Thursday, December 12, 2024

Dual-unloading mode revolutionizes rice harvesting and transportation

Higher Education Press

Hardware composition and structural diagram of cotransporter operation system. — image:
RS232: recommeded standard 232; CAN: controller area network. RTK-GNSS: real-time kinematic-global navigation satellite system.
view more
Credit: Fan Ding et al.

In a recent study published in Engineering, a team of researchers led by Wenyu Zhang from South China Agricultural University has developed a groundbreaking cotransporter system that combines a tracked rice harvester and transporter for fully autonomous harvesting, unloading, and transportation operations.

The key innovation of this system lies in the proposed dual-unloading mode, which includes two distinct methods: harvester waiting for unloading (HWU) and transporter following for unloading (TFU). In the HWU system, the harvester halts and summons the transporter when its grain tank reaches a specific threshold. In contrast, the TFU system allows the transporter to follow the harvester during the straight sections of harvesting, enabling continuous unloading without the need for the harvester to stop. This dual-mode approach significantly enhances operational efficiency by minimizing downtime and optimizing the use of resources.

To orchestrate the complex collaborative operation between the harvester and transporter, the researchers designed a harvesting-unloading-transportation (HUT) strategy. Leveraging the concept of finite-state machines (FSMs), they broke down the process into eight primary stages and constructed a state-transition chain. This modular design not only simplifies the control logic but also enables easy maintenance and upgrades, ensuring the system’s adaptability to various field conditions and operational requirements.

The team conducted extensive simulations and field-harvesting experiments to validate the effectiveness of their system. The results were remarkable, with the cotransporter system achieving a harvest efficiency of 0.42 hm2∙h−1. Field tests demonstrated that the HUT collaborative operation strategy seamlessly integrated path planning, tracking control, inter-vehicle communication, and collaborative operation control, allowing the system to complete the entire process autonomously.

This research represents a significant step forward in the development of unmanned farming technology. By addressing the challenges associated with multi-vehicle collaboration and complex operational processes, the new cotransporter system and HUT strategy have the potential to transform the agricultural industry. Future work will focus on further optimizing the system’s performance, improving sensor accuracy for real-time path planning, and exploring additional applications in other crops and farming scenarios.

The paper “Dual-Unloading Mode Autonomous Operation Strategy and Cotransporter System for Rice Harvester and Transporter,” authored by Fan Ding, Xiwen Luo, Zhigang Zhang, Lian Hu, Xinluo Wu, Kaiyuan Bao, Jiarui Zhang, Bingxuan Yuan, Wenyu Zhang. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.006. For more information about the Engineering, follow us on X (https://twitter.com/EngineeringJrnl) & like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EngineeringJrnl).

Journal

Engineering

DOI

10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.006

Article Title

Dual-Unloading Mode Autonomous Operation Strategy and Cotransporter System for Rice Harvester and Transporter

More dense, populated neighborhoods inspire people to walk more

Washington State University

SPOKANE, Wash. – Adding strong evidence in support of “walkable” neighborhoods, a large national study found that the built environment can indeed increase how much people walk.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, showed a strong connection between place and activity by studying about 11,000 twins, which helps control for family influences and genetic factors. The researchers found that each 1% increase in an area’s “walkability” resulted in 0.42% increase in neighborhood walking. When scaled up, that means a 55% increase in the walkability of the surrounding neighborhood would result in about 23% more walking—or about 19 minutes a week for every resident living in that area.

In terms of public health, that can add up to a big difference for the highly sedentary U.S. populace, according to study lead author Glen Duncan, a Washington State University nutrition and exercise physiology professor.

“We have so many people in the U.S. population who don't get sufficient activity. If we could shift the percentage of the population that just took on more plain old walking, we would see real health benefits,” said Duncan, who is also the director of the Washington State Twin Registry.

