Approximate Number System, Neurotraumatology And Student Competences

Table Of Contents

• Time, individual and death in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
• Impersonal remarks on subjectivity
• The boundaries of education
• The role of psychological treatment in neurotraumatic injuries
• Measuring the acuity of the approximate number system in children
• Preventing dropout among computer science students

Time, individual and death in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

In his study entitled “Földre sodorja a lombot a szél…” [“The winds blow upon the trees, and their leaves fall upon the ground…”], István Sümegi analyses the Meditations by Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, juxtaposing it with the epics of Homer and Virgil. Marcus Aurelius grounds the inherent tragedy of an irrevocable death and the interpretation of time as irreversible progress into the concept of the literally unique individual. But he also realised that such an approach to life is unbearable, so he sought, by way of intellectual (self-)suggestion, to reduce the impact that this realisation exerts on himself and his readers.

Sümegi, I. (2023). „Földre sodorja a lombot a szél...”—Idő, individualitás és halál Marcus Aurelius Elmélkedéseiben. Magyar Művészet, 2023(1). 4–14.

Impersonal remarks on subjectivity

This article by István Sümegi examines the possibility of impersonal knowledge. Since it is pointless to talk about knowledge without a subject, the initial question should not be “is there such a thing as objective knowledge?”, but rather “when should we disregard the subject that created the piece of knowledge?”. The article offers several interconnected aspects for consideration, then concludes that this could even lead to the extreme viewpoint positing the sole existence of solipsistic, intransmissible knowledge. This viewpoint, however, is entirely useless, so perhaps we should invert the traditional approach: rather than starting from the premise of objective knowledge (which is usually contaminated by various subjective elements anyway), we should realise that the diverse pieces of personal knowledge can be connected in certain ways, and this is what enables successful communication.

Sümegi, I. (2024). Személytelen megjegyzések a személyességről. Magyar Filozófiai Szemle. MTMT.

The boundaries of education

In the world and domain of teaching and education, “boundary” can be interpreted as a social-geographical fact and a symbolic concept alike. The present volume, which includes studies selected from among the presentations delivered at the HuCER 2023 conference in Szombathely, attempts to demarcate and interpret the boundaries of education and to showcase their diversity.

Langerné Buchwald, J., Koós, I., & Velics, G. (Szerk.). (2024). Az oktatás határdimenziói. Magyar Nevelés- és Oktatáskutatók Egyesülete (HERA). MTMT.

The role of psychological treatment in neurotraumatic injuries

Neurotraumatology is concerned with traumatic damages to the central and peripheral nervous systems, where the injury is the result of an external event (e.g. road traffic accident, sports injury, physical assault, violent suicide attempt). The patients undergo severe physical as well as psychological trauma with inevitable and often long-lasting consequences. Acute health care, as well as the various periods of prolonged hospitalisation, present significant physical and psychological challenges for the patients and their relatives alike. Patients who have suffered severe physical trauma are cared for by a multidisciplinary trauma team, with the treatment, in line with international professional guidelines, involving psychological support as well: the involvement of psychologists and psychiatrists should be an integral part of acute care. Timely crisis intervention can decrease the negative effects associated with the crisis, reduce psychological symptoms, prevent the development of more serious psychopathologies, and offer help in coping with already established emotional difficulties. Providing regular psychological support helps the patient adapt to the hospital environment and treatment, supports cooperation with physiotherapists, and prepares the patient for rehabilitation.

Since family plays a crucial role in the healing process, providing professional psychological support for the patient as well as their relatives is essential.

Szeifert, N. M. (2024). Psychological treatment of neurotraumatic injuries – crisis intervention in acute care: Theoretical and practical summary. Magyar Traumatológia Ortopédia Kézsebészet Plasztikai Sebészet, 67(1), 31–45.

Measuring the acuity of the approximate number system in children

Previous research has hypothetised that infants possess a cognitive system that allows them to process numbers. The system itself varies between individuals: certain babies can interpret quantities more accurately than others. Many previous studies have indicated that there is a correlation between the acuity of the number system and the individual’s later mathematical performance (e.g. maths grades obtained in school). Several times it has been projected and, allegedly, confirmed that developing this system automatically develops general mathematical abilities as well. However, the measurement of this number system raises several problems: thanks to an international collaboration, these issues have now been synthetised in a new study, which offers new suggestions and raises additional issues as well. Researchers argue that most of the previous measurements were not accurate enough for the results to be deemed well-grounded. These results will need to be replicated using the new methods so that the role of the approximate number system could be clarified.

Krajcsi, A., Chesney, D., Cipora, K., Coolen, I., Gilmore, C., Inglis, M., Libertus, M., Nuerk, H.-C., Simms, V., & Reynvoet, B. (2024). Measuring the acuity of the approximate number system in young children. Developmental Review, 72, 101131.

Preventing dropout among computer science students

The dropout rates among computer science students have been an issue for a long time. This study aims to investigate the factors that can help retain the students. Teachers’ views on student competence acquisition within the BSc curriculum need to be taken into consideration, as well as their expectations about students’ skills and knowledge, which are important to understand because these influence learning outcomes and teaching methodologies. The research identified five factors that teachers consider key components for obtaining a bachelor’s degree: 1. analytical and computing skills, 2. teamwork and self-study experience, 3. group programming experience, 4. communication and problem-solving skills, 5. mathematical foundations and process modelling ability. This exploratory study applied a new research instrument and approach with a view to incorporating teachers’ perspectives into practice. The findings could help in the development of new curricula in order to increase student retention. The study confirmed the need for acquiring professional skills and highlighted the demand for designing new programmes which can improve students’ soft skills, which are necessary not only for obtaining a bachelor’s degree but also for preparing them to work in the IT field in the future.

Takács, R., Takács, S., Kárász, J. T., Oláh, A., & Horváth, Z. (2024). Applying Q-methodology to investigate computer science teachers’ preferences about students’ skills and knowledge for obtaining a degree. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1-10.