Open Access Journals at Aalborg University
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Regenerated cellulose fibers synthesized with recycled textiles: A circular bioeconomy milestone for material longevity or another fiber overproduction escalation?
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Factors Influencing Trust in Geothermal Energy Projects: Case of Seven Projects in East-Africa
Full text linkGeothermal energy is widely considered a clean and renewable energy source, yet it faces significant social opposition in several countries, including Japan, Kenya, Greece, and Switzerland, among others. These challenges are often linked to trust issues. East African countries are actively developing their geothermal energy resources; however, some projects, such as the Olkaria IV and Akiira geothermal energy projects in Kenya, have faced social resistance. This study investigates the factors influencing trust in geothermal energy projects by analyzing public participation materials included in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) reports of seven geothermal projects in the East African region. Firstly, 150 comments related to trust were selected from a total of 680 comments in the public participation materials. Secondly, a two-step qualitative inductive coding approach was employed to develop four trust categories and fifteen issue-related codes. Finally, dummy variables were created using SPSS 24, and statistical analyses, including correlation and chi-square tests, were conducted. The findings indicate that trust issues predominantly concern corporate trust (34.67%), technological trust (33.33%), and procedural trust (28.67%). Correlation and chi-square analyses revealed that these concerns are linked to employment, corporate support (e.g., corporate social responsibility projects), environmental and social risks, and public engagement.This study emphasizes the importance of fairness and transparency in employment, corporate social responsibility activities, and public engagement, as well as the necessity of communicating and mitigating environmental and social risks both before and during the implementation of geothermal energy projects. It recommends that policymakers establish clear, transparent guidelines for public engagement and strengthen legal frameworks regarding land ownership and resettlement to reduce conflicts. Additionally, corporates should focus on enhancing transparency in corporate practices and ensuring procedural fairness to foster trust with local communities and leaders
Intercultural competence in Danish as a second language for adult migrants: A teacher perspective
Full text linkAlthough studies on intercultural competence (IC) and teacher beliefs are relatively common, no research has yet focused on teachers of Danish as a second language for adult migrants. More broadly, second language teaching in migration contexts, especially for languages other than English, remains significantly underexplored (Ushioda 2017). The primary research questions guiding this study are: 1) How do teachers conceptualize IC? 2) How do they value IC? 3) How do they describe their IC practice? and 4) How does the way that teachers conceptualize and value IC relate to their classroom practices? Findings suggest that while teachers have a relatively broad understanding and recognize the value of IC, they face significant challenges implementing their theoretical knowledge about IC. Notably, there is a weak alignment between teachers’ stated beliefs and their observed classroom practices. These insights contribute to the broader understanding of second-language teaching in migration contexts beyond English-language instruction.Although studies on intercultural competence (IC) and teacher beliefs are relatively common, no research has yet focused on teachers of Danish as a second language for adult migrants. More broadly, second language teaching in migration contexts, especially for languages other than English, remains significantly underexplored (Ushioda 2017). The primary research questions guiding this study are: 1) How do teachers conceptualize IC? 2) How do they value IC? 3) How do they describe their IC practice? and 4) How does the way that teachers conceptualize and value IC relate to their classroom practices? Findings suggest that while teachers have a relatively broad understanding and recognize the value of IC, they face significant challenges implementing their theoretical knowledge about IC. Notably, there is a weak alignment between teachers’ stated beliefs and their observed classroom practices. These insights contribute to the broader understanding of second-language teaching in migration contexts beyond English-language instruction
Topicality, text structure and anaphoric relations
Full text linkIn this paper, I define and develop the concept of “(textual) anaphora”, i.e. text relations between an anaphor and an antecedent, and I focus particularly on the so-called direct anaphors, viz. the anaphors that designate the same individual entity as the antecedent. My primary attention is on the linguistic material of the anaphors, which fundamentally depends on the antecedent’s pragmatic prominence, i.e. its degree of presence and saliency in the hearer’s mental-cognitive representation, at the moment it is anaphorised. This prominence is based partly on the antecedent’s topicality, which in turn depends on its place in four different semantic, syntactic and referential hierarchies, partly on the text and narrative structure, e.g. the textual distance between antecedent and anaphor, the presence of other possible antecedents, and possible topic changes. The topicality and the text/narrative structure can also be defined as “vertical” and “horizontal” criteria respectively, and as empirical evidence I use a bilingual (Italian – Danish) text corpus as well as other text sources. All examples are translated into English
English oral proficiency of EFL students at a Danish university
Full text linkEnglish oral proficiency is increasingly valued in education and the job market, yet it is still underrepresented in second language (L2) instruction and research. This study explores to what extent this paradox applies in a Danish educational context. Drawing on data from three English-related programs at Aalborg University – English; Language and International Studies, English (LISE); and International Business Communication in English (IBC), the study investigates students’ oral language use patterns (extent, contexts, interlocutors), the significance they attribute to oral proficiency, their perceived oral proficiency, and the relationship between the importance attributed to oral proficiency and the perceived oral proficiency, touching on academic, professional, and personal contexts.
