Academic Credit Research Articles

A case study on exploring the motivation of English-major EFL students in online exchange programs

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the education sector worldwide, prompting a swift transition to technology-driven learning solutions. One notable response to this challenge has been the introduction of online versions of study-abroad and international exchange programs. Considering the limited existing research on how EFL university students perceive online international exchange programs, this study investigated the motivation of EFL students toward such programs initiated in response to the cancellation of in-person exchanges. The survey among 84 students from a private women's university in Kansai in August 2021 revealed that an overwhelming majority (93%) expressed their desire to participate in online international exchange programs. This study gained further insights by employing the KH Coder text mining software (Higuchi, 2016) to analyze the free-text responses obtained from the questionnaire. The analysis of the responses unveiled their recognition of the distinct advantages offered by online exchange programs. Approximately half of the respondents indicated their willingness to engage in non-credit programs, while a similar percentage conveyed that academic credits could enhance their motivation to participate. Notably, the analysis of the free text revealed that the latter group's seemingly extrinsic motivation was largely self-determined, with their primary goal being program participation. These findings underscore the potential for online international exchanges to be well-received by students, particularly when academic credits are awarded. Additionally, correspondence analysis highlights that the desire to earn academic credits is a topic of interest across all school year levels.

European credit transfer and accumulation system as a time-based predictor of student workload

ABSTRACT Delivering an appropriate student workload is important for quality higher education, especially for curriculum design, student well-being and success in studies. Academic credit systems are being increasingly used to determine workload for higher education studies. However, they rely on presumptions about workload, which educational theory and research do not always substantiate. A key example is the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which awards credits to students for their academic achievements and the related workload that is measured in study time. This article examines the ECTS from the perspective of its conceptualisation of workload and compares it to earlier research on student workload. Based on a literature review and conceptual analysis, a student workload model is presented and compared to the operating principles of ECTS. In conclusion, ECTS relies on a misleading conceptualisation of student workload with far-reaching implications for higher education research, policy and practice. Recommendations for informed applications and further development of ECTS are presented.

Call to Action: Leveraging American Nurses Credentialing Center Nursing Continuing Professional Development Credit for Prior Learning-Part 2.

In "The Future of Workforce Development in Professional Nursing Practice," Graebe et al. (2022) propose addressing nursing workforce shortages through Recognition of Prior Learning and related frameworks. They argue for a new health care learning model that leverages stackable certificates and accredited professional development to award academic credit, bridging the gap between current qualifications and advanced education. This approach could enhance enrollment and retention in advanced nursing programs, addressing shortages in specialty areas such as academia and leadership. By recognizing experiential learning, these methods create accessible, sustainable career pathways, fostering a more diverse and adaptable nursing workforce. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(9):416-420.].

The Seal of Biliteracy as a recruitment tool in postsecondary language study

AbstractAs state‐level Seals of Biliteracy for high school graduates become more common, postsecondary language programs face questions about how to recognize this credential. While scholarship has examined the implementation of state Seals in secondary education, less attention has been paid to the role of postsecondary language programs in this new policy milieu. This study examined how receiving a Seal of Biliteracy might motivate students to study language(s) in college and the impact of awarding advanced placement and retroactive credit for the Seal. A survey of Seal of Biliteracy recipients (n = 61) in Nebraska and interviews with undergraduate students who received the award (n = 8) suggest that postsecondary language departments could leverage the Seal of Biliteracy to recruit students to language programs and likewise lend support to state implementation efforts. Findings point to the critical role academic credit policies play in making language study more attractive to Seal of Biliteracy recipients.

Unveiling fairness in scoring: a thorough method for precise cutoff score calculation in education assessment

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to address the need for a robust system to accurately determine a cutoff score by using the Angoff method and leveraging the Rasch infit and outfit statistics of item response theory by detecting and removing misfitting items in a test.Design/methodology/approachResearchers in educational evaluation support the use of grades as a complete measure to evaluate students’ overall academic performance. In higher education, determining cutoff scores is crucial for assessing academic progress and achievement. Higher education institutions worldwide set predefined minimal standards of success, sometimes referred to as cutoff thresholds. These thresholds serve as benchmarks for assessing performance quality and determining eligibility for academic credit or advancement.FindingsThe proposed approach combines the Angoff method with Rasch item fit statistics to precisely determine the cutoff score by excluding items that do not fit well (misfitting items) in a test. This methodology holds the potential to enhance the fairness and accuracy of grading practices, ensuring that assessments align with educational objectives and provide meaningful feedback to students.Originality/valueThe value of this research extends to various fields where cutoff scores are used for decision-making purposes. By using Rasch item fit statistics and the Angoff method, practitioners and researchers can enhance the quality and validity of their assessments.

