Application and Evaluation of a Blockchain-Centric Platform for Smart Badge Accreditation in Higher Education Institutions

JMD Editorial Board

Modeling global transfusion medicine education.

Emerald Studies in Higher Education, Innovation and Technology seeks to provide a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach to these interconnected topics and invites proposals from all scholars working in these fields. The underlying purpose of this series is to demonstrate how innovations in education, educational technology and teaching can advance research and practice and help us respond to socio-economic changes and challenges. The series has a broad scope, covering many topics, including but not limited to learning analytics, open and distributed learning, technology enhanced learning, digital pedagogies, data mining, virtual and augmented realities, cloud computing, social media, educational robotics, flipped classrooms, active learning, innovation networks and many more.

Purpose: With application of general strain theory, this study investigates how internal audit function and blockchain technology can be leveraged to ensure the sustainability of higher education institutions (HEIs) by combating faculty credential fraud. Faculty members with fake credentials pose a significant threat, jeopardizing the quality of education, eroding public trust, and hindering the institution's ability to attract qualified students and faculty. Methodology: A comprehensive review of existing literature and reports related to faculty credential fraud, internal audit practices, and blockchain technology is conducted. The study considers the effectiveness of internal audit and blockchain solutions in addressing faculty credential fraud within the context of HEI sustainability. Study also provides practical solutions for the development and implementation of blockchain specifically related to HEIs and defines specific measures to be taken by internal audit function towards preventing such frauds. Findings: The study reveals that faculty credential fraud poses a significant threat to the sustainability of HEIs. When faculty lack the qualifications they claim, it undermines the quality of education students receive. This can lead to a decline in student enrollment, reputational damage, and difficulty attracting qualified students and faculty, ultimately jeopardizing the institution's long-term viability. Internal audit plays a crucial role in identifying and preventing fraudulent credential use. Blockchain technology, on the other hand, offers a secure and transparent platform for verifying faculty credentials, combating document forgery, and ensuring the qualifications of teaching and research staff. Novelty: This study offers a unique perspective by integrating internal audit and blockchain technology as a comprehensive solution to address faculty credential fraud. By implementing these tools, HEIs can significantly enhance faculty credential verification processes, improve data security, and uphold the trust and credibility of their academic staff. Practical Implications: This research suggests practical measures for HEIs. These include adopting proactive measures like enhanced credential verification procedures, data analytics for identifying inconsistencies, employee education on ethical practices, and implementing blockchain-based credential verification systems. These measures collectively contribute to a more sustainable educational environment with qualified faculty delivering quality education.

Introduction The article deals with the tendencies of further development of the higher military education system and peculiarities educational activity in the higher military educational institutions and military educational units of higher education institutions in the context of the evolution of perspectives on education quality ensuring and changes made to the definitions in the new edition of the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education” concerning essence of the concept of “quality of higher education” and its main components, namely “education standards”, “competence”, “learning outcomes”.Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to define tendencies of further development of higher military education in the context of the evolution of perspectives on education quality ensuring and changes made to the definitions of Ukrainian legislation in the educational sphere.Methods. The study was conducted using the following theoretical methods: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparison, classification, generalization and systematization.Results. The concept of “quality of higher education” and its main components, namely “education standards”, “competence”, “learning outcomes” are determined in the article, its interrelations and interdependencies in the educational system of the HMEI are observed.Originality. According to the purpose of the paper, tendencies of further development of higher military education in the context of the evolution of perspectives on education quality ensuring and changes made to the definitions of Ukrainian legislation in the educational sphere are defined. Conclusion. The article presents the view of the tendencies of further development of higher military education in the context of the evolution of perspectives on the problem of education quality ensuring, guaranteeing quality of higher military education and changes made to the definitions in the new edition of the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education” concerning essence of the concept of “quality of higher education” and its main components, namely “education standards”, “competence”, “learning outcomes”. The directions for future research are study off education quality and change management monitoring in the system of higher military education.

