Educational Practice Research Articles

Mutual capabilities: digital platforms in unpredictable pedagogical encounters

ABSTRACT This paper examines the implications of platforms as a repertoire for knowing and relating the intensities of pandemic restrictions on teaching and schoolwork. Building on platformisation in education, what work platforms do in unpredictable everyday pedagogical encounters is investigated. Specifically, the paper explores a methodological potential with platforms’ capabilities to pull some things together while supressing others. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with teachers and students in Sweden in 2021, everyday platform practices such as handling assignments, requests to connect online, and repetitive notifications are analysed with actor-network theory. Tensions of discomforts, resistance, and trust unfold critical acknowledgements of digital platforms as more complex objects than shaping pedagogical encounters prior to their practices. Instead, capabilities emerge as mutually rendered. The analysis shows that platforming well-bounded domains for clearer and more flexible teaching and schoolwork incoherently make educational practices less so, highlighting crucial openings to surprise and curiosity of pedagogical encounters.

Социально-культурно-экономический процесс развития здорового образа жизни россиян: вклад визионеров П.И. Макушина и Н.С. Кузьмина

The study of the socio-cultural and economic process of developing a healthy lifestyle of modern Russians necessitates turning to the heritage of the visionaries of the past, covering cultural, educational, housing and everyday practices of pre-revolutionary and Soviet Russia. The methodological basis of the study was an interdisciplinary approach (political economic, philosophical, cultural), as well as the method of dialectical unity of knowledge of the processes of socio-cultural and economic development of society. The continuity of the main components of a person’s healthy lifestyle, his culture, including the forms of organizing cultural education, housing and everyday life, formed by different generations of Russians, is substantiated. The process of transforming pre-revolutionary people's houses (Tomsk people's house of P.I. Makushin) into Soviet and modern cultural houses and leisure centers is described. The significance and influence of the socio-economic experiment of implementing the idea of scientific organization of housing and life on the basis of complete socialization is shown - the project of the «Anzhero-Sudzhensky house-commune» by N.S. Kuzmina, (his other architectural projects) on the healthy lifestyle of modern Russians. Scientific novelty: for the first time, the experience of cultural, educational and housing practices of two Siberian personalities - entrepreneur P.I. Makushin and architect N.S. Kuzmin, which had an important influence on the formation and development of a healthy lifestyle of Russians in the past and present, the visionary nature of their content is revealed. The research findings can be used to form the cultural policies at both regional and federal levels to increase the level of socio-economic well-being of Russians and preserve cultural heritage visionaries.

Exploring the concepts of consumer feedback systems for occupational therapy student learning during practice placements: A scoping review.

Consumer contribution to occupational therapy student learning is mandated for Australian educational programs. However, there is limited research about how consumers contribute to student learning during practice placements. A scoping review was completed to explore the concepts of existing feedback systems for consumers to authentically contribute to student learning during practice placements. Five databases were searched for all articles up to and including July 2023. All publications were included if they described and investigated authentic contribution to student learning during a practice placement experience. Data from the results and discussion sections of the papers were transformed into qualitative data and thematically analysed to develop a conceptual understanding of consumer feedback systems. Forty-six papers met the eligibility criteria. Most articles originated from Medicine (30%) and Nursing (45%) education. Feedback systems were primarily designed to critique student communication and professional behaviours using a variety of standardised and non-standardised methods. Five interconnected themes were created that addressed the concepts of consumer feedback systems. The themes were (1) creating value specific for each stakeholder is essential, (2) preparation is required and nuanced; (3) consumers do engage and provide critical feedback when the system is supportive of all stakeholders; (4) gathering approaches need to be responsive to the diversity of practice and learning; (5) processing feedback with a trusted mentor is critical for learning. Consumers, academics, practice educators, and students recognised that consumers have an important role in contributing to student learning during practice placements. Future consumer feedback systems need to be co-produced to create an optimal mode for consumers to authentically contribute to student learning constructively and safely. A consumer consultant was a member of the advisory panel for the larger research project that this review is part of and provided advice to the research team at all stages of the project. In Australia, occupational therapy training programs require input from consumers to help students learn. However, there is not much research on how consumers help occupational therapy students during their practical training. We did a review to see how existing feedback systems let consumers genuinely help students during their training. We searched five databases for research up to July 2023. We included research that talked about how consumers help all health students learn during practical training. We found 46 articles, mostly from Medicine and Nursing education. We analysed them to understand how consumer feedback systems work and found five main themes: (1) making sure everyone involved gets value out of it, (2) being prepared is important, (3) consumers give useful feedback when the system supports everyone involved, (4) different approaches are needed because practices and learning vary, and (5) discussing feedback with other people helps students learn. Current feedback systems mostly focused on how students communicate and behave professionally. Consumers, educators, and students all agree that consumers play a vital role in helping students learn during practical training. In the future, we need to work together to make feedback systems that let consumers help students in the best way possible, making sure it is constructive and safe for everyone.

