Search Results for
"Higher education"

Purpose – Based on the principles of the human capital theory, this study investigates the role of the quality management system (QMS) in higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing successful employability attributes among graduates. Considering industry as a prominent stakeholder in academia, the authors took industry–academia collaboration as the mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach – Using the European Foundation for Quality Management model, the author analyzed how QMS in public HEIs located in London, the United Kingdom (UK), impacts business management, computer science and engineering students' employability. Following the nonprobability convenience sampling technique, this study included data from 324 local and international students. Findings – The structural analysis identified QMS as a significant factor in enhancing students' employability, and industry–academia collaboration is found to act as a partial mediator in this relationship. Originality/value – The management of HEIs in developing countries can take valuable guidelines from this study and integrate QMS in their institutions in developing their students' employability, as it is being done by HEIs in the UK. © 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited

The aim of this study was to investigate the guiding principles, practises, and challenges of assessment in online and blended flipped classroom approaches in higher education. Based on that, we proposed a generic model of teaching, learning and assessment in online and blended flipped classroom, including examples of teaching and learning activities, with corresponding levels of learning outcomes, and assessment tasks and methods. We synthesised the findings and suggested further research on the following aspects: peer-assessment and self-assessment; benefits and challenges of educational technology; ethical aspects of assessment and plagiarism; balance between flexibility and structure. We recommended that further research should put more focus on the utility, including validity and reliability of assessment and test the proposed generic model in different study fields and educational contexts. Our study was based on a systematic literature review, including 90 articles identified in the Web of Science database, with 23 studied in detail. © by the authors,.

With the rapid development of e-learning in higher education, this study explores the application of the problem-based learning (PBL) learning model in the e-learning ecosystem. This article explores the concept of participatory engagement in the e-learning ecosystem and integrates it with PBL theory through the use of ICT to support interaction and collaboration. The research method used is R&D learning models in the Heavy Equipment Technology course at Universitas Negeri Padang. The research findings should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations such as differences in contexts across various courses and factors related to technology implementation in the learning environment. The study results show that it can improve learning outcomes and students’ critical thinking skills. Specifically, 70% have implemented Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy Level C4 and above, aided by a self-reflection participation process that enables students to reflect on content, learning processes, and understanding through internal dialogue, generating new ideas and solutions. This is evidenced by the results of the Path Coefficients test with P-Value EE → LO 0.050 and PBL → LO 0.046, as well as Specific Indirect Effect EE → SPR → LO 0.003 and PBL → SPE → LO 0.047 where the value is ≤ 0.05. The implications include guidance for designing effective e-learning ecosystems and adaptive learning strategies in higher education. Future research is recommended to further explore the impact of this integration and develop more effective PBL models in diverse courses and other educational institutions. © 2024 by the authors of this article.

This article draws on existing research, including publicly available data, to identify changes in Colombian HE which have led to its progressive massification and neoliberalisation. These include the introduction of standardised testing; endogenous and exogenous privatisation (Ball and Youdell, 2007); the expansion of the country’s non-income contingent loan scheme; cost-cutting and cost-sharing; and the Government of Colombia’s prioritisation of technical and technological (T&T) education. The article then explores some implications of this neoliberal massification of Colombian HE for the achievement of the UN’s sustainable development goals in general and more specifically Sustainable Development Target 4.3, which is the only target to explicitly reference inclusion in HE. The analysis suggests that although some neoliberal policies may have broadened access to HE for some Colombians from low-income and rural backgrounds, they are not consistent with a sustainable development agenda. Reasons for this include the large number of student loans recipients who are in arrears; the use of public money to finance students’ courses in private higher education institutions (HEIs); the prioritisation of T&T education which leaves limited room in Colombian HE for the ‘full development of the human personality’ (OHCHR, 2022: article 13.1); and the country’s overreliance on non-renewable resources for its economic prosperity. The paper ends with some proposals for disrupting the ongoing neoliberalisation of higher learning in Colombia such as the replacement of the country’s non-contingent loan scheme with an income-contingent model; improving the efficiency and accountability of state-run T&T programmes; the granting of student loans only for courses at accredited HEIs; the provision of loans to accredited private HEIs only in cases where no public alternative exists; the abolition of tuition fees in public HEIs for the poorest students; the introduction of stipend-supported internships; and the promotion of Civic education. © The Author(s) 2023.

