Access To Higher Education Research Articles

Determinants of ChatGPT Adoption Intention in Higher Education: Expanding on TAM with the Mediating Roles of Trust and Risk

Generative AI, particularly tools like ChatGPT, is reshaping higher education by enhancing academic engagement, streamlining processes, and fostering innovation. This study investigates the determinants of ChatGPT adoption intentions (CGPTAIs) by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to include the mediating roles of perceived trust (PT) and perceived risk (PR). Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, the data from 435 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the relationships among the perceived ease of use (PE), perceived intelligence (PI), perceived usefulness (PUSE), PT, and PR. Τhe findings reveal that the perceived ease of use (PE) and perceived intelligence (PI) significantly drive adoption intentions, while perceived usefulness (PUSE) plays a limited role. PR fully mediates the relationship between PUSE and CGPTAI and partially mediates PE and PI, while PT fully mediates PUSE and partially mediates PE, but not PI. Multi-group analysis highlights demographic differences, such as age and prior AI experience, in adoption pathways. These results challenge traditional TAM assumptions, advancing the model to account for the interplay of usability, intelligence, trust, and risk. Practical insights are provided for fostering ethical and responsible ChatGPT integration, safeguarding academic integrity, and promoting equitable access in higher education.

The Impact of Educational Information Systems on Learning Accessibility in Higher Education

This study explores the impact of educational information systems on enhancing learning accessibility in higher education, as digital tools increasingly become integral to academic support, and student engagement. The main objective is to assess how these systems improve access to learning resources and facilitate communication, particularly for students from diverse backgrounds and with varying educational needs. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research combines quantitative analysis of accessibility metrics with qualitative insights from surveys and interviews with students and faculty across different higher education institutions. The findings show that educational information systems significantly enhance learning accessibility by providing flexible access to resources, facilitating real-time feedback, and supporting personalized learning paths. These systems also improve student engagement by enabling convenient access to materials and fostering a collaborative learning environment that accommodates different learning styles. However, the study identifies several barriers, including gaps in digital literacy, usability challenges, and unequal access to the necessary infrastructure, which can limit the effectiveness of these systems in reaching all students equally. Additionally, concerns around data privacy and system complexity are noted as areas needing attention to build user trust and ensure smoother system integration. The study concludes that while educational information systems hold great promise for improving accessibility and inclusivity in higher education, addressing these barriers through targeted training, digital equity initiatives, and robust data protection policies is essential for maximizing their potential. These insights offer valuable guidance for educational institutions aiming to create more inclusive learning environments through strategic integration of educational information systems.

Evidence-Based Pathways for Leveling Digital Access in Higher Education During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers’ attention focused heavily on K–12 student connectivity. By contrast, college students were largely “presumed connected,” even as they lost access to campus Wi-Fi, computer labs, and other digital resources. This study asks what lessons were learned and not learned by university administrators when it came to digital inequality on their campuses during the pandemic. To address this question, the article’s authors relied on a series of student surveys and policy analyses. This article offers evidence-based policy recommendations to university leaders for effectively addressing digital inequality among their student populations as we look beyond the pandemic.

GOOGLE WORKSPACE EM INSTITUIÇÕES ACADÊMICAS DA SAÚDE: PERFIL DE UTILIZAÇÃO

Introduction: The study investigates the use of Google Workspace in an academic health institution, highlighting the role of digital technologies in supporting remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tools such as Google Classroom, Meet and Drive were essential for the continuity of learning. Methodology: The descriptive quantitative research analyzed Google Workspace usage data between 2021 and 2023. With a sample of 250 participants, including teachers and students, the data was anonymized and processed with Python to identify usage patterns, categorized by device type and geographic location. Results and Discussion: The results showed that 55.4% of the documents on Google Drive were shared, evidencing a collaborative culture. Google Meet excelled in synchronous classes, especially on mobile devices, with longer meetings on computers, suggesting stability and comfort in extended sessions. Documents in Google Docs format and PDFs were the most used, reflecting the accessibility of native formats. The activities were concentrated on weekdays, with peaks of use on Mondays. This data reveals that while technology provides important support for remote learning, its effective use requires ongoing training and support. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the positive impact of Google Workspace on health education, but emphasizes that the effectiveness of the technology depends on well-planned integration and regular training. Digital technology complements teaching, but does not replace the need for hybrid and flexible pedagogical methods, which integrate face-to-face and remote learning, facilitating interaction and accessibility in higher education

Leveraging IoT to Enhance Real-Time Lecturer Accessibility in Higher Education

Leveraging IoT to Enhance Real-Time Lecturer Accessibility in Higher Education

Post-pandemic impact on a private University in Malaysia: adapting strategies for sustainable education in chemistry