Dual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Index for Corporate Sustainability Assessment Using Blockchain Technology

Investors are increasingly relying on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) indexes to obtain a third-party assessment of corporate sustainability performance. Various ESG indexes are, therefore, released by prominent rating agencies, including MSCI, Sustainalytics, Refinitiv, etc. However, existing ESG indexes overvalue the usage of massive ESG metrics while ignoring various ESG disclosure levels, leading to critical issues such as limited company coverage, inflexible ESG framework, and obscure assessment processes. This paper proposes a novel Dual ESG Index (DESGI) model using blockchain technology to provide a flexible and transparent corporate sustainability assessment. Firstly, the DESGI model is developed by analogy to the rationale and concepts of the academic credit system due to its advantages of scalability and flexibility. Secondly, blockchain is used to build a transparent environment for ESG assessment. Thirdly, the smart contract and crypto token, as the core blockchain constructs, are used to achieve the dual-dimensional ESG depth and width assessment using ESG GPA and ESG credit, respectively. Finally, a case study is carried out to validate the DESGI by using real-life ESG data and comparing it with four existing ESG indexes. Several managerial implications are also found: (1) DESGI can expand the scope of companies evaluated by ESG criteria regardless of company size or scale; (2) DESGI provides a good potential to fight against greenwashing through the blockchain-based traceability; (3) DESGI can identify the ESG elites who disclose fewer ESG metrics but with excellent ESG performances, which can hardly be achieved using traditional ESG indexes.

Perceptions of Medical Students on Research Curriculum: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Medical colleges promote research by incorporating it into the curriculum, which enables students to acknowledge it as a career prospect. The aim of the study was to assess the perceptions of medical students on research curriculum. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 544 medical students (interns and post-graduates) at AIIMS Rishikesh in 2020. Data was collected thorough online self-administered questionnaire. A comparison between groups was made using the Mann-Whitney test or chi-square test p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 544 participants, 218 (40.1%) responded with complete data. The total median score for the self-perceived ability of study participants regarding performing the research tasks differed significantly between interns and post-graduates [29.5 (24.0–34.2) vs 33 (25.2–39.7), p = 0.03]. They suggested that mandatory research projects, workshops, and training should be included in the curriculum. Conclusion: Feedback from medical students regarding the need for guided research projects, hands-on training, and inclusion of research methodology as a course in UG curriculum and provision of support in the form of incentives, academic credits, and motivation are well noted and guide the resource faculties to modify their teaching and student support programs.

The Influence of Graduates' Competence from Universitas Darussalam Gontor on the Relevance Level between Fields of Study and Employment

The success of higher education institutions is often measured by their competitiveness and the quality of their graduates in the job market. The concept of competitiveness, particularly in terms of educational relevance, is a fundamental consideration outlined in Law No. 12 related to higher education. One of the mechanisms for assessing this educational relevance involves conducting tracer studies among graduates. The objective of this research is to examine the individual (partial) and combined (simultaneous) effects of Grade Point Average (GPA) and Academic Supporting Credit for Students (AKPAM) on the alignment between graduates' fields of study and their subsequent employment. This study focuses on alumni from Darussalam Gontor University in the year 2019. The research is conducted through a survey-based approach, and the data collected through tracer study questionnaires. The findings indicate that while GPA exhibits an insignificant influence on the degree of alignment between fields of study and employment, AKPAM significantly affects this alignment. Moreover, when considered together, both GPA and AKPAM exert a significant influence on the alignment between graduates' fields of study and their employment choices

Exploring Study Abroad with Traditionally Underrepresented Populations: Impacts of Institutional Types

The study investigated roles of institutional types and ethnic/racial background on academic credit among the traditionally underrepresented population of the U.S. study abroad program. Using archival data, the study sampled the student’s enrollment and academic credit information spanning a period of 20 years (2003 – 2022). Data analysis Using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicates significant main influence of institutional type (p<.001) and significant main influence of ethnic/racial identity (p<.001) on students’ academic credit. The result was discussed in terms of its relevance in educational policy re-evaluations, improvement of the study conditions of the underrepresented students, and enhancement of the enrollment opportunities of these minority population across all U.S. institutions of learning.

"A Life Altering and Special Journey": The Lasting Impact of Mindfulness on Semester-long Study Abroad Participants

Education abroad is held up as a high-impact practice with the potential to engage college and university students in a transformative learning experience (Kuh, 2008). The Institute for International Education (IIE) reports that 347,099 U.S. students received academic credit for study abroad during the 2018-2019 academic school year (IIE). Extensive research into student learning gains abroad have demonstrated that developing student metacognition, or one’s ability to be intentionally self-reflective, is central to transformative learning in the study abroad experience (Vande Berg et al., 2012; Zull, 2012). Consequently, international educators are continually searching for pedagogies (praxis) to facilitate metacognitive learning within study abroad programs. The burgeoning discipline of contemplative pedagogy (Bai et al., 2009; Zajonc, 2013) provides such a praxis for metacognitive learning. Yet the research on the use of contemplative pedagogy within the context of study abroad is still in a nascent stage (Clancy, 2020). In this paper, we present an exploratory case study of contemplative pedagogy and mindfulness practice on a semester-long study abroad program and, namely, its potential long-term impact on student participants. Analysis of questionnaires, answered on a voluntary and anonymous basis, 18 months after the return to the home campus, reveals that students continue to use those practices: Students report sustained attentiveness to surroundings, in the present moment, greater self-awareness, improved connection to those in their communities, and a heightened remembrance. We conclude that contemplative pedagogy, associated with student metacognition, was a successful intercultural praxis within the exploratory case study, and may potentiate long-term effects in participants.

Improving Reading Literacy Rate of ALS (Alternative Learning System) Students Through Casaup-Literacy Program

ne of the imminent programs the government instituted for this concern is the Alternative Learning System (ALS) which aims at providing opportunities for students who are not succeeding in the traditional classroom setting to obtain academic credit, career exploration activities, and extended teacher/peer support in an alternative setting where the ultimate goal is that obtaining a diploma. The study aimed to determine the reading levels of the respondents before and after the administration of a reading intervention program. The Reading program was conceptualized as an extended service to enhance the reading abilities of the ALS students. It employed the descriptive type of research to gather facts and information regarding the reading performance levels of the respondents. The respondents of the study consisted of 70 students from ALS Program of the DepEd ALS Program. The researchers utilized the Functional Literacy Test (FLT) a standardized reading assessment tool which was administered before the intervention and after the reading program. T-test was used in the treatment of the data. Based on the findings; generally, the respondents’ age ranges from 15-23 with a minimal percentage of the ages 42-51. This shows that students tend to stop their education after attending basic education. The mean results of the pre-test which is 4.0294 are far behind the results of the post-test, which is 9.4411 mean, this indicates a highly significant difference is evident in the statistical treatment. A t-value of -29.583 resulted and a p-value of 0.000 was obtained from the data. This proves a high significance is displayed in the results and that the intervention program has proven its effectiveness in the reading performance of the ALS Students.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency in Peru: number of vacancies and analysis of study plans

Introduction. In Peru there is a shortage of physiatrists, and the standards for the training of specialists in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) have not been updated since 2002. There are no studies that have focused on this problem. Objectives. To describe the number of PM&R positions and analyze the PM&R residency programs’ curriculums. Methods. Descriptive observational study. We reviewed the number of PM&R positions offered in the 2017-2022 period. Likewise, we collected the variables of interest from the curriculums that offer this residency program, including the approach of 30 basic competencies recommended by the International Society of PM&R (ISPRM). Results. During the 2017-2022 period, 11 universities offered 283 PM&R positions, of which 89.4% corresponded to the city of Lima. The number of positions showed a downward trend from 2018 to 2021. 7/11 curriculums addressed at least 75% of the basic competencies recommended by the ISPRM, and none of them addressed 100% of these competencies. In addition, we found heterogeneity between universities respect to the theoretical courses taught, the number of academic credits and the external rotations allowed. Conclusions. In Peru, the number of PM&R positions decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its crucial role in caring for the affected population and the shortage of physiatrists. No curriculum includes all the basic competencies recommended by ISPRM, highlighting the need to update and restructure them.

