Search Results for
"Higher education"

Globally, higher education policy is typically framed in terms of the technical employability capabilities to advance the economic productivity of nations, and as such, can be myopic to the wider sustainable development challenge of ‘Decent Work’ (a form of employment with good working conditions). This form of myopia can fail to materially change the sociocultural conditions in local contexts of learning and work and ultimately perpetuate structural disadvantage. This article draws from policy participation conducted over 4 years which included (i) longitudinal focus group dialogue involving educational policy makers, implementers and students (n = 102) and (ii) document analysis of formal policy and evaluation reports. The study is conducted in one of the fastest growing economies which is rapidly developing its policy frameworks (Vietnam) to enhance the employability of ethnic minority students. Findings highlight the need for (i) a meta-perspective which encompasses the multiple stakeholders involved in enabling students to access and engage in decent work, (ii) building the capacity of students to actively change and improve their situations and (iii) awareness of the ways in which governments, educational institutions and employers can value the diversity of students and their circumstances. In contrast to the dominant institutional perspective, this article conceptualises the counter-active effects across education-work ecosystems which mediate policy efficacy and advances an alternative conceptual framework that integrates ecosystems, empowerment and recognition theory to inform policy formulation and assessment. This article advocates expansive rather than myopic policy to drive participation in Decent Work. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study aims to assess the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) photography into the web-based immersive application “virtual interactive campus tour (VICT).” This application offers users an immersive experience, allowing them to virtually explore university campuses and access information about the facilities and services available. The VICT application offers a cost-effective, attractive, and sustainable alternative for universities to display their resources and interact with potential students. Through black box testing, we conducted user acceptance testing (UAT) and functionality testing, confirming the application’s readiness for deployment and its capability to meet institutional and end-user requirements. This study also examined the potential for universities to use VR to meet the expectations of prospective students. The application is compatible with both desktop and mobile devices. The results indicated that the overall average validity score was 0.88, suggesting that the measure is valid. The validation results were thoroughly tested and reliable. This study emphasizes the potential of immersive web-based tours in higher education and aims to bridge the divide between virtual exploration and physical visits. By offering an immersive virtual campus experience, this innovative tool has the potential to revolutionize university marketing strategies, increase student engagement, and transform campus visit approaches. © 2024 by the authors of this article. Published under CC-BY. All Rights Reserved.

External evaluations of curriculum and assessment design have received increasing attention in higher education. However, cross-border evaluations of programs have not yet caught up with the more significant push toward the internationalisation of global partnerships. Addressing this knowledge gap, the motivation of this study is to explore how the Australian tourism and hospitality curriculum and assessment framework is perceived in Taiwan. However, few institutions in Taiwan have embarked on this due to two main factors–lack of nationwide compliance and the perceived high-power distance that exists between academic staff of various ranks (e.g. professor vs. assistant professor). These outcomes contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the contextual differences that need to be addressed before adopting cross-national forms of external referencing involving curriculum and assessments. Insights from three focus groups and seven in-depth interviews with Taiwanese academics offer some strategies to introduce effective external evaluation outcomes. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Undergraduate Biomedical Science dissertations are the culmination of a student’s academic journey and allow students to refine technical proficiencies, experimental design and data analysis. However, traditional dissertation projects may not fully meet the requirements of diverse student populations and employer’s needs. This research project aims to assess the effectiveness of modifying the assessment format for final-year projects, incorporating elements such as lay summaries, project proposals, scientific research papers, and oral poster defences. The objective was to cultivate higher-order critical thinking skills and enhance written and verbal communication competencies, in addition to developing a suite of transferable skills which are highly sought by employers. Quantitative data were primarily generated via end-of-module feedback reports and the module satisfaction survey. Students rated their confidence in a suite of transferable skills pre and post-completion of the project module using a four-point Likert scale. Staff perceptions (n = 30) and module board reports were also evaluated. For all data, a paired t-test for related groups was conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data using the Braun and Clark Framework. The end-of-module feedback was overwhelmingly positive with all students agreeing that they were satisfied with the module. Students reported a statistically significant increase in confidence within 11 transferable skills which are considered core within the industry, for example, critical thinking, problem-solving and time management. Furthermore, the mean module mark increased following the module redesign from 66.3% ± 0.2% in 2019 to 70.9% ± 0.6% in 2020 (p ≤ 0.05). Staff provided free text comments, reporting an overall improvement in the module, a reduction in workload and a better teaching experience. Students exhibited appreciation of the new module structure, assessment suit and creative liberty within the projects. The redesigned project module enhanced the teaching experience for staff, whilst students appreciated the diverse range of projects and assessments that featured shorter word limits and a creative flair. Universities must reinvent undergraduate dissertations to equip students with essential employability skills. © © 2024 Rana, Bashir and Pallett.

Through a first-of-its kind qualitative exploratory study, Bibi Arfeen elucidates the multifaceted complexities and dynamics that contribute to successful higher education-to-work transition among South Asian Ethnic Minority (EM) youths in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s recent expansion of higher education has given rise to budding academic and career aspirations amongst South Asian ethnic minority youths hoping to achieve upward social and economic mobility. Yet, existing bodies of scholarly work have yet to conceptualise the key determinants that drive an adaptive transition for these youths. This book challenges the widely held assumption that an undergraduate degree is a panacea to job acquisition and security as transitions are actively shaped by larger social, cultural, and economic trajectories potentially influencing the capabilities of ethnic minority youths. In light of their lived experiences, this book foregrounds the voices of ethnic minority youths to gauge an understanding of their higher education-to-work transitions by placing the job-preparatory and job-seeking stages as the basis of the inquiry. Suggesting implications for institutional and public policymaking for the inclusion and empowerment of EM youths, this book will appeal to scholars interested in minority studies and graduate employment, EM youths, university administrators and counsellors, NGOs working with EM communities as well as policy makers. © 2024 Bibi Arfeen.

On the academic level of education, Traditional Lecturing represents the primary means of conveying information to the class. At the same time, Project-based learning is one of the major research subjects in engineering education, and literature claims it can offer more authentic and meaningful learning experiences. Supported by the most recent advances in syntheses of meta-analyses in education and neuroscientific-based educational sciences, the study presented compares Traditional Lecturing and two versions of Project-based learning implemented with variations in content and project typologies through a single-group variation on the two-group post-test-only randomized experiment. Two research hypotheses were investigated using three questionnaires and a test: I) the learning experience and outcomes are enhanced when attending Project-based learning lessons compared to Traditional Lecturing ones; II) effective cross-cutting instructional elements are more detectable in Project-based learning than in Traditional Lecturing and variations in contents and typologies of project do not lead to different outcomes within Project-based learning. The research was carried out in an Engineering course and involved 80 students. The results show that Project-based learning outperforms Traditional Lecturing and highlight the crucial role of some cross-cutting instructional features that are detectable or missing within the two methodologies. Derived from meta-analyses and neuroscientific-based educational sciences, these features represent a solid pedagogical core within the structure of the Project-based learning methodology. We argue they have a relevant role in the stability and enhancement of the results of Project-based learning in comparison with Traditional Lecturing. Indeed, despite variations in content and project typologies, Project-based learning produces similar results. Finally, for engineering teachers wishing to adopt Project-based learning, this study provides insights into the necessity to understand, consciously incorporate, support, and manipulate such particular features, especially through developing pedagogical competence based on scientific evidence. © 2024, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.