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic marked an unprecedented disruption in global education systems, affecting a vast population of approximately 1.6 billion learners across over 200 countries. Specifically, within Malaysia, where private universities hold a significant role in shaping the educational sphere, the pandemic brought about notable shifts in higher education. This research focuses on the post-pandemic impact on a private university situated in the Malaysian capital, focusing on transformations in teaching and learning approaches, student engagement, and technological integration in chemistry education. Through an in-depth analysis of diverse data sources from students and literatire review, this study aims to shed light on the challenges faced by the teaching and learning process in chemistry and the strategies employed to mitigate the adverse effects. In addition, the study also discusses the potential long-term transformations in higher education that may persist beyond the pandemic and offers recommendations to ensure the resilience and adaptability of private universities in Malaysia. Understanding the post-pandemic impact on private universities is crucial for formulating effective policies and strategies to enhance the quality and accessibility of higher education in the evolving educational landscape.

Digital Equity and Accessibility in Higher Education: Reaching the Unreached

ABSTRACTDigital equity and accessibility for higher education (HE) students have become crucial since the early 21st century, especially for underserved, deprived, marginalised and oppressed students. The present study aimed mainly to reveal the barriers to digital access (BDA) faced by marginalised groups and to find effective strategies for promoting digital inclusion (DI). Another objective of the paper was to provide actionable policy insights (API) to improve DI in Pakistani universities. Participants (students from marginalised groups who face unique barriers to accessing digital education) were selected using a simple random sampling technique from the four provinces of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan). We used a cross‐sectional research design to collect quantitative data from 590 students selected from 12 universities in Pakistan using a self‐developed questionnaire via online platforms. The study's findings revealed a significant difference in digital access for marginalised groups, which contributes to educational inequalities for students in low‐income areas and remote areas facing enormous challenges. We also identified practices to improve digital accessibility, including technology‐based interventions and policy reforms to improve digital infrastructure. Based on preliminary findings, a combined effort toward digital equity can significantly improve educational outcomes for marginalised students, providing a roadmap for universities to bridge the digital divide. The present paper not only highlights the current state of digital equity and accessibility but also focuses on practical insights for policy and teachers and ensures that universities are inclusive and accessible to everyone.

Post-pandemic impact on a private university in Malaysia: adapting strategies for sustainable education in chemistry

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic marked an unprecedented disruption in global education systems, affecting a vast population of approximately 1.6 billion learners across over 200 countries. Specifically, within Malaysia, where private universities hold a significant role in shaping the educational sphere, the pandemic brought about notable shifts in higher education. This research focuses on the post-pandemic impact on a private university situated in the Malaysian capital, focusing on transformations in teaching and learning approaches, student engagement, and technological integration in chemistry education. Through an in-depth analysis of diverse data sources from students and literatire review, this study aims to shed light on the challenges faced by the teaching and learning process in chemistry and the strategies employed to mitigate the adverse effects. In addition, the study also discusses the potential long-term transformations in higher education that may persist beyond the pandemic and offers recommendations to ensure the resilience and adaptability of private universities in Malaysia. Understanding the post-pandemic impact on private universities is crucial for formulating effective policies and strategies to enhance the quality and accessibility of higher education in the evolving educational landscape.

Future of Universities in the Face of Technological and Educational Challenges

In recent years, the situation of education has changed drastically and especially at the higher and university level. This factor is a consequence of technological development, the needs of the new generations and business demands. Thus, the research question that guides this study arises: How can universities adapt to provide an education that responds to these requirements? To this end, an exploratory documentary research is developed on the future of universities, and quantitative instruments are applied to know the perception of the future of universities by both teachers and students who belong to prominent universities in Ecuador. The results reflect that, in the coming decades, universities will be transformed, driven by advanced technologies, the demand for personalized and flexible education, and a greater link with the labor market and sustainability. This evolution will not only improve the quality and accessibility of higher education, but will also prepare students to meet the challenges of the future.

Equity and Higher Education Access in Chile: The High School Ranking Admission Policy Results from the Perspective of Its Program Theory

Equity and Higher Education Access in Chile: The High School Ranking Admission Policy Results from the Perspective of Its Program Theory

Readability and Higher Education Access: Exploring Community College Admissions Information on Websites

ABSTRACT Although United States community college enrollment rose in Fall 2023, the community college sector as a whole has contracted by 37% since 2010, representing over 2.6 million students. As a result, community college practitioners, specifically, those working in admissions and enrollment management should ensure that admissions instructions are simple enough so that students can read and comprehend how to apply for admission to community college. However, research at the four-year institutional level has found that admission information for prospective students is complex, often written above the 14th-grade English reading comprehension level. Here, this study gathered admissions application instructions from 949 community colleges in the United States to evaluate the grade-level readability of these instructions. The results suggest that the average readability level of community college admission information is near the 14th-grade level, with negligible differences between institutional sectors. Implications for practice and community college student access are addressed.