Authentic assessment in medical education: exploring AI integration and student-as-partners collaboration.

Traditional assessments often lack flexibility, personalized feedback, real-world applicability, and the ability to measure skills beyond rote memorization. These may not adequately accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences, nor do they always foster critical thinking or creativity. The inclusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially Generative Pre-trained Transformers, in medical education marks a significant shift, offering both exciting opportunities and notable challenges for authentic assessment practices. Various fields, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacy, dentistry, and pathology, are anticipated to employ the metaverse for authentic assessments increasingly. This innovative approach will likely enable students to engage in immersive, project-based learning experiences, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and providing a platform for real-world application of knowledge and skills. This commentary paper explores how AI, authentic assessment, and Student-as-Partners (SaP) methodologies can work together to reshape assessment practices in medical education. The paper provides practical insights into effectively utilizing AI tools to create authentic assessments, offering educators actionable guidance to enhance their teaching practices. It also addresses the challenges and ethical considerations inherent in implementing AI-driven assessments, emphasizing the need for responsible and inclusive practices within medical education. Advocating for a collaborative approach between AI and SaP methodologies, the commentary proposes a robust plan to ensure ethical use while upholding academic integrity. Through navigating emerging assessment paradigms and promoting genuine evaluation of medical knowledge and proficiency, this collaborative effort aims to elevate the quality of medical education and better prepare learners for the complexities of clinical practice.

Surgery and Surgical Training Prior to Graduate Medical Education: A Blue Ribbon Committee II, Medical Student Education Subcommittee Report.

To update and add to the first report commissioned by the Blue Ribbon Committee about 20 years prior. Following a summit in late 2022 commissioned by the American Board of Surgery regarding competency-based reforms in surgical education and via a partnership with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and other stakeholders, a Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC-II) on surgical education was formed. The BRC-II would have seven subcommittees. This paper details the work of the Medical Student Subcommittee within the BRC- II. The subcommittee's work, supported by staff from the ACS, entailed a thorough literature review, which involved collating and aggregating the findings, identifying key challenges and opportunities, and committing to draft recommendations. These recommendations were then presented and refined via discussions with the Blue Ribbon Committee at large in multiple virtual and in-person settings. The subcommittee's work is detailed below and further summarized in table format. The section below elucidates the medical student education continuum and discusses the pertinent topics of recruitment, surgical engagement in medical student training and the surgical image, training for the current surgical practice model, trainee selection for graduate medical education (GME), and optimizing the transition from undergraduate medical education (UME) to GME. The last two decades have shown significant changes and shifts in medical education and surgical practice. The findings of BRC-II in this manuscript help to structure the current and future necessary improvements, focusing on different aspects of medical student education.

Race Dialogues and Potential Application in Clinical Environments: A Scoping Review.

Race dialogues, conversations about race and racism among individuals holding different racial identities, have been proposed as one component of addressing racism in medicine and improving the experience of racially minoritized patients. Drawing on work from several fields, we aimed to assess the scope of the literature on race dialogues and to describe potential benefits, best practices, and challenges of conducting such dialogues. Ultimately, our goal was to explore the potential role of race dialogues in medical education and clinical practice. Our scoping review included articles published prior to June 2, 2022, in the biomedicine, psychology, nursing and allied health, and education literatures. Ultimately, 54 articles were included in analysis, all of which pertained to conversations about race occurring between adults possessing different racial identities. We engaged in an interactive group process to identify key takeaways from each article and synthesize cross-cutting themes. Emergent themes reflected the processes of preparing, leading, and following up race dialogues. Preparing required significant personal introspection, logistical organization, and intentional framing of the conversation. Leading safe and successful race dialogues necessitated trauma-informed practices, addressing microaggressions as they arose, welcoming participation and emotions, and centering the experience of individuals with minoritized identities. Longitudinal experiences and efforts to evaluate the quality of race dialogues were crucial to ensuring meaningful impact. Supporting race dialogues within medicine has the potential to promote a more inclusive and justice-oriented workforce, strengthen relationships amongst colleagues, and improve care for patients with racially minoritized identities. Potential levers for supporting race dialogues include high-quality racial justice curricula at every level of medical education and valuation of racial consciousness in admissions and hiring processes. All efforts to support race dialogues must center and uplift those with racially minoritized identities.

