Learning In Higher Education Research Articles

Guest editorial: Active and transformative learning in higher education in times of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT

Guest editorial: Active and transformative learning in higher education in times of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT

Digital Citizenship Practices and Implementation of Learning Modalities in the Higher Education Institutions under the New Normal in General Santos City

While the shift to technology-mediated learning in higher education has been widely documented, less is known about the interplay between digital citizenship practices within institutions, particularly in Mindanao. One of the means to address this gap is by investigating the relationship between these two factors within higher education institutions in General Santos City. While some argue that technological infrastructure and pedagogical innovation are sufficient for effective online and blended learning, this study posits that a strong foundation of digital citizenship is essential for maximizing the benefits of these modalities. Specifically, the research examined four key elements of digital citizenship: digital identity, digital netiquette, digital footprint, and digital privacy, alongside the implementation of learning modalities across curriculum development, supervision of instruction, faculty development, and research and extension services. Data were collected through a structural survey questionnaire. Findings revealed a high level of digital citizenship practices and a very satisfactory implementation of learning modalities. The data indicate that students and teachers alike are well-versed in digital ethics, demonstrating awareness of online safety protocols and responsible internet behaviors. This strong foundation in digital citizenship can be leveraged to develop further the critical thinking and information literacy skills required for navigating the digital landscape of the 21st century. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was observed between these two factors across all domains. This suggests that strong digital citizenship within HEIs contributes to a more effective adaptation to a technology-driven educational environment.

Cultural Collaborative Ways of Knowing, Doing, Valuing and Becoming: A ‘Pandheri Guff’ Inquiry of Nepali Women Scholars

In Nepal, women are facing challenges in academia due to gender biases and limited opportunities. This article explores the experiences of Nepali women scholars who are redefining traditional knowledge, which is typically confined to textbooks, notes, and lectures. These critical issues are often ignored in academic settings. However, women academicians can overcome these barriers by collaborating, reflecting on their experiences, and seeking innovative solutions. To this end, the authors introduce Pandheri Guff, a traditional Nepali method for discussing and addressing such issues. Subscribing Pandheri Guff as a method, the authors engaged in a cultural Nepali collaborative inquiry, combining their narratives to create meaning. Their virtual weekly meetings, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on reflections about class participation, assignments, and learning experiences over two months by documenting their insights in Google Docs. The analysis is categorized into four themes: believing, meditative, doubting, and dismantling ways of knowing. This method fosters a judgment-free environment for sharing experiences, enhancing their learning, and empowering them to transform themselves. This article argued that this cultural approach advances understanding of women’s knowledge acquisition and enhances higher education learning by providing a collaborative and reflective space to overcome gender biases and improve learning experiences

Online teaching competencies and teacher effectiveness in higher education: the mediating effect of perceived career support

PurposeOnline teaching competencies are critical skills required for effective teaching and learning in higher education. However, evidence regarding the impact of online teaching competencies on teacher performance and career satisfaction is minimal in the literature. This study draws on the TPACK model to understand how online teaching competencies influence teacher performance and career satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a quantitative approach and collected data from 243 faculty in both public and private universities in Ghana. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships among the study constructs.FindingsThe results show that the various dimensions of TPACK have a significant positive effect on teacher performance and career satisfaction. Furthermore, the mediation results reveal that neither perceived career support nor teacher attributes mediate the relationship between online teaching competencies, teaching performance and career satisfaction.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a better understanding of how context knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical context knowledge, technology pedagogical knowledge, career support and teacher attributes affect teacher performance.Originality/valueThis study draws on the TPACK (context knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical context knowledge and technology pedagogical knowledge) model and incorporates perceived career support and teacher attributes as essential characteristics within an emerging economy country context.