Post-independence health research productivity in Portuguese-speaking African countries: A bibliometric analysis of 43 years of research and higher education in Mozambique

BackgroundAfrica has a high double burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases underscoring the critical need for robust scientific research. However, it is also associated with low scientific research productivity. Mozambique, which gained independence in 1975, serves as a poignant example. However, there remains a notable scarcity of evidence evaluating the country's trajectory in scientific and academic development. This study aims to evaluate 43 years of health-related scientific knowledge production through bibliometric analysis, focusing on key indicators. Additionally, it seeks to characterize the higher education institutions within the country. MethodsThe data was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using an advanced search tool with Boolean research strategies, covering the period from 1976 to 2022 for all PALOP and 1976 to 2019 for Mozambique. To map Mozambican higher institutions, information was sourced from the Ministry of Science Technology and Higher Education database. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the findings, while the VOSviewer program version 1.6.19 was utilized to visualize distance-based bibliometric networks, focusing on co-authorship among institutions and keyword co-occurrence. ResultsPortuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) contribute 2.5 % (10,933 out of 442,309) to Africa's total scientific output, with Mozambique leading at 63.6 % (6,951 publications) followed by Angola at 16.6 % (1,811 publications). All PALOP countries experienced decreased scientific productivity during the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Mozambique, over 70 % (1,710 out of 2,380) of health-related publications from 2011 to 2019 were concentrated in this period. Key journals for health sciences include PLOS ONE, Malaria Journal, and Tropical Medicine & International Health, focusing on HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. Higher education institutions in Mozambique show regional disparities, with 67.9 % in the South and only 8.9 % in the North, indicating significant inequality in their distribution across the country. ConclusionThis study highlights Mozambique's significant progress in health research productivity over 43 years, establishing it as a leader among PALOP countries. The substantial increase in publications, particularly after 2008, underscores the nation's growing research capacity and commitment to addressing critical health challenges such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. However, regional disparities in higher education access and limited research contributions from private universities remain high in Mozambique.

A framework to foster accessibility in post-pandemic virtual higher education

The SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) forced educational institutions to move their programmes to the virtual world. Several tech-based solutions –including virtual training and tutoring, discussion forums, access to content and information, collaborative platforms, and Open Educational Resources (OER)– were implemented to address this shift and continue to be used in the post-pandemic era due to the advantages they offer, especially for hybrid and blended learning. However, the implementation of these tech-based solutions also revealed several accessibility issues that need to be addressed to fully leverage the technological benefits. This study aims to provide a framework to facilitate the adoption of good practices related to technological accessibility in virtual Higher Education. The implementation of the framework is divided into four basic actions, each of which should be tailored to the constraints and needs for improving accessibility in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The framework's instantiation in four HEIs serves as a proof-of-concept in real-world scenarios. The preliminary results suggest that the proposal is promising, as it was adaptable to the specific needs of each HEI fostering accessibility and inclusion through technological alternatives that align with their organisational structures and current levels of attention to accessibility.

Awareness and implementation confidence of free higher education program under UNIFAST among HEIs in Sulu, Philippines

Accessible higher education is a critical determinant of a nation's competitiveness in the global knowledge economy. By investing in human capital through free tertiary education, countries can cultivate a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, attracting foreign investment, and remain to be competitive on the international stage. This quantitative study analyzed the perceptions of students (n=200) about the implementation of Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) in Sulu, Philippines. The students were purposively sampled from four (4) universities in the province. A standardized Likert-scale was used to elicit the perceptions of students based on three (3) implementation metric (i) institutions’ awareness of UNIFAST, (ii) application and disbursement process, and (iii) evaluation of UNIFAST outcomes. Findings indicated that the higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sulu often implemented the provisions of the law. Additionally, inferential analysis revealed that student’s demographic profile (i.e., gender, parental education attainment, family income) could influence their general evaluation of UNIFAST implementation. Notably, this could be attributed to their perception of the program as a substantial source of assistance in pursuing higher education. Likewise, the assessment of UNIFAST implementation by students may be influenced by emotional elements, such as feelings of relief and contentment. The program may receive higher ratings from students because of the emotional relief it offers, especially for individuals who are experiencing financial limitations. Future studies might consider developing a more rigorous analysis relating human emotions scaling up their overall evaluation of the UNIFAST program.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Website UIN KHAS Terhadap Kemudahan Akses Informasi Mahasiswa MPI UIN KHAS Jember

This study aims to identify and analyze the influence of using the Universitas Islam Negeri Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq Jember (UINKHAS) website on the ease of access to information for students. Using a quantitative approach with a causal comparative research type, data were collected through online questionnaires from 30 students of the Islamic Education Management (MPI) study program at the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training. The analysis results showed that all items in the questionnaire were valid and reliable. Classical assumption tests indicated no issues of normality, heteroscedasticity, and multicollinearity. Hypothesis testing through multiple linear regression indicated that the use of the UINKHAS website has a significant and positive effect on the ease of access to information, with a determination coefficient of 92.3%. These findings reinforce the importance of utilizing information technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of information access in higher education.

