Number Of Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

LectureSight: an open source system for automatic camera control for lecture recordings

Purpose – The purpose of this work is to present a prototype of the system and the results from a technical evaluation and a study on possible effects of recordings with active camera control on the learner. An increasing number of higher education institutions have adopted the lecture recording technology in the past decade. Even though some solutions already show a very high degree of automation, active camera control can still only be realized with the use of human labor. Aiming to fill this gap, the LectureSight project is developing a free solution for active autonomous camera control for presentation recordings. The system uses a monocular overview camera to analyze the scene. Adopters can formulate camera control strategies in a simple scripting language to adjust the system’s behavior to the specific characteristics of a presentation site. Design/methodology/approach – The system is based on a highly modularized architecture to make it easily extendible. The prototype has been tested in a seminar room and a large lecture hall. Furthermore, a study was conducted in which students from two universities prepared for a simulated exam with an ordinary lecture recording and a recording produced with the LectureSight technology. Findings – The technical evaluation showed a good performance of the prototype but also revealed some technical constraints. The results of the psychological study give evidence that the learner might benefit from lecture videos in which the camera follows the presenter so that gestures and facial expression are easily perceptible. Originality/value – The LectureSight project is the first open-source initiative to care about the topic of camera control for presentation recordings. This opens way for other projects building upon the LectureSight architecture. The simulated exam study gave evidence of a beneficial effect on students learning success and needs to be reproduced. Also, if the effect is proven to be consistent, the mechanism behind it is worth to be investigated further.

Tweeting to Learn: Understanding Twitter Through the Lens of Connectivism

Twitter, primarily a social media outlet, has recently started foraying and gaining a foothold in higher education. Written from a student perspective, this paper attempts to explain and critically discuss the usage and popularity of Twitter as a tool of active learning in higher education. The author writes about her student experience of using Twitter in her Public Relations Communications graduate class. The paper explores and scrutinizes the social media channel within the theoretical framework of connectivism. Twitter appeared on the contemporary education scene in late October 2006. Originally developed as a social messaging microblogging tool, Twitter found its way into higher education institutions (Grosseck & Holotescu, 2008). At present, a growing number of higher educational institutions all over the world are teaching courses through this microblogging social media application. Twitter is a microblogging tool which allows users to send brief but informative messages to each other in fewer than 140 characters (Grosseck & Holotescu, 2008). The messages are called tweets, the people who tweet are called twitterers, and the people who read these tweets and respond to them are called users. It allows for real-time communication, diverse interaction, discussion with collaboration, and sharing of experiences and opinions (Skiba, 2008). Twitter has become a popular teaching tool that provides for active learning, learner attention, learner discovery, learner participation, and learner knowledge schema development. Written from a graduate student’s viewpoint, this paper examines and discusses the usage of the educational technological tool of Twitter in the classroom. The author writes in depth about her experience and observation of using Twitter in her graduate Public Relations class at an international university in south-east USA. She explains the role and usage of Twitter using the contemporary online learning theory of connectivism. The paper is divided into three sections. Section One provides a brief explanation of connectivism theory, followed by the author’s story in Section Two. The third and final section of the paper embodies the discussion where the connectivism theory is revisited in greater depth. Through her paper, the author hopes to generate relevant and meaningful debate about using Twitter as a method of student engagement in graduate classrooms.

Structure and Performance Assessment in Traditional Face-To- Face and Blended Learning Statistics Courses

In recent years the number of higher education institutions offering blended learning courses has increased notably. Blended learning is understood as the combination of traditional face-to-face teaching with online and distance learning. During the 2012- 13 academic year, for the first time, the Information and Documentation degree course at the University of Barcelona included a blended learning format in its course in statistics. The blended learning course combined biweekly face-to-face classes and online work between sessions. This study describes the organization of the blended course in comparison with the traditional face-to- face course and presents preliminary data on student assessment, the use of educational resources, and the academic results obtained in the two enrolled groups. A questionnaire was administered to the students attending the face-to-face mode, and semi- structured interviews were conducted with students enrolled on the blended course. The use of teaching resources was assessed on the basis of students’ participation in the virtual campus. The results highlight the challenges and opportunities presented by the two approaches; they show that a blended format allows flexible use of time and resources and enhances the teaching and learning process. The data also emphasize the importance of the figure of the teacher in both face-to-face and blended modes.

