Collaboration In Higher Education Research Articles

Oral Oncology: Two elective courses for advanced undergraduates - An Argentine teaching experience

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant adaptations in educational practices at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, including the integration of e-learning and virtual education modalities. In response to an observed increase in advanced-stage oral cancer cases post-2020, we developed new educational strategies aimed at OC prevention and awareness. This study presents our experience with an innovative undergraduate program focusing on Oral Oncology and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders. Two elective courses were integrated into the curriculum, featuring contributions from Oral Medicine and Pathology experts across several Latin American countries via virtual platforms. Each course provided comprehensive training, including clinical practice and telemedicine protocols for early lesion identification. A total of 107 students successfully completed the courses, highlighting the program's effectiveness in enhancing student engagement and competence in OC prevention. Recommendations from this initiative include reinforcing undergraduate curricula with OC-focused education and promoting international collaboration in higher education for comprehensive training. Future research should assess the long-term impact of such programs on early OC diagnosis and patient referral practices.

Comparative Study of Group Collaboration in Higher Education in China and the United States

With the progress of the society, education has received more and more attention. From compulsory education to higher education, educators have been continually exploring more suitable and better pedagogy. In this situation, the application of group collaboration in teaching and learning has been emphasized. In this article, the author mainly compares the current situation of group collaboration in two educational backgrounds: China and the United States. The advantages and disadvantages are analyzed and suggestions for improvement are given. According to the comparison, it can be clearly seen that in the U.S., the educational method of group cooperation is relatively more sophisticated, more commonly used, and more favorably received. In China, the success of group work has been impeded by cultural backgrounds, social environments, teachers and students. These factors have resulted in negative attitudes towards the learning method of group collaboration. Nevertheless, Chinese students remain optimistic about the future of this method. In order to expose students to a wider variety of learning styles, and in order to maximize the value of group work, Chinese educators need to devote more time and energy to changing the status of education and improving the quality of teachers.

Innovating While Maintaining Standards: Exploring the Tension Between Vertical Qualification Alignment and Innovation in Zimbabwean Higher Education

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face increasing pressure to balance rigorous standards and innovation. However, little is known about how vertical qualification alignment requirements, which ensure coherence and quality across degree levels, affect this balance. This study explores this issue using the case of Zimbabwe, where vertical alignment of faculty qualifications is a key policy instrument for quality assurance. Through interviews and focus group discussions with lecturers, administrators and quality assurance officials, the study reveals how vertical alignment standards enable and constrain innovation in different ways. The findings suggest that while vertical alignment fosters depth of knowledge in a discipline, it can also limit the breadth of transdisciplinary knowledge acquisition required by changing workplaces. To achieve excellence and equity, higher education needs to uphold rigorous standards while promoting innovation through adaptable structures, a culture conducive to strategic risk-taking, and policies that balance oversight and autonomy. The study proposes a balanced approach that preserves qualification integrity while allowing regulated experimentation to ensure curriculum relevance amid changing needs. The study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between standards, flexibility and collaboration in higher education, and its implications for cultivating pioneering graduates and cutting-edge solutions that advance socio-economic progress. The findings of this study indicate that quality assurance agencies and HEIs must work together to implement innovative, evidence-based strategies that balance academic rigor with supportive flexibility in order to develop adaptable graduates equipped to solve complex problems and drive socio-economic progress. With a nuanced, evidence-based approach, vertical alignment need not impede HEIs' potential to cultivate agile thinkers and pioneers.

