Higher Education Institutions In Romania Research Articles

Supporting the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Universities – A Research Based on Students Opinions

Purpose: The purpose of the research was to identify a feasible way to support the ethical use of AI in universities based on identifying how the AI software application ChatGPT is used in education at higher education institutions and with students in different majors. Study design/methodology/approach: The research methodology consisted of the following stages: (1) a survey based on a questionnaire designed considering the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework to collect students’ opinions on the use of AI ChatGPT; (2) The results of the survey were used to design the materials of the AI Transmedia Campaign, but also to identify the best distribution channels of them; (3) After implementing the AI Transmedia Campaign, a feedback survey was developed, ascertaining the effectiveness of the approach to create an ethical behaviour towards the AI software application in general, and on AI ChatGPT, in particular. Findings: Research shows a gap in regulating the ethical use of AI applications in higher education. Thus, the AI Transmedia Campaign has been well received and appreciated by all categories of students. Originality/value: The research is international and was carried out in higher education institutions in Romania, Greece, and Slovenia (the size of the research sample, 2942, proves the scope of the study). The research results have demonstrated and characterised the students’ behaviour (the cognitive response and the intention to use) towards the use of AI ChatGPT and the utility of the AI Transmedia Campaign realised in the context of the implementation of the RespectNET project (2021-1-IT02-KA220-HED-000027578, https://respectnet.eu/).

Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Favorable Participation of Students with Special Needs in Public Tertiary Education in Romania

Even though research focused on inclusive education in Romania for institutions within the primary and secondary education system has been carried out, there are not many studies that approach the factors determining a favorable inclusion of students in higher education institutions. The central goal of the article consisted in investigating what impacts the willingness and openness for inclusive education for Romanian universities and the potential impact of five constructs of variables applied on fifteen universities from Romania. The outcomes of the quantitative (econometrical) analysis (a survey based on a questionnaire) showed the major impact of the variables of “policies and structures of the university”, “curriculum and pedagogy/teaching strategies”, “community and social integration”, and “accessibility and resources for students” (all focused on students with special needs) on the “willingness and openness for inclusive education” for Romanian universities. The variable of “communication and transparency” (focused on students with special needs) was associated with a medium influence on the “willingness and openness for inclusive education” for Romanian universities. This paper underlines the importance of incorporating the necessary training, support, flexibility, and resources to respond to a variety of student needs in order to improve inclusive education within higher education institutions in Romania.

Educational Management in the Covid 19 Era. Case Study: Romanian Universities

The pandemic generated by the SARS-CoV 19 virus had, in addition to the obvious effects on the health of the population, multiple side
 effects. Of these, the effect on the education system can be found among the most important. The long period of lockdown, coupled with the transition to an online learning system, has been a daunting task for any education system. This article presents the ways to approach educational management in Romania from the perspective of higher education institutions. The research considers both the specific legislation issued during 2019-2021 and the ways of implementing and adapting universities during this period. The obtained results show us that at the level of higher education institutions in Romania there was no consensus on educational management in COVID 19 Era. The conclusion that emerges is that of the need to develop, at the national and institutional level, management plans for such periods of crisis
 and programs for the concrete implementation of these plans.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Romanian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) within the SDGs Framework.

The purpose of this research is to explore barriers and challenges that HEIs in Romania must overcome in order to incorporate education for sustainable development (ESD), but also to provide key recommendations regarding factors that can facilitate sustainability in higher education in Romania. In terms of the approach, a qualitative approach was used consisting of semi-structured interviews involving seven actors from Romanian HEIs, actors who are in charge of ESD adoption. All respondents were in charge of ESD adoption within the Romanian universities that were part of the analysis. The research outlined that the analyzed Romanian universities have implemented ESD, but in terms of planning and practices, they have taken isolated actions. Moreover, major barriers and challenges have been highlighted, such as: funding deficiencies, a lack of experienced officers to adopt SD, change difficulties and improper public policies. The originality of the article resides in the fact the approach is holistic, which adds value to the literature in the area, particularly since, so far, research on ESD in Romanian higher education has focused only on particular factors.

Dear student, what should I write on my wall? A case study on academic uses of Facebook and Instagram during the pandemic

Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, discussions about online learning referred to the use of e-learning platforms and social networks as auxiliary tools in the educational process. Due to the pandemic, universities were forced to adopt an exclusive online teaching process and most universities today use platforms dedicated to online learning such as Moodle platforms. In this context, we were interested in analyzing the attitude of students regarding the way social networks could be integrated into the educational process, and if the positive attitude of students towards social networks and their use for academic purposes, proven in previous studies, remains positive under the conditions generated by the pandemic. In this regard, the present study aimed at identifying the attitude of Romanian students towards the use of Facebook and Instagram as educational tools and the circumstances in which students believe these platforms could be used by them and their teachers. An online survey was conducted on 872 students from public higher education institutions in Romania. Based on the exploratory factor analysis and the parametric test, the empirical results show that students have a slightly positive attitude towards using Facebook in the educational process, but they have a more reticent, less positive attitude towards using Instagram. Thus, the most appropriate contexts in which these platforms could be used are represented by extracurricular activities. A higher preference for the use of Facebook rather than Instagram, was identified among master and PhD students. No major differences were revealed in student subgroups sorted by gender or study domain.

ONLINE LEARNING DURING THE PANDEMIC: ASSESSING DISPARITIES IN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Student engagement is consequential for learning outcomes and is a key factor in student achievement. While its impact on educational outcomes in a face-to-face setting has made the focus of extensive research, less is known about its effects in the context of online learning, especially in Eastern Europe. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced all higher education institutions in Romania to switch to emergency online learning, with little or no previous experience in this form of instruction. This makes it a highly relevant and interesting case for the study of online learning effects on student outcomes. This article therefore investigates disparities in student engagement in the context of emergency online learning in a sample of undergraduate Romanian students. The article focuses on active learning as a key element of student educational engagement, exploring differences in student background characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, employment status and time spent caring for dependents, as well as studying conditions. Results indicate that the sudden change to emergency online learning has created new disparities in perceived levels of student engagement based on the lack of private, interruption-free spaces and a reliable internet connection, as well as time spent doing housework.

Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic: Students’ Perspective

The research focuses on identifying the way in which Romanian universities managed to provide knowledge during the Coronavirus pandemic, when, in a very short time, universities had to adapt the educational process for exclusively online teaching and learning. In this regard, we analyzed students’ perception regarding online learning, their capacity to assimilate information, and the use of E-learning platforms. An online survey based on a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted. Data was collected from 762 students from two of the largest Romanian universities. The results of the research revealed that higher education institutions in Romania were not prepared for exclusively online learning. Thus, the advantages of online learning identified in other studies seem to diminish in value, while disadvantages become more prominent. The hierarchy of problems that arise in online learning changes in the context of the crisis caused by the pandemic. Technical issues are the most important, followed by teachers’ lack of technical skills and their teaching style improperly adapted to the online environment. However, the last place was assigned by students to the lack of interaction with teachers or poor communication with them. Based on these findings, research implications for universities and researchers are discussed.

Actualitatea pentalogului universitar al lui Vasile Bogrea

Professor Vasile Bogrea was the most prominent star in a constellation of academics in the first years after the First World War. Impressive polyglot – being, according to Hasdeu, ‛the most skilful in comparative linguistics of all Romanian linguists’ –, he possessed an amazing encyclopaedic knowledge and a memory comparable with Nicolae Iorga’s. Nearly a century after his untimely death, Bogrea’s work, including the ethical one, despite its limited extent, withstands the test of time, testifying for a brilliant mind that had once simply charmed its contemporaries. Among Vasile Bogrea’s notes, a university pentalogue was posthumously published, a true moral code in a nutshell, which synthesizes in sparkling formulations some perennial principles. This article analyses the provisions of the pentalogue, showing that their essence is to be found in the provisions of the Code of Ethics of Babeș-Bolyai University, the current name of the higher education institution whose brilliant professor was, between 1919 and 1926, Vasile Bogrea. The re-discovery of the pentalogue at the institutional level as a preamble of the Code of Ethics would imply the shouldering of a moral tradition of the best bill by one of the largest and most prestigious higher education institutions in Romania.

