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All success in life is based on your ability to connect. Connection is a pillar that supports every successful person and every meaningful pursuit. The Power of Connection offers a fresh, modern and holitsitc approach to building, maintaing and primpving your prfoeesional the personal connections through bettter communication, whether you're in the boardroom, the living room or the classroom.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore an interactive teaching approach using an autoethnographic lens to enhance key competencies in sustainability. These competencies are integrated sets of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that facilitate effective task performance and problem-solving related to real-world sustainabiloity issues (Wiek, Withycombe, and Redman, 2011). Focusing on interpersonal competencies in higher education for sustainable development (HESD), this paper emphasiizes the possibilities of student-led discussions and self-reflection to inspire, support, and guide collaborative and participatory learning and problem-solving (Brundiers et al., 2020). Shifting from traditional lectures to student-led discussions transforms instructors into facilitators, showcasing the potential of this method. Design/methodology/approach Using an autoethnographic lens, this paper explores the student-led discussion approach to support the development of interpersonal competencies in the realm of the key competencies in HESD. Drawing from a blend of relevant literature and the author’s personal experiences spanning multiple years with this approach, this paper offers insights into its benefits and effective implementation. The student-led discussion approach involves the following: Assignment of relevant texts: University students are tasked with reading an engaging and pertinent piece of literature as homework; Written reading reflection: Students produce written reflections on the assigned reading in anticipation of a subsequent in-class discussion; In-class discussion: Each student arrives prepared to potentially lead the conversation. At the onset of the session, three student facilitator names are randomly selected. These chosen individuals bear the responsibility of steering the conversation, ensuring robust participation from their peers; Empowerment Tools: To bolster their facilitation, the instructor provides these students with tools and recommended strategies beforehand; Instructor's Role: Initially, the instructor adopts a passive stance, abstaining from any direct participation for the first 15-30 minutes of the discussion, allowing students to steer the discourse; and Post-Discussion Self-Assessment: After the discussion concludes, students engage in reflective self-assessment, evaluating their degree of participation. This paper unpacks how the process of student-led discussions, framed through an autoethnographic perspective, not only fosters interpersonal competence but also amplifies the pedagogical understanding of student-driven learning experiences. In this article, ChatGPT-4 was used as a copyediting tool to improve readability and the clarity of the paper. Findings Through the autoethnographic lens used in this research, it becomes evident that student-led discussions not only foster a deeper engagement with assigned content but also pave the way for transformative learning experiences. These discussions serve as a forum, challenging students to grapple with cognitive dissonance and gives them the space to witness and participate in diverse communication strategies. Moreover, in allowing students to shape the narratives they perceive as most pertinent, instructors catalyze the development of profound problem-solving capabilities and a sense of agency over their learning trajectories. Key insights gleaned include the following: Collaborative learning: The discussions nurture an environment where students reflect, analyze and learn collectively, deepening their grasp of the material; Empowerment through communication: Engaging in these sessions equips learners with the prowess to reconcile disparate viewpoints, thereby fortifying their collaborative and communicative proficiencies; and Critical thinking and sustainability: By delving into intricate sustainability challenges, students hone their critical thinking capabilities, preparing them to be future custodians of a more sustainable world. In essence, when viewed through an autoethnographic lens, the student-led discussion approach not only enriches learning outcomes but also accentuates the acquisition of pivotal interpersonal competencies within the framework of HESD. Originality/value From an autoethnographic perspective, this research stands distinctively within the literature on higher education for sustainable development. While the pedagogical strategy of student-led discussions is not entirely novel, the unique application and deep introspection of this method within the realm of HESD indeed carve out new terrain. By interweaving lived experiences and educational theory, this paper offers fresh insights into how student-led discussions can be an effective way to cultivate key sustainability competencies in higher education. As such, it provides educators, scholars and practitioners a valuable reference point for fostering interpersonal skills and nuanced understandings crucial for sustainable development.