Students training on virtual medical linear accelerator

At the Czech Technical University in Prague, we have installed virtual software environment simulating a radiotherapy treatment room with a medical linear accelerator (software VERT and VERT Physics by Vertual Ltd., United Kingdom). It is possible to simulate patient treatment and physics QA (quality assurance) measurements in virtual reality. This is beneficial for our students and teachers because there is no radiation present while doing the exercises and it is accessible at any time, unlike medical linear accelerators at hospitals. For our department, we have chosen the TrueBeam model by Varian Medical Systems, USA. The linear accelerator can be operated by the user in the same way as at the hospital, including the hardware pendant. There is a selection of patient treatment plans, CT images and RT structures, all of which can be visualised inside the treatment room, also during beam on, simulating the situation inside the patient while irradiating the tumour. Any DICOM files, even from another manufacturer’s linac (linear accelerator) or treatment planning system, can be imported into VERT. Apart from this, there is also an imaging interface and cone-beam CT interface showing options for patient setup. Another part of the software is a physics module with various phantoms and detectors for dosimetry as well as geometry tests. For example, a large water tank can be used for relative dosimetry of photon beams (percent depth doses and profiles), a smaller water phantom can be used for reference dosimetry or chamber cross calibration according to the TRS 398 (1) or IPEM (2) protocol. The results of measurements are based on look-up tables coming from real beam data, so dependence on the depth of measurement, field size, temperature and pressure and other parameters can be demonstrated. Moreover, it is possible to introduce many types of errors into the linac, such as jaw position, laser, or collimator miscalibration, and show how these errors propagate to patient irradiation and how they can be detected by QA tools. This paper is a short report on how this system has been used at our university and how it might be used in modern learning, pointing out its advantages and drawbacks. At the 16th Workshop on European Collaboration in Higher Education on Radiological and Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Protection (CHERNE) it was proposed that this virtual system could be used for an international student training course on medical physics in radiotherapy within the CHERNE network. This course might contain theoretical lectures with demonstrations on the virtual linac, practical exercises on the virtual linac and visits to hospitals (a photon radiotherapy centre, the Thomayer University Hospital in particular, and a proton therapy centre).

The Tech Tale Of Progression - Need For Academic Collaborations And Tie-Ups

The pace of internationalization is rapidly rising thanks to unfettered communication channels and affordable travel. To take advantage of the potential this presents, institutions all around the world are establishing international partnerships and developing relationships with other universities. International collaboration in higher education fosters knowledge growth, open transfer of ideas, and enduring connections between institutions of higher learning. Collaborations between international and Indian educational institutions have definite advantages. Two major shortcomings in India's current educational system have to be corrected for the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to succeed. The first is flexibility in terms of subject options, course length, organization, and other factors. The second involves integrating top-tier foreign institutions and resources into Indian society. In this context, the researcher wants to discover what edupreneurs think about these partnerships and collaborations and wants to promote them throughout all of their universities. Therefore, the researcher takes 245 sample edupreneures from four sides of India which states contain the highest private universities as of 25-01-2023 i.e., Gujarat (West side), Rajasthan (North side), Karnataka (South side), Jharkhand (East side). He gathers their perspectives on the necessity of academic partnerships (both national and international) and tie-ups for Indian higher education using a questionnaire and analyses their opinions through factor analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and ANOVA.

Digital Collaboration in Higher Education: A Study of Digital Skills and Collaborative Attitudes in Students from Diverse Universities

The current study examines the relationship between digital competencies and collaboration attitudes among higher education students. To do so, data from 1316 students from 10 Spanish universities were analyzed and collected through a questionnaire named “Basic Digital Skills 2.0 of University Students” (COBADI®—Registered Trademark: 2970648). To provide context for the sample involved in this study, it is noteworthy that 50.5% of participants typically prefer to access the internet from home. Furthermore, it was observed that most of the respondents engage with the internet for over nine hours daily. The analysis of the results was conducted by calculating correlations between digital competencies and students’ collaboration attitudes. These correlations were computed using the Python programming language, with the libraries employed being pandas, numpy, and matplotlib. Students who perceive themselves as more competent in using digital tools tend to have a slightly higher disposition to collaborate with their professors in virtual environments. Some competencies are more closely associated with collaboration than others, with those that exhibit a stronger connection being key focus areas in teaching and curriculum development.

Collaboration in Higher Education: A New Ecology of Practice

"Collaboration in Higher Education," edited by Sandra Abegglen, Tom Burns, and Sandra Sinfield (2023), delves into the intricacies of engaging in collaboration and partnerships within higher education. The book editors adopt an inviting approach in a world marked by complexity and pressing challenges that demand authentic conversations and collective actions. They warmly invite readers, encouraging them to delve into the collection's pages to reflect on their circumstances. This invitation fosters an opportunity to recognise past, present, and future contributors, paving the way for constructive progress through co-creation endeavours.
 
