The Outcome-Based Education(OBE)educational concept,proposed by renowned American educator Spady,aims to guide students in mastering learning laws and ultimately achieving expected learning outcomes.The application of...The Outcome-Based Education(OBE)educational concept,proposed by renowned American educator Spady,aims to guide students in mastering learning laws and ultimately achieving expected learning outcomes.The application of OBE educational concept in Hospitality English curriculum not only can effectively enhance the learning effect but also promote the reform of the Hospitality English curriculum,thus improving students’learning enthusiasm.Therefore,taking the Hospitality English curriculum as an example,this paper points out the existing problems in the teaching of this course and suggests the reform measures based on the OBE teaching concept,hoping to provide guidelines for related educational work.展开更多
The concept of OBE(outcome-based education)is more focused on designing and implementing teaching activities around expected learning outcomes than the traditional teaching model and enhancing the quality of education...The concept of OBE(outcome-based education)is more focused on designing and implementing teaching activities around expected learning outcomes than the traditional teaching model and enhancing the quality of education through clear and measurable learning outcomes,which has led to profound changes in the field of education.However,environmental design practice teaching faces a series of challenges in the implementation of the OBE concept,including the complexity of the assessment system,personalized learning and creative learning,and over-reliance on quantitative assessment.Therefore,in order to further deepen the professionalization of the OBE concept,we have conducted research on the design education practice models at home and abroad,explored the practice teaching models and their applications such as project system,studio model,practical internships,and technology-driven interdisciplinary integration,and took the practice innovative teaching models of Stanford d.school and Rhode Island School of Design(RISD)as examples to explore the characteristics of the curricula,cultivation modes,and the development of the environmental design professional practice teaching model.The characteristics of OBE and RISD are discussed to provide a global vision and local contextual reference for the practice teaching reform of environmental design majors.展开更多
Embedded system design is the core course of the telecommunication major in engineering universities,which combines software and hardware through embedded development boards.Aiming at the problems existing in traditio...Embedded system design is the core course of the telecommunication major in engineering universities,which combines software and hardware through embedded development boards.Aiming at the problems existing in traditional teaching,this paper proposes curriculum teaching reform based on the outcome-based education(OBE)concept,including determining course objectives,reforming teaching modes and methods,and improving the curriculum assessment and evaluation system.After two semesters of practice,this method not only enhances students’learning initiative but also improves teaching quality.展开更多
This paper first analyzes the characteristics and current situation of the Advanced Mathematics course;secondly,it proposes a teaching model that integrates the outcome-based education(OBE)philosophy and blended teach...This paper first analyzes the characteristics and current situation of the Advanced Mathematics course;secondly,it proposes a teaching model that integrates the outcome-based education(OBE)philosophy and blended teaching method,reorganizing the teaching objectives,teaching content,and assessment evaluation process of the Advanced Mathematics course;lastly,through practice,it is proved that this approach can effectively improve students’mastery of course content,enhance students’ability to apply mathematical knowledge,and strengthen teaching effectiveness.展开更多
The course “Taishan Cultural Communication with the World” has been online and offline teaching and learning for two terms based on the theoretical ideas: Blended Learning and Outcome-Based Education. This paper use...The course “Taishan Cultural Communication with the World” has been online and offline teaching and learning for two terms based on the theoretical ideas: Blended Learning and Outcome-Based Education. This paper uses the data from one semester to state how to carry out the program and the good results. At the same time disadvantages are also the points that should be taken into consideration. From the teaching and learning practice, students have benefited from the online videos, complementary materials and discussions;they need to be guided as well, especially the guidance offline to make up. Furthermore, the balance of time online and offline is a great challenge.展开更多
Continuously evolving teaching concepts and the adoption of diverse teaching methods have led to outcome-oriented education becoming a fundamental focus of teaching reform in colleges and universities.In this article,...Continuously evolving teaching concepts and the adoption of diverse teaching methods have led to outcome-oriented education becoming a fundamental focus of teaching reform in colleges and universities.In this article,the“Traditional Chinese Medicine Nursing”course is used as an example to discuss the reform of education based on the concept of outcome-based education,with the purpose of improving students'learning outcomes and practical skills.展开更多
