Competencies In Higher Education Research Articles

Co-ord Analysis on Soft Skills Article in Range 2016 - 2021

Currently, education is directed to facilitate the needs of students for work skills. This supports the performance of high school graduates in their careers. So that various changes to the education system add certain skills as an achievement in learning. These supporting skills are called soft skills. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the opportunities for developing research on Soft Skills related to student work competencies in higher education. This research was conducted by analyzing article documents called bibliometric analysis. The analysis includes four stages, namely (1) determining the keywords, (2) collecting data in Scopus, (3) sending data to application and (4) analyzing the visualization. The visualization of the data displayed is only analyzed to the extent of keyword analysis. The results of the analysis show that the development of soft skills still has the opportunity to be researched. This is evidenced by the results of co-word analysis in the last five years, which still show opportunities to develop research themes related to soft skills. In the last two years in the analysis based on the year of publication, topics related to soft skills research were more oriented to the use of technology, so that further researchers could develop in that area. Keywords: co-ord, analysis, soft skills

Demographic and school factors associated with digital competences in higher education students

Nowadays, digital competencies encompass skills and attitudes with technical, informational, content, media, and communication aspects that are crucial for students and future professionals. Hence, there is a need to investigate the possible correlations between demographic and contextual variables and the development of digital competencies in higher education. This paper reports on several university-student demographic factors associated with digital competencies. The work used a quantitative approach with descriptive statistical techniques such as a means test and Pearson correlation analysis. The findings identified that (a) there are statistically significant differences between the mean obtained in the previous semester in digital competencies and the gender of the students, (b) there are no statistically significant differences in the final mean for digital competencies and the students’ institution of origin, and (c) the variables included in the study are statistically significant. They also found that the mean attained by the university students in the previous semester had a strong predictive power of student performance; in contrast, the student’s high school institution of origin variable was a weak predictor of their digital competency. This paper presents the findings and implications for practice and research.

La aplicación del diseño curricular por competencias en la Educación Superior: Una revisión sistemática 2019-2023

The competency-based curricular design allows Higher Education institutions to establish academic programs focused on the development of specific knowledge and capabilities. The objective of this research is to analyze the existing literature on the application of curricular design by competencies in Higher Education during the period 2019 to 2023. From this perspective, the PRISMA systematic review method was used, selecting 30 studies that met specific inclusion criteria. This made possible the synthesis of the evidence related to academic literature through the review of selected studies. The review was restricted to research in English focused on the development of competency-based curricular design in the field of Higher Education. Additionally, studies that did not specifically address these issues were excluded. The search was carried out in three academic databases: ERIC, Scopus and SciELO. The results of the systematic review provided insights into emerging patterns and trends in this field. It is concluded that this design promotes flexibility and adaptability in academic training, which enables institutions to respond to the changing demands of the labour market and society, thus ensuring relevant and updated education.

Competencies in Higher Education and the Labor Market: A Sociocognitive Analysis of the Problem of Integration

Introduction. Professional competencies developed by the education system do not provide the high degree of integration with the real economy at the Russian labor market. The sociocognitive approach to social institutions as information processing systems suggests that this may be partly due to different languages used by employers and educational structures for describing competencies. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis of this mismatch drawing on the example of the applied sociology sector. Materials and Methods. The case study method was applied to the material of the archive of correspondence on personnel issues of a company from the field of applied sociology, which worked in 2012–2019 (46 papers). The hypothesis that employers and educational system use a different language for describing competencies was tested. Content analysis method was applied to the largest Russian job portals: hh.ru, superjob.ru and Avito.Rabota. The hypothesis of non-use of educational standards for describing competencies in the labor market was tested. Results. Both hypotheses were confirmed. Based on the results of the correspondence archive analysis, it was proved that employers use a language different from that of the education system when describing requirements to employees (including their competencies). The results of content analysis revealed the phenomenon of almost complete isolation of the labor market from the formal standards of higher education (educational standards for describing the competencies of sociologists were not used in a single vacancy or a resumé out of more than 32 thousand found on the portals). Discussion and Conclusion. To overcome the lack of demand for graduates in the labor market, it is necessary to overcome the existing language gap between the education system and employers. To this end, the system of validation of competencies should be changed. The source of their description should not be the education system itself, the texts and ideas that are born in it, but the requirements of employers, verbalized by them in the description of vacancies. Descriptions of competencies that do not meet the widely accepted requirements of employers should be automatically excluded from professional education standards as invalid. The results contribute to searching critical problems in the educational system and adapting it to the current needs of the labor market.

