Employers in Rwanda have been expressing their dissatisfaction with university graduates’ low English proficiency affirming that it hindered their performance at work. Rwanda Development Board (RDB) also noticed that the English proficiency and work readiness skills of university graduates on internship in 2019 left a lot to be desired, which was an impediment to the completion of the internship and to the development of their professional skills. To enhance these graduates’ communication and work readiness skills, the Rwandan Government, through RDB, sent them to a one and half-month employability boot camp at the University of Rwanda. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating factors that hindered these interns’ development of English proficiency and at exploring whether the course helped improve their skills in this language. For the sake of validity and reliability, both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms were applied to collect and analyse the research data. Themes emerging from classroom observations and interviews were analysed inductively and figures used to interpret the trainees’ results in the entry and exit English proficiency tests. Research findings revealed that unfavorable linguistic environment, teachers limited English proficiency, and regular shifts in the medium of instruction were major impediments to the trainees' improvement of English proficiency. Findings also disclosed that the training had helped the majority of participants boost the four language macro modalities, but that more time was required for slow learners. In agreement with the findings, some recommendations were made on how to effectively support Rwandan students’ learning of English.

A serious game is a media based on the narrative of a game focused on learning. The narrative of a game brings elements and mechanics that motivate the participation and engagement of the players. This is because games are a constant in human development as they formalize cultural activities with social function, being full of meanings. Moreover, the possibilities found in the game narratives contribute to the construction of more participatory plots, since the player can act actively in the course of the story. The narrative and engagement of serious games are of prime importance to distance learning in the health field. In Brazil, the Open University of the Unified Health System (UNA-SUS/UFMA) develops serious games as educational resources to train health professionals. This paper presents the design process of the Clinical Case Game, a serious game for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, addressed to doctors in Brazil. A multidisciplinary and human-centred design approach was adopted to develop the game. It involved medical doctors, educators, IT professionals, information designers and game designers, who coordinated the team and acted on the balance of the dynamics involved, that is, the narrative and playful pleasure. The methodology employed consisted of a workshop; content and prototype production; prototype testing with users; and refinements for the final version of the game. The results suggested that narrative unity must be coherent for serious games on health and highlight the relevance of serious games as high potential resources in the educational process.

Students frequently commit errors despite spending huge amount of time studying language. This paper discusses a classroom-based teaching inquiry about error analysis and correction. The study focused on the use of simple past in paragraphs. The objectives of the investigation were to understand the extent to which dealing with students’ errors in a leaner-centered classroom improves accuracy in English and to assess students’ attitudes to the approach in language learning. The inquiry involved 62 first-year students from the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Rwanda. Individual and group work, a questionnaire and class observations were data collection tools. Findings revealed that the majority of students significantly improved their writing as a result of analyzing their errors in written work. In addition, students reported that correcting errors together gave them confidence and freedom to explore their language use more freely, to discuss their errors, to learn new words in their field of study, and to avoid repeating error while writing. Class observations showed that students were discussing and listening to each other’s opinions attentively and critically. The researchers concluded that students acquire more language accuracy when they are deeply involved in error analysis as they feel motivated and responsible for their own learning.

The focus of critical educational philosophy is not only on criticising traditional education (Banking education), but also on promoting a pedagogy for liberation, whereby education is a cultural action for freedom. The main strategy or tool of critical pedagogy is the culture circle, a dialogical problem-posing method of education. The current qualitative case study examined the use of culture circles in a continuing professional development workshop for Israeli special education teachers. Given the over-representation of culturally and economically oppressed populations in the special education system, it would be appropriate to raise the awareness of the SE teachers of this situation. Findings revealed that while developing culture circles during the workshop, most of the teachers moved from proposing hurried and shallow solutions, to offering carefully thought-out ideas for joint analysis, following an in-depth review and definition of the problem. Despite starting the process with an idealised perception of society and an over-inflated sense of self-efficacy, when group participants completed the workshop, they had acquired the ability to acknowledge and even contend with the unjust conditions and imperfections of the Special Education System. It seems that, participating in culture circles can help teachers to both understand their current realty fully and deeply and to set meaningful goals for the future.

Dating violence is a multidimensional and cross-cultural problem that in the last decade has extended worryingly to teenage age. The consequences are so serious and lasting over time that they cause serious psychological, educational, family and social implications. Knowledge of predictive indicators and the consequences that these aggression and victimization processes cause, can offer an important guide for the design of prevention and intervention protocols that contribute to decrease the prevalence of cases, to facilitate their identification, to give an answer faster and more efficient. This study emphasizes the moral development of adolescents as a key indicator and, specifically, in the level of moral disengagement they present. The aims are: a) Analyze the level of moral disengagement of adolescents, as well as the mechanisms they use to accept and normalize violent behaviors; b) Know what mechanisms of moral disengagement predict certain forms of aggression in dating relationships. The sample consists of 2029 adolescents (55.4% girls) with ages between 14 and 18 years (M = 16.2; SD = 1.2). The results indicate that adolescents have a moderate level of moral disengagement (M = 2,562; SD = 0.4362) and the most commonly used disengagement mechanisms coincide with the diffusion and displacement of responsibility for the damage caused. As the level of disengagement increases, the mechanisms that adolescents use to validate and approve aggressive behaviors committed and suffered are diversified. Finally, it is found that the use of mechanisms such as dehumanization and euphemistic language are strong predictors of certain forms of victimization.