A Bibilometric Analysis of Assessment as Learning in Higher Education

Assessment in higher education has been dominated by traditional practices that mainly focus on grades for student progression. However, there has been some transformation in assessment due to the advancement in education. Generally, assessment is viewed as central to student learning and experience. Assessment as learning, is not just an addition to learning and teaching, but it presents an opportunity through which students’ involvement in assessment could manifest as part of learning: assessment is learning-oriented. Assessment as Learning in Higher Education is about student empowerment; hence, students take ownership of their own learning process. Furthermore, assessment as learning promotes constructivism through student engagement and knowledge construction. This bibliometric analysis analysed the trends evident from research on assessment as learning and implementation in Higher Education. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database and analysed using VOSviewer. The thematic analysis approach was also employed. The study reveals that self-assessment is important in promoting student empowerment, which is one of the benefits of assessment as learning. It is important that higher education institutions rethink assessment as learning because this might assist in achieving the 21st-century educational goal of independent learning. The study’s findings confirm that there is a need for constructive alignment of teaching, learning and assessment; hence, assessment as learning becomes more significant. The findings provided an overview of key themes, research gaps and potential areas for future research. The insight that was gained from this bibliometric analysis will be valuable for lecturers, course designers, universities, assessors and researchers seeking to improve assessment in higher education.

Pitfalls in the assessment of higher education learning gains in Brazil through multilevel regression: handling the ceiling effect.

This work assesses the validity of the Brazilian Indicator of the Difference between Observed and Expected Performances (IDD), which applies a multilevel regression model to rank university courses. It proposes a methodology to test for inconsistencies and research for the causes. With this objective, we develop an experimental methodology, applied to a database with 4,432 production engineering students distributed over 329 undergraduate courses, from the government’s National Institute for Educational Studies and Research. We display a graphical analysis of the expected and achieved grades in final graduation exams, the gap in which determines the learning gains for every course. Then we apply the multilevel linear regression model of the IDD in a particular scenario, to test for consistency in value-added learning measurements using the technique reductio ad absurdum. The result reveals that the present methodology for the calculation of the IDD is inadequate and inconsistent, and that this can be explained by the ceiling effect. It needs to be radically revised to prevent unfair judgements. Finally, we propose and implement a production frontier technique to correct for the ensuing ceiling effect, namely a variable returns to scale data envelopment analysis model for adjusting the measurements using evidence based benchmarks.

Examining the potential of in- and extra-curricular challenge-based learning in higher education: A delphi study

ABSTRACT Educating students in higher education who are capable of addressing societal challenges requires innovative learning journeys. In the current study, we explore challenge-based learning (CBL) as one way to realise such education. A Delphi study has been conducted at a Dutch University for Life Sciences to identify key characteristics, learning activities, learning outcomes and support of in- and extra-curricular CBL from a stakeholder perspective. Data were collected in two rounds (round 1; N = 47; round 2; N = 29). In-curricular CBL allows students to experience guided teamwork in relation to societal issues as part of their formal curriculum. Extra-curricular CBL provides opportunities for students to have their own, customised learning journey, allowing for strong societal involvement and a variety of learning gains. In- and extra-curricular CBLs have similarities but serve different learning outcomes. Both could be part of developmental lines preparing students to be change agents for sustainability in their future life.

Research trends in the use of artificial intelligence in higher education

The latest technological advancements have greatly interested researchers in artificial intelligence (AI) in education. In parallel, researchers have expressed concern about using and applying AI in education. However, there is a shortage of research that comprehensively and holistically examines trends in the use of AI in higher education. Hence, this study aimed to comprehensively analyze and assess AI research trends in higher education. In the SCOPUS database, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 1,563 articles on research on AI in education. Our results revealed that the use of AI in education has increased dramatically from 2004 to 2023. In particular, a dramatic increase and peak exist after 2019. We also found limited interaction among scholars studying AI. Furthermore, our findings indicate that most of the most influential institutions are located in developed countries. Moreover, our findings demonstrated that AI research primarily concentrated on comprehending the impact of AI-based instruction, with the majority of these studies taking place in engineering education between 2017 and 2020. We also noticed that research on medical education in higher education occurred between 2015 and 2017. In addition, before 2015, research used AI in medical education as a teaching method to implement problem-based learning in higher education.

