Technology In Higher Education Research Articles

I think they just logged on and fell asleep: Challenges to facilitating creativity online in higher engineering education

Creativity is a crucial skill for future engineers. Hence, it is becoming increasingly important for higher education (HE) engineering educators to foster and enhance engineering students' creative abilities. Simultaneously, online learning has found a place in engineering education. Nevertheless, we find that HE engineering educators in all domains continue to express a sense of inadequacy when it comes to fostering creativity in hybrid and online learning environments. This sentiment persists despite the existence of scholarly work that suggests strategies for addressing these challenges. In this paper, we assume that the rationale behind this is that the proposed pedagogical approaches are primarily established through conceptual reflections, whereas the perspective of the HE engineering educators on the perceived barriers has thus far been largely neglected. Therefore, we present a study that uses data from experience interviews and focus group techniques involving 71 HE engineering educators from Ireland, Germany, Denmark and Turkey to identify the common challenges that HE engineering educators perceive when facilitating creativity in online and hybrid classroom environments. These are used to extend theory by developing a four‐field conceptual model organizing the eight overarching challenges encountered. This model can be used as a basis for defining measures to support HE engineering educators in facilitating creativity online and serves as a guide for future research studies.

Student perspectives on the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies in higher education

The aim of this project was to understand student perspectives on generative artificial intelligence (GAI) technologies such as Chat generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), in order to inform changes to the University of Liverpool Academic Integrity code of practice. The survey for this study was created by a library student team and vetted through focus groups. A total of 2555 students participated in the survey. Results showed that only 7% of students who responded had not heard of any GAI technologies, whilst over half had used or considered using these for academic purposes. The majority of students (54.1%) were supportive or somewhat supportive of using tools such as Grammarly, but 70.4% were unsupportive or somewhat unsupportive towards students using tools such as ChatGPT to write their whole essay. Students who had higher levels of confidence in their academic writing were less likely to use or consider using them for academic purposes, and were also less likely to be supportive of other students using them. Most students (41.1%) also thought there should be a university wide policy on when these technologies are or are not appropriate to use. The results of this research suggest that students require clear policies on the use of GAI and that these technologies should not be banned from university, but consideration must be made to ensure different groups of students have equal access to the technologies.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ В ОСВІТНЬОМУ ПРОЦЕСІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙДИСТАНЦІЙНОГО НАВЧАННЯ

The integration of Ukraine into the European educational space involves strengthening the requirements for the quality of professional training of future specialists. The main task is to create all the conditions for learning, personal and professional development of students, to ensure the effective formation of their professional competence, regardless of the modern challenges and dangers faced by society in the 21st century. Currently, higher education institutions have a dilemma: are they able to move away from the traditional academic style of teaching to innovations, to focus not on knowledge and skills, but to ensure the process of forming the competence of the future specialist. Considering the circumstances, digital technologies are becoming more and more widespread, and in scientific publications there is a debate about the effectiveness of their use in the educational process of higher education. The integration of digital technologies in higher education creates new opportunities for both students and teachers, making learning more interesting, dynamic, visual, etc. The advantages and features of the use of remote technologies to improve the quality of professional training of future specialists in the conditions of a mixed form of organization of the educational process in institutions of higher education, which creates new conditions of learning and cooperation for all participants of the educational process, are considered. The most promising technologies of distance learning are characterized, which have important advantages, taking into account the peculiarities of the professional training of future specialists in the conditions of mixed learning in institutions of higher education. Such technologies include: gamification of the process of professional training of future specialists, quest technologies, cloud-based learning technologies, intelligent information systems in education, mobile learning technologies, immersive technologies. Currently, in the conditions of modern existence and development of society, innovative technologies are offered to higher education seekers, which gradually replace traditional methods of learning and ensure flexibility and quality of the educational process. We see the prospects for further research in the improvement of the educational process by determining the optimal ratio of classroom and remote components in the conditions of a mixed form of education in the process of developing the professional competence of future specialists and developing appropriate educational and methodological support.

