1,721,049 research outputs found
Global Citizenship Education from an Intercultural Perspective
No full textAll over the world, societies are becoming increasingly multiethnic and multicultural. The presence of citizens with diverse backgrounds within the same nation-state necessitates a rethinking of the concept of citizenship, which in many countries is still rooted in the nationalistic theories of the 19th century. Acknowledging people's multiple identities and senses of belonging has become essential in shaping a new understanding of citizenship. In this context, the reflections of the Council of Europe and UNESCO—particularly their promotion of Global Citizenship Education (GCE)—are especially relevant. This article aims to stimulate reflection on GCE by integrating an intercultural approach. The research findings and practical programmes on citizenship education and intercultural competence developed by the Centre for Intercultural Studies at the University of Verona, Italy, offer further impetus for this reevaluation. Finally, the author advocates for the adoption of Intercultural Citizenship Education (ICE) as a means to transcend nationalistic, Western-centric and neoliberal frameworks and to foster global dialogue and scholarly exchange
Experimental Investigation into Driver Behavior along Curved and Parallel Diverging Terminals of Exit Interchange Ramps
Full text linkCurrent design manuals provide guidance on how to design exit ramps to facilitate driving operations and minimize the incidence of crashes. They also suggest that interchanges should be built along straight roadway sections. These criteria may prove ineffective in situations where there is no alternative to terminals being located along curved motorway segments.
The paper investigates driving behavior along parallel deceleration curved terminals, with attention paid to the difference in impact between terminals having a curvature which is the same sign as the motorway segment (i.e. continue design), and those having an opposite curvature (i.e. reverse design). A driving simulation study was set up to collect longitudinal and transversal driver behavioral data in response to experimental factor variations. Forty eight drivers were stratified on the basis of age and gender, and asked to drive along three randomly assigned circuits with off-ramps obtained by combining experimental factors like motorway mainline curve radius (2 values), terminal length (3), curve direction (2) and traffic conditions (2).
The motorway radius was found to be significant for drivers’ preferred speed when approaching the terminal. Terminal length and traffic volume do not have a significant impact on either longitudinal or transversal driver outputs. However, the effect of curve direction was found to be significant, notably for reverse terminals which do not compel drivers to select appropriate speeds and lane change positions. This terminal type can give rise to critical driving situations that should be considered at the design stage to facilitate the adoption of appropriate safety countermeasures
Factors influencing driver behaviour along curved merging interchange terminals
Full text linkProblem statement. To promote safe and comfortable driving operations, design manuals and policies call for merging terminal ramps to be built along straight roadway sections. However, this prescription may need to be overlooked when there is no alternative to terminals being designed along curves. This study aims to assess the impact of design factors on driver behaviour along curved acceleration terminals with continue or reverse curvature
prior to joining the motorway. Methodology. A driving simulation experiment was conducted to observe longitudinal and transversal driver behaviour when certain factors (i.e., radius, ramp length, motorway curve direction, and traffic conditions along the motorway segment) were manipulated. The forty-eight drivers involved were separated into groups based on age and gender. Results. The motorway radius has a significant impact on longitudinal performance, while traffic volume impacts on the merging point where vehicles enter the adjoining motorway lane. Compared to linear terminals, the merging abscissa need to be longer on curved ones so as to compensate for the blind spot and enable drivers to identify and accept gaps between vehicles in the traffic flow. The ramp-terminal connection type influences the speed at the beginning of the terminal, the position of the merging point and transversal driver behaviour. Conclusions. Although some limitations in the study were necessary to limit their impact on the experimental design, the results here may prove useful when considering the adoption of appropriate engineering countermeasures at the design stage of entry terminals along curved motorway segments
Pedagogia interculturale
No full textIl volume mette a fuoco gli aspetti teorici ed operativi dell'educazione interculturale: i concetti, le analisi, le prospettive e le indicazioni operative. Un testo per capire come la globalizzazione e la crescente compresenza di più usi, costumi, lingue e religioni rendano la prospettiva della didattica interculturale sempre più centrale, e ineludibile, anche per la scuola italiana. Per superare le visioni che leggono l'emigrazione e i contesti multiculturali in termini di disagio e di rischio e considerare le culture come realtà dinamiche, in continua evoluzione e il loro confronto come una grande risorsa, anche dal punto di vista educativo. Uno strumento pensato per quanti hanno a cuore la sfida più impegnativa per la società contemporanea e vogliono affrontarla in modo consapevole.This book focuses on the theoretical and operational aspects of intercultural education: concepts, analyzes, perspectives and operational indications. A text to understand how globalization and the growing coexistence of multiple uses, customs, languages and religions make the perspective of intercultural teaching increasingly central, and unavoidable, even for Italian schools. To overcome the visions that read emigration and multicultural contexts in terms of hardship and risk and consider cultures as dynamic, constantly evolving and their confrontation as a great resource, even from an educational point of view. An instrument designed for those who care about the most challenging challenge for contemporary society and want to deal with it in a conscious way
