Higher Education Area Research Articles

ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ УДАЛЕННОГО ОНЛАЙН ОБУЧЕНИЯ В ФИЗКУЛЬТУРНЫХ ВУЗАХ ЯКУТИИ ВО ВРЕМЯ ПАНДЕМИИ

The article presents the organization of remote online training for students of the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports of the North-Eastern Federal University (IFCiS NEFU) and the Churapchinsky State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports (CHIPCIS) by means and technologies of online distance learning for the period of the worldwide quarantine due to COVID-19 (April 2020-April 2021). These events affected all areas of higher education in conditions of self-isolation and quarantine measures in the use of distance learning at all levels of education. The experiment involved 220 students from the two above-mentioned physical education universities in Yakutia. The study was conducted using the survey method developed by one of the authors of the article, taking into account the specifics of the organization of online learning in the regional education system with statistical processing of the data of the research results. The authors substantiate the practical significance of the study in the context of the organization of online distance learning using software tools and a distance learning platform in the regional system of physical education. The materials of the article are of practical value for teachers and researchers on the problems of training teachers and teachers in the field of e-learning implementation, taking into account the scientific and methodological support of the educational process

LIFELONG LEARNING AS A PRIORITY OF DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

The article explores the phenomenon of lifelong learning as one of the key priorities for the development of a European educational partnership. The importance of lifelong learning as a recognized theory and practice of the concept, which is the benchmark of broad modernization processes in the European Higher Education Area, is demonstrated. The main interrelated areas of action (defining strategic priorities for development, outlining key competencies of lifelong learning, identifying forms of lifelong learning, funding and investment efficiency) are considered.The potential of lifelong learning a mechanism for promoting social stability and cultural convergence at the beginning of the third millennium is conceptualized. Productive links between lifelong learning and the processes of building a knowledge economy have been demonstrated. The methodological basis of the study was the analysis of the European Commission’s educational policy (conceptual, regulatory and programmatic documents) in the field of lifelong learning. The results obtained in the study may be useful to both domestic researchers and practitioners in the field of public administration of higher education, university staff, involved in international cooperation.

Review of research for two decades for women leadership in higher education around the world and in Vietnam: a comparative analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find the studies conducted on women leadership in higher education (WLHE) in the past 20 years to understand as to how the trend has changed over the past two decades around the world and particularly in Vietnam for women leaders in higher education institutions.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used a systematic review of 93 articles published in the past 20 years in WLHE. The articles were classified based on the country of research and the research methods used.FindingsThe study concluded that most of the research in WLHE had been done in the USA and Canada, with a dearth of literature on WLHE in Asia, and only six studies so far have been done in Vietnam, with only two studies being done before 2017. Vietnam is gaining importance in research in WLHE may be because of the increased female labour participation rate and growth in the gross domestic product.Practical implicationsThis study provided some recommendations at the societal, institutional and individual levels, which can help in women empowerment and help women take up the leadership roles.Originality/valueAlthough a variety of reviews have been conducted focusing on different areas in higher education, there is a small number of literature review studies in the field of women leaders in higher education, especially in Vietnam and Asia. Hence, the current study will add this missing part to the growing body of literature in WLHE.

Innovative-Variative Approach To The Process Of Training Of Public Education Workers As A Developing Model Of Professional Development

Innovative and variable technologies to ensure the quality and competitiveness of the education system through continuous training of teachers in the world have been introduced into the educational process. “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” adopted at the 70th anniversary session of the UN General Assembly, “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization”, “European Higher Education Area (EHEA)” , The European Center for the Development of Vocational Education (CEDEFOP), the Center for Lifelong Learning (DIE) and the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Association of People's Universities (DVV International) ”in the concepts of“ competency-based education Systematic work is being carried out on the implementation of large-scale practical projects to improve the mechanisms of humanization and development of education through the implementation of the model "learning).