The purpose of this research is to explore the mechanism by which strong or weak guanxi constructed by mega individuals with interpersonal skills affect incremental or breakthrough innovation performance. Based on the questionnaire of 525 mega individuals, this study has verified that strong guanxi cannot directly affect the incremental innovation performance, but the intermediary variables need Indirect effects of emotional, instrumental, and information support). In addition, the affection support obtained by mega individuals has no positive impact on breakthrough innovation performance. Meanwhile, it is also verified that information support plays a mediating role in weak guanxi and breakthrough innovation performance, as well as in strong guanxi and incremental innovation performance; instrumentality support and affection support play a mediating role in mega individuals strong guanxi and incremental innovation performance; interpersonal capitalization competence has a positive moderating role in between strong guanxi and instrumentality support.

Interpersonal competences in relationship building, collaboration and teamwork are essential both in F2F education and in distance or hybrid styles of education. In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as previous trends, some or all of the higher education didactics were transferred to the online environment. In this context, the Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) model, now known as collaborativism, is gaining importance. This research aims to diagnose and compare the level of interpersonal competences and attitude in the OCL model among students preparing for the profession of an educator, pedagogue or teacher in the autonomous region of Madeira and in Poland. Quantitative studies were conducted using the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire by D. Buhrmester, W. Furman, M.T. Wittenberg and H.T. Reis—as adapted by Poland and Portugal. In addition, the respondents expressed their views on OCL in the self-written questionnaire. According to the research findings, the highest level of competence in the Portuguese group was achieved by the respondents in terms of: Emotional Support (EW), Conflict Management and Resolution (RK) and Negative Assertion—Asserting Influence (AO). In the Polish group, EW was the lowest. The highest level of interpersonal competences was observed for Conflict Management and Resolution (RK), Disclosure (US) and Initiation (IR). The largest group of the surveyed students in both countries expressed a positive attitude towards implementing OCL in their courses of study and declared their willingness to be a member of a group that learns online together.

Background Professional intrapersonal and interpersonal competences (IICs) form an important part of medical expertise but are given little attention during clinical training. In other professional fields such as psychotherapy, education and aviation, training in IICs is an integral part of education and practice. In medicine, IICs tend to actually decline during studies. To date it is unclear why IICs are given less attention in medicine, despite evidence for their importance in the treatment process. In view of this, the study examined the role of IICs in the treatment process, the current situation of IIC training in medicine and, most importantly, the reasons for the comparatively low focus on IICs in the clinical training of medical students. Methods Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 21 experts from a variety of medical specialties and non-medical professions that provide a training with a stronger focus on IIC development. The interviews were evaluated using grounded theory . Results The experts confirmed the idea that IICs are an equally important component in the treatment process, along with medical knowledge and technical skills. They also described large differences between the IICs possessed by physicians but noted a general developmental need. The key shortcoming was perceived to be a deep-seated defensiveness towards learning from mistakes and deficits e.g. through reflection and feedback. The interaction of different factors that seem to be reasons for this defensiveness and perpetuate it were identified: lack of support in dealing with insecurities in the face of responsibility; the notion of medicine as a science with the categories of right and wrong answers; and a range of pressures arising from the setting, such as hierarchical, economic and competition pressures. Conclusion Our study showed, that the defensive attitude towards learning from mistakes and deficits especially in the field of IICs appears to be a subtle but powerful obstacle for implementing IICs in medical training, in contrast to other professional fields. This obstacle is sustained by various underlying barrier factors. We therefore propose that changes should be made within a cultural transformation targeting this defensive mindset and culture and its presumed reasons.

Loneliness is a common concern among university students, as these individuals experience many of the risk factors associated with loneliness. This experience of loneliness tends to lead to numerous consequences such as negative self-evaluations, anxiety, and depression, which in turn lead to impaired concentration and a decline in academic motivation and performance. The overarching aims of this study were to identify the predictor variable(s) or combination of predictor variables, namely self-esteem, interpersonal communication competence, and media and technology usage, that explain a significant percentage of the variance in loneliness amongst undergraduate university students, as well as to investigate whether differences exist in loneliness with regards to gender, ethnicity, and generational status. The sample consisted of 1,191 South African undergraduate university students between the ages of 18 and 30. This study was non-experimental in nature and a correlational research design was used. The results indicated that the combination of the independent (predictor) variables accounted for 51.9% of the variance in the Loneliness scores of the sample. Interpersonal Communication Competence and Self-esteem served as statistically and practically significant individual predictor variables of the students’ loneliness. Male students and first-generation students tend to be lonelier than female students and non-first-generation students, respectively.