The findings show that most students use English daily at university and beyond for listening and dialogue. However, language choice often depends on whether the interlocutor also speaks Danish. Moreover, students are more comfortable discussing everyday topics than academic and professional ones, and many wish to improve their proficiency in relation to the latter. Comfort levels often vary by interlocutor rather than by topic. Most respondents perceive oral and written proficiency as equally important, which likely reflects their academic background and, correspondingly, their career plans involving written English. Considering different components of oral proficiency, fluency and pronunciation are prioritized over grammar and vocabulary. Most respondents assess their proficiency of oral English as near-native or advanced, especially with respect to pronunciation, while assessing their fluency and vocabulary slightly lower. We found a tendency for a positive relationship between the importance attributed by respondents to certain components of oral proficiency and their own perceived proficiency in these components, especially in regard to grammar. This relationship may reflect that the importance of grammar is less salient than the importance of fluency, pronunciation, and vocabulary. The findings of the study invite further research into for instance the influence of curricula, language anxiety and students’ feeling of comfort in relation to topics
Transformative AI Agency: How Students Negotiate and Collaborate with Generative AI in Higher Education
Full text linkAs generative AI tools such as ChatGPT enter higher education, questions arise about how students can use them not merely instrumentally but as catalysts for collaborative and reflective learning. This study investigates how master’s students engage with ChatGPT in group-based academic tasks, specifically when working with complex course literature. Drawing on Vygotsky’s concept of double stimulation and Engeström and Sannino’s theory of transformative agency, we analyze how students collectively navigate AI-generated responses, challenge assumptions, and reframe understanding. The data stem from an exploratory case study in a Danish university course and include group discussions, ChatGPT logs, reflections, and focus group interviews. Findings show that ChatGPT mediates not only as a resource but as a mediating artefact that provokes resistance, negotiation, and generative questioning. Over time, students began to use technology not just for answers, but to explore and question ideas together. The study contributes to research on AI in education by highlighting the role of pedagogy in enabling transformative agency through Generative artificial intelligence
Real-Time Animation, AI and Virtual Production: Opportunities and Challenges : And how to build a low-budget ICVFX stage
Full text linkThis paper explores the opportunities of utilizing real-time animation and AI in Virtual Production (VP) workflows. The investigation is based on insights from the ViZARTS project, where filmmakers, TV producers and animations are educated during hands-on workshops to utilize the potential of VP. The study will describe some of the challenges we have encountered and introduce a few innovative workflows, we have developed during the workshops, including how to build a low-budget sustainable VP training facility studio. Finally, we will look ahead and discuss the future of real-time animation and AI-driven workflows in Virtual Production.
An Action-oriented Understanding of Reflection
Full text linkThis paper explores commonalities in antecedents, context, process, outcomes, and techniques that foster action-oriented Reflection through the pragmatic methodological processing of reflection theories from Mezirow, Dewey, Schön, and Reflective Practice-based Learning.
Despite the widespread adoption of reflective practices across various fields of study and practice, reflection remains a complex and challenging concept to comprehend. One of the reasons why reflection is difficult to understand is that the scientific work around reflection has often focused on defining different conceptions of reflection using different semantics. When researchers study reflection, they tend to analyze definitions of reflection instead of focusing on the phenomenon of reflection itself. Semantically rooted definitions represent how we should act, and not necessarily what happens when reflection occurs.
Signs of actions in reflection across the theories and Reflective Practice-based Learning are analyzed and presented as a theoretical model for Action-oriented Reflection. The model visualizes the process from pre-reflective sensing to the effect of reflective actions
Rethinking Engineering Education Outcomes in the Light of Artificial Intelligence
Full text linkThe deployment of LLMs (large language models) in AI (artificial intelligence) has led to a wide-spread increase in the use of AI in contemporary society, which will impact how teaching and learning takes place in higher education in the future. Since constructive alignment – which suggests that in curriculum design there should be a close alignment of teaching and assessments with intended outcomes – plays a crucial role in higher education teaching and learning, this paper examines how burgeoning AI technology reshapes such alignment considering both human and AI capabilities. The current paper investigates an undergraduate engineering curriculum to determine which tasks specified in module outcomes, as presented in the yearbooks (program portfolio), can 1) be delegated to AI, 2) are uniquely human, and 3) require a combination of human and AI capabilities. This categorization of outcomes will, be compared to the ECSA prescribed graduate attributes of the South African engineering student. The aim will be to determine which module outcomes and graduate attributes remain relevant in an AI-dominated pedagogical environment, and which have been usurped by the increasing competence and accuracy of AI systems, to future proof students in a changing technological landscape. We recommend that the outcomes and graduate attributes should be reformulated to incorporate the potential and risks of AI from the beginning.