Education Technology
Article | August 4, 2022
With high hopes of addressing a problem that was getting in the way of everyday business, you invested time and money into creating an eLearning course.
Sadly, it hasn’t made a difference. Completion rates are low, the original problem remains, and you now have a new problem: Your lengthy (but useful) course is a dud and is not having an impact. Seems tricky, but rest assured there is a quick fix on your issue.
Contrary to long-form training, microlearning offers the same information but packages it into smaller segments. Most micro- lessons don’t exceed 15 minutes, which makes any assignment bearable. Due to time constraints, selected topics need to be focused, simple, and straightforward.
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Education Technology
Article | July 20, 2022
After almost two years of disruption due to the pandemic, our ongoing recovery has highlighted the value of embracing change and working much more flexibly than before, refusing to give up at the first hurdle and a willingness to work together to achieve a common goal. These transferable skills are becoming ever more important for us to thrive in our increasingly automated world, and they are skills that can be developed and embedded through the medium of mathematics.
Fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving are the three foundations of our mathematics curriculum. By valuing them all, we will ensure that our future workforce has the confidence and skills to work together much more effectively to solve problems, overcome hurdles, and sustain our recovery. Let’s begin with fluency. Although AI is becoming increasingly prevalent, benefiting both our social and working lives, we still need number skills, perhaps now more than ever. Too many high-profile technology projects have failed due to basic mathematical errors. We need our education system to nurture the types of number skills needed in industry, especially a much greater focus on using and applying number skills. We must encourage students to develop their confidence in estimating quantities and a willingness to check calculations, even when they’ve used a spreadsheet or calculator.
From NASA’s disintegrating space probes to trains that don’t fit their platforms and submarines that are just too big, the tech world is littered with avoidable, costly mistakes. Acquiring number fluency means developing a ‘feel’ for numbers so that we can easily spot when something is not quite right; the NASA probe disintegrated due to a simple error converting units, the trains would not fit because no-one checked the platform sizes, and the submarines needed refitting due to an error entering spreadsheet error. Each of those three were incredibly costly, totalling millions, if not billions of pounds, but they were all avoidable too. We must nurture a willingness to estimate and develop a ‘feel’ for numbers, known as ‘number sense,’ alongside the more traditional approach of performing more formal calculations when needed. After all, few people head to the shops armed with a pencil, squared paper, and a ruler in readiness to calculate their change at the cash register.
We need to value number sense and rethink our expectations of the primary curriculum.
Encouraging a different approach towards the teaching and learning of mathematics may also help to address the gender imbalance in the subject. If you filled a room with a hundred math professors, the chances are that less than ten would be female. However, female mathematicians have played key roles in the fight against COVID. Mathematical modellers such as Professor Julia Gog, based at the University of Cambridge, drew on her research as an adviser to the government’s SAGE committee.
Nevertheless, even though more students study A-Level mathematics than any other subject, few female students choose to apply to study mathematics at university. My own research with female A-Level candidates reveals their preference for careers which help others and contribute towards a better society.
However, they often do not appreciate how studying mathematics might help them to realise their dreams by helping thousands, if not millions, of others through research on climate change, medicine, and networks.
We know that the gender gap in mathematical performance starts at a young age, and researchers have suggested that the changing expectations in the curriculum as students progress through their schooling might dissuade girls from continuing to study mathematics at a higher level. At primary school, pupils are expected to master written calculations such as long division and long multiplication to achieve ‘age-related expectations.’ However, to progress further, they also need to be able to solve problems, and this seems to be the point where female students lose out.
It has been argued that the switch from being rewarded for learning procedures to solving problems favours boys over girls, and the persistent gender gap in results for higher-achieving primary pupils appears to add weight to that argument. Effort are being made to encourage more females to consider studying mathematics, including the Maths 4 Girls project which organises school visits from female role models and the careers arm of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications which organises poster competitions to encourage more school students to think carefully about studying mathematics, both projects which I support. Yet more needs to be done.
Our curriculum and assessment system are designed to value number sense, estimating and problem-solving skills and perhaps rethink the time schools devote to rehearsing written calculations. Otherwise, we risk overlooking the huge potential of our current female students to contribute and build on the work of their predecessors, including Florence Nightingale, Mary Boole, Ada Lovelace, and Julia Gog, among many others.
To continue our recovery from COVID and rebuild our economy, we must embrace the potential of mathematics for developing and embedding the skills and attitudes that our students will need to thrive in their increasingly automated world: a willingness to "play" with numbers, estimate and check their answers; an enthusiasm for solving problems and working together; and an understanding that it’s OK to get stuck sometimes. We can overcome the hurdles that we face by working together as a team.
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Education Technology
Article | July 15, 2022
The newly released Compliance Corner video library is a real-world compliance and ethics training series told through the front-line perspective. Following a successful launch, Compliance Corner is now available to all companies and other organizations.
This unique video training series consists of short vignettes that speak directly to audiences at any level. It has been produced to complement existing ethics and compliance training initiatives.
The vignettes can be integrated with existing e-learning content, embedded as stand-alone training, or as a complement to live training, whether in a virtual, in-person, or hybrid environment.