A FAIR Future for Engineering Sciences

The emergence of FAIR data management (FDM) is being witnessed in more and more disciplines, including the engineering sciences. However, until recently, little academic credit has been given for the work that sound FDM practices in research publications require. Moreover, there has been a lack of space where the engineering sciences community could discuss and share experiences, ideas and advice about this topic. In academia, a suitable platform for such information exchange are journals. In this publication, the concept behind ing.grid, the newly established open access journal for FDM in engineering sciences, is presented, illuminating how these challenges can be addressed by providing a platform for the publication of manuscripts, research data, and software as well as by incorporating open peer review.

A Study on the Influence of Internal/External Motivation and Practice Satisfaction on Professional Identity of Adult Learners in Academic Credit Bank System

A Study on the Influence of Internal/External Motivation and Practice Satisfaction on Professional Identity of Adult Learners in Academic Credit Bank System

Pengembangan Aplikasi Penilaian Angka Kredit Dosen (Studi kasus: FMIPA Universitas Lampung)

According to Law Number 14 of 2005 on Teachers and Lecturers, lecturers are defined as professional educators and scholars whose primary responsibility is to transform, advance, and disseminate knowledge, technology, and the arts through education, research, and community service, often referred to as the Tri Dharma of Higher Education (Chapter 1, Article 1, paragraph 2). The assessment of lecturers' performance is deemed essential in the context of implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education to gauge the degree to which it is executed. In practice, lecturers are required to accrue credit points in line with the established standards specified in the operational guidelines for credit point assessment. Nevertheless, lecturers often encounter delays in the collection of these credit points, primarily due to the substantial amount of data used as assessment criteria and the manual creation of reports using Microsoft Excel. Consequently, this protracted process is responsible for the extensive time required for the preparation of Academic Qualification Credit Points (DUPAK) reports. To tackle this issue, the development of an Information System has been proposed to expedite and enhance the accuracy of data collection. The Information System is constructed using the prototype methodology, which encompasses three core phases: "Listening to Customer" to identify user requirements, "Building/Revising the Mock-Up" to develop the prototype, and "Testing the Mock-Up" to assess its compliance with user expectations. The system is coded using the PHP programming language, and the Laravel framework is employed to simplify the coding process. The system's functionality is rigorously tested using the Black Box Testing method with Equivalence Partitioning to ensure its reliability and accuracy. The outcome of this research is a Web-Based Lecturer Performance Evaluation Information System designed to streamline the DUPAK report creation process for lecturers, making it more efficient and precise.

Call to Action: Leveraging American Nurses Credentialing Center Nursing Continuing Professional Development Credit for Prior Learning Assessment-Part 1.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) provides rigorous and objective evidence of the quality of education that supports nursing professional practice. Accredited, competency-based education (CBE) that is outcome driven demonstrates the value of education to the nurse, to the profession, and to the patient. The ANCC as a global standard setter and innovator in NCPD has led this effort with the inception of the OB-CE Model©. Further, the ANCC has created a vision for CBE to be a preferred method for educational design and learner assessment for change. The ANCC NCPD accreditation program has led the charge for academic institutions to rethink their position on CBE and acceptance of accredited NCPD as evidence of prior learning for academic credit. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(8):341-343.].