 The book eloquently articulates and illustrates the value of collaboration within, throughout, and beyond higher education. Organised into six sections, the volume showcases over thirty case studies contributed by a diverse array of over 100 individuals across different disciplines, institutions, and national boundaries. These carefully selected case studies serve as tangible examples of authentic practices. The book's structure encompasses the following segments: Staff Collaborations to Enhance Teaching and Learning, Students as Partners, Collaborations with Stakeholders, Creative and Digital Partnerships, Decolonising Relationships and Partnerships for Social Justice, and Reflections on Collaboration. Consequently, the book is an essential reference, providing readers with an intricate map of the terrain and narratives, guiding them on a collaborative journey exploring innovative curriculum design and delivery methods, ultimately enriching student learning and success.

Through the Lens of the Donabedian Structure-Process-Outcomes Model: Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Interprofessional Collaboration in Higher Education

Through the Lens of the Donabedian Structure-Process-Outcomes Model: Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Interprofessional Collaboration in Higher Education

Transprofessional collaboration in higher education

At Södertörn University, Sweden, a transprofessional model has been developed aiming to support students’ writing development from the theory of academic literacies. In this innovative way of working, university librarians and writing teachers collaborate with university teachers to integrate a teaching element on academic writing (including searching for, appraising, reading, and writing texts) into existing university courses. In this article, we describe and discuss our experiences of implementing this transprofessional model in nursing education. We observe that collaboration made it possible for all professionals to share their knowledge, both in a theoretical and practical sense. Among other things, the university teachers appropriated several linguistic tools which they were able to use in their continued teaching of academic writing. However, challenges regarding the collegial sharing of knowledge were also experienced. If the lessons learned are to be implemented the organisation, both resources and a mandate from the management is essential.

Development of European Educational Policy: Legal Foundations

The manuscript is devoted to European educational policy through the prism of legal regulations as their influence is very significant for the development of educational system especially at the tertiary level. 
 The purpose is to study peculiarities of the shaping and development of European educational policies within the realm of higher education, where legal and pedagogical sciences intersect. The tasks are: to find out what place educational sector takes in Europe and why; to reveal the most significant legal documents in the sphere of education and follow the path of development of European policy development in the higher education domain by drawing insights from these documents; to determine the value of legal documents in the sphere of education for the development of European educational policy, based on their essence. 
 The research methods used are analysis and syntheses of European legal documents related to the higher education field aimed at collecting the materials for researching the problem both from a legal and pedagogical position and for drawing the conclusion. 
 The results revealed that the beginning of the European countries’ cooperation in educational sphere (1970s) led to the development of a common educational strategy. Enhanced collaboration in higher education across various tiers evolved significantly following the recognition of the pivotal role played by skilled human resources in driving economic and social progress, a realization that first emerged in 1985. This recognition led to the endorsement of several significant agreements, including the Single European Act in 1987, the Magna Charta Universitatum in 1988, and the Memorandum of Higher Education in the European Community in 1991. The most important EU Treaties concerned the educational sector as well that led to the signing the Bologna Declaration, the establishment of the European Higher Education Area, and the regular meetings of the European Ministers of Education. Education has become the basis for shaping European community and the core for economic stability. 
 The conclusion is that European statesmen consider the educational sector to be the key one because it is the basis of economic, social and human development; the EU Higher Educational Policy has gone from the auxiliary industry in the context of shaping the internal market (1950s) to one of the priority sectors that is developing in response to the demands of society.

Innovating While Maintaining Standards: Exploring the Tension Between Vertical Qualification Alignment and Innovation in Zimbabwean Higher Education

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face increasing pressure to balance rigorous standards and innovation. However, little is known about how vertical qualification alignment requirements, which ensure coherence and quality across degree levels, affect this balance. This study explores this issue using the case of Zimbabwe, where vertical alignment of faculty qualifications is a key policy instrument for quality assurance. Through interviews and focus group discussions with lecturers, administrators and quality assurance officials, the study reveals how vertical alignment standards enable and constrain innovation in different ways. The findings suggest that while vertical alignment fosters depth of knowledge in a discipline, it can also limit the breadth of transdisciplinary knowledge acquisition required by changing workplaces. To achieve excellence and equity, higher education needs to uphold rigorous standards while promoting innovation through adaptable structures, a culture conducive to strategic risk-taking, and policies that balance oversight and autonomy. The study proposes a balanced approach that preserves qualification integrity while allowing regulated experimentation to ensure curriculum relevance amid changing needs. The study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between standards, flexibility and collaboration in higher education, and its implications for cultivating pioneering graduates and cutting-edge solutions that advance socio-economic progress. The findings of this study indicate that quality assurance agencies and HEIs must work together to implement innovative, evidence-based strategies that balance academic rigor with supportive flexibility in order to develop adaptable graduates equipped to solve complex problems and drive socio-economic progress. With a nuanced, evidence-based approach, vertical alignment need not impede HEIs' potential to cultivate agile thinkers and pioneers.

