Turun yliopiston julkaisut 2008 - Publication of the University of Turku 2008

Bibliografia Turun yliopiston tieteellisestä julkaisutoiminnasta vuodelta 2008

¿Qué entienden los jóvenes universitarios por monogamia y sexo sin penetración, como estrategias preventivas de la transmisión sexual del virus del SIDA? = What university students understand by monogamy and sex without penetration as preventive strategies of sexual transmission of AIDS virus?

Monogamy and sex without penetration are behaviors recommended by the WHO to avoid AIDS virus sexual transmission. Seven hundred and fifty university students from 18 to 25 years (67.7% women) were surveyed and they were asked to give a maximum of three free definitions of the words monogamy and sex without penetration to prevent AIDS virus sexual transmission. Their participation was voluntary and anonymous. Although the majority of the answers was correct, there was a considerable percentage of wrong answers, either for monogamy (3.7% masturbation; 2.1% to have many partners; 0.9% homosexual relations), or for sex without penetration (20.5% oral sex; 1.1% anal coitus; 0.8% coitus without orgasm; 0.4% coitus interruptus). Some definitions or examples differ by gender. The amount of wrongs or incomplete answers put researchers on the alert about insufficient preventive knowledge in a population with a high educational level

Innovación y Aprendizaje: un nuevo modelo para la formación universitaria: ¿Por qué y para qué? = Innovation and Learning: a New Model for University Education: Why and for What?

The legislative reforms in university matters driven in recent years, beyond the provoked controversies, offer to universities the possibility to develop a new model in line with the European environment, focusing on quality aims and adapting to the socioeconomic current challenges. A new educational model centered on the student, on the formation of specific and transverse competitions, on the improvement of the employability and the access to the labor market, on the attraction and fixation of talent, is an indispensable condition for the effective social mobility and for the homogeneous development of a more responsible and sustainable socioeconomic and productive model

AVOIDING FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY CHEMISTRY TEXTBOOKS’ MISREPRESENTATIONS IN THE TEACHING OF SPONTANEOUS REACTIONS

This paper summarizes the misrepresentations related to Gibbs energy in general chemistry textbooks. These misrepresentations arise from a problem in the terminology textbooks use. Thus, after reviewing the proper definition of each of the terms analyzed, we present two problems to exemplify the correct treatment of the quantities involved, which may help in the discussion and clarification of the misleading conventions and assumptions reported in this study.

Choice of Business Process Modeling Methodology - Case Northern Dimension Research Centre (NORDI) in Lappeenranta University of Technology

The main outcome of the master thesis is innovative solution, which can support a choice of business process modeling methodology. Potential users of this tool are people with background in business process modeling and possibilities to collect required information about organization’s business processes. Master thesis states the importance of business process modeling in implementation of strategic goals of organization. It is made by revealing the place of the concept in Business Process Management (BPM) and its particular case Business Process Reengineering (BPR). In order to support the theoretical outcomes of the thesis a case study of Northern Dimension Research Centre (NORDI) in Lappeenranta University of Technology was conducted. On its example several solutions are shown: how to apply business process modeling methodologies in practice; in which way business process models can be useful for BPM and BPR initiatives; how to apply proposed innovative solution for a choice of business process modeling methodology.

Cultural aspects of globalizing university-industry knowledge interaction in China

Previous studies of the local involvement of multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiaries focus on host-country firms and local business partners such as suppliers and customers. The role of host-country universities in the same context of innovation networks is neglected. Furthermore, there are many organizational culture- and knowledge-related differences between universities and companies, and this is likely to pose additional challenges for successful collaboration. Early university-industry (U-I) studies have primarily been limited within a national boundary, being concerned with a single level of culture (i.e., at an organizational level) and one-way knowledge transfer from university to industry. Research on more dynamic knowledge interaction in multinational settings is lacking. This is particularly true in the business context of China. In today’s globalizing and rapidly changing organizations, addressing cultural differences and clashes is an everyday reality, and inter-cultural U-I collaboration is becoming a key asset for gaining global competitiveness. This study deals with Finnish MNC subsidiaries’ research collaboration with Chinese universities. It aims to explore the essence of such U-I collaboration and knowledge interaction, uncovering the deep functioning mechanisms of culture underlying effective collaborative knowledge creation and innovation. The study reviews critically different bodies of literature including knowledge management theories and studies, U-I collaboration and knowledge interaction, and cross-cultural research in terms of organizational knowledge generation and utilization. It adopts a case study strategy with qualitative research methods, and data is collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation. The study presents the following major findings: 1. In the light of a comprehensive analysis of U-I collaboration, an effective matching strategy is proposed, in the assumption that good alignment of knowledge interaction strategies and approaches with their corresponding knowledge type, capability development and research task may greatly enhance the effectiveness of cross-cultural U-I collaboration and knowledge interaction. 2. It is proposed that in the Chinese MNC context more dynamic types of knowledge interaction like knowledge co-creation should be of key concern particularly when dealing simultaneously with multi-disciplinary applied research of human factors and technologies. U-I knowledge interaction, otherwise, pays attention only to the study of one-way technology and knowledge transfer. 3. It is posited that the influence of culture on collaborative knowledge interaction can be studied in a valuable way when knowledge-related variables are simultaneously taken into account. A systematic analysis of the role of knowledge in cross-cultural knowledge interaction could best be approached from multi-aspects of knowledge including not only nature, characteristics and types of knowledge but also the process of knowledge (e.g., intensifications of knowledge interaction). 4. The study demonstrates the significant role of aspects of the host-country culture (e.g., Chinese guanxi) in U-I collaboration and knowledge interaction. This is evident, for instance, in issues related to interpersonal relationships and trust, true interest and the relatedness of the research, mutual commitment and learning, communication intensity and interaction, and awareness of cultural and knowledge-related differences between collaboration partners. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are suggested and discussed.

