Relevance Of Higher Education Research Articles

INVESTIGATING THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTINGS

This study explores the dynamics of interdisciplinary education in private universities in Lahore, Pakistan, addressing a significant research gap in global discourse on this pedagogical approach. The research investigates faculty perceptions, benefits for students, and challenges associated with interdisciplinary education. Based on mixed-methods approach, including surveys & interviews, study reveals generally positive faculty perceptions, emphasizing the value of interdisciplinary education in enhancing critical thinking, problem-solving skills & overall learning experiences. Students, in turn, are reported to derive multifaceted benefits, including increased creativity, adaptability, and holistic understanding of societal challenges. Yet, challenges such as limited institutional support and resistance from traditional structures pose obstacles to effective implementation. Findings not only donate to localized understanding of interdisciplinary education in Lahore but offer insights applicable to educational contexts worldwide, aiming to enhance quality and relevance of higher education in an ever-evolving landscape.

Digital Competence in University Students: A Comparison between Spain and Italy

Digital competence today is one of the key competences for the development of people in society and a special relevance in Higher Education. This study presents a comparison between university students from Spain and Italy on the level of competence in the use of ICT and the Internet to search and process information. A quantitative methodology was used, through which university students from Italy and Spain were asked to fill in a questionnaire on digital competence (n = 686). The results confirm that students have a digital competence that allows them to use ICT in its elementary dimensions, however they have a low digital competence for the design and creation of content, so they have a consumer role compared to that of a prosumer. The last part of the study discussed possible explanations for the study's findings and suggestions for improving the education of college students.

Design Thinking and Co-creation in the Business Curriculum

Business curriculum development is intrinsically linked to the rapidly changing business landscape. Navigating the complexities of this task demands a design thinking approach that places stakeholders at the centre, focusing on obtaining valuable insight while also openly sharing the broader implications of individual curricular decisions. This reflective paper examines the use of design thinking in developing the business curriculum. We explore the benefits of this approach for leadership of curriculum development and balancing the needs and wants of varied stakeholder groups. Key external factors, from government bodies to shifting economic climates, exert pressures that make all curriculum development a challenging endeavour. Institutions must concurrently accommodate this variety of stakeholder needs, the balancing of external pressures against internal expectations and alignment with internal and external pedagogical standards. Successfully addressing these complexities requires a shift from traditional meeting and committee methods, which often yield suboptimal outcomes. Instead, a design thinking approach prioritises open stakeholder negotiation, employing visual tools to foster clear communication and negotiation and application of a shared vision. This approach also acknowledges the importance of developing graduates’ social capital, aiming not merely to secure jobs for graduates but to equip them with invaluable skills and networks for unforeseen challenges. Ultimately, a human-centric design thinking method is vital for addressing the multifaceted challenges of curriculum design in the face of a VUCA world. Institutions that embrace this philosophy position themselves to produce curricula that are both contextually relevant and future-oriented, ensuring continuous improvement and relevance in higher education.

ChatGPT, a brand-new tool to strengthen timeless competencies

In November 2022, the public release of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based natural language model, was a groundbreaking point in many sectors of human life and education was not the exception. We describe how ChatGPT was integrated in an undergraduate course for an International Relations program in a private Mexican university. Under an action research methodology, we introduced this novel instrument in a course on Future Studies. Students were evaluated on their ability to explain to ChatGPT several discipline-specific methods and to make the AI implement these methods step by step. After six such activities, the outcomes evidenced that the students not only learned how to use the new AI tool and deepen their understanding of prospective methods, but also strengthened three soft or transversal competencies: communication, critical thinking, and logical and methodical reasoning. These results are promising in the framework of Skills for Industry 4.0 and Education for Sustainable Development; even more, they demonstrate how ChatGPT created an opportunity for the students to strengthen, and for the professor to assess, time-tested competencies. This is a call-to action for faculty and educational institutions to incorporate AI in their instructional design, not only to prepare our graduates for professional environments where they will collaborate with these technologies but also to enhance the quality and relevance of higher education in the digital age. Therefore, this work contributes to the growing body of research on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in higher education settings to enhance learning experiences and outcomes.

ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education?