This paper aims to address the current limitations of measuring success in Home Education. Educational achievements in schools are measured through standard knowledge-based assessments which take place during various stages in a child’s formal education, based on the National Curriculum. However, due to the unique purpose, aims and methods used by Home Educators, current measurements and standards are incompatible with achievements identified by Home Educating families. The established traditional concepts of educational success are the framework of current measurement of educational achievements, which may be contrary to the concepts of families who follow different philosophical understandings of education. The reality of each family having their individual aims and purpose of Home Education has resulted in their achievements to be immeasurable by the traditional standards as used in schools. This paper aims to argue that it is necessary to review current philosophical and theoretical concepts in education, apart from knowledge-based education as set out by the state in the National Curriculum. This will allow us to develop new common grounds in measurement of educational success inclusive of individual achievements set out by Home Educators.

Radiology interfaces with all medical disciplines. Whether medical students pursue a career in radiology or any other medical discipline, as future physicians they will always come across imaging at multidisciplinary conferences (MCs). Students at all departments are confronted with imaging in their studies. It is therefore important they recognize the role of radiology in patient care. With imaging being imperative for patient management, radiology is indispensable at MCs. Radiologists cooperate with all clinical departments, and are often final to be asked for decisions at MCs. Joining MCs can prepare students for image interpretation and demonstration in their future clinical practice. MCs can complement to teaching in busy clinical routine. MCs embody educational grounds of lifelong medical learning for radiologists and other physicians. As medical students are going to enter a profession of lifelong learning, MCs can likewise offer valuable educational opportunities. The article presents three reasons to seize MCs as potential teaching opportunities for medical students in radiology: 1. the significance of radiology for MCs; 2. preparation of medical students for MCs; and 3. exploration of MCs for lifelong learning.

This paper presents an analysis of Maltese Advanced Biology examination comprehension questions according to cognitive complexity. The research data consisted of 239 questions from 20 Summer examinations: 10 National and 10 at a public post-secondary Institution between 2010 and 2019. In this research, a qualitative approach and theory-driven content analysis method using Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives were employed. The 121 Institution and 118 National examination questions were placed in two categories: higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) comprising Remembering, Understanding and Applying and lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS) comprising Analysing, Evaluating and Creating on the basis of earlier research. Data was given with tables as percentage. This research was guided by the following two questions: What kinds of cognitive skills and knowledge do Maltese Advanced Biology comprehension examination questions require? What is the proportion of marks being awarded to the different cognitive levels? In the National examination questions were allocated to five of the cognitive categories while less, four, in the Institution. Over a 10-year period, the majority of the questions (91.6% in Institution; 81.6% in National) required LOCS. In both types of examination, the highest percentage of questions were in the Remembering objective (53% in Institution; 48% in National), followed by Understanding (31.84% in Institution; 22% in National) and finally Applying (6% in Institution; 11% in National). The study highlighted that the Analysing objective was absent in every comprehension and the Creating category was represented by a mere1% in the National examination. The investigation was extended to determine the marks allocated to the different cognitive levels. The majority of the marks, (92.0% in Institution; 81.7% in National examinations) belonged to the LOCS, being allocated mostly in the Remembering and Understanding objectives. The research indicates that the examinations were overall, not cognitively demanding, but the National one was more intellectually challenging for a number of reasons, including a larger percentage of questions and marks categorised as HOCS. The Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives as used in this research gives a useful way for designing or analysing biology summative assessment tools. All three higher-order cognitive skills categories should be more evenly presented in future biology examinations.

The development of literacy skills of children from disadvantaged backgrounds has always been a relevant topic in education as it represents a means of reducing poverty and of improving living conditions. This paper focuses on the Roma minority, a historically disadvantaged minority and the largest ethnic group in Europe that has been reported to have a low literacy rate compared with their non-Roma counterparts. This study intends to identify the main challenges that Roma children face when they learn how to read and point out potential educational practices that can alleviate the condition of Roma children by helping them to improve their literacy development rate.

This paper discusses part of a practitioner research case-study which I carried out with a class of thirty-seven college students learning chemistry in a blended learning context. The full two-year study involved a multi-method interpretivist approach using observations, unsolicited meetings, VLE tracking system, students’ reflective journal, online informal discussions, questionnaires, focus groups and individual interviews. The study identified four key student online learning dispositions, i.e., the dispositions of resourcefulness, resilience, reciprocity and responsibility. These dispositions were identified as persona-related enablers for online learning and were found to be crucial for the students to develop a deep approach to learning. They were also instrumental for changes in the students as learners. These included changes in epistemological beliefs, study patterns, study habits and above all, changes in learner roles and learning identities. Notable changes occurred in a group of learners who were initially reluctant to learn from the online environment. This study showed that student learning dispositions may be transferred from one context to another. This includes a transfer of learning dispositions from the online environment to the face-to-face traditional classroom setting. Several educators argue that learning dispositions should be included as educational goals in educational curricula and should serve as practical strategies in creating learning environments. Learning activities should provide students with opportunities to develop and cultivate desirable dispositions for learning.