Higher Education Programs Research Articles

Recent Evolution in Higher Education Program Offerings

Recent Evolution in Higher Education Program Offerings

Appraising a structured peer mentorship program among physical therapy graduates

Abstract: PURPOSE: Mentorship is an integral part of student training in higher education. The most commonly adopted design in Indian Educational Institutes is traditional mentorship; teacher–student mentorship. Larger mentor–mentee ratios are one of the difficulties in this ongoing design, thus we investigate the effect of a concept called peer mentoring where students are assigned specific older peers as mentors. METHODS: The study commenced after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Ethics Review Committee. Written informed consent and demographic details were obtained from all the participants. One hundred and twenty students were recruited to participate in the study through a systematic random sampling method. Further on they were divided into two groups: teacher–student mentorship and peer mentorship, respectively. All participants were pretested using “Westside Test Anxiety,” “Rosenberg Self-Esteem,” and “Self-Perception of Test Taking Scale.” One session was conducted every week for 12 weeks. The postassessment was performed using the same preevaluation measures. RESULTS: Findings of the present study demonstrate that by the end of 12 weeks’ both groups demonstrated reduction in anxiety, improved self-esteem and confidence, and test-taking skills. However, students undergoing peer mentorship demonstrated a greater reduction in their anxiety levels (P < 0.05), better self-esteem levels (P < 0.05), improved confidence levels and test-taking skills (P > 0.05) as compared to traditional mentorship. CONCLUSION: Peer mentorship program was beneficial in reducing anxiety levels and improving self-esteem, confidence, and perception of test-taking skills. As a result, peer mentoring must be implemented as an adjunct to traditional mentorship programs in higher education.

Mapping the Scene: Creative Ecosystems in Post-Secondary Jazz Education

Abstract: The jazz world is built on exploration and innovation, which makes the genre and its practice tediously difficult to define. Practitioners use performance spaces as venues to not only share their art but to teach new musicians. That model is hard to replicate, but music programs in higher education have sought to do this since the 1940s. As part of that practice, we theorize that the institutional environment, particularly in the creative disciplines, is a critical input factor for jazz programs necessitating further research. This study investigates the creative ecosystem in jazz degree-granting institutions (JDGI; n = 90) through a mapping of higher education programs offering jazz degrees. We use these data to create a profile of an archetypical collegiate jazz program and present a snapshot of contemporary jazz education while offering a novel baseline for future research in the field.

Incorporation of a digital health literacy model into the curricula of medical and rehabilitation science courses in higher education

Introduction: currently, digital resources have changed the way we live in areas such as education and health. This scenario was reinforced after the COVID-19 pandemic, where society had to quickly adapt to virtual scenarios to access health services. In this way, electronic health (eHealth) is positioned as a relevant issue in the training of university health professionals and as a way to make higher education relevant to the innovation and digital transformation experienced by the health system. This research proposes as a general objective to analyze the degree of association between university education models and the development of health literacy for health and rehabilitation students. Method: the study, quantitative descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional design, brings together the self-perception in eHealth competences, through the application of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHeals), to 60 participants who were studying their professional practice to access the title of Speech Therapist. Results: the results reveal a significant difference between students who participated in an electronic health skills training pro-gram compared to those who were not part of such a program in their university education. Conclusion: the implementation of digital health literacy programs in higher education increases the ability to search for and evaluate the quality of health information online

A Serious game for programming in higher education

Programming is a highly difficult skill which is a constituent of many undergraduate programmes at Higher Education (HE) level. With the advancement of games technology there is an increasing opportunity for educators to provide innovative assessment tools for students on their courses which are highly immersive and graphically indicative of the times. This could potentially be in a supplementary capacity or to a greater extent inextricably linked to the learning outcomes and assessment outcomes. Notably serious games and Games-Based Learning (GBL) have received high levels of attention from educationalists due to being motivational, novel learning approaches. This paper will outline two empirical studies conducted to develop a game to teach programming at HE level. The first study will gauge the acceptability of a computer game for teaching programming and formulating content integration development requirements. The second study will outline the evaluation of the developed game being placed in a module as a formative assessment tool to assist learners to revise for their formal class test. Study one showed that acceptability of the game was high with 61 participants completing an acceptability/content integration questionnaire. The game was designed to consolidate knowledge on rudimentary and advanced programming concepts, data structures and algorithms. 48 participants evaluated the game in study two with the results generally indicating that they enjoyed playing the game as a revision alternative with 14% of participants rating it as very effective and 51% of participants as effective for allowing them to prepare for their class test. The majority of participants also believed that games could be utilised in a formative and summative assessment capacity on courses for independent study.