Testing a novel extended educational technology acceptance model using student attitudes towards virtual classrooms

AbstractMany technology acceptance models used in education were originally designed for general technologies and later adopted by education researchers. This study extends Davis' technology acceptance model to specifically evaluate educational technologies in higher education, focusing on virtual classrooms. Prior research informed the construction of the model, which contains perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, behavioural intent, access and convenience, system attributes and self‐efficacy. Education‐specific constructs include cognitive engagement, feedback, instructor practice and class interaction and communication. Additionally, a new construct called comfort and well‐being is introduced. A total of 427 valid responses on a 5‐point Likert scale were received from university students. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The model accounted for 78% of variance of behavioural intent, with comfort and well‐being demonstrating the strongest influence. Cognitive engagement, access and convenience influenced perceived usefulness, and system attributes and self‐efficacy influenced perceived ease of use. Feedback, instructor practice and class interaction and communication were not significant as educational constructs for this cohort. Based on this analysis, a final extended educational technology acceptance model (EETAM) is proposed for further use and testing.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Most technology acceptance models used in education were made for general technologies, or do not include factors specific to learning and pedagogy. Most students prefer face‐to‐face learning experiences and active class engagement. Qualitative research shows that instructional attributes and student comfort and well‐being are known to be important for students. What this paper adds A novel extended educational technology acceptance model, informed by prior empirical research, is presented. Confirmation of the importance of including student comfort and well‐being in technology acceptance models used in education. The model revealed the heterogeneous nature of the student learning experience. Implications for practice and research Technology acceptance models used in educational settings should include factors specific for education and learning, and student comfort and well‐being. We encourage use of the presented model in educational settings to further test the model.

Application of Hydraulic Energy-Saving Technology in the Teaching, Research, and Practice of Mechanical Engineering

To cope with the current resource, energy, and environmental problems faced by the manufacturing industry, energy conservation has become a long-term national development strategic policy. Specifically, the problems of high energy consumption and low energy efficiency in hydraulic systems have received considerable attention. Based on previous research on hydraulic energy-saving technology, this paper discusses the problems and challenges faced by such technology in higher education, the methods of integrating this technology into the curricula of mechanical majors, and the implementation of teaching reform. In the selected case study, hydraulic energy-saving technology was incorporated into the hydraulic experiment and practical training course of our school, focusing on the integration of energy-saving and emission-reduction concepts in the field of mechanical engineering teaching and research. Integrating hydraulic energy-saving technology into teaching and research not only enriches the content of mechanical engineering degree courses but also integrates professional knowledge with future work practice, provides methods and technical support for future research by teachers and students, and stimulates new ideas for the teaching reform and talent cultivation of mechanical engineering majors.

Developing A Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Development Education Through Digital Tools: Qualitative Insights from Southwest China

This research delves into the intricate utilization of digital technology in higher education, aiming to construct a nuanced conceptual framework to interpret the digitalization of teaching sustainable development. A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured in-depth interviews with 25 higher education teachers representing diverse experiences, backgrounds, and expertise from southwest China. The study also incorporated word frequency analysis and sentiment analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of the emphasized themes and emotional tones in the discussions. NVivo 12.0 software facilitated meticulous coding and analytical abstraction, allowing the identification of core concepts and relationships among them. The results unveiled prominent themes such as Institutional Support and Policy Integration, Faculty Competence and Training, and Integration of Sustainable Development in Curricula. The sentiment analysis depicted a predominantly positive outlook on the integration of sustainability and digital tools in education, highlighting the perceived advancements and benefits in the field. The word frequency analysis further reinforced the focus on education, sustainability, and digital tools within the research discourse. The study contributes significantly to the academic discourse on digital sustainability education, providing intricate insights and a conceptual framework that can guide future research and practice in the field. It paves the way for refined educational methodologies, curriculum designs, and institutional policies, emphasizing the critical role of digital technology in education for sustainable development.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence Autonomy in Higher Education: A Uses and Gratification Perspective