A aprendizagem colaborativa para a interdependência positiva no processo ensino-aprendizagem em cursos universitários

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/198464447770 A evolução do perfil dos alunos dos cursos de graduação ao longo dos anos, frente às inovações tecnológicas e facilidade de acesso a informações, exige que as metodologias de educação no ensino superior sejam constantemente aperfeiçoadas. É mundialmente reconhecido, tanto no meio acadêmico quanto na literatura científica, que os alunos têm apresentado gradativo envolvimento no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, atuando de maneira participativa e crítica; assim como os docentes têm atuado como facilitadores neste processo. Os métodos de Aprendizagem Colaborativa/Cooperativa (AC) têm apresentado resultados bastante satisfatórios em cursos de graduação, uma vez que durante as atividades educacionais, tanto os alunos quanto os docentes interagem entre si, para a construção do conhecimento. No Brasil, embora em algumas Universidades os métodos de AC já estejam sendo empregados, ainda há a necessidade de divulgação/disseminação desta proposta como forma de incremento educacional para os cursos de graduação. Desta maneira, objetivou-se, com o presente estudo, elencar e ressaltar as vantagens da AC no âmbito do ensino superior e fornecer diretrizes de como constituir ambientes favoráveis e grupos exitosos para o processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Para tanto, adotou-se como principal referencial teórico a linha construtivista, realizando-se levantamento bibliográfico com base em artigos e textos de abrangência na área, publicados nos últimos dez anos em periódicos e livros de reconhecido impacto científico.

Symposium 4: The Global Institution, the Homely, and the Overwhelming

While being a relatively recent phenomenon in higher education, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has attracted significant media attention for offering free participation and attracting unprecedented enrolment numbers, often in the tens of thousands. Coursera, and edX have emerged as the principle MOOC platform providers, entering into partnerships with a significant number of higher education institutions, mostly located in the US, and promoting themselves as global organisations that disrupt geographical barriers to higher education. MOOCs are often marketed in terms of accessibility and egalitarianism by providing unproblematic admittance to university education. However, the space of the MOOC is significantly under-theorised, and like much of education in general it is often ‘left unexamined as simply a different context, container or backcloth for curriculum and pedagogy’ (Fenwick et al. 2011, p220). This paper draws from spatial theory and the mobilities turn to consider what kinds of spaces are being (per)formed in the emerging domains of the MOOC. It will describe three different enactments of space: the ‘global institution’; the ‘homely’; and the ‘overwhelming’, involving from the promotion of particular MOOC platforms and the activities of two specific courses. The paper will draw upon visual, discursive and technological elements in these examples to consider how notions of space can be articulated and enacted through promotion, participation and digital intervention. ‘Global-institutional’ space concerns the ways that MOOC platforms advance an arrangement that maintains the traditional structure of the institution alongside claiming a global reach. ‘Homely’ space involves promotion of a local community building as the locus of course activity during a specific MOOC, privileging a central and authentic site of scholarly occupation. ‘Overwhelming’ space concerns participant responses to an unconventional MOOC utilising distributed social media spaces and encouraging student-created content. Student responses from this course will be used to enact the space of the MOOC, not as the passive scenery external to educational activity, but rather as an active and relational process which emerges within; through relations with the subjects, activities, technologies and objects of online education.

Selection of Priority Cause and Effect Chains on the Strategy Map of Goals Using AHP Multiple Criteria Analysis

Today, when the labor market is extremely dynamic, and there is great competition, a certain level of knowledge is expected of every individual. This has influenced an increase in the number of higher education institutions, primarily in the private sector. To cope better with the growing global competition, the management of private higher education institutions is becoming increasingly aware of the needs to select the appropriate management methods. That would ensure the achievement of strategic goals and make a unique and clear methodology, easily applicable in today's turbulent environment. The paper proposes a unique management methodology which would represent a strategic management framework applicable to most private higher education institutions. The creation of a strategy map of goals by linking SWOT and BSC methods with multiple criteria decision method is described. An emphasis is placed on the application of the multiple criteria decision-making method in the objective selection of priority cause and effect chains in the BSC strategy map. The result of the application of the proposed methodological framework targets the priority cause and effect chains, i.e. strategies which would enable the achievement of vision and mission.

The market route to higher education in UAE: its rationales and implications

Externalities with regards to higher education have increasingly being debated across the world, with many countries shifting part of the higher education responsibility to the individuals on the premise that it generates private benefits. The transformation of higher education from elite to mass system and inability of the government to shoulder the ever increasing burden of higher education; is cited as one of the reasons for adopting the market route to higher education and treating students as consumers. This consumerist turn to higher education has raised concerns about quality, critical pedagogy and the perception amongst employers that graduates lack skills. The market of higher education in UAE (United Arab Emirates) is relatively free and there are substantial numbers of higher education institutions giving consumers fair choice in deciding whether to pursue their education at public, private or University Branch Campuses (IBC). The purpose of this exploratory study is to evaluate the market of higher education in UAE with regards to quality and market acceptability of universities and colleges. As the higher education sector in UAE is predominantly teaching oriented, this exploratory study is intended to assess perceptions of employers about private higher education and thereby assess the effectiveness of market route. The study revealed that the employers prefer graduates from public universities or IBC’s as compared to private ones citing the concerns about student’s preparation for the world of employment. The policy implications for State and universities are discussed.