Outcome-based contract( OBC) is a kind of contracting mechanism,which allows the customer to pay only when the firm has delivered outcomes,rather than activities and tasks involved. To achieve the higher demand of the...Outcome-based contract( OBC) is a kind of contracting mechanism,which allows the customer to pay only when the firm has delivered outcomes,rather than activities and tasks involved. To achieve the higher demand of the delivering outcome of the contract,the evaluation of contractor's performance was focused on. A reasonable and objective contractor performance evaluation system is constructed by considering various uncertainties. The set pair theory is used to analyze the four-element connection of quality of service contractors. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the decisionmaker to make confirmation of the equipment contractor who has a better performance and development trend.展开更多
Sydney Agreement for Higher Vocational Colleges is one of the most important accreditation standards in the internationalengineering education and engineering system, and outcome-based Education (OBE) is one of the ke...Sydney Agreement for Higher Vocational Colleges is one of the most important accreditation standards in the internationalengineering education and engineering system, and outcome-based Education (OBE) is one of the key concepts of the SydneyAgreement. In Outcome-based Education, learning outcomes refer to the teaching outcomes clearly displayed in the teachingprocess and after the completion of teaching. Outcome-based education is to use a comprehensive approach to organizing andoperating an education system. Therefore, the reform of Outcome-based Education in higher vocational colleges must also be asystematic improvement. In the process of constructing the quality assurance system of Higher Vocational Colleges in our country,we should clearly establish action-oriented learning outcomes rather than subject-oriented learning outcomes, and design our ownquality assurance system of higher vocational colleges based on this guiding ideology. Understanding the ideological origin ofoutcome-based education concept and its organizational mechanism of connotation, studying practical operation principles andpractical development are of great practical significance for rationally grasping the appropriateness of the localization of outcomebasededucation and promoting the quality and internationalization of higher vocational education.展开更多
Based on output-oriented education,the OBE(Outcome-Based Education)concept integrates local red culture into the ideological and political course of environmental disciplines,and is an important part of training appli...Based on output-oriented education,the OBE(Outcome-Based Education)concept integrates local red culture into the ideological and political course of environmental disciplines,and is an important part of training applied talents of environmental disciplines in the new era.This educational model makes an innovation on the traditional educational and teaching concepts and centers on students.This paper analyzes the value of integrating local red culture into the ideological and political course under the OBE concept,and puts forward an effective implementation path.展开更多
Aiming at the problems of unclear teaching objectives,obsolete content,and single method in the experimental teaching of university physics at our university,we have implemented a series of reform initiatives.It mainl...Aiming at the problems of unclear teaching objectives,obsolete content,and single method in the experimental teaching of university physics at our university,we have implemented a series of reform initiatives.It mainly includes clarifying the student-centered teaching objectives,optimizing the experimental content,innovating the teaching methods,improving the assessment and evaluation system,and improving the experimental conditions[1,2].After the implementation of the reform,the learning effectiveness of students has been significantly improved,the teaching level of teachers has been significantly enhanced,the curriculum system has been optimized,the efficiency of teaching management has been enhanced,and social recognition has been strengthened.Practice shows that the teaching reform based on the outcome-based education concept effectively improves the quality of university physics experimental teaching and lays the foundation for cultivating innovative talents.展开更多
Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation is the core course of Environmental Geological Engineering,aiming to cultivate skilled talents with solid theoretical knowledge and excellent practical skills.At present...Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation is the core course of Environmental Geological Engineering,aiming to cultivate skilled talents with solid theoretical knowledge and excellent practical skills.At present,the course faces several issues,including a teaching environment disconnected from real-world work scenarios,course content that deviates from job-related tasks,a lack of digital teaching resources,and reliance on a single teaching method,leading to students’poor feedback from employers.Based on the concept of outcome-based education,the course team of Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation establishes a“five-step double-rotation”blended teaching model with the help of a Small Private Online Course platform.The program is designed to improve the teaching environment and expand the digitalized teaching resources in order to improve students’learning motivation,enhance learning effectiveness,and cultivate skillful talents who meet employers’satisfaction.展开更多
In recent years,case-based teaching has become a hot spot in higher education reform,and the construction of case libraries has received increasing attention.The development of teaching case libraries not only promote...In recent years,case-based teaching has become a hot spot in higher education reform,and the construction of case libraries has received increasing attention.The development of teaching case libraries not only promotes changes in talent training models but also enhances teaching effectiveness.Taking the ergonomics course as an example,this paper explores the construction of a comprehensive teaching case library for ergonomics under the outcome-based education concept,providing a reference for future ergonomics teaching case library development.展开更多