For the study, neighborhoods were deemed walkable based on an index that assesses the density of people, roads and desirable places to walk to, such as stores, parks, restaurants and coffee shops. The twin pairs in the study lived in all parts of the U.S., but the more walkable neighborhoods were typically found in urban areas.

Seattle’s Capitol Hill area is a good example of a walkable neighborhood, Duncan said, given its profusion of shops and restaurants, as well as access to public transportation such as buses and a light rail station. On the other side, more suburban or rural areas tend to be less walkable as they require driving to access things like grocery stores or other amenities.

The study analyzed data from surveys of 5,477 pairs of twins taken from 2009 to 2020 which included information about where they lived and number of minutes walked in a typical week, whether for recreation, exercise or simply to get from one place to the other. The analysis revealed that those who lived in areas considered more walkable actually did walk more.

The researchers also looked at whether an area’s walkability increased transit use, but few study participants used public transit. However, living in a walkable neighborhood reduced the chance of having no transit use at all by 32%.

Living in a walkable area didn’t appear to have an effect on more vigorous exercise, but the authors note that this kind of exercise, which includes running and lifting weights, isn’t limited to the neighborhood environment. For example, a person could go for a vigorous bike ride that would take them well outside the boundaries of their neighborhood.

Regardless, Duncan emphasized that walking is a great and easy way to improve health. It also counts toward the widely recommended 150 minutes a week of physical activity.

“You don't have to spend loads of money on fitness clothing and the best gear. Walking is a very natural thing. You just lace on some shoes and head out the door,” he said.

In addition to Duncan, co-authors on this study include researchers from the University of Washington, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Columbia University and WSU.

Journal

American Journal of Epidemiology

DOI

10.1093/aje/kwae170

Article Title

Association between neighborhood walkability and physical activity in a community-based twin sample

Article Publication Date

12-Dec-2024

New chemical structures developed at Oregon State show vastly improved carbon capture ability

Oregon State University

Direct air capture — image:
Scanning electron microscope images of the carbon capture titanium molecules before (left) and after (right) exposure to air. The molecules release oxygen gas upon capture of carbon dioxide, creating a spongelike substance that enables reactivity throughout the crystals, not just on the surface. Image provided by May Nyman and Karlie Bach, OSU College of Science.

view more
Credit: May Nyman and Karlie Bach, OSU College of Science

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers have synthesized new molecules able to quickly capture significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the air, an important tactic in climate change mitigation.

The study, which focused on titanium peroxides, builds on their earlier research into vanadium peroxides. The research is part of large-scale federal effort to innovate new methods and materials for direct air capture, or DAC, of carbon dioxide, produced by the burning of fossil fuels.

Findings of the research, led by May Nyman and Karlie Bach of the OSU College of Science, were published today in Chemistry of Materials.

In 2021 Nyman, the Terence Bradshaw Chemistry Professor in the College of Science, was chosen as the leader of one of nine direct air capture projects funded by the Department of Energy through an initial investment of $24 million. Her team is exploring how some transition metal complexes can react with air to remove carbon dioxide and convert it to a metal carbonate, similar to what is found in many naturally occurring minerals.

Transition metals are located near the center of the periodic table and their name arises from the transition of electrons from low energy to high energy states and back again, giving rise to distinctive colors.

Facilities that filter carbon dioxide from the air are still in their infancy. Technologies for mitigating carbon dioxide at the point of entry into the atmosphere, such as at power plants, are more mature. Both types of carbon capture will likely be needed if the Earth is to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change, the scientists say.

At present there are a combined 18 active direct air capture plants operating in the United States, Canada and Europe, with plans for an additional 130 around the globe. Challenges to direct air capture include big costs and high energy requirements compared to working with industrial exhausts. Additionally, the atmosphere’s concentration of carbon dioxide, four parts per million, is low, challenging the performance of carbon capture materials.

