Digital Commons Network^™

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 Exploration Of Biochemistry Laboratory Activity: Study On Higher Education In Mataram, Yunita Arian Sani Anwar, Muti’Ah Muti'ah

Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan IPA

As the core of science learning, laboratory work is inseparable from learning chemistry, including biochemistry. However, the implementation of laboratory work needs reconstruction, especially in higher education, so an initial study is needed to understand the problems in laboratory work at universities. This article was a study of the working conditions of the biochemistry laboratory at the University of Mataram. This study included quantitative research with students (N = 250), lab work assistants (N = 36), laboratorium staff (N = 4), and biochemistry lecturers (N = 4) as respondents. Techniques for obtaining data through participatory observation and questionnaires. Supporting data …

Does Reputation Lead To Student Loyalty? The Case Of A Private Higher Education Institution, A State University, And A Local College, Jean Paolo G. Lacap, Jaime V. Cortez

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: The current research aims to analyse (1) the direct interrelationships of higher education institutions' (HEIs) reputation, student satisfaction, and student loyalty; (2) the mediating effect of student satisfaction on the relationship between HEI reputation and student loyalty; and (3) the moderating role of HEI type (private HEI [PHEI], state university/college [SUC], local university/college [LUC]) on the links between HEI reputation and student satisfaction, HEI reputation and student loyalty, and student satisfaction and loyalty.

Design/Methodology/Approach: All hypothesised relationships were analysed using partial least squares – structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Research Findings: The results revealed that (1) HEI reputation …

Should Teaching Guides Be Used As Indicators Of Gender Dimension In A University Degree?, Elisabet Mas De Les Valls, Marta Peña, Noelia Olmedo-Torre, Amaia Lusa

Research Papers

In order to achieve a truly equality society, universities are making significant efforts towards gender mainstreaming. One of the main pillars of this approach is the implementation of a gender dimension in teaching. To assess the degree of progress towards this goal, suitable indicators, both qualitative and quantitative, are desirable. Surveys could be used to gather students’ perceptions or educators’ efforts as indicators, but an underutilised source of information is available in the teaching guides. Teaching guides are understood as those open-access documents where the public can find a subject’s description, goals, and contents, among other universityspecific features.The aim of …

Engineering Science Students’ Self-Regulation: A Baseline, Shan Tuyaerts, Tinne De Laet, Lynn Van Den Broeck, Greet Langie

Research Papers

Today’s society is characterized by swift technological advancements. Engineers cannot solely rely on what they learned at university, as new technologies pop up quickly. They need to participate in lifelong learning (LLL) in order to keep up with the state-of-the-art. Self-regulation is a core competency for lifelong learning that can be used as a proxy for it in an educational context. This study aims to establish a baseline for engineering students’ self-regulation. Their levels are measured by the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS), consisting of three subscales: need for self-reflection, engagement in self-reflection, and insight. 1128 students enrolled at KU …

Assessing Engineering Students Preparedness For Lifelong Learning And Self-Reflection Competency, Rani Dujardin, Lynn Van Den Broeck, Greet Langie

Research Papers

Lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important in the field of engineering. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are responsible for the transfer of field-specific knowledge, but also for preparing students for LLL. To do so, HEIs need a clear view of the extent to which engineering students are prepared for LLL. Research suggests two approaches in the assessment of LLL, namely (1) a holistic approach measuring general preparedness for LLL and (2) a specific approach measuring a subcompetency of LLL. The current study combines both approaches by using Kirby’s lifelong learning scale (LLS) and Grant’s Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). Firstly, a …

Innovating Pedagogy, Space And Technology In A South African Engineering Classroom, Fatima Mohamed Darsot, Zach Simpson

Research Papers

The use of technology has become ubiquitous in higher education; however, many university teachers, particularly in the global South, are not confident with using technology when teaching. As a result, engineering curricula often maintain the predominance of “chalk and talk” modes of pedagogy, which often leave students disengaged from what they are learning. Technology offers access to new modes of teaching and learning, but needs to be used in pedagogically meaningful ways. Lecturers are required to teach in innovative ways, using innovative technologies, but are required to do so in classrooms designed and built many decades ago. This is problematic …

Nurturing Community: Using Community-Based Service Learning In Biopharmaceutical Engineering Education., Miriam I Jiménez-Pérez, Yocanxóchitl Perfecto-Avalos., Mariana C Orellana- Haro

