http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2146 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:55:37 GMT 2013-05-20T07:55:37Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/4472 Title: Changing Professional Demands in Sustainable Regional Development: A Curriculum Design Process to meet Transboundary Competence Authors: Lansu, Angelique; Boon, Jo; Sloep, Peter; van Dam-Mieras, Rietje Abstract: Within a region, public sector organisations, private sector organisations and knowledge institutions all have a stake in finding novel ways to face tomorrow’s demands. In this paper we focus on the enhanced role of universities within the social network of our increasingly knowledge based society. The regional level of this study is the cross-border Rhine-Scheldt Delta and its knowledge network on sustainable innovations in water management. The challenge of sustainable development implies a frequent crossing of boundaries between disciplines and stakeholder perspectives and leads to what is called transboundary competence. This paper considers the implications of changing professional demands in the domain of sustainability from the point of view of the university. It addresses the research questions: How can a university incorporate transboundary competence in its view on learning and curriculum development? And how can the academic quality of learning outcomes be guaranteed in such curricula designed to meet the needs of stakeholders? Proposed is a design process based on open curriculum development in interaction with the workfield. The design process has been tested in the design of a blended learning Master in Delta Water Management. Description: Lansu, A., Boon, J., Sloep, P. B., & Van Dam-Mieras, R. (Accepted). Changing Professional Demands in Sustainable Regional Development: A Curriculum Design Process to meet Transboundary Competence. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Special Issue: Learning for Sustainable Development in Regional Networks] (2012). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.10.019 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/4472 2012-10-15T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/4311 Title: Genetic diversity, evolutionary history and implications for conservation of the lion (Panthera leo) in West and Central Africa Authors: Bertola, L. D.; Van Hooft, W. F.; Vrieling, K.; Uit de Weerd, D. R.; York, D. S.; Bauer, H.; Prins, H. H. T.; Funston, P. J.; Udo de Haes, H. A.; Leirs, H.; Van Haeringen, W. A.; Sogbohossou, E.; Tumenta, P. N.; De Iongh, H. H. Abstract: Aim: In recent decades there has been a marked decline in the numbers of African lions (Panthera leo), especially in West Africa where the species is regionally endangered. Based on the climatological history of western Africa, we hypothesize that West and Central African lions have a unique evolutionary history, which is reflected by their genetic makeup. Location: Sub-Saharan Africa and India, with special focus on West and Central Africa. Method: In this study 126 samples, throughout the lion’s complete geographic range, were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. DNA sequences of a mitochondrial region, containing cytochrome b, tRNAPro, tRNAThr and the left part of the control region, were analysed. Results: Bayesian, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses consistently showed a distinction between lions from West and Central Africa and lions from southern and East Africa. West and Central African lions are more closely related to Asiatic lions than to the southern and East African lions. This can be explained by a Pleistocene extinction and subsequent recolonization of West Africa from refugia in the Middle East. This is further supported by the fact that the West and Central African clade shows relatively little genetic diversity and is therefore thought to be an evolutionarily young clade. Main conclusions: The taxonomic division between an African and an Asian subspecies does not fully reflect the overall genetic diversity within lions. In order to conserve genetic diversity within the species, genetically distinct lineages should be prioritized. Understanding the geographic pattern of genetic diversity is key to developing conservation strategies, both for in situ management and for breeding of captive stocks. Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/4311 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/4310 Title: Competences for climate education in a virtual mobility setting Authors: Pérez Salgado, Francisca; De Kraker, Joop; Boon, Jo; Van der Klink, Marcel Abstract: Students, citizens and professional practitioners have significant roles in addressing climate change issues. This requires additional competences over and above disciplinary scientific knowledge and related technical skills. This paper introduces two innovative, complementary competences in relation to climate change education, i.e., ‘transboundary’ and ‘intervention’ competences. The authors describe the open access Masters track of the ‘Lived experience of climate change’, in which these innovative competences can be acquired. For transboundary competence, the diversity of perspectives on the climate change issue is a crucial element in the learning process and outcome. By relating the diversity of their own perspectives on ‘lived experience’, students are encouraged to relate abstract scientific knowledge to knowledge gained through personal, local and social experience, across the boundaries of scientific disciplines and communicating with a diverse group of stakeholders. Intervention competence focuses on the ‘problem-solving’ aspect in countering climate change, as a next step following transboundary competence. This involves political-strategic thinking, combined with personal and individual goal-directedness (strategic decision making), appreciating the importance of networking or the professional labour market, and paying attention to policy assessments and policy scenarios in climate change issues. The authors regard these two additional competences, intervention competence and transboundary competence, as crucial and inseparable elements in a climate change curriculum. Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/4310 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/3378 Title: Promoting the Learning Mobility of Future Workers: Experiments with Virtual Placements in University-Business Arrangements. Authors: van Dorp, C.A.; Herrero de Egaña y Espinosa de los Monteros, A.; Lansu, A.; Kocsis Baán, M.; Virkus, S. Abstract: Virtual placements are learning arrangements, which generate new possibilities for accumulating professional (work-based) knowledge. Virtual placements are beneficial in many ways; they merit increased training opportunities, exposure to not/never-thought-of occupations, integration of disadvantaged individuals, and preparation of, and blending with, physical placements. This paper reports about multi-country experiments with technology-enabled remote access to work, as a contribution to the work-based learning and professional mobility of students. The central question is: how may virtual placements be arranged so as to bring a contribution to the development of professional skills and competences? This paper first addresses the contribution of traditional placements, followed by the strengths and weaknesses of virtual ones. Next, real pilots with virtual (work-based) arrangements, are described. Regular universities experiment with virtual placements in on-campus courses and curricula, in frame of self-organised learning, whereas open universities experiment with virtual placements in off-campus courses and curricula, in frame of social-collaborative and networked learning. Subsequently, the results of the different arrangements, their pros and cons, are described. Final conclusions from the study are drawn on the development of professional skills and competences in students, the implemented didactics and the technology applied. ---- In Dutch ---- Virtuele stages zijn leerovereenkomsten die nieuwe mogelijkheden creëren om professionele (werkgebaseerde) kennis te verzamelen. Virtuele stages hebben vele voordelen omdat ze de opleidingskansen verhogen, toegang tot moeilijke of als voor onmogelijke gehouden banen bieden en de voorbereiding op praktijk- en gemengde stages (virtueel-praktijk) vergemakkelijken. Dit artikel is een verslag over experimenten die in verschillende landen zijn uitgevoerd waarbij systemen met toegang op afstand voor het werk zijn toegepast om het leren op de werkplek en de beroepsmatige mobiliteit van studenten te stimuleren. De kernvraag is hoe virtuele stages moeten worden uitgevoerd om de ontwikkeling van beroepsvaardigheden te bevorderen? In het artikel worden eerst de bijdragen van traditionele stages besproken en de voor- en nadelen van virtuele stages plaatsingen besproken. Vervolgens wordt ingegaan op enkele pilot-studies met virtuele (werkgebaseerde) overeenkomsten. Universiteiten voeren proeven uit met virtuele stages in vakken en leerplannen op de faculteit binnen het kader van zelfgeorganiseerd leren terwijl open universiteiten experimenteren met virtuele stages in vakken en studieprogramma’s buiten de faculteit om binnen het kader van collaboratief sociaal leren en netwerkleren. Hierna worden de resultaten van de verschillende overeenkomsten en hun pro’s en contra’s beschreven. Er worden enkele eindconclusies getrokken uit het onderzoek met betrekking tot de ontwikkeling van beroepsvaardigheden bij studenten alsook met betrekking tot de toegepaste didactiek en technologie. Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/3378 2010-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2771 Title: Delimitation and phylogenetics of the diverse land snail family Urocoptidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata): A reunion with Cerion Authors: Uit de Weerd, Dennis R. Abstract: The extreme morphological diversity in the land-snail family Urocoptidae has complicated its delimitation from other land-snail families, and has obscured its intra- and interfamilial phylogenetic relationships. Using an independent dataset of 28S rRNA DNA-sequence data, I tested morphologybased hypotheses about these relationships. These data refute the recent placement of the Australian genus Coelocion within the Urocoptidae. Instead, they provide strong support for a North American/ circum-Caribbean clade, to be named Urocoptoidea (new superfamily), which consists of the families Urocoptidae and Cerionidae. In all optimal trees (maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian), Cerion is nested among New World Urocoptidae, rather than occupying a basal position as their sister group. Even so, the monophyly of the New World Urocoptidae could not be statistically rejected. Judging from the fossil record, the superfamily Urocoptoidea originated in the southwestern part of the North American continent, where it was widespread by the late Cretaceous. The Antillean Urocoptoidea most likely constitute three separate lineages that may have been carried eastward on the proto-Antillean island arc, which started in the late Cretaceous from a position near the SW North American landmass. Shell characters used in urocoptid classification are re-evaluated in the light of these results, and consequences for taxonomy and implications for evolutionary research are discussed. Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2771 2008-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2770 Title: Molecular phylogenetic relationships of Inchoatia taxa Authors: Uit de Weerd, Dennis R.; Schneider, Dennis; Gittenberger, Edmund Abstract: The molecular phylogenetic relationships between nominal (sub)species within the Greek land snail genus Inchoatia are examined. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2770 2009-07-09T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2769 Title: Summarizing data on the Inchoatia taxa, including Inchoatia megdova bruggeni subspec. nov. (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Clausiliidae) Authors: Gittenberger, Edmund; Uit de Weerd, Dennis R. Abstract: An annotated checklist for the genus Inchoatia is provided. The old distributional data are converted into modern geographical names and completed with UTM codes. A new subspecies is described as Inchoatia megdova bruggeni subspec. nov. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2769 2009-07-09T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2409 Title: Competences and competence-based learning for sustainable development Authors: De Kraker, Joop; Lansu, Angelique; Van Dam-Mieras, Rietje Abstract: In the context of education for sustainable development (ESD), there is extensive literature on what should be taught and learned in terms of knowledge, skills and values. What stands out in most of this literature is a prominent attention to values. The underlying idea is that value education is needed to prepare students for a role as ‘agents of change’, able and willing to transform our current society into a more sustainable one. What is strikingly absent from these approaches to ESD is the notion that there may be a valid diversity in perspectives on sustainable development, whereas this diversity is in fact a key feature of sustainable development in a pluralistic society. In the transition towards a sustainable (or at least more sustainable) society, the ability to deal with this diversity of perspectives will thus be crucial. We therefore argue that the key competence for academic professionals to successfully contribute to sustainable development will be their ability to think, communicate, learn and collaborate across the boundaries that divide these perspectives. We refer to the ability to cross such boundaries as ‘transboundary competence’. This chapter applies the principles of competencebased learning to identify the characteristics of learning environments in which this competence can be developed. Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2409 2007-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2402 Title: Introduction Authors: De Kraker, Joop; Lansu, Angelique; Van Dam-Mieras, Rietje Description: Introduction to the book. No abstract available. Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2402 2007-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2376 Title: The role of values in sustainability evaluation: insights from three Dutch approaches Authors: De Kraker, Joop; Cörvers, Ron J. M. Abstract: This paper reviews three recent approaches to sustainability evaluation by Dutch scientists. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the possibility and desirability of excluding normative and subjective elements from the evaluation of sustainability. Suggestions are given on how such elements can best be handled by sustainability scientists supporting policy makers. Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1820/2376 2006-11-01T00:00:00Z