Journal of International Education and Practice

Evaluating the Impact of Simulation-Based Case Conferences on Social Work Students' Field Placement Performance

Vanessa Vinodhen — 2026-07-06

Simulation-based case conferences, developed collaboratively with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), aim to increase students' competency in managing real-life internship case conferences. There is a significant gap in evidence-based approaches that effectively bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application in social work education, particularly in preparing students for complex multi-agency case conferences. Therefore, this study examines the effectiveness of this approach in preparing students for internship challenges and its influence on their confidence, decision-making abilities, and overall case conference performance. The research methodology incorporated three validated assessment tools: the Simulation Effectiveness Tool, Self-Efficacy in Clinical Skills Scale, and Social Work Skills Inventory. These were contextualised within Nanyang Polytechnic's (NYP) Social Work simulation framework to create comprehensive pre- and post-training surveys. The study involved Year 3 students from NYP's Diploma in Social Work programme. Qualitative analysis of learners' perceptions provided additional insights into the training's effectiveness during field placements. The findings revealed significant positive outcomes in students' preparedness for real-world case management, confirming simulation-based training's value in bridging theoretical and practical aspects of social work education. The research highlights simulation-based learning's effectiveness in developing practical skills, with the MSF partnership demonstrating the benefits of external agency collaboration in creating relevant training scenarios.

A Lesson Study on the Design and Implementation of Maker Education Courses in Primary Teacher Education: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Di Yuan — 2026-07-14

Against the background of ongoing basic education curriculum reform, coupled with the inherent limitations of traditional teacher teaching modes and the prominent dilemmas in cultivating high-quality maker-oriented pre-service teachers, this study carries out empirical lesson study research grounded in the maker learning model. By clarifying the core connotation of the “maker” and drawing on the theoretical framework of the self-efficacy theory, it explores feasible pathways to integrate maker thinking cultivation into classroom teaching activity design and strives to implement the integrated teaching idea into formal primary pre-service teacher education classrooms. Taking the undergraduate elective course Practice of Maker and Intelligent Manufacturing Tools offered at a comprehensive normal university as a particular research case, this paper elaborated in detail the overall design, practical arrangement and specific implementation process of curriculum maker activities. Data were retrieved from student learning portfolios, classroom video recordings, and representative student practical works. The results indicate that the course design can effectively stimulate pre-service teachers’ learning initiative and practical participation enthusiasm, and fully embodies the practicality, openness and innovation characteristics of modern maker education. This research offers valuable theoretical reference for the in-depth integration of maker education into pre-service teacher education systems, and bears important practical implications for fostering outstanding primary teachers adapted to the new demands of educational modernization and innovative talent training.

Bridging Futures Literacy and Inclusive Education in Higher Education: A Simplex Approach Based on Probabilistic Forecasting

Paolo Fusco — 2026-07-21

This article examines the emerging intersection between futures literacy and inclusive education in higher education, with particular attention to students with learning disabilities. Futures literacy, understood as the capacity to use the future to inform present decisions, is increasingly recognized as a key competence for navigating uncertainty in rapidly changing social, technological, and environmental contexts. In parallel, inclusive education has evolved from deficit-based models toward approaches emphasizing participation, accessibility, and the pedagogical value of cognitive diversity. Through a critical narrative review of primary and secondary sources published between 2014 and 2025, the study identifies significant epistemological and methodological convergences between the two fields. The analysis is organized along a deductive-dominant framework articulated across four analytical dimensions (pedagogical, technological, political-institutional, and socio-cultural), and draws on the theory of simplexity and probabilistic anticipation as its epistemological foundation. Constructivist pedagogies, scenario-based methodologies, and emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence and digital assistive tools—are discussed as enabling mechanisms that can support both anticipatory thinking and inclusion. The analysis also identifies structural and cultural challenges related to faculty preparedness, institutional capacity, digital accessibility, and attitudes toward disability. By integrating these insights, the review proposes the concept of “inclusive anticipatory pedagogy,” an integrated framework in which futures literacy and inclusive education strengthen one another. It argues that cognitively diverse learning environments can enhance futures thinking, while futures-oriented approaches can expand the transformative potential of inclusive education. The study concludes by outlining research priorities and policy recommendations for institutions aiming to develop inclusive, future-ready systems.

Virtual Exchange in Higher Education: Emerging Discussions and Recommended Practices

Luciana Cabrini Simoes Calvo — 2026-07-10

As a powerful catalyst to internationalize higher education institutions, advancing strategies of internationalization at home (IaH) and internationalization of the curriculum (IoC), virtual exchange (VE) has played a significant role in the development of participants’ intercultural, linguistic, digital and transversal skills as well as in Global Citizenship Education. Although it has been integrated into many undergraduate and graduate programs across the globe, its successful implementation requires strategic planning and informed pedagogical considerations. Drawing on recent scholarship as well as on our own research and accumulated practice in VE, this paper revises current and emergent discussions offering recommendations for its implementation in different fields of knowledge. The discussion afforded in the paper considers the following aspects of VE: i) preparing students for intercultural encounters; ii) language use and communication in multilingual, lingua-franca, and translanguaging environments; iii) task design and assessment aligned with collaborative and action-oriented pedagogies; iv) digital tools, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital/AI literacy; v) challenges and critical considerations for equity, inclusion and Global South participation. By addressing those issues and providing pedagogical insights and strategies, the paper contributes to the ongoing discussion of how VE can support the internationalization of higher education in a more informed, engaged and critical way.