Action In Higher Education Research Articles

A (de)formed perception of the pathway to be taken during the PhD. The influence of time in the students’ eyes perception in becoming a researcher.


 
 
 The PhD journey is different from all other activities in higher education. It ́s a period of construction of the research and is also a time for integration in the academy, in the field of research, and at the higher education system.
 During the enrolment in the PhD, the person's growth and the live experience change the perception that the doctorate has of the PhD and the research journey. The experiences as a doctoral student and as a researcher under construction, who is supervised/oriented/ guided by a supervisor, shape the way of thinking and action regarding the institution and the academy but also influence the way they see and felt the PhD journey and their beliefs. It is argued in this paper that an initial (de)formed perception of the real PhD journey and supervision, may influence the satisfaction of the students with it, and the disappointment impact the option to leave the academy or to continue.
 The current paper describes the change in the perception, motives, and of the curriculum quality and adequacy to doctoral personal journeys, during the doctorate. But it also reflects a PhD students’ personal journey and their perceptions concerning the PhD supervisors, host institutions, and the academy.
 
 

Higher education between massification and quality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how the policy of massification as a characteristic of the higher education system influences the quality of education? and what higher education model can the authors adopt to reconcile flow and quality?Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted is based on a questionnaire survey of a population of young graduates divided between graduates with a conventional license and LMD license, either in the process of preparing for a diploma or in unemployment or work. But also, the qualitative dimension which, although secondary in this survey, the authors mobilized it through the analysis of open questions relating to the perceptions and representations that young graduates have of their situations.FindingsThe higher education reforms are perceived differently by higher education actors. The results found show that university massification has had the opposite effect by training graduates doomed to unemployment and expatriation.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample for this study is very limited, the results of this finding cannot be generalized to the entire university student as a whole.Originality/valueThis study emphasizes the duality of flow and quality in higher education. The authors have shown the different perceptions of stakeholders in higher education and that despite the multiple reforms of this system the authors still cannot find the best model.

The Kids Are Alright—Right? Physical Activity and Mental Health in College Students

The status of physical activity in higher education has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. In this paper, we aim to (a) provide a brief history of physical activity on campus; (b) describe how that activity has changed from a requirement to an elective; (c) illustrate how mental health (particularly stress, anxiety, and depression) has changed in college students over the past few decades; and (d) describe the relationships between physical activity and mental health, particularly in college students. The paper culminates with recommendations for how colleges and universities might facilitate better student mental health through physical activity. There is room to improve the physical activity and mental health of college students, realigning higher education with the promotion of mens sana in corpore sano.

Principal components of implementation of “university-3.0” transformation in the development of innovative-entrepreneurial activities of modern higher educational institutions

Research of factors of support of innovative-entrepreneurial activities in higher education plays an important role in identifying problems in the management of innovation and entrepreneurship and its economic incentives. Because of the research, the importance of factors supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education was assessed, the principal components of the development of innovation and entrepreneurship as a factor of competitiveness of higher education institutions, “University-3.0” transformation were identified and transformation model was developed.

Preface

The Second International Conference on Green Energy and Environment (The 2nd ICoGEE 2020) was planned to held on October 8th, 2020 in Pangkalpinang, Indonesia. The 2nd ICoGEE 2020 was organized by Faculty of Engineering - Universitas Bangka Belitung together with some co-organized members such as the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Universitas Gadjah Mada, Department of Civil Engineering Universitas Indonesia and Asian Federation of Biotechnology. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to many changes on higher education activities, not least the way we conduct conferences. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and travel restrictions, the organizing committee decided to hold The 2nd ICoGEE 2020 virtually on October 8th, 2020 in Pangkalpinang, Indonesia through the Zoom Meeting platform.The 2nd ICoGEE 2020 is a scientific discussion from various disciplines that aims to generate new ideas to answer global challenges related to the development of science and technology to maintain energy and the environment. As we know, the availability of energy and the quality of the environment have a significant influence on various aspects of human life, namely the quality of human life, politics, economics and social. Another ICoGEE goal is to build a collaborative network between government, practitioners, industry and academics to solve problems in the energy and environment sector.Altough being held online, this conference attracted about 120 researchers, engineers, and scientists from various institutions. There are 23 institutions from seven countries: Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, United Kingdom, China, and Indonesia, participating in The 2nd ICoGEE 2020. The conference consists of two parts: keynote presentation (25 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes of Q&A, for each keynote speakers) and oral presentation (10 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes of Q&A). There were 95 papers divided into three topics: Green Energy and Application, Environmental Science and Technology, and Energy and Environmental Management. In the oral presentation, all participants were invited to academic groups to create discussion activities conducive and intensive.