ChatGPT is the world’s most advanced chatbot thus far. Unlike other chatbots, it can create impressive prose within seconds, and it has created much hype and doomsday predictions when it comes to student assessment in higher education and a host of other matters. ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art language model (a variant of OpenAI’s Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) language model) designed to generate text that can be indistinguishable from text written by humans. It can engage in conversation with users in a seemingly natural and intuitive way. In this article, we briefly tell the story of OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT. We highlight the fundamental change from a not-for-profit organisation to a commercial business model. In terms of our methods, we conducted an extensive literature review and experimented with this artificial intelligence (AI) software. Our literature review shows our review to be amongst the first peer-reviewed academic journal articles to explore ChatGPT and its relevance for higher education (especially assessment, learning and teaching). After a description of ChatGPT’s functionality and a summary of its strengths and limitations, we focus on the technology’s implications for higher education and discuss what is the future of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education in the context of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT. We position ChatGPT in the context of current Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) research, discuss student-facing, teacher-facing and system-facing applications, and analyse opportunities and threats. We conclude the article with recommendations for students, teachers and higher education institutions. Many of them focus on assessment.

Empowering Dapur Ayuna Women's Group by implementing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Standard Sanitation Operational Procedure (SSOP) in Central Banjar, Buduk Village, Mengwi District, Badung Regency, Bali


 
 
 
 In Bali, there are a variety of processed traditional foods that are still very popular with locals and even domestic and foreign tourists. In empowering rural communities, namely by increasing knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors, programs, or activities, assistance is needed following the needs of the community, in developing micro, small and medium enterprises. This PKM (community service) activity is carried out in support of the Strategic Plan's priorities, namely strengthening the quality and relevance of higher education, which will be carried out at the Dapur Ayuna Women's Group in Banjar Tengah, Buduk Village, Mengwi District, Badung Regency, Bali. This group is a productive group that has activities to process traditional processed food from meat and poultry. Traditional Processed Food Products have been produced and marketed by partners, but they have not been intensive, and partners want to increase their quantity and quality. Partners do not know the field of processing and entrepreneurship, so they experience obstacles in the management of production and marketing. The group asked to be given training and assistance on processed food products. Traditional processed food products are one of the foods that must be preserved and maintained in each region to maintain local wisdom. The Ayuna Kitchen Women's Group can produce a good implementation of good food processing methods (GMP) and Standard Sanitation Operational Procedure (SSOP) to produce products with quality.
 
 
 

An Extensive Literature Review on the Predominant Conceptualizations of Quality in Higher Education and Its Main Components

Given the multidimensional nature of the notion of quality and its growing relevance in higher education, it is necessary to lay the foundations for conceptualizing it in terms of its context of application, in order to provide support and consistency to the design of specific policies. This paper presents the main methodological guidelines and findings of an exhaustive literature review focused on identifying the conceptions of quality in higher education in papers published in high-impact journals between 2016-2020. Following the axial guidelines of the PRISMA-P method, 186 articles were selected out of 53,290 identified as part of the initial universe. Using open deductive coding, prevailing conceptions of quality of higher education and its valued components were identified. A crucial question arose as a consequence of the analysis of those articles: who is responsible for determining the quality of a product or service in higher education? The answer to this question gave rise to the emergence of an alternative theoretical and conceptual positioning to those that predominate in the specialized literature.

Decoloniality and Africanisation as Instruments for Change:

The end of 2017 marked a significant change in South African higher education with the government’s announcement that free higher education would be extended to poor and working-class students. For students who engaged in protest action to demand a curriculum which centers Africa and takes African discourses as its point of departure, this was a partial victory. While concessions were made regarding fees and the removal of colonial-era statues, students continue to grapple with the form and purpose of higher education. This struggle is not a new one; it can be traced back to the early 1960s when Black student movements rejected colonial and apartheid ideas at an intellectual level. In grappling with the critical epistemological questions raised by students, scholars have proposed the notions of decoloniality and Africanisation as instruments to rethink the purpose and form of higher education. Using sociological discourse analysis, this article examines the pragmatism of these concepts in the quest for relevance in higher education.
 Key words: Africanisation, decoloniality, sociological discourse analysis, higher education

Sustainability based careers and graduate prospects

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aim to create a sustainable global future through seventeen inter-related objectives that encompass the environment, social justice, and good governance. Countries are deploying national programmes to meet their sustainable development targets. Sustainability-based career roles are being created at a rate faster than employers can fill them. Recent evidence suggests that employment in sustainability sectors and related professions can provide more favourable opportunities for graduates seeking their first job. Universities are also called upon to do more about sustainability. They are increasingly coming under scrutiny from students as to their sustainability performance. Embedding sustainability in the curriculum and linking it to employability is needed to ensure the relevance of higher education to students and employers. Educators must also consider the efficacy of their pedagogy in teaching sustainability.