Research Papers

This project evaluates the use of CBSL as a strategy for teaching clinical investigation in the development of biopharmaceutical products based on the nutritional needs of children of a low-income community. To achieve this purpose, our students formulated various functional foods that provided the necessary nutrients for the children in the target community. Afterwards, they drafted the corresponding clinical protocols for each formulation, considering possible ethical implications. The academic evaluation was based on the comparison of courses with and without CBSL. The study found that students showed a slight improvement in academic performance with CBSL. This suggests that CBSL can …

Changes In Higher Education Communication Practices And Tools - Through The Pandemic Towards New Communication Models, Mikko Ilari Nurminen, Hannu-Matti Järvinen, Jarmo Viteli, Petri Rantanen, Mika Saari

Research Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted traditional modes of communication in higher education institutions, leading to a shift towards remote communication and digital tools. This scientific paper examines the changes in higher education communication practices and tools resulting from the pandemic. The paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities presented by this shift and the ways in which teachers have applied communication models familiar from contact teaching to distance education. A previous review of published literature on adaptations in higher education institutions identified key factors for a successful transition to novel distance education communication practices and tools. These factors included effective …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Oct 6, 2023, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on October 6, 2023.

Covid-19 Detection Using Machine Learning, Amira M. Dawaba, Hanan M. Amer, Ahmed I. Saleh, M.A. Abo-Elsoud

Mansoura Engineering Journal

At the end of the year 2019, the world was hit by a drastic pandemic known as COVID-19. The lack of treatment has prompted research in all sectors to address it. Contributions in Computer Science mainly include the development of methods for the diagnostic testing, recognition, and assessment of COVID-19 cases. The most widely used techniques in this field are data science and machine learning (ML). This paper provides a new framework for Computer Aided Diagnosis System for Covid-19 (CADS-Covid-19) using the collected blood test data from patients. CADS consists of two main stages, which are: (I) the features selection …

Gamification And Player Profiles Among Faculty In Mexico, Álvaro Antón-Sancho, Diego Vergara, Lorena Rodríguez-Calzada

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Analysis of the player profiles of professors is a fruitful line of research because player profiles may influence the design of gamified situations. We studied a sample of 243 university professors in Mexico to analyze the player profiles with which they identify and those they consider most effective didactically in gamified situations.

Method: Descriptive quantitative research was used to analyze the distributions of the responses to a questionnaire given to a group of 243 professors from different Mexican universities. These responses have been statistically analyzed by computing the proportions of player profile choices and applying Pearson’s chi-square test of …

Education To Employment: The Role Of University Career Guidance In Reducing Youth Unemployment In Jordan, Anoushka Saraf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper addresses the need for effective career guidance for university students, and sustainable post-graduation alumni support systems, to improve the employability of university graduates and reduce youth unemployment in Jordan. Through interviews and surveys, this paper will identify the key problems contributing to the skill mismatch between university graduates and the demands of the labor market. It will try and tackle how career centers can help their students develop soft skills like communication and teamwork, build a portfolio to differentiate themselves to employers, empower themselves with skills through online courses on software development, data science, research, and other technological …

Sharksrx Newsletter Fall 2023, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Sharks Rx

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Student Engagement And Perceptions Of Community Of Inquiry (Coi)-Based Blended Learning In The Chemical Separation Subject On Chromatography, Agita Dzulhajh Anggraini, Surjani Wonorahardjo, Yudhi Utomo

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

Learning in higher education has often been conducted solely through face-to-face, teacher- centered approaches. Implementing Community of Inquiry (CoI)-based blended learning in chromatography is crucial as it offers students a novel learning experience. This pre- experimental study, utilizing a one-group pretest-posttest design, aimed to describe students’ perceptions of CoI-based blended learning in chromatography. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising 34 statements. The results indicated that students had a neutral perception of CoI-based blended learning. While a community of inquiry has been established, it has not yet reached its full potential, as students have not fully experienced social presence in …

Gender Differences In Graduate Student Views On The Professional Climate In Economics, Ann Mari May, Mary G. Mcgarvey, Muazzam Toshmatova

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

This research examines graduate student's views on the professional climate in economics using a comprehensive survey of students enrolled in economics Ph.D. programs in the United States. Topics discussed include stress and work/life balance, disciplinary climate in the profession, departmental climate, and the prevalence of sexual harassment. We find significant gender differences in views on all four topics—particularly in views on departmental climate and disciplinary climate in the profession. We analyze the results based on gender, rank of the institution, public versus private institutional status, and representation of women faculty in departments.