Research on lecturers' achievement goals and their impact on professional learning in higher education is a topic that has assumed importance in recent years. However, previous studies have neglected the multidimensionality of informal workplace learning and ignored the differences between self-based and social-based informal learning. Based on the Achievement Goal Theory, we propose positive links between learning approach goals and self-based informal learning, as well as positive links between normative goals and social-based informal learning. Findings from a first cross-sectional study with 317 lecturers from higher education institutions in Germany show associations that are largely consistent with our hypotheses. While learning approach goals are moderately related to self-based informal learning, normative avoidance goals are slightly related to social-based informal learning. In a second study, 185 lecturers from higher education institutions in Austria received three text-based vignettes and answered a survey about which teaching-related informal learning activities they would use in specific situations (i.e., before, during, and after the teaching phase). The results replicate most of the findings from the first study; however, the results are not stable when various control variables are included. Moreover, the associations between achievement goals and informal learning are largely consistent across the simulated semester, although lecturers with strong learning approach goals engage in self-based informal learning particularly before and during the teaching phase. Our findings provide support for the notion that personal motivational characteristics, in the form of achievement goals, are associated with informal learning in the workplace. We conclude by discussing practical implications for those teaching in higher education. © 2023 The Authors. Human Resource Development Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Artificial intelligence (AI) education has gained popularity, and educators are developing activities to enhance students' AI literacy and promote collaboration in problem-solving. While current approaches using simulations and games can improve students' AI knowledge, they may not adequately prepare them for higher-level cognitive tasks. Only a few studies have explored the use of maker education to develop students' AI literacy. This case study employed a mixed-method approach and integrated AI into maker education to enhance students' motivation, career interest, confidence, collaboration, and AI literacy across low to high cognitive domains. The study involved 35 secondary school students in an AI maker program, where AI-driven recycling bins were employed as a project-based learning intervention. The results demonstrated a positive impact on students' motivation, AI literacy, and collaboration. The study provides design principles and an instructional design framework to assist future educators in creating meaningful maker-based learning experiences in AI education. It highlights the potential of using maker education to enhance students' AI literacy and offers guidance to educators on developing effective AI maker activities. The article also discusses theoretical contributions and practical implications for future research. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023.

Recent advancements in simulation technology facilitated maritime training in various modalities such as full-mission, desktop-based, cloud-based, and virtual reality (VR) simulators. Each of the simulator modality has unique pros and cons considering their technical capabilities, pedagogical opportunities, and different organizational aspects. On the other hand, enhanced training opportunity and diversity of training depends on the proper utilization of simulators. In this context, the absence of an unbiased, transparent, and robust simulator selection process poses a complex decision-making challenge for the maritime instructors and decision-makers at the institutions. In this study, a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach is proposed to evaluate four major types of simulator modalities. For the evaluation, a MCDM framework is developed based on 13 key factors (sub-criteria) for simulator selection grouped under three higher-level criteria—technical, instructional, and organizational criteria. Data was collected using a structured best-worst method (BWM) survey from subject matter experts. The Bayesian BWM is used for ranking of the 13 sub-criteria, and the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) is used to evaluate the four simulator modalities utilizing sub-criteria ranking scores from Bayesian BWM. The results reveal that the regulatory compliance of simulators is the most important criterion, while the cost of simulators is considered the least important criterion during the simulator selection process. Overall, full-mission simulators are the most preferred followed by VR simulators, cloud-based and desktop simulators. However, a sensitivity analysis demonstrated context-specific preferences for certain simulator types over others. © The Author(s) 2023.

Under increasing pressure from quality assurance and other accountability concerns, it is easy to fall into the trap of assessing students only for the sake of assessment. This review aims to help educators rethink assessment in work-integrated learning (WIL) courses with purpose in mind by identifying the assessment methods used to assess student learning in such courses over the last 20 years, together with the underlying purposes of assessment. Based on the analysis of 103 selected articles from four databases and additional searching, 22 assessment methods and seven broad categories of assessment purposes were identified. One key finding is that the assessment of student learning in WIL courses outlined in the results was mainly implemented as assessment for learning to support students’ development as self-regulated, lifelong learners. Based on this finding, we propose three assessment design principles for self-regulated learning with recommendations on how to utilize different assessment methods to their fullest potential in preparing students for their futures. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd

Many workforce development training programmes use learning gains as a measure of programme effectiveness. However, research on K-12 education suggests that posttest scores may be influenced by pretesting effects. Pretesting may improve posttest performance by giving learners preknowledge of posttest content. Alternatively, pretesting may enhance learning via the retrieval practice effect. Cross-classified analysis was used to detect pretesting effects in archival data from a large-scale agriculture workforce development programme. Data included scores from 14,302 learners, 352 trainers and 261 training centres. Results indicated that pretesting led to higher scores on posttests. Follow-up logistic regression analyses found no effect for time lag between pretest and posttest. In addition, pretested learners did not perform better on items that were included on both forms, suggesting that score differences were due to retrieval practice effects rather than preknowledge of posttest content. These results provide evidence that pretesting may enhance learning in large-scale workforce development training courses. © 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Training and Development published by Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A modern educational environment demands technical students to have well-developed creative skills. The study emphasizes the relevance of developing and implementing an educational programme aimed at fostering the creative abilities of students in technical disciplines within higher polytechnic colleges in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The scholars applied a randomized method for the experimental and control groups. The research sample consisted of 212 students enrolled in the Department [BLINDED], [BLINDED] College (Pingdingshan, China). Before the experiment, all participants had an inadequate level of verbal and non-verbal creativity skills. The experimental group followed a six-month creativity training once a week, while the control group learned the standard curriculum. The scholars used the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking to assess the creative skills of students. The results revealed a statistically significant increase in the average creativity scores among students who completed the training. These results highlight the importance of developing creative skills in future engineers and technical professionals in China and confirm the effectiveness of the proposed training. The practical application of this training approach helps educators improve the quality of education and train highly qualified specialists in technical industries. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd