Interaction effects of university student inclusion factors

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Cybersecurity threats continue to pose significant risks to higher education institutions (HEIs), which increasingly depend on digital infrastructure for academic, administrative, and research activities. However, the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk assessment and management (CSRA&M) frameworks in addressing these threats within university contexts remains unclear. This study presents a systematic literature review to identify, analyze, and synthesize existing CSRA&M models relevant to HEIs. The review followed the PRISMA methodology to ensure transparency and rigor in article selection and analysis. Peer-reviewed journal articles and academic conference papers were sourced from databases including IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Inclusion criteria focused on studies that applied, evaluated, or discussed CSRA&M frameworks in the context of universities or higher education environments. Findings indicate that frameworks such as ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 27005, OCTAVE, and COBIT are frequently referenced. However, many are not fully tailored to universities’ socio-technical and governance structures, particularly in developing regions. The review highlights a need for hybrid, context-sensitive approaches that combine technical controls with strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory alignment. This study contributes to the cybersecurity literature by providing a consolidated understanding of how existing frameworks address risk in HEIs and identifying key gaps for future research and model development. It offers insights for academic policymakers, IT leaders, and researchers seeking to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in university settings.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to design and validate an evaluation instrument for a didactic strategy based on gamification, specifically adapted to e-learning contexts in higher education. It addresses the ongoing challenge of enhancing student motivation, engagement, and retention in virtual learning environments. Background: With the sustained growth of online education, higher education institutions need to develop and evaluate coherent pedagogical strategies that promote active learning. Although gamification has shown the potential to increase student participation, there is a lack of validated instruments to measure its effectiveness. This study responds to that need by proposing a validated framework for evaluating a gamified instructional model. Methodology: A non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional design with a mixed-methods approach was used. The Delphi method was applied, involving 33 experts who evaluated the validity and reliability of the proposed strategy. Content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Coefficient (CVC), and reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha. Contribution: This study provides an empirically validated instrument for implementing and evaluating gamification-based strategies in e-learning environments. It offers a structured and reliable tool for enhancing instructional planning and student engagement in virtual settings. Findings: Experts showed high levels of agreement regarding the structure, clarity, and pedagogical coherence of the strategy’s components. The instrument demonstrated strong reliability and validity, confirming its suitability for evaluating gamified instructional models. The proposed framework is expected to inform future research and serve as a practical guide for educators integrating gamification into online learning. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educators and instructional designers should consider integrating gamification elements such as narratives, levels, and rewards to enhance student motivation and participation in e-learning environments. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research should explore the long-term effects of gamification on academic performance and assess its adaptability across different disciplines and educational levels. Impact on Society: The validated gamification strategy can improve online education accessibility and effectiveness, reduce dropout rates, and foster more engaging and interactive learning experiences. Future Research: Further studies should investigate how different game mechanics influence student engagement and learning outcomes in diverse cultural and academic settings.

Given the huge production of information and knowledge in higher education institutions, it is necessary to dynamically adapt the up-to-date, relevance and accessibility of this information. The question may be whether there is a sufficient amount of relevant information and knowledge available within a higher education institution, which is available through different forms of transmission. The website of higher education provides a starting point for access, communication and dissemination of information to both the general public and to all those who make up the higher education system. It can be seen as an explicit academic space for information, hence its role has multiple meanings. As a starting point for all stakeholders in higher education, from students and teachers, through administration and management, to the general public. Diffusion, i.e. dissemination, knowledge and information, as its ultimate goal, to the benefit of users, is to find relevant and usable knowledge. In the context of an academic website, this refers, inter alia, to easy movement to a location, either through content categories or through in-house links, which ensures better user experience, longer retention of visitors and greater certainty in the identification of relevant institutional information. Given the openness of the academic website to a wide range of users, as well as the large amount of information content, the level of data structuring and the abstraction of content affects the quality of such a website. It is by exploring the structuring and abstraction of data on the school’s website whether and in what way diffusion has materialised. The conceptual framework of the Information Space model (Boisot,1995) is based on the assertion that structuring the data facilitates its diffusion, i.e. dissemination in the information space. The model is represented by a three-dimensional cube format where the dimensions of the information range from non-codified to codified; from specific to abstract; from non-diffuse to diffuse. This model is unique in that it has an in-built social learning cycle, which shows the dynamic flow of information in the space. The cycle is divided into six steps of information and knowledge management from searching, identification, codification, abstraction, diffusion, absorption and incorporation (Boisot,1995; Dalkir, 2011). The steps of the social learning cycle are included in this model so that they form a curve within a cube, where each dimension of the cube is linked to a specific cycle. The codification dimension is linked to the categorisation and classification of information. The abstraction dimension is linked to the creation of knowledge through analysis and understanding, in order to achieve generalisation. The diffusion dimension is linked to the dissemination of access to and transmission of previously abstracted information, where information and communication technologies aim to ensure, through access and transmission, the smooth flow of information. The six-step cycle presents in its integrity a way of knowledge and as such can be compared with the concept of information literacy, which, according to Lloyd, consists of a range of activities and skills relating to structured and embodied knowledge, and context-relevant ways of knowledge (Lloyd, 2017). The definition of the mechanism of organisation and dissemination of information, according to the described conceptual framework of the Information Space, offers key components of the quality of knowledge management at the higher education institution. This puts at the heart of the work the identification of the necessary prerequisites for the diffusion of information and knowledge for the needs of higher education institutions, as well as the transmission of the same to the staff of the institution. The aim of the work is to identify the mechanisms for diffusion of explicit and implicit information, by checking the necessary pre-conditions of identification, codification and abstraction. This determines the level of dissemination of information through the organisation depending on the level of abstraction and codification. Two research questions were asked which reveal how to build different information domains, as a pre-requisite for diffusion: 1. Determine the way and form of building information domains through personal and institutional levels, i.e. through formal and informal groupings. 2. Explore the diffusion of explicit and implicit information through the communication channels of formal and informal groups. The Information Space model contains two assumptions, which have not been verified in the context of the academic space so far. The first premiss is that a high level of codification and abstraction of information in the space provides greater diffusion, while the second the higher the target population of diffusion is weaker, i.e. information is less widespread in space. With regard to model assumptions and research questions, two alternative hypotheses have been drawn: 1. A high level of codification and abstraction of information ensures greater diffusion of information in the institution’s academic space. 2. The larger the target population, the weaker the information diffusion is. The theoretical part of the work uses a descriptive method to explain the basic starting points of work, and the elements relevant to the organisation of information and knowledge. The research section, using a double methodology through qualitative and quantitative analysis, asks for an answer to the research questions raised, i.e. whether there are prerequisites for building the information domain and their diffusion. The prerequisites relate to identification, codification and abstraction within four contexts: personal, institutional, formal and informal groups. The sample represents the academic space of public higher education institutions, where public higher education institutions have been selected to offer studies in the field of social and technical sciences in their programme, and there are seven in Croatia. By analysing the public space, the website of selected public universities is looking for answers to the questions of findability and accessibility of information, and how to organise the available content. In doing so, we also explore the quantity and quality of information relevant to employees. On the basis of the quantitative data collected from the public website, a qualitative evaluation of codification and abstraction has been carried out, as the basic prerequisites for diffusion of information. In addition, the diffusion itself, i.e. the distribution of information, was investigated. The data collection tool’s direct insight method investigated the structuring and distribution of content on the website. The data collection tool was a template to explore the structuring of the data and the diffusion of information. It first collected possible indicators from the analysis of previous surveys (Pinto, EtAll, 2007, 2009) and was adapted to the context of this survey. Those who best present the structuring and diffusion of information were selected. The results of the survey identified too many categories on initial foreigners, which lack sufficient abstraction, i.e. do not exclude each other, leading to inconsistencies and ambiguity, and reduce the intensity of diffusion. The codification criterion throughout the sample shall have a minimum achievement of 48.57 %, with the weakest