world" in which he "replaced" students with heroes, tests with bosses and any other teaching principle with a gaming term. In games we learn that leveling or progressing allows you to take on bigger and bigger challenges thus encouraging more progress.
With this new grading system in mind the world can be created. Using the application the professor can choose to use a default world and just tweak it to suit his class or start from scratch.
The teacher will name his world, choose its theme (sci-fi, ancient, etc.), will approve student names and avatars, manage the guilds (groups). Also he will decide on how the grading will work (decide on the number of xp needed to level up (reach a new grade) and on the number of methods to level up (achievements or other prerequisites).
USING IT TO INTRODUCE IT - WITH PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN ENGLISH ON THE HIDDEN AGENDA
Authors: Catelly Yolandamirela
Published: February 2023

Over the last decade, IT has been used in various ways and with different rationales in the teaching of many disciplines in tertiary education. Among them, the teaching of foreign languages has continuously been making use of these new and more and more complex technical means of pedagogic support, in spite of a certain degree of reluctance that might have characterized the teachers' attitude at the beginning. This is particularly more so if the trainees are, as the case is in the educational context taken into consideration in this study, engineering students - more precisely Computer Science bachelor level in a faculty having English as the medium of instruction. Therefore, the main aim of the paper is to draw the attention of the foreign language teaching community on the need to increase the students' awareness of the usefulness and versatility of IT for language teaching/learning and for learning in general. In the particular case presented in the study, namely a three-stage project entitled "I like IT" - inspired from a well-known TV programme in Romania - one interesting aspect is the fact that it is actually a combined IT focused activity. Thus, on the one hand, the topic of the project is making IT known via original TV show formats and, on the other hand, this is done by IT engineering students, using IT means in original combinations. The objectives of the proposal, which are at the same time the rationale for designing and teaching the activity, cover: developing the learners' communication skills in English similar to those they will most probably need in their career, by generating a quite authentic context and task for them to develop their own creativity, team spirit and competitiveness with fair play underlying it, as well as sensitizing the trainees on the importance of IT, their field of study and future work, as a crucible where pedagogical, linguistic, socio-affective components melt into a personality capable to face the expectations and requirements of today's knowledge society. A thorough description of the project stages is provided, with examples of the students' products and a discussion of the findings, with a view to submitting the approach to the arena of the (foreign language) teaching community debate.
VIEWS OF FUTURE TEACHERS ABOUT STUDENTS BORN DIGITAL
Authors: Csorba Diana
Published: February 2023

Many challenges of the contemporary world bring prospective teachers in a position to interrogate their own conceptions about the image that will educate the children. Teachers with experience of new generations of pupils speak with delight but also with fear. There are other children, should be treated otherwise? Their world is not the world we are trained to educate. Our study hypothesis is the fact that to begin a training program for future teachers should have a good knowledge of the general profile of the child today, in the context of a complex and dynamic social context. The study findings are built as prerequisites to substantiate initial training of teachers, who need to reflect deeply. They can respond to new categories on which training needs most times I reflected in philosophical manner.
The content of teacher training should focus on the role of virtual environments to create situations of training, design and exploitation creative educational software, evaluation assisted digital educational management, investigation - internet communication on issues of education, psycho-pedagogical and career Computer-Assisted, etc ..
Also, teacher training must take into account the experience gained through the implementation of the agreements between traditional education and practice or knowledge of the entire teaching obvious transformations that are generated by harnessing information and communication resources of computers. By integrating students will be trained in intelligence gathering activities on the Internet to solve problems, they will communicate and collaborate. Using a blog and not a simple web page, the teacher may receive comments and questions from his students and they can answer. This Communication aims to support students; information, useful contacts for further in-depth study can be posted on forums or on a learning platform specially created.
PSYCHO-PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS OF CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING THRU GOOGLE APPS AT ODL DEPARTMENT CREDIS OF UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
Authors: Ilie Mariana mirela
Published: February 2023

Virtual learning environments have gained a great deal of attention in the education community in recent years. Most of the literature on e-learning or other kinds of learning in virtual learning settings, concentrates on the delivery of information or content, putting on the second place or leaving in a shadow the importance of the context and therefore of the scenario that makes possible and successful the delivery of the content.
The aim of the present article is to expose the psycho-pedagogical aspects of Constructivist learning thru Google Apps at ODL department Credis of University of Bucharest focusing mostly on the importance of teaching-learning scenario. The case study is focused on the idea that learning is seen as a confluence of for domains or spheres as the subjective experience sphere, the information or content sphere, the institutional sphere and the community sphere wherein each exerts a significant influence on the student`s learning proportionally with the emphasis of the teacher. This article shows that the context together with the content are essential in any design paradigm, in this case in Constructivist paradigm and the psycho-pedagogical aspects of the relation between interaction and activity, like a better understanding of the content, the generation of new ideas based on interaction between previous knowledge and new content and construction of the knowledge. Also is shown the complexity of interaction between content and experience, individuality and community, communication and structure, and standards and flexibility.
The overarching outcome will be a coherent image of the psycho-pedagogical aspects of the scenario of a master course designed to enhance ideas with technology based on a Constructivist approach.
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE ERA OF E-COMMUNICATION
Authors: Pastae Veronica
Published: February 2023