The heterogeneity of European Higher Education Institutions: a configurational approach

ABSTRACT Classifications are a basic tool for research, which allow summarizing the diversity of objects in a number of categories that fits the cognitive abilities of the human mind. Their relevance for higher education is emphasized by the differentiation of institutional profiles. Yet, unlike in the US, there is currently no classification of European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper fills this gap by developing a classification of European HEIs, which focuses on differences in activity profiles and subject scope. To this aim, it uses data from an enriched version of the European Tertiary Education Register on a sample of more than 2000 HEIs in a large number of European countries. The classification comprises six classes that occupy distinct positions in a configuration space defined by two dimensions, i.e. research vs. educational orientation and subject specialization. Ex-post analysis shows that classes are identifiable and can be attributed meaningful labels; the class of research universities comprises most European HEIs competing in international rankings, while a class of generalist HEIs with lower research orientation that cuts across the traditional distinction between universities and Universities of Applied Sciences can be distinguished. Furthermore, three classes of specialist HEIs can be identified. The classification provides a meaningful representation of European higher education that is more fine-grained than the distinction between university and non-university sectors while remaining parsimonious. We, finally show how national categories map to the classification, displaying its potential to compare differences in national institutional settings across Europe.

On Work Relevance of Adult Education: A Case Study Narrative

There is an increased focus on relevance of higher education. Mostly it is about enhanced job opportunities or job advancements for the individual. However, relevance of higher education may also be towards solving important issues or problems at a workplace. There are some necessary preconditions as to how an educational activity becomes relevant. Firstly, the student must be capable to discover how generic knowledge and acquired skills may or may not apply to concrete situations at work. This requires experience, understanding of the norms and culture of the organisation and a certain form of practical intelligence. Secondly, the conditions at work place must be conducive to innovation and change in various ways. In this article, we present a case study where employee turnover and lack of effective training routines were a major efficiency constraint in a Norwegian firm. With constant competition, changes in markets and other factors that influence the sustainability of an organization, cutting costs, such as high turnover and the time from being newcomer to being fully operative in the job. The responsible for training activities in the firm realized that additional formal education at the higher education level was needed, and he decided to enrol in a Knowledge Management study program at The Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences in order to learn how he could improve knowledge management and learning processes of new employees at his workplace. The case study ultimately demonstrates how crucial the interplay between content and form of education on one hand and specific conditions facilitating changes and improvements at work on the other is for the relevance in formal higher education narrative.

Higher Education Reforms in Kenya: Options and Development

Higher education in Kenya has had strides and trends. Among them, reforms to improve the standards and quality of higher education. The sector faces multiple challenges; lack of adequate resources, a mismatch between industry needs and graduate skills, budget shortfalls and massive universities expansions. These challenges hurt the quality and relevance of higher education. In order to propose solutions, two key issues were discussed: financial sustainability and quality/relevance of higher education. The paper collected secondary data and government reports and using a critical review, it analyzed the role of financial sustainability, quality, and relevance in improving higher education in Kenya. The paper concludes with policy recommendations on higher education reforms, options, and developments, all aimed at bolstering quality education in Kenya.

Linking higher education and the world of work: learning outcomes and intermediary organisations

ABSTRACTHigher education institutions are increasingly expected to demonstrate the relevance of the education provided and establish tighter links with the labour market. The introduction of learning outcomes represents one such development. The article examines the extent to which various intermediary organisations are involved in decisions about learning outcomes and the consequences of this regarding the role of learning outcomes and their potential in linking higher education to the world of work. Intermediary organisations are operationalised as professional associations and trade unions. The empirical material includes data from interviews of 14 intermediary organisations with different ties to higher education. The findings show that organisations have distinctly different approaches to their involvement in learning-outcome development as well as different views on the potentials of learning outcomes as a legitimate instrument to increase the relevance of higher education. Instead of creating new links between higher education and the world of work, the processes of introducing learning outcomes reinforce existing collaboration patterns.