Social presence is an important construct in online group learning. It influences the way how social interaction unfolds online and affects learning and social outcomes. However, what precisely social presence is has been under debate, as presently a plethora of different definitions and measures exist preventing the development of a coherent research field regarding social presence and its defining role in online group learning. To solve the issue, we went back to the original social presence theory as devised by the communication researchers Short et al. (1976) to show that although they had a clear idea of social presence-namely \"realness\" of other persons in the interaction-their definition is ambiguous, not operationalizable, and the measurement of it questionable. We, therefore, disentangled their social presence theory and (1) reformulated the social presence definition to enable an operationalization in line with the previous conceptualization of social presence; (2) departed from the technological determinism of social presence; and (3) identified two other constructs closely linked to social presence, namely, sociability (as a medium attribute) and social space (as a group attribute). By reformulating the definition of social presence and by linking it to social space and sociability, we hope to contribute to a more coherent line of social presence research and to better understand interpersonal communication, group learning, and group dynamics when learning and working together in an online setting.(DIPF/Orig.).

Long description: What is moral competence? Can it be measured? Can it be taught effectively? If so, how? This book explores these questions from three perspectives: experimental psychology, curriculum development, and instructor training. Part one discusses the research from which, like a jig-saw puzzle, a comprehensive picture of the nature, development, and teachability of morality emerges. The picture focuses on moral competence, the ability to solve problems and conflicts on the basis of moral principles through deliberation and discussion rather than violence and deceit. Part two explains how moral competence can be taught effectively with the Konstanz Method of Dilemma Discussion (also known as Discussion Theater), which has been used with great success to foster moral development in schools and universities, military installations, prisons, and retirement communities in many countries. The book describes the Method, gives vivid illustrations of its use, and provides psychologists, teachers, and professional trainers with resources and guidance in its application. ``The definitive, research-based book on morality teaching with highly useful applications to educational practice. Highly recommended.'' Dr. Herbert Walberg, Emeritus Professor of Education and Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago. ``We all want to be `good' Lind contends - it's part of our human inheritance. But being morally competent, he shows, is enhanced and nourished when educators develop propulsive learning opportunities for students to practice and develop.'' Dr. William Ayers, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago. ``Lind's mastery of the history and philosophy of morality and moral education is quite apparent. He writes of the complex issues bound up in morality in a beautifully clear and persuasive manner.'' Dr. Richard M. Felder, Hoechst Celanese Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University. ``Dr. Lind's experimental and educational approach to morality is unique worldwide.'' Dr. Ewa Nowak, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland. ``I really didn't think that one can discuss highly controversial issues in such a peaceful way. I learned a lot.'' A forty year old participant of a KMDD/DT session.

This article discusses one approach to conducting thematic analysis using structured qualitative data collected from focus groups. Thematic analysis is one of the most used but often poorly defined approaches in the qualitative research community. The method is principally concerned with the identification of patterns which are then reported as researcher-generated themes. In this article, I use data obtained from the Qualitative Data Repository to demonstrate how secondary qualitative data can be analyzed to produce themes. I note the ways in which this process unfolds as well as how it differs from other techniques.

Camouflaging of autistic characteristics in social situations is hypothesised as a common social coping strategy for adults with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Camouflaging may impact diagnosis, quality of life, and long-term outcomes, but little is known about it. This qualitative study examined camouflaging experiences in 92 adults with ASC, with questions focusing on the nature, motivations, and consequences of camouflaging. Thematic analysis was used to identify key elements of camouflaging, which informed development of a three-stage model of the camouflaging process. First, motivations for camouflaging included fitting in and increasing connections with others. Second, camouflaging itself comprised a combination of masking and compensation techniques. Third, short- and long-term consequences of camouflaging included exhaustion, challenging stereotypes, and threats to self-perception.