Perception of Teachers in Higher Education towards Ethical Issues of Information Technology Use

Our paper presents the results of a type of qualitative research meant to identify the perspective of teachers in higher education on the ethical issues related to information technology use. The research is based on the analysis of the data content obtained by applying a semi-structured interview to 31 teachers working in higher education institutions in Romania. The data processing and interpretation allowed the identification and definition of the general and specific thematic categories related to the perception of teachers in higher education on the ethical aspects of information technology use. The research results are analyzed from the perspective of the following thematic directions: ethical problems of the use of information technology by teachers in teaching-learning-evaluation activities, ethical problems of the exploitation of technological resources in carrying out research activities, problematic aspects of the ethical use of technological tools in online communication, teacher training in higher education in the field of ethical use of IT, introduction of these topics in academic courses, existence of rules at the university level for teacher ethical use of IT.

The challenges of designing a course in Romanian for specific purposes

Although the teaching of Romanian as a Foreign Language has a long and established tradition in (higher) education Romanian institutions, the specific purposes component is much younger and has received little attention as focus of research in language teaching. A compulsory component of the academic programme called Preparatory Romanian Language Year organized by many higher education institutions in Romania, Romanian for Specific Purposes (RSP) poses a number of challenges to practitioners such as needs and target language use analysis, course and materials design, as well as evaluation. The present paper aims at bringing these challenges into the foreground of the teacher agenda and shows how lessons from the rich and broad research into English for specific Purposes, a leading language for specific purposes domain, can help RSP practitioners understand their multi-faceted roles and assume them, expanding the valuable pool of expertise in RSP.

An overview of campus greening initiatives at universities in Romania

PurposeThis paper aims to identify campus greening initiatives on a sample of universities in Romania reflected in the university curricula, the behavioral patterns of students and teachers, the administrative actions that carry out empirical investigation of students/teachers/management staff perception on campus greening (based on self-administered questionnaires); detect the way campus greening initiatives are promoted/made visible; and identify the gaps and needs of the universities under scrutiny in terms of campus greening initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThe current research relies on two major components reviewing campus greening-related activities and initiatives, as reflected in the scientific literature and university curricula (empirical and quantitative assessment) and inquiring selected universities’ about the campus greening programs they unfold through questionnaire surveys (qualitative assessment).FindingsGenerally, sustainability topics (e.g. environmental protection, waste management and sustainable development) are largely addressed and, to some extent, applied in faculties dealing with earth sciences (e.g. geography, ecology) and technical sciences (e.g. environmental engineering). This can be explained by the traditional theoretical background of the first, and the experimental-oriented profile of the latter, which supports the development of innovative technologies (green technologies). However, there is a need to better undertake and promote greening initiatives for most of the higher education institutions in Romania. Some spatial (between institutions throughout Romania) and structural (according to the profile of the institutions) disparities are visible.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of the study might be the small number of universities providing a positive feedback to the questionnaire survey and the degree of subjectivity of some of the answers, directly linked with the professional background and issue awareness of the persons who answered the questions.Practical implicationsThe findings can be useful to the university managers to better orient their actions toward campus greening, increasing their knowledge and awareness toward sustainability-related actions.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt reporting in the literature to analyze the campus greening initiatives to a large number of universities in Romania based on a common approach, identifying the main gaps and challenges in this process.

