Closing the loop: A case study on pathways for promoting sustainable waste management on university campuses

The implementation of circular economy (CE) strategies has facilitated a comprehensive approach to waste management (WM) in university campuses. Composting food waste (FW) and biomass can mitigate negative environmental impacts and be part of a closed-loop economy. The compost can be used as a fertilizer, thereby closing the waste cycle. Implementing nudging strategies to promote effective waste segregation can help the campus move closer towards achieving neutrality and sustainability goals. The research was conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS (SGGW). The University Campus is located in the south of Warsaw (Poland) and covers an area of 70 ha with 49 buildings. The SGGW campus generates selectively collected (glass, paper, plastic and metals, and biowaste) and mixed waste. Data were collected through a year-long report from the university administration. For the survey, waste data from 2019 to 2022 were obtained. The CE efficiency indicators of CE were measured. The indicators of CE efficiency for compost (Ic,ce) and plastic (I_pb,_ce) showed Ic,ce at 21.05 %, which means that 1/5th of the waste generated on the campus can be introduced into the CE paradigm through composting, and the resulting value I_pb,ce of 19.96 % indicates that this amount can be reintroduced into the CE paradigm through its reuse. The results of the seasonality study showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the generated biowaste between the separated periods of the year, and the Pearson correlation coefficient (r = 0.068) provided additional confirmation. The weak correlation between the amount of biowaste generated and the average for each year (r = 0.110) also indicates a stable biowaste generation system that does not require a reduction or increase in the efficiency of waste processing, such as composting. By implementing CE strategies, university campuses can improve WM practices and achieve sustainability goals.

Psychometric Properties of the Acoso Sexual en las Instituciones de Educación Superior Scale (ASIES) in an Ecuadorian Sample

Sexual harassment has become increasingly common in Ecuador's higher education centers. However, due to the lack of instruments that evaluate sexual harassment, the magnitude of this phenomenon in Ecuador is unknown. This research aims to analyze the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of a sexual harassment measurement scale in higher education institutions (ASIES). The instrument analyzes 21 behaviors related to sexual harassment. The sample consisted of 4628 people. A descriptive analysis of the items, item-total correlation analysis, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis are performed to test the internal structure of the scale. It was found that the 4-factor model and a second-order factor presented a better fit (CFI = .99, TLI = .99, SRMR = .075, and RMSEA = .018). The results confirm the four dimensions proposed.

From Face-to-Face to Online UDeL Camps: Supporting Staff at Higher Education Institutions in Developing Universal Design for eLearning (UDeL)

The TINEL Project is running a series of camps for staff at higher education institution to support them in developing inclusive eLearning. The first camp was conducted face-to-face, but the coronavirus pandemic meant that the second camp was conducted online. This created a case study in inclusive eLearning in itself and allowed us to experience and reflect on the challenges and opportunities of inclusive online teaching and learning. This paper presents the structure and content of the two camps, our reflections on moving from a face-to-face to an online situation and our elaboration how the UDL principles apply to eLearning to create Universal Design for eLearning (UDeL). We found that because we already had a syllabus for the camp prepared, transferring it to an online camp did not present a great number of challenges. Some aspects of the online situation were actually advantageous (e.g. presenting all materials digitally and making them fully accessible) while others were difficult to overcome (e.g. engaging all participants in online activities and discussions). We provide a set of recommendations of how to implement the three principles of UDL in eLearning situations.

[Evidence-based practice competence in undergraduate Nursing Degree students]

AIM

Evidence-based practice (EBP) learning has become a key issue for nurses. An EPB subject was included in the 4(th) year in the new syllabus of the Nursing Degree at University of Murcia (UM). To know the competence level in EBP of undergraduate nursing students at UM and compare the results between all four years.

METHOD

Observational descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach.

STUDY POPULATION

undergraduate nursing students from all four years at Nursing Degree at the Faculty of Social and Healthcare Science at UM in the year 2013-14. EBP evaluation of competence of the nursing students consisted of attitude, skills and knowledge on EBP. A validated questionnaire, the EBP-COQ, was used. The scale range is 1 point «lowest level» to 5 points «higher level».The SPSS 21.0 program has been used to carry out descriptive and bivariate analyses.

RESULTS

144 students were included, 76.4% was female, and the median age was 23 years, 84.7% attended more than 75% class hours. The mean differences in the questionnaire between first and fourth years were 0.58 points in attitude, 0.60 in skills, 1.6 in knowledge and 0.83 in global competence in EBP. Significant differences in mean scores between the fourth and the remaining years in the global competence in EBP were observed, as well as in the three dimensions (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

The undergraduate-nursing students studied here have acquired an appropriate competence level in EBP, with a gradual increase by year. The biggest increase was in the fourth year students.