Data Skills for Everyone! (?) – An Approach to Assessing the Integration of Data Literacy and Data Science Competencies in Higher Education

The proficient handling of data can undoubtedly be regarded as a key skill for the future. However, the need for data competencies is not limited to traditional professions in the information technology environment but is rather necessary across industries and work fields. Consequently, there is a call to integrate such Data Literacy and Data Science competencies into higher education teaching across the breadth of study programs. This study, descriptive in nature, sheds light for the first time on the status quo of this integration. For this purpose, a “Data Science Dictionary” has been developed, that structurally maps a corresponding curriculum of the German Informatics Society (GI). Using quantitative content analysis, more than 13,950 distinct modules from three German study programs (Business Administration, Business & Information Systems Engineering, Computer Science) at two different types of universities are examined. As a result of this comparative study, concise “teaching portfolios” are compared between disciplines, whereby the prevalence, proportion, and depth of the competencies integrated into the study programs become transparent. Thus, this approach can provide a basis for discourse on the future integration of data competencies into, e.g., business study curricula; furthermore, it can track the resulting progress in a longitudinal study.

The Development of Civic Competence in Higher Education to Support a Sustainable Society: The Case of Latvian Higher Education

When examining the crucial role of civic competence in fostering sustainable societies, economies, and ecosystems, its significance for cultivating responsible and engaged citizens in our ever more interconnected global landscape must be recognized. Notably, education influences the development of civic competence throughout the learning experience at all levels of education. This research aims to explore the evolution of students’ self-assessment in terms of civic competence and its three subcompetences. The objective is to comprehend the present status of students’ self-assessments and explore their potential impact on the formation of a sustainable society. Data were collected for this study using an assessment tool elaborated in the ESF project “Development and Implementation of the Education Quality Monitoring System” for students’ generic competences. The tool, presented in a digital form using the QuestionPro platform, measures six generic competences, including civic competence. A total of 1166 bachelor’s degree students and 354 master’s degree students participated in this study, representing 22 Latvian higher education institutions. This study’s findings indicate that civic competence in the sample is considerably lower than the other generic competences measured, with a greater dispersion of results. The results also highlight specific areas within universities that require improvement during the learning process to cultivate individuals who are sustainable and socially responsible members of society.

Online Teacher Professional Development (oTPD) for Digital Competencies in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The need for professional development for digital, subject-specific competencies is increasing among educators in higher education. With online teacher professional development (oTPD), this demand can be accommodated flexibly. The article presents a systematic review of the literature and evidence on oTPD for digital competencies in higher education. The purpose of the review is to identify factors that influence the effect of an oTPD programme. A total of 661 peer-reviewed articles that included empirical studies and literature reviews related to oTPD from 2010 and onwards were identified using the EBSCO and ERIC databases and screened. 57 of these were coded and included in the analysis, and 604 articles were excluded due to wrong focus, educational level, publication type, or year. The analysis identifies sixteen underlying factors that influence the effect of oTPD related to either the institutional aspect, the design of the programme, and/or the delivery of the programme. Furthermore, the review identifies political implications for research on oTPD—the institutional context including technical solutions, the general pedagogical approach, and educator support—and methodological limitations related to the ambiguity of the oTPD concepts and the transferability of case studies, which call for more research.

Effectiveness of A Web-Based Course on Vaccination Competence in Higher Education: The Eduvac Erasmus+ Project

Immunization is a highly cost-effective investment in health, proven to be an effective tool in controlling and eliminating dangerous infectious diseases. Health science students require evidence-based knowledge to tackle challenges in healthcare, particularly in the field of vaccination. 
 
 The aim of the current study is to asses students’ knowledge on vaccinations and further explore their feedback after attending Educating Vaccination Competence web-based course (EDUVAC web-based course). 
 