classification characteristics of documents and a large number of subcategories. Each school in the sample has its own division although all of them are public, covering the same fields of science. When asking for information in more than one school, there may be misunderstanding, as the categories have multiple sub-categories, which are not located within the same category, thus also reducing ease of use. Information relating to the same subject matter (they may not be identical) is also found in several themes, leading to a general fragmentation and frustration of users in their desire to find complete information on a particular item. Boisot (1995) points out that the lower the amount of data required for the description of the subject matter, the higher the degree of encoding is, he considers that the codification creates perceptive and conceptual categories by facilitating the classification of phenomena. The abstraction criterion has a maximum intra-sample coverage of 69.14 %, mainly related to the substantive value of texts, comprehensibility as well as the use of consistent terminology. It is precisely the characteristics of the clarity of the text and the use of the same terms within the categories that contain the highest number of points for this criterion. It is generally accepted that a higher level of abstraction, where coding has its place, involves a deeper understanding and understanding of phenomena, phenomena and things (Boisot, 1995). The diffusion criterion should reflect the functionality of the two previous codification and abstraction criteria, i.e. the higher their values are, as a result, diffusion is better represented. Diffusion, as a result of the fulfilment of the first two criteria, lies around the middle, i.e. at 56 %, which corresponds to a ‘intermediately satisfactory’ rating. The overall codification, abstraction and diffusion result for the whole sample shows that the ratio of codification (48.6 %) and abstraction (69.1 %) has a difference of 20 % in favour of abstraction. We can therefore assume that the abstraction of web-based content according to this sample is about 20 % better achieved than codification. In view of this, the diffusion output is lower and is 55.7 % for the whole sample. We can hereby confirm the first assumption of model I-space: In view of the overall results of the analysis, we can confirm the first assumption set out in the I-space model, within the context of the higher schools covered by this sample, where the intensity of information diffusion in space depends on the intensity of codification and abstraction of information. A survey of academic staff aims to discover how staff find the information they need, whether they are able to identify them quickly and easily, where they find them, and ultimately how they organise knowledge at a personal level. The purpose of the questionnaire is therefore to explore the way in which information is identified and organised, communication channels and groups of information obtained, as well as the comprehensibility or abstractity of the information available to academic staff. Academics mainly search information via menu, which the previous analysis of the website has shown to be one of the potential problems in finding information, due to the high number of menus. Furthermore, most of them consider that the information is understandable and clearly distributed within menus and sub-menus, which may indicate a sufficiently clear categorisation, even though the very content of what appears in the sub-electors does not tie to or notice the name. The internet and the institution’s intranet of the place where information is most accessible, solutions such as cloud technologies are inaccessible to more respondents. The most used information is in the personal domain, including for example news, announcements and events, links to closed teaching content, such as LMS and intranet, and institution-related information. While most respondents consider that there is a need to agree on the categories and timing of information on the public website, which may be the result of some dissatisfaction with the current situation, on the other hand, more than half of respondents express neutrality or satisfaction about how the information is organised. Similarly, the logic of the distribution of information on the website does not correspond to what is organised by the private information themselves, and it would be possible and difficult to reach an agreement on the organisation of the content and information that most suit most. The analysis of the pages indicated too many menus, however, the results within this sample indicate that this number is within the eligibility of half of the surveyed. In the end, the overall presentation of the information on the public site is confirmed by a good and very good information organisation. The questionnaire ultimately reveals which communication channels are effective in a particular context of work, which can be seen as searching for and sharing information, and falls within the concept of diffusion. Indeed, if the information is well channelled by the sender, only searching and identification is part of that process, but also as the ultimate aim of the recipient. Given the characteristics of certain communication channels, it is possible to determine whether it is a narrower or broader population, and to assess whether the diffusion criteria are met. For the verification of the intensity of diffusion through the modalities of communication within the search activity and the sharing of official information, the following conclusions may be drawn for the resulting survey sample: In finding information for teaching activities, the most common form of communication implicitly-informal is to assume that there is a stronger diffusion of information. In finding information for research activities, the most common form of communication is explicit-formal, thus reducing diffusion within the population. In finding information for administrative