Recently, Taiwan’s higher education has been impacted by COVID-19 and the necessity of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). In 2018, the Taiwanese government approved a roadmap for the development of a bilingual nation by 2030. This resulted in a renewed focus on EMI. However, the fluctuating surges of COVID-19 have caused university classes to shift from face-to-face to online. To assess its effectiveness, the current paper describes the quantitative and qualitative experiences and challenges associated with a blended EMI course within a private Taiwanese university. The data was collected from the students in the spring semester of 2020 (40 students) and 2021 (23 students). Overall satisfaction rate is calculated at 4.13; indicating that the transition from face-to-face to online has not affected the students’ overall satisfaction with the course. In addition, interviews and focus groups respondents pointed out the importance of a student-centered course approach and the opportunity to practice English in order to improve their competitiveness. While the flexibility offered by the blended learning approach during COVID-19 has given students more freedom to learn at their own pace. Lastly, in times of uncertainty, a careful pedagogical design will help to make the learning process fruitful and sustainable.
This study analyzed the effects of polyurethane (PU) resin treatments on surface homogeneity, dimensional stability, and finishing performances of medium-and small-diameter softwoods produced in Taiwan. Two-pack PU resins were prepared by combing short castor oil-modified alkyd resin serving as a polyol with polymeric 4,4 0 -diphenymethane diisocyanate (PMDI) serving as a hardener, by the molar ratio of NCO/OH1COOH of 1.2. Four types of short oil-modified alkyd resins with different polyhydric alcohols (glycerin and pentaerythritol) and polybasic acids (phthalic anhydride and isophthalic acid) were synthesized. Three kinds of medium-and small-diameter softwoods, including China fir, Taiwanina, and Japanese fir with a diameter of 10-15 cm were obtained from Hui-Sun Forest Station, Taiwan. The wood coating of nitrocellulose (NC) lacquer including sanding sealer and top clear was used. Results show that the surface hardness, homogeneity, moisture excluding efficiency, and antiswelling efficiency of woods were enhanced by PU resin treatments. Among all the PU resins, the isophthalic acid and pentaerythritol-containing PU resin (IPA-P-MDI) achieved the best improved efficiency on dimensional stability of woods. Results of two types of finishing procedure, i.e. NC lacquer sanding sealer plus top clear and top clear only, applied onto the PU-treated woods revealed that the hardness, adhesion, and durability of NC lacquer films on the PU-treated wood were superior to those of untreated one, especially for top clear finishing alone.
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between academic adjustment and global mobility of foreign students. First of all, this study starts by conducting a literature review in order to establish a theoretical base. According to the research purposes and the questions, the researcher put forward, a questionnaire was developed in order to investigate foreign students' academic adjustment and global mobility. A total of 316 valid questionnaires were collected in this study, with 191 males and 125 females. Further applications and suggestions are proposed in accordance with the relevant results. This study finds significant differences in global mobility between the groups of males and females, especially in communication and in professional competence. In communication, the males are better than the females. Moreover, in Professional Competence, the males are also better than the females.The males are confident of applying the professional aptitudes in the future. There are significant differences in the ability to find solutions and the service satisfactions in different genders. According to the results of this study, the suggestions and applications, the researcher put forward as a reference for educational administration agencies, schools, and further studies in the future.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.