Problem statement. The Bologna Process has initiated the formation of a single European Higher Education Area. Today's students, through academic mobility programmes, have a unique opportunity to obtain academic experience and professional competences developed during their studies at higher education institutions in other countries. In particular, master students from Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture (PSACEA) under agreement with National Engineering School of Saint-Etienne (France), had the opportunity to access the educational process at French Higher Technical Education Institution and conduct a comparative analysis of the educational process within the study of the discipline “Methods of teaching in higher education institution”. The purpose of the article is to conduct a comparative analysis of higher education systems in Ukraine and France on the basis of data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and Statistical Guidelines and reference materials of France and characterize the professional development methods of French teachers (on the example of the National Engineering School of Saint-Etienne). Conclusions. In today's globalised world, quality higher education has become a significant means of ensuring a high level of professional qualifications in all spheres of human activity. The increasing demand for higher education, as well as the increasing students number, add pressure to higher education and blur the boundaries between the economic and political sectors. Student exchanges and double degree programs provide opportunities for innovative student learning, as well as increasing the education effectiveness, which in turn leads to increased demand for this sector of public life. Despite the high cost of higher education, French universities are very popular among foreign students, including Ukrainian, as they contribute to the formation of relevant professional competencies for young people, providing greater opportunities in the further employment process. Although the number of foreign students in Ukraine is lower (compared to France), domestic our higher education institutions are also beginning to be in high demand among foreign applicants, thus strengthening not only the field of education but also international economic relations. For the Ukrainian system of teachers’ professional development, it is appropriate to study and partially implement the experience of French higher technical school. In particular, the variety of proposed methods and forms of professional development deserves attention, as it indicates the efforts of educational managers in France to create a pedagogical environment psychologically comfortable and as professionally appropriate.

International Journal for Numerical Methods in EngineeringVolume 15, Issue 4 p. 629-634 Short Communication On the numerical evaluation of two-dimensional principal value integrals P. S. Theocaris, P. S. Theocaris Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, The National Technical University of Athens, Zographou, Athens, Greece Professor of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and Fellow of the Academy of Athens.Search for more papers by this authorN. I. Ioakimidis, N. I. Ioakimidis Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, The National Technical University of Athens, Zographou, Athens, Greece Senior Assistant at the Laboratory for Testing Materials.Search for more papers by this authorJ. G. Kazantzakis, J. G. Kazantzakis Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, The National Technical University of Athens, Zographou, Athens, Greece Assistant at the Laboratory for Testing Materials.Search for more papers by this author P. S. Theocaris, P. S. Theocaris Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, The National Technical University of Athens, Zographou, Athens, Greece Professor of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and Fellow of the Academy of Athens.Search for more papers by this authorN. I. Ioakimidis, N. I. Ioakimidis Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, The National Technical University of Athens, Zographou, Athens, Greece Senior Assistant at the Laboratory for Testing Materials.Search for more papers by this authorJ. G. Kazantzakis, J. G. Kazantzakis Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, The National Technical University of Athens, Zographou, Athens, Greece Assistant at the Laboratory for Testing Materials.Search for more papers by this author First published: April 1980 https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.1620150414Citations: 37 AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume15, Issue4April 1980Pages 629-634 RelatedInformation

ПРОФЕСІОНАЛІЗМ ВИКЛАДАЧІВ ВВНЗ ЯК СКЛАДОВА ВНУТРІШНЬОЇ СИСТЕМИ ГАРАНТУВАННЯ ЯКОСТІ ВИЩОЇ ВІЙСЬКОВІЙ ОСВІТИ

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic significantly affected the mode of delivery in higher education worldwide, with Zimbabwe not being an exception. The goal of this study was to understand how the coronavirus pandemic positively and negatively affected teaching and learning in higher education in Zimbabwe. Literature on how higher education in Zimbabwe has been operating before the pandemic was reviewed. A further attempt was made to understand how COVID-19 changed teaching and learning in higher education institutions in Zimbabwe. In order to understand this, firstly an effort was made to appreciate how the Government reacted in a bid to control the spread of the pandemic. Secondly, the effects of the actions of the government on teaching and learning in higher education institutions were assessed. Thirdly, adaptation techniques adopted by higher learning institutions in order to survive in the new normal situation were probed. The inevitable, new strategies, which include an increase in the use of distance education, e-learning, online teaching, were appraised in order to realize their positive and negative effects on the achieving of student outcomes. The study concluded that the most significant effects of COVID-19 on teaching and learning in higher education in Zimbabwe are delayed syllabus coverage by instructors, compromisation of students’ right to quality education, lack of sufficient resources for standardised learning of students, level of literacy in the computer technology on both instructors and learners and additional costs in learning such as acquiring e-learning gadgets, WIFI and internet accessibility. However, higher education benefited from the emergence of COVID-19 in advanced use of ICT, globalisation in networking by students in various Institutions through online learning and innovation by students through opening of learning forums such as Google classroom and student mobile libraries. The study advocates for continued use of E-learning methods in teaching and learning to counter COVID -19 consequences, adoption of all teaching strategies in Higher and tertiary education and maximum use of ICT in teaching and learning for sustainability. The findings will benefit Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Universities and other institutions of higher learning and research boards in Academic Institutions. Being only based on the review of literature carried out as a snapshot of an ongoing situation, the study recommends an empirical inquiry for further research, to potentially more deeply interrogate the effects of COVID-19 on both students and educators.