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, AI educators have become a reality. The advancement and increasing applications of AI technology in higher education not only provide more efficient tools for teachers in long-term and focused teaching, but also provide new active and independent spaces for sustainable self-motivated learning for college students. It is of great importance that the effects of AI educator design are understood to ensure the sustainable development and deployment of AI-driven courses at universities. This paper investigates the influences of AI educators’ autonomy design on students’ usage intentions by delving into how the artificial autonomy of AI educators satisfies students’ needs. Drawing on the uses and gratification (U&G) framework, we theoretically elaborate on how AI educator autonomy (i.e., sensing autonomy, thought autonomy, and action autonomy) influences students’ intentions to use an AI educator through the mediating effects of U&G benefits (i.e., information-seeking gratification, social interaction gratification, and entertainment gratification). By conducting an online survey (N = 673) on college students, we found that the sensing autonomy of AI educators is positively associated with usage intention due to the mediating effects of social interaction and entertainment gratifications; the thought autonomy of AI educators is positively related to usage intention, mediated by information-seeking and social interaction gratifications, and the action autonomy of AI educators is positively linked with usage intention through the paths of information-seeking and entertainment gratifications. Our findings provide both theoretical contributions and practical implications.

Polyparadigmatic approach in teaching philological disciplines in higher education

This article is devoted to the generalization of theoretical and practical experience in the use of pedagogical technologies in the educational process of the Humanitarian Pedagogical Academy (branch) of the Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Education "V.I. Vernadsky KFU" in Yalta during the 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years. The study involved 15 teachers and 81 full-time students of the Department of Foreign Philology and Teaching Methods. The subject of research is scientific works on the development of the modern pedagogical paradigm and the search for effective innovative educational technologies in higher education. This article outlines the main provisions that indicate that modern education recognizes the synthesis of various paradigms in the educational space of the beginning of the XXI century. The special significance lies in the fact that the methodological principle of polyparadigmality does not deny various pedagogical systems and indicates the natural changeability of educational paradigms. The polyparadigmatic nature of modern education does not act as a counterbalance to a specific scientific and pedagogical paradigm, but reflects modern educational practice that meets the needs of modern society. The novelty of the proposed study lies in the fact that the polyparadigm approach previously remained on the margin of pedagogical research.

Language as a hermeneutic approach to emerging methodologies and technologies in higher education

In recent years, the profusion of methodologies available to teachers, thanks to the advancement of emerging and converging technologies, has created significant educational opportunities, but it also poses new challenges. Among these is the need to train teachers to exercise solid pedagogical judgment when implementing these approaches in the classrooms. One of the difficulties in making these critical judgments is the introduction of commercial terms into academic discourses, which hinder the thinking and assessment of these advancements from an educational standpoint. Therefore, the objective of this research is to reclaim the educational meaning of certain concepts necessary to contemplate these emerging technical and pedagogical methods in the realm of higher education in the face of the reconfigurations these terms have undergone due to the influence of economic ideas introduced by supranational organizations into the collective educational imagination. With this goal in mind, three documents from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development under the "Horizon 2030" program are first analyzed to identify ideas and concepts that have been integrated into academic discourses. Subsequently, from a hermeneutic-interpretative perspective, the meaning of these terms is revisited from the university philosophy and pedagogy standpoint. The results of this research enable an understanding of the authentic educational significance of words like new, valuable, critical, democratization, active, autonomy, or study, among others, which are essential to approach emerging methodological advances and technological approaches from an educational perspective, detached from economic considerations.

User Behavior on Actual Use of Academic Information System in Makassar State University: Is Information Technology Facilities Have a Moderating Role to Strengthen the Behavior?

This study aims to determine factors that influence the use of information technology in higher education, especially at Makassar State University. The type of information technology studied is academic information systems. This study combines two theories, namely the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain the user behavior for the use of academic information systems at Makassar State University. The results of this study indicate that perceived usefulness and ease of use significantly affect user behavioral intention to use academic information systems. Behavioral intention significantly affected actual use of the academic information system. An interesting finding is that the facilities available for the use of the system in the campus environment have no significant effect on the use of the academic information system at Makassar State University.