Merger in Higher Education: learning from Experiences

AbstractPolitical pressure to reduce the number of higher education institutions in Wales has been sustained for over a decade by three successive ministers for education, two of whom, Jane Davidson and the current incumbent, Leighton Andrews, have left the Welsh sector in no doubt about the strength of their personal commitment to the policy of reconfiguration and collaboration. In this paper, an attempt is made to understand and explain how this policy was experienced by some of the people most closely affected by the recent merger between the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Glamorgan in South East Wales. Some of the lessons learned in this particular context are elucidated in the hope that they might be of assistance to both policy‐makers and members of higher education institutions elsewhere that are contemplating merger.

Strengths and weaknesses of Bogotá as an innovation hub: Towards the governance of the regional innovation system

Abstract Bogotá is facing constraints implemented in order to strengthen its innovation capabilities and to institutionalize itself as a Regional Innovation System (RIS). Even though the city has the largest number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), research institutions, and technological development centres in Colombia, it is not yet positioned as an RIS. It will be necessary to do an organizational redesign in terms of the entities that comprise Bogotá and thereof its governance. The main key players of each environment were identified based on the primary role played by the different system elements. A comparative analysis was developed over time (evolution) and space (with other countries and levels of excellence) of some successful innovation cities through a methodology called Innovacities. This methodology allowed for identification of the size of the backlog confronted by the city at the frontier of technological development worldwide and the most critical factors needed to generate the breakthrough innovations to achieve world-class level.

Adults' Difficulties in the Process of Learning Outcomes Portfolio Development: Consultants' Perceptions

Recently, a number of higher education institutions in Lithuania have started introducing validation of non-formal and informal learning, which requires adopting necessary institutional legal acts, establishing the procedure which ensures that assessment meets quality requirements, training administrative and teaching staff, and creating mechanisms of guidance and support to adults. Until now, little known research has focused on institutional guidance and support provided to adults and the perceptions of institutional participants in the process. The purpose of this study is to examine consultants’ perceptions of difficulties that adults encounter in the process of learning outcomes portfolio development before the assessment procedure of their non-formal and informal learning in four higher education institutions. The findings revealed that adults faced time constraints, difficulties related to identification and documentation of their learning outcomes, as well as difficulties due to the novelty of the procedure and adults’ personal characteristics. It is recommended that this study be extended to the investigation of difficulties that consultants encountered in the process of providing guidance and support to adults.

Lean Six Sigma for higher education institutions (HEIs)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate whether Lean Six Sigma (LSS) can be a powerful business improvement methodology for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper will also explore the fundamental challenges, barriers and critical success factors for the introduction and development of LSS in the HE context. The last part of the paper is to understand the role of tools and techniques for the sustainability of this initiative for making the HEIs more efficient and effective.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses whether LSS can be a useful and systematic approach to tackle operational and strategic issues within the HE industry. The authors use secondary data from literature to justify the need for this powerful approach and the benefits of adopting this business process improvement strategy within the HEIs.FindingsThe paper presents the challenges and barriers to be encountered during the introduction of LSS in the higher education sector, most useful tools and techniques for process improvement problems, success factors which are essential for the implementation and sustainability of LSS.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a very theoretical paper based on the existing literature and authors’ experiences in the HE sector. The next stage of the research is to carry out empirical studies in a number of HEIs and develop a practical and useful roadmap for the implementation and sustainability of LSS as a business process improvement methodology.Originality/valueThis paper makes an attempt to remove the myth that LSS is confined to manufacturing. It also demonstrates, through relevant existing literature and authors’ experiences, that LSS is equally applicable to public sector organisations and in particular HEIs. Although lean has been adopted by a few HEIs in the UK and abroad, very few HEIs have adopted the integrated LSS approach for waste reduction and variability reduction, which leads to superior performance and enhanced student satisfaction.