Counseling Stigma: A Gender Analysis of Mental Health Access in Higher Education

Counseling Stigma: A Gender Analysis of Mental Health Access in Higher Education

Game accessibility course design modules in higher education

Game accessibility has evolved significantly during the last 10 years, both within the industry and in research. Further inclusion in both games and the game industry requires educational resources useful within game curricula, which has been developed by the industry, to raise awareness about design and development regarding game accessibility and related issues. The purpose of this paper is to explain how inclusive game design and game accessibility can be taught to students in higher education, for curricular design, in-between generic curricula and practice. A tentative curriculum framework (TCF) was developed by the author and a co-author, based on feedback from peers. The problem is that there is still a gap between the basic structure of the TCF and how to apply it in higher education courses. The goal with this paper is to exemplify how this can be done with a set of generalized modules with course activities based on teaching by the author for two decades, that can be implemented in higher education courses, either modified or as-is, related to the TCF. A set of example modules consisting of activities is presented that can be adapted and applied by peer educators. Future work involves transforming the modules themselves into open educational resources, organized based on the TCF. Hopefully, this can motivate peer educators to also contribute with further open educational resources in a common repository, to aid each other as a community of educators developing best practices for teaching about game accessibility in higher education.

Equity and access in higher education: Legal perspectives and management strategies

Ensuring equity and access in higher education has become a paramount concern for institutions, policymakers, and stakeholders worldwide. This review delves into the legal frameworks and management strategies essential for promoting equity and access within higher education systems. Firstly, legal perspectives provide a foundation for understanding the rights and responsibilities of both institutions and students. Various laws and regulations, including affirmative action policies, anti-discrimination statutes, and accessibility mandates, shape the legal landscape of higher education equity. Analyzing landmark court cases and legislative acts elucidates the evolving nature of these legal frameworks and their implications for fostering inclusive environments. Secondly, effective management strategies play a pivotal role in translating legal mandates into actionable initiatives. Institutional leaders must prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across all facets of academic and administrative operations. Implementing proactive recruitment and retention practices, establishing support services for underrepresented groups, and fostering a culture of inclusivity are among the key strategies employed to enhance accessibility and promote equity. Moreover, leveraging technology and data analytics can facilitate evidence-based decision-making and resource allocation, thereby addressing disparities in educational outcomes. Collaborative partnerships with community organizations, government agencies, and industry stakeholders also amplify the impact of equity initiatives and expand access to higher education opportunities. Navigating the complex intersection of legal requirements and management imperatives is essential for advancing equity and access in higher education. By embracing a holistic approach that combines legal compliance with strategic planning and proactive interventions, institutions can foster environments where all individuals have equitable opportunities to succeed and thrive academically.

Equity and Access to Higher Education for Rural Uyghur Students in China: A Consideration of Policy and Structural Barriers

This article examines the impact of rural origin on higher education access among one ethnic group, the Uyghur, a Muslim minority group who reside mostly in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with Uyghur university students, graduates, and the faculty who teach them. Since the time of the research, changes in China and in XUAR have impacted education policies, many of which had been developed to provide ethnic minorities in China with better access to higher education. This article discusses some of these policy changes to illustrate that the ways in which policy issues are framed also defines what constitutes the “problem” and thus also constrains the debate.

Breaking the barriers: the capacity to aspire for higher education of Bangladesh tea workers’ children

ABSTRACT This article aims to examine the structural constraints to aspirations for higher education of tea workers’ offspring in Bangladesh and how some of them overcame these constraints and determined their future pathways. The study was conducted drawing insights from Arjun Appadurai’s capacity to aspire and Pierre Bourdieu’s capital, habitus and field and employing a qualitative case study of two tea gardens in greater Sylhet, Bangladesh. We used a triangulation of methods composed of 54 qualitative intensive interviews, eight case studies and four Focus Group Discussions to collect data. The study finds that teagarden workers’ offspring encountered multiple barriers – economic, social and cultural – to enter higher education. It also reveals that a small number of them, who were relatively well-off and possessed a good amount of economic, social and cultural capital, were able to form their aspirations, break these barriers and access higher education.