Talent training has been emphasized in China’s national development.Training an excellent pharmaceutical professional has far-reaching significance for promoting rational use of drugs,ensuring safe drug use,and impro...Talent training has been emphasized in China’s national development.Training an excellent pharmaceutical professional has far-reaching significance for promoting rational use of drugs,ensuring safe drug use,and improving the quality and safety of medical treatment.The internship program is an important part of a pharmacy major that serves to develop students’practical skills.In this paper,we propose a combination of outcome-based education(OBE)and case-based learning(CBL)in pharmacy internships to promote critical thinking and independent learning among students and ensure the sustainable development of pharmacy education.展开更多
Through the Sequential Mixed Methods Approach, 24 final year power engineering students underwent 12 learnshops on creativity and entrepreneurship with an attempt to foster creativity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy...Through the Sequential Mixed Methods Approach, 24 final year power engineering students underwent 12 learnshops on creativity and entrepreneurship with an attempt to foster creativity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy among them. Pre- and post-test on creativity using Torrance's Test of Creativity (TTCT) and Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy questionnaires were used to determine the level of both creativity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy The findings of the study show that a significant leap in how teaching and learning takes place is necessary if we are to properly prepare students for the 21st century knowledge economy and that active participation, confidence and ideas generation taking place under teamwork and informal settings are a way forward and to harness the two constructs.展开更多
Based on the concept of outcome-based education (OBE) and the existing OBE training mode, this paper puts forward the training mode of "three-quality talents" as a supplement. This mode effectively helps Chi...Based on the concept of outcome-based education (OBE) and the existing OBE training mode, this paper puts forward the training mode of "three-quality talents" as a supplement. This mode effectively helps Chinese application-oriented colleges and universities to improve the training quality of application-oriented talents, is an effective way to train application-oriented undergraduate professionals, and has a certain promotion and application value.展开更多
This research aims to construct a case resource library for programming course,which can be used for either teachers’teaching or students’learning.The cases cannot be simply piled up but rather require a systematic ...This research aims to construct a case resource library for programming course,which can be used for either teachers’teaching or students’learning.The cases cannot be simply piled up but rather require a systematic planning.The solution to this is to design a case system model.The outcome-based education(OBE)concept is adopted to guide the research,and a three-dimensional case system model matching the course objectives is designed.Under the guidance of the model,the case resource library construction is more planned.Cases based on the model can provide all-round support for the cultivation of students’ability by gradually promoting knowledge and technology,frequently exercising one’s abilities,as well as expanding diverse and innovative problems.展开更多
This communication sets out to delineate the link between two widely known educational concepts in recent development of higher education, the problem-based learning(PBL) and outcome-based education(OBE). In the conte...This communication sets out to delineate the link between two widely known educational concepts in recent development of higher education, the problem-based learning(PBL) and outcome-based education(OBE). In the contemporary literature of medical education, basic or clinical, PBL and OBE have often been noted and cited. Yet, they seemed to be treated as two independent domains of educational theories, one about "problems/cases" and the other about "outcomes/competencies".In reality, both represent an intertwined concept of action learning; i.e., learning by doing in learner-centered approach in a context of social process, as attempts to help break away from the teacher-centered traditional rote learning. Also, measurements of learners' competencies in both PBL and OBE are linked to the same assessment pyramid known as Blooms' s taxonomy of cognition. PBL, since its inception in 1969, has not reached its full educational potential despite its world-wide adoption in varying formats in which the practice of PBL has not been systematically or faithfully subscribing to the learning outcomes expected of PBL On the other hand, OBE, better conceptualized in 1994, brought forward considerable controversies in its educational effectiveness, because lacking a better defined platform of teaching and learning activities, the practice of OBE unfortunately often resulted in the selection of activities not conducive to high level learning outcomes. This communication attempts to link PBL closely with OBE in the effective delivery of medical education(which can be expanded to high education at large) based on authors' experiences and personal viewpoints.展开更多
基金This article is a research result of the key project of teaching reform in higher vocational education in Heilongjiang Province,“Research on the Construction and Practice of English Major Courses in the Integrated Training Model for Middle and High-Level Vocational Education under the OBE Perspective”(Project number:SJGZZ20220035).