Conceptualization and Measurement of Peer Collaboration in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

Collaboration is a construct comprising diverse definitions and frameworks. Additionally, being a latent variable and because of its complexity and interactive nature, collaboration is difficult to measure. Therefore, this systematic literature review was guided by two fundamental questions: what to measure and how to measure. Through the review and synthesis of 28 carefully selected studies we derived an integrative framework displaying indicators for peer collaboration in higher education and beyond. Moreover, the results give insights into measurement approaches of collaboration comprising information on data collection and analysis as well as contextual factors (e.g., task type, time).

Greater than the sum of its parts: the role of collaboration in building an innovative and compassionate higher education – book review. Abegglen, S., Burns, T. and Sinfield, S. (eds.) (2023) Collaboration in higher education: A new ecology of practice. London: Bloomsbury

Greater than the sum of its parts: the role of collaboration in building an innovative and compassionate higher education – book review. Abegglen, S., Burns, T. and Sinfield, S. (eds.) (2023) Collaboration in higher education: A new ecology of practice. London: Bloomsbury

Interdisciplinary collaboration in higher education towards sustainable development

AbstractThe literature and practitioners both emphasise the need to involve universities in the promotion and implementation of SDGs. On the other hand, the lack of practical solutions to include SDGs in university activity is constantly emphasised. The objective of the article is to investigate how project‐based learning innovations used in student education affect the achievement of sustainable development goals. We analyse whether innovative project based–learning projects at a leading technology university in Poland pursued from 2018 to 2021 contribute to achieving sustainable development goals, and we study the matter of interdisciplinarity of the project teams. To this end, we employ a qualitative content analysis of reports for 108 projects that involved 324 researchers, 607 students, and 233 experts from the university's business environment. The categorical data yielded by the analysis are analysed with quantitative methods: frequency analysis, correspondence analysis, and data visualisation. The analyses demonstrated that the most commonly pursued sustainable development goals were: SDG 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 3: Good Health and Well‐Being, and SDG 12: Responsible Production and Construction. Biomedical Engineering experts pursued projects dedicated to SDG 3: Good Health and Well‐Being, while Automation and Robotics specialists focused on SDGs 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The primary sustainable development goal for Environmental Engineering teams was SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production followed by SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. The most common interdisciplinarity in the teams was of the second type: interdisciplinarity bringing together experts from two research areas. The article presents the results of research on the process of promoting sustainable development through project‐based learning implemented under an interdisciplinary collaboration of teams of university staff, students, and experts from businesses associated with the university. The results contribute to the academic debate on the ability of universities to teach, implement, and promote sustainable development and its goals.

Reviewing & Reflecting Upon Practices of Collaboration in Higher Education

In the current innovation-driven knowledge age. education is under a critical transformation The instructor-student collaborative partnership has the potential to transform education from traditional instructor-directed, transmissive teaching to a very active, participatory student - centered learning. Collaborative learning is a widely used instructional method, but the learning potential of this instructional method is often underused in practice. Therefore, the importance of various factors underlying effective collaborative learning should be determined. The present study applies a critical literature review approach and reflection upon practices which promote collaboration in a learning environment. The key conclusions indicate that there are various ways to promote collaboration among students-students & student-instructor. Proposed practices in this study serve as recommendations to policy makers and educators in Higher Education.

