Search Results for
"deep learning"

Student employability is a significant focus for universities, industry and national governments. Work-integrated learning (WIL) represents an authentic educational approach that bridges theoretical knowledge with practical experience. It has been widely used as an effective and efficient measure to enhance graduates’ employability. Nonetheless, empirical evidence shows that few students enrol in this type of course when it is not part of the required curriculum. This study investigated 29 WIL courses at Griffith University (Australia) to gain deeper insights into this issue. The objective was to identify trends and gaps across disciplines, understand WIL’s structural elements, such as WIL types, learning outcomes, and graduate attributes, and gather feedback from key stakeholders, including course convenors, industry partners, and students. The findings demonstrate that while there is no doubt about the positive impact of WIL on employability, there is a pressing need to foster a genuine WIL culture and refine certain aspects of the current WIL framework. These steps are crucial to facilitate, enhance, and promote more meaningful WIL experiences in the future. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

This chapter presents a case study investigating the student experience with AI-assisted situational analysis using the SWOT approach in construction management education. The study focuses on third-year Bachelor of Construction and Graduate Diploma in Construction Management students enrolled in a “Complex Construction” course. The aim is to enhance students’ situational analysis skills by integrating ChatGPT for SWOT analysis tasks. The spiral of inquiry facilitated the data collection process by providing opportunities to gather data generated through demonstrations, presentations, group discussions, questionnaire surveys and evaluation of student work where relevant based on the nature of a given stage and its objectives. Findings suggest that AI-assisted SWOT analysis enables a broader understanding of a given topic relevant to the construction management domain and encourages critical thinking among students in collaborative settings. This study has implications for promoting technology-enabled teaching and learning in construction management education and industry readiness. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

This study investigated the integration of andragogical and pedagogical strategies in critical thinking training to enhance analytical and ethical decision-making skills among business students at Makerere University Business School (MUBS). While critical thinking is globally recognized as essential in higher education, limited research has explored structured instruction tailored to the Ugandan business education or broader African context. This study addresses this gap by examining the deficiency in current training, particularly in fostering both analytical reasoning and ethical awareness among learners. The study explored four questions: (1) To what extent does critical thinking training improve analytical abilities? (2) How does it impact message crafting skills? (3) What is its effect on ethical decision-making? and (4) How does critical thinking proficiency relate to the effectiveness of business communication in professional contexts? Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, the study combined quantitative assessments through quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test evaluations with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to deepen interpretation. Statistical analysis using SPSS and thematic analysis via NVivo showed significant improvements in the trained groups (p < 0.001) including gains in analytical reasoning (26.3%), persuasive communication (21.7%), and ethical decision-making (26.6%). These findings provide practical implications for curriculum reform aimed at equipping graduates with essential 21st-century competencies for the modern workplace. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of Design Thinking and Project-Based learning (DT-PBL) in engineering education through a grounded theory approach. Based on classroom observations and semi-structured interviews, four interdependent dimensions—self-confidence, reflective interaction, knowledge integration, and iterative refinement—were identified, forming a closed-loop learning ecology. The findings reveal that DT-PBL operates as a recursive, dynamic process: self-confidence drives participation, reflection deepens understanding, and iteration progressively transforms knowledge into actionable insights. Beyond generating project deliverables, DT-PBL cultivates reflective judgment, integrative thinking, and sustainable problem-solving competencies vital for contemporary engineering practice. This study contributes a theoretically grounded and pedagogically actionable framework for advancing DT-PBL implementation in higher education. © 2025 SEFI.

The effective integration of practical skills with theoretical knowledge remains a significant challenge in high school agricultural education. Traditional teaching methods often emphasize the transmission of theoretical knowledge, while neglecting the cultivation of practical skills. This imbalance hinders students’ ability to apply classroom learning to real-world agricultural activities. With technological advancements, mobile devices have created new possibilities for teaching, particularly in facilitating the convergence of theory and practice. Consequently, developing effective educational frameworks and integrating them with mobile devices to leverage these technologies and enhance student learning outcomes has become an important research direction in agricultural education. This study proposes a conceptual framework and scaffolding for agricultural learning using a field environment digest system on mobile devices to help students acquire agricultural knowledge in class. The purpose of this study is to explore students’ learning performance and improve their ability to integrate real-life agricultural activities with agricultural theory, with and without using Scaffolding for Agricultural learning within the Field Environment Digest System (SALDS) framework in visual agricultural education. The results indicate that integrating the SALDS teaching framework into high school agricultural education not only deepens students’ understanding of agricultural knowledge, but also helps them synthesize theoretical knowledge and practical activities. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study investigates how PBL enhances students’ critical thinking abilities as they compose narrative texts based on indigenous narratives in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The research conducted among 35 ninth-grade students (divided into seven groups) in a public junior high school in Bandung, Indonesia, using qualitative methods, including observation and document analysis, the study evaluates students' critical thinking through the Critical Thinking VALUE Rubric. Results indicate that PBL significantly promoted critical thinking, with students engaging in deeper reflection on cultural, ethical, and social issues in their narrative projects. High-Perceived Critical Thinking (HPCT) stories exhibited greater complexity and analysis than Low-Perceived Critical Thinking (LPCT) stories, which focused more on practical aspects. The PBL model can improve students' critical thinking skills, as evidenced by four out of seven groups falling into the High-Perceived Critical Thinking (HPCT) category. This study is significant because previous research has rarely combined culturally relevant content with structured critical thinking development in EFL contexts, creating a gap in effective instructional strategies. Therefore, it is recommended that EFL educators integrate culturally meaningful project-based tasks with explicit scaffolding to systematically nurture both critical thinking skills and language proficiency among learners. © 2025, Universitas Negeri Makassar- Faculty of Languages and Literature. All rights reserved.

