European Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

Ensuring Academic Integrity and Trust in Online Learning Environments: A Longitudinal Study of an AI-Centered Proctoring System in Tertiary Educational Institutions

The credibility of online examinations in Higher Education is hardened by numerous factors and use-case scenarios. This paper reports on a longitudinal study, that spanned over eighteen months, in which various stakeholders from three European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) participated, aiming to identify core threat scenarios experienced during online examinations, and to, accordingly, propose threat models, data metrics and countermeasure features that HEI learning management systems can embrace to address the identified threat scenarios. We also report on a feasibility study of an open-source intelligent and continuous student identity management system, namely TRUSTID, which implements the identified data metrics and countermeasures. A user evaluation with HEI students (n = 133) revealed that the TRUSTID system is resilient and effective against impersonation attacks, based on intelligent face and voice identification mechanisms, and scored well in usability and user experience. Aspects concerning the preservation of privacy in storing, retrieving and processing sensitive personal data are also discussed.

Higher art education in the European Union: Innovative technologies

The modern development of information technologies has significantly influenced the transformations in the system of learning and teaching in European institutions of higher education of art. The purpose of the article is to analyze the use of innovative technologies in teaching methods in modern higher art education in the countries of the European Union. General scientific methods of analysis and synthesis were used to write the article. The results identified the main philosophical principles on which modern principles of educational work are based, in particular the democratization of the educational process, taking into account modern requirements in teaching and creative work. It has been established that classical models of teaching activity are in crisis due to the use of digital technologies and digital education. In higher educational institutions of France, Germany, Austria, and Latvia, art departments and universities use E-learning and engage temporary lecturers and artists to conduct classes. Content analysis of syllabi and educational programs of art institutions and faculties of higher education in the countries of the European Union was also carried out. The conclusions emphasize the fact that in the educational environment of European countries, the formation of digital and informational competence of students is emphasized.

Learning-by-Doing Methodology towards Urban Decarbonisation: An Application in Valletta (Malta)

Since approximately 75% of Europeans currently live in cities, and this number will rise, urban areas are the most important testbeds for energy transition, climate change adaptation measures, and decarbonisation models, on which studies and efforts for concrete change must focus. The teaching of mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change and decarbonisation models has gradually taken up space within university courses. However, the complexity of the decarbonisation issue is raising awareness on the urgency of an interdisciplinary approach that can be conveyed by spatial planning. Currently, this approach is not widespread in Higher Education Institutions in Europe but is nonetheless necessary to let new professional profiles emerge who are able to coordinate different stakeholders, data, and information sources. The Erasmus+ project CITY MINDED (2020–2022) has worked in this direction, by developing and testing a methodology for the design of a structured ordinary practice for teaching urban decarbonisation to students in Higher Education. This practice (at the same time, interdisciplinary, collaborative, experiential, and place-based) aims to offer students a combination of different approaches and working methods to investigate and improve urban neighbourhoods and districts, resulting in the definition of an operative roadmap for decarbonisation in the medium-to-long-term. The aim of this article is to highlight the learning-by-doing experience developed by the project consortium, with reference to the testing of the methodology conducted within an Intensive Course in the City of Valletta (Malta). In particular, the paper illustrates how this experience succeeded in stimulating students with different academic backgrounds to establish connections across disciplines, in raising their awareness about the complexity of city decarbonisation processes. Overcoming the strict time and budget constraints of an EU-funded project, such an approach can be further developed, replicated on theoretical grounds, and implemented within different degree programmes dealing with urban sustainability.

Features of research project management in European higher education institutes

ABSTRACT Strong project management is increasingly recognised as essential to achieve impactful outcomes in externally-funded research projects hosted in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). However, the characteristics of research project management, and how it differs from project management in other environments, have not been sufficiently explored. Key factors in research projects lead us to question the applicability of standard project management methodologies, and to explore optimum organisational approaches to project support. In this paper, from a practitioner perspective we consider the factors that influence forms of research project management and prior literature on the topic. We report on the results of a survey of project management modes and maturity undertaken among research project management professionals in EU, EEA and UK HEIs. Insights derived from the results provide a better understanding of how organisational research project management is currently implemented, and identify avenues for improvement, increasing fundamental understanding of this emerging professional domain.

Soft skills of a teacher as a category of conceptual and applied research

The article analyzes applied and theoretically oriented studies of scientists devoted to the development of soft skills of a teacher, starting with his training in higher school. The authors of the article, along with the analysis of scientific papers, offer a list of declarative documents of the European and American pedagogical communities, in which soft skills are integrated into institutional domestic policy. The article states a single (not systematic) description of the content aspects of teachers’ soft skills in foreign studies. When reviewing teaching and learning in higher education institutions in Europe, the authors emphasize the great variability of methods and approaches to the study of the degree of proficiency in soft skills of higher schoolteachers and students. The article notes a shift in the focus of research on teachers’ soft skills to Asian countries, due to the pace of development of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries. The authors actualize the general trend of Western and Asian studies of soft teacher skills: the overwhelming number of scientific papers is based on social questionnaires and surveys, without involving extended theoretical analysis. In this context, the key position of this article is the need to change the goal setting of socio-pedagogical experiments on soft skills, the result of which, from the authors’ point of view, should be the creation of prospective educational programs for teacher training based on systemic theoretical generalizations and

User-Oriented Policies in European HEIs: Triggering a Participative Process in Today’s Digital Turn—An OpenU Experimentation in the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

As European higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly grapple with new challenges, the importance and difficulty of massification, democratization, and inclusion have been reinforced by the recent pandemic crisis and the simultaneous need for pedagogical continuity. Meeting these challenges not only implies a profound change in organization and teaching practices, which need to focus on user-centered quality learning, but also raises questions about financing, management, and governance. Using results from two participative experiments conducted in the French University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in the framework of the OpenU (Online Pedagogical Resources in European Universities) project, the authors present ethical and practical issues that currently face inclusive and user-oriented policies in the European higher education area. Through this paper, we argue that creating an imaginative and inclusive participative process is as essential today in the spirit of evidence-based policies supporting digital education as it is partial. We furthermore present emerging results on current needs, as well as incentives to increase participation. Such results ultimately allow us to draw conclusions and recommendations for institutional and national policymakers to further improve user-oriented policies.

TEACHING CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN EUROPE: CURRENT TRENDS AND PROSPECTS. Review

Relevance. Among the professional competencies, a graduate of a medical faculty should not only determine drugs for the treatment of typical diseases, but also be able to correct errors in prescribing; warn, identify and report adverse drug reactions; advise patients on the correct intake of drug, etc., providing effective, safe and economically justified pharmacotherapy. These professional competencies are acquired when studying the discipline "Clinical pharmacology”.
 Objective – to consider the current data on teaching of the discipline "Clinical pharmacology" to students of medical faculties in European institutions of higher education.
 Methods. Analysis of data presented in PubMed using the keywords "clinical pharmacology", "undergraduate education", "medical".
 Results. Clinical pharmacology, as an educational discipline, is based on the data of evidence-based medicine and modern treatment standards, but at the same time teaches the personalized use of drugs (based on deep knowledge of pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics), while the patient receives the "right" drug, in the "right" dose, which allows you to minimize the risk of side effects and reduce adherence to therapy. Every £1 invested in clinical pharmacology saves £6 by reducing prescribing errors and adverse drug reactions, tackling polypharmacy and more.
 In 2018, European experts in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics reached a consensus on the key learning outcomes of students of medical faculties, - 34 competencies were developed (knowledge with 20 subcategories, skills with 11 subcategories, attitudes – with 3 subcategories), a plan for an integrated context-oriented European educational program in clinical pharmacology and therapy.
 Conclusions. The developed system of problem-oriented, integrated into the educational program of medicine, study of “Clinical pharmacology and therapy" in European institutions of higher education allows to ensure a uniform standard of prescription of drugs by graduates of medical faculties.

Teaching sustainability within the context of everyday life: Steps toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through the EUSTEPs Module