activities, the most common form of communication is explicit-formal, thus reducing diffusion within the population. In sharing official information within the institution, the most common form of communication is explicit-formal, thus reducing diffusion within the population. We can hereby confirm the second assumption of model I-space: As the communication channels for requesting and sharing information indicate a greater use of explicit-formal forms, which are directed towards a wider population scope, we can confirm another alternative hypothesis indicating a weaker diffusion within this context and the pattern. As a recommendation, for the academic internet site, on the basis of the results and in accordance with the model settings, it is necessary to ensure that information is easily and rapidly retrieved through content categories or embedded search engines, i.e. that different and relevant types of information are available, through the use of quality content organisation. Documents must correspond to the category in which they are contained in their content and metadata, and it is desirable to avoid duplication of content. Better diffusion also enables the amount of information available through different forms and types of content, which are expected to be understandable, timely, accurate, well-formed and in line with users’ expectations. Future research can focus on other forms and stakeholders within the higher education area, such as universities and colleges, as well as stakeholders such as academic leaders, managers, administrators, externals from different agencies and ministries. Given that the communication channel of formal groups has proven to be an explicit and implicit link between different forms of communication, it is possible to further explore the form of formal groups, their incidence, modalities, impact and functionality of the college.. However, it is necessary to state the most common possible shortcomings in this type of analysis, such as inadequate selection of the number of components and insufficient clarity of data, that is subjective aspect regarding many differences in opinion. Through descriptive analysis, it was shown that the responses were scattered due to a scale of 7 responses and an insufficiently large sample. Generalizing on the basis of one sample, regardless of its size, is always problematic, therefore all conclusions are presented in the form of possible application in the context of the given sample. In this research, a purposive sample was used from selected public Croatian polytechnics that had a social and technical field in their curriculuim, therefore, in further research, the sample can include other polytechnics, as well as universities. Given that similar research, which includes all three activities of academics, has not been found outside of Croatia, the disadvantage is that a sufficiently good comparison is not possible with regard to the context of activity. This work confirmed the viability of the Information Space model in the higher education environment, according to which more and better-structured data accelerate the transmission and diffusion of information. To achieve a good data structure, it is necessary to increase codification and abstraction, which requires a better classification of documents and a reduction in the number of categories. On the basis of the results obtained, the online analysis of public space and surveyed teaching staff identified the applicability of the Information Space model in the context of the high school functional environment. A particular contribution to the extension of the current model lies in the identification of factors for the efficient flow of codified information for the purpose of employee efficiency.

Researches in technology adoption among the Middle Eastern countries are more concentrated on e-government, e-commerce, and internet banking domains. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in these countries fall behind their Western counterparts due to the cutting edge technology adopted for research, teaching, and collaboration in the Western countries. One of the Middle Eastern countries, which is the focus of this research, Yemen, still adopt the conventional way of teaching in the HEIs, which could result in failures to accomplish the optimal desired educational performance. Higher education sector in Yemen faces a number of obstacles and challenges in delivering a good education to its entire population in terms of lack of reliable infrastructure; limited financial resources; lack of teaching staff and expertise; and lack of IT personnel to manage the existing restricted IT infrastructure. Cloud computing, a pool of computer-related resources and services, is seen as one of new technologies which can assist in improving educational delivery in Yemen. Thus, this study firstly, identified the factors that influence the cloud computing adoption in general. Then, it categorized these factors into four (4) domains, namely technological, organizational, environmental and individual domains; and lastly, validated the selected factors using semi-structured interview with IT experts. Based on the validation session with the IT experts, the factors were ranked based on their applicability and suitability in Yemeni’s higher education environments and 13 factors were selected. These 13 factors are adopted from Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory. Then, a conceptual framework was developed using these 13 factors to identify the significant factors that influence cloud computing adoption in HEIs in Yemen. It is hoped by having a better understanding on the factors that influence cloud computing adoption in HEIs in Yemen, the responsible parties such as the government agencies, HEIs managements and staff will be more prepared to ensure successful adoption of cloud computing in their HEIs and ultimately help Yemen to improve its higher education delivery to its people.

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.