A Case Study Of Diverse Faculty Recruitment In A Graduate Higher Education Institution, Miguel Valenzuela

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe higher education faculty’s experience with recruitment and retention through the university hiring process and to discover the equity standards of the phenomenon for higher education institutions. The importance of recruitment and retention of diverse faculty within higher education institutions is imperative for the health of the institution and will assist in furthering diversity initiatives for faculty recruitment that will enable better student experiences. The theory guiding this study was critical race theory (CRT) that was initially intended to be used in the legal field. However, CRT has been used in …

Australia Awards Alumni Global Tracer Survey 2022, Michelle Hsien, Daniel Edwards

Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility

This report details the findings of the Global Tracer Survey 2022 of alumni from the Australia Awards and predecessor development scholarships. The research was undertaken by the Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility (GTF), which is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The survey was administered online between November 2022 and January 2023 to alumni from 114 countries who had studied in Australia as part of a scholarship or fellowship. In total, 5116 alumni participated in the survey (a 24% response rate globally). Among this group were alumni who completed their award during the 1980s through to alumni …

Leveraging Cultural Wealth, Identities And Motivation: How Diverse Intersectional Groups Of Low-Income Undergraduate Stem Students Persist In Collegiate Stem Environments, Raeshan D. Davis, Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy

Faculty Publications

Grounded in a conceptual framework incorporating intersectionality, motivation, self-determination, and self-efficacy, this empirical study investigated how individuals’ identities, mindsets, and resources in educational environments intentionally cultivated to support their decision-making, development, and connections in the science community, can significantly increase the recruitment, persistence, and success of low-income, academically talented science students from diverse backgrounds. Several factors—academic performance in coursework, self-image, self-agency, financial support, and social integration in the science culture—continue to significantly impact student retention and persistence in STEM disciplines. Many of these factors are negatively affected based on a students’ intersecting identities, which can be detrimental to their academic …

Creating Sociological Knowledge And The Next Generation Of Sociological Thinkers In Faculty-Directed Research With Undergraduate Research Assistants, Molly M. King, Megan K. Imai

Sociology

Undergraduate research in sociology departments provides opportunities for student engagement and faculty development. Although undergraduate research in the natural and physical sciences and graduate mentoring have been extensively studied, there are few systematic studies of the process of extracurricular undergraduate research in sociology from the perspective of both faculty and students. We carried out semi-structured qualitative interviews with 23 faculty and undergraduate research assistants (RAs). Our results outline the dynamics of faculty-directed research collaborations in sociology departments. We first detail the tasks regularly performed by undergraduate RAs and then describe the development of RA-faculty partnerships, including hiring and training. Faculty-RA …

Evaluating Universities Twitter Web Pages Responding To The Black Lives Matter Movement, Hind Albadi, Thomas Kenny

Communications: Faculty Publications

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in May 2020, many colleges and universities responded by making statements on their website and social media channels condemning racism. Higher education institutions began initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for faculty, staff, administrators, and students on campus. Three years later, this study investigates whether universities are still offering and promoting workshops, classes, events, and activities related to DEI to campus communities. To do so, the researchers conducted a content analysis on Twitter categorizing tweets over a one-month period, then they classified the Tweets using the top 10 colleges …

Qualities Of Effective Saudi University Presidents, Ziyad Sultan

Theses & Dissertations

The transformation of educational resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was presented as a crucial part of vision 2030 by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2016 as an important part of an overall strategy to diversify the KSA from its over-dependence on oil revenues. Vision 2030 imagined the transformational development of knowledge resources in the KSA including the development of leadership and knowledge applications to support the social and economic needs of the nation. High on the list of priorities was transformation of the 33 public universities in the KSA to be able to operate autonomously. Clearly, …

Do-It-Together: Informal Transformative Sustainability Education, Derek Brannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Climate Crisis is an urgent and inescapable reality students are thrust into. Learners must be prepared adequately for their futures, not only for their sakes but also because collective and transformative change is required. Transformative sustainability education provides one pathway to this transformation and focuses on radically altering students’ perceptions about the world and their agency in effecting change on ecological issues. The field of transformative sustainability education is emergent and thus is still fragmented, leaving gaps in the literature. Little research has been conducted on how informal and nonformal university spaces can be used to create transformative experiences …