In a world characterized by Ecological Overshoot, where humanity demands more from natural ecosystems than they can sustainably renew, education can nurture sustainability-minded citizens and future leaders to help accelerate the transition toward an era where our finite planet’s resources stand at the core of all decision-making. Despite the essential role of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in contributing to a sustainable society, a holistic understanding of how to incorporate sustainability initiatives into HEI is still lacking. Given the critical role of HEI in societies and considering the number of students, educators, and staff they host every day, ensuring that sustainability is both taught and practiced on campuses becomes fundamental. To this end, a strategic partnership was created in 2019 to set up the ERASMUS + project EUSTEPs—Enhancing Universities’ Sustainability Teaching and Practices through Ecological Footprint. Among the main outputs of the project is a teaching module for introducing the sustainability concept to students. This Module takes a 360-degree approach to teaching sustainability that is designed to help students grasp the extraordinary complexity of sustainability in an engaging and captivating manner. This paperthus aims to: (1) present the EUSTEPs Module, its pedagogical approach and structure, and the learning outcomes and competencies students are expected to gain, (2) review the outcomes of its first pilot teaching in four European HEI, and (3) shed light on how this Module contributes to the development of competences and pedagogical approaches for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our findings show that 90% of the students were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the Module, rating the Ecological Footprint as the most useful teaching tool among those included in the Module. In addition, they appreciated the interactive nature of the proposed teaching. Feedback obtained from students during the pilot teaching contributed to shaping the Module’s final structure and content. The Module—an important interactive sustainability pedagogical tool—is now ready for use with students in different disciplines, thus contributing to progress toward the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG 4, SDG 11, SDG 12, and SDG 13.

Das Konzept der funktionalen Mehrsprachigkeit im Kontext der Internationalisierung deutscher Hochschulen

Internationalisation is a key word for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Germany. It also encompasses mobility policies in order to increase the numbers of incoming international students from all over the world as well as the numbers of outgoing national students. For this reason, English as lingua franca/lingua academica is becoming the language of teaching and communication in German international university courses more and more. The authors argue that this attitude often labelled as English only neither mirrors nor exploits the vast multilingual repertoires of today’s societies in general and European HEIs in particular. Nevertheless, building truly inclusive (scientific) communities deeply committed to democratic and pluralistic principles allowing participation for all citoyennes and citoyens needs to encompass our multilingual and multicultural realities. Anchoring the concept of functional multilingualism in the institution’s internationalisation and languages strategies, the Technical University Darmstadt serves as an example of a German HEI following multilingual paths beyond German and English.

Game-based learning and students’ motivation in project management education

Research on game-based learning (GBL) methods shows that they may increase students' motivation and learning in the context of higher education. However, there is still unclarity regarding whether and how GBL methods can be utilized in project management education. Our quasi-experimental study analyzes project management students' experiences of a GBL method applied in six European higher education institutes during late 2021 and early 2022. Data about students' experiences were collected using a post-game survey in which students were asked to evaluate how the applied GBL method affected their motivation and learning. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our findings include students' positive and negative perceptions related to the applied GBL method, which influenced students’ motivation to study and learn project management phenomena. Our findings indicate that game-based learning solutions can be used to motivate students and to prepare learners to deal with uncertainty, as in real-life projects.

HRM and Research Performance in the Higher Education Context: Evidence from European Countries

This study examines the linkage between HRM practices and individual research performance in the higher education context. Guided by AMO theory, we identify ability-, motivation- and opportunity-enhancing HRM bundles specifically for the higher education context and we hypothesize their positive influence on both proximal HRM outcomes (research-oriented knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and self-efficacy to conduct research) and distal HRM outcomes (individual research performance). We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 243 academics from European higher education institutions, matching survey and archival data using the Scopus database of scientific publications. The results of the study show that HRM strengthens self-efficacy to conduct research, which, in turn, affects research performance. Ability and opportunity-enhancing HRM practices positively affect individual research performance. Opportunity-enhancing HRM practices increase self-efficacy, which in turn has a positive effect on individual research performance. The study reveals the importance of self-efficacy to conduct research as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between HRM and research performance. We discuss the implications for theory and practice, note the limitations and suggest future research directions.

Электронное образование в зарубежных высших учебных заведениях: критерии и оценки

E-education is characterized by dynamic development all over the world, and therefore the mechanisms for assessing its quality do not have time to adapt to the current state in the educational environment. This study focuses on the experience of ensuring the quality of e-education in higher education institutions in Europe and Latin America. The article highlights the approaches that ensure the quality of e-education, as well as an analysis of the policy of universities involved in this area. It was revealed that external agencies for ensuring the quality of education occupy an important position as a supervisory authority in foreign higher education institutions. The process of developing a quality assurance system is characterized by openness and dynamism, therefore it needs to be integrated into the internationalization of education programs and specifically into e-learning. Assessment of the quality of education involves problematic issues, therefore, this phenomenon should be comprehensively investigated.