Hard or Soft: An Exploration of What Skills a Sport Management Student is Lacking

An important measure of success of sport management programs in higher education is how prepared students are for their professional careers. Programs often include various experiential learning opportunities such as internships in their curriculum to improve student employability. However, there is still concern that students may not be prepared for success in their internships and in the field. The purpose of this study was to identify which skills sport management student interns needed the most improvement, according to their intern supervisor. Using a single institution, this study analyzed intern supervisor’s questionnaire responses from 2017-2022 at a small, private college in the southern United States. The questionnaire consisted of open-ended questions aimed to determine what areas that the sport management intern could improve professionally. The findings show that students needed the most improvement in areas related to soft skills, rather than hard skills. When asked what areas the intern could improve professionally, 8.3% of internship supervisors listed a hard skill, while soft skills were emphasized 91.7% of the time. The results of this study provide information that sport management programs can utilize to better prepare students for internships and the industry.

Are some individuals more susceptible to intercultural education than others? Multicultural personality predicts the effects of an intercultural training on cultural intelligence

The development of intercultural competences has become a prominent goal for many study programs in higher education. A widely used frame to measure intercultural competence is Cultural Intelligence (CQ). While empirical research has focused extensively on the development of CQ by means of (student) mobility and long-term training, the effects of short-format trainings – a more cost-effective intervention that can be provided to a large number of participants – remain understudied. Existing findings are inconclusive, and it remains unclear under which conditions, and for whom, short-format interventions are effective in improving participants’ CQ. We propose that CQ development is contingent upon individual differences in multicultural personality traits (operationalized through the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire, MPQ). More specifically, in this study we investigate (1) whether a short-format (6-hour) training improves CQ among higher education students (n = 108), and (2) whether the development of CQ is moderated by students’ social-perceptual and stress-related MPQ trait scores prior to the training. Using a pre and post-test design we found that across the whole sample, all four facets of the CQ increased after the training. We also found that some social-perceptual traits of the MPQ moderated the development of CQ: Social initiative on Metacognitive CQ, Openmindedness on Cognitive CQ, and Social initiative and Openmindedness on Motivational CQ. Additionally, we did not find a moderator effect of stress-related MPQ traits on the development of Behavioral CQ. Based on our findings, we conclude that multicultural personality influences individuals’ susceptibility to intercultural education, underscoring the importance of individualized approaches in intercultural education.

Exploration and Practice of Civic Teaching in Cybersecurity Technology Specialized Courses under the Background of Big Data

Abstract In recent years, curriculum Civics has begun to be widely used in higher education programs, providing new ideas and inspiration for the development and reform of higher education. The study integrates Civic Politics elements into the professional course of network security technology to teach Civic Politics in the curriculum. The improved TOPSIS method is used to construct a teaching evaluation model for the Civic Politics of Network Security Technology course, build an evaluation index system for the Civic Politics teaching effect of the Network Security Technology course, and determine the weights of the indexes at all levels. Factor analysis, difference analysis, and correlation analysis are carried out to analyze the situation of the network security technology course Civics. And explore the teaching effects of the network security technology course Civics. The highest score among the 15 factors of cyber course civics is cyber cultivation (8.89), while the lowest score is tenacity (7.77). There are significant differences in the factors of cultural confidence, dialectical thinking, aesthetic awareness, security awareness, and fairness and justice among students of different grades, and the factors of aesthetic awareness and fairness and justice among students of different disciplines become significantly different. There is a significant positive correlation between all the factors, among which the dialectical thinking factor has the strongest correlation with the total score of cybersecurity technology course civics. The total score of the teaching effect of the Civics of Cybersecurity Technology Course is 0.85, which is good.