“We opted to look into titanium as it’s 100 times cheaper than vanadium, more abundant, more environmentally friendly and already well established in industrial uses,” said Bach, a graduate student in Nyman’s lab. “It also is right next to vanadium on the periodic table, so we hypothesized that the carbon capture behavior could be similar enough to vanadium to be effective.”

Bach, Nyman and the rest of the research team made several new tetraperoxo titanate structures – a titanium atom coordinated with four peroxide groups – that showed varying abilities to scrub carbon dioxide from the air. Tetraperoxo structures tend to be highly reactive because of the peroxide groups, which are potent oxidizing agents.

Related peroxotitanates have been studied for their potential uses in catalysis, environmental chemistry and materials science. However, the tetraperoxotitanates in this study had never been definitively synthesized; Bach was able to use inexpensive materials for high-yield chemical reactions.

“Our favorite carbon capture structure we discovered is potassium tetraperoxo titanate, which is extra unique because it turns out it is also a peroxosolvate,” Bach said. “That means that in addition to having the peroxide bonds to titanium, it also has hydrogen peroxide in the structure, which is what we believe makes it so reactive.”

The measured carbon capture capacity was about 8.5 millimoles carbon dioxide per gram of potassium tetraperoxo titanate – roughly double that of vanadium peroxide.

“Titanium is a cheaper, safer material with a significantly higher capacity,” Bach said.

Named for the titans of Greek mythology, titanium is as strong as steel but much lighter. It’s non-toxic, does not easily corrode and is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust – found in rocks, soil, plants and even the human body in trace amounts.

Other Oregon State authors on the paper included assistant professors Tim Zuehlsdorff and Konstantinos Goulas, postdoctoral researcher Eduard Garrido Ribó, graduate students Jacob Hirschi, Zhiwei Mao and Makenzie Nord and crystallographer Lev Zakharov, interim manager of OSU’s X-Ray Diffraction Facility.

The Murdock Charitable Trust also supported this research through an instrument grant.

Journal

Chemistry of Materials

DOI

10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c01795

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Tetraperoxotitanates for High-Capacity Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide

Article Publication Date

12-Dec-2024

Illinois researchers develop model to evaluate food safety control strategies for produce industry

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

image:
A field of romaine lettuce in California.
view more
Credit: College of ACES

URBANA, Ill. – You’ve probably heard of product recalls involving lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens. Consuming these popular vegetables are among the main causes of food poisoning, affecting thousands of people every year. Leafy greens can become contaminated with pathogenic E. coli or other bacteria through splashes of soil or contaminated irrigation water in the field, or through processing and handling. Growers and processors work hard to implement multiple safety procedures, but contaminated products still slip through the cracks and reach consumers.

A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at control measures and product testing in the produce supply chain, aiming to determine the most effective risk management strategies under a range of scenarios.

“The goal of this project is to give the produce industry a tool to estimate microbial risk and help them make decisions around food safety. We developed a framework for the model, and then demonstrated use by modeling a test case for leafy greens. That way, we could evaluate different food safety practices and the trade-offs between them,” said lead author Gabriella Pinto, a doctoral student in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois.

There are other risk assessment tools available, but they are created to address specific purposes, noted co-author Gustavo Reyes. He was a graduate student in FSHN when conducting the research, and he now works as a food safety manager for Western Growers Association.

“This model is flexible and allows users to simulate different systems and potential organisms that may affect the produce environment, as well as assessing the effect of different interventions. The results can lead to improved risk management decisions,” Reyes said.

The model framework includes five stages: primary production, harvesting, processing, retail, and consumer handling. At any stage, the user can estimate the possibility of contamination; increase or reduce contamination; or add product testing. The model’s output measure is the risk of a product testing positive for microbial contamination when it reaches consumers.

“We chose leafy greens as a test case because they are frequently implicated in outbreaks and recalls. And the produce industry is always trying to figure out why these events are happening. Furthermore, the practices we evaluate are not only unique to leafy greens; they may be applied across many different commodities,” Pinto stated.