Utility Of Technology In Higher Education: Recent Contours In Teaching Learning Process

Utility Of Technology In Higher Education: Recent Contours In Teaching Learning Process

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION READINESS TOWARDS THE NEW NORMALCY IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Due to digital technology advancements and the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have evolved their interest in integrating new communication technologies into the classroom, strengthening the institution’s digital transformation. As a result, having mechanisms to depict these technologies in higher education has become indispensable. This investigation aimed to see if the university was inclined to digitally transform its procedures using technical skills, equipment capabilities, and a freeware learning platform. There were 121 professors and 3,069 scholars from various colleges who took part in the examination. An analysis model was designed and utilized at Taguig City University (TCU) as a case study to support the research. In Academic Year 2020-2021, the researchers collected data by disseminating an online questionnaire to professors and scholars. According to the statistical analysis of the collected data, professors and scholars agreed that they are moderately competent at using technical resources with higher operating systems. Participants are comfortable with and prefer to communicate with their professors and scholars using a freeware learning platform. With these findings, the university should experience even more dramatic changes, driven by the necessity to digitalize education and training procedures with professors who lack inherent technological talents for online instruction. In a world of digital transformation, disruptive technologies, and accelerated change, the university system must work hard to confound this circumstance to remain competitive and deliver high-quality teaching and learning approach. The debate and conclusion incorporate significant understandings that academic scholars can use to digitalize education at the earliest.

“A World of Possibilities”: The Future of Technology in Higher Education, Insights from the COVID-19 Experience

During the emergency online pivot, two faculties (i.e., divisions) of a large Irish university aimed to document insights about teaching and learning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous online survey of all teaching staff within each faculty was undertaken, some of the results of which are presented here. Key findings focus on the use of online technology in higher education, demonstrating the differential impacts on different disciplines and year groups, and pointing to levels of educator readiness and the need for focused professional development and training to prepare staff for integrating online learning to ensure satisfactory outcomes. The emergency online pivot led to significant progress in the use of technology in higher education, and greater academic staff recognition of the benefits and scope afforded by technology. Arising from their COVID-19 experiences, staff expressed a strong preference for blended learning as opposed to learning taking place either fully online or in-person. The potential role of hybrid learning in ongoing efforts towards sustainability was also noted. Many of our findings align with recent research, which is discussed throughout. We argue that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to online education is not appropriate, with greater nuance required and consideration of the rapidly changing educational landscape and issues of environmental sustainability.

Digital education in Kazakhstani teacher training system

This article discloses the technology acceptance model (TAM - Technology acceptance model) in the aspect of digital technologies in higher education. The authors present a study of the motivational sphere of technology application by the educators of the higher institutions. The article presents the intermediate and final results of the participation of teachers in the motivational courses of the Coursera platform. The main results obtained in the course of the study indicate an insufficient level of motivation for the use of digital educational technologies in higher education. The application of technology is fragmented. Active participation in international courses increases certain aspects of the motivation for using digital educational technologies due to direct participation in them. The key findings of the research included the following aspects: Coursera platform could serve as a catalyst for transitioning from traditional education to a blended teaching format in higher education institutions; modifying syllabi to incorporate new digital topics has yielded tangible outcomes in the research; the technology acceptance model (TAM) effectively evaluates the level of motivation among higher education educators to utilize digital tools.

Diploma in Accounting and Business Studies Students’ Perceptives on Online Teaching and Learning