Efectos académicos de una enseñanza mixta versus metodología única centrada en el profesor y enfoques de aprendizaje

Recent research in the area of higher education appears to indicate that a mixed teaching methodology that combines direct instruction by the teacher and student-centered activities improves the quality of learning, as indicated by student satisfaction and academic performance. However, the successful implementation of such methodology depends to a great extent on the teacher?s understanding of how students approach their learning. In light of this thesis, the present study seeks to: (1) identify the engineering students? approaches to learning; (2) determine if a mixed methodology that combines lectures and problem-based learning (PBL) activities improves the quality of students? academic results more than traditional teaching methodology that consists primarily of the teacher?s explanations and assignments; and (3) explore the relationships between students? academic results and the approaches to learning and the teaching-learning methods that have been investigated. Utilizing a quasiexperimental design, 160 engineering students were divided into two groups: an experimental group where students completed the course with a mixed teaching methodology, and a control group wherein students attended a course following a more teacher-centered methodology. The analyzed results show that engineering students mainly adopt a deep learning approach. One of the main findings of this study is that a mixed methodology, such as the presented in this work, is more effective because it improves students? satisfaction and academic performance significantly. It also promotes deeper processing than a teacher-centered methodology that is based on lectures and individual practical assignments. In addition, it has been supported that the main approaches to learning that the students in the study used are not consistent. The methods that they use vary significantly depending on the requirements of the instructional context and how students understand it.

Moving toward student-faculty partnership in systems-level assessment: A qualitative analysis

Partnership models have been effective across many areas of higher education such as involving students as teaching and learning consultants, in course design and redesign, and as co-instructors. However, there are few systems-level (i.e., entire programs or institutions) examples of partnership work and virtually none in systems-level assessment. Systems-level assessment models, such as program-level assessment in the United States, are used to inform broad changes to academic programs. Thus, student input may be crucial. This study sought to explore the broad factors that underlie potential student-faculty partnership efforts in systems-level assessment. Participants were faculty and staff members based in the United States and the United Kingdom who engaged in student-faculty partnerships at the program and/or classroom level. Qualitative coding and analyses of interviews with participants resulted in seven primary themes. This study examines patterns evident in student-faculty partnership work across several areas of higher education and begins to lay the foundation for a theory of student-faculty partnership in systems-level assessment.

The Concept of the FSES HE of the Fourth Generation for Engineering Education in the Context of Implementing the Assignments of the President of Russia

Within the framework of the activities of the Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in the field of education “Engineering, Technology and Technical Sciences”, proposals have been developed for the implementation of a set of tasks for the development of higher education set by the President of Russia. The necessity of implementing different methodological and normative approaches to different areas of higher education is argued. The authors substantiate the concept of the fourth generation Federal State Educational Standard for the engineering field of education. A new approach to the organization of admission to universities is proposed, which allows students to choose the direction of training after completing the second year of study. An innovative structure of lists of specialties and areas of preparation of higher education is presented, which provides the possibility of implementing the concept of the fourth generation Federal State Educational Standard, as well as greater flexibility and enlargement of the lists.

ЗАЛЕЖНІСТЬ ЯКОСТІ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ ВІД ДЖЕРЕЛ ЇЇ ФІНАНСУВАННЯ ТА СПЕЦІАЛІЗАЦІЇ ЗВО: АНАЛІЗ ДУМКИ РОБОТОДАВЦІВ І НАПРЯМИ ВДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ

Анотація. Ураховуючи той факт, що Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area ідентифікують роботодавців на рівні одного з основних стейкхолдерів забезпечення якості вищої освіти, було проведено їхнє опитування в межах позагрантового проєкту «Оцінка якості вищої освіти». Серед фокусів уваги проекту були в тому числі й ті питання, зміст яких зосереджувався на з’ясуванні думки роботодавців щодо існування залежності якості вищої освіти від джерел її фінансування і спеціалізації ЗВО. Використовуючи інструментарій експертного інтерв’ю та анкетування, було опитано 184 роботодавців з Харківської, Полтавської, Сумської, а також підконтрольних Україні частин Донецької та Луганської областей. Отримані результати були розглянути через призму аналізу університетських рейтингів за напрямом з’ясування спеціалізації та форм власності тих з університетів, які займають у їх межах так звані топові позиції. Проведений аналіз дозволив виявити принципові розбіжності між трендами національного академічного рейтингу «ТОП-200 Україна» та міжнародного університетського рейтингу «QS World University Rankings» щодо спеціалізації та форм власності ЗВО-лідерів. Було встановлено, що серед топових університетів світового рівня домінують класичні ЗВО та існує паритет між кількістю приватних та державних ЗВО у межах обраної для аналізу вибірки. Аналіз національного академічного рейтингу дозволив констатувати той факт, що серед топових українських університетів домінують спеціалізовані ЗВО, а частка приватних ЗВО взагалі відсутня. Сприйняття результатів опитування роботодавців та результатів аналізу змісту університетських рейтингів через призму залежності якості вищої освіти від джерел її фінансування та спеціалізації університету, дозволило сформулювати пропозиції щодо вдосконалення державної політики у сфері вищої освіти. Серед практичних заходів, реалізація яких, з одного боку, забезпечить підвищення якості вищої освіти, а з іншого – сприятиме оптимізації використання державного бюджету на утримання та розвиток системи вищої освіти, було запропоновано розробити та забезпечити виконання двох державних цільових програм, а саме: Програми пріоритетного розвитку спеціалізованих ЗВО та Програми пріоритетного розвитку класичних ЗВО. Для кожної з цих програм було визначено критерії відбору ЗВО для включення у програму, а також визначено граничну кількість її учасників. Крім того, в статті обґрунтовано необхідність залучення роботодавців до моніторингу якості вищої освіти на регіональному та державних рівнях, а також сформульовано пропозиції щодо вдосконалення механізмів державного управління забезпеченням якості вищої освіти. Ключові слова: якість вищої освіти; опитування роботодавців; залежність якості вищої освіти від джерел її фінансування та спеціалізації закладу вищої освіти; напрями вдосконалення змісту державної політики у сфері вищої освіти; державна цільова програма із забезпечення пріоритетного розвитку закладів вищої освіти Формул: 0; рис.: 2; табл.: 0; бібл. 42.

Strategic value realization framework from learning analytics: a practical approach

PurposeIn spite of the popularity of learning analytics (LA) in higher education institutions (HEIs), the success rate and value gained through LA projects is still little and unclear. The existing research on LA focusses more on tactical capabilities rather than its effect on organizational value. The key questions are what are the expected benefits for the institution? And how the investment in LA can bring tangible value? In this research, the authors proposed a value realization framework from LA extending the existing framework of information technology value.Design/methodology/approachThe study includes a detailed literature review focusing on the importance, existing frameworks and LA adoption challenges. Based on the identified research gap, a new framework is designed. The framework depicts the several constructs and their relationships focusing on strategic value realization. Furthermore, this study includes three case studies to validate the framework.FindingsThe framework suggests that leveraging LA for strategic value demands adequate investment not only in data infrastructure and analytics but also in staff skill training and development and strategic planning. Universities are required to measure the strategic role of LA and spend wisely in quality data, analytical tools, skilled staff who are aware of the latest technologies and data-driven opportunities for continuous improvement in learning.Originality/valueThe framework permits education leaders to design better strategies for attaining excellence in learning and teaching, and furnish learners with new data to settle on the most ideal decisions about learning. The authors believe that the appropriation of this framework and consistent efficient interest in learning analytics by the higher education area will prompt better results for learners, colleges and more extensive society. The research also proposes two approaches and eleven research agendas for future research based on the framework. The first is based on the constructs and their relationships in LA value creation, whereas the later one focusing on identifying problems associate with it.

Biofísica da respiração: uma proposta de abordagem com o uso de recursos educacionais digitais

Nas disciplinas de física destinadas a atender os cursos das áreas biológicas e da saúde no ensino superior duas realidades são encontradas, uma delas onde os conteúdos de física são pouco relacionados com os temas apresentados dentro da área de interesse do público ao qual se destina e a outra onde as disciplinas possuem uma estrutura que enfatiza a relação entre as áreas, ao discutir os princípios físicos que estão relacionados ao funcionamento de estruturas biológicas. A questão é que em ambas as situações não estão previstas ou planificadas, de forma acessível, aulas práticas que permitam a realização de atividades compatíveis com os conteúdos teóricos de biofísica, tornando-se improvável que elas ocorram de forma a dar conta das necessidades de aprendizagem dos estudantes inscritos nessas disciplinas. Deste modo é fundamental que existam materiais e recursos que contribuam com um papel mais ativo por parte dos estudantes para melhorar a aprendizagem, uma vez que a realidade atual é desfavorável para a compreensão adequada dos temas em biofísica. Assim, será apresentado aqui uma discussão das leis envolvidas nos processos respiratórios - Lei de Boyle, Lei de Henry, Lei de Graham – ao propor uma sequência didática, com a utilização dos recursos educativos digitais (REDs), focados em três simulações, que visam apoiar a compreensão das relações matemáticas que descrevem alguns fenômenos físicos descritos e dois pequenos vídeos, que buscam conectar algumas informações pertinentes do que está sendo abordado.

From Negotiator to Note-Taker: The Role of Women Leaders and Academic Technology Cultures

For years, there has been a perceived inaccessibility of the field of Information Technology, centering on an organizational culture of “men and their machines” (Clark, 2012). This paper examines the role of women who lead technology initiatives in higher education and presents the experiences of these women leaders and their collision of organizational cultures as part of a comparative case study of two public institutions. Findings suggest elements of culture within the IT field that contribute to the experiences of women leaders in IT, and illuminate that leading a technology project may add a layer of gender expectations and gender roles that are more entrenched in the IT world than in other areas of higher education.

Intercultural teacher–student relationships: a qualitative study of students on 2+2 tertiary joint programs

Teacher–student relationship (TSR) is, despite its importance, an under-researched area in higher education, and this is particularly the case with TSR between international students and their teachers at the host institutions. Past research has found that social integration plays an important role in university students’ academic performance and in international students’ satisfaction with their overseas experience. By using rich interview data, this study examined the TSRs Chinese international students experienced on 2+2 tertiary joint programs between Chinese institutions and an Australian university. Three major themes emerged from this study: Students’ experiences of TSR at their Chinese home institutions, their experiences of TSR at the Australian university, and the student-initiated reasons for cross-cultural differences. This study contributes to the literature by calling the attention of policy makers and program managers of 2+2 joint programs (and other joint tertiary programs) to the important issues of intercultural communication and intercultural awareness.

Cultural Heritage Programs in the Higher Education Institutions: The Bulgarian Experience

The article systematizes information about the current cultural heritage programs in the Bulgarian higher education area. The data shows that in eleven Bulgarian universities a diploma of cultural heritage can be obtained. 17 master's and 3 bachelor's programs prepare over 500 students a year. Two doctoral programs are also accredited. The rich variety of curricula is an objective result of the complex structure of cultural heritage in itself. However, it is also an indicator for the fragmentation of the higher education system in Bulgaria. The conclusion proposes approaches to overcoming the mentioned fragmentation, as the interdisciplinarity of the scientific field requires pooling of competencies and efforts for better results.

Networked Teaching: Overcoming the Barriers to Teaching Experiential Learning in Large Classes

As student enrolments grow and student diversity increases in many areas of higher education, faculty face challenges to support and ensure individual student learning and development. At the same time, active and experiential approaches to learning are recognized for their potential to develop autonomy and critical thinking, among other valuable skills. However, such approaches are challenging to implement at scale and alter the educator’s role from a directive one to a more facilitating role. This article reports on a questionnaire with 66 business academics at a large Australian metropolitan university that examined teaching experiences at scale and identified perceived barriers and enablers of experiential learning in large classes. Academics reported their lived experiences of teaching at scale and revealed the need to recognize teaching practice as a highly networked and distributed activity. In experiential learning, and particularly in large classes, the locus of control for learning shifts to the student, leading to feelings of disorientation and disempowerment. We make several recommendations for teaching development, faculty, and future research.

The Quality of Electronic Local History Products: Experience of Development of Criteria and Expertise

Libraries provide the variety of electronic local history products to preserve local history and transmit it via remote access. Due to the development of information technologies the quality of these products needs to be evaluated. In the course of study, the authors developed the working definitions of the concepts “Electronic local history products” and “Quality of electronic local history products”. To determine the quality of an electronic local history product, the study considers the existing approaches to their assessment in libraries, museums, archives, as well as in the area of higher education. The article determines the quality criteria, which are formed into four groups: formal, ergonomic, informative and local history. In the course of an expert online survey of 44 practitioners of the central and municipal libraries of the Kemerovo region, the authors coordinated the basic criteria for evaluating the quality of electronic local history products. Based on the developed criteria, there was carried out expert examination of electronic local history products of the V.D. Fedorov State Scientific Library of Kuzbass. The article analyses the digests “Environmental problems of the Kemerovo region” and “Calendar of significant and memorable dates in the Kemerovo region” that prevail on the library’s website. The conformance of quality criteria for calendars of significant and memorable dates and digests published by the library is presented in a matrix format. The study showed that the requirements for the quality of electronic information products in professional press are ambiguous. Specific approaches are required to reflect the local history component. To improve the system of electronic local history products, there is required the constant internal control and expertise of the products presented on the websites. The working list of criteria for their quality is open for completion. In the future, it needs to be approbated on the example of local history products from other libraries.

