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Under consideration is an operationalization of the Weintrop taxonomy of computational thinking through some test items from the competition papers of the “Chernorizets Hrabar” math tournament for primary school students. A didactic analysis was made on a sample of educational objectives that require certain activities classified as types of computational thinking in the taxonomy. Based on statistical processing of the students' achievements, conclusions are drawn about the possibilities of forming and developing certain types of computational thinking in the primary education. It is illustrated by examples how specific educational goals are related with corresponding computational thinking in different contexts. The benefit of early development of computational thinking in students for their potential realization in STEM professional fields is substantiated.
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The 2008 crisis produced a readjustment of social relationships in Spain, which was mirrored by an alternative discourse in fiction which renews the canon and enhances the construction of a fictional reality that reflects society. The most contemporary narrators display a wide variety of discourses on the assimilation of the crisis. This article analyse three novels. Robert Juan-Cantavella’s El Dorado, which was published on the year the crisis began and shows the triumph of neoliberalism and consumerism in the holiday town in the years before the crisis. Alternatively, Elvira Navarro’s La trabajadora and Sara Mesa’s Cicatriz offer a realistic point of view of the impact of the crisis on urban structures and the job insecurity it caused.
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The article examines the ways in which sustainable tourism is implemented in education. The need for this incorporation is identified and essential components through which it can be realized in tourism education are outlined. The object of the study is higher education in tourism, and its subject is the implementation of knowledge, skills and competences in students for the sustainable development of the sector. The main thesis of the author is that implementing the goals of sustainable development in tourism education and building a new way of thinking has an impact on the future abilities of professionals in the sector to achieve its long-term viability. On the basis of exploration of existing literature, as well as on the basis of own scientific and teaching experience, a conceptual model for education towards sustainable tourism development has been built and proposed. As an additional result of the research, good international practices and opportunities for education in the direction of sustainable tourism are presented.
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The article reflects the results of research among practical education specialists who teach the students of the “Social Pedagogy” specialty of the University of Sofia and the teachers who are responsible for the organization of the practical training. The research was carried out through a focus group and a survey and aims to establish the good practices and challenges in organizing and conducting the practical training of the students during the COVID restrictions. The analysis of the results allows us to outline guidelines for improving the quality of the training in the conditions of unforeseen changes and crisis situations to satisfy the need for qualified and motivated specialists in the field of social pedagogy.
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The technological advancements in the last three decades have led to many innovations in the area of the Information and Communication Technologies, which in turn have fuelled the rapid development of the modern 3D technologies. This collective term is used to describe both the methods for the development of the digital content and the solutions and devices, which provide means for the attractive, interactive and innovative visualisation and popularisation of this content. The 3D technologies have provided many possibilities and never-before-seen opportunities, but they have also presented many new challenges. The high cost of the equipment, the complexity of the digitalization processes and the unexperienced staff are just few of the reasons for the slow adoption rate and the delayed integration and use of these technologies by the higher educational institutions. Currently, there are many different ICT solutions and systems in use in the colleges and universities in Europe and in the world. Nevertheless, only few of them are related to or use the modern 3D technologies. In this article we present and analyse some of the most popular methods and approaches for development of digital models, as well as how this content can be visualised, presented and popularised using different platforms and solutions. Last, but not least, we discuss the possibilities to integrate the modern 3D technologies in the scientific activities of the higher education institutions in Bulgaria.
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Whenever it comes to evaluation and accreditation, what most excites the academic community is how far the criteria system applied by the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation can accurately and impartially “capture” the quality of education in higher education institutions in Bulgaria. Often the differences in estimates are of the order of hundredths after the decimal point, but they have a significant differentiating meaning. The paper analyzes the criteria system of NEAA, emphasizing the possibilities for scaling and calibration of the indicators included in it. The main thesis is that the objectivity of the assessment, apart from the number of indicators, also depends on the precision and transparency of their sizing. In theoretical terms, the “reading” of the NEAA criteria system is based on the theory of measurement and the theory of fuzzy sets. In conclusion, the main findings of the criteria system are summarized and some recommendations for its improvement are given.