Интернационализация основных программ высшего образования в современных условиях

The subject of the study is the tools to increase the competitiveness of Russian higher education programs, taking into account the geopolitical situation and the development of competition from foreign countries. in the market of educational services. The objectives of the work are to determine, based on statistical indicators of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for 2019-2022, the potential for international competitiveness of higher education programs at the bachelor's, specialist and master's levels and to assess its resistance to external shocks. It has been established that the topic of internationalization of education is of great research interest among Russian and foreign scientists. The internationalization of Russian education is based on strategies to increase competitiveness provided for by the 5-100 Project and the Priority 2030 program. Scaling up the export of Russian education is one of the priorities of Russia's scientific and technical development. The article pays special attention to the study of indicators of leading countries in terms of the number of students accepted for training and the share of those accepted under contracts for the provision of paid educational services in their number in the Russian Federation for the period 2019-2022 in the context of education levels (bachelor's degree, specialty, master's degree). The competitive advantages and disadvantages of Russian education for foreign applicants are highlighted. Conclusions are drawn about the prospects for exporting educational services to the largest states of Eurasia and the Middle East, as well as about the significant potential for promoting master's degree programs in India due to the competitive advantages of Russian education.

Convergence of Artificial Intelligence Algorithms and Education Fuels Educational Reform in Higher Education Programs

Abstract In the realm of higher education management, data mining has emerged as a potent tool for elevating the quality of instruction and administrative operations. This study presents the development of a curriculum validation analysis model utilizing association rule clustering. We collected and processed data from design students at a university, addressing missing values and eliminating outliers. Through data mining, we explored the relationships between students’ coursework, skill acquisition, and the demands of potential employers in society. This analysis underpinned a series of reforms in higher education curricula. To assess the impact of these curricular changes, two instructors conducted both process and outcome evaluations of the revised programs. The evaluations revealed that five student groups achieved scores above 80, one group scored between 70 and 80, and three groups scored between 60 and 70. All student groups scored above 60, demonstrating their competence in fundamental job-related tasks and validating their readiness for professional employment. This research offers valuable insights for the revision of professional training programs and curriculum reform in higher education.

The Principles of Classical Education

The contemporary classical education movement has grown rapidly and is comprised of a wide variety of private schools, homeschoolers, public charter schools, policy makers, higher education programs, professional associations, journals, trade publications, and think tanks. What is it that unites this thick network of disparate individuals and organizations into a cohesive movement? This article attempts to answer that question by explaining ten principles that have characterized the tradition of classical education throughout history across millennia, continents, languages, and cultures. While not exhaustive, these ten principles represent central tenants of the long tradition of classical education and the contemporary classical education movement. The principles are thus a philosophically and historically grounded means by which to differentiate classical education from other educational paradigms and also provide a common understanding of classical education around which various constituencies within the contemporary movement can coalesce.

Comparing the effects of instructor manual feedback and ChatGPT intelligent feedback on collaborative programming in China's higher education

Comparing the effects of instructor manual feedback and ChatGPT intelligent feedback on collaborative programming in China's higher education

Formation of professional competencies based on the integration of higher education and vocational training programs

Formation of professional competencies based on the integration of higher education and vocational training programs

Students’ Perspectives of Social and Emotional Learning in a High School Physical Education Program

Purpose: This study aimed to explore students’ perspectives and experiences of social and emotional learning (SEL) during physical education high school classes. Method: Using a case study design, focus group and individual interviews were implemented with 42 students. Based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s SEL framework, deductive and inductive qualitative data analysis was conducted. The trustworthiness of this study was enhanced through peer debriefing process with various strategies. Result: Four themes were generated from the data analysis: Think about it more in depth, You can say how you feel, Care and support, and Different levels of buy-in. Discussion/Conclusion: Students’ SEL experiences in this study were overall aligned with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s SEL competencies and framework. This study suggests that more research is needed to better understand students’ SEL experiences holistically.

Improving the formation of educational programs of higher education, taking into account the use of professional standards

Improving the formation of educational programs of higher education, taking into account the use of professional standards

Методы предметной аналитики в высшем образовании как факторы формирования компетенций профессорско-преподавательского состава