 Students from five Higher Educational Institutes voluntarily participated in the EDUVAC web-based course. The course provided various study materials, including PowerPoint presentations, videos, quizzes, texts, and references to reputable websites. It also offered small assignments and self-tests for self-evaluation. An online questionnaire was available to students before and after they completed the EDUVAC web-based course. 
 
 The mean knowledge score on vaccines increased significantly after the EDUVAC web-based course (p<0.001). The majority of the students (95%) felt that the web-based course has benefitted them for their future career and 96.4% would encourage other students to attend the EDUVAC web-based course. Overall, our findings suggest that EDUVAC is a valuable resource for those seeking to enhance their understanding of vaccination.

The impact of YouGlish on English speaking competency in higher education

Globalization and the information and knowledge age in which we find ourselves demands that Higher Education develops English speaking competency in their students to respond adequately to academic and labor challenges, taking advantage of the virtues of the variety of resources offered by technology. YouGlish is an online oral dictionary whose characteristics can be leveraged for the development of English-speaking competency. This study aims to determine the impact of the use of YouGlish on English speaking competency on their sub-skills of fluency, grammatical adequacy, pronunciation, communicative interaction, and vocabulary. The research was of quasi experimental design and was carried out with a sample of 19 students in the Control Group and 19 students in the Experimental Group from a national university in Peru. For data collection, a pre-test and a post-test were applied regarding the English-speaking competency, and a questionnaire of perception on the use of YouGlish was also used. The arithmetic mean indicates that it improved by 35.25 points using YouGlish when comparing the entrance and exit tests. Concluding with an increase in the English-Speaking competency among university students.

Design of Split AC-Based Central Equipment as a Learning Media Tool in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering Courses

Education is a humanistic process, and its implementation increases students’ competence in higher education. The emphasis on increasing competence is explained through the performance of the Kurikulum Merdeka (Independent Curriculum). This research highlights the need for effective learning media, especially in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering courses, which include an understanding of Air Conditioning Systems (ACS). This course curriculum aims to provide a sense of Air Conditioning (AC), including Central AC. However, a lack of learning media in the laboratory requires cadets to visit the nearest airport for practicum. This research aims to design an innovation in creating central equipment learning media designs based on Split AC. This quantitative research method was conducted, with data collection through observation, literature study, questionnaires, and Likert scale analysis. The author determined the population of the Airport Engineering Technology Study Program cadets at the 3rd Batch of the Politeknik Penerbangan Palembang, totaling 22 cadets. This research uses purposive judgment sampling or sampling with purpose or consideration because cadets are considered to understand the problem to be studied. The questionnaire results showed a high need for learning media development, with a mark of 82.3%. Therefore, developing this learning medium is needed to increase cadets’ understanding and competence in refrigeration and air conditioning engineering courses.

Gender and diversity competence in sport studies programs in higher education

Introduction Inclusion and diversity have become increasingly important in the context of sport in recent years. Numerous sports organizations and sports policymakers are committed to enable more inclusive sport. Led by the idea of a sport for all, everyone should be able to participate in sport regardless of gender, sexuality, dis_ability, race, or class. Inclusive sport does not only require specific structural conditions. It also demands social actors who have the skills to deal with the challenges of social diversity in an open, appreciative, and innovative way. Coaches, officials, teachers, journalists, and economists working in the field of sport need to be familiar with the topics of gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. This is where the project “Understanding and Experiencing Diversity” (funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Sport) comes in. It aims to develop and test a concept for promoting gender and diversity competence in sport-related higher education, thus enabling social actors to shape sport in a diversity-conscious and inclusive way. Methods The project is being carried out over a period of three years and consists of four project phases. After a phase of conceptual clarification regarding the theoretical framework and terminology, current approaches to gender and diversity competence (in the sport studies context) are being critically analysed. Against this background, phases three and four of the project will focus on the development of a sport-related teaching concept for gender and diversity competence and its testing at three different universities. Results/Discussion The understanding of gender and diversity competence developed in this project is theoretically based on the “trilemma of Inclusion” by Boger (2019). It thus refers to inclusion and non-discrimination as a complex structure of normalization, deconstruction, and empowerment. This is also linked to an intersectional perspective on social differentiation and discrimination (Degele & Winker, 2011). Regarding the promotion of gender and diversity competence in higher education, the attitude of social actors towards diversity and inclusion proves to be particularly important. This aspect has not yet been systematically considered in the context of sport-related higher education in German-speaking countries. The teaching concept developed in this project therefore emphasizes the aspect of attitude (Rischke et al., 2017).

