Institutes Of Higher Education Research Articles

Factors Influencing Information Security Policy Compliance Behavior in High Education Institutions: Systematic Literature Review

Information security policies and behaviors play a crucial role in organizations, particularly in higher education institutions. These policies outline guidelines and best practices to protect sensitive data, safeguard privacy, and prevent unauthorized access or misuse of information. In higher education institutions, they help secure research findings, intellectual property, and student records. By fostering a culture of security awareness and encouraging responsible behavior, organizations can safeguard their reputation, instill trust, and meet legal and regulatory requirements. This literature review has revealed challenges and highlighted the current trends of information security policy compliance, as well as the theories used for information security compliance from 2013 to 2023. Out of 50 research papers published on the topic of information security policy compliance, three influencing factors were identified through filtration: behavioral intention, awareness and culture, and human with organizational management. The findings show that there is a lack of information security policies in the higher education sector. This review contributes to the information security literature by providing a fully organized systematic review of conducted research in the last decade.

Service innovations, value-driven business model, and institute growth: insights from a higher-education institute

PurposeExternal pressures, like the pandemic, influence industry and academia. ICT can assist in creating service innovations and better responses to external pressures. When higher education institutes combine service innovations with an appropriate business model, they can better understand educational transformations and marketing and aim for productivity, effectiveness, and sustainability. This paper aims to provide insights into transformations by organizing innovations and business models and creating a positive influence.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a case study method to examine the educational transformation in its settings. The method followed is direct non-participant observation, and the selected case is a marginalized business school of an Indian public institution. Combining observation and case study provides deeper insights into individuals/groups in a social context. The direct non-participant allows the researcher to get closer to the field of research while retaining the position of an outsider.FindingsThis paper defines service innovations with four conceptualizations – ICT, socio-techno-organization, demand, and orchestration. The findings provide insights into business models and educational marketing, with three suggestions for sustainability and economic growth. The suggestions are (1) operationalization based on incremental, iterative, and spiral expansion for the first two, (2) orchestrating educational marketing and value elements for a value-driven business model, and (3) social reengineering based on human values and leadership commitment.Research limitations/implicationsIt uses a single marginalized negative case study and is not bereft of limitations. Selecting positive cases representing geographically dispersed units, hybrid lectures, and diverse participants provides further insights into the operationalization of ICT and socio-techno-organizational aspects.Practical implicationsAs educational institutions decide the appropriate strategy for their institution, the findings provide practitioners with insights to create value, expansion, growth, and insights into educational marketing.Originality/valueThe three steps in findings and their contribution to economic growth and sustainability enhance the body of knowledge – transformations in educational institutions. It provides insights into business models and educational marketing.

Investigation of an Acute Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreak Linked to Drinking Water in a Higher Educational Institute in East Sikkim, India.

Introduction An acute gastrointestinal illness outbreak was reported in a higher educational institution among students and faculties in East Sikkim, India, from January to February 2023. The investigation was conducted to identify the source of the infection and causative pathogens and prevent the spread of the outbreak. Methods We defined a case as three or more loose stools in 24 hours, abdominal pain, or vomiting with the onset of symptoms between January 16 and February 16, 2023. Active surveillance was conducted by reviewing the affected individuals at the campus and patient registers at the dispensary, where cases were treated. Stool samples, rectal swabs, water samples, and suspected food samples were collected for microbiological testing using conventional culture, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and kit-based real-time PCR methods. Results Out of 1,850 residents, 106 (5.7%) were affected by gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, etc. The attack rate for females was 23 (1.24%) and for males was 83 (4.49%). The most affected individual median age was 21 years (range: 2-51 years). From the laboratory investigations, most of the cases demonstrated polymicrobial etiologies. Gastroenteritis pathogens like Campylobacter, astrovirus, androtavirusdiarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) (EAEC, EIEC, ETEC, EPEC, and EAEC), Shigella,etc., were detected in the suspected samples. The environmental investigation indicated the presence of rusted and leaky water pipes and sewage pipelines, along with ineffective chlorination of the water plant. Conclusions Based on epidemiological and laboratory investigations, it is conjectured that sewage and fecal contamination of drinking water and poor maintenance of the water distribution system most likely caused the outbreak described in this study. Basic treatment modalities, adequate chlorination, and periodic inspection of the water system were suggested, which controlled the outbreak to a greater extent.