Assessment of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Newcoming Romanian Entrepreurial Universities

Abstract In the dynamic changing environment, entrepreneurial universities have been playing an increasingly important role for socio-economic innovation and development. The aim of this study is to perform an analysis, involving the observation of the dimensions of entrepreneurial universities. We consider that nowadays the evaluation of universities should take into consideration the tools that school leaders, professors and students may use to evaluate teaching programs in innovation and entrepreneurship. As a result of the fact that the tertiary education institutions are appreciated by the way they relate to the social and economic needs and characteristics of the individuals, the Romanian universities are currently pursuing and trying to undergo a development process making the shift from a classical university to an entrepreneurial university. Specific literature has argued that the dynamic culture of the entrepreneurial university encourage students and graduates to new innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives and increase their employability. The purpose of the current paper is to inspire debates and actual steps to be taken so as higher education institutions in Romania to become even more competitive and support economic growth by fully embracing the role of entrepreneurial universities. Research methodology includes the application of the questionnaire conceived by the HEInnovate team in two universities from Romania, authors comparing the results through a qualitative analysis and interpretation within the European framework. Results underline a similarity between the responses among the seven pillars of HEInnovate tool, but given the area of influence we identify the gaps and propose specific recommendations for short and long-term future. The conclusions of paper area meant to enhance performance in development of innovation and entrepreneurial skills in students in North-East region of Romania, with the aim to raise the region’s competitive edge.

A study on academic staff personality and technology acceptance: The case of communication and collaboration applications

Over the recent years, the communication and collaboration based on online applications has been ubiquitous, being used in teaching, learning and research. In this context, the present study analyses the attitudes and perceptions of the teaching staff and researchers from several higher education institutions in Romania with respect to online collaboration and communication applications, and the impact these applications have on their work (teaching and research). The findings have revealed that the email is still the main communication and collaboration application in both teaching and research, but other, newer applications are not far behind. The extent to which these applications are accepted and used seem to depend directly on personal variables, the most significant ones being the technology anxiety and self-efficacy. The relationship between personality traits and the use of online communication and collaboration applications in the professional academic life has been shown to be mediated by work engagement, which enhances the teachers' personal resources, enhancing their levels of achievement. The findings have also demonstrated that the use of online communication and collaboration applications is part of the factors predicting the teachers' and researchers’ success in academic life.

Aligning the Academic Teacher Training Curriculum for Preschool and Primary School Education to the Requirements of the RNCIS

National Register of Qualifications in Higher Education - RNCIS - is a portal application organized as a national database that includes all qualifications awarded by higher education institutions in Romania, being a tool for universities, students, social partners. According to OM 5703/2011, all higher education institutions are required to enter the information into specific section of the National Register of Qualifications in Higher Education (RNCIS) about the competences developed through their studies offer, according to the methodology set out by the order mentioned above. However, all universities are required to ensure through the academic curricula those skills and transversal competences contained in grids displayed on RNCIS portal to all students who will have a B.A. diploma. In this article we want to describe the process of setting up the competences’ grid by making correlations between professional and transversal competences and content areas, study subjects and credits allocated to major Pedagogy of Primary School and Preschool (PPSP) from the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi. The working methodology consisted in several steps: research, making a draft document based on the existing framework plan, consultation with all those involved in pre-service teacher training for preschool and primary school education, leading factors of the faculty and rebuilding the original working document. After these, it will be the validation stage for the new grid and the implementation of the new curriculum.

Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions: The Case of Romania

Internationalization and quality assurance in higher education have been closely linked at a conceptual level. It is believed that quality assurance enables a higher degree of internationalization, allowing higher education institutions from different countries to promote cooperation and mobility for both students and scholars. This paper investigates the level of internationalization of several higher education institutions in Romania through an exploratory research addressed to those in charge of the master programs. Moreover, the paper aims to identify the connections between quality assurance and internationalization of these institutions, and uses a questionnaire developed around three dimensions: institutional capacity, educational efficiency and total quality management. The study shows that there are quite big gaps between the Romanian higher education institutions that offer master programs in a foreign language in terms of how they perceive the process of internationalization. At the same time, the results indicate that even colleges that are part of the same higher education institution may have different approaches towards internationalization, leading to considerable differences between them. The results of this study are of great importance for the key decision makers in the Romanian higher education institutions, as they may use the insights of this study to develop better strategies that will support the internationalization process within their institutions.