The Implementation and Impact of the Surrogate Avatar Experience (SuAvE) on Interrelationships Within Higher Education

Higher education learning environments rapidly reshape traditional notions of learning, stemming from digital environments predominantly utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic. As digital technologies increasingly become more utilized within curriculum and learning spaces, examining pedagogy, technology, and the configurations of these spaces requires further exploration and examination. This paper discusses the implementation and impact of the Surrogate Avatar Experience (SuAvE) on the interrelationships within higher education learning spaces. SuAvE navigates the intersection of digital technologies, bridging them to the physical realm of learning to provide physical embodiment within the hybridization of educational spaces. Four case environments where implementations of SuAvE are analyzed to understand the interrelationship in the four defined dimensions of connected, embodied, relational, and socio-material space. Through methodology and results, this paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the transformation of learning spaces. It offers an innovative approach to combat the limitations of physical embodiment within current hybrid-learning practices. This multidimensional lens evaluates SuAvE's impact on higher education, recognizing its role as both a catalyst and a canvas for innovation and transformation.

ChatGPT versus human essayists: an exploration of the impact of artificial intelligence for authorship and academic integrity in the humanities

Generative AI has prompted educators to reevaluate traditional teaching and assessment methods. This study examines AI’s ability to write essays analysing Old English poetry; human markers assessed and attempted to distinguish them from authentic analyses of poetry by first-year undergraduate students in English at the University of Oxford. Using the standard UK University grading system, AI-written essays averaged a score of 60.46, whilst human essays achieved 63.57, a margin of difference not statistically significant (p = 0.10). Notably, student submissions applied a nuanced understanding of cultural context and secondary criticism to their close reading, while AI essays often described rather than analysed, lacking depth in the evaluation of poetic features, and sometimes failing to properly recognise key aspects of passages. Distinguishing features of human essays included detailed and sustained analysis of poetic style, as well as spelling errors and lack of structural cohesion. AI essays, on the other hand, exhibited a more formal structure and tone but sometimes fell short in incisive critique of poetic form and effect. Human markers correctly identified the origin of essays 79.41% of the time. Additionally, we compare three purported AI detectors, finding that the best, ‘Quillbot’, correctly identified the origin of essays 95.59% of the time. However, given the high threshold for academic misconduct, conclusively determining origin remains challenging. The research also highlights the potential benefits of generative AI’s ability to advise on structuring essays and suggesting avenues for research. We advocate for transparency regarding AI’s capabilities and limitations, and this study underscores the importance of human critical engagement in teaching and learning in Higher Education. As AI’s proficiency grows, educators must reevaluate what authentic assessment is, and consider implementing dynamic, holistic methods to ensure academic integrity.

Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance teaching and learning in higher education: Promoting quality education and critical engagement

Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance teaching and learning in higher education: Promoting quality education and critical engagement

The impact of different combinations of game elements for gamified learning in higher education on student learning outcomes: a multilevel meta-analysis

ABSTRACT This study employed a multilevel meta-analysis to assess the overall effectiveness of gamified learning on educational outcomes in higher education based on 143 effect sizes from 32 studies published between 2013 and 2024. The analysis specifically evaluated the impact of different combinations of game elements on cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning outcomes and explored the moderating variables influencing gamified learning effects. The findings reveal that gamified learning (g = 0.515) has a moderate impact on student learning outcomes compared to non-gamified conditions. More specifically, the impact of gamified learning on cognitive learning outcomes (g = 0.716) and skill-based learning outcomes (g = 0.605) is moderately high, while its effect on affective learning outcomes is moderately low (g = 0.317). The most effective combinations of game elements for enhancing the cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning outcomes are ‘Performance/Measurement + Ecological + Social + Personal,’ ‘Performance/Measurement + Social + Personal,’ and ‘Performance/Measurement + Ecological + Social + Personal + Fictional,’ respectively. These findings can guide educators in designing gamified learning experiences that significantly enhance various learning outcomes. Additionally, the learning domain and intervention duration moderated the impact of gamified learning.