Roles of International Teachers in the Internationalization of Chinese Higher Education: A Comparative Perspective

In the context of economic globalization, cultural exchanges are becoming more and more frequent, and more and more international teachers come to China to teach. Using qualitative data collected from a university in Beijing, this study explored the international teachers’ roles perceived by school administrators, students, and international teachers in the internationalization of Chinese higher education. Results indicate that international teachers play an important role in promoting higher education internationalization in China by serving as the backbones of the teaching process. They also act as walking billboards of internationalization and bridges facilitating communication with international students. However, the cognitive differences between international teachers and students regarding teaching, coupled with administrators’ lack of understanding of international teachers’ professional needs, hinder the teachers from fulfilling their roles and seeking continuing development. This study provides a new analytical perspective on the role of international teachers, exploring their role from the perspectives of students, school administrators and international teachers themselves, presenting practical recommendations to enhance international teachers’ roles and providing suggestions such as cooperation model between international teachers and domestic teachers for future research, which may help managers of high education institutions to find the reason why they should introduce many international teachers and what kind of kind of teachers they should introduce to develop education internationalization.

Digital maturity model for continuous improvement

The present research work presents the development and implementation of a Digital Maturation Model (MMD) designed and adapted to the Institute of Higher Education, Establishing the degree of Digital Maturity present in the Institute of Higher Education located in Orizaba, through the development and application of a Digital Maturity Model. Outlining strategic planning oriented to the analysis necessary to generate improvement proposals through the use of digital technologies, increasing efficiency and competitiveness, improving the service offered. The present research will take a quantitative methodology through a longitudinal study with the intention of obtaining a before and after, through a quantifiable approach, obtaining the evaluation of the Digital Maturity Index and the detection of areas of opportunity for the proposal of improvements.

Radial blended-collaboration in doctoral education: Insights from an Indonesian higher education institute

This study explored how doctoral educators apply a radial blended collaborative (RBC) strategy to teach EFL speaking. This study used a narrative case study design and a qualitative approach. In doing so, teachers employed eight RBCs' strategies: raising collaboration awareness, forming groups based on 21st-century skills, using controlled-chosen topics and theme-based prior knowledge, employing snowball questioning techniques, engaging in role-play in different contexts, conducting peer evaluations, and providing oral and written feedback. This study found that technology integration, such as WhatsApp, Zoom Meeting, Google Classroom, and electronic mail, enhanced the learning experience, whereas pooling WhatsApp messages was used to direct the chosen discussion topics. The results demonstrated that RBC significantly improved students' speaking performance across four instructional dimensions: collaborative awareness, active learning, classroom interaction, and technological integration. Future research should aim to enhance spoken communication by integrating technology in assessments and fostering collaborative learning environments.

Users’ Satisfaction of the Academic Library facilities and Services in Swamy Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, Sri Lanka

Library is identified as an important organization in the higher educational system. It is an essential requirement for learning and research activities. The library of a higher education institute is committed to provide an excellent service for its users. Since the higher education institute library is devoted to provide exceptional learning resources, it is recognized as an excellent service providing center among the users. Meantime except learning resources a library develops the availabilities of its other facilities and services. In this context, this study was carried out to evaluate library user satisfaction with existing facilities and services expect learning resources while identifying user needs. The study uses the survey research design through the stratified random sampling method. 240 (out of 808) undergraduates who visit the Swamy Vipulanada Institute of Aesthetic studies library were selected as sample. According to the result that the undergraduates are overall satisfied with available library facilities and services. However, the study further reveals one of the attributes of the study that the orientation program of the library is not being fully effectively utilized by undergraduates. Based on this finding it is essential to reorganize the orientation program among the undergraduates. Thus, this study present recommendation to upgrade the current orientation program among the users to meet the challenges they face in the information access.

Work Ethics’ Impact on Counterproductive Work Behaviour in Institutes of Higher Education

Work Ethics’ Impact on Counterproductive Work Behaviour in Institutes of Higher Education

Non-financial asset valuation at higher education institutions: The theoretical and practical aspects