文摘The Outcome-Based Education(OBE)educational concept,proposed by renowned American educator Spady,aims to guide students in mastering learning laws and ultimately achieving expected learning outcomes.The application of OBE educational concept in Hospitality English curriculum not only can effectively enhance the learning effect but also promote the reform of the Hospitality English curriculum,thus improving students’learning enthusiasm.Therefore,taking the Hospitality English curriculum as an example,this paper points out the existing problems in the teaching of this course and suggests the reform measures based on the OBE teaching concept,hoping to provide guidelines for related educational work.
基金Chongqing Engineering Institute’s Educational Reform Project“Research on the Reform of the Practical Teaching Curriculum System of Environmental Design Based on the OBE Concept”(Project number:JY2023209)The First-Class Curriculum Construction Project of Rural Landscape Design and Practice in 2023(Project number:KC20230122)。
文摘The concept of OBE(outcome-based education)is more focused on designing and implementing teaching activities around expected learning outcomes than the traditional teaching model and enhancing the quality of education through clear and measurable learning outcomes,which has led to profound changes in the field of education.However,environmental design practice teaching faces a series of challenges in the implementation of the OBE concept,including the complexity of the assessment system,personalized learning and creative learning,and over-reliance on quantitative assessment.Therefore,in order to further deepen the professionalization of the OBE concept,we have conducted research on the design education practice models at home and abroad,explored the practice teaching models and their applications such as project system,studio model,practical internships,and technology-driven interdisciplinary integration,and took the practice innovative teaching models of Stanford d.school and Rhode Island School of Design(RISD)as examples to explore the characteristics of the curricula,cultivation modes,and the development of the environmental design professional practice teaching model.The characteristics of OBE and RISD are discussed to provide a global vision and local contextual reference for the practice teaching reform of environmental design majors.
基金This paper is one of the phased achievements of the Education and Teaching Reform Project of Guangdong University of Petrochemical Engineering in 2022(71013413080)the Research and Practice Project of Teaching and Teaching Reform of University-Level Higher Vocational Education in 2023(JY202353).
文摘Embedded system design is the core course of the telecommunication major in engineering universities,which combines software and hardware through embedded development boards.Aiming at the problems existing in traditional teaching,this paper proposes curriculum teaching reform based on the outcome-based education(OBE)concept,including determining course objectives,reforming teaching modes and methods,and improving the curriculum assessment and evaluation system.After two semesters of practice,this method not only enhances students’learning initiative but also improves teaching quality.
文摘This paper first analyzes the characteristics and current situation of the Advanced Mathematics course;secondly,it proposes a teaching model that integrates the outcome-based education(OBE)philosophy and blended teaching method,reorganizing the teaching objectives,teaching content,and assessment evaluation process of the Advanced Mathematics course;lastly,through practice,it is proved that this approach can effectively improve students’mastery of course content,enhance students’ability to apply mathematical knowledge,and strengthen teaching effectiveness.
文摘The course “Taishan Cultural Communication with the World” has been online and offline teaching and learning for two terms based on the theoretical ideas: Blended Learning and Outcome-Based Education. This paper uses the data from one semester to state how to carry out the program and the good results. At the same time disadvantages are also the points that should be taken into consideration. From the teaching and learning practice, students have benefited from the online videos, complementary materials and discussions;they need to be guided as well, especially the guidance offline to make up. Furthermore, the balance of time online and offline is a great challenge.
文摘Continuously evolving teaching concepts and the adoption of diverse teaching methods have led to outcome-oriented education becoming a fundamental focus of teaching reform in colleges and universities.In this article,the“Traditional Chinese Medicine Nursing”course is used as an example to discuss the reform of education based on the concept of outcome-based education,with the purpose of improving students'learning outcomes and practical skills.