What we want to investigate in this article is the impact of the pervasive role of technology, and especially of computers in human interaction. The main focus, however, will be on the challenges posed by computer-mediated communication to interpersonal communication. We shall address both positive and negative aspects of technology use in interpersonal communication experiences. Additionally, we shall approach the ways in which the recourse to computer - mediated communication has influenced the teacher-student interaction. e-mail messages, instant messaging, chat rooms, online social networks - virtual worlds, in general, may be very appealing from the perspective of interpersonal communication, mainly due to the fact that they seem less threatening. These means of communication offer plenty of benefits, but there are quite a lot of challenges and hazards to face in this respect.
Another thing we want to turn our attention to is how the interaction in the field of education is affected by the use of technology. Is computer-mediated learning better or worse than face-to-face learning? In what ways? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this practice in terms of interaction? What are the present trends and what are the reasons behind them?
Given the fact that e-communication lacks non-verbal cues or subliminal information, how does this influence interpersonal communication in the process of learning?
In this paper we shall also investigate the ways and the extent to which these drawbacks are dealt with. We shall prove that people have looked for answers to these intricate questions and have come up with some solutions to solve the problem of remoteness during communication.
ARE VIRTUAL CAREER GUIDANCE CENTRES NEEDED IN THE ROMANIAN SCHOOLS?
Authors: Scoda Andreea diana , Andrei Angela
Published: February 2023

The present article analysis and poses an important question concerning school counsellors' knowledge regarding the use of virtual career centres in the practice of counselling and guidance. The design of the paper is based on theoretical analyses on the basis that these virtual career centres are needed to ensure a better practice. Several types of ICT applications and Internet-based services have emerged since the last decades of the previous century: for example, email, chat, newsgroup, websites, SMS (text messaging), telephone, software (CD-ROM and free-standing computer programs) and video-conferencing (Watts & Offer, 2006). Thus, these new technology enables the use of such resources at a wide range, but at the same time, it also poses other challenges ahead. The documentary analysis concerning these virtual career centres developed and how these technologies are being used to inform parents about career resources and to assist students in developing their career management skills and making informed and realistic decisions about occupational, educational, training and employment choices will be investigated throughout the paper. The results of our theoretical analysis obtained from different studies (national and international) will bring into light a theoretical imagine on the one hand, how is it beneficial and if it is being used and on the other hand in guidance practice (advantages/disadvantages, school level, teachers' implication etc.) are just some of the issues being analysed throughout this paper. Furthermore, the paper will emphasises the role of the school counsellors and the role of teachers regarding the use of virtual career guidance centres in Romanian schools (opportunities, limits, threats, strengths etc.).
ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OF TEACHING STAFF IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, BASED ON COMMUNICATION, MULTIMEDIA AND E-LEARNING
Authors: Andronie Maria , Gherasim Zenovic
Published: February 2023

A sustainable development of the education system in Romania and its integration in the European education system requires a significant quality improvement in undergraduate education system. This goal however can be achieved not only by using and promoting new technologies in the teaching and evaluation stages but by involving the teachers in an ongoing process to enhance of their professional teaching competences. Also, the objective can be reached by facilitating the access to other's experiences and good practices, exchanges regarding the use of modern educational tools and techniques/ methods, based on IT&C, multimedia and e-Learning.
As regards the betterment of professional training of the teaching staff acting in the undergraduate educational system, there are organized training sessions and professional development programmes, based on modern educational methods and techniques. The programmes are supported by technological evolutions, having as priority objectives not only training and developing role, personal and professional competencies, but also the development of competencies for the aimed area.
In this context, Spiru Haret University implements ongoing training and professional development programmes for adults, which are addressed mainly to the undergraduate teaching staff. The programmes are focused on the development of specific area-oriented competencies and common competencies for using modern technological and methodological tools, as well as for managing the problems the Romanian education system is facing. The programmes are module- based, in an innovative approach, in a blended e-Learning format, using the technological infrastructure and the Blackboard Learning platform for granting a controlled access to participants to the learning, training and evaluation resources.