Education Commons^™

The Increasing Role Of Technology In Teaching And Learning Activities In Higher Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the second regular issue (Volume 13, Issue 2) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2023. If there is a common theme that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the increased role that technology did and will continue to play in teaching and learning activities in tertiary education. The range of articles reflects the interest in digital teaching and learning and includes the use of scaffolded simulations, the influence of immersive virtual reality in the classroom, and gamification. In addition, guidelines around instant messaging are proposed that should continue the conversation around the ethical …

A Systematic Overview Of Reviews Of The Use Of Immersive Virtual Reality In Higher Education, Chris D. Craig, Robin Kay

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) provides opportunities to learn within a nonphysical, digital world. The purpose of this critical review was to examine published systematic reviews regarding the benefits and challenges of IVR in higher education to inform best practices.

Method: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews (PRIOR) to ensure transparency and to afford an evidence-based approach for synthesizing insights from a broad range of research. We analyzed and synthesized 10 reviews that include 332 studies with over 9,878 participants, following an integrated synthesis design process using thematic analysis and emergent coding.

Results: Results confirmed the …

The Continuing Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Tertiary Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue (Volume 13, Issue 1) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2023. While the World Health Organization and the governments and health departments in most of the world have ended the COVID-19 emergency, the effects of the pandemic on operations in higher education will likely continue for some time. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published a report (Abdrasheva, 2022) that globally examines the state of higher education two years after the pandemic began. The authors noted that in the area of teaching and learning, “slow adaptation to …

Teachers’ Perspectives In Higher Education On Using Educational Technology During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Observations For Ghana, India, And Serbia, Nikola Koruga, Rohit Nainwal, Angela Kyerewaa Ayisi-Addo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this research was to understand the significant changes and challenges regarding teaching experiences during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in three universities, one each in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The study provides information on how teachers adapted to online teaching under COVID-19 conditions.

Methods: We employed a descriptive phenomenology approach and used an online survey with open-ended questions to collect the data. Braun and Clarke’s six steps of thematic analysis based on the traditions of descriptive phenomenology were employed to analyze the data.

Results: The teachers’ adaptive mechanisms to the COVID-19 crisis could be described through the …

Stressors, Coping Strategies, And Achievement During Teaching Practicum In A Nigerian Public University, Mensah Prince Osiesi, Udukhomose Suleiman Omokhabi, Sunday Ade Adeniran, Oluwayemisi Damilola Akomolafe, Oluwatoyin Tolu Obateru, Chigozie Celestina Oke, Adenike Lucia Aruleba

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study assessed pre-service teacher stressors, coping strategies, and achievement during teaching practicum in a Nigerian public university.

Method: The study adopted the quantitative case study approach. The population consisted of all 300-level students in the faculty of education in the university who had completed their teaching practicum for the first semester of the 2020–2021 academic session. The quota sampling technique was used in selecting a sample of 130 pre-service teachers. We analysed data using multiple regression.

Results: Findings revealed the stressors and coping strategies, controlling for gender, did not significantly predict achievement in the teaching practicum. Several coping …

The Importance Of Digital Learning And Teaching In The Era Of Covid-19, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the second regular issue (Volume 12, Issue 2) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2022. This year, we published two regular issues and a special issue, Education Technologies and COVID-19: Experiences and Lessons Learned. COVID-19 and the implications of the switch to emergency online teaching continue to capture the interest of researchers. In the present issue, some of the manuscripts focus directly on COVID-19; still others examine different aspects of digital teaching and learning. As is typical with the HLRC, articles represent the voices of academics from various parts of the globe, demonstrating …

Availability Of Social Support, Coping Strategies, Student Stressors And Wellness Among Older Women Studying Online During The Pandemic, Stamatis Elntib, Lucy Edwards

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to explore the association between older women’s subjective perceptions of available social support, their coping strategies, self-reported wellness, and stressors experienced as online students studying during the pandemic.

Method: A convenience sample of 115 older adult women learners (Mean age = 40.88, SD = 11.27) studying online in March 2021 in one of the world’s largest providers of higher-education distance-learning courses was gathered using a survey methodology.

Results: Using structural equation modelling, we showed that perceptions of social support were associated with a higher use of positive coping and a lower use of …

Experiences And Lessons Learned From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish our second special issue (Volume 12, Issue 0) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first special issue (Volume 11, Issue 0), authors examined the experiences of the transition to emergency remote teaching by institutions of higher education globally. In the current special issue, authors examine, from the perspectives of different countries, the continued impact of the pandemic. Each article provides some indications of how the pandemic can impact higher education as it transitions back to models that include face-to-face learning.