Enhancing English writing competence in higher education: a comparative study of teacher-only assessment versus teacher and student self-assessment approaches

Despite the critical role of academic English writing proficiency in higher education, existing research has inadequately addressed the comparative impact of teacher-led and student-involved assessments on writing outcomes. To address the research gap, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 'Teacher-Only Assessment' compared to 'Combined Teacher and Student Self-Assessment' in English writing at a university in southern Thailand. Additionally, the study examined the viewpoints of students regarding the implementation of these approaches. It utilized a sequential explanatory research design in conjunction with a quasi-experimental design. The research instruments included a series of writing tasks, a teacher assessment rubric, a self-assessment form, and a questionnaire with open-ended questions. A group of 62 first-year English majors was divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group, consisting of 31 students each. Both groups were taking an English Composition I course for 12 weeks and were assigned the same writing tasks. The experimental group was provided with both self-assessments and teacher evaluations, whereas the control group solely received teacher evaluations. The quantitative data was analyzed using an independent sample, while the qualitative data was examined through a thematic analysis. Quantitatively, the independent t-test results indicated that there was no statistically significant distinction in overall writing performance between both groups, except for narrative paragraphs. Moreover, the qualitative findings emphasized the merits of incorporating teacher-led and student-involved assessments. This study suggests various implications for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction and assessment practices.

Architecture Design of Internet of things Virtual Laboratory

The development of the internet today has been very developed including for the world of education, one of the technologies is the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) which should be accompanied by an increase in student competence in higher education but is currently still constrained by laboratory facilities, The purpose of this study is to produce an IoT virtual laboratory architecture design, which will then be developed into an IoT virtual lab system. The method used in this research is the waterfall method in the design and design aspects, testing is done using an expert validation instrument to determine the validity level of the virtual laboratory design before entering the implementation or system creation stage. The research has produced an IoT virtual laboratory architecture consisting of three main components, namely (1) virtualab information system, (2) virtual lab manager and (3) system integration through SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) which is used for integration into the LMS (Learning Management System) system, the results of validation from experts on the design of the IoT virtual laboratory architecture show an average score of 3.56, within the value range of 3.26 to 4.00. This indicates a very good level of quality. This indicates a very good level of quality. However, there are still areas that need to be improved, especially in criterion V2 related to the system development flow diagram which gets an average score of 3.33, so the results of this research design can be used for the system development stage.

Digital career competencies: A co-created scale for the digital employability competencies we’ve overlooked

The digital economy with flexible work contexts requires graduates to enter the workplace with digital skills. While studies have examined digital literacy and skills within domains, attending to knowledge, workplace, business and digital skills, these narrow definitions overlook the importance of digital career competencies for lifelong career management. This paper reports on measures of digital career competencies (DCC) and how the dimensionality of these measures might enable universities, students, and other stakeholders to ascertain how these competencies develop. Using a pragmatic, co-created, three-study design, initial dimensions and a pool of measurement items were developed qualitatively, involving responses from 22 alumni. These items and their dimension reliability were then tested with n = 202 students, and further evaluated using a second sample of n = 156 students. The results demonstrate that DCC can be assessed using three dimensions: digital connectedness, career management, and crowdworking. The developed 8-item, three-dimension scale exhibited sound reliability and validity. The novel co-design method for measure development, and the research findings, provide theoretical and practical contributions to emerging empirical research on DCC. These measures provide a parsimonious base for assessing DCC and facilitating the development of these competencies in higher education.

Improving Teachers’ Digital Competence in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Improving Teachers’ Digital Competence in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Assessing Social Entrepreneurship Competencies in Higher Education

The advancement of social entrepreneurship in higher education has achieved recognition as a subject matter and field of research. However, research addressing the developmental processes of social entrepreneurship competencies in higher education remains scarce. A fourteen competencies instrument was designed, validated, and applied to two groups of students from a higher education institution in Colombia to explore this research thread. By comparing the competencies between groups, the effectiveness of the courses in promoting entrepreneurship competencies is estimated. The data for the two groups were tested for significant differences using an ANOVA (p = 0.05). The results show that academic instruction alone is insufficient to foster the abilities and skills necessary for viable social enterprise projects. The results suggest higher education institutions integrate competencies development programs and conduct periodic skills assessments to continually improve the curriculum for advancing social entrepreneurship competencies.

