Integrated Multi-Agent-Based eLearning System as a Strategy to Promote Access to Higher Education in Africa

2015 ◽  
pp. 322-342
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Nafukho Omulayi ◽  
Peter Barasa Wawire
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Educational Content ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Education In Africa

In this chapter, the authors present the integrated multi-agent-based eLearning system as a strategy to promote access to higher education in Africa. The integrated multi-agent eLearning system breaks through the traditional barriers of time, location, and the cost of delivering educational content. The power of the Internet in an educational context has always been that it simplifies access to content and contact with the experts. An agent-oriented methodology is used in this chapter to demonstrate how multi-agents can help to design an eLearning system. This integrated multi-agent-based eLearning system brings in merits of portability, convenience, collaboration, instant response, and multi-literacies, and provides solutions in cases where expertise is distributed all over Africa. Given the rising population in Africa and scarcity of qualified professors in higher education, the best strategy is to implement the designed eLearning system to help support the learning processes in higher education institutions.

scholarly journals MOOCs as Disruptive Innovation in Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-12
Author(s):  
Kamarudin Hussin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
E Learning

The advancement of technology in higher education is always perceived as a valuable innovation that create better impact to the society. The advent of the Internet for instance, has magnificently created important features in learning environment globally. Higher education community optimizes the Internet as an essential resource, communication platforms and dynamic tools in their core teaching-learning, research, consultation activities, entertainment and many others. Moreover, innovations such as mobile technology has successfully broadened access to the Internet and related online services and facilities. Higher education institutions as the hub for technology development and innovation have invested in virtual learning environment to support current needs of global population. Related to this fact, e- learning modules and contents are offered across universities, and interested learners in public communities are benefited by this opportunity. Educators and experts in higher education institutions are delivering their knowledge, discoveries and expertise via e-learning platforms and other supported technology. Equally important, e-learning has successfully expanded opportunities for lifelong and flexible learning, and offered a solution for practical issues and increasing student numbers. As a matter of fact, e-learning has been proposed as a promising way out for many complex issues such asfunding constraints, increasing demand and access to higher education while improving quality and high impact educational provisions in many countries. While addressing these issues, higher education administrators, educators, researchers and policy makers have developed responses in various frameworks. Initiatives such as Competency-Based Online Programs, development of open source materials, flipped classroom and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have contributed towards reducing cost of higher education as well as increasing access to higher education. MOOCs technology has proven its capability to reach massive audienceof about 30,000 students at a time. Across the globe, MOOCs offer free access to online course lectures, self- paced lessons, readings, problem sets, blogs, discussion boards, peer assessment and even online discussion group platforms for global students (Leon and Price, 2016). In 2017, MOOCs offered more than 9,400 courses with more than 500 MOOC based credentials according to data gathered by Class Central. Excitingly, MOOC platforms have recorded more than 81 million learners to date (Class Central, 2017).  

A Sociological Framework for Understanding the Participation of African Higher Education Institutions in Transnational Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 454-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agatha I. Nnazor
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Transnational Education ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Unmet Demand ◽  
African Higher Education ◽  
Systematic Understanding ◽  
Education In Africa

Transnational Education (TNE) has potential for expanding access to higher education in Africa, which has chronic high rates of unmet demand for access. Paradoxically, African higher education institutions (HEIs) have the least participation in TNE. There is a dearth of systematic understanding of the factors that influence the participation of African HEIs in TNE and the impacts of their participation at both institutional and societal levels. This article proposes a sociological framework for investigating the factors that enable or hinder the participation of African higher HEIs in TNE, and the impacts of their participation on the institutions themselves and their respective countries. The framework is constructed with societal and organizational factors disparately identified through a purposive review of the literature.

scholarly journals FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY IN COST-SHARING POLICIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN MOZAMBIQUE

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
José Amilton Joaquim ◽  
Luísa Cerdeira
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Cost Sharing ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Indirect Costs ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Massive Growth ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
The Cost