This research aims to investigate the factors that influence the effectiveness of Information Systems (IS) Governance in Higher Education Institutions (IPT) using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The background of this research reflects the importance of IS in supporting operations, management and decision making in a higher education environment that is increasingly complex and dependent on technology.The PLS-SEM method analyzes the relationship between key variables that influence the effectiveness of IS governance at IPT. It is a powerful multivariate statistical approach that allows factor analysis and regression in a single framework, allowing researchers to holistically understand how factors relate to each other. The results of this research will likely provide valuable insight for decision-makers at IPT in improving IS management and utilization. Practical implications include the development of more effective policies, better management strategies, and improved IS infrastructure. In addition, this research is also expected to provide an essential contribution to academic literature in understanding the factors that influence the effectiveness of IS governance in the higher education context. By better understanding the factors that influence the effectiveness of IS governance, IPT can increase its competitiveness, improve the quality of educational services, and support the achievement of its strategic goals. This research is expected to significantly contribute to understanding how IS governance can be implemented and managed more effectively in higher education environments through the PLS-SEM approach.

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.

[The full paper was previously published in the International Journal of Community Development & Management Studies, 3, 65-77.] Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge base on factors likely to impede implementation and adoption of web-based learning management systems to blend with traditional methods of lecturing in universities to cater for the next generation of learners in Africa and Eastern Cape Province South Africa in particular. Background: The shift from the industrial economies to 21st century digital and knowledge-based economies, fueled by rapid Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as Internet, YouTube, Chartrooms, Skype, Social media networks and its introduction to the educational system not only resulted in a new teaching approach globally but also paved way to usher in new generation of learners (anytime, anywhere learners) in the higher education system. Despite the fact that universities and other institutions of higher education in developed countries and some Africa countries have since recognized that the 21st century global digital and knowledge-based economies evolution has ushered in the next generation of learners, and as a result have taken the necessary steps to blend the traditional method of lecturing in higher education with web-based learning management systems in order to accommodate these learners. However, in Africa not much research has been done on the readiness of higher education institutions in terms of blending web-based learning management systems with the traditional method of lecturing to cater for the next generation of learners. Methodology: Quantitative and two non-probability sampling methods, namely, quota and purposive sampling was used to investigate the technological skills of selected lecturers from universities within Buffalo City Metropolitan as one of the core component to check the readiness of their faculty for the next generation of learners. Contribution: This research will add to the growing knowledge about the blending of web-based learning management with the traditional style of lecturing in higher education in the 21st century digital economies. Findings: The results indicated that the participating lecturers need to be trained and supported in the skills of using of the ICTs and computer programs applicable to enhance web-based learning in teaching and learning environment in higher education in order to cater for the next generation of learners associated with the 21st century digital economies. Recommendations for Practitioners: Much as there is a need for increased in investment in infrastructure within higher education institutions to support teaching and learning, continuous support and training for academics to be technologically literate and also be abreast on rapidly evolving field of ICTs is paramount as it can expedite the teaching and learning process in higher education. Recommendations for Researchers: There is the need to explore in depth the other two components suggested by Mishra and Koehler that can serve as barriers for successfully integration of technology into teaching and learning by locus of knowledge. Impact on Society: The research will assist stakeholders, policy makers and agencies tasked with transforming institutions of higher learning to identify the barriers likely to hinder transformation efforts and address them accordingly. Future Research: Checking technological skills of students are critical in this context.