Value and benefits of European student mobility for Romanian students: experiences and perspectives of participants in the ERASMUS programme

This article reports on the experiences and perspectives of Romanian students participating in the ERASMUS Programme, regarding the benefits and value of academic mobility. It situates their accounts in the framework of internationalization and Europeanization processes occurring in Romanian higher education. The study draws on primary data collected from a sample of Romanian students via an online questionnaire. A total of 522 valid responses were received from students at 37 higher education institutions in Romania. Student respondents indicated their academic experiences in other EU member states represented an investment in their professional and personal development. However, they were less convinced these experiences could assist them in improving the overall economic and social conditions in Romania or that it would serve them in the programs of studies at their home institutions. Further issues addressed were credit transfer, financial support and differences in academic programs between host and home institutions.

The Use of Online Marketing and Social Media in Higher Education Institutions in Romania

For a very long period of time, universities were institutions that offered education to those who could meet their prescribed entry criteria and were operating in a supply-side market, which meant that their marketing efforts were limited to a few actions, and the communication efforts were unidirectional. The diverse changes in the global environment had a direct impact over higher education institutions and forced them to rethink their general strategy and to tailor their marketing efforts in order to better suit the student-customer information and communication needs. The changed approach was mandatory for universities survival in a demand-side market. This change implied that universities undertook organizational changes meant to transform them in more market oriented institutions and that communication with target groups became a priority. Online environment offers universities various marketing instruments designed to fulfill their needs to provide accurate and up-to-date information and to have a two-way communication with their target groups, whether they are current or prospective students. Social media proves to be an unlimited resource of instruments for higher education institutions to get closer to their public. This article aims to analyze the use of online marketing and social media strategies applied by universities in Romania, both public and private. The survey was conducted on 56 public universities and 55 private universities and aimed to examine the universities websites and social media involvement.

Multiple Employment Issues at the “Babeş‐Bolyai” University in Cluj‐Napoca, Romania: A Case Study

This paper approaches the multiple employment issues in Romanian Higher Education with a special focus on “Babeş‐Bolyai” University (BBU) in Cluj‐Napoca. There are 119 higher education institutions in Romania and it is becoming increasingly common for the academic staff to have at least two to three paid teaching loads, while undertaking almost no relevant, internationally recognized, research. The paper analyses the environment in which BBU is acting; the dangers of decreasing the quality of teaching and research/services; possible types of desirable multiple employment and the measures taken to diminish the consequences of undesirable multiple employment.

The Unanticipated Explosion: Private Higher Education’s Global Surge

The massive global growth of private sectors transforms higher education. It naturally sparks great interest and debate. But analysis lags far behind, as does cross-national documentation. Promoters glorify roles (e.g., access), while critics demonize roles (e.g., moneymaking). Policy makers tend to hold simple views of what private higher education does or what they want it to do, while participants tend to generalize from their own institution. Public discussion thus often revolves around narrow and misleading declarations. The gap is large between self-serving or ill-informed views and more complex reality. Private higher education is least understood where it has just recently become prominent—and that is in much of the world. A few decades ago, private higher education was absent or marginal in most countries. Today, it captures a major or fast-increasing portion of enrollments in Eastern and Central Europe, the Middle East and northern and sub-Saharan Africa, East and South Asia, and Latin America. Furthermore, new forms of private

Teaching physics in Romania: new requirements call for new methods

The place and size of physics within academic teaching in Romania have obviouslychanged, and reform of the academic training system is underway. This paperreports on a didactical experiment conducted at the University of Craiova, one ofthe most representative higher education institutions in Romania, testing theefficiency of some evaluation methods applied to the teaching process of physics.This process functions under the actual conditions in which the academic teachingtakes place.