Aportaciones para un estado de la cuestión sobre pertinencia en la formación profesional turística

Existe un número considerable de trabajos sobre pertinencia en la educación superior. Sin embargo, es reducido el número de estudios sobre pertinencia en la formación de profesionales en turismo de México. El objetivo del trabajo es presentar aportaciones para el estado de la cuestión sobre pertinencia en la formación profesional turística, en el período 2000-2015, a través del análisis de artículos indexados publicados. El primer momento es el procedimiento metodológico; el segundo es un recorrido sobre las interpretaciones del término pertinencia en la educación superior; el tercero es el resultado de una investigación documental sobre la postura de los académicos acerca de la pertinencia en la formación de profesionales en turismo y, la última sección, presenta las conclusiones y futuras líneas de investigación. Entre los resultados más relevantes, se destaca la constante preocupación por la relación universidad-sociedad y las tensiones existentes entre la formación de profesionales en turismo y el mundo del trabajo.

Tendencias globales que marcan el desarrollo de la educación superior en el Ecuador: pertinencia, regionalización y expansión de la oferta académica

Ecuador ha logrado grandes avances en relación a la calidad, la inclusión y la pertinencia de la educación superior, sin embargo, el sistema de educación superior aún conserva profundas brechas que reproducen las características estructurales de la asimetría económica y poblacional del país. El presente estudio explora la concepción de la educación como “derecho humano” y “bien público”, y desde esa perspectiva explora los retos que el sistema de educación superior debe enfrentar. El análisis parte de los datos presentados por los organismos rectores del nivel de educación en mención, para someterlos a una lectura crítica y presentar formas de regionalizar los impactos de las instituciones de educación superior. Los datos son contrastados con los principales discursos presentes en los diversos marcos sociales del Ecuador (legal, planificación y desarrollo) y del contexto internacional (documentos de la UNESCO, la ONU, entre otros).

Higher education, unbundling, and the end of the university as we know it

Higher education, unbundling, and the end of the university as we know it

Four Voices for Justice: Reflections on Seeking Relevance in Higher Education

Earlier this summer, I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected to receive the 2017 Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award. I’ve been a National Recreation and Park Association member since 1982. Unfortunately, after considerable agonizing over the past month, I’ve decided that I will not travel to New Orleans to accept the Roosevelt Award in person. I’ve concluded that attending NRPA at this time would violate the letter and spirit of a self-imposed travel ban and compromise deeply held values, morals, and principles in light of President Donald Trump (and his administration’s) actions since elected into office. In so doing, I attempt to honor Teddy Roosevelt himself who famously wrote nearly 100 years ago that “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Mark E. Havitz, University of Waterloo Excerpt from an e-mail message to TALS colleagues Ontario, Canada, 20 September 2017 Subscribe to JPRA

Advocating for Standards in Student Affairs Departments in African Institutions: University of Botswana experience

The Student Affairs Departments have seen immense growth over the years, from a discourse which had no academic relevance in higher education, to that which is expected to add value to the attraction, retention, and graduation of students. However, the latest developments have seen the role of Student Affairs Departments grow from ‘in‑loco parentis’ to educators who are expected to strategically position the image of their institutions to ensure that students are equipped with relevant, tried and tested skills in preparation for their studies, work, and civic engagement. The level of personal growth of students as they transition from secondary to tertiary institutions is now also traced to the effectiveness of Student Affairs personnel, policies, and structures. Thus the need for the visibility of such departments and the need to add value to higher education in the 21st century has escalated. More innovative ways of engaging students and academics in this social discourse has a bearing on a professional approach that places emphasis on standards. The argument is made for advancing standards in the sphere of Student Affairs as a method of enhancing needed visibility and adding value to African higher education, the focus of which is leading the continent’s transformation agenda towards socio-economic development.

On freedom, being and transcendence: the quest for relevance in higher education

On freedom, being and transcendence: the quest for relevance in higher education

Modelling demand for higher education: A partial least-squares analysis of Portugal

Recognizing the strategic relevance of higher education, various countries have established ambitious objectives for the percentage of graduates in their population by 2020. In some cases, without effective policies aimed at increasing domestic rates of participation in higher education, such goals will not be met. However, successful measures are difficult to design and to implement when the phenomena they target are complex and encompass many personal, cultural, social and economic variables. Such is the case of aggregate demand for higher education. Therefore, a precise knowledge of its more likely influences is indispensable to perform the forecasting exercises required to inform the process of policy design and, subsequently, to monitor its success. In this paper, we employ the partial least-squares regression, which allows modelling with many variables even with relatively few observations, to identify the most relevant determinants of aggregate demand for higher education in Portugal. Our choice of country is dictated by the availability of adequate data but our results, suggesting that the most important factors are policy dependent, and may thus be managed to support strategic educational objectives, may be useful in other national contexts.