Strategic Resources in Scenario 2009/2015 of Private Higher Education Institutions in the Northeast Region in Brazil

The number of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Brazil gives clear signs of deceleration. Considering this situation, it was decided to identify the strategic resource dimensions most likely used by Northeast Region private HEIs in Brazil in the scenario from 2009 to 2015. The identification of scenario study developed by Porto and Régnier (2003) was used, as well as the dimensions described in Lynch and Baines (2004); Sousa et al. (2005) studies. The methodology used was a descriptive and quantitative type, performed by questionnaires. Field data were collected in the period 2008/2009. 20 experts and 102 managers participated in this study. Descriptive techniques, factor analysis, and cluster analysis was used in the data analysis process. The results showed that “All the Market Adapted Scenario” is the most likely and the HEIs of Northeast Region are considering resources that do not provide a competitive advantage.

RECURSOS ESTRATÉGICOS NO CENÁRIO 2009/2015 DAS IES PARTICULARES DA REGIÃO NORDESTE DO BRASIL

The number of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Brazil gives clear signs of deceleration. Considering this situation, it was decided to identify the strategic resource dimensions most likely used by Northeast Region private HEIs in Brazil in the scenario from 2009 to 2015. The identification of scenario study developed by Porto and Regnier (2003) was used, as well as the dimensions described in Lynch and Baines (2004); Sousa et al. (2005) studies. The methodology used was a descriptive and quantitative type, performed by questionnaires. Field data were collected in the period 2008/2009. 20 experts and 102 managers participated in this study. Descriptive techniques, factor analysis, and cluster analysis was used in the data analysis process. The results showed that “All the Market Adapted Scenario” is the most likely and the HEIs of Northeast Region are considering resources that do not provide a competitive advantage.

Controversy over abolishing Iranian university entrance examination

PurposeAlthough the number of higher education institutes in Iran has been increased and the capacity of many universities has been expanded by the government and private sector, the tough competition among senior high school graduates is still a major concern. Authorities have been contemplating other ways to alleviate the discontent of applicants who seek access to free of charge public universities. The Cumulative Grade‐Point Average (CGPA) of senior high school level has recently been proposed by educational authorities as the most effective substitute for measuring students’ academic performances to enter universities. The purpose of this paper is explore the pros and cons of this proposal by interviewing ten purposively selected stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachIn total, ten purposively selected stakeholders were interviewed.FindingsOut of ten informants, six of them supported the modification of the University Entrance Exam (UEE), three supported its abolition, and one supported its continuation and repetition two or three times a year.Research limitations/implicationsSince any innovation or reform in the exam will affect other components in the whole education system, the informants emphasized that it should be done incrementally. The findings of this study contribute to improving the knowledge of the UEE reform options.Originality/valueOver the last few decades, there have been waves of assessment reforms around the world. This paper offers an update of the assessment reform in Iran, which adds information to current literature.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY STATE STANDARDS. A CASE OF ALBANIA

Albania’s higher education development is very dynamic. Higher education in Albania is being characterized by a massive expansion process and by competition between both the public and private education sectors. The number of higher education institutions has grown fivefold during the last eight years. There are currently thirteen (13) public and forty six (46) private institutions. This article is aimed at the research of analysing the legal framework for higher education quality state standards. This analysis will address three important issues: 1. What is the legal framework for higher education quality state standards? 2. How is the quality assured in higher education institutions? 3. To what extent are Albanian quality standards compared to the European ones? This study is based on an analysis of the domestic and European legislation, interviews with fifteen (15) key persons that are divided into three groups: officials of the Ministry of Education and Science/Public Agency for the Accreditation of Higher Education, officials of the public Higher Education Institution, and officials of private Higher Education in Albania including reports and policy documents. The conclusions of this research article will help in understanding the role of the higher education quality state standards and will contribute to the improvement of the quality legal framework in the country. Key words: standard, quality, legal framework, quality standards, higher education.

Understanding the context of distance students: Differences in on- and off-campus engagement with an online learning environment

While a growing number of higher education institutions are providing online modes of study for both on- and off-campus students, there are very real differences in demography, technology experiences, reasons for study, etc. between on- and off-campus students, and research into engagement with online learning environments (OLEs) indicate differences in the way that on- and off-campus students interact with OLEs. In Australia, Deakin University is a major provider of distance and online education, and provides a case study of a higher education institution with a mature and large-scale OLE implementation providing support to both on- and off-campus students. Deakin Studies Online (DSO) is Deakin University’s OLE. Based on a representative sample of 1322 responses to the 2011 DSO evaluation survey, this paper presents a large-scale, up-to-date and fine-grained investigation of impact of mode of study on the student experience of using an OLE. It was found that the primary place of access to DSO for both groups was home, mobile access to DSO seems likely to be of growing importance to both groups, and there was no statistically significant difference in the mean satisfaction ratings between on- and off-campus students for virtually all DSO functions. Off-campus students gave significantly higher mean ratings of importance (though not satisfaction) to a range of DSO functions that could be viewed as ‘value adders’ by off-campus students, enhancing their overall learning experience. For more than half of the DSO functions surveyed, on-campus students reported statistically significant higher mean frequency of access than off-campus students. The finding that elements of the institutional OLE are not universally perceived and used the same way by all students groups challenges the value of standard, one-size-fits-all institutional policies and templates relating to the use of OLEs.

