Zuzana Palková

Background: Precision agriculture (PA) increasingly requires graduates who can work with sensor-based, geospatial and data-driven technologies, yet access to specialised training remains uneven in many under-resourced higher-education contexts. Although massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer a potentially scalable response to this gap, empirical evaluation of precision-agriculture MOOCs and of MOOC-based learning in Palestinian higher education more broadly remains limited, so evidence on learners' satisfaction and confidence in this specific educational context is needed. Methods: This study addresses that gap through a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based evaluation of learners participating in a precision agriculture MOOC developed within the BENEFIT Erasmus+ project for Palestinian higher education; the design does not support causal inference. A questionnaire administered following learners' participation in the MOOC was completed by 62 of 69 invited learners (response rate 89.9%). The course-evaluation instrument comprised eight satisfaction items and nine confidence-related items rated on a 0-4 Likert scale; five negatively worded items were reverse-scored for composite analyses. We report descriptive statistics, one-sample tests against the scale midpoint, a paired comparison of the two composites, and correlation analysis, with Spearman's ρ as a non-parametric sensitivity check. Results: Learners reported positive overall satisfaction (M = 2.74, SD = 0.57) and positive overall confidence (M = 2.54, SD = 0.40), both significantly above the scale midpoint (both p < 0.001, d > 1.2). Agreement was strongest for perceived MOOC design quality (82.3%), course enjoyment (75.8%), confidence in mastering content (75.8%), and confidence in passing an examination (75.8%). Satisfaction and confidence were strongly and positively correlated [ r = 0.746, 95% CI (0.610, 0.839), p < 0.001; ρ = 0.757]; because both constructs were measured concurrently by self-report within the same cross-sectional survey, this association cannot establish the direction of the relationship or a causal link between the two constructs. Satisfaction was significantly higher than confidence (mean difference = 0.20, p < 0.001, dz = 0.53). A single item-perceived slide information density-did not differ significantly from the neutral midpoint ( p = 0.742), and given this non-significant result and a high proportion of neutral responses (51.6%), is presented as an area that may warrant further, exploratory review rather than a confirmed design weakness. Discussion: The results suggest that a structured instructional-design approach was associated with positive learner perceptions in this agriculture MOOC, while cognitive-load management in slide design may merit further, cautious attention in future course iterations.

Contemporary global tourism is undergoing a structural transformation toward immersive, experiential “diving” modalities, establishing the countryside as a critical axis for constructive and regenerative travel. Despite this shift, academic literature remains bottlenecked by informational fragmentation, routinely prioritizing consumer demand over supply-side operator agency. To resolve this empirical deficit, this study utilizes a qualiquantitative, multi-sited, sequential mixed-methods research design across Europe and Oceania, focusing on agritourism as a significant sub-sector. The empirical findings reveal that while global agritourism is unified by a profound biographical territorial embedding, its operational architecture splits into two polarized configurations. The European Institutionalized Mature Model is highly market-driven, demand-responsive, and insulated by top-down public policy frameworks, yet it is severely constrained by generational succession grids and an aging demographic. In contrast, the Oceanian Decentralized Identity Frontier Model represents a youth-centric, female-dominated structure born of necessity within Small Island Developing States, driven by intrinsic cultural pride but exposed to a complete policy vacuum and severe climate variability. The research diagnoses an advanced sub-specialization training shortfall in Europe regarding environmental and social agriculture, and a foundational corporate capacity deficit in Oceania concerning financial risk hedging, compliance, and direct-to-consumer digital infrastructure.

Background Engineering education increasingly requires creativity, critical thinking, digital competences, and problem-solving abilities alongside technical expertise. However, creativity remains insufficiently embedded in many engineering curricula. This study presents the Erasmus+ CEDE (Creative Engineering) project, which addresses this challenge through the development of a transnational framework aimed at fostering creativity and related transversal competences in engineering higher education. Methods The study adopted a Design-Based Research approach that combined comparative curriculum analysis, collaborative instructional design, and iterative stakeholder validation. Engineering curricula from five European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Slovakia) were analysed to identify how creativity and related competences are currently addressed. Based on these findings, the consortium co-designed the CEDE framework, consisting of five complementary modules delivered through a shared e-learning platform. The framework was subsequently evaluated through stakeholder round tables involving students, academics, university staff, professional associations, and industry representatives, whose feedback informed successive refinements of the modules and platform. Results The comparative analysis revealed substantial differences in the integration of creativity-related competences across engineering programmes, with creativity frequently addressed only implicitly or fragmented across curricula. Stakeholder validation confirmed the relevance and potential applicability of the CEDE framework, while also identifying improvement areas, including stronger practice-oriented activities, enhanced assessment strategies incorporating peer evaluation and reflective approaches, reinforcement of competences, and flexible pathways for curricular integration. These findings informed the final refinement of the framework and its associated learning resources. Conclusions The study contributes theoretically and practically to engineering education by proposing and empirically validating the CEDE framework, a transnational creativity-oriented model for the systematic integration of creativity, design thinking, digital thinking, and soft skills into engineering curricula. The results demonstrate the value of Design-Based Research for developing educational innovations that are evidence-informed and stakeholder-validated, offering a transferable framework for fostering creativity and transversal competences in diverse higher education contexts.