Integrating an Online International Collaboration Into a Physical Education Teacher Education Program

As the K-12 student population becomes increasingly diverse, developing cultural competence is essential for educators, including physical education teachers. An online international collaboration is one way to address cultural competence in higher education. The purpose of this article is to discuss steps and suggestions for integrating an online international collaboration in a PETE program. The five steps to adopting such a collaboration within a PETE program are as follows: finding a collaborator (step one), designing a program (step two), setting the scene for preservice teachers (step three), implementing the program (step four), and evaluating the program (step five). It is important to note that a one-time integration of an online international collaboration cannot be the sole solution for developing cultural competence. Developing cultural competence is a lifelong process, and an online international collaboration could provide preservice teachers with the first step to developing this important competence.

Assessing Teacher Competencies in Higher Education: A Sentiment Analysis of Student Feedback

One of the most important issues concerning education nowadays is that of mapping the quality of teaching, and teacher competencies. Simultaneously, the need to exploit the huge amount of data derived from student feedback, and in particular the comments on open-ended questions, constitutes a huge challenge for both universities and researchers. In this study, we use sentiment analysis methods to measure teachers’ communication competencies. Utilizing the data of over 700 feedback comments from students of our university, we assessed specific competencies through the sentiment intensity that these comments contained. The model designed for the sentiment analysis, as well as the entire experimental phase, were implemented using an open source data mining and visualization platform. Our research revealed that certain competencies are highlighted by the nature of the course while others do not depend on it. In addition, findings indicate both a homogeneous and convergent view among students, thus strengthening the validity of the students’ opinion and their valuable contribution to the mapping of teaching quality in general with the ultimate goal of enhancing education.

What Competences Are Promoting in University Teacher Training Programs? A Study of Spanish Public Universities

The aim of the study is to assess the extent to which university teacher training in Spain matches with the literature framework about teaching competencies in higher education. The absence of a generic definition of what it means to be a competent teacher and the need for a competency profile on which to base the study, leads to undertake an initial bibliometric review of the main educational research databases ERIC, PsycINFO and Psychology Database. The studies were selected to extract a categorical classification that allowed to code the content analysis of the training programs offered in 41 Spanish public universities in seven competencies: content-related competency (research), personal, pedagogical, social, communicative, digital and technological and ecological. 2425 training courses were coded and analyzed with Maxqda version 20.4.2 and Excel database. The findings show that university teachers receive more training in competencies related to technology, pedagogy, and disciplinary content-research, and less training in personal and ecological competencies. The conclusion of the study highlights the lack of consensus between literature review and programs on what constitutes good teaching among teachers and students and the fact that continuing professional development remains dependent on teacher initiative. Keywords: university teacher competence, university teacher training, descriptive analysis, Spanish context, teacher training

Assessing Digital Competence in Higher Education: A Gender Analysis of DigComp 2.1 Framework in Uganda

This research paper investigated the digital competence of students in higher education in Uganda, utilising the Dig-Comp 2.1 framework as the basis for assessment. The study explores potential gender disparities in digital competence levels among students, aiming to identify areas of improvement for educational institutions and policymakers. The research utilised a quantitative approach, incorporating online surveys to collect data (N = 99) from a diverse sample of university students. Descriptive and t-test analyses were performed to analyse the significant differences in digital competencies between genders and found slight but statistically insignificant differences. The study’s findings contribute to the growing body of research on gender and digital competency and underscore the need for ongoing efforts to create inclusive and equitable digital education environments. In today's increasingly digital world, possessing adequate digital competence is crucial for personal, academic, and professional success. Higher education institutions are pivotal in equipping students with the necessary digital skills to thrive in the digital age. To enhance digital competence among all students, educators, policymakers, and institutions must focus on gender-sensitive strategies and tailor digital literacy programs to meet the diverse needs of their student population