Who ensures that society has the professionals it needs? Differences in the policy directions of three European countries

ABSTRACT In this article, we examine how policy documents from three European countries – the Netherlands, Germany and England – position a key outcome of higher education: the development of high-level professionals. Our findings show significant differences between the policies in the three countries in terms of in definitions of high-level professionals, the characterization of the education needed to produce high-level professionals, and the mechanisms identified as ensuring the production of high-level professionals. Our findings show that in order to develop a comparative understanding of higher education outcomes across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), it is necessary to examine the strategic and visionary perspective of national policies in different EHEA countries. This is significant given that the EHEA’s claim to ensure common outcomes across its higher education systems.

IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT ON WORKERS’ INCOMES

The article presents the impact of the level of education of employees on their income in various terms. One of them is a study based on the OECD data from 2004–2005, which shows the differentiation of incomes of employees with different levels of education on the basis of the relative differentiation between them, assuming the income level of employees with upper secondary education as 100 and referring to it respectively the income level of employees with higher education and the level of income of employees with lower secondary education. The article then presents a more elaborate study of the impact of the level of education of employees on their incomes in the European Union, included in the Report “The European Higher Education Area in 2015”. This survey shows the impact of the education level of employees on the median of their gross annual income in the European Union and in the individual Member States. The article also compares the income differentiation depending on the level of education, based on the OECD data for 2004–2005, with the results of surveys on European Union Member States in 2010 and 2013.

ATHENA: Contributing to Development of Higher Education Institutions for the Digital Age

Facilitated by public administrations and the European Union, higher education institutions should support their teachers so they develop the skills for online and other forms of teaching and learning opened up by the digital era and should exploit the opportunities presented by technology to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The article focuses on new European Union grant programs that empower the increasing of digital literacy in the higher education area, developing cooperation, and overcoming challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. This initiative can empower a new European University and support an international project aimed at certification of professional educators with the participation of a Russian partner.

Examining the Sequence of Factors Affecting Student’ Tendency to Dropout: a Case Study in Greece

Speaking of the causal spectrum of dropout we are referring to something not simple but highly complex. In this context, the issue of dropping out of studies is considered critical within the area of higher education due to its impact on the individual, the university and the society as a whole. In this study, an effort was made to investigate students’ tendency to dropout and to identify the sequence of factors that influence it, as well as its configuration per School. For this purpose, hierarchical regression trees were applied for the factors that compose the dropout index, holistically and separately per school, while for each factor the corresponding hierarchical tree with its items has been analyzed further. The responses of 696 students who have not definitely dropped out of their studies at University of Patras were analyzed. The findings indicate that the factors related to students’ academic performance have the greatest impact compared to personal, economical, institutional and social set of factors, on the tendency to dropout. In particular, the perceived level of education, the provision of knowledge as the basis of solving complex real-world problems and student’s academic efficacy emerge as the most crucial issues of the academic factorial category in regards to student’s tendency to dropout.

Actual Tendencies in the Legislative Regulation of the Higher Education in Bulgaria

In the present article is made a normative analysis of the Bulgarian legislation in the sphere of higher education in the part of the recent legislative amendments. The reform in the in the area of higher education is a process, started directly after the democracy changes in the country, which encompasses several sub-stages. The authors focus towards examination of the actual amendments in the normative regulation and based on it point out the contemporary tendencies in this area. On the one side is examined the internal normative regulation, on the other side the Bulgarian higher schools are examined in the context of harmonization of the domestic law with the Law of the European Union. Based on the analysis are made conclusions and summaries, directed to the practical appliance and improvement of the legal regulation.