Academic Bank of Credit – A Panacea Pill

UGC is established to maintain the quality of education in Higher Educational institutions. To ensure quality it introduces various schemes from time to time. To bring transformational changes in the education system UGC has introduced the Academic Bank of Credits. Where learners are free from clutches of rigidity of Indian education. The main purpose of establishing an Academic bank of credits is to promote studentcentric education, a learner-friendly teaching approach with multiple entries and multiple exits in education. Mr. Narendra Modi Priminister of India has unveiled the Academic Bank of Credit for the nation on July 29th, 2020. Now Academic Bank of Credits is a gazette notified regulation for the higher educational institutions of India to join for multiple entries and multiple exits of students in various institutions. Present conceptual paper through's light on the concept of Academic Bank of Credits, its objective, functions, process, and advantages of the academic bank of credits in Higher educational institutions.

An adaptive methodology for curriculum redesign based on performance indicators of the student progression

ABSTRACT We propose an adaptive methodology for the curricular redesign based on the performance indicators of the student progression observed after a follow-up period. The feasibility of adopting the same approach should be thoroughly studied to assess its compatibility with institutions and countries that employ an academic credit system based on student workload, such as the European Credit Transfer System. This approach was applied here for the Chilean system, which is highly consistent with the European case. The resulting methods can be automated and integrated into institutional databases for the management of teaching-learning processes to enhance decision-making. Special attention is devoted to the methods for estimating the credit points and the relative position of each course in the curriculum sequence chart of a university degree. As an example of application, we discuss the curriculum redesign of the B.Sc. degree in Physics offered by the Universidad Católica del Norte. The analysis is based on the statistical report of performance indicators of this undergraduate program during the follow-up period 2015–2019 (five years). We report a certain correspondence between the problem of credit allocation and the behavior in the student progression, which represents an empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the associated credit points estimation.

텍스트 마이닝을 활용한 실용무용 연구동향 분석

This paper analyzed research trends related to practical dance in Korea, which has recently increased the demand for learners, using text mining techniques. Academic journal and thesis data were collected and refined using practical dance keywords from domestic thesis sites, and a total of 122 data related to the subject were used for the final analysis. In this study, frequency analysis and LDA topic modeling were conducted, and the results are as follows. As a result of keyword frequency analysis, 'street dance' and 'education' were high, and topics were classified into a total of seven practical dance-related topics, including (1) status and perception, (2) concept, (3) class plan, (4) academic credit banking system, (5) performance and culture, (6) major status, and (7) curriculum. This study is of academic significance in that it examined trends in practical dance research through text mining, a new research method, and reviewed detailed topics of practical dance research trends to conduct comparative analysis with previous studies.

With equity in mind: Evaluating an interactive hybrid global surgery course for cross-site interdisciplinary learners.

There is limited understanding of the role of transcultural, cross-site educational partnerships for global surgery training between high- and low- or middle-income country (LMIC) institutions. We describe the development, delivery, and appraisal of a hybrid, synchronous, semester-long Global Surgical Care course by global health collaborators from widely different contexts, and evaluate the equity of the collaboration. The course was collaboratively modified by surgical educators and public health professionals with emphasis on collaboration ethics. Faculty from high-income and LMICs were paired to deliver lectures. To collaborate internationally, students and faculty participated either onsite or online. Perceptions and knowledge gained were quantitatively evaluated through participant and faculty cross-sectional surveys, using Likert scales, prioritization rankings, and free text responses analysed qualitatively. Equity was assessed using the Fair Trade Learning rubric and additional probes. Thirty-five learners from six institutions participated. Teams produced mock National, Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Plans (NSOAPs) for selected LMICs, and reported a 9% to 65% increase in self-reported global health competencies following the course. Online learners had favourable perceptions of learning, but experienced connectivity challenges. Barriers to effective group work included time differences and logistics of communication for dispersed team members. Individuals taking the course for academic credit scored significantly higher than other learners in peer assessments of participation (8.56±1.53 versus 5.03±3.14; p<0.001). Using the Fair Trade Rubric, 60% of equity indicators were ideal, and no respondents perceived neo-colonialism in the partnership. Blended, synchronous, interdisciplinary global surgery courses based on "North-South" partnerships with a focus on equity in design and delivery are feasible but require careful and deliberate planning to minimize epistemic injustice. Such programs should address surgical systems strengthening, and not create dependency. Equity in such engagements should be evaluated and monitored in an ongoing fashion to stimulate discussion and continuous improvement.