Data Mining Application in Enrollment Management: A Case Study

ABSTRACT In the last two decades, number of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) grows rapidly in India. This causes a cut throat competition among these institutions while attracting the student to get admission in these institutions. Most of the institutions are opened in self finance mode, so all time they feel short hand in expenditure. Therefore, institutions focused on the strength of students not on the quality of education. Indian education sector has a lot of data that can produce valuable information. Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) is a multidisciplinary area focusing upon methodologies for extracting useful knowledge from data and there are several useful KDD tools to extract the knowledge. This knowledge can be used to increase the quality of education. But educational institution does not use any knowledge discovery process approach on these data. Now-a- day a new research community, educational data mining (EDM), is growing which is intersection of data mining and pedagogy. In this paper we present the data mining method for enrollment management for MCA course.

Apple and oranges: Comparison of Taiwan higher education institutions’ internationalization

The internationalization of higher education has become more obvious during the last decade. With the world becoming more globalized, competitions among higher education institutions (HEIs) are not limited to the local arena, but have expanded overseas. In Taiwan, the recent rise in numbers of HEIs has further strengthened the need for institutions to compete between each other. Hence, in order become competitive, HEIs in Taiwan have taken great measures to become internationalized. This mixed-method study presents an examination of the internationalization efforts of HEIs in Taiwan with a goal of measuring their actual degree of internationalization using the twelve (12) internationalization indicators proposed by Chin and Ching (2009). Participants are the 164 HEIs in Taiwan. A total 34 HEIs participated in the study. Survey questionnaire and interview were conducted. Results show that trend in internationalization has triggered drastic change both in the administration and the orientation of HEIs. This inevitably forces HEIs either to conform to the mainstream or to remain within their comfort zone. Findings also shed light to the different internationalization strategies of Taiwanese HEIs and shall serve as a point of reference for contemporary visions of the internationalization exemplar in the age of globalization.

Implementing Knowledge Management in Higher Educational Institutions in India: A Conceptual Framework

Higher education institutions (HEIs) create and apply knowledge during their processes and activities. The growth in the number of HEIs in India in the last decade has increased competition and the pressures for performing better. This has forced the institutions to recognize the need for knowledge management (KM) initiatives which is a key asset. KM in HEIs involves the discovery capture of the knowledge created, its filtering and encapsulation and mapping it to the needs of the organization to derive value from its sharing throughout the organization. A competitive edge over others depends largely on the quality of KM that organizations are able to apply to their operations. The paper explores the functional domains of HEIs and the indicators that determine these domains. Further, the authors have evaluated the functional domains for information technology (IT) based knowledge management (KM) intervention and identified the benefits that are perceived. In order to reinforce the results, the authors have proposed a conceptual framework for the efficient capture, encapsulation, structuring, dissemination and employment of the organizational knowledge towards the organizational goals and objectives. If the framework is implemented, the authors feel it will result in enhanced transformation of organizational knowledge into decision making and actions. Keywords - Knowledge management, higher education, knowledge creation, knowledge encapsulation, knowledge structuring, knowledge dissemination

A POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION OF SHARED CIRCULATION SPACES OF THE FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES OF DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY

Determination of the occupancy-related problems in the relevant space and improvement of spatial conditions is important in terms of social and physical harmony. In order to increase the efficiency of occupancy upon programming in public buildings inhabited by large number of occupants, carrying out a POE, whereby the opinions of occupants who have actively participated are evaluated, is of utmost importance. It is conferred that spatial comfort conditions offered at educational buildings, where individuals are introduced to the society, influence students’ social and physical integration, as a requirement of academic life. Being a developing country, the number of higher education institutions in Turkey has increased in recent years. Architectural projects of many of these institutions were completed in short periods of time without conducting the required research on social and physical integration of students, who are the actual occupants. As for this particular study, spatial comfort related conditions of educational buildings have been explored through shared common spaces such as main entrance hall, corridors and the courtyard by assessing over three objectives; determining user characteristics, space occupancy and user mood. In 2010 a study has been followed at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of the Dokuz Eylul University, located at Kaynaklar Campus, which incorporates the largest covered space on its campus. Survey was held through questionnaire on 226 freshman and junior students of the faculty students. Results have been shown in tables which were generated by the employment of the overall frequency breakdown method and then were converted into bar graphs.