<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Yu-Long Chao</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES INTEGRATED WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES: EFFECTIVENESS ON THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">character development</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">general education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quasi-experiment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching strategies</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2023</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2023</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1698379051.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">81</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">With a conviction that general education should play a significant role in fostering the positive development of university students’ character, several educators integrated various activities that could contribute to such development into general education courses in a technical university in Taiwan. This study surveyed the takers and non-takers of those courses and compared the differences in the scores of eight aspects of character development between the two groups of students. Results revealed that the implemented courses brought up small gains, particularly for male students in the second year, in most of the aspects including “logic and innovation,” “social practices,” “citizenship,” “growth in learning,” and “proactiveness and autonomy.” Female students were found to score significantly higher than male counterparts in all of the aspects and the scores of most aspects exhibited a declining trend with the increasing university years. These results were discussed from the perspectives of the teaching strategies advantageous for character development as well as the mental difference between first-year and third- or fourth-year students. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">586-597</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ya-Ling Wu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Shan-Ru Chao</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Wei-Fang Tsai</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mei-Lun Chen</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE EFFECT OF HORTICULTURAL PROGRAM WITH LIFE CONTEXTS ON THE COGNITIVE FUNCTION OF THE ELDERLY IN TAIWAN</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">cognitive function</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">horticultural program</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quasi-experiment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">the elderly</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2020</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2020/457-1600952187.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">78</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Based on the reminiscence therapy, the research aimed to develop the horticultural program with life contexts for the elderly in southern Taiwan, and to explore the effect on overall cognitive function of the elderly. The participants were 17 seniors in one community care center. The research adopted quasi-experimental research of one group pre-test and post-test design of time series, and data were collected by questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews. The objective of the program was to maintain cognitive function of the elderly. Twelve activities of the program were implemented once a week and 2 hours for each activity. The program included manual activity, group activity, and outdoor planting activity. The program content was based on farming experience of the elderly and integrated with diverse cognitive function trainings. It was found that the program showed immediate effect and two-week delay effect on promoting overall cognitive function of the elderly. Also, the elderly obtained new planting experience and their learning motivation was enhanced. Additionally, because of integrating with life contexts, the program was meaningful and encouraged the elderly to be engaged in the activities and recall the past. In the process, the elderly enjoyed the exchange of horticulture and life experience.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">856-872</style></section></record></records></xml>