The subject of the study is the mechanisms of applying the methods of subject analysis in the higher education system of Russia in the context of the digitalization of the economy. World experience has shown that information technology contributes to progress in various fields, including the substantive analysis of economic processes. The use of digital innovation tools is an important factor in improving the educational process, forming the competencies of the teaching staff and ensuring the global competitiveness of Russian higher education, taking into account Vladimir Putin's Messages to the Federal Assembly dated February 29, 2024. The purpose of the work is to identify the main directions and methods of subject analysis as a driver for the formation of an analytical approach to decision—making that contribute to the successful work of university graduates in the field of industrial policy implementation; expansion of reproductive processes; development of the sphere of servants, trade and other areas of professional activity in the digital environment of reproductive processes. The definition of subject analytics is given. The methods of systematization of information are considered. It is concluded that the key methods of subject analysis have a universal character, which includes determining the purpose of obtaining the necessary data, their list, scope of application; data collection and purification; their visualization and quantitative analysis. The expansion of students' practical work in the digital environment and their acquisition of subject analysis competencies within the framework of educational programs of higher education in Russia is an important area of academic work directly related to the ability to correctly use information, analytical tools and methods in order to solve important problems of economic development of the Russian Federation.

Development of human capital through assessing the level of competencies of higher education programs in modern economic conditions

In the modern world, economic conditions are rapidly changing. It forces society to respond as quickly as possible. The key to the prosperity of states and the people living in them is the creation and development of an economy based on innovation. New technologies appear due to the accumulated knowledge, skills, abilities - the competencies of the people who create them - human capital. Management of human capital development is directly related to training and education. The article examines how the programs of higher education influence the formation of students’ competencies, how the level of mastery of competencies is assessed. The research proposes mechanics for assessing the level of mastery of competencies. It describes their relationship with assessing the level of qualification of a subject of economic activity.

ИНФОРМАТИКА И ВЫЧИСЛИТЕЛЬНАЯ ТЕХНИКА: ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ОСОБЕННОСТИ НАПРАВЛЕНИЙ ПОДГОТОВКИ

The article discusses the areas of training included in the enlarged group “Computer Science and Computer Engineering”. The relevance of the study is due to the approach to increasing the control figures for admission to training areas related to information technology, which does not solve the personnel problem in this area. The paper examines 140 higher educational institutions, which in 2022 announced enrollment for higher education programs in the enlarged group 09.00.00. “Informatics and computer technology.” Information was collected on the structure of open training areas at two levels of higher education in the context of higher educational institutions. Through an additional indicator, the demand for the implementation of a specific direction of training of an enlarged group within one university is determined. The format of enrollment within the framework of the powers granted to the admissions committees of higher educational institutions is investigated. The correlation between the distribution of budget places by the university and the popularity of specific areas of training of the enlarged group is determined. The leading universities in the federal districts, in terms of budget and commercial recruitment for the group under consideration are recorded. The proposals on system work with the enlarged group of directions of training of IT specialists are formulated: 1) adjust the system of distribution of admission control figures for the enlarged group “Computer Science, Computer Technology and Artificial Intelligence”, providing all applicants who have coped with the minimum requirements of higher education institutions with a budget place; 2) fix the combination of subjects of the unified state exam for admission to bachelor’s degree programs – Russian, mathematics, computer science and information technology communication technologies (ICT); 3) abandon five bachelor’s degree courses within the framework of a new enlarged group in favor of one that will form the universal competencies of an IT specialist; 4) implement a narrow-profile master’s degree program together with professional market partners through a project approach, limiting admission only with basic IT education; 5) implement a master’s program as a scientific program only within higher educational institutions institutions with current dissertation councils.

Prediction of Course Grades in Computer Science Higher Education Program via a Combination of Loss Functions in LSTM Model

Prediction of Course Grades in Computer Science Higher Education Program via a Combination of Loss Functions in LSTM Model

Undergraduates’ expectations from the educational program “Rural Development Project Management”

The article presents the results of a study of the expectations of undergraduates of the educational program “Rural Development Project Management”. The relevance of the projected results of the Master’s degree program is checked by the representations of student-practitioners from among the employees of the municipalities of the South of Russia. A brief review of the publications shows the relevance and importance of studying the opinions of undergraduates and designing an educational program based on the specification of an educational request. The theoretical analysis of publications in the subject area and methodological approaches in studying the expectations of students in higher education programs formed the basis for the development of an empirical research program. The empirical part presents the results of a survey of undergraduates of the 1st year of study “Rural Development Project Management”. A total of 36 people took part in the survey. The results were processed in the SPSS Statistics program (version 24). The analytical materials obtained are important for improving the Master’s program and improving the quality of educational content.