Global Issues Spanning Higher Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue (Volume 12, Issue 1) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2022. While the pandemic waxes and wanes, students in many parts of the world are returning or have returned to face-to-face instruction. It will take some time to fully understand the impact of the pandemic on higher education and what lasting changes will result from it. The Special Issue, Education Technologies and COVID-19: Experiences and Lessons learned, for which we are continuing to review manuscripts, should provide some insight into this question.This letter also contains article summaries.

Perceptions Of Employability Skills Of Undergraduate Business Students In A Developing Country: An Exploratory Study, Wise Mainga, Reuben M. Daniel, Luis Alamil

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of different employability skills for business graduates seeking initial employment.

Method: Semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to human resources representatives from industry, business lecturers, and graduating business students to determine gaps in perceptions between the three stakeholder groups.

Results: There was some alignment and moderate discrepancies in perceptions of the relative importance of different employability skills between the three stakeholder groups. There were statistically significant differences in perceived importance of communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills between graduating students and employers. There is evidence that employers were satisfied with …

Institutional Responses To Covid-19, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the second regular issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2021, which follows the publication of the first issue in June and the Special Issue, Implications of COVID-19 on Higher Education. The pandemic continues to impact higher education; in many parts of the world. While in some areas, higher education institutions have reopened, others are continuing to operate at least partially remote as they deal with the risk for COVID infections. The manuscripts in the current issue and those published in the previous issues this year indicate that the implications of the pandemic …

Impact Of Technology On Higher Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the first regular issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC), which follows the Special Issue, Implications of COVID-19 on Higher Education. The pandemic continues to impact higher education; in many parts of the world, it is still resulting in classes being held remotely, while in other regions, classrooms are slowly reopening to face-to-face or hybrid instruction. As the manuscripts in the special issue, as well as those in the current issue, reflect, the implications of the pandemic on higher education will be far-reaching. We continue to encourage authors to submit empirical research and …

Implications Of Covid-19 On Higher Education (Special Issue), Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

Students at all levels were impacted by the shift to online learning; in many cases, they and the institutions they attended were not prepared for the complexities associated with remote/distance learning. In this special issue, Implications of COVID-19 on Higher Education, authors of three essays and five empirical studies have described the various ways the shift to remote learning has impacted students, faculties, and the institutions of higher education in different regions of the world.

Protocol For Conducting Procedural Skills Training With Simulators: A Critical Proposal, Gleyvis Coro-Montanet, Julia Sánchez-Ituarte, Ana De La Hoz-Calvo, María Jesús Pardo-Monedero

Higher Learning Research Communications

Task trainer simulators are often used in medical programs for bachelor’s degree students when teaching procedural skills. They provide the opportunity to practice dangerous maneuvers that students are not ready to perform on real patients yet. The rise of technology has vastly expanded the availability of these devices for use in teaching. To develop a protocol that would account for the complexities of psychomotor learning, based on student progress, and improve training quality, we designed a protocol for the bachelor’s degree program in dentistry. We justify the key elements of the proposal and explain the full working protocol.

Evidence Of Scientific Literacy Through Hybrid And Online Biology Inquiry-Based Learning Activities, Caio Cotta Natale, Paula Seixas Mello, Silvia Luzia Frateschi Trivelato, Patricia Marzin-Janvier, Daniel Manzoni-De-Almeida

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: To describe the implementation of a hybrid and an online active-learning-based science activity originally designed for face-to-face instruction. The goal was to verify if students used appropriate science practices while engaged in a problem solution through hybrid and fully online modalities. Epistemic practices are important markers of scientific literacy because they reflect ways of thinking and working that are similar to those performed by scientists.

Methods: Numerical experimental data related to two topics of immunology were provided to students through virtual learning environments. The groups of students met on WhatsApp^© mobile application to negotiate the construction reports containing …

Insights For Community Outreach Building To Promote Lifelong Learning With Higher Education Alumni In Chile, Paula A. Charbonneau-Gowdy, Héctor A. Magaña

Higher Learning Research Communications

Despite conclusive evidence from high performing Higher Education (HE) institutions worldwide demonstrating the benefits of strong alumni-relations, institutions in many evolving countries often neglect their graduates. And this, despite rapid advances in technology that can support ongoing relations. The objective of our year-long project was to address this neglect. We (re)connected with 220 English Pedagogy alumni through a digital newsletter. The newsletter provided a forum for building community and mediating professional development among graduates and current faculty. Our qualitative mini case study focused on uncovering the emotions, perspectives and needs of former students through the lens of sociocultural and identity …