Advanced Practice Providers: An Evolution of Scope of Practice and Clinical Integration Across the Surgical Healthcare Landscape

Advanced practice providers (APPs) have become an integral part of surgical practice over the past 50 years. Understanding the clinical roles of Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) provides insight into practice norms, collaborative opportunities, the nuances of APP independent practice trends, billing practices, and current practice challenges.Exploring the history, education, and current practice environment of APPs allows a sophisticated understanding of their roles in the inpatient/facility and outpatient/office settings. This article explores the impact of APPs on access to care, and their role across the overall healthcare landscape in the United States particularly as government and healthcare continue to intersect.The aim of this work is to provide the reader with a nuanced understanding of the factors influencing the current practice of APPs working in surgical fields in the United States and to foster an authentic appreciation of the existing complexities of APPs practicing in the field of surgery in the context of the current evolving national healthcare landscape.

Assessing knowledge and awareness of Food and Drug Interactions among nutrition sciences students: Implications for education and clinical practice.

Chronic diseases and polymedication increase the risk of food-drug interactions (FDIs) among the population, negatively impacting health. Nutritionists, as responsible for dietary planning, have a key role in preventing these events. To assess the knowledge about FDIs among a sample of Nutrition Sciences Bachelor students. A descriptive cross-sectional observational study was conducted, involving 44 students from the 3rd and 4th academic years of different Portuguese universities during the 2023/2024 academic year. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire, covering general and specific FDIs knowledge, academic background, and perceptions regarding FDIs importance and training adequacy. Results revealed a general lack of FDIs knowledge among participants, particularly in identifying specific interactions and appropriate dietary management. While half of the students reported exposure to a subject dedicated to FDIs, only 18.18% considered the knowledge acquired sufficient. Nearly all participants (93.18%) expressed the need for further training in FDIs during their undergraduate course. Furthermore, none of the participants had received additional training or attended workshops on FDIs. Specifically, participants struggled to identify appropriate dietary choices in conjunction with certain medications. Moreover, only a minority of participants demonstrated awareness of the ideal timing for medication intake relative to food consumption. Despite these knowledge gaps, participants recognized the importance of FDIs knowledge for future clinical practice. Bridging these knowledge gaps through targeted educational interventions and interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to ensure future nutrition professionals are equipped to address the complex challenges posed by FDIs in professional practice.

Using Digital Interventions to Support Faculty Development and Enhance Learning Transfer.

New approaches to faculty development are needed. A longitudinal multimodal approach to faculty development was undertaken to enhance content learning transfer from a workshop to teaching practice. Ten timed digital interventions were delivered to nurse educators every 3 to 4 weeks over 10 months following a 5-hour workshop. The Kirkpatrick model was used to evaluate the intervention. Postintervention results support timed digital interventions as an innovative way to leverage technology used by faculty every day to facilitate transfer of learning of veteran-centered care content covered during a workshop to their teaching practice. Future considerations include application to other areas of nursing education practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

The Impact of a Mobile Phone and Mobile Application-Supported Science Laboratory on the Digital Literacy of Preservice Teachers and Their Disposition Toward Using Technology in Class

AbstractScience education at different levels can be supported by various mobile applications that can be downloaded for free onto mobile phones, tablets, and other devices. Such applications can also be used in laboratory work, but it must be said that their use in science laboratories is a relatively new approach. This study is aimed at determining the impact of mobile phone and mobile application-supported laboratory work on the digital literacy of preservice science teachers and on their disposition toward using technology in class. The study was carried out with 17 participants at the second-year level of a Science Teacher Education Program in Turkey. It was a single-group pretest-posttest study, representing a type of weak experimental research design. Data for the study were collected with the Digital Literacy Scale developed by Hamutoğlu et al. (Ege Journal of Education 18(1):408–429, 2017) and the Disposition toward Using Technology in the Classroom Scale developed by Gunuc and Kuzu (Journal of Theory and Practice in Education 10(4):863–884, 2014). The data collection tools were implemented prior to and following a 6-week teaching period, and the quantitative data compiled from the participants were analyzed with the SPSS 21.0 program. The parametric t-test of related samples was used in the pretest/posttest comparison of the data sets. The results of the study demonstrated that science laboratory activities supported by mobile phones and mobile applications provided preservice teachers with increased digital literacy and enhanced their disposition toward using technology in the classroom. It is recommended that preservice teachers make extensive use of experiments supported by the mobile applications in this study.