Back and forth to the campus: Tackling invasions through service-learning activities in higher education

PurposeInvasive species are under the spotlight because of their detrimental effects on biodiversity. However, management of invasions presents multiple dimensions frequently difficult to disentangle. This complex topic has been tackled through a service-learning project on an invasive insect (Vespa velutina), a bee-eating species invading Europe. Specifically, this paper aims to assess the educational needs and motivations detected in a local population for the control of V. velutina, and evaluate the educational achievements of students participating in the project.Design/methodology/approachThe paper illustrates how students prepared the service activity, which consisted in a quiz and interviews to public in a honey festival located in an area that has invested heavily in the control of the hornet. They informed visitors on its biology and impacts, and collected information on visitors’ knowledge and attitudes towards the hornet. This information was taken back to the class and discussed in an open debate.FindingsThe service activity uncovered important knowledge gaps of the local population and revealed the attachment to controversial control methods. Students acknowledged that the project met a real community need and valued the contact with the public, and the presentation of the project in the Faculty favored a debate on invasions management and biodiversity protection under the framework of campus sustainability.Originality/valueWhile students are familiar with actions on campus sustainability, they are seldom confronted with the evaluation of management decisions on complex topics involving multiple dimensions. This service-learning project showed a good potential for fostering in-depth debates and promoting student engagement in campus sustainable initiatives.

Artificial Intelligence and Learning Activities: A Match Made in Heaven?

Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) may be described as the next big disruptor in higher education, however, AIED still only remains “evidence of a potential” Balslev (2020). Practical experience with AI in higher education is very limited and potential pedagogical applications of AI has so far not been given much attention. The objective of this paper is to analyse and discuss concrete applications of AI to support different learning activities in higher education using the ABC Learning Design approach Young and Perovic (2016). The purpose of the paper is to contribute to research in the practical use of AI in higher education by presenting the AI Pedagogy Planner and to start the important theoretical discussion of AI applications from a pedagogical point of view. The paper is based on empirical data from nine selected cases of AI use in higher education in Portugal, the United Kingdom and Denmark, respectively. The analysis demonstrated that there is a need for new views on the pedagogical use of AI in higher education. However, the paper goes further and outlines an AI Pedagogy Planner combining six overall learning activities with eight types of AI applications.

GERAKAN MAHASISWA UNTUK PENCEGAHAN PENYEBARAN COVID-19 DI KOTA PADANG

Merebaknya pandemi Covid-19 hingga ke Indonesia termasuk Kota Padang, mengakibatkan aktivitas pendidikan di Universitas Andalas harus mengikuti keadaan yang umum berjalan. Kuliah tetap berjalan meski dilakukan di dunia maya. Kegiatan pendidikan tinggi di Universitas Andalas harus terus berjalan meski ada di dunia nyata dan maya tetapi pada hakekatnya tetap menghasilkan produk yang nyata, yaitu manusia yang beriman dan bertakwa kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa dan berakhlak mulia, sehat, berilmu, cakap, kreatif, mandiri, terampil, berkompetan dan berbudaya untuk kepentingan bangsa. Selain itu maka kegiatan pendidikan tinggi juga harus mewujudkan Aplikasi Ilmu kepada Masyarakat berbasis penalaran dan karya penelitian yang bermanfaat dalam memajukan kesejahteraan umum dan mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa. Dengan berpegang pada amanah pendidikan tinggi untuk mencapai tujuan pendidikan tersebut telah dilakukan aplikasi rekayasa kepada masyarakat dalam rangka mengurangi dampak akibat penanganan Covid-19 di Kota Padang. Kegiatan ini berupa keikutsertaan dalam membagikan bahan makanan bagi masyarakat yang sangat terdampak pandemi Covid-19 serta turut mengurangi penyebaran dengan menyediakan pembersih tangan di tempat berpotensi banyak orang berkumpul. Selain itu sumbangsih ini juga turut mencerdaskan masyarakat untuk mengurangi risiko dampak Covid-19 dengan merancang, membuat dan menyebarkan materi edukasi sehat di dunia maya. Kegiatan ini telah berhasil dilakukan untuk ikut serta dalam menangani permasalahan pandemi Covid-19 dan masih terus berlangsung dengan semangat belajar dan bekerja dari rumah, tetap menjaga jarak yang merupakan cara terbaik dalam memutus rantai penyebaran virus ini, dengan bekerja sama baik antara civitas akademika Universitas Andalas dengan pemerintah dan masyarakat.