Embracing LLM Feedback: the role of feedback providers and provider information for feedback effectiveness

Feedback is an integral part of learning in higher education and is increasingly being provided to students via modern technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs). But students’ perception of feedback from LLMs vs. feedback from educators remains unclear even though it is an important facet of feedback effectiveness. Further, feedback effectiveness can be negatively influenced by various factors; For example, (not) knowing certain characteristics about the feedback provider may bias a student’s reaction to the feedback process. To assess perceptions of LLM feedback and mitigate the negative effects of possible biases, this study investigated the potential of providing provider-information about feedback providers. In a 2×2 between-subjects design with the factors feedback provider (LLM vs. educator) and provider-information (yes vs. no), 169 German students evaluated feedback message and provider perceptions. Path analyses showed that the LLM was perceived as more trustworthy than an educator and that the provision of provider-information led to improved perceptions of the feedback. Furthermore, the effect of the provider and the feedback on perceived trustworthiness and fairness changed when provider-information was provided. Overall, our study highlights the importance of further research on feedback processes that include LLMs due to their influential nature and suggests practical recommendations for designing digital feedback processes.

Redesigning for Open Educational Practices: A Faculty-Librarian Collaboration

Open educational practices (OEP) are rarely explored in LIS education, despite its alignment with many of the core values in library science. Recent scholarship on LIS pedagogy does speak to the merits of OEP, which can include open and equitable access, real-world learning experiences, and principles of social justice. However, there is little discussion about what this looks like in practice and within the LIS curriculum. This thought piece examines the practical aspect of using OEP in the LIS graduate classroom and describes the collaborative reflections of an LIS faculty member, librarian, and university librarian to prepare to implement OEP at a regional comprehensive university. This collaboration found that OEP is a good fit for the library science curriculum, but that there are important support considerations which need to be secured before implementation, such as access to participatory technology, training on intellectual property and staffing. In addition, the dynamic nature of OEP addresses some of the challenges associated with the current landscape of online learning in higher education, including delivering more engaging pedagogy, increasing student digital literacy and student involvement in the scholarly communication process.

Learning Strategies in Mathematics for Related Study Programs Focusing on Cooperative Education in Germany – Viewed from the Perspectives of the Academic Disciplines, Economics and Engineering, as well as Gender

AbstractCognitive learning strategies are seen as a central element for successful learning. Acquiring knowledge about its worth, can support persons in sophisticated groups in attaining academic success. Consequently, the authors are interested in domain-specific learning strategies for mathematics in the academic disciplines of economics and engineering in cooperative tertiary education, in addition to determining gender-specific preferences for particular learning strategies. Data from a cross-sectional design with N = 565 cooperative students from Germany are used. A 2 × 2 analysis of variance, with one repeated measure, show the impact of academic disciplines and gender on seven specific cognitive learning strategies in mathematics. Taken together, these results show the complexity of cognitive learning strategies in higher education learning.

Building pedagogical partnerships

Engaging students as pedagogical partners in teaching and learning in higher education is becoming increasingly prevalent. However, developing and sustaining such partnerships can be challenging. The present study highlights the potential of utilizing work-integrated learning (WIL) students as partners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 university instructors to explore how access to an online learning assistant (OLA) program helped them navigate remote instruction challenges. The OLA program was a novel WIL initiative providing co-operative (co-op) education students with full-time, paid work to assist instructors transitioning to remote learning. Unexpectedly, our findings demonstrate that pedagogical partnerships emerged in the context of this WIL program, leading to teaching and learning benefits. Online learning assistants were able to assist instructors with many of the difficulties they faced, although some program challenges also emerged. Our findings suggest that full-time, paid co-op student positions offer a unique program structure that make them ideal for the development and ongoing success of pedagogical partnerships.