Report On Odu Findings From The Virginia Course Materials Survey Fall 2021, Karen Vaughan

Libraries Reports and Documents

From Introduction:

From October 1-December 31, 2021, the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) conducted a survey of students at Virginia colleges and universities. More than 5,600 valid student responses from 41 institutions were received, reflecting an overall response rate of 10%. The largest response (58.5%) was from doctoral institutions, with private, two-year, and four-year institutions responding at 12-14%. A random sample of ODU students produced 287 responses (see Appendix A for ODU demographics). The survey aimed to answer these questions:

• What is the impact of course material costs on educational equity among Virginia students?
• What course content materials do students …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2022-2023, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2023. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Fostering An Inclusive Learning Environment Through Course Development: A Program Evaluation, Rachel K. Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This evaluation was chosen to address the desire of students to see themselves and their lived experiences in their coursework at University College, the location of this study. The purpose was to complete a utilization-focused evaluation that assessed first, the formal and informal practices involved in the course development process within an academic department at University College, University of Denver, and second to determine the extent to which the course development process contributes to an inclusive learning environment. Data were collected using qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders in the course development process, observations of weekly course development …

Inclusive Education In Higher Education: The Perspective Of Lecturer, Muhammad Nurul Ashar, Asri Wijiastuti, Ima Kurrotun Ainin, David Evans

Journal of ICSAR

This study examined lecturers' perspectives regarding the practice of inclusive education. The quantitative study design with survey was applied. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling technique. A total of 30 lecturers who teach students with disabilities from one university were selected to complete the online survey. The survey questions were developed based on the concept of inclusive education’s implementation that have gone through a validity and reliability testing. Data were analyzed using simple statistics by calculating the percentage. Findings on the curriculum show that the majority of lecturers support the adoption and flexibility on curriculum. Similarly, they support the regulation …

An Investigation Of The Advantages And Disadvantages Of University Students As Avatars In Virtual Learning Spaces, Gary Burnett, Catherine Harvey

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Authors have noted the increasing importance of avatars in Higher Education, as more teaching is conducted virtually, drawing upon gaming conventions. However, it is also recognised that little is known about how students make use of avatars (especially over an extended period) and the subsequent impact on learning experiences. For the last three years, a university module has been conducted within a persistent virtual world – where students (49 in 2020; 95 in 2021; 122 in 2022) predominantly interact with each other and teaching staff in avatar form. Observation data constitutes 60 hours of video recordings of virtual world seminars. …

The Effect Of Technostress On The Motivation To Teach Online In Higher Education Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Perceptions Of Business Faculty, Stacy Boyer-Davis, Kevin Berry, Amy Cooper

International Journal for Business Education

This study investigated the relationships among technostress creators (techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, techno-invasion, techno-overload, and techno-uncertainty) on the motivation to teach online using the Motivation to Teach Online – Faculty Version scale. Data were collected from faculty members of the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS), a member of the AACSB Business Education Alliance, and the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (ASBBS), an interdisciplinary professional organization comprised of faculty teaching in accounting, finance, management, marketing, organizational behavior, and computer information systems early 2020 (N = 307). The findings indicated that techno-stressed faculty are less motivated to teach online. Techno-insecurity …

A Qualitative Study On Malaysian Academics' Perceptions And Suggestions On Gamified Learning, Mohd. Elmagzoub Eltahir, Nagaletchimee Annamalai, Arulselvi Uthayakumaran, Samer H Zyoud, Bilal Zakarneh Dr, Najeh Rajeh Alsalhi

The Qualitative Report

This study explores lecturers' perceptions and suggestions on integrating gamified lessons in Malaysian higher institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the norm of traditional classroom teaching by accelerating digital integration amongst educators and necessitating the need to address classroom gamification. To further understand educators' perceptions, we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 lecturers. We thematically analyzed the interviews by following the steps undertaken by Braun and Clarke (2006) to identify the emerging themes. The findings determine that educators found gamification suitable in teaching and learning activities during the set induction, reinforcement and assessment of specific skills. Several misconceptions also evident …