مطالب

Flipped classroom establishes a framework for personalized education tailored to students’ individual needs by incorporating simple technologies of audio/video recordings into instruction. Considering the challenges General English (GE) students and instructors face such as time limitation, students’ low motivation and diverse learning preferences, there seems to be an urgent need for studies on flipped learning. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of flipped classrooms on Iranian EFL learners’ learning outcome in a GE course. As such, fifty students of engineering majors in two intact classes participated in the study and were assigned to a control (n=25) and an experimental (n=25) group. The experimental group received instruction in line with the principles of flipped learning while the control group was taught using the conventional method. The participants’ level of learning outcome was measured before and after the treatment by an achievement test consisting of two parts: grammar and vocabulary. The data were analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups’ performance on the achievement post-test in general and in its two sections (grammar and vocabulary) in favor of the experimental group. Further analysis showed that the effect size for the intervention was large (ηp 2=.19>.14) for general learning outcome; however, as for the components of the achievement test, the effect size was found to be large for vocabulary section (ηp 2=.16>.14) and middle for the grammar section (ηp 2=.134<.14), respectively. Possible interpretations of the findings are discussed and certain implications and applications for GE instructors and materials developers are suggested.      

Purpose: Creatine is the most important and commonly used supplement in athletes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the simultaneous effect of moderate altitude and short-term Creatine supplementation on musculoskeletal damage indicators in male climbers. Method: 16 male hikers with at least 2 years of hiking experience selected. Subjects (age 30.6±6.3 yrs.), (height 178.3±6/4 cm), (weight 77.6±11.25kg) were randomly divided into experimental (Creatine supplement) and control groups (placebo). The experimental group consumed 20 gr/day of the supplement for 5 days, while the control group received a placebo. The first blood samples were taken before the hiking session at the location of program. Hiking program consisted of ascending to Tochal peak at an altitude of 3961m. The second blood samples were taken after returning from the peak at an altitude of 3750 meters. The results were analyzed by SPSS software using independent t-test and K-S test with a significant coefficient of 0.05. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between LDH and AST enzyme levels in post-test compared to pre-test in both AST (P = 0.13) and ALT (P = 0.001) levels Control group. Also, climbing to 4000 m altitude with Creatine supplementation had no significant effect on LDH (P = 0.78) and AST (P = 0.86) levels between groups. Conclusions: The results showed that changes in muscle damage enzymes are independent of Creatine supplementation.

China is actively engaged in Afghanistan, especially with the Neo-Taliban, which indicates significant changes in China's foreign policy. The Chinese government invited the Neo-Taliban delegations several times and tried to expand their role in their country. The present study examines the impact of China's active engagement with the Neo-Taliban, using Ibn Khaldun's Social Theory and Discourse Analysis. Questioning the nature of the active engagement of China with Neo- Taliban, we hypothesized an increase in insecurity overflow from Afghanistan to China, as well as an increase in insecurity complications in Afghanistan against China’s interests. It became clear that the Neo-Taliban's increasing interaction with China was to the detriment of Taliban and ultimately China. The Doha Peace Agreement requested the control and restriction of foreign fighters residing in Afghanistan, which for the foreign fighters, including the Uighurs, were a reminder of the restrictions imposed on them before the fall of the Islamic Emirate. However, Mullah Omar did not openly engage with China. This will delegitimize the Afghan Neo-Taliban and ultimately create a disperse Neo-Taliban with a fragile legitimacy, whose fragility does not seem to collapse, but will not serve China's interests either.