Volume 13 Issue 2 2023

In 2023 the STARS Conference was run in conjunction with the Australian Mental Health in Higher Education Collaboration (AMHHEC). As always, the Conference provided us with opportunities to learn together and share our diverse expertise, experiences and knowledge – all grounded and guided by our collective commitment to, and passion for, enhancing the student experience and student learning success. This special issue brings together the accepted peer-reviewed articles and a selected practice report from the 2023 STARS Conference. We are also pleased to include a feature article from Vincent Tinto. Over three days (3-5 July) the STARS Conference community heard from two keynote speakers and one plenary panel on student and staff wellbeing, participated in 75 concurrent presentations (Emerging Initiatives and Good Practice Reports) and enjoyed the always popular poster sessions.

Competition and Collaboration in Higher Education: An (Auto)Ethnographic Poetic Inquiry

Higher education is in flux with more precarity, a stronger focus on effectiveness, and productivity having resulted in a competitive and hostile culture. For this article, we take a proactive approach to counteract the narrative of silencing by exploring the opportunities collaboration may afford. Drawing on our personal experiences, professional knowledge, and research, we engaged in a collaborative form of poetic inquiry. Our contribution in this article lies with the links we make between collaboration, creativity through autoethnographic poetic inquiry, and translanguaging. This approach constitutes a model for collaboration which counteracts the silencing impact of the contemporary competitive academic culture.

China –Pakistan Educational and Cultural Cooperation Under BRI

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a mega-investment project that has accelerated Pakistan’s socio-economic growth. Pakistan’s higher education sector is one key area to be upgraded under CPEC. Since the conclusion of CPEC agreement in 2015, Sino-Pakistan collaboration in higher education is expanding. Beijing is offering scholarships, vocational training and Chinese language courses to Pakistani youth and providing opportunities for academic and research collaboration. This study is an attempt to examine China’s effective employment of higher education as a soft power tool to increase its influence and prestige in Pakistan. It argues that growing educational cooperation is fostering intercultural linkages as well as faculty and students’ mobility between Pakistan and China. The article suggests that Islamabad needs to expand cooperation with Beijing in areas such as faculty development, emerging fields of science and technology, industry-university linkages and digital collaboration of technology in higher education sector.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL COLLABORATION IN EMPOWERING HIGHER EDUCATION AND CULTIVATING HOLISTIC GRADUATE LEADERSHIP

In a progressive society, strategic collaboration in higher education is crucial for developing versatile graduates who can increase their marketability and broaden the skill set of working individuals. This study's primary purpose is to assess the empowerment of higher education through global collaboration in an effort to produce a new generation of graduates who are well-rounded. This study employs the document analysis approach by referencing prior research on global collaboration in the empowerment of higher education and the implications for graduate leadership based on the culture of Eastern nations like Japan. There are three primary topics discussed: 1. The Importance of Collaboration with Overseas Educational Institutions; 2. Learning Concepts Based on Japanese Culture at Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJJIT) KL; and 3. Holistic and Creative Graduates as a Result of Collaboration with Overseas Educational Institutions. The study found that the significance of overseas education partnership in the education sector plays a vital role in the chronology of the development of human civilisation, where it is not confined to academic success but rather encompasses the development of the full person. The purpose of this study is to examine the essence of Malaysia as a balanced country from the perspectives of national development, character development, and noble values; in fact, the country aspires to provide a high standard of living for its citizens through a balanced economy and the application of advanced technology.

Critical reflections on the racialised hierarchies of an ethnically diverse staff-student scholarship project team

This case study article reports on the reflections of the authors who were part of a staff-student collaborative scholarship project investigating the learning experiences of Black distance-learning students. Although there is a growing body of research on the nature, experiences, power dynamics and benefits of staff-student collaborations in higher education contexts, there is much less discussion about how wider racialised hierarchies can influence such collaborations. The project discussed in this article consisted of an ethnically diverse team – including the authors of this piece who are a white male academic staff member and a female PhD student from a Black ethnic background. This case study offers a critically reflective account of the racialised hierarchy inherently present within our relationship. We briefly consider the ways in which the collaborative project was framed by potentially exploitative racialised hierarchies including the privileging of white staff members, before considering how we tried to mitigate these hierarchies by finding ways to involve and empower the ethnic minority student members of the team. These reflections might help those who are embarking upon ethnically diverse staff-student collaborations in higher education to ensure that ethnic minority students feel empowered and to help facilitate their role in promoting institutional change and disrupting exclusionary practice.