Digital Competency Model Development for Public High School Teachers in Nanning

Background and Aims: With the rapid development and popularization of technology, the application of digital technology in education is increasingly widespread, and the digital competency of teachers has become the key to promoting education modernization and innovation. The objectives of this study include: 1) To study the situation of digital competency of public high school teachers in Nanning. 2) To develop a model for improving the digital competency of public high school teachers in Nanning. 3) To evaluate the model for improving the digital competency of public high school teachers in Nanning. Methodology: This study is based on the latest research results and widely adopts the opinions of experts in the field of digital education by employing the Delphi method and the focus group method. Results: The digital competency model for teachers in public high schools in Nanning was successfully developed. Important measures and suggestions have been provided to promote the improvement of the digital competency of teachers in public high schools in Nanning. Conclusion: An important development in educational practices is indicated by the development of a digital competency model for teachers in public high schools in Nanning, which was completed with success. The strategies and recommendations offered are meant to improve educators' digital literacy, promoting efficient instruction in the digital era and improving the educational experiences of students.

Digital Divide or Digital Bridge? Evaluating the Impact of ICT Integration in South Africa’s Rural Schools

The advent of the knowledge economy necessitates the development of specific skills pertinent to 21st-century citizens, such as global competitiveness and the proficient use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for personal and economic advancement. In response, nations worldwide, both developed and developing, are reforming educational curricula and promoting the integration of ICTs in teaching and learning. South Africa is no exception and through policy initiatives aimed to enhance educational opportunities by equipping all schools with laptops and tablets by 2013. Rural schools were to be given particular attention through the development of eLearning. This study explores the alignment between eLearning policy directives and their implementation in rural schools. The research engaged five school principals and one district official, employing semi-structured interviews and document analysis as data collection methods. The findings reveal that teachers lack training to effectively integrate ICTs into educational practices. Despite a revised implementation strategy from 2013 to 2025, progress remains minimal and disproportionately favours smart schools within the province rather than a universal application. The study advocates for the KwaZulu-Natal education department to prioritise comprehensive ICT integration training for teachers across all educational phases. Furthermore, it recommends an expansive distribution of devices in form of tablets and laptops to include primary schools and calls for a national curriculum overhaul to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner. Teachers are also encouraged to proactively seek professional development opportunities independently of departmental offerings.

Negotiating parental agency in daily encounters with educators

In this paper, we reflect on the relationships between parents and professionals in early childhood education, as they unfold on a daily basis when parents drop off children in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. The paper seeks to understand how parents exert agency in such contexts, and how professionals respond to such agency by facilitating or negotiating active contributions from parents during these short encounters. We adopt a situated and interactional perspective on agency in professional practice informed by a multimodal approach to discourse and interaction, presenting an empirical research design consisting of tangible face-to-face encounters between parents and professionals through audiovisual recordings in the context of Switzerland. The paper explores a collection of four case studies extracted from a dataset comprising over a thousand video-recorded encounters between parents and professionals, and identifies various expressions of parental agency as they occur in interactions during the drop-offs and pick-ups. It also describes and elaborates how professionals respond to such expressions and contribute to a joint accomplishment of parental agency at work. The findings show that parents and educators play an active role in how these encounters unfold, in the sorts of actions, frames and participation frameworks collaboratively accomplished during drop-offs and pick-ups and in establishing rapport in interaction. The findings are discussed from the perspective of professional practice in the field of early childhood education, especially ‘transitional encounters’ related to educational practices in early childhood education.