Leafy greens such as fresh cut lettuce will usually undergo a washing process with food safe acid to reduce any microbial contamination that may be present. Processors can manage risk by improving these process controls, or by conducting product testing towards the end to prevent contaminated products from going out to consumers.

“We wanted to put those two approaches side by side and assess which would be better at managing risk under different contamination scenarios,” Pinto said.

The researchers found that improved process controls (washing) provided a greater reduction in the overall risk of a positive test at retail (a proxy for recall risk) than additional product testing at the end of processing. They conclude that although product testing at the end of processing does reduce public health and recall risk, this is at the expense of rejecting many lower-risk lots. When contamination is detected, the entire product lot is discarded; however, high-level contamination events that drive both recall and public health risks are rare.

“The model doesn’t tell you exactly how much microbial reduction you would see from these strategies, but it allows you to make relative comparisons in order to better guide your management decisions, and that's very valuable for the industry. Our work helps growers and processors divert resources where they can make the most meaningful difference,” Reyes said.

The researchers have created an interactive webpage, SCRM-Lite, that gives outside users a way to explore the published test case contamination scenarios and intervention strategies.

“Food is produced mostly outside, in open systems that are in nature, so we’re never going to get to a food system with zero risk of contamination. People are working on both preventing contamination and processing methods that reduce it,” said Matt Stasiewicz, associate professor in FSHN and corresponding author on the paper.

“We’re not going to find the perfect method that sterilizes every product, so we need to come up with a menu of options and then find the practices that work best. A lot of what we work on in my lab is thinking about risk, better decision making, and how we can use modern computation for risk modeling. ”

The paper, “Development of a flexible produce supply chain food safety risk model: Comparing tradeoffs between improved process controls and additional product testing for leafy greens as a test case,” is published in the Journal of Food Protection [DOI:10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100393]. Funding was provided by The Center for Produce Safety project 2023CPS08.

Journal

Journal of Food Protection

DOI

10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100393

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Article Title

Development of a flexible produce supply chain food safety risk model: Comparing tradeoffs between improved process controls and additional product testing for leafy greens as a test case

Seasonal and pandemic strains of flu virus differentially affect the human immune system's interferon response, according to new single cell study

PLOS

Seasonal and pandemic strains of flu virus differentially affect the human immune system's interferon response, according to new single cell study.

###

Article URL: http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1012727

Article Title: Seasonal influenza a virus lineages exhibit divergent abilities to antagonize interferon induction and signaling

Author Countries: United States

Funding: This study was generously supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under awards 1R01AI179910 and 1R01AI139246 to C.B.B. and 1R01AI165475 to N.C.W. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Journal

PLOS Pathogens

DOI

10.1371/journal.ppat.1012727

Article Publication Date

12-Dec-2024

Estimating the health and macroeconomic burdens of tuberculosis in India, 2021-2040: A fully-integrated modelling study

PLOS

India could see more than 62.4 million cases of tuberculosis in the two decades to 2040, with scaling-up of existing treatment regimens potentially generating at least US$28 billion in GDP gains

#####

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004491

Article Title: Estimating the health and macroeconomic burdens of tuberculosis in India, 2021-2040: A fully-integrated modelling study

Author Countries: United Kingdom, Denmark

Funding: This work was funded by Johnson and Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, agreement number 2110-5191. All authors received this award. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Journal

PLOS Medicine

DOI

10.1371/journal.pmed.1004491

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Breakthrough brings body-heat powered wearable devices closer to reality