Event Abstract Back to Event A Nanobots-based Methodology for Assessing the Acoustic Signal's Attenuation in the Auditory System's Pathway Maria Kalogeropoulou1, Panagiotis Katrakazas2*, Kostas Giokas2 and Dimitrios-Dionysios Koutsouris2 1 National Technical University of Athens, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Greece 2 National Technical University of Athens, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Greece Introduction: Our auditory system is designed to convert acoustic information from low-level sensory representations into perceptual representations. A full understanding of the mechanisms responsible for auditory streaming requires a straight comparison of neural activity and behavioral reports of the auditory perception. [1] During hearing loss however, the pathways carrying audio information from the cochlea to the auditory cortex are altered resulting from blockage or damage to peripheral auditory structures. [2] As it is important to determine the degree of hearing loss and how it is dependent upon the acoustics of the stimuli, experience, or task demands, we propose a methodology of assessing the attenuation of the acoustic signal by using several nanobots agents placed along the signal’s pathway and determining the acoustic reflex. Proposed methodology: As the acoustic reflex is a contraction of the middle-ear muscles induced by an intense auditory incitement, stimulation on either the ipsi- or the contralateral side should result in bilateral muscle contraction in a normal hearing system. However, in a case of sensorineural hearing loss, the acoustic reflex threshold is shown to be reduced by at least two different factors: the degree of synchrony of neural activity across frequency, and the fast-acting compression mechanism in the cochlea. [3] In our study, we aim to check via simulation the attenuation of the acoustic signal inside the ear channels, as the signal is still considered as "sound". This will be realized via the use of four (4) micro-sensors placed on the facial nerve (CN7) and vestibulocochlear nerve (CN8), which will obtain the corresponding electrical signal in order to identify the problem, in coordination with the nanobots agents. If a nerve is found to be problematic, a simple search method can be applied (e.g. the bisection method) to control the subinterval where the attenuating signal exists. In that case, the nanobots agents will move alongside the nerve to locate the problematic area. The aforementioned setup will be implemented via a computer-aided engineering software (e.g. Solidworks) with the use of the detailed anatomical model of the human head, MIDA v1.0 [4]. The navigation algorithm used in nanobots is described in our previous work [5], where acoustic waves will be used to minimally affect brain tissues. The anatomical parameters for the CN7 and CN8 nerves are taken from [6], defining the design parameters of the nanobots agents as well as their position alongside the nerves and the tympanic membrane. To verify the acoustic signal attenuation, probe microphone measurements (PMM) will be initially performed to assess the level of signal a hearing-loss patient receives near his/her tympanic membrane. The purpose of PMM is to ensure that appropriate gain is received by a person with hearing loss, where accurate hearing thresholds are converted from the audiogram measurement (dB HL) to the measurement of a hearing aid output (dB SPL). [7] That signal will be also received by the nanobots alongside the nerves, which will be used as a reference signal, while at the same time they will record the signal’s path alongside the nerves. The difference between a real-time measurement of the signal and the reference one will provide us with the level of attenuation that occurs throughout the acoustic path. That will give us a better insight to where the hearing loss occurs and provide us with a more holistic view of the acoustic signal’s path in order to better evaluate the levels of hearing loss and adjust hearing aid modifications, if necessary, so as to enhance the acoustic experience of the user. Figure 1 Acknowledgements This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 MSCA RISE Action PROPHETIC, under grant agreement No 644704.