Safe patient handling education: analysis from European higher education institutions.

According to current research, patient handling is not universally taught in academic nursing programs in Europe. Miscellaneous patient handling education may expose students and novice health care workers to occupational hazards, especially if the evidence-based contents of safe patient handling are not recognized. Health care workers deal with high physical workloads daily, which points out the importance of evidence-based curricula contents from the early phases of education. The aim of this study was to describe the patient handling education and to analyse the differences in curricula among higher education institutions (HEIs) in Europe. The study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted in HEIs educating health care professionals in Europe. The data was collected through a Webropol questionnaire consisting of structured and open-ended questions. Only 68.4% of the respondents stated that they have a framework that guides the patient handling education. Additionally, some answers referred to guidelines that are not adequate to be referred to as evidence-based guidelines on patient handling. There is variation in emphasizing workplace safety and risk assessment issues in the curricula, and variation in teaching of assistive aids. Currently the patient handling education in the studied HEIs does not meet the requirements of evidence-based practice. The establishment of a European-wide framework, including both theoretical and practical training for safe patient handling is needed. The inclusion of risk assessment and workplace safety issues is essential to improve the risk management knowledge and skills and further avoid work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(5):615-23.

International migration of researchers and gender imbalance in academia—the case of Norway

Female representation among students and graduates in higher education is growing internationally. This is a promising trend for achieving gender balance in top positions in academia. But there is still a long way to go, as women accounted for 26 per cent in top positions at European higher education institutions in 2018. In this article, we examine the influence of international recruitment of researchers on the gender balance—or the lack of gender balance—in Norwegian academia. We draw on data from the Norwegian Register of Research personnel, linked with population statistics from Statistics Norway. These data show that 38 per cent of the researchers at Norwegian higher education institutions in 2018 were born abroad. The share of foreign full professors has increased from 16 per cent in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2018, while for postdocs there has been an increase from 31 to 69 per cent. In terms of overall gender composition, a higher percentage of the foreign-born researchers are male compared with the native Norwegians. The incidence of international recruitment differs significantly across academic fields and is particularly prevalent in engineering. This is also the field where the gender balance is most skewed generally. Taking these variables into account, we conclude that international migration is not among the factors contributing to the gender imbalance in Norwegian academia. In fact, international recruitment has contributed positively to the gender balance in Norway in the majority of the fields analysed.

A common framework for MOOC curricular development in climate change education - Findings and adaptations under the BECK project for higher education institutions in Europe and Asia

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction has identified the climate change education as a key motivation for improving energy efficiency, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction by encouraging changes in the attitudes and behaviour and helping adapt to climate change-related trends. Delivering climate change education via Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) in higher education is considered as an effective method for wider community engagement, scientific networking, and knowledge sharing. The BECK project funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme is aimed to address this approach by introducing new harmonized MOOC modules to the higher education curricular of 4 European, 5 Russian and 5 Asian higher education institutions (HEI). Based on the cross-institutional capacity needs assessment survey, the project adapted a common framework for the MOOC development and implementation across the partner institutions. The aim of this research is to develop a framework to ensure the curricular development is followed by pedagogical principles while adhering to the quality benchmarks in its implementation. This framework establishes common grounds for BECK MOOC while assisting the partner institutions with necessary capacity building for teaching and learning measures. The BECK project continues to disseminate the MOOC modules via the BECK virtual interuniversity and support the effective implementation of the developed framework.

Enhancing Internationalization by Labels and Certificates: The Power of Voluntary Policy Instruments

About ten years ago, an innovative instrument was developed to promote internationalization in European higher education institutions— a Certificate for Quality in Internationalization (Cequint). The initiative fits well the contemporary governance philosophy that promotes voluntary instruments, an individualized approach, and an orientation towards transparency instead of control. While labels and certificates are becoming popular, their effectiveness is often questioned. In this paper we examine critically the value of Cequint and its potential for enhancing internationalization . The empirical results confirm that certified study programs outperform their uncertified peers. Partly the effect is explained by self-selection as internationally inclined programs are more likely to apply for the certificate, but there seems to be also a significant independent effect of the certification process. The paper suggests that a voluntary certification scheme can support organizational improvement by three mechanisms: by enhancing motivation, self-awareness, and expertize.