The massive growth of the student population in higher education institutions has challenged traditional forms of public funding, and cost-sharing policies have been one of the options used by governments. In this sharing, it is important that, depending on the social and economic characteristics of students, issues related to equity and accessibility are safeguarded. This study seeks to understand how cost-sharing policies – taking into account the direct costs of attending higher education, indirect costs, other living expenses and the Mozambicans’ social and economic features – can help or hamper the access to higher education in Mozambique. The selected empirical research contexts encompass eight higher education institutions in the province of Gaza – universities and polytechnics – from the public and private sectors. Empirical data were collected from a questionnaire implemented with higher education students; furthermore, the authors carried out a document analysis on the financing of higher education in Mozambique and worldwide. Allows concluding that, in Mozambique, the cost-sharing model follows a dual-track policy. Also, the part of the financing still ensured by the State is far from meeting the real needs of students and families, due to the high study and living costs, which are well above the students/families’ income. There is no diversification of social support for students, and the only help students have comes from scholarships, whose allocation process is inefficient. This calls into question the issues of higher education equity and accessibility, especially for families with the lowest socio-economic conditions in the country.

A comparison of the cost of research in South Africa's public research and higher education institutions

2008 ◽  
Vol 104 (11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
D.R. Walwyn
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Public Research ◽  
Pricing Policy ◽  
The Public ◽  
Annual Salary ◽  
Research Sector ◽  
Salary Survey ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Comparative Information

Despite the importance of labour and overhead costs to both funders and performers of research in South Africa, there is little published information on the remuneration structures for researchers, technician and research support staff. Moreover, there are widely different pricing practices and perceptions within the public research and higher education institutions, which in some cases do not reflect the underlying costs to the institution or the inherent value of the research. In this article, data from the 2004/5 Research and Development Survey have been used to generate comparative information on the cost of research in various performance sectors. It is shown that this cost is lowest in the higher education institutions, and highest in the business sector, although the differences in direct labour and overheads are not as large as may have been expected. The calculated cost of research is then compared with the gazetted rates for engineers, scientists and auditors performing work on behalf of the public sector, which in all cases are higher than the research sector. This analysis emphasizes the need within the public research and higher education institutions for the development of a common pricing policy and for an annual salary survey, in order to dispel some of the myths around the relative costs of research, the relative levels of overhead ratios and the apparent disparity in remuneration levels.

DISTANCE LEARNING AS AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF CONTINUING EDUCATION: PROBLEMS AND TERMS OF REALISATION

2020 ◽  
pp. 87-92
Author(s):  
Сергей Александрович Грязнов
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Educational Technologies ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Classical Training ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education

Технологии меняют образ жизни и деятельность человека. Глобальная сеть Интернет облегчает быстрый доступ к полезной информации. Социальная, культурная и образовательная конкурентоспособность находятся под влиянием образовательных технологий, которые положительно влияют на стиль, продолжительность и метод обучения в высших учебных заведениях. Дистанционное образование возможно применять и как полноценную самодостаточную форму, и как дополнение к классическому обучению в аудиториях. Автор рассматривает в статье дистанционную форму обучения как альтернативу традиционной форме преподавания в вузах на время периодов самоизоляции (пандемии, сезонные карантины), а также как дополнение к традиционным формам обучения. Анализируются проблемные и положительные аспекты применения данной формы. Указаны возможные форматы обучения в условиях дистанционного образования. Выделены сильные и слабые стороны использования некоторых технологий. Technologies alter the way of living and work of a person. The Internet world network makes it easier to quickly access useful information. Social, cultural and educational competitiveness are influenced by educational technologies that positively influence the style, duration and method of education in higher education institutions. Distance education can be used as a full-fledged self-sufficient form, or as a Supplement to classical training in classrooms. The author considers distance learning as an alternative to the traditional form of teaching in higher education institutions during periods of self-isolation (pandemics, seasonal quarantines), as well as as an addition to traditional forms of education. The problem and positive aspects of using this form are analyzed. Possible formats of training in the conditions of distance education are specified. The strengths and weaknesses of the use of certain technologies are highlighted.