Subject. This article focuses on the issues of initial and subsequent valuation of non-financial assets at Russian higher education institutions. Objectives. The article aims to analyze the provisions of the accounting policy of educational institutions for higher education in relation to the valuation of non-financial assets, compare them with the Federal Accounting Standards, identify problematic aspects, and determine the areas for their solution. Methods. The regulations on the accounting policy of twenty six higher education institutions of Russia in relation to the valuation of non-financial assets are the basis of the study. For the study, I used observation, comparison, generalization, and interpretation. Results. The article presents the results of the analysis of the composition of costs incurred by institutions in the process of creating an object of fixed assets. It also offers recommendations on the inclusion of interest expenses on long-term liabilities in the initial cost of non-financial assets during their construction (creation) using own resources and options for assessing the value of replaced (disposed) parts of fixed assets, and a methodology for their calculation. A list of expenses included in determining the initial cost of intangible assets created by higher education institutions on their own is also presented. Conclusions. To improve the accounting of transactions for the acquisition and creation of fixed assets, it is advisable to establish the procedure for allocating the costs of delivery of several fixed assets in the accounting policy of educational organizations, determine the methods of attributing additional borrowing costs, as well as establish the criterion for the materiality of such expenses. It is concluded that higher education institutions should have a unified methodology for accounting costs when carrying out regular scheduled overhauls, technical inspections and maintenance of fixed assets.

Strategies for enhancing Chinese students' engagement in a large class learning environment: An interpretative phenomenological approach

AimIt is common for Chinese students to sit quietly during classroom lectures, attentively following teachers’ instructions without interacting or asking questions, viewed as passive engagement. This study aims to understand further the passive engagement of Chinese students in relation to classroom questioning, just-in-time feedback and collaborative activities. With objectives to formulate strategies to enhance Chinese students' engagement in a large class learning environment without undermining the cultural dimension of "face". BackgroundEngaging in collaborative educational activities between teachers and students can be challenging in a large classroom learning environment. Within the Chinese context, Confucian-heritage culture may further exacerbate the challenges teachers face. Chinese students often appear passive when responding to questions. In this situation, educators may receive insufficient student feedback to modify and optimise their teaching and learning approaches. DesignA qualitative research method, with an interpretative phenomenological approach was employed in a self-financed institute of higher education in Hong Kong. MethodsEight nursing graduates were invited to participate in two focus group interviews to generate teaching and learning strategies. In addition, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve nursing teachers recruited through a snowballing sampling strategy. The narratives were coded, categorised, themed, analysed and interpreted through thematic analysis. ResultsChinese students are concerned with "losing face" and the fear of being teased by their peers in a collectivist culture. Based on these findings, three teaching and learning strategies for engaging students in classroom questioning and collaborative activities were generated. These strategies include using digital learning platforms, the promotion of communication and fostering interpersonal relationships. ConclusionsIn higher education, academic managers and teachers must critically reflect on teaching and learning strategies tailor-made to different cultural and contextual settings. Collaborating on pedagogical reforms can provide solid guidance and insight on implementing student-centred learning for Chinese students in large class learning environments while respecting the cultural dimension of "face".

Development of the Islamic Religious Education Curriculum at PTU as Strengthening Multicultural Islam

One of the courses in educational institutions in higher education, which is very related with the development of morals and behavior is Religious Education. Islamic Religious Education (PAI) at Public Higher Education (PTU) is a continuation of the teaching received by students starting from the Elementary Level, Junior and Senior High Schools. In the structure of the national higher education curriculum, Islamic religious education courses are compulsory subjects for all Muslim students in all public tertiary institutions, both public and private universities. The progress of an educational institution, one of which is determined by the teaching materials or curriculum applied, whether it is in accordance with the needs of stakeholders. Indonesia is a multicultural country, so the design of teaching materials or curriculum must be developed according to the demands of the times, times and circumstances. Therefore, the authors state that there are 4 reasons why this paper is important to study: First, the lack of knowledge of Islam among PTU students and public schools; second, the rise of brawls between students (students); third, lack of appreciation among students and students in the field of religion; and fourth, the decreased empathy and religiosity of students and students.

The history of the institute of higher and additional professional education of the Endocrinology Reserch Centre

The Endocrinology Reserch Centre is proud not only of its achievements in the area of personalized approach to the examination and treatment of patients in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, the use of modern diagnostic and treatment technologies, but also of its rich history of training scientific and medical personnel. For many years theCenter has been attracting the best and most talented graduates of higher medical institutions, becoming the "alma mater" for young doctors - endocrinologists, pediatric endocrinologists and nutritionists. Specialists, graduates of NMRC, make a significant contribution to the development of medicine, conducting research, creating innovative methods of treatment and helping patients not only in our country, but also abroad. However, the State Research Center of the Russian Federation FGBU «NMRC Endocrinology» is famous not only for its high-quality and comprehensive training, but also for its experienced, dedicated teaching staff, giving students unique opportunities for professional growth. The purpose of this article is to reflect the most important milestones in the development of education at NMIC Endocrinology, which began its formation more than a century ago, during the most difficult period of transition for our country.