I begin this chapter by explaining that, in India, the traditional midwives, also known as dais, have played indispensable roles in assisting with childbirths historically. I continue by noting that these roles involved helping the mother to deliver her baby, cutting the umbilical cord, and cleaning up after the birth, which also included disposing the placenta. However, amid India’s quest for modernization and for the biomedicalization of childbirths, traditional midwives and midwifery traditions have been marginalized and almost decimated. During the last decade, the emergence and visibility of birth professionals such as professional midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation consultants have increased, but these professionals have not yet been supported by the State. The birth centers, which, in India, are often owned and run by professional midwives, support non-invasive natural births. The professional midwives claim that in natural delivery, the knowledge and instincts of the woman’s body are of primary importance, thereby making birth a liberating experience for those Indian women who choose to give birth in these natural birth centers.In this chapter, I describe and discuss the parallels and contrasts between India’s traditional and emerging professional midwifery practices. I reflect on the policies and programs that both obstruct and facilitate midwifery care during childbirths in India. Rooted within the context of traditional midwifery, I explore the emergence of midwifery model of care in India, which emphasizes a return to supporting the physiological processes of birth. I also provide a comprehensive understanding of midwifery in India by tracing the recent shifts in childbirth and midwifery practices. Additionally, I map historical Indian childbirth practices to highlight key elements of the developmental changes and the emerging trends in Indian midwifery. I also examine the dissemination of knowledge within traditional Indian midwifery and compare this traditional knowledge to that of professional midwives and other birth professionals who prioritize apprenticeship learning over obtaing an official certification. Furthermore, I delve deeply into the social stratification and the dynamics between traditional and professional midwifery, offering insights into how these roles have evolved in contemporary India. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Edited by Robbie Davis-Floyd, Betty-Anne and Inayat Ali; individual chapters, the contributors.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the landscape of technical skills training worldwide. This narrative review sums up recent scholarly research to examine how AI is used into vocational and industrial training contexts, the opportunities it affords for personalized and adaptive learning, and the challenges it poses in practice. Our work outlines the state-of-the-art applications of AI aligned with 'Industry 4.0' needs, and narrates thematic areas including personalization, curriculum innovation, practical skills training, teacher competency development, administrative uses, and global perspectives. Findings reveal that AI technologies are enabling more flexible, inclusive, and industry-responsive vocational learning experiences, while also raising important issues around data privacy, bias, teacher readiness, and equity. The discussion provides a critical analysis of these developments and offers insights into policy implications and future research directions. We conclude that AI holds significant promise for enhancing vocational and industrial education, provided that stakeholders address implementation barriers and ethical concerns to harness AI's potential for improving workforce development and lifelong learning. © 2025 IEEE.

The Informal Artisan Training System (IATS) is crucial to Ghana’s construction industry but faces challenges that affect the quality of skilled labour and project outcomes. While research has documented the general limitations of informal artisan training, limited focus has been given to analysing specific learning patterns of artisans and their impact on project outcomes. This study addresses this gap by examining these learning patterns and evaluating their direct influence on construction project outcomes in Ghana. Through a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 314 participants, including apprentice artisans, master artisans, and construction supervisors, using surveys and field interactions. Findings identified two training approaches: traditional and attachment-based apprenticeship, with significant deficiencies in technical skills, formal education, and apprentices’ readiness for independent work. Master artisans are committed to ongoing learning but rely heavily on practical experience. Construction supervisors recognize the IATS’s role in meeting industry needs but highlight persistent skill gaps affecting productivity. By recommending formalization and standardization, this study underscores the importance of aligning artisan skills with industry standards, ensuring that training outcomes directly support the construction industry’s quality and productivity benchmarks. This study provides actionable insights for improving artisan training and deepens understanding of informal training dynamics. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

In the new era, applied economics education is evolving with increasing emphasis on practical training. To cultivate high-quality talents equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, educational institutions must continuously improve their teaching strategies. This article analyzes the current state of applied economics education, identifies existing challenges, and highlights the importance of practical learning in enhancing students’ abilities and employability. It proposes strategies such as school-enterprise collaboration, simulation training, and real-world project integration. Moreover, advanced computational algorithms—such as machine learning and optimization techniques—are introduced into teaching practices, offering innovative tools that deepen students’ understanding of economic issues and improve problem-solving capabilities, particularly in data analysis, model building, and evidence-based decision-making. © 2025 IGI Global. All rights reserved.