scholarly journals On financing the state assignments to higher education institutions to perform research and development projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-135
Author(s):  
Yu.D. Shmidt ◽  
◽  
L.A. Krokhmal ◽  
N.V. Ivashina ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Planning Period ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Russian Higher Education ◽  
Scientific Potential ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University ◽  
Significant Factors

The paper presents the issues of higher education institutions research activities efficiency and financing. Empirical data on the Russian higher education institutions research activities efficiency have been investigated. A new model for higher education institutions research activities public financing has been suggested. The model developed a methodology for calculating subsidies for basic, guaranteed funding of scientific activities of universities, designed to compensate for the cost of simple reproduction of their scientific potential. The integral index, which allows accounting the influence of statistically significant factors on the total amount of research and development work performed by the University, is formed and justified by methods of econometric modeling. The proposed approach allows us to calculate the amount of guaranteed funding for the scientific activities of each university in the planning period with a known amount of financial resources allocated for the basic financing of scientific activities of universities in the country.

Agent Support for Design of Aircraft Parts

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna N. Jha ◽  
Andrea Morris ◽  
Ed Mytych ◽  
Judith Spering
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Design ◽  
Formal Representation ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
High Level ◽  
Legacy Applications ◽  
The Cost ◽  
And Control ◽  
Task Structures

Abstract Designing aircraft parts requires extensive coordination among multiple distributed design groups. Achieving such a coordination is time-consuming and expensive, but the cost of ignoring or minimizing it is much higher in terms of delayed and inferior quality products. We have built a multi-agent-based system to provide the desired coordination among the design groups, the legacy applications, and other resources during the preliminary design (PD) process. A variety of agents are used to model the various design and control functionalities. The agent-representation includes a formal representation of the task-structures. A web-based user-interface provides high-level interface to the users. The agents collaborate to achieve the design goals.

Intelligent Agents in a Trust Environment

2002 ◽  
pp. 98-108
Author(s):  
Rahul Singh ◽  
Mark A. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Distributed System ◽  
Intelligent Agents ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Intelligent Agent ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Commercial Activity ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Trust Relationships ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Oriented Activity

Intelligent agents and multi-agent technologies are an emerging technology in computing and communications that hold much promise for a wide variety of applications in Information Technology. Agent-based systems range from the simple, single agent system performing tasks such as email filtering, to a very complex, distributed system of multiple agents each involved in individual and system wide goal-oriented activity. With the tremendous growth in the Internet and Internet-based computing and the explosion of commercial activity on the Internet in recent years, intelligent agent-based systems are being applied in a wide variety of electronic commerce applications. In order to be able to act autonomously in a market environment, agents must be able to establish and maintain trust relationships. Without trust, commerce will not take place. This research extends previous work in intelligent agents to include a mechanism for handling the trust relationship and shows how agents can be fully used as intermediaries in commerce.

scholarly journals Widening access to higher education for low-income students: a Brazilian case study (1990s-2016)

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
LEONARDO CIVINELLI TORNEL DA SILVEIRA
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Student Loans ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Access ◽  
Widening Access ◽  
Education Participation ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This article analyses the widening access policies implemented by Brazil during the 1990s and in 2016. It cites and evaluates the different strategies used by the government, such as student loans, needs-based and race-based quotas. In the context of a highly privatized sector, in which for-profit higher education institutions account for over half of the existing higher education institutions in Brazil, the results display a relative growth in higher education access based on minorities and needs-based communities. However, it also showcases some trends not achieved as originally planned by the government (specially increasing higher education participation in regions other than the south and the southeast) and serves as a point requiring further research to evaluate the influence on the lives of students and graduates. This study uses government and publicly available sources to analyse the impact of this strategy over time.

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