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence In Project-Based Service Learning To Advance Sustainable Development: A Pedagogical Approach For Marketing Education

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various aspects of teaching and learning in higher education, with the potential to significantly enhance learning experiences, streamline administrative tasks, and foster personalized education. As the use of AI by students and instructors expands, it is crucial to carefully consider both its benefits and risks, as well as to adhere to ethical guidelines and best practices. A systematic literature review was conducted to investigate the application of experiential learning theory in marketing education, particularly focusing on the integration of new technologies and tools, such as AI, within project-based service learning (PBSL). This review explores how these integrations may positively impact student learning outcomes, community partner benefits, and contributions toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the potential of AI in the marketing classroom to advance these goals was examined utilizing the Artificial Intelligence for Service Learning and Experiential Education (AISLE) model. This model advocates for an ethical approach to using AI in educational settings, leveraging theory-based innovative practices to achieve positive, measurable outcomes for both students and community partners.

Enhancing collaborative online learning in higher education: using Google Docs to analyze Literature texts by teacher trainees

The purpose of this project was to explore how collaborative learning can be enhanced through Information Communications Technology in the critical reading and analysis of Literature texts in a particular teacher training course at a selected university in Uganda. The study undertook an interventional research approach whereby critical literacy principles provided the basis for formulating online tasks that would provoke higher order thinking skills such synthesizing, analyzing, reasoning, comprehending, application, and evaluation during the discussion of the play The Lion and the Jewel. A conversational framework was adopted to design a collaborative learning environment by which face-to-face sessions were combined with technology in form of Google Docs. Some of the steps of engagement included identifying the eight participants, sharing of initial content on critical literacy with them, face-to-face sessions and uploading of tasks. The findings reveal that with systematic instructions and guidance Google Docs can provide a collaborative learning platform whereby students can continuously comment about Literature texts in a conversational manner; the intervention proved the possibilities of flexibility in the learning environment; and dialogic teaching especially when discussing Literature texts was greatly enhanced during this intervention. This study was carried out in a real time learning context during the teaching of one of the researcher’s courses. The finding thus can offer some useful guiding steps as benchmarks for actual take up of other ICT tools in teaching and learning in higher institutions of education

Attitudes towards English language learning in higher education

The paper analyses the attitudes and beliefs of English language learners at the higher education level, including their motivation for learning English as a second language. The testing tool used for evaluation is a modified questionnaire adapted from a research paper that examined the students` attitudes towards learning German and Italian languages (Kovač and MršićZdilar, 2017) which was originally based on the questionnaires used to explore attitudes towards foreign language (MihaljevićDjigunović 1998,Boonrangsri et al. 2004,Zainol et al. 2012, Burgos & Perez 2015). The sample includes undergraduate students at the Faculty of Science, University of Split, who learn English as part of the elective course English for Specific Purposes within their respective study programme syllabi (Information, Physics, Information and Technology or Biology and Chemistry). The proposed research paper aims to examine how the students perceive English language learning and how they assess its importance for their further professional development and what motivates them for English language learning. As indicated in the above-mentioned research paper, students’ attitudes towards learning a foreign language are one of the basic factors which influence learning success. Their significance was recognised by foreign language teachers, while numerous studies have emphasised various aspects of their significant role in the successful mastering of a foreign language. Therefore, this study may contribute to a better understanding of why students in Croatia learn English and what may additionally motivate them to improve their proficiency and fluency. / Keywords: motivation, learning, beliefs, higher education, English for Specific Purposes

E-Learning Impact on Higher Education Institutions during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Bibliometric Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift to online learning in higher education. To understand this evolving field better, this study employed a powerful technique called bibliometrics. Researchers analyzed scholarly publications between 2020 and 2023 in Web of Science, focusing on keywords related to e-learning, universities, and the pandemic's impact. This data-driven approach provided a more comprehensive picture than traditional reviews, revealing connections between research topics, researchers, and specific studies. Furthermore, the VOSviewer tool was employed to identify frequently co-occurring keywords, thus uncovering the major themes within the research. This analysis of keyword co-occurrence allowed the study to pinpoint key trends and areas of focus in e-learning for higher education institutions. Ultimately, this research offers valuable insights for researchers, educators, and policymakers navigating the changing educational landscape and the future of e-learning in higher education.