Innovative Trends in the Formation of the Content of Master's Training in Speciality 029 “Information, Library and Archival Affairs”

The relevance of the study is due to the need of modernisation of the information sphere of activity in accordance with European standards and the proper level of training of specialists in this field for further professional development. The aim of the work is to create an innovative model of the content of the training of masters majoring in 029 “Information, Library and Archival Affairs” based on a comparison of the current state of the Ukrainian, American, and European educational systems. To achieve this goal, the author used the following general scientific research methods during three stages of scientific research: structural and comparative analysis, synthesis, generalisation, and systematisation, as well as modelling. The theoretical basis in the form of scientific and journalistic literature on the training of Master’s in library and archival affairs in Ukraine and abroad has been developed. The experience of Ukrainian higher educational institutions, American and European institutions of higher education is compared in order to identify the focus of training specialists in speciality 029 “Information, Library and Archival Affairs”. The theoretical orientation of the Ukrainian educational system for the formation of masters of this speciality and at the same time the practical orientation of universities in the USA, France, Australia, Spain and Sweden are determined. An innovative structural and functional model of forming the content of training masters of information and library science based on comparative analysis and theoretical and practical components is developed. The practical value of scientific work lies in the creation of the author's model of promising functional training of masters of speciality 029 “Information, Library and Archival Affairs” in accordance with the requirements of modernity, with its subsequent possible implementation in the activities of higher educational institutions

Peculiarities of Peer-Tutoring Models in European Institutions of Higher Education

Peculiarities of Peer-Tutoring Models in European Institutions of Higher Education

Development, state and perspectives of urban geography with special review of Serbia

Urban geography is a complex and synthetic geographical discipline, which makes an immeasurable contribution to the integral and interactive perception of geographical elements and factors that have influenced the formation and transformation of settlement-geographical features. The first papers containing urban-geographical content appeared in the first half of the 19th century, but since urbanization became a worldwide process in the 20th century, it can be stated that urban geography became a geographical discipline in the 20th century. Contemporary urban development contributed to the affirmation of urban geography as an independent scientific discipline, where object of study is not only the city within its administrative boundaries, but also urban expansion (urbanization). Today, urban geography has evolved into a complex geographical discipline, where theoretical and methodological roots of knowledge corpus related to the phenomenon of the city have been shaped by an interdisciplinary approach between geography and other sciences that study the city from different theoretical and methodological angles. With the increase in the number of inhabitants in the world, cities have become ?magnets? of economic, socio-cultural and political processes. They are increasingly studied from a global perspective, while urban geography is becoming the main focus of research. In other higher education institutions in Europe, urban geography is established as a special scientific discipline. However, although it has a wide and complex subject of study and occupies a very important place in various types of social practice, urban geography is still studied in Serbia within its mainstream subject - Geography of settlements.

Working conditions of physical education teachers in European higher education institutions

Aim: One of the problems of modern higher education is the so-called "New core curricula", which oblige PE teachers to make many changes in the way they work. PE teachers face several restrictions to provide PE programs that improve students' physical fitness, cognitive development, and overall health. The research aimed to investigate the working conditions of university PE teachers in selected European tertiary institutions. Materials and Methods: The quantitative research employed purposive sampling. Five academics volunteered to collect information on 66 European tertiary institutions located in Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Finland and Kosovo. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires with a set of questions concerning characteristics of tertiary institutions and various aspects of working conditions of university PE teachers. Results: Two thirds of the university PE teachers held master's degree in PE since in over 42% of surveyed institutions, a master's degree in physical education was required to conduct PE classes. The majority of PE teachers (84.4%) were employed full-time, and on average worked 38.6 days in an academic year. Significantly more PE teachers with masters and doctoral degrees (p = 0.012) were employed full-time, or fixed term in public, middle size HEIs (p <0.001). In HEIs in cities with less than 500,000 residents, PE teachers were more often encouraged for participation in CPD (p = 0.049). Significantly more public HEIs fully or partially covered the costs of CPD or conferences (p <0.001), whereas in non-public or small HEIs significantly more PE teachers had to finance the costs of CPD. Moreover, significantly more (p =0.037) universities implemented specific PE teachers’ evaluation criteria with a personal record of their achievements. Conclusion: There is a pressing need to improve qualifications of university PE teachers, as many European HEIs do not support PE teachers in CPD. Furthermore, lack of CPD opportunities, low salaries and lack of career promotion perspectives combined with lower psychological resilience, may result in professional burnout syndrome.