The breastfeeding experience of women with multiple pregnancies: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

BackgroundThe experiences and challenges associated with breastfeeding multiple births can be considerably more complex than those of singletons. Multiple births refer to the delivery of more than one offspring in a single birth event. Emphasizing the needs and experiences of mothers with multiple births during breastfeeding can enable healthcare providers to design targeted interventions that enhance breastfeeding rates. However, existing breastfeeding and health education resources and practices do not fully meet the needs of women who breastfeed multiples. This review aimed to review and synthesize qualitative studies on the breastfeeding experiences of women with multiple births.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in 10 electronic databases for papers published from the inception of the database to March 2024. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was utilized to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies included. The thematic synthesis method of Thomas and Harden was employed to integrate and analyze the included literature to derive new categories and conclusions.FindingsEight studies met the inclusion criteria and quality assessment criteria for this study. Through the integration of their results, four themes were identified: the choice and willingness to breastfeed multiple births; the challenges of breastfeeding multiple births; stage management and individualised adaptation of breastfeeding; and the experience of support.ConclusionThroughout the feeding process from pregnancy to the postpartum period, mothers with multiple births often have predominantly negative experiences with breastfeeding. Consequently, hospitals should create a multidisciplinary follow-up team comprising obstetrics, neonatology, psychology, and community services to offer specialized and personalized support to these women at various stages.Systematic review registration[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024520348].

Innovative Professional Learning Communities and Sustainable Education Practices through Digital Transformation

Education is the most important part of sustainable society development. Traditional approaches to permanent lifelong educator training often fail to produce lasting changes in teaching practices (UN, Goal 4). This paper examines how educator involvement in a professional learning community (PLC) ensures equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all and a sustainable digital transformation of the teaching and learning process. Participation in PLC and the use of contemporary learning environments positively impact the quality of educators’ work, thereby enhancing the overall educational process. This study utilised a quantitative methodology, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse the data. Results indicate that a balanced integration of formal PLC structures and guidance, combined with elements of a non-formal, broader PLC and external incentives and support (such as projects), can surpass mere exchanges of best practices, foster innovation, and support the sustainable digital transformation of educators. This approach leads to a sustainable shift in pedagogical paradigms. The PLC_IP model (focused on including digital technologies and effective teaching strategies) enhances collective educator efficacy, contributing to improved teaching quality. For PLCs to achieve sustainability, they must be dynamic entities that adapt to the evolving educational landscape, ensuring their continued relevance and impact with rising completion rates over time. Our findings underscore the importance of innovative PLCs in driving sustainable educational development and improvement and provide a framework for future research and practical applications in educational settings. In addition, PLCs can strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development (UN, Goal 17).

The impact of simulation-based learning on the knowledge, attitude and performance of physiotherapy students on practice placement

BackgroundPractice placement is a crucial part of pre-registration physiotherapy education worldwide. However, educators face challenges in finding practice sites for students to undertake placement. The use of simulation-based (SBL) learning has the potential to replace some traditional placement, thereby increasing placement capacity, but the benefits have not been fully explored. This study aimed to assess the impact of SBL placement on students’ knowledge, attitude, and performance during practice placements with external providers.MethodsThis study utilised an exploratory qualitative research design using a semi-structured interview to collect data from Year 2 students of a 2-year MSc pre-registration physiotherapy programme in the UK. To be eligible to be included in the study, students must have participated in the 4-week simulation placement and have completed all their practice placements with external providers. All the interviews were conducted virtually in a 1:1 setting and recorded. The interviews lasted an average of 45 min. An inductive thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s approach was utilised in this study.ResultsTwelve students consented to participate in this study. The 56 codes generated from the data were categorised into 5 themes; [1] Working together, [2] Working with Service Users, [3] Professionalism, [4] Profession-specific practical skills and [5] Generic practical skills. Participants unanimously expressed a positive view on working in groups, and they believe that engaging with service users who acted as patients enhanced the authenticity of the simulation placement. Subjective and objective assessments were considered important profession-specific skills gained during the simulation. Despite the benefits derived from the simulation placement, some participants felt that the learning experience would have been enriched by periodically changing the groups they were working in and having the opportunity for more 1:1 feedback throughout the four weeks.ConclusionsSBL has the potential to be a valuable educational experience for physiotherapy students. It may assist in better preparing students for successful integration into the dynamic healthcare environment. To enhance and improve the authenticity of this type of placementour recommendations include recruiting more service users, incorporating and encouraging more intervention-based elements, and increasing the practice educators’ and students’ contact time.

Beyond Western Notions of Creativity in Education: Toward a Trans‐Epistemological Approach

ABSTRACTIn this editorial for the special issue on Beyond Western Notions of Creativity in Education, we provide an overview of six articles that challenge the normative ontological, epistemological, and methodological underpinning of creativity research and practice in education. This special issue aimed to interrogate and problematize the notion of creativity as a Western conception, to expand it toward developing a more global, diverse, inclusive, and decolonized vision. Articles in this issue contribute to a more expanded conception beyond traditional Western ways of knowing and point to new areas for research within existing understandings of creativity. We explore creative practices and conceptualizations, as well as diverse research paradigms beyond Western traditions to present a more holistic understanding. We share implications for future research and practice for educators and scholars interested in expanding beyond the Western conceptualizations of creativity.