文摘Outcome-based contract( OBC) is a kind of contracting mechanism,which allows the customer to pay only when the firm has delivered outcomes,rather than activities and tasks involved. To achieve the higher demand of the delivering outcome of the contract,the evaluation of contractor's performance was focused on. A reasonable and objective contractor performance evaluation system is constructed by considering various uncertainties. The set pair theory is used to analyze the four-element connection of quality of service contractors. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the decisionmaker to make confirmation of the equipment contractor who has a better performance and development trend.
文摘Sydney Agreement for Higher Vocational Colleges is one of the most important accreditation standards in the internationalengineering education and engineering system, and outcome-based Education (OBE) is one of the key concepts of the SydneyAgreement. In Outcome-based Education, learning outcomes refer to the teaching outcomes clearly displayed in the teachingprocess and after the completion of teaching. Outcome-based education is to use a comprehensive approach to organizing andoperating an education system. Therefore, the reform of Outcome-based Education in higher vocational colleges must also be asystematic improvement. In the process of constructing the quality assurance system of Higher Vocational Colleges in our country,we should clearly establish action-oriented learning outcomes rather than subject-oriented learning outcomes, and design our ownquality assurance system of higher vocational colleges based on this guiding ideology. Understanding the ideological origin ofoutcome-based education concept and its organizational mechanism of connotation, studying practical operation principles andpractical development are of great practical significance for rationally grasping the appropriateness of the localization of outcomebasededucation and promoting the quality and internationalization of higher vocational education.
基金Supported by Teaching Content and Curriculum System Reform Project of Guizhou Province in 2022(GZJG20220776)Natural Science Research Project of Guizhou Provincial Department of Education(Qianjiaoji[2022]No.067)+1 种基金Research Center for Revolutionary Spirit and Cultural Resources of the Communist Party of China,Zunyi Normal University,Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences,Ministry of Education(22KRIZYPY12)Teaching Content and Curriculum System Reform and Cultivation Project of Zunyi Normal University in 2022(JGPY2022001).
文摘Based on output-oriented education,the OBE(Outcome-Based Education)concept integrates local red culture into the ideological and political course of environmental disciplines,and is an important part of training applied talents of environmental disciplines in the new era.This educational model makes an innovation on the traditional educational and teaching concepts and centers on students.This paper analyzes the value of integrating local red culture into the ideological and political course under the OBE concept,and puts forward an effective implementation path.
基金The 2024 University-Level Higher Education Teaching Reform Project of Guangzhou Xinhua University,“Teaching Reform and Practice Based on OBE Concept:A Case Study of University Physics Experiment”(2024J044)The 2024 University-level Curriculum Teaching and Rresearch Room(Including Virtual Teaching and Research Room)Project of Guangzhou Xinhua University,“University Physics Teaching and Research Office”(2024JYS002)The 2024 University-Level First-Class Undergraduate Major(080714T)Construction Project of Guangzhou Xinhua University(2024YLZY012)。
文摘Aiming at the problems of unclear teaching objectives,obsolete content,and single method in the experimental teaching of university physics at our university,we have implemented a series of reform initiatives.It mainly includes clarifying the student-centered teaching objectives,optimizing the experimental content,innovating the teaching methods,improving the assessment and evaluation system,and improving the experimental conditions[1,2].After the implementation of the reform,the learning effectiveness of students has been significantly improved,the teaching level of teachers has been significantly enhanced,the curriculum system has been optimized,the efficiency of teaching management has been enhanced,and social recognition has been strengthened.Practice shows that the teaching reform based on the outcome-based education concept effectively improves the quality of university physics experimental teaching and lays the foundation for cultivating innovative talents.
基金Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department Excellent Youth Project(23B0953)Hunan Province Vocational College Education and Teaching Reform Research Project(ZJGB2022427)。
文摘Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation is the core course of Environmental Geological Engineering,aiming to cultivate skilled talents with solid theoretical knowledge and excellent practical skills.At present,the course faces several issues,including a teaching environment disconnected from real-world work scenarios,course content that deviates from job-related tasks,a lack of digital teaching resources,and reliance on a single teaching method,leading to students’poor feedback from employers.Based on the concept of outcome-based education,the course team of Geological Hazards Investigation and Evaluation establishes a“five-step double-rotation”blended teaching model with the help of a Small Private Online Course platform.The program is designed to improve the teaching environment and expand the digitalized teaching resources in order to improve students’learning motivation,enhance learning effectiveness,and cultivate skillful talents who meet employers’satisfaction.