Background Engineering plays a central role in today’s technology-driven society, requiring professionals not only with strong technical knowledge but also with creative, critical and digital competences. However, creativity is still insufficiently integrated into many engineering curricula. The Erasmus+ project CEDE – Creative Engineering addresses this gap by promoting innovative educational approaches aimed at enhanced creativity and related transversal skills in engineering higher education. Methods The project follows a collaborative, international methodology involving five European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Slovakia). First, a comparative analysis was carried out to examine how creativity is currently addressed in engineering degrees programmes at partner universities and national contexts. Based on this analysis, a common complementary module was designed, structured into five thematic areas: critical thinking, design thinking, digital problem solving, digitalization and artificial intelligence, and soft skills. Each module includes specific learning outcomes, teaching methodologies and assessment tools aimed at supporting the development of creative competences. An e-learning platform was developed to deliver the content. Feedback was collected through round tables with students, academic staff, university staff, professionals and company representatives, and used to iteratively refine the modules. Results The comparative report identified variability in the treatment of creative competences across institutions, as well as opportunities for their more explicit integration within engineering curricula. The resulting common module provides a flexible framework that can be adapted to different engineering programmes. Stakeholder feedback indicates the perceived relevance, usability and pedagogical value of the modules and the e-learning platform, and contributed to their iterative refinement. Conclusions The CEDE project demonstrates the feasibility and value of systematically integrating creativity-related competences into engineering education through participatory and interdisciplinary approaches. This approach not only fosters creativity but also prepares engineers to tackle complex, interdisciplinary challenges in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Background Engineering plays a central role in today’s technology-driven society, requiring professionals not only with strong technical knowledge but also with creative, critical and digital competences. However, creativity is still insufficiently integrated into many engineering curricula. The Erasmus+ project CEDE – Creative Engineering addresses this gap by promoting innovative educational approaches aimed at enhanced creativity and related transversal skills in engineering higher education. Methods The project follows a collaborative, international methodology involving five European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Slovakia). First, a comparative analysis was carried out to examine how creativity is currently addressed in engineering degrees at partner universities and in those countries. Based on this analysis, a common complementary module was designed, structured into five thematic areas: critical thinking, design thinking, digital problem solving, digitalization and artificial intelligence, and soft skills. Each module includes specific learning outcomes, teaching methodologies and assessment tools to evaluate creative competences. An e-learning platform was developed to deliver the content. Feedback was collected through round tables with students, professors, university staff, professionals and companies from the engineering sector, and used to refine the modules. Results The comparative report identified significant differences in the treatment of creative competences across institutions, as well as opportunities for early curricular implementation. The resulting common module provides a flexible framework adaptable to different engineering degrees. Feedback gathered during the round table confirmed the relevance, usability and pedagogical value of the modules and the e-learning platform, and provided concrete suggestions for improvement, which were incorporated into the final version. Conclusions The CEDE project demonstrates the feasibility and value of systematically integrating creativity-related competences into engineering education through participatory and interdisciplinary approaches. This approach not only fosters creativity but also prepares engineers to tackle complex, interdisciplinary challenges in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

The objective of this study was to identify surface geometric deviations that may adversely affect the operational properties of bearings, including vibration, noise, and service life. A comprehensive prediction model is presented that combines a fundamental trend expressed by a power function with periodic oscillations, whose influence gradually diminishes with exponential decay. The model was calibrated using the experimental data obtained from 17 industrial RA-608-338 rolling bearing rings manufactured from high-carbon, low-alloy 100Cr6 steel. An excellent goodness-of-fit (R² exceeding 0.98) and minimal root-mean-square error (RMSE) were achieved. The proposed procedure provides a clear physical interpretation of the model’s subcomponents, while facilitating straightforward implementation in real production processes for continuous quality control and predictive maintenance purposes. This paper also includes a detailed description of the methodology, data processing, experimental results, comparison of multiple model variants, interactive visualization of the results on a logarithmic scale, and recommendations for practical application.

The efficient use of municipal waste is becoming increasingly important for sustainable environmental quality. An integral part of the process of recycling waste material is its quality sorting. Nowadays, both manual and automated sorting methods, especially optical sorting, are used worldwide for sorting mixed waste. This article presents the application of the NIR/VIS optical sorting system through a description of this processing equipment integrated into a specific plastic waste processing line. The aim of the article was to select the optimal mode of operation generally applicable to mixed waste, and, specifically, to compare the quality of sorting of plastic waste in automated and manual sorting modes. In order to compare the efficiency of the sorting system, significant parameters of the sorting process were proposed. The measurement of the plastic waste sorting purity parameter was based on data obtained by weighing selected control samples, and the evaluation of the results of these measurements showed, in particular, the dependence of the concerned parameter not only on the sorting mode, i.e., automated and manual, but also on the conveyor belt speed/waste material flow, on the pre-sorting methods and, in the case of manual sorting, on the operating shift. The subsequent economic assessment of both sorting processes clearly declared the investment in automated sorting systems in the optical system operation mode not only as profitable, but also as extremely advantageous both for the production economy and the environment.