Re-Imagining Higher Education: Time, Learning, and Risk

This article recommends institutional changes to higher education related to time, learning, and risk that would better serve the contemporary student population and increase opportunities for life-long and interdisciplinary learning. To begin, the changing demographic of university students will be outlined, along with suggestions about how traditional institutional arrangements are no longer conducive to optimal learning environments. Next, a review of the history of the academic year will be provided, that will show a snapshot of post-secondary academic calendars in Canada. Relatedly, a discussion of the potential drawbacks and benefits to accelerated courses will be deliberated, as well as the role of risk in terms of how this shapes students’ course selection. Finally, an example of a pilot program at McMaster University, a large research-intensive university in Ontario, Canada, which is specifically designed to account for the pitfalls outlined above, will be discussed. Taken together, it will be argued that having full-course offerings on a year-round basis, providing various options for course lengths, and adjusting evaluations to reduce students’ conceptions of ‘risk’ will better adapt institutes of higher education for the twenty-first century.

Building capacity in institutional research: collaboration and complementarity?

AbstractInstitutional Research associations across the world are re-imagining and redesigning their professional development and capacity building activities. This paper outlines the professional development activities of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in the United States (est. 1966), the European Association for Institutional Research (EAIR) (est. 1978), the Southern African Association for Institutional Research (SAAIR) (est. 1994) and the United Kingdom and Ireland Higher Education Institutional Research Network (HEIR) (est. 2008) and argues that a more sophisticated approach to IR is needed, informed by systems thinking, aimed at proactive engagement with policy-makers and managers, organisational learning, direct links to institutional strategy (‘a seat at the table’), and the analysis and use of larger volumes of data.

What difference does one course make? Assessing the impact of content-based instruction on students’ sustainability literacy

Composition studies, with their cross-disciplinary role in students’ academic lives, can be essential in placing sustainability at the center of students’ learning. This research assessed the impact of content-based instruction on students’ sustainability literacy in a first-year composition course through a mixed-method design. In the quantitative part of this case study, 221 students in different classes of a first-year writing course in a higher education institute in Kuwait during the Fall term of 2022 were first given a pretest to determine their sustainability literacy levels. During a 6-week period, 121 students participated in the content-based instruction emphasizing sustainability, while 100 students comprised the control group, receiving curriculum without any emphasis on sustainability. The allocation of students in these two groups was random, determined solely by the classes they were enrolled in at the beginning of the semester. At the end of the semester, both the experimental and control groups were given a posttest to measure the impact of the instruction on their sustainability literacy levels. For the qualitative component, 60 students from the experimental group and 60 students from the control group were tasked with composing an essay identifying Kuwait’s major sustainability challenges and proposing corresponding solutions. The impact of content-based instruction on students’ literacy levels was measured by conducting a qualitative and quantitative content analysis on their writing. The results showed that the experimental group students made statistically significant improvements in their sustainable literacy levels, scored better on the posttest, used more sustainability terms and concepts, and identified more sustainability-related challenges and solutions in their essays.

Key Determinants Influencing Computer Science Undergraduates in Fee-Levying Higher Education Institute Choices in Sri Lanka

Key Determinants Influencing Computer Science Undergraduates in Fee-Levying Higher Education Institute Choices in Sri Lanka

Student’s Willingness to Pay for Degree Program Based on Attributes

ABSTRACT Higher education offerings are evolving, and institutions are challenged with providing a grouping of services, or attribute set, with the highest value to students. Widening course offerings may present additional financial challenges to higher education institutions if the magnitude of the value of specific course attributes is unknown. In this study, students were surveyed to determine the willingness to pay for degree program attributes with respect to amount of time and location commitment, university reputation, degree program reputation and instructor reputation. Using a choice-based approach, marginal utilities are calculated along with willingness to pay measures for each variable. Results suggest that the largest premiums occur when time and location commitments are minimized, followed by a solid university reputation. Implications for higher education institutions may allow for customized pricing policies and efficient course offerings based on demand for the most valued structure of online delivery modes, and reputations of degree programs, instructors, and the institute of higher education. Course offerings could then be tailored to balance student demand and institutional resources.