Queensland University of Technology

A QUT-led research team has developed an ultra-thin, flexible film that could power next-generation wearable devices using body heat, eliminating the need for batteries.
This technology could also be used to cool electronic chips, helping smartphones and computers run more efficiently.
Professor Zhi-Gang Chen, whose team's new research was published in the prestigious journal Science, said the breakthrough tackled a major challenge in creating flexible thermoelectric devices that converted body heat into power.
This approach offers the potential of a sustainable energy source for wearable electronics, as well as an efficient cooling method for chips.
Alongside Professor Chen, QUT researchers contributing to the study include first author Mr Wenyi Chen, Dr Xiao-Lei Shi, Dr Meng Li, Mr Yuanqing Mao, and Miss Qingyi Liu, all from the ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, the QUT School of Chemistry and Physics, and the QUT Centre for Materials Science.
Other members of the research team are Mr Ting Liu, Professor Matthew Dargusch and Professor Jin Zou from the University of Queensland and Professor Gao Qing (Max) Lu from the University of Surrey.
“Flexible thermoelectric devices can be worn comfortably on the skin where they effectively turn the temperature difference between the human body and surrounding air into electricity,” Professor Chen said.
“They could also be applied in a tight space, such as inside a computer or mobile phone, to help cool chips and improve performance.
“Other potential applications range from personal thermal management – where body heat could power a wearable heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.
“However, challenges like limited flexibility, complex manufacturing, high costs and insufficient performance have hindered these devices from reaching commercial scale.”
Most research in this area has focused on bismuth telluride-based thermoelectrics, valued for its high properties that convert heat into electricity which makes it ideal for low-power applications like heart rate, temperature or movement monitors.
In this study, the team introduced a cost-effective technology for making flexible thermoelectric films by using tiny crystals, or “nanobinders”, that form a consistent layer of bismuth telluride sheets, boosting both efficiency and flexibility.
“We created a printable A4-sized film with record-high thermoelectric performance, exceptional flexibility, scalability and low cost, making it one of the best flexible thermoelectrics available," Professor Chen said.
The team used “solvothermal synthesis”, a technique that forms nanocrystals in a solvent under high temperature and pressure, combined with “screen-printing” and “sintering.” The screen-printing method allows for the large-scale film production, while sintering heats the films to near-melting point, bonding the particles together.
Mr Wenyi Chen said their technique could also work with other systems, such as silver selenide-based thermoelectrics, which were potentially cheaper and more sustainable than traditional materials.
“This flexibility in materials shows the wide-ranging possibilities our approach offers for advancing flexible thermoelectric technology,” he said.
Read the full paper, Nanobinders advance screen-printed flexible thermoelectrics, online.
Media contact:
Rod Chester
QUT Media
media@qut.edu.au
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)

Embargoed: Not for Release Until 2:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time Thursday, 12 December 2024/ 5:00 am Friday, 13 December AEST Brisbane time

Breakthrough brings body-heat powered wearable devices closer to reality
A QUT-led research team has developed an ultra-thin, flexible film that could power next-generation wearable devices using body heat, eliminating the need for batteries.
This technology could also be used to cool electronic chips, helping smartphones and computers run more efficiently.
Professor Zhi-Gang Chen, whose team's new research was published in the prestigious journal Science, said the breakthrough tackled a major challenge in creating flexible thermoelectric devices that converted body heat into power.
This approach offers the potential of a sustainable energy source for wearable electronics, as well as an efficient cooling method for chips.
Alongside Professor Chen, QUT researchers contributing to the study include first author Mr Wenyi Chen, Dr Xiao-Lei Shi, Dr Meng Li, Mr Yuanqing Mao, and Miss Qingyi Liu, all from the ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, the QUT School of Chemistry and Physics, and the QUT Centre for Materials Science.
Other members of the research team are Mr Ting Liu, Professor Matthew Dargusch and Professor Jin Zou from the University of Queensland and Professor Gao Qing (Max) Lu from the University of Surrey.
“Flexible thermoelectric devices can be worn comfortably on the skin where they effectively turn the temperature difference between the human body and surrounding air into electricity,” Professor Chen said.
“They could also be applied in a tight space, such as inside a computer or mobile phone, to help cool chips and improve performance.
“Other potential applications range from personal thermal management – where body heat could power a wearable heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.
“However, challenges like limited flexibility, complex manufacturing, high costs and insufficient performance have hindered these devices from reaching commercial scale.”
Most research in this area has focused on bismuth telluride-based thermoelectrics, valued for its high properties that convert heat into electricity which makes it ideal for low-power applications like heart rate, temperature or movement monitors.
In this study, the team introduced a cost-effective technology for making flexible thermoelectric films by using tiny crystals, or “nanobinders”, that form a consistent layer of bismuth telluride sheets, boosting both efficiency and flexibility.
“We created a printable A4-sized film with record-high thermoelectric performance, exceptional flexibility, scalability and low cost, making it one of the best flexible thermoelectrics available," Professor Chen said.
The team used “solvothermal synthesis”, a technique that forms nanocrystals in a solvent under high temperature and pressure, combined with “screen-printing” and “sintering.” The screen-printing method allows for the large-scale film production, while sintering heats the films to near-melting point, bonding the particles together.
Mr Wenyi Chen said their technique could also work with other systems, such as silver selenide-based thermoelectrics, which were potentially cheaper and more sustainable than traditional materials.
“This flexibility in materials shows the wide-ranging possibilities our approach offers for advancing flexible thermoelectric technology,” he said.

Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.ads5868

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Nanobinders advance screen-printed flexible thermoelectrics

Article Publication Date

13-Dec-2024

PeerJ launches PeerJ Open Advances in Plant Science: A new free to read, free to publish

A New Open Access journal dedicated to tackling the most pressing issues in plant science

PeerJ

PeerJ has announced the launch of PeerJ Open Advances in Plant Science, a new Open Access journal dedicated to publishing research and commentary that addresses the most pressing challenges in the field of plant science. With a focus on equity, collaboration, and openness, the journal will eliminate financial barriers to publication and dissemination, making high-impact research and commentary accessible to all by being free to read and free to publish.

Editors-in-Chief Professors Ana Ribeiro-Barros and Luis Eguiarte lead the journal, supported by a global Editorial Board. The journal will publish impactful work that responds to one of the journal's Global Challenges, which are defined and owned by dedicated Associate Editors. Articles and contributors will be grouped by Global Challenge, building a corpus of research - and a community - that contributes to answering key questions and overcoming obstacles to completing that Challenge. Every research article will be accompanied by comprehensive peer-review reports and Impact Statements highlighting how the research addresses the journal’s Global Challenges.

Emphasizing the journal’s importance, Prof. Eguiarte said: “I have been an Academic Editor for PeerJ since 2014, and I am extremely excited to participate in this new series of journals. I deeply believe in the importance of open science and transparent peer review processes, avoiding cliques and mafias of power. I am particularly delighted to launch an open journal that will never charge for publishing; this can be a game-changer for scientists in poor countries of the Global South and elsewhere.”

The journal is now open for submissions and invites contributions from researchers who wish to address critical questions in the field of plant science. Eliminating author fees will ensure that financial barriers don’t hinder the dissemination of critical research, meaning research with the potential to impact the world is available to everyone.

"The journal's aim is to provide a collaborative forum for new ideas, and to generate networks of researchers working on the most pressing questions in the field of plant research, to address challenges concerning topics of a global scale," said Stephen Johnson, Publishing Editor of the Open Advances series.

For more information, visit https://peerj.com/journals/openadv-plant

Education scholar calls for ecological shift to 'school within a school' to give students autonomy needed for success

Yong Zhao illustrates how giving students leadership over education on small scale can avoid system-wide attempts at reform that have repeatedly failed

University of Kansas

LAWRENCE — The essence of schooling has changed little since the 19th century, even amid calls for change and attempts at reform. A new analysis from a University of Kansas education expert calls for a paradigm shift to a “school within a school” model that looks to ecology to make transformative changes.