Who governs knowledge? The language and actors of higher education and research policy in France. Wolf Feuerhahn and Olivier Orain in conversation with Christian Topalov, 12 February 2020

Wolf Feuerhahn : Cher Christian, merci beaucoup d’avoir accepte notre invitation ! Afin de ne pas imposer un cadrage temporel qui serait le notre, nous souhaitons commencer par vous demander comment vous scanderiez et borneriez l’histoire des politiques publiques de l’enseignement superieur et de la recherche, en France, en tant qu’elles ont une incidence sur la situation actuelle ? Christian Topalov : Le recit que vous me demandez de faire est necessairement une prise de position. Il y a, en...

Pandemia do COVID-19 e as possibilidades de ressignificação das atividades de gestão no ensino superior: relato de experiência

Objective: It aims to report the management experience and the possibilities of reinventing academic activities due to the pandemic. To ensure the safety of students and teachers, all face-to-face activities were suspended, following the recommendations of health authorities to maintain social isolation. Method: This is a descriptive study, an experience report, referring to management activities in higher education at a college in the interior of Ceará. The study was carried out during the first semester of 2020. Results: The initial moment was uncertain due to the gloomy scenario that was presented. For the development of academic activities, in the midst of the new pandemic context, it was necessary to follow three steps: 1. Scenario analysis - In the scenario analysis, an understanding of the new reality that was abruptly established that reached the normal development of academic activities scheduled for the 2020.1 semester. 2. Planning - so that, in a crystalline way, we could see the possibilities for a resumption of activities. For this, a virtual technological resource was used for the space for proposing ideas, as well as for defining the necessary points that should be considered in the planning. 3. As advances in the development of remote activities progressed, new demands arose, such as evaluations, internet access, weak connection, emotional aspects, among others, which generated the need to revisit the previous steps, as indicated arrows in opposite directions, to readjust the steps. Conclusion: in the pandemic period, they reveal the possibility of finding new opportunities in carrying out the teaching-learning process. To this end, it is necessary to promote similar initiatives giving an opportunity for the ability to reinvent teachers and students as protagonists in the search for knowledge.

Caracterización del profesorado con perfil investigador en universidades colombianas

The knowledge production dynamics, resulting from scientific activities in higher education, have been a phenomenon widely studied in the last decades. In Colombia, the scientific research capabilities in higher education institutions have been the focus of attention in the last thirty years thanks to the strengthening of the national system of science, technology and innovation, at the head of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. This paper presents an analysis of the characteristics of professors with a research profile at Colombian universities. Through a quantitative, no experimental examination in 2018, a questionnaire was applied to 379 teachers, who are research group leaders and are working in Colombian universities. The data analysis was conducted using non-parametric tests H Kruskal Wallis and U of Mann Whitney. As a result, some variables such as the professor’s field of knowledge, kind of university contract, and research conceptions of professors are related to the kind of scientific productivity growth in the universities. In this way, the study contributes to understanding how the institutional environment (organizational structure and management practices) and the individual’s factors explain the differences over the development and consolidation of research activities in Colombian universities.

O estudo do meio como processo gerador do ensino, pesquisa e extensão

The article approaches the Milieu Analysis teaching method as a generating process of the inseparability of teaching, research and university extension. It is based on the conceptual debate around Milieu Analysis from aspects of the ideas of Célestin Freinet and Anísio Teixeira. We take into account historical experiences in Basic Education in national and international contexts in order to formulate a methodological proposition of innovative actions in Higher Education aiming to extrapolate physical, social and cultural barriers that separate university and society in their processes of knowledge production. The text’s empirical base describes and analyzes an experience carried out at the Federal University of Southern Bahia.