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After an overview of the scientific literature, scientifically proven inner university mechanisms, aiming to increase the quality of distance learning in accordance with our country’s regulations have been proposed, with the emphasis of this report being the model for evaluating e-courses for distance learning by experts (according to specially developed rules).One of the model’s key benefits is that it actually leads to increased e-course quality when distance learning is concerned. With this system every teacher, whose course is subject to evaluation, is provided with the support that is needed and has a personal contribution in helping distance learning meet country requirements. A disadvantage of the model is the need for precise verification and approval of the course by experts, which requires time and effort. Ways to resolve this problem were investigated.
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The digital transformation of the industrial domains and the everyday human life has led to new ways of entertainment, safer working environments, better transport technologies, global connectivity and many other social and economic benefits, but it has also caused some indirect and unexpected consequences for the labour market – the emergence of numerous never-before-seen professions, which are closely related to the information and communication technologies. This has led to a sudden demand for large number of workers with knowledge and experience in the area of the digital technologies – something for which the educational systems of many countries were not adequately prepared and were caught by surprise. In order to meet the challenges of this digital revolution, numerous plans, programmes and mechanisms were created for the rapid and large-scale digitization of all levels of the educational system. Unfortunately, one of the most vital requirements for the introduction of the innovative teaching methods in the primary and secondary schools was significantly underestimated – the lack of sufficient time and capabilities to train and prepare the teachers. It is exactly here, where the role of the universities stands out, as they can respond appropriately to this need and they can prepare the teachers for the new digital challenges much faster and easier. The universities can also act as mediators between the business sector and the primary or secondary education institutions and can help them easily acquire financial or material support for the introduction of STEM classes in the educational processes. In this publication, we briefly discuss the STEM educational methods, their main goals and their primary characteristics. The article then presents a methodology for the rapid large-scale integration of these learning methods in the primary and secondary schools with the help and with the involvement of the higher education institutions. The last part of this publication presents in details the pilot initiative of the University of Ruse „Angel Kanchev“ for the introduction of classes in robotics and block-based programming in the primary and secondary schools in the Municipality of Ruse.
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The development of educational technologies in the 21st century allowed saturation with technological resources that dynamizes and digitizes the learning process. This new trend was logically supported with appropriate hardware and software. In the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was digital communication channels and virtual learning environments that ensured the continuity of the national education system. In higher education, the decades-old academic distance learning centres have provided the learning process for full-time and part-time students and proven their effectiveness. In parallel with the financial provision in school education for the construction of STEM classrooms, a professional standard for an environment, nurturing development was achieved. Both teachers and students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics became the main beneficiaries. In contrast, in the system of higher education, delays and lagging are found, as often graduates coming from STEM classrooms end up in university classrooms which are decades behind in technological advancement. This paper therefore advocates the introduction of the tentatively named BEST standard, based on Business, Entrepreneurship, Science and Technology, in higher education as a logical build-up to the good STEM outcomes established in school settings.
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As social networks have evolved beyond their original purpose, and have proven to be a successful platform even for business and politics, it was only natural for the educational process to find its place in this virtual realm. As early as 2019, Facebook introduced the Social Learning mode, which provided excellent opportunities for publishing and structuring educational content within closed groups, taking the utilization of this social network to a new level in the learning process. It can hardly be disputed that social networks have the potential to offer rich access to a variety of educational resources, but recently, there has been a persistent migration of students from the digital generation to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, where digital content in the form of small portions of visual and video information circulates. This trend leads to the need for a fresh interpretation of the concept of micro-learning and micro-content in the context of social networks, as well as the need to explore learners' attitudes towards such type of learning.
