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1 – 2 of 2Laura Brianna Cole, Jerod Quinn, Aysegul Akturk and Briana Johnson
This study examines a general education, hands-on and 100 per cent online laboratory course to better understand the prospects for fostering green building literacy through…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines a general education, hands-on and 100 per cent online laboratory course to better understand the prospects for fostering green building literacy through experiential online education.
Design/methodology/approach
The mixed-methods research design included pre- and post-course surveys (n = 42) together with semi-structured interviews mid-semester (n = 10) and four to six months post-course (n = 5). Data were collected for two semesters.
Findings
Students experienced significant increases in green building knowledge and skills, environmental sensitivity and pro-environmental behaviors from the beginning to the end of the course. Qualitative results indicate that the hands-on laboratory assignments were the primary pedagogical interventions affecting change. Interviews four to six months after the course revealed that motivation, convenience and supportiveness of the context were key factors impacting the pro-environmental behaviors that were maintained versus those that were discontinued by students when the course was over.
Practical implications
This paper shares effective approaches used to deliver an online course with hands-on laboratories that lead to positive increases in sustainability knowledge and behaviors stretching beyond the semester.
Originality/value
While online and experiential learning are both well-studied themes in higher education, very little empirical work examines experiential online learning, and this is particularly the case for online laboratory courses. The work here contributes to the understanding of general education online laboratories that are designed to increase knowledge and behavior change through hands-on experiential learning techniques.
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Irene Lopatovska, Kirtika Arora, Flita Veleny Fernandes, Anjali Rao, Simona Sivkoff-Livneh and Brianna Stamm
The study aims to explore the current experiences of Ukrainian adolescents affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. The study focused on the changes in adolescents’ lives caused by the…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to explore the current experiences of Ukrainian adolescents affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. The study focused on the changes in adolescents’ lives caused by the war, adolescents’ emotional reactions to the disruptions caused by the war, coping strategies employed by adolescents in dealing with disruptions and the role of information technology in supporting new realities and coping strategies of adolescents.
Design/methodology/approach
This study relied on semi-structured interviews conducted on Zoom with 27 Ukrainian adolescents ages 10-18. Participants were recruited using the snowball sample and came from various regions of Ukraine. The interview notes and partial transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify the common and unique patterns in participant responses.
Findings
The interview data revealed the signs of traumatic experiences and various stages and methods of coping with them. Participants’ resilience was supported by external factors, including families, communities, continuous schooling, ability to talk to friends, information technology, as well as internal skills, including social competence, problem-solving, critical consciousness, autonomy and a sense of purpose. Participants shared specific recommendations for improving information platforms and online content, e.g. making them more accessible and affordable for Ukrainian users, improving content curation and personalization, creating and promoting Ukrainian content and others.
Research limitations/implications
Research relied on convenience sample of participants who had access to information communication technology (ICT), were aware and had an ability to participate. Field work is needed to reach out to participants without access to ICT.
Practical implications
This study contains broad recommendations for improving information technologies for the use of Ukrainian adolescents.
Social implications
This research offers three timely account of the first-hand experiences of Ukrainian adolescents affected by the Russia-Ukraine war and can inform future work aimed at improving life conditions for teen population.
Originality/value
This study relied on first-hand reports of Ukrainian adolescents’ experiences, feelings and coping strategies during the first three months of Russia-Ukraine war. The study applied war trauma and resilience frameworks to interpret the findings and translate some of the findings into practical recommendations for the information science community.
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