Editorial introduction: Transitions in the process of education

This editorial introduction frames the special issue by highlighting its choices: examining transitions in the educational process, so as to highlight common features of many educational phenomena, often considered separately; and conceptualise transitions as time-embedded processes. Such theoretical choices raise methodological questions, among which, that of preserving the dynamics of education. Three main methodological options for doing so are considered: time reconstruction (verbal or graphic); real-time data gathering; and focus on the individual-social articulation. Each of the papers is thus presented through its specific methodological choices. Finally, two transversal characteristics of transitions are highlighted: the person-and-environment mutual responsiveness, and their inherent playfulness; some consequences for education are suggested.     

The perception of women engineers in the construction industry in Palestine

The industrial and occupational distribution of women is such that women are concentrated predominately in a few occupations, mostly in the service sector, such as banking, finance, insurance, public administration, hotel, and catering. Men and women are equal in their capabilities in almost every respect, provided that women are given the same opportunities as men for training, employment, and promotion. There is a lack of research studies on women in the construction industry; therefore this field needs special consideration. The purpose of the current study is to find out working conditions of the Palestinian women civil and architect engineers in the construction industry in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. In addition, it attempts to examine their career prospects and to understand problems experienced by these women throughout their academic years as well as in their careers. Discrimination against women is still present in today's construction industry as well as in other traditional engineering cultures. In order to minimise or cope with this problem, attitudinal change by both men and women is strongly suggested.     

带冠涡轮盘电火花加工专用CAD/CAM软件开发

In this paper,a special-purpose CAD/CAM software package,BliskCad/Cam,based on a commercial CAD/CAM software Unigraphics is developed to reduce difficulties in CNC-EDM of the shrouded turbine blisks.The software package con- sists of five modules such as electrode design,path searching,and machining simulation module.Functions of BliskCad/Cam include parametrical reconstruction of 3-D model of the blisk,intelligent design of complex shaped electrode,automatic gener- ation of NC codes,search of interference-free tool path for multi-axis NC-EDM and machining simulation,etc.Experimental verification is conducted by using BliskCad/Cam and the results show that it satisfies the requirements,and can realize pre- cision machining and reduce accessorial time remarkably.     

Nelson,Brian C & Erlandson,Benjamin E (2012) Design for learning in virtual worlds Routledge (New York & London) isbn 978‐0‐415‐88640‐6 215 pp £24.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415886406/

Nelson and Erlandson have collated a summary of the work of early designers and researchers into virtual worlds for learning and assessment. While it is confined to those experiences already well known in the literature, it does provide a basic introduction for undergraduates. If it seems that this book could be relevant to you, I advise that you will probably find only parts of it of interest or use. John G Hedberg     

The prevalence of low health literacy in undergraduate students in Pakistan

This Regular Feature is based on a PhD study assessing the level of health literacy among university students in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using the validated European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q) and non-parametric tests used to analyse data with the aim of determining the influence of personal determinants on health literacy skills. The findings of the study concluded that the population had a low health literacy level with limited skills in accessing, understanding, appraising and applying information for health care. Gender, age, and native languages, all had a statistically significant influence on health literacy skills. Practical implications are presented for the role of university libraries in supporting the development of health literacy in their undergraduate student populations are presented, including the need for the provision of health information in native languages.     

In search of health information…

Searching for health information is a core activity for health library and knowledge workers, whether seeking to support health care workers in overcoming barriers to accessing drug information, exploring the potential of text mining in developing search filters, translating search filters for use on alternative databases, or the importance of updating search filters to ensure their ongoing utility.