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE INFORMING SCIENCE INSTITUTE. Aim/Purpose...................................................................................................................................................................................................... The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge base on factors likely to impede implementation and adoption of web-based learning management systems to blend with traditional methods of lecturing in universities to cater for the next generation of learners in Africa and Eastern Cape Province South Africa in particular. Background........................................................................................................................................................................................................ The shift from the industrial economies to 21st century digital and knowledge-based economies, fueled by rapid Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as Internet, YouTube, Chartrooms, Skype, Social media networks and its introduction to the educational system not only resulted in a new teaching approach globally but also paved way to usher in new generation of learners (anytime, anywhere learners) in the higher education system. Despite the fact that universities and other institutions of higher education in developed countries and some Africa countries have since recognized that the 21st century global digital and knowledge-based economies evolution has ushered in the next generation of learners, and as a result have taken the necessary steps to blend the traditional method of lecturing in higher education with web-based learning management systems in order to accommodate these learners. However, in Africa not much research have been done on the readiness of higher education institutions in terms of blending web-based learning management systems with the traditional method of lecturing to cater for the next generation of learners. Methodology....................................................................................................................................................................................................... Quantitative and two non-probability sampling methods, namely, quota and purposive sampling was used to investigate the technological skills of selected lecturers from universities within Buffalo City Metropolitan as one of the core component to check the readiness of their faculty for the next generation of learners. Contribution........................................................................................................................................................................................................ This research will add to the growing knowledge about the blending of web-based learning management with the traditional style of lecturing in higher education in the 21st century digital economies. Findings.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. The results indicated that the participating lecturers need to be trained and sup-ported in the skills of using of the ICTs and computer programs applicable to enhance web-based learning in teaching and learning environment in higher education in order to cater for the next generation of learners associated with the 21st century digital economies. Recommendations for Practitioners................................................................................................................................................................. Much as there is a need for increased in investment in infrastructure within higher education institutions to support teaching and learning, continuous sup-port and training for academics to be technologically literate and also be abreast on rapidly evolving field of ICTs is paramount as it can expedite the teaching and learning process in higher education. Recommendation for Researchers................................................................................................................................................................... There is the need to explore in depth the other two components suggested by Mishra and Koehler (2007) which can serve as barriers for successfully integration of technology into teaching and learning by locus of knowledge. Impact on Society............................................................................................................................................................................................... The research will assist stakeholders, policy makers and agencies tasked with transforming institutions of higher learning to identify the barriers likely to hinder transformation efforts and address them accordingly. Future Research................................................................................................................................................................................................. Conducting research on technological skills of students are critical in this context.

Introduction. In light of the increasing significance of training highly qualified specialists, enhancing the information and educational environment of Russian universities has emerged as a key trend in improving the effectiveness of teaching practices.Aim. The present research aims to analyse students’ assessments of the characteristics of the information and educational environment in higher education within the context of digitalisation, identifying priorities and deficiencies in its development. Methodology and research methods. The study employs systemic, situational, axiological, and socio-engineering approaches. This article presents the findings of an empirical investigation into the priorities and deficiencies in the development of the information and educational environment within higher education. A total of 1,107 students, aged 17 to 29 years, participated in the study. The primary method utilised was a questionnaire survey, which effectively captured the nuances of the information and educational environment in the context of digitalisation. It also reflected the students’ perceptions of the semantic meanings associated with digital transformations, as well as their opinions on the priorities and shortcomings in the evolution of the contemporary information and educational environment in higher education. Results and scientific novelty. The data obtained allow us to discuss the positive expectations of young people regarding the digital transformation of the educational process in higher education. This analysis examines the influence of teachers’ digital skills on the meaningful enhancement of the information and educational environment, as well as the formation of new psychological and pedagogical opportunities for fostering cooperation during the educational process. Several barriers to the development of the information and educational environment have been identified, including insufficient material and technical resources in universities, a low level of digital competence among teachers, and a limited range of interactive technologies being utilised. Furthermore, it has been established that the psychological and pedagogical risks associated with the development of the information and educational environment are linked to a decline in students’ knowledge and communication skills. Practical significance. The results obtained can be utilised by administrators and educators in higher education institutions when evaluating deficiencies in the development of the information and educational environment.

Purpose The demand and popularity of online higher education programmes has increased dramatically, with a sectoral shift to funding, resourcing and increasing options for remote study. Thus, it is important to understand disabled students’ experiences in an online learning environment and how they navigate their assistive technology (AT) use. The pivot to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore the opportunities and challenges of AT use and identify best practices for disabled students who are studying remotely. The aim of this paper is to present key learnings from AT use in an online, higher education environment during this period. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with disabled students (n = 13) in higher education in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all students were engaged in online learning. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to identify themes of interest. Results Three themes with related subthemes were identified: (1) the critical role of inclusive support systems, (2) fostering more inclusive and collaborative spaces and (3) the need for systemic attitudinal change. Conclusion This paper highlights key learnings from AT use in an online, higher education environment which should be considered and implemented to address inequity. A flexible approach to the delivery of supports and services, which is co-designed with disabled students, should be employed to maximise participation and inclusion, ensuring that students can access the same quality assistance regardless of mode of study. This should form an integral part of widening participation initiatives in higher education institutions and national disability strategies.