The paper summarizes the experience in higher education institutions financing, substantiates the trends in their financial support models diversification. The study systematizes approaches to the organization of higher education institutions financing under market conditions and reveals their advantages and disadvantages in terms of the effects at the level of an individual and society as a whole. It defines tools and models of the financing under orientation on demand, supply and strategic purposes of the national development. The study proves the need to substantiate the rational balance of individual and social effects in higher education institutions financing, which can be achieved through a combination of market self-regulation and state regulation of the higher education services market. The system of methods was used in the study, namely: monographic – to define the research aim and conclusions, the method of theoretical generalization of foreign and domestic scientists was used to critically analyze the existing approaches to the organization of financing the work of agricultural education higher institutions. General scientific methods of cognition, such as analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, systemic integrated approach, were used to systematize the models of financial support for higher agricultural education institutions and to generalize the conclusions. The paper substantiated that the state should take leading positions in higher education institutions financing. The role of state funding in ensuring sustainable development of agricultural education higher institutions has been identified considering the specificity of educational services and their role in ensuring sustainable development of the agricultural sector of the economy and rural areas. It is argued that the current conditions of free economic development and challenges the institutions face requires focusing on consumer demand and adjusting their educational services through prompt updating the changing educational programs based on modern research, attracting a larger number of stakeholders in the financing model formation. The modern tendencies typical of the market of educational services determining the expansion of the participants of the organization of financing the higher education institutions activity, are considered. The importance of financing elements focused on the innovations development, the role of which will grow in the future, especially in the form of competitive and targeted financing is revealed. It is proved that the results-based approach to the organization of financing also reduces the risks of macroeconomic inefficiency and contributes to reducing the information asymmetry. The obligatory presence of the state in the organization of research funding in higher education institutions is justified due to the positive impact of research on educational services quality and increases their value for an individual and society. The paper considers options for market-oriented higher education financing and the state's demands in terms of the concept of management, public and private funding methods, the education fee. It is established that the changing conditions of the market of educational services require a revision of targets for state funding due to the following factors: increased number of foreign students, use of information and communication technologies, increase in the integration of higher education institutions nationally and internationally. Key words: higher education institution, higher agricultural education, concepts of higher education institution management, methods of free economic education financing, sources of higher education institutions financing.

Professor Ioannis Vardoulakis (1949–2009)

Today, the existence of independent Ukraine as a civilized country with a European vector of development is under threat. For higher education, the problem of training qualified specialists capable of rebuilding the agricultural sector of our country is extremely acute. After all, military aggression led to the loss of human potential, including the displacement of participants in the educational process within Ukraine and abroad (more than 2,000 educational institutions were damaged by bombings and shelling, more than 200 of them were completely destroyed); among pupils/students and teachers/teachers there are killed and wounded (since the beginning of the war, as of mid-August 2022, 361 children died and 711 were wounded; more than 8 million people crossed Ukraine). A significant number of higher education institutions were completely or partially destroyed (as of July 22, 2022, 7 institutions of higher education and 9 institutions of professional pre-higher education were completely destroyed, 46 institutions of higher and postgraduate pedagogical education, 69 institutions of professional pre-higher education were damaged. The greatest destruction and damage was experienced by institutions of higher education and professional pre-higher education of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia regions. Part of the students lost full access to educational resources, although in the majority of institutions the educational process during the period of martial law was organized in the form of distance learning.Higher agricultural education also suffered significant losses. In order to organize safe education, universities were relocated from the occupied territories, including agricultural higher education institutions: Dmytro Motornyi Tavri State University of Agrotechnology, Luhansk National Agrarian University (joined to Volodymyr Dal East Ukrainian National University by a separate order of the Ministry); Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University, etc. Therefore, we consider it urgent to search for innovative ways of high-quality professional training of future specialists during the war and after its end in Ukraine. The subject of the research is designing the content of education in crisis situations.Overcoming the crisis in higher education caused by the war requires decisive action. Therefore, when developing educational resources, university teachers should focus on the Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in Ukraine for 2022–2032 and the Operational Plan for its Implementation in 2022–2024. This strategic document defines the priorities of the higher education system at the current stage of development of society and the country's economy, as well as the main characteristics that will be formed by 2032. The goals and objectives of the Strategy are a detailed road map for rebuilding and continuing the reform of the higher education system in the post-war period. Completing the tasks defined by the Strategy will reduce the destructive consequences caused by the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of independent Ukraine.Modern realities require changes in the organization of the educational process in higher education. The purpose of the article is to study the conceptual foundations of designing the content of higher education, taking into account the peculiarities of the educational process in crisis conditions.The research methodology is based on basic research in the philosophy, pedagogy and psychology of professional education; the general psycho-pedagogical theory of learning and cognition, in particular about the relationship between theory and practice; on the conceptual positions of pedagogy and psychology regarding the role of computer-oriented methods, means and forms of education in the professional training of future specialists in higher education, on person-oriented, systemic, integrative and professional approaches to teaching and education of students of higher education institutions. To solve the research tasks, the study used a complex: theoretical – analysis of philosophical, pedagogical, psychological, methodical literature and information resources of the Internet, which highlight the problems of forming the content of education in the process of professional training of future specialists; analysis of domestic and foreign experience and conceptual approaches to the study of this problem; analysis of the peculiarities of the educational process in crisis conditions.Conclusions. The war has intensified and expanded the challenges already facing education due to the COVID-19 epidemic. For the Ukrainian educational system, this test became a kind of incentive that opened a window of new opportunities, becoming a catalyst for long-overdue modernization changes in education. First of all, it is about the development of digital and distance education, in particular online. In accordance with these forms of education, the content of education should be adapted. When designing the content of higher education, it is necessary to take into account the integrative nature of modern educational disciplines, their purposeful orientation towards holistic and systematic preparation for professional activity. One of the important conditions for designing the content of education is to take into account the needs of the labor market in our country in the near future and focus on Ukraine's entry into the European educational space.