Development of Organizational Culture and Educational Traditions of a University: Experience of School of Adviser Curators

The article summarizes 10 years of innovative work experience of the School of Curators and Advisers(SCA) at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Educational activity in higher education has its owncharacteristics, differs from the school area of activity. It is more professionally oriented, includes thedevelopment of common competencies – communication, resilience, stress resistance, creativity, etc.The article reflects the development of new approaches to the educational work of the university. Thepurpose of the article is to summarize the practical experience of the School of Advisers and Curators atAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, to identify important areas of development of the academic environmentthrough the experience of conducting trainings on educational work, the development of theorganizational culture of teachers and educational traditions, strategies and technologies in universityeducation. Great importance in higher education is attached to the academic environment, the improvementof organizational culture, and through it the development of the social capital of the university. Themain task of work of SCA is to increase the educational competence of curators. As part of the implementationof this task, as the authors note, thanks to the use of training methods for advanced training, theexchange of teachers’ experience, and the creative atmosphere, the functions of relieving social tensionin the team, elements of social therapy, establishing communication, and thus increasing the intellectualand social capital of teachers and organizations, were additionally performed., According to the survey,in which about 300 curators took part, more than 90% of teachers note the usefulness of the trainings.The SWOT-analysis of innovative experience was made.Key words: educational theory, curator, adviser, social capital, academic environment.

PROBLEMS OF USING CUSTOMER-ORIENTED MARKETING STRATEGY IN THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The object of research: marketing activities in higher education to remain competitive. Investigated problem: setting up a management system of relations with stakeholders in the educational services market, which can adjust quickly to any market changes. The main scientific results: trends in changes of higher education students in Ukraine in the last 20 years have been researched. Reasons, which supported growth of the number of universities and academies between 1991 and 2009, and their reduction between 2010 and 2019, have been analyzed. Distinctive features of the market creation, which led to the structural disproportions, have been identified. Conclusions made about the possibility of introducing a customer-orientated approach to manage marketing activities in Ukrainian higher educational services market. Considerable differences in concepts of “client” and “consumer” in operations of educational establishments have been analyzed. The area of practical use of the research results: higher education and professional education organizations Technological innovation: blueprint for process implementation of customer-oriented approach was suggested to be adopted by higher educational establishments, developed key basic principles for strategy implementation to achieve competitive advantages of higher educational establishments within the educational services market, given recommendations on setting up an organizational structure for managing marketing activities in higher educational establishments. Scope of application for technological innovation: practical activity in the marketing field and relations with stakeholders of educational organizations.

Learning Analytics: Analyzing Various Aspects of Learners’ Performance in Blended Courses. The Case of Kabul Polytechnic University, Afghanistan

Learning performance is crucial in students’ academic lives because it opens opportunities for future professional development. However, conventional educational practices do not provide all the necessary skills for university instructors and students to succeed in today's educational context. In addition, due to poor information resources, ineffective ICT tool utilization and the teaching methodologies in developing countries, particularly Afghanistan, a large gap exists across curriculum plans and instructor practices. Learning analytics, as a new educational instrument, has made it possible for higher education actors to reshape the educational environment to be more effective and consistent. In this study, we analyzed multiple research approaches and the results of analytics of various learner aspects to address the aforementioned issues. The research methods were predominantly quantitative-cum-qualitative. Real (quantitative) data were collected based on learners’ explicit actions, such as completing assignments and taking exams, and implicit actions, such interacting and posting on discussion forums. Meanwhile, secondary (qualitative) data collection was conducted on-site at Kabul Polytechnic University (KPU); both blended and traditional class samples were included. The results of this study offer insight into various aspects of learners’ behaviors that lead to their success and indicate the best analytical model/s to provide the highest prediction accuracy. Furthermore, the results of this study could help educational organizations adopt learning analytics to conduct early assessments to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and improve learners’ performance.

Principals’ Leadership Variables and Undergraduates Attitudes Towards Practicum Exercise in Secondary Schools

Background: The attitudes of many undergraduates towards practicum exercise is declining in each passing year, affecting the quality of educational leaders produced from higher education. Studies in the past, have documented that there is no significant difference in the attitudes of students with or without practicum experience towards academic activities in higher education. Little or nothing seems to be known at the moment regarding the reasons why there is an indifference in the attitudes of students after completing a practicum course. In response to this gap, we designed this study to assess principals' leadership variables as the presumed cause of undergraduates' declining attitudes towards practicum exercise in secondary schools. Methods: A census study was carried out in Cross River State, where the entire 667 secondary school administrators (271 principals and 396 vice principals) were studied. “Principals’ Leadership Variables and Undergraduates’ Attitudes Towards Practicum Exercise Questionnaire” (PLVUATPEQ), designed by the researchers, was used in data collection. Data collected were analysed using simple linear regression analysis. Results: We find amongst others, that principals’ leadership styles, communication patterns, decision-making and supervisory approaches significantly predict undergraduates' attitudes towards practicum exercise relatively. Each of these independent variables accounts differently for the variance in the dependent variable based on their unique coefficient of determination. Conclusion: It was concluded generally, that principals’ leadership variables significantly predict undergraduates’ attitudes towards practicum exercise. The attitudes of undergraduates towards practicum exercise increases as the leadership styles, communication patterns, decision-making skills, and supervisory approaches of principals improve. The implications of this study are discussed for policy and educational reforms.