Turun yliopiston julkaisut 2009 - Publications of the University of Turku 2009

Bibliografia Turun yliopiston tieteellisestä julkaisutoiminnasta vuodelta 2009.

International research partnerships: establishing partner selection criteria in the university-university context

The main objective of the study was to identify and evaluate criteria for international partner selection in university-university context. This study attempted at promoting better understanding of how universities should proceed in selecting partners for producing joint research publications. Thus, the aim of the study was to gain an understanding of how research collaborations can be developed and how partners can be selected. The choice of a right partner has been identified as a precondition for partnership success. In international research collaborations partnering scientists with different skills and backgrounds bring together complementary knowledge into research projects, which in most cases results in a higher quality output. Therefore, prior to selecting a partner, the set of criteria should be established. This research examined twelve Russian universities with the status of national research university as potential partners for Lappeenranta University of Technology, and selected the most appropriate universities based on established set of criteria. Potential partners’ evaluation was done using secondary sources by tracking partners’ academic success during the period 2005 – 2010. Based on established criteria, the study calculated the partnership index for each university. The results of the research reveal that among twelve examined universities there are four potential partners who have been rather active in publishing scientific articles during 2005 – 2010.

Clinical reasoning of medical students in a public university in Brazil

The aim of this research was to understand the reasoning developed by medical students in a public university in Brazil. This research on education included semi-structured interviews and film recordings of interns discussing 10 clinical cases. A sample of 16 interns analyzed cases presented on a notebook computer with a webcam. They were instructed to verbalize all their thoughts on the procedures they would use. The film recordings and transcripts of the interviews were analyzed. Quantitative data was evaluated using Yates' chi-squared test and speech analysis was used to evaluate the transcripts. The theme worked on in the practice of reasoning was: the student's perceptions of their clinical practice. Of the 160 diagnoses, 57% were done with analytical reasoning and 43% with non-analytical reasoning. The hypothetical deductive method was employed by 31% of the interns and the inductive method was employed by 69%. The diagnostic accuracy was 81% correct for easy cases and 85% correct for difficult cases. We observed two empirical categories: the cognitive universe of the student and the patient's context.

Abnormal eating behaviors among medical students at a university in southern Santa Catarina, Brazil

OBJECTIVES: Disturbances in eating behavior significantly affect young adults. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of abnormal eating behaviors, according to the Eating Attitudes Test - 26 (EAT-26) in medical students at a university in southern Santa Catarina State, Brazil. METHODS: Self-reported questionnaire, based on the EAT-26 scale, was administered to medical students. Additional questions about age, gender, study period of the course, weight and height were asked. A total of 391 medical students were assessed, amounting to 93.3 percent of the 419 students enrolled. RESULTS: Ten percent of the surveyed subjects had positive EAT-26 scores. This outcome measure was positive associated with females (PR 6.5), body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 kg/m² (PR 4.5), age ≤ 20 years (PR 1.3) and being student from 1st to 5th semester of the course (PR 1.7). A higher proportion of women gave positive responses to behaviors related to control of food intake or weight loss than men. CONCLUSION: The significant prevalence of behaviors related to eating disorders, predominantly among women, suggests the implementation of preventive measures targeting this population.

Towards adoption of eLearning technologies at Lappeenranta University of Technology: Understanding Teachers‟ Adoption of Blackboard Learning System

The electronic learning has become crucial in higher education with increased usage of learning management systems as a key source of integration on distance learning. The objective of this study is to understand how university teachers are influenced to use and adopt web-based learning management systems. Blackboard, as one of the systems used internationally by various universities is applied as a case. Semi-structured interviews were made with professors and lecturers who are using Blackboard at Lappeenranta University of Technology. The data collected were categorized under constructs adapted from Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and interpretation and discussion were based on reviewed literature. The findings suggest that adoption of learning management systems by LUT teachers is highly influenced by perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions and gained experience. The findings also suggest that easiness of using the system and social influence appear as medium influence of adoption for teachers at LUT.