Problem statement. Under the influence of European integration, globalisation and with the aim of building a single European higher education area, an important task for Ukrainian educators is to study the practical experience of foreign colleagues, in particular, in improving the pedagogical competence of teachers in higher technical education institutions. This study aims to investigate the issue of improving the pedagogical competence of teachers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg (where one of the authors is studying under a double degree programme). Given the high standards set by German society for teachers responsible for training young professionals, we consider it necessary to analyse in detail the features of the current system of teacher training in Germany in order to be able to improve the Ukrainian system of training/retraining of scientific and pedagogical staff for higher technical education institutions. The purpose of the article is to investigate the professional development path that German teachers go through; and to analyse the innovative methods and programmes that help them become not only specialists in their field, but also effective teachers. Through this research, we aim to contribute to the understanding of the education process in Germany and to identify practices that may be useful in the context of improving higher education in Ukraine. Conclusions. The developed German system of retraining and professional up-skilling of pedagogical staff (represented by state academies/in-service training institutes and special centres of teacher education within universities) is aimed at comprehensive support of teaching staff for their continuous professional growth as civil servants responsible for the quality training of young professionals for the needs of the leading EU state. It is important to note the urgent need to use the achievements of German experience in practical training and professional up-skilling of teachers in the Ukrainian system of training and retraining of pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical staff in the field of professional pre-university and higher education. The analysis of the process of improving the pedagogical competence of teachers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg gives grounds to assert that this task is key to ensuring quality education in higher education institutions. It is worth emphasising that the TU Bergakademie Freiberg actively invests in programmes for the professional development of its teachers. These programmes cover various aspects, ranging from technical updates to pedagogical innovations. The combination of professional up-skilling courses for teachers and supervision of students' internships is a clear indication of the dual form of education that is well organised in German society and is currently being actively implemented in Ukraine.

The environmental component of education determines the socio-economic foundations of society and is the basic component of the state environmental policy. The nature of interaction with the environment at the personal level and society makes it possible to implement the concept of sustainable development, and therefore the assessment of the current state of higher environmental education in Ukraine is an urgent problem. The purpose of article is to analyze the formation and current state of higher environmental education in Ukraine, which is the central link in the system of continuous environmental education. An important step in the development of the system of continuous environmental education, in particular higher environmental education, was the development of the Concept of Environmental Education of Ukraine (2001), the principles of which were not properly implemented. The content of higher environmental education is reflected in four generations of standards for higher environmental education in Ukraine, which took into account changes in the relevant regulatory and legislative documents and requirements for the content and results of educational activities of higher educational institutions within certain areas of training and specialties. The article describes the structure and content of standards of higher environmental education in Ukraine. Despite the fact that the environmental component currently prevails in the form of education that most consider education for sustainable development, yet this is only the beginning of the formation of a new system-integrated model of education for sustainable development. The importance of greening and ideas of sustainable development is reflected in the current standards of higher education in Ukraine for applicants for higher education "bachelor" of all specialties. But the environmental component is still absent in the educational programs and curricula of many specialties of "non-environmental" higher education institutions, is not due attention is paid to the greening of higher education in Ukraine. Some provisions of the existing Concept of Environmental Education of Ukraine are no longer relevant, which leads to the development of a modern Concept, and, perhaps, a separate Concept of higher environmental education in Ukraine. In recent years, there has been a decline in state interest in the training of environmentalists, so it is advisable to develop measures to improve the training of applicants for higher environmental education.