THE REALITY OF USING E-LEARNING APPLICATIONS AND THE READINESS OF FACULTY MEMBERS: A CASE STUDY

E-learning has a significant role in motivating the faculty members in higher education, so the objective of this study is to investigate the real implementation of e-learning tools, and the readiness of faculty to experience e-learning in their educational activities, and how that motivates them. Faculty members of Qassim University (QU), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) participating in the research confirmed that e-learning is an element that affects their motivation and they have a favourable attitude towards the use of E-learning to enhance the educational activities. A questionnaire was applied to collect data from faculty members questioning the computer knowledge, knowledge of requirements of e-learning, the readiness of faculty members to use e-learning in teaching, and knowledge of e-learning tools that being able to use in teaching. The statistical method including comparing means and Pearson's correlation coefficient used for data analysis. The outcomes of this paper give a view of the real use of e-learning and its tools in normal teaching activities, and explore the readiness towards that. Over 90% of faculty members have the needed equipment, over 70% have the ability to use any LMS to deal with their courses, and over 95% can use good communication tools. Well, that entire represents attitude towards readiness of using e-learning applications based on their high knowledge of needed information and tools, this helps the institute to develop new techniques and methods for educational activities in higher education.

Moving IPE from being ‘worthy’ to ‘required’ in health professional curriculum: Is good governance the missing part?

Introduction: There is an accelerating trend towards interdisciplinary learning and teaching activities in higher education. However, traditional discipline-based approaches to making and implementing decisions (academic governance) can be out of step. Within health professional education, there is a particular need to embrace interdisciplinary approaches to learning in the form of interprofessional education (IPE). The aim of this study was to identify academic governance models that successfully, or otherwise, supported the maintenance of quality standards of IPE programs and learning activities.Method: A 10-year literature search yielded 11 articles that addressed the IPE governance of academic standards.Results: Three models were identified: centralized, decentralized, and stand-alone. Key features of each are described with discussion on strengths and weaknesses for curriculum development, academic leadership and student learning, and the challenges of enabling interprofessional governance within traditional university academic governance structures.Conclusion: As with interdisciplinary education more broadly, there is emerging literature regarding effective governance systems to enable quality IPE within individual institutions. Educators should give careful consideration to the optimal governance model for their particular institution and context.

Language policies and internationalization of higher education

ABSTRACT In the context of education for the global world, internationalization is a strategy and a goal of higher education (HE). In many cases, the conditions for carrying out internationalization are neglected in detriment of its economic and financial impact. The definition of appropriate language policies and their relation to the organization and functioning of institutions at all levels (teaching, research, transfer, governance, etc.) are constitutive aspects of internationalization. This definition considers the need to promote mobility and inclusion of different actors in HE and the need for competitive affirmation at local, national and international levels. Not only the conception of language policies must be clear, but the concept of language must be revisited within its relation to acquisition, construction and dissemination of knowledge in an ecological perspective of multilingual practices in HE, emphasizing that there is no science without languages and without linguistic diversity. In a contextually anchored complexity management framework, the relationship between language policies (or lack thereof) and pedagogical and methodological innovations is referred. This text emphasizes that language policies are essential in internationalization of HE. To achieve this purpose, a new concept of language and an integrated approach of language and knowledge/science are needed.

Higher Education in the Arab States: The Realities and Challenges of Regionalization

This study explores the phenomenon of higher education regionalization in the Arab states using the Functional, Organizational and Political Approaches model (FOPA) as the analytical framework. Drawing on data from different international, regional, and national organizations, the article shows that the Arab states are engaging in a variety of collaborative activities and alignment efforts related to improving quality assurance, academic mobility, and joint research. The article concludes that the process of higher education regionalization in the Arab states is currently oriented more towards bilateral and multilateral activities by universities and higher education actors than through regional-based frameworks, policies, and plans. The commitment to the regionalization of higher education is challenged by lack of a robust governance structure, funding, political instability, and a keen interest in collaboration and partnerships external, not internal, to the region. Thus, higher education regionalization in this region is yet to evolve to a more strategic and planned approach.