As the Compliance Corner library continues to grow, adding more voices from the front-lines over time, new vignettes will automatically be added to the library and available to all existing and new subscribers.
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Continuing Education
Article | January 17, 2022
Ukraine is an East European country with sophisticated infrastructure and a European cultural feel. Ukrainian universities offer international students the opportunity to pursue their dreams and realize their potential through quality education. The Ministry of Education and Science (Ukraine) recognizes and regulates medical universities and their courses. The six-year MBBS degree is one such course that is offered in universities in Ukraine to impart learning with a humanitarian touch.
The Medicine Course
MBBS in Ukraine is not only a course but an opportunity that turns novice aspirants into noble doctors. The six-year course pedagogy bestows students with the much-desired knowledge, skills, and clinical training that instills capability in them to think beyond excellence. The topmost universities provide an amicable ambiance for learning and holistic development.
Why Ukraine?
Student exchange programs in collaboration with healthcare institutions in the EU, India, and other countries make the admission procedure hassle-free. Ukraine has the upper hand over China, Russia, and other Central Asian countries in terms of living conditions, the medium of education, exposure to European culture, and affordability issues. For instance, in Ukraine, the medium of education is in the English language, while in some universities in Russia, international students pursue the degree bilingually (three years in English and the rest in Russian).
Eligibility for the MBBS Course
All universities have their own admission criteria, such as some universities have a requirement of 50 percent in Class XII (PCB), while others require 60 percent. The fundamental requirement for every candidate is to qualify for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) exam. Indian citizens and overseas citizens of India can approach the Ukrainian universities for direct admission after clearing the NEET exam, which is valid for three years.
Essential Prerequisites
• A passport
• Mark sheets of Class X and XII (duly attested by the Ministry of External Affairs, India)
• Original copy of the birth certificate
• An official letter of invitation issued by a Ukrainian university
• Reports of HIV tests.
Points to Remember
• Every year more than 3000 (approx) students from India submit applications forUkrainian universities. Maximum admission inquiries are received in June, and the admission process is closed by August.The applications are entertained on a first-come, first-served basis and the minimum age is 17 years and the maximum is 23 years.
• The TOEFL or IELTS scores are not required.
• The fee structure ranges from $4200 (?3,10,800 to $8000 (?5,92,000) per year. There are options for yearly recurring payments.
• The average living cost per person is $180 - $200 (?13,320 to ?14,800).
Krok Exam KROK is a licensing exam that applies to Ukraine’s medical education system and it must be cleared by students to complete the MBBS course. The KROK -1 exam is conducted at the end of the third year, while the KROK-2 exam is conducted at the end of the sixth year to assess the overall progress of students. Failure in the KROK exam leads to disqualification from the MBBS course.
Recognition of the MBBS Degree
Ukrainian Medical Universities are registered with the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) and are listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). All universities in Ukraine offer a legitimate degree that is recognized by WHO and ECFMG. The degree is approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Medical Council of Canada (MCC).
The Standard of Education
The experiences of the current students reveal that there is a good and strict academic atmosphere. There is no room for indiscipline, and the successful completion of the course requires strenuous and sincere efforts. It is not just medical education that is a prime concern in universities; rather, they focus on the overall development of students. The educational standards incite students to partake in extramural activities, international seminars, and conferences. One more positive aspect is that universities are reforming and upgrading their syllabus to match the syllabus of the USMLE (the United States Medical Licensing Examination).
Myths
There are rumors prevalent regarding educational standards, exams, classes, and academic pedagogy. But all such rumors are baseless because the educational standards and the pedagogy are unique in themselves. For example, a concept of “rework” widespread in universities requires every student to pass the daily tests that are conducted based on previous lectures. If a student doesn’t qualify within the stipulated duration, then he/she bears a penalty.
List of Universities
32 top-class universities offer affordable quality education to international students. Out of these, 16 are approved by the Medical Council of India. The top 5 universities are –
1. Lviv National Medical University – It is one of the oldest universities in Ukraine (Estab. 1784)
2. Ivano Frankvisk National Medical University
3. Vinnitsya National Medical University
4. Denipro State Medical University
5. Zaprozhiya State Medical University
Living Conditions and Safety
Ukraine has a cold temperate climate. The Climate certainly plays a crucial role in adaptability for many candidates especially for Indians because they are accustomed to the hot, humid, and seasonal climate. The safety of the child is a major concern for Indian parents especially when it comes to unexplored international locations. But the experiences of the students and alumni reveal that Ukraine is even safer in general for students and in particular for girls than India.
Future Prospects of MBBS Graduates
Alumni of Ukrainian Universities can pursue their careers either at international locations or in India. However, to start their medical practice in India students have to qualify for a licensing examination - NEXT (National Exit Test). Students are anxious about these licensing exams and they fear that whether the international MBBS degree would be accepted in India or not. But all such apprehensions are baseless because these licensing exams are qualifying and are compulsory for all students.
Parents and students can placate their apprehensions and clear their doubts by reaching out to info@ukraineeducation.org. This is the official channel via which all the legitimate information, guidance, and cooperation can be received.
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