Cloud computing is regarded as the next generation of computing. It is progressively being used as a launching pad for digital innovation and organizational agility. Cloud computing is frequently used by private and public organizations due to its flexibility, collaboration, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. These characteristics make cloud computing indispensable for individuals and businesses such as higher education institutes. Several prior studies covered the technological facets of cloud-based contexts, including cloud security, scalability, and virtualization. However, it is contend that the main barrier to cloud computing isn't technical but cognitive or behavioural, and in particular attitudinal. Thus, this research aims to study higher education’ students’ attitudes and their intention to adopt cloud computing, with a specific concentration on the effect of trust, peer influences, perceived usefulness and ease of use in order to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of cloud computing in higher educational environment in Saudi Arabia. This study presents an extended Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) to include trust, peer influences, perceived usefulness and ease of use as a cognition, representing a person’s perception of social influence to perform or not perform a behaviour under consideration. The proposed model was able to explain 62% of the variance in behavioural intention and 65% of students' attitudes towards the adoption of cloud computing in higher educational environment. The study's findings show that the proposed model explained a significant amount of variation in cloud computing adoption. It suggests that the model expansion by incorporating trust, peer influences, perceived usefulness and ease of use factors were valuable explorations. Further, the findings demonstrate that university students' attitudes toward using cloud computing are significantly influenced by perceived ease of use, trust in cloud computing service provider and perceived usefulness, which have the ability to explain their attitude by 22.15%, 21.9% and 20.9% respectively. The result also shows that "subjective norm" alone explains 33.95% of students' "behavioural intentions" towards using cloud computing, followed by their "attitude," which explains around 14.24% of "behavioural intentions," and then university students’ "self-efficacy," with 13.71%.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose the development and adoption of a Lean Six Sigma Framework (LSSF) that attempts to create a more balanced and integrated approach between Lean and Six Sigma and one that is capable of achieving improved efficacy of curriculum and programme development in a higher education environment. The implementation of the LSSF is new to the higher education sector.Design/methodology/approachUsing the standard DMAIC cycle as the key driver in the implementation process, most in-depth Lean Six Sigma (LSS) case studies have focussed on manufacturing and engineering-based problems and solutions. This case study offers a detailed analysis of the design and implementation of an integrated LSSF within higher education and focusses primarily on the curriculum design and delivery of a new undergraduate engineering programme in a subject university. As such, this offers a unique perspective of LSS implementation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) which drives systems improvements in to the heart of the teaching and learning process.FindingsThe design, development and subsequent application of the LSSF enabled the curriculum development team to comprehensively apply LSS in to a subject institution. The Shainin Key Variables Search Technique (KVST) more specifically enabled the team to prioritise the key variables by way of order of importance and, this allowed the team to apply the most appropriate tools and techniques at the key points within the LSSF in order to obtain maximum performance.Research limitations/implicationsWhilst this work provides key information on how LSS initiatives are implemented across different institution types, the work has only focussed at a very small sample of HEIs and the case study only being applied to one institution. The work will need to be extended much more widely to incorporate a larger set of HEIs (both research and teaching focussed) in order to provide a more complete map of LSS development in HEIs.Practical implicationsThe aim of the paper is to provide LSS project leaders in HEIs with a coherent and balanced LSSF in an attempt to assist them in implementing comprehensive LSS programmes thus maximising the improvements in efficiency and operational performance of departments within HEIs.Originality/valueThis paper is the first of its kind to study the application of Shainin’s KVST in the implementation of LSS programmes in HEIs. The key features highlighted in this work raise important issues regarding the need and importance of developing a balanced LSSF for HEI project implementation.

The development of effective learning environments in higher education (HE) appears to become increasingly prioritised by HE institutions. This approach reflects an increasingly ‘consumer’ focused student body, and HE attempt to further quantify the quality of their products. However, all too often attempts to build more effective learning environments are hampered by the structures and processes that have historically existed in HE. The traditional lecture-seminar approach is increasingly been seen as not supporting effective student learning. As a result, the quality of the student learning experience is being compromised. This paper explores some of the factors currently limiting the development of effective learning environments and considers relevant questions and possible solutions. In particular, this paper explores the degree to which University interactions with student groups are driven by quality assurance processes rather than for maximising student learning.