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Within the teacher's activity, school innovations can be summarized as innovations in the complete realization of the formal and non-formal educational process by introducing new or transforming traditionally imposed approaches, methods, means, technologies, and content. The establishment of innovations in modern education is identified with the digitalization process from which several misunderstandings arise. Still other problems related to the introduction of school innovations are still relevant and cause teachers' resistance to innovative school activities. Therefore, the mission of the university is to prepare teachers for this challenge. This study presents a part of a large research, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Sciences, covering 3089 newly appointed teachers (with up to 3 years of educational experience). The study aggregates data from 8 questions, that are a part of questionnaire containing 38 questions. The results provide information both on the deficits in university preparation in aspect to introducing of school innovations, and on the specific attitudes of teachers from different stages and degrees of school education for conducting innovative educational activities, including ICT.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a complete reorganization of the educational process and its transformation into a digital form in all countries affected by the crisis. But all too often, school institutions fail to organize and implement high-quality digital learning. This situation reveals as a magnifying glass the deficit in the processes of digitization of education. Students, teachers and parents are faced with a number of challenges, realizing the importance of reliable infrastructure, well-thought-out digital concepts for teaching online and having the necessary competencies, both by teachers and students. The main step in developing appropriate educational approaches in the field of digitization of education is to evaluate the experience of this time and draw lessons to make society more sustainable in the future.
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Digitalization of the education system in Kazakhstan, as well as in other countries, is a global trend in education development that aims to expand access, improve quality, and increase efficiency. Despite some similarities in the digitalization process with other countries, Kazakhstan has unique challenges related to unequal access and quality control measures. The international project HIEDTEC, which was implemented from 2018 – 2022 with the support of the EU Erasmus+ program, had a significant influence and importance. The project accomplished five major tasks, which will be highlighted in this report. However, problems such as unequal access, teacher training, quality control of educational content, and the adequacy of quality control measures to ensure accurate and effective content still exist. This report will present a forecast for the development of education through digital transformation.
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Quality control is becoming increasingly important as an essential component of the effective functionality of the aviation security system in an increasingly complex, uncertain and dynamic international environment. Notwithstanding the established normative regulation in the field of civil aviation security, monitoring activities show significant deficiencies and inadequate implementation of security measures. The reasons for these results are mainly rooted in the human factor. The integration of control measures into the corporate culture of security, related to the attitude in the behavior of the whole organization towards the importance of aviation security and the responsibility of the human factor will provide a proactive response to ever changing and difficult to predict threats.
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The subject of this analysis is what the life conditions of farm animals in the Polish People’s Republic looked like and how they were reflected in professional discourse. My main aim is to show how good practices in husbandry were understood before the rise of the notion of animal welfare. As I demonstrate, their evolution was strictly linked with rhetorical changes in the discourse. I delineate the main material-discursive historical shifts that shaped further breeding practices.
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The report presents the results of a study of the periodicity of defence reviews (strategic reviews) over the last 30 years concerning the armed forces. The different durations of cycles in the defence planning have been established (by a systematic analysis) which predetermines deviations, delays or shortfalls in the development of the defence capabilities and armed forces. Refinement of the process in the direction of synchronization with the corresponding process in NATO will increase the efficiency and the timely development of interoperable forces.
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In times of high inflation, economic turmoil and limited resources, spending a public resource in the most efficient way is of utmost importance for the development and well-being of society. This paper proposes an innovative way to determine the estimated value of defense procurement by using the time value of money (future value).
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Public opinion about certain social, economic and political processes of the past has been largely shaped by fictions and myths. Aleko Konstantinov is among the most influential authors of Bulgarian literary classics. His popular character Bay Ganyo is a symbol of negative characteristics, which have contributed to the formation of negative attitude of Bulgarians towards the market economy and towards entrepreneurs. The authors attempt to prove that Aleko Konstantinov did not know the specifics of the export trade with rose oil from the end of the 19th century and because of this he transferred the repulsive personal characteristics of Bay Ganyo to a business activity that actually had the potential to help overcome them.
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