No Child Left Behind was a landmark piece of legislation in the early 21st century that claimed it would ensure testing identified failing schools, which could then be improved, benefiting all American students. Yet, like changes to textbooks, curriculum, pedagogy and technology before it, the move did not transform education. The reason was it was an attempt at change forced upon an entire system, according to Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies and Educational Psychology at KU. The time has come to attempt changes at a small scale focusing on two key elements: less prescribed curriculum and more student autonomy, he writes in a new article.

“We have to acknowledge education as practiced in schools has failed generations since the 1980s and ‘90s,” Zhao said. “There have been calls to change, but we missed them. Changes were attempted, but they were not meaningful. The main piece of evidence is that generations are not doing better than generations before them. Other evidence is that Gen Z workers are being fired from jobs at high rates for not being prepared for the workforce, even when they have a degree, and because technology is outpacing what people are prepared for.”

The biggest impediment to change and meaningful education is forced curriculum, Zhao writes. Every school has curriculum that teachers are required to impart to students that takes virtually the entire school day and year, extending into students’ time away from school in the form of homework. Additionally, students very rarely have autonomy in what they want to learn or self-determination in their education.

“Are we sure the mandates for what students are required to learn are going to be valuable in 10 or 20 years? If not, who is responsible to answer for that?” Zhao said. “We also know students are not engaged with school. If we want students to be happy, shouldn’t they have a say in what they learn?”

Artificial intelligence brings unknown potential to education. Zhao and co-author Ruojun Zhong, president of YEE Education, write that technology and nature can both provide cues to how to approach implementing meaningful change in schools.

Their article was published in the journal ECNU Review of Education.

Any technology that is introduced to the market allows early adopters to try it first. If it is successful, it spreads to more consumers and, in the most successful cases, becomes nearly ubiquitous. Zhao gives the example of the iPhone. Neither Apple nor the government attempted to force all consumers to possess the device, yet it proved so successful that smartphones are omnipresent in society, even in classrooms. While forcing technology on consumers may sound ridiculous, that is essentially the approach American education takes when it requires schools at a systemwide level to adopt new methods or mandates, according to Zhao.

Inevitably, whenever change is required in schools, there are people who resist from teachers, administrators and parents to students themselves. Instead of trying to steamroll such opposition, Zhao and Zhong propose a “school within a school” approach to attempting change. Such a move would allow students and parents who are interested to take part in an approach that gives students autonomy to choose what they are interested in learning and set goals for their own education, with the guidance of professional educators.

“In every school, I bet you could find students and parents who would want to try a change,” Zhao said. “Education’s bad habit is wanting everything to change, even when we’re not sure if it is meaningful. If you force change, you invite resistance. This is a more natural, ecological process.”

The authors use the perspective of panarchy theory for the school within a school approach. The theory essentially holds that a school hierarchy of equal systems can be more effective than the traditional, pyramid-shaped hierarchy in which all influence comes from the top down to levels below. They give the example of ecosystems in nature that can be resilient to threats but slow to adapt necessary changes. Species that are successful in evolving and adapting to new ecosystems do not achieve such takeovers immediately, but gradually.

Ultimately, Zhao and Zhong propose a measured approach to providing small innovations that have the potential to grow into systemwide changes in which students are given more autonomy and less prescribed curriculum. They also share examples of schools in China, Australia and the United States that have attempted the model and report more engaged, successful students who discover their own unique strengths, learn to find and solve problems worth solving, and learn from others around the world via technology.

“If change happens at one level, it can go up to another or influence others,” Zhao said of an ecological, panarchy-based approach to school reform. “Some ecosystems are very resilient but are unable to adapt. Education has been resilient, but there are too many controls on the system, so it lacks transformability. We propose you could rely on small innovations to influence the rest of the system.”

Journal

ECNU Review of Education

DOI

10.1177/20965311241296162

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Paradigm Shifts in Education: An Ecological Analysis