Fostering the clinician as teacher: A realist review.

Clinician-teachers, physicians with educational responsibilities in either classroom or clinical setting, are assumed to add value by virtue of their dual role. The clinical responsibilities are often prioritised over the educational tasks. How and under which circumstances clinician-teachers are able to perform their educational role and create added value for different stakeholders is currently unclear. To identify for whom, how and under which circumstances educational activities executed by CTs by virtue of their dual role add value to others. CTs activities linking the system of education and clinical practice beyond direct patient interactions and purposefully executed. A realist review was conducted. Databases were searched in two stages: a narrow conventional search, followed by a comprehensive artificial intelligence-aided search. Studies concerning clinician-teachers' dual role were included. Realist analysis was applied to identify in which contexts resource mechanisms triggered reasoning mechanisms, which led to specific outcomes for different stakeholders. Sixty-six studies were included. In contexts where clinician-teachers' dual role was formally recognised and valued, clinician-teachers benefitted from the credibility and legitimacy bestowed on them, making the transfer of domain-specific knowledge more impactful. In contexts where sociocultural differences between both systems existed, CTs were able to mediate and adjust recommendations aligned with stakeholders' perceived relevance. Also, contexts organised to support both roles made resource mechanisms more impactful. Clinician-teachers added value to students' clinical competency and learning environment, and to educational organisations' curricular innovation. In their clinical workspace, clinician-teachers added value by enhancing colleague physicians' teaching expertise, implementing educational innovations and recruiting students for scarce specialisms. Clinician-teachers add value to students, colleague physicians and the clinical and educational contexts at large. Domain-specific knowledge of both systems was important to gain credibility and achieve added value. Openness, formal recognition and allocated time for both roles in educational and clinical contexts towards the dual role are important to strengthen the impact of the dual role.

Developing a Research Agenda for Resilient Systems and Innovative Practices in ODeL: Findings from a National Study

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in education systems globally, with many African countries, including Nigeria, struggling to respond swiftly to its impact. In Nigeria, the challenge was compounded by ongoing insurgency and insecurity, leading to extended school closures. To mitigate these disruptions, educational institutions adopted emergency remote teaching and learning methods, indirectly highlighting the potential of open, distance, and eLearning (ODeL). However, these initiatives often lacked proper ODeL design and pedagogical components. In response to these issues, a National Research Fund project, sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) titled "Setting an Agenda for Research into Open, Distance, and eLearning in the Global South: Nigeria as a Case Study" was initiated. The project aimed to identify gaps, high-priority areas, and research trends in ODeL to inform policy and guide practices amidst numerous challenges. This study aimed to investigate priority areas within ODeL that deserve more research attention and to offer insights into how this research could contribute to more resilient educational systems and promote innovative practices. The study employed a mixed-method approach, starting with an online survey of randomly selected 382 ODeL practitioners from Nigerian higher education institutions, followed by in-depth interviews with 26 purposefully selected ODeL experts. The findings revealed a consensus on key research areas, including learner support, technology, and instructional delivery. The study identified emerging research priorities specific to the African context. Addressing these key areas could significantly contribute to developing resilient education systems and promoting innovative educational practices in Nigeria and beyond.

Measuring University Staff Mobility Impact in Higher Education

The paper addresses an issue within the field of higher education that has been discussed since the inception of the Erasmus mobility programme in 1987 - how to properly measure the impact of the staff mobility (academic and administrative). Students have a clear roadmap when it comes to the mobility practice and impact assessment but when it comes to staff mobility, impact assessment is less clear. For academic staff mobility, certain metrics can be used to objectively assess outcomes, but when it comes to the administrative staff, matters become more abstract as there are no widely used common metrics. This paper proposes a tool – the Mobility Matrix, that allows to measure the staff mobility impact using quantitative and qualitative data. The Mobility Matrix offers 10 characteristics of the mobility period that can be assessed at 3 levels for the quantitative part and three text fields for the qualitative part. This tool was tested at Riga Technical University (2023) for the assessment of the staff mobility impact. If the staff member provides credible and accurate data, the Mobility Matrix has the potential to become a common practice in higher education, allowing for new recognition mechanisms of staff mobility to emerge.