Prediction of Student Dropout in Malaysian’s Private Higher Education Institute using Data Mining Application

Student dropout issue is a major concern among the academics and management of the university. The higher rate of student dropout impacted the university reputation such as reducing student enrolment, affecting the revenue of the university, financial losses for the country, and increase the existence of a social problem among the students. In this study, 2 popular classifiers were utilized to predict the student dropout namely decision tree and logistic regression model respectively. Several sets of experimental setting were employed which include three set of data partitioning - along with different types of decision tree and regression model. As for the logistic regression model, different data imputation and transformation method was tested to ensure that the model built is valid. A total of 7706 student data extracted from one of the private universities in Malaysia database (between year 2018-2019) to assess the capability of the classifier. The classifier performance is evaluated using machine learning performance measure of accuracy and misclassification rate. The result indicates that, decision tree - chi-square (2 branches) achieved slightly better classification performance of 89.49% on 80/20 data partitioning. The chosen model also identified the most important variable for accurate prediction of student dropout. Application of this model has the potential to accurately predict at risk student and to reduce student dropout rates.

Investigating the Effect of an Interactive Educational Chatbot on Reading Comprehension Skills

This study aimed to investigate the implementation of an interactive chatbot as a facilitator to assess its effects on reading skills. To this end, 60 Omani intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners from a higher education institute were selected as the population and divided into two experimental and control groups with an equal number of learners. Several research-based reading tests have been developed, validated, and piloted to ensure reliability, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha. The test results for the pre-, post-, and delayed post-tests were 0.889, 0.767, and 0.850, which ensured reliability. Although both groups received instructions and practiced reading skills based on the department’s curriculum and delivery plan, an interactive WhatsApp bot was designed to provide additional instructions and exercises for the experimental group for three weeks. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was conducted to assess data normality and determine whether parametric- or nonparametric-tests should be used. The results indicated non-normality in all data sets (p < .05) except for the pre-test data of the experimental group (p > .05); Consequently, the Wilcoxon test was employed to analyze results within the groups, while the Mann-Whitney U test was utilized to compare the groups. The interpretation of the test within the control group revealed that learners performed significantly differently in the post- and delayed post-tests (Z = -4.80, -2.95 < .05). Similarly, the results of learners in the experimental group showed that they performed significantly better in the post- and delayed post-tests than in the pre-test (Z = -4.79, -4.80 < .05). Finally, the comparison of both groups based on the Mann-Whitney U test revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test and delayed post-test (U = .00, p < .05). Therefore, it could be concluded that chatbots could be beneficial within the learning process, particularly for improving reading skills. These results are promising for teachers and students who utilize technological devices in their learning and teaching practices.

Measurement and analysis of change in research scholars’ knowledge and attitudes toward statistics after PhD coursework

BackgroundKnowledge of statistics is highly important for research scholars, as they are expected to submit a thesis based on original research as part of a PhD program. As statistics play a major role in the analysis and interpretation of scientific data, intensive training at the beginning of a PhD programme is essential. PhD coursework is mandatory in universities and higher education institutes in India. This study aimed to compare the scores of knowledge in statistics and attitudes towards statistics among the research scholars of an institute of medical higher education in South India at different time points of their PhD (i.e., before, soon after and 2–3 years after the coursework) to determine whether intensive training programs such as PhD coursework can change their knowledge or attitudes toward statistics.MethodsOne hundred and thirty research scholars who had completed PhD coursework in the last three years were invited by e-mail to be part of the study. Knowledge and attitudes toward statistics before and soon after the coursework were already assessed as part of the coursework module. Knowledge and attitudes towards statistics 2–3 years after the coursework were assessed using Google forms. Participation was voluntary, and informed consent was also sought.ResultsKnowledge and attitude scores improved significantly subsequent to the coursework (i.e., soon after, percentage of change: 77%, 43% respectively). However, there was significant reduction in knowledge and attitude scores 2–3 years after coursework compared to the scores soon after coursework; knowledge and attitude scores have decreased by 10%, 37% respectively.ConclusionThe study concluded that the coursework program was beneficial for improving research scholars’ knowledge and attitudes toward statistics. A refresher program 2–3 years after the coursework would greatly benefit the research scholars. Statistics educators must be empathetic to understanding scholars’ anxiety and attitudes toward statistics and its influence on learning outcomes.