基金2024 Chongqing Institute of Engineering Project Library and Case Library Construction Project“Design within Dimensions:Design of a Large Flat Model Room at Chongqing Times Center”(S202312608040)。
文摘In recent years,case-based teaching has become a hot spot in higher education reform,and the construction of case libraries has received increasing attention.The development of teaching case libraries not only promotes changes in talent training models but also enhances teaching effectiveness.Taking the ergonomics course as an example,this paper explores the construction of a comprehensive teaching case library for ergonomics under the outcome-based education concept,providing a reference for future ergonomics teaching case library development.
文摘Talent training has been emphasized in China’s national development.Training an excellent pharmaceutical professional has far-reaching significance for promoting rational use of drugs,ensuring safe drug use,and improving the quality and safety of medical treatment.The internship program is an important part of a pharmacy major that serves to develop students’practical skills.In this paper,we propose a combination of outcome-based education(OBE)and case-based learning(CBL)in pharmacy internships to promote critical thinking and independent learning among students and ensure the sustainable development of pharmacy education.
文摘Through the Sequential Mixed Methods Approach, 24 final year power engineering students underwent 12 learnshops on creativity and entrepreneurship with an attempt to foster creativity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy among them. Pre- and post-test on creativity using Torrance's Test of Creativity (TTCT) and Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy questionnaires were used to determine the level of both creativity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy The findings of the study show that a significant leap in how teaching and learning takes place is necessary if we are to properly prepare students for the 21st century knowledge economy and that active participation, confidence and ideas generation taking place under teamwork and informal settings are a way forward and to harness the two constructs.
基金Supported by Innovative Research on the Training Mode of‘Three-Quality Talents’in Local Application-oriented Universities in the Context of Digital Economy (2021GA078).
文摘Based on the concept of outcome-based education (OBE) and the existing OBE training mode, this paper puts forward the training mode of "three-quality talents" as a supplement. This mode effectively helps Chinese application-oriented colleges and universities to improve the training quality of application-oriented talents, is an effective way to train application-oriented undergraduate professionals, and has a certain promotion and application value.
基金The“OBE-Oriented Programming Course Practice Teaching Research and Resource Construction”Project supported by the Association of Fundamental Computing Education in Chinese Universities in 2021.(Project Number:2021-AFCEC-246)。
文摘This research aims to construct a case resource library for programming course,which can be used for either teachers’teaching or students’learning.The cases cannot be simply piled up but rather require a systematic planning.The solution to this is to design a case system model.The outcome-based education(OBE)concept is adopted to guide the research,and a three-dimensional case system model matching the course objectives is designed.Under the guidance of the model,the case resource library construction is more planned.Cases based on the model can provide all-round support for the cultivation of students’ability by gradually promoting knowledge and technology,frequently exercising one’s abilities,as well as expanding diverse and innovative problems.
文摘This communication sets out to delineate the link between two widely known educational concepts in recent development of higher education, the problem-based learning(PBL) and outcome-based education(OBE). In the contemporary literature of medical education, basic or clinical, PBL and OBE have often been noted and cited. Yet, they seemed to be treated as two independent domains of educational theories, one about "problems/cases" and the other about "outcomes/competencies".In reality, both represent an intertwined concept of action learning; i.e., learning by doing in learner-centered approach in a context of social process, as attempts to help break away from the teacher-centered traditional rote learning. Also, measurements of learners' competencies in both PBL and OBE are linked to the same assessment pyramid known as Blooms' s taxonomy of cognition. PBL, since its inception in 1969, has not reached its full educational potential despite its world-wide adoption in varying formats in which the practice of PBL has not been systematically or faithfully subscribing to the learning outcomes expected of PBL On the other hand, OBE, better conceptualized in 1994, brought forward considerable controversies in its educational effectiveness, because lacking a better defined platform of teaching and learning activities, the practice of OBE unfortunately often resulted in the selection of activities not conducive to high level learning outcomes. This communication attempts to link PBL closely with OBE in the effective delivery of medical education(which can be expanded to high education at large) based on authors' experiences and personal viewpoints.