Introduction: The advent and consequent entrenched use of new media technologies in higher education has prompted systems change in many universities across the world. At the University of Botswana, the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) unveiled a plan to “break down physical lecture-rooms and campus walls” by delivering courses in the Diploma in Accounting and Business Studies (DABS) programme, including to satellite centers, solely through the virtual mode. Driven by the idea of Digital Divide and the hypothesis of lack of access and system challenges, the study investigated the viability of this change considering the inherent social and digital divides in Botswana, and the observation that New Media Technologies often place more emphasis on proliferation of information and communication technologies to the detriment of variables such as economic status, income, and social environment.Objectives: The central question for this study was: Do all students in the DABS programme have “access” to the Internet, mobile technologies and other associated resources to impeccably take part in the online teaching and learning dispensation? Thus, the overarching objective of this study was to unearth whether or not learners enrolled in the DABS programme had access to Internet, mobile technologies and other associated resources to successfully take part in online teaching and learning.Methods: This study used a focus group discussion method involving students’ representatives from all the centers to get their perspectives on online teaching and learning. Results: The study has unveiled that not all DABS students embraced online teaching and learning.Conclusions: It was, therefore, concluded that DABS students have to change their mindset and behaviours towards online-based learning and teaching. They need to adapt to the new norm of online learning

Конструктивні та деструктивні наслідки цифровізації закладів вищої освіти

The article substantiates that the formation of a single information and educational space of higher education institutions will have a positive impact on the content, organizational forms and tools for managing the process of providing educational services, as well as will help stimulate scientific and pedagogical workers to introduce innovative digital technologies in various components of the educational process. The risks associated with the digitalization of universities are analyzed; the advantages of digital transformation in higher education are outlined. The article considers digital tools that provide student-teacher communication, learning and efficiency in the educational process, including: video conferencing, electronic platforms, virtual laboratories, video classes, systems for tracking educational achievements. The authors emphasize that under martial law, the most risky situation is that of higher education institutions located in the border and/or frontline regions of Ukraine, most of which still continue blended or online learning, which is possible only through digitalization. The article systematizes both the constructive and the destructive consequences of digitalization with the allocation of endogenous and exogenous consequences among them, which allows to balance approaches to the introduction of digital technologies in higher education and ensure the maximum efficiency of this process. The constructive endogenous consequences of digitalization of higher education institutions include: improving the quality of education, the efficiency of administrative processes and competitiveness, the sustainable development of universities; constructive exogenous consequences include expanding access to education, innovative development and cooperation, involvement of students of border universities in the educational process. In turn, the destructive endogenous consequences are defined as follows: threats to academic integrity, violation of privacy and data security, remoteness of students and teachers, significant workload on teachers, and destructive exogenous consequences – problems of student socialization, digital divide and reduction of motivational aspects in learning. The tasks are outlined, the need to solve which is due to the digital transformation of universities and the development and implementation of digital technologies in their activities. The article substantiates the importance of combining innovative approaches with the preservation of the values and missions of universities, while ensuring equal access to quality higher education and the protection of data of higher education students and teachers, as well as promoting the development of universities on the basis of sustainability.

Application prospect and risk analysis of generative artificial intelligence technology in higher education

Application prospect and risk analysis of generative artificial intelligence technology in higher education

ОБЛАЧНЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ В ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНЫХ ПРОЦЕССАХ ВУЗОВ

The article is devoted to the study of the use of cloud technologies in educational processes of higher education institutions. The main advantages of cloud solutions, such as flexibility, cost reduction and support for distance learning, are considered. Successful cases of implementing cloud technologies in Russian and foreign universities are analyzed, and the problems and challenges associated with their use are discussed. In conclusion, the prospects for the development of cloud technologies in higher education and their potential impact on the future of educational processes are considered.

Information and communication technology in higher education of Uttar Pradesh

Information and communication technology in higher education of Uttar Pradesh

Heterotopias of Higher Education: Technology, Power, and the (Re)Construction of Classroom Space

Abstract In drawing upon traditions of critical geographies and the spatial turn in educational theory, this paper argues there are opportunities for expanding spatial modes of educational analysis to digital topographies. Technology facilitates alternative modes of social and spatial ordering in higher education in ways that promote freedom, but that are also are uniquely vulnerable to market capture and the neoliberal logics of the university. In particular, Zoom classrooms constitute an example of Foucault’s heterotopia. By exploring each tenet of a heterotopic space that Foucault outlines in his piece “Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias,” this paper argues that bringing Foucault’s theoretical toolkit to bear on these digital environments offers inroads for leveraging critical, normative critiques of the role of technology in higher education.