How the position of a cycle lane installed on an urban residential street impacts on the behaviour of young drivers
No full textIn this driving simulation study, we evaluated the change in driver behaviour of forty young drivers (20 females) following the conversion of a 2-way local street into a 1-way one with a cycle lane in a typical residential neighbourhood. Twenty drivers who were also used to commuting/travelling by bicycle were selected for the study. We compared three road layouts: (i) a standard 2-way urban street with no cycle lane (baseline), (ii) a 1-way street with a cycle lane on the right side, and (iii) a 1-way street with a left-side cycle lane. Driver behavioural metrics when interacting with cyclists including overtaking speed, lateral position in the lane, and vehicle-cyclist clearance were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Speed and lateral position in the lane were also analysed in the non-overtaking phase. Significantly better driver behaviour was observed in layouts with a dedicated cycle lane, manifesting itself in greater lateral distance values for safer overtaking and better trajectory control. Drivers were more likely to stay within their lanes, eliminating the need to alter trajectory when passing cyclists, thus promoting better longitudinal and lateral control. The presence of a cycle lane significantly improves the interaction between drivers and cyclists, regardless of the position of the cycle lane, i.e., left vs. right side with respect to the vehicle lane. While the results do not favour a particular side, designers should also consider cyclist preferences and driver expectations at intersections. Further research is crucial to validate findings and explore lane positioning effects near intersections, and greater emphasis should be placed on determining cyclist preferences in terms of infrastructure design
Intercultural education and competences at school. Results of a exploratory study in Italy
Full text linkThe present time of globalization, interdependence and multicultural societies has brought about both opportunities and crisis that concern all fields involved with social welfare, especially education (Portera, 2020, 2006). Within the school environment, there is a growing need for interculturaleducationand competences at the cognitive, emotional and relational levels, which will endow teachers and students with the abilitiesto operate in linguistically and culturally complex contexts (UNESCO, 2015; Portera, 2013; Deardorff, 2009). However, the concepts of‘Intercultural Education’and ‘InterculturalCompetences’are often misunderstood and require more precise definition. The authorsreview the scientific literature on the aforementioned conceptsand then report the results of a study carried out by the Centre for Intercultural Study at the University of Verona (Italy) which examineshow teacherswhowork in different typesof schools define and apply the concept of‘interculturalcompetences’in their praxis. The study uses a qualitativeresearch methodologythat includes a process of ‘triangulation’. Specifically, a series of semi-structured interviews, focus groups andparticipant observations were conducted in order to explore teachers’ intercultural competences, especially through the analysis of critical incidents. After discussing the results, the authors outline impplications for teacher education and school praxis in intercultural perspective
La problematicità dell'essere-insieme-agli-altri: comunicare tra simpatia, empatia ed exotopia.
No full textL'esserci dell'uomo è un essere-nel-mondo che da sempre è un essere-insieme-agli-altri intessuto di movimenti, di scambi, di mètissage. L'epoca contemporanea e il fluire rapido degli eventi, delle informazioni, degli spostamenti, ha reso più palese la natura meticcia dell'uomo. Come gestire la complessità relazionale e simbolica? Come comunicare nella società complessa? Quali rappresentazioni e dinamiche comunicative implicano le strategie simpatetiche? Quelle empatiche? E quelle exotopiche
How cognitive distraction affects motorway short-term work zone safety along curves: A driving simulation study
Full text linkThis study investigates how cognitive distraction affects driver behaviour on a two-lane motorway reduced to one lane (the left) in a short-term work zone along a left-hand curve. Forty-two participants were divided into two groups: undistracted and cognitively distracted drivers - with the latter required to perform mental calculations. Drivers had to react to the sudden and unexpected appearance of stationary vehicles in a queue. Distracted drivers started braking at higher speeds and released the accelerator later than undistracted ones. Their reaction times were significantly longer, and five of them could not avoid a collision with the last vehicle in the queue. Heat maps of eye fixations show that distracted drivers focused their gaze on a few elements of the road section, predominantly on the inside of the carriageway, while undistracted drivers looked at a wider area of the road scenario. Distracted drivers exhibited delayed responses to unexpected events, highlighting the importance of addressing cognitive distraction in road work zones. Given the high frequency of roadworks on motorways, specific safety countermeasures are needed to compensate for the objective risk